Serial Killers (Midterm Key Terms)

CLUSTER KILLINGS

Murders that tend to last a few days, weeks, or even months where there appears to be no cooling-off period.

DISCIPLE-TYPE KILLER

A person who commits murder at the behest of a charismatic leader such as Charles Manson.

DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE

A person who seeks revenge for real or imagined wrongs at the hands of co-workers or employers.

FAMILY SLAYER OR ANNIHILATOR

A person who kills his family and commits suicide.

FELONY MURDER

Murder committed while in the course of committing another felony, such as killing someone while robbing a bank.

IDEOLOGICAL MASS MURDER

A person, especially a cult leader, who is able to persuade others to kill themselves or each other.

INSTITUTIONAL MASS MURDERER

A person who commits mass murder as a crime of obedience when ordered to by his or her leader.

INTRINSIC LOCUS OF MOTIVES

Motives that are explained as something only the offender can appreciate because they exist entirely in his or her own mind.

LUST MURDERERS

Offenders who become sexually involved with the victims and often perform postmortem mutilations.

MASS MURDER

Killings in which several victims are killed within a few moments or hours.

MINI-MASS MURDERS

Few victims (three to four) are killed within a few moments or hours.

MODUS OPERANDI

Method of committing a crime.

MURDER

The illegal taking of another's life.

MURDERER FOR PROFIT

A person who kills in order to profit materially.

MURDERER FOR SEX

A person with the primary goal to sexually torture, rape, and murder the victims; a comparatively rare typology.

PSEUDO-COMMANDO

A person with an obsession for guns and a fantasy about murder.

PSYCHOTIC KILLER

A person suffering from acute or chronic psychosis is considered to be legally insane.

SERIAL MURDER

The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offenders in separate events.

SET-AND-RUN KILLER

A person who plans an escape route following the killing aftermath.

SPREE MURDER

Three or more victims are killed by a single perpetrator within a period of hours or days in different locations.

HERO WORSHIP

refers to the excessive admiration or reverence for individuals, often in the context of public figures, including criminals or antiheroes. In the realm of multiple murder, it can manifest as a glorification of perpetrators, framing them as charismatic figures rather than focusing on their violent actions.

MURDERABILIA

encompasses items related to infamous crimes, such as memorabilia from murder cases, including photographs, personal belongings of the perpetrator, or artifacts from crime scenes. These items are often collected and sold, reflecting a macabre interest in the darker aspects of human behavior.

KILLER GROUPIES

refer to individuals who develop infatuations with serial killers or mass murderers, often leading to romanticized perceptions of these figures. This phenomenon can include correspondence, visits, or even relationships with inmates, highlighting a complex interplay of fascination and pathology.

KILLER COMMUNICATIONS

pertain to the letters, interviews, or other forms of correspondence produced by murderers, often intended for the public or media. These communications can provide insight into the mindset of the perpetrators and contribute to the public's obsession with their stories, as they often reveal personal justifications or twisted narratives surrounding their crimes.

MASS MURDER

refers to the unlawful killing of three or more individuals in a single event or location, typically occurring within a short period of time. This type of homicide is often characterized by a sudden and violent outburst, frequently taking place in public settings, such as schools, workplaces, or other crowded environments.

SERIAL KILLING

is defined as the unlawful killing of two or more individuals over an extended period, often with a cooling-off period between each murder. Serial killers typically exhibit a pattern or modus operandi in their crimes, and their motivations may include psychological gratification, financial gain, or power over their victims.

SPREE KILLING

involves the commission of multiple murders in a short time frame, usually without a significant break between the killings. Unlike serial killing, spree killings often occur in different locations and are characterized by a rapid succession of violent acts, making them particularly chaotic and unpredictable.

ANTISOCIAL

Extreme disregard and violation of the rights of others.

AVOIDANT

Relationship problems, social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitive to criticism.

BORDERLINE

Instability in interpersonal relationships and self-image, and extreme impulsivity.

BRAWNER RULE

Also known as the Substantial Capacity Test. Rule used to test for insanity; a person is not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct as a result of mental disease or defect he lacks substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirement of the law.

CESARE LOMBROSO

The father of criminology.

DEPENDENT

Relationship problems, need to be cared for, fear of abandonment, submissive and clinging behavior.

DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

Disorders that include abrupt, temporary changes in consciousness, identity, and motor activity.

DURHAM RULE

Also known as the Products Test. Rule used to test for insanity; an accused is not criminally responsible if his unlawful act was the product of mental disease or defect.

GUILTY BUT INSANE

A plea whereby offenders are confined to psychiatric facilities until their mental state improves followed by prison incarceration.

HISTRIONIC

Grandiosity, egocentric, excessive emotionality and attention seeking.

HYPOGLYCEMIA

A state of low blood sugar that affects the functioning of the brain.

NARCISSISTIC

Self-absorbed, grandiosity, need for praise, lack of empathy.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE

Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, mental and interpersonal control, inflexible and inefficient behaviors.

PARANOID

A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others.

PERSONALITY DISORDER TRAIT SPECIFIED

According to the DSM-V, persons whose traits significantly impair their daily functioning.

SCHIZOID

A pervasive pattern of detachment from relationships, aloofness, including limited expression of emotions.

SCHIZOTYPAL

Social and interpersonal deficits, eccentric behaviors that inhibit the development of close relationships.

SEROTONIN

A chemical that inhibits the secretion of stomach acid and stimulates smooth muscle and acts as a neurotransmitter in brain functioning.

SOCIAL COMMUNICATION DISORDER

A non-autistic disorder in which persons experience problems in communication, social responsiveness and social relationships.

INCOMPETENCY

A state of mind at the time of the offense which renders a defendant unable to stand trial and is then placed in a mental institution until such time as he or she is considered competent by medical experts, after which the person must stand trial.

INSANITY

A legal term to define the state of mind of an offender at the time of the offense; offenders may be deemed insane at the moment of the crime and only for that period of time.

PERSONALITY DISORDER

An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture.

PHRENOLOGISTS

People who were once believed to be able to detect criminal predisposition by examining bumps and abnormalities on the surface of the skull.

PSYCHOPATH

A non-diagnostic label used to describe a potpourri of individuals determined by societal standards to possess characteristics at variance with general community standards and practices.

PSYCHOSIS

A severe form of mental disease in which the individual suffers from a severe break with reality and may exhibit dangerous behavior.

REACTION-FORMATION

The double life some people live in response to unresolved personal conflicts.

ATTRIBUTIONAL BIAS

Interpreting ambiguous or neutral peer actions as being hostile and aggressive.

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

In labeling theory, a state in which a person feels the stress and anxiety of being labeled, and thus feels the need to right the wrongs and restore balance.

CONTAINMENTS

Characteristics such as a positive self-image; ego strength; high frustration tolerance; goal orientation; a sense of belongingness; consistent moral front; reinforcement of norms, goals, and values; effective supervision; discipline, and a meaningful social role that provide isolation or insulation from criminal influences.

CRIMINAL DISTRACTIONS

Infrequent, usually nonviolent, and often easily rationalized criminal events that common citizens engage in without perceiving themselves as being criminals.

DEHUMANIZATION

A process of ridding the other of the benefit of humanity leading to the ultimate step of removing the other person's opportunity to live.