Anastasia Kreyling

01-18-16
Annotated Source List
5 shocking female serial killers statistics. (2014, September 17). Retrieved January 5, 2016, from Health
Research Funding website: http://healthresearchfunding.org/5-female-serial-killers-statistics/
Summary: Article
This article is about the statistics of women serial killers even though they are rarely suspected to
be killers. First the article talks about the ratio of female serial killers in the United States and the increase
of them. The article says that one in six serial killers were female. Out of 416 serial killers, 64 were
female (Par. 3). Most female serial killers kill because they were wronged, and they seek for vengeance.
These killers are known as Black Widows (Par. 5). In United States, more than 51% of female serial
killers have had at least one female victim and more than 30% of them had murdered at least one child
(Par. 6). This over does the perception that women only kill men because in fact they kill both genders. In
the history of serial killers around the world there is one female to nine male serial killers (Par. 8). The
motives of their kills differ. For example women kill for the profit or material gain (Par. 9). Five famous
female serial killers are Delphine LaLaurie, Lavinia Fisher, Jane Toppan, Belle Sorensen Gunness, and
Amy Archer-Gilligan (Par. 12-16).
Application to Research:
This article will be very important to one of my sections in my final research paper. I needed
statistics on female serial killers because I will be comparing female serial killers to male serial killers.
Also this article supports all of the other information that I have gathered on the differences between
them. This statistical information will be great to include in my paper because numerical data usually
makes the reader more supportive of the writer.
9 early warning signs for serial killers. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from Crime Museum website:
http://www.crimemuseum.org/blog/9-early-warning-signs-for-serial-killers-2
Summary: Article
This article explains the signs that a person is a serial killer, is becoming a serial killer, r may be
acting like one. The first sign is anti-social behavior. Children develop slower, so looking for anti-social
characteristics in children is important because there is time to stop it. The second sign is arson. This
characteristic includes being powerful and manipulative. The third sign is torturing animals which is
usually a sign found in children. They feel a sense of control over the animal, and they begin to develop
as sociopaths. They also dont show remorse. The fourth sign is being in a poor family life situation.
These people have awful relationships within their family, and it is very unstable. The fifth sign is child
abuse. These killers may have been sexually, verbally, or physically abused in their childhood. The sixth
sign is substance abuse. These people may be addicted to drugs, alcoholics, or smokers. The seventh sign
is voyeurism. This is like stalking and strange obsessions with things. The eighth sign is their intelligence.
Regular killers have good IQs, the organized serial killers have a very high IQ, and the disorganized
serial killers have a low IQ. The ninth sign is shiftlessness. These serial killers have trouble staying on
one subject or at one job for example.
Application to Research:
All of these signs can contribute to my category of how serial killers develop. All of these
signs/characteristics are things found in a developing person. The people who become serial killers
develop some of these traits in their early childhood. This article is also good because it can help me
identify certain serial killers by looking at which signs/characteristics that they possess. This article also

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provides me with two new terms. They are voyeurism and shiftlessness. Looking at these signs can really
identify a serial killer.
Aamodt, M. (2015, December 31). [Telephone interview by the author].
Summary: Interview
This interview consisted of me, the author, interviewing a professor from Radford University in
Virginia. I asked him a series of questions that were pertaining to my research. He gave me a lot of
information on the other biological factors that contribute to the development of a serial killer such as
mental disorders, or other differences in the brain. He also told me to not focus deeply on the biological
factors because there is little research that looks into biological factors. He also gave me a lot of
information on female serial killers, and the differences between male and female serial killers. This is
important to me because I was missing some information in that category, and with the information that
he provided for me I am now able to fill those gaps. He also gave me feedback and review on my research
proposal. He told me to change my thesis a little bit, so that it covers all of the categories that I am talking
about in my paper. Lastly, he provided me with information on some of the various forms of final
products that I can make with my research.
Application to Research:
This interview is a great contribution to my research because it provided me with a lot of new
information as well as a source of peer-review because my advisor was kind enough to read through my
research proposal. He provided me with an idea for my final product which is really important to me
because I still dont know exactly what I am going to do for it. I am really thankful for this interview
because without his guidance and editing, my future paper would be a mess in its organization.
Adams, T. (2013, May 11). How to spot a murderer's brain. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from The
Guardian website: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/may/12/how-to-spot-a-murderersbrain
Summary: Article
This article describes what Adrian Raine did in 1987 in America with evaluating killers and
prisoners. He came to America to conduct a study on killers brains. He conducted PET [positron
emission tomography] scans of 41 convicted killers and paired them with a "normal" control group of 41
people of similar age and profile. However limited the control, the colour images, which showed
metabolic activity in different parts of the brain, appeared striking in comparison (Par. 3). The murderers
had a significant difference in brain activity than the normal people. Cesare Lombroso found that killers
have a hollow part in their brain where the cerebellum is supposed to be. This means that those people
would adapt to more ape like characteristics causing them to outbreak in kills (Par. 7). A second study
apparently shows if a released prisoner has a significantly smaller volume in the amygdala, the almondshaped part of the brain crucial for processing memory and emotion, he or she is three times more likely
to reoffend (Par. 27). This contributes to the theory of how the killers start to act like apes which makes
them have a trigger to kill.
Application to Research:
This article gives me some knowledge on research done with a killers brain. The article provides
information on how a killers brain is different from a normal persons brain which causes them to act
more closely in relation with apes. Future observations like this can help create a more strong test that

Anastasia Kreyling
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will help us observe and evaluate who is a killer and who isnt. It is important to find ways to identify
serial killers amongst us because maybe that will help us stop the amount of murders and homicides that
go on.
Anthes, E. (2015, May 9). Lady killers. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from The New Yorker website:
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/female-serial-killers
Summary: Article
In this article the author brings up examples of situations in history in which women were
discovered to be the serial killer in the case. The author also gives us a statistic which is, Female serial
killers are more rare than their male counterparts, but they arent nonexistent; about one in six serial
murderers is a woman (Par. 20). Often women are overlooked. Studies all over the country are being
done on serial killers and how they are evolving as well as how many serial killers there were in certain
time frame. The researchers compiled a list of women serial killers between a certain time frame, and they
calculated that each woman on average kills about six people. Female serial killers also appear to have
become more common over the years (Par. 4). There are differences between the way a woman kills and
how a man kills. Women often target males and people they know; however, males often target strangers
when they kill. Males are also more violent with their crimes, but females usually stick to poison. Women
are also mostly in for the kill to earn the profit in the end. These women are also usually in caregiving
roles where they have access to the family as well as the children (Par. 6).
Application to Research:
This article is very beneficial to my research because it details in women serial killers, and those
arent very common in the serial killer world. It would be very helpful to have information on a woman
serial killers, so that I can compare it to the characteristics of how a male serial killer functions. I think
that this year I will be mostly focused on the male serial killer because that is the most common, but I can
always include in my data a woman serial killer. This article also compares and contrasts some points
between a male and female killer which is very important to my research.
Baer, H. (2015, March 15). Serial killers: The neuroscience and biology behind america's television
fascination [Blog post]. Retrieved from The Triple Helix Online website:
http://triplehelixblog.com/2015/03/serial-killers-the-neuroscience-and-biology-behind-americastelevision-fascination/
Summary: Blog post
This blog post is talking about the biological influences on a serial killer which tie back to the
nature vs. nurture and biological vs. environmental. Studies and ongoing research show that neurological
differences in brain structure, and biological differences in hormones and genes influence what actions a
person takes, including the actions of becoming a serial killer (Par. 2). Researches have been able to find
differences in the brain between a normal person and a serial killer through neurological brain studies.
The prefrontal cortex in a serial killer is less developed. This means the person has lower selfmechanisms, more anger, violence, and a lesser controlled limbic system (Par. 3). The people with a
damaged limbic system have loss of emotion which contributes to psychopathy is a serial killer. One
reason behind why most men are serial killers is because they have higher testosterone levels which
contribute to more aggression. Scientific research indicates that no such serial killer gene exists;
however geneticists have not ruled out multiple mutated genes as an explanation (Par. 6).
Application to Research:

Anastasia Kreyling
01-18-16
This blog post is quite interesting because it ties into the nature vs. nurture factor as well as the
biological causes/influences of a serial killer. This post explained how and why the brain differs in a serial
killer and a normal person, and how the brain functions while its damaged which contributes to how the
killer functions. The post also explains how psychopathy can be created in the killer which is important to
me because I previously conducted a reading report on the influence of psychopathy in a serial killer. I
have now found two more subcategories for my research and they are nature vs. nurture and biological vs.
environmental influences on a serial killer.
Barrionuevo, G. (2015, October 8). RE: Research at Mt. Hebron High School for independent research
program [E-mail to the author].
Summary: E-mail
This e-mail was a response to my business letter that I had sent out in first quarter in search of an
advisor for my research this year. Unfortunately Mr. German Barrionuevo cannot help me with my
research this year because it is slightly out of his field of study. He is a professor in the Department of
Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. The e-mail isnt very long, but he does give me a link to a
website called the Triple Helix Blog, and the information on there is linked to psychopathy and
aggression in serial killers. This link was actually beneficial to my research because I am looking into the
development of aggression in serial killers. That was all of the information given in the e-mail.
Application to Research:
This e-mail was very beneficial to my knowledge in the study of serial killers. This was because
the blog that Mr. Barrionuevo had given me has information on the causes of aggression in humans, and
why we as humans are drawn to violence through our acts of aggression. This ties with serial killers
because I am studying the development of serial killers through biological and environmental factors such
as the development of aggression. This development can happen in the childhood which would later lead
to psychopathy which includes extreme violence. Also the biological factors that I am studying are two
variant genes which together cause extreme violence as well. Therefore I am very thankful for the link
that Mr. Barrionuevo has given me because it contributes greatly to my knowledge about my research.
Baum, D. (2009, January 19). Warrior gene predicts aggressive behavior after provocation. Retrieved
October 5, 2015, from Brown University website:
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2009/01/hotsauce
Summary: Article
This article explains the genetic mutation monoamine oxidase A which is also known as MAOA.
People with this gene show high levels of aggression when they are under provocation. Monoamine
oxidase A is an enzyme that breaks down important neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine,
norepinephrine, and serotonin (Par. 3). The enzyme is regulated by the gene MAOA. Low activity in the
gene produces less of the enzyme while higher activity in the gene produces more of the enzyme.
Several studies have found a correlation between the low-activity form of MAOA and aggression in
observational and survey-based studies (Par. 4). It has been reported that almost two-thirds of the
western population shows low activity in the gene which is interesting in terms of the history of our
warfare. Overall MAOA influences aggressive behavior, violence, and crime.
Application to Research:

Anastasia Kreyling
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This article explains more in depth what the gene MAOA is, and how it is created which is
through the enzyme monoamine oxidase A. This is one of the influences on the violent behavior in a
person which can later develop them into a serial killer. My goal is to transfer the information from this
article into an influence of a serial killer. In a future reading report, I will be researching the other gene
responsible for creating a serial killer. MAOA and the other gene combine mix to create a formula of
disaster. I think that if we (as a society) can find the biological factors that trigger violence and crime in a
person, then we can stop most of the killers in our society.
Bonn, S. (2015, November 23). Female serial killers are no myth. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from
Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wickeddeeds/201511/female-serial-killers-are-no-myth
Summary: Article
This article is about how female serial killers do exist, and they can actually be just as vicious as
male serial serial killers. A black widow is a female who killers three or more husbands in their life
(Par. 1). Now this may be some sort of label for a lady killer, but that isnt all that they are capable of.
Women take up less than 20% of the overall percentage of serial killers. Women use different methods to
kill like poison, stabbing, drowning, and other methods (Par. 2). These females are found to be in working
positions such as nurses, home health care, and more professions involving an interaction between people
daily (Par. 3). A lot of female serial killers are driven by rage and vengeance like Aileen Wuornos, a serial
killer from 1989 and 1990 (Par. 8).
Application to Research:
This is the last article I need to complete my information on serial killers. For my research paper,
I am gathering at least four sources for each of the four main categories which I am emphasizing in detail
in the paper. This article provides an example of a famous woman serial killer who I can mention in my
paper as a character of fact. I am now able to verify the information for validity by comparing the four
articles I have on woman serial killers. This is important because I want to make sure that the information
I have on the woman serial killers is valid.
Brain of the intellect vs. brain of the serial killer. (2012, December 10). Retrieved November 4, 2015,
from Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/blame-theamygdala/201212/brain-the-intellect-vs-brain-the-serial-killer
Summary: Article
This article is about the comparison of the brain chemistry of a regular person, and the brain of a
serial killer. This article talks about an analysis of a very high intellectual brain, and human actions that
correlate with it. Ted Bundy was a serial killer who murdered many women, and in the end was executed.
Apparently he was a very smart guy and was patient which helped him with his murders. His desire led
him to complete these murders (Par. 4). There were many psychological tests conducted on Bundy. The
nature of the tests is still slightly unknown. The likely candidates, two conditions in this case that go
hand in hand, are Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and Psychopathy (Par. 5). There are many
differences in the brain when people have these disorders like in the frontal cortex, amygdala, and more.
Psychopathy means that they experience very violent behavior. Serial killers are very egoistic as well.
Application to Research:

Anastasia Kreyling
01-18-16
This article explains the partial chemical make-up of a serial killer as well as the comparison of a
serial killers brain to a brain of a very intellectual person. Serial killers are very smart in ways because
they have many characteristics that may help with their kills. Finding out the characteristics of a serial
killer is very important in identifying people with psychopathy or any other type of trait that may induce
psychotic behavior. Ted Bundy is a very famous serial killer, and finding out more about him may be very
helpful because he is very well known, and his characteristics are an almost ideal of the perfect serial
killer.
Brogaard, B. (2012, December 7). The making of a serial killer. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from
Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhumanmind/201212/the-making-serial-killer
Summary: Article
This article is mainly talking about how psychopathy is determined in a human, and how it
affects them in the long run. Brain scans revealed that psychopathy in criminals was associated with
decreased connectivity between the amygdala, a subcortical structure of the brain that processes negative
stimuli, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), a cortical region in the front of the brain that
interprets the response from the amygdala (Par. 6). This was found by a study at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison. Basically what the quote is saying is that from lack of communication and social
interactions early on in the persons life can create psychopathy in them which can lead to them being a
serial killer. The study also confirms that there is a correlation between criminal psychopathy and brain
abnormalities (Par. 7). Not all psychotic people have to be serial killers though, and that is where the
results are slightly flawed. Researchers are also looking into if psychopathy is genetic or environmentally
influenced. Furthermore, though serial killers like Charles Manson were abused and neglected as
children, the list of serial killers with a normal childhood is long (Par. 10).
Application to Research:
This article is important to my basic understanding of psychopathy in serial killers, and how it is
found in them. Psychopathy does not necessarily mean that you are a serial killer which means that I have
to pay more attention to the evaluations of serial killers. I need to evaluate where their psychopathy
originated, and I have to make sure that psychopathy is the reason/trigger behind their kills. This article
also gives me an idea of anther reading report topic which is the brain function of a serial killer.
Exploring the mind of a killer [Video file]. (2009, February). Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer
Summary: Video
In the video the main speakers name is Jim Fallon who is a neurobiologist at the University of
California. What he came to speak about was the violence in a killers brain and how it gets there. He
started to analyze psychopathic killers. He analyzes their brains to look into the differences between a
killers brain and a normal persons. The things he looks for are environmental factors, genes, and more.
He looks into the genes, environment, and the epigenetic brain damage. These are all processed by
time, and then he later analyzes how they lead into a psychopathic killer. He said every killer he looked at
had damage to their orbital cortex in the brain which is located near the eye. The major thing that all of
the killers have is the gene MAOA which is a violence gene. This gene is sex-linked on the X
chromosome. This is why most of the serial killers tend to be males, and they get it only from their
mother. A lot of people have a variant of this gene. This has to do with increased levels of serotonin

Anastasia Kreyling
01-18-16
during development. The fact of growing up in a violent society has a huge effect on the development of
psychopathic killers. MAOA develops in the early childhood before puberty when the person is involved
in a traumatic situation. He hypothesizes that in the regions of the world where there is constant violence,
there will be generations of children who will develop in violence who later become killers.
Application to Research:
This video applies perfectly to my research because its a source of analyzed brains. This man
first hand analyzed what the serial killers had in common in their brain, and the biggest find was that their
orbital cortex had damage. Also all of these killers had the violence gene of MAOA which I had
researched earlier. The better fact that he brings up is his hypothesis. His hypothesis perfectly analyzes the
environmental factors that can trigger the person towards the development of a killer in their childhood. I
agree with his hypothesis because there is a lot of violence in the world, and the children who are exposed
to it the most do indeed become very violent.
Ferreras, J. (2015, September 12). Child psychopathic signs can be found as early as 3 years old, study
suggests. Retrieved December 15, 2015, from The Huffington Post website:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/12/child-psychopath-study_n_8125036.html
Summary: Article
In this article it discusses the traits that are associated with people with psychopathy, but this
articles looks into psychotic children. There was a study done at University of New South Wales in
Australia that looked into 214 girls and boys who are in preschool who had traits of psychopathy (Par. 2).
They first showed the children images of facial expressions to see how they would react (Par. 3). A doctor
named Dr. Eva Kimonis found out that the kids who had unemotional traits had difficulty recognizing
specific facial expressions (Par. 4). When they see people in distress it's not capturing their attention in
the same way as it would for the healthy population (Par. 7). There was another study done at Kings
College London that looked at 213 babies, and they looked at their reaction to a red ball vs. peoples faces
(Par. 10). The babies showed more emotions towards the red ball than they did towards the peoples faces.
Psychologists link this to anti-social behavior (Par. 12).
Application to Research:
This article can relate to my main category of environmental factors, and the effect they have on
the development of a serial killer. This article can work as a base work for this category, and it is also very
helpful because it provides me with statistics and experiments that have been done on the analysis of
psychopathy in children. This article also helps because most serial killers start to develop psychotic traits
in their childhood which is exactly what this article analyzes. I can take the data that is given in this
article and incorporate it into my data collection in third quarter as well.
Gerber, H. B. (2013, January 2). 10 most common traits of potential serial killers. Retrieved October 21,
2015, from Listverse website: http://listverse.com/2013/01/02/10-most-common-traits-ofpotential-serial-killers/
Summary: Article
This article lists the top ten characteristics found in a serial killer, or characteristics/factors that
may develop a person into a serial killer. The tenth one is alcohol and substance abuse. These people may
be getting themselves addicted to drugs. The ninth is psychological abuse in their childhood. Most serial

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killers were abused when they were children. Emotional abuse really messes up a childs life. The eighth
factor is sexually stressful events in the persons childhood. This is usually done by a family member, or
they witness their sexual events in their family. This child abuse can lead to isolation. The seventh factor
is bed-wetting. If the parents start to tease the child about this, it may cause them to act out. The sixth one
is growing up in isolation. These people may be growing up without a family, or they are caused to run
out of their home at an early age. Isolation can also mean that they are bullied and have no friends. The
fifth factor is having fantasies. These fantasies are not good ones, but more like sexually sadistic ones,
control, and other things. The killer may start to act out their fantasies in the real world. The fourth factor
is preferring auto-erotic activities. These activities are like pornography, and avoiding social contact in the
sexual realm. The third factor is having a fetish in the childhood. This could be stalking, the collection of
weird items like fingers for example, or pornography. The second factor is acting out fantasies on
animals. They will kill their animals first before moving onto real people. The first factor is having a
physical injury. Repeated injuries can cause psychological problems especially if implemented on the
head.
Application to Research:
This article really contributes to my knowledge as well as the reading report that I conducted
along-side this one. They both tell me the factors of serial killers and their characteristics. Having
information overlap in both of these sources is good news because that means these two articles are valid
and reliable. This article gives me more characteristics as well as lists them importance value from ten
being the least important to one being the most important.
Gross, G. (2013, October 15). Violence on TV and how it can affect your children. Retrieved October 13,
2015, from The Huffington Post website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/violenceon-tv-children_b_3734764.html
Summary: Article
This article is about the effect that violence on TV has on children who watch it. Recent studies
show that not only does the violence have an effect on children, but it has an effect on adults too. Children
learn from socializing and role modeling, so it is very important to monitor what you say and do around
them. Furthermore, there is a chemical change in the brain, similar to that which is seen in posttraumatic stress disorder; if enough violence is viewed, the brain reacts as if the person doing the viewing
has actually been abused (Par. 2). The children become fearful of social situations, they tend to solve
problems in a violent and abusive way, and they demonstrate an unwillingness to cooperate (Par. 3). As
the children grow up watching these TV shows, their violent behavior stays with them all throughout their
teenage years, and they even become more violent.
Application to Research:
This article is very important to my research because it is a supporting point of the environmental
factors that affect/cause the development of a future serial killer. This reading report will go under the
sub-category of the environmental effects on a serial killer. Finding out that violent TV shows have a
negative effect on childhood violence is no surprise, but on the development of a serial killer is some
news to me. I have learned from previous reading reports that the development of a serial killer usually
starts off in the childhood or in the teenage years. All of the triggers of the development are in the
childhood years because the brain is still developing. If you develop in a violent environment then your
brain will be set to think and solve problems in violent ways. This is the problem that violent TV shows
have on children.

Anastasia Kreyling
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Harrison, M. (2015, June 30). Female serial killers have some shocking characteristics. Retrieved
November 11, 2015, from Business Insider website: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-dofemale-psychopaths-differ-from-male-psychopaths-2015-6
Summary: Article
This articles main topic is about the characteristics found in female serial killers. It says that
women are more likely to kill people that they know and not strangers. Most of the murders were leading
to getting money in the end. Most of the kills were tailored to the people in upper classes. Most of the
victims were white, and they mostly used poison as their weapon to kill. Most of the serial killers
analyzed had college degrees, and they also were found to work in caregiver roles. These women were
also found to have been once married, and they were somewhat related to the people that they killed.
They are different than male serial killers because males tend to stalk their victims before they kill, but
females know the people who they are going to kill already.
Application to Research:
This reading report is really important to my research because it brings up major points on the
differences between female and male serial killers. Looking for these patterns at crime scenes can really
help identify if the killer was a male or female. If you find that most of the people killed were related than
you can do one lead towards a female, but if you find that the people killed were chosen at random then
you are more likely looking at a male serial killer. Finding out these details will really help me with my
research this year because I can look at patterns and the way serial killers develop from two points of
view. Looking at the biological and environmental factors in a female serial killer may come out to be
different than the factors in male serial killers.
Kaplan, S. (n.d.). The surprising but curiously logical differences between male and female serial killers.
Retrieved November 10, 2015, from The Washington Post website:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/06/inside-the-minds-of-femaleserial-killers/
Summary: Article
The point of this article is to describe the main logical differences between how male serial
killers act, and how female serial killers act. According to a study from Penn State University a profile of
an average female serial killer is that she works either as a nurse, nanny, or a teacher. All of these jobs
involve being around people that need help. A psychology professor from Penn State, Marissa Harrison,
looked through news reports dating back to the Revolutionary War to find every record of a female serial
killer with the help of her team. Harrison found some striking similarities among her subjects. Most of
them came from fairly mundane backgrounds, their primary weapon was poison, and nearly all of them
killed people they knew, often their own family members. By comparison, most victims of male serial
killers are unknown to their murderer (Par. 6). According to Harrison, Female serial killers gather and
male serial killers hunt (Par. 7). She also found that male serial killers look for dominance and control in
their kills, but women seek power or money in the kills. She also says that it is a misconception that
females arent capable of being serial killers, but this is highly untrue (Par. 14).
Application to Research:

Anastasia Kreyling
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This article brings up a very interesting factor about serial killers. The fact is how different male
and female serial killers think in how they complete their kills. While men look for dominance, power,
and control; women look for the money in the kill. Women also kill people that they know most of the
time while male serial killers kill people at random. This definitely says something about male and female
killers. I can look into the differences in my further reading reports. I can also add this topic as a
subcategory in my future research paper, and maybe also as a fun fact.
Pemment, J. (2013, April 5). What would we find wrong in the brain of a serial killer? Retrieved January
5, 2016, from Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/blame-theamygdala/201304/what-would-we-find-wrong-in-the-brain-serial-killer
Summary: Article
This article talks about the analysis of the serial killers brain, and what people have analyzed to
be different in it from a non-serial killers brain. A mental disorder that is most common with serial killers
is Antisocial Personality Disorder. It is in relation with psychopathy. Psychopathy is related to the traits of
manipulation, charm, and more (Par. 3). Psychopaths also have a reduced prefrontal gray matter area in
the brain. They also have multiple brain abnormalities (Par. 4). Serial killers can also have Borderline
Personality Disorder. The traits associated with this are emotional instability, anxiety, psychotic-like
symptoms (Par. 5). This disorder also causes paranoia which is very common amongst serial killers (Par.
6). Schizophrenia is another common disorder found in psychopaths and serial killers. Traits associated
with this are confusion, cold murders, and more (Par. 10).
Application to Research:
This article is actually quite important to my research because it gives me some more biological
causes and disorders found in serial killers. Before I only had two things which were two variant genes
found in serial killers that cause violence. Now I have extra details and supports to put into my paper
under the category of biological factors. My advisor actually suggested that I find more biological factors
because I only had two, and there isnt a lot of research out on the two variant genes that I was looking
into.
Research-serial killers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from Victims of Violence website:
http://www.victimsofviolence.on.ca/rev2/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=362&Itemid=52
Summary: Article
This article provides the definition of a serial killer, the characteristics of one, the types of serial
killers, and theories and police response to them. The articles definition of a serial killer is a killer that
kills three or more times in different settings, and the killer normally has a cooling off period between
the murders. Serial killers differ from mass murderers because mass murderers kill several victims in one
location while serial killers kill a number of people in separate locations. A brief profile of a serial killer
that this article gives me is intelligent, history of a troubled childhood, fixation on fire and killing animals
at a young age, white, male, interest in pornography, psychopathy, and more. The killers can be organized
and disorganized. The typologies of a serial killer are also listed in this articles. They are the Visionary
killer, Mission Oriented killer, Power-Control killer, and Hedonistic serial killer (Hedonistic comfort
killer, lust killer, thrill killer). It is very uncommon for a female to be a serial killer, but if they are a serial
killer then they are mostly in for it for the profit. There are six typologies for a female serial killer. They

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are the Black Widow, Angel of Death, Sexual Predator, Revenge killer, Team killer, and the Profit killer.
Some causes of a serial killer are the Anomie Theory, Biological theories, the Diathesis-Stress Model, and
more.
Application to Research:
This article is very useful, and it has a lot of information that I can look for in my future reading
reports. It has all of the types of serial killers for both male and female as well as characteristics to
classify the serial killers as. It has provided me with theories of how a serial killer becomes a serial killer
which I can also look up and research in my future reading reports. This report has created an outline of
other topics and sub-categories that I can research, and that will be helpful/beneficial to my research
ahead of me. I am very glad I found this article because the amount of information that it provides is more
than enough to get me started on thinking ahead.
Salvatore, T. (2015, April 20). The creation of a serial killer: Nature vs. nurture. Retrieved December 9,
2015, from The Undergraduate Times website: http://ugtimes.com/2015/04/science/the-creationof-a-serial-killer-nature-vs-nurture/
Summary: Article
This article is explaining how Nature vs. Nurture play in the Dexter Morgans life who is a
fictional character. He lived with his brother and his mother who was a drug addict. His family acted as
drug informants trying to catch the bad guys. They got fund out, and they were forced in a shipping
container. His mother was killed right in front of his eyes. He and his brother had to sit in the blood of the
victims which created a traumatizing event in his life (Par. 2). He became very emotionally unstable
which created him into a serial killer. This experience damaged his psychologically functioning brain.
Although he is a fictional character, it is a well-known fact that real serial killers have developed the same
way Dexter had (Par. 3). The nature part of the development of a serial killer is based on the study of what
traits we are born with as well as our DNA (Par. 5). The nurture side of the argument is that the
environment is what determines who we become. Our experiences in life are what create us in the future
(Par. 6). Observations have been completed, and they have shown that the nurture side of the argument is
dominant to the nature (Par. 7). However, supporting the nature side, serial killers can become killers
through the nature side through history of mental illness, violence genes, and more.
Application to Research:
This article is another helpful addition to my main topic of environmental factors that influence
the development of a killer vs. the biological factors. This is the last reading report I need on this main
category because I have all of the supports I need to make a god research paper. What I found interesting
here was the fact that the environmental factors may be outweighing the biological ones because the
biological factors that develop a serial killer are less common. Putting the environmental and biological
factors side-by-side will really help me identify the connection between the two.
Scudellari, M. (2014, October 28). Extreme violent crimes tied to gene in study of criminals. Retrieved
October 13, 2015, from Bloomburg website: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-1028/extreme-violent-crimes-tied-to-gene-in-study-of-criminals
Summary: Article

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This article is about the two genes that contribute to the violent behavior in people, but this
article ties this evidence into serial killers with the gene. The first gene is monoamine oxidase A
(MAOA), but a variant of it. This mutated gene breaks down dopamine and serotonin. Its nickname is the
warrior gene. The second gene in this mix is cadherin 13 also known as CDH13. This variant gene is
associated with making a protein which connects with neurons. This gene can also be associated with lack
of control in the impulses. The gene, identified in an analysis of more than 700 criminal offenders, is one
of two spotlighted in a study published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The second gene is
associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Par. 2). The first gene in this context is the
monoamine oxidase A, and the second gene in the sentence is the cadherin 13. Both of these in a mix
cause violent behavior which correlate with serial killers.
Application to Research:
This article is important to my research because it verifies a reading report that I had done earlier
last week about the two variant genes that cause violent behavior in a person. The two genes combined
create a violent behavior which is somewhat uncontrollable. This reading report is going to be a great
support to the biological factors that affect the development/create a serial killer. I know a little more
about the two variant genes now, and what makes them up. Knowing the effects and connection between
the genes and violent behavior are very important to my research because I need to know the causes of
violent behavior through a biological perspective. Later I will be researching environmental factors that
have a say on the development of a serial killer, and I will compare that to the biological factors.
Serial killers: Nature vs. nurture. (2007, December 18). Retrieved September 30, 2015, from Serendip
Studio website: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1598
Summary: Article
This article is saying that the reason behind a serial killers actions is the theory of nature vs.
nurture. This means that they either are born with the qualities of a killer, or they acquire it through the
growing up. Some believe that the damage to the brain makes a serial killer. Doctors as well as
detectives consider a profile, where they assume the killings are due to the killers past physical and/or
mental abuse (Par. 2). Both damage to the brain and physical/mental pasts can contribute to the person
becoming a killer. The nature theory is that the person is born with brain damage which causes their
emotions to be messed up. This may cause violent outbreaks, and actions that are exaggerated. This being
said, if the frontal lobe is damaged then the actions of the person will not be accurate which can develop
them into a killer. Others may say that nurture is responsible for creating a serial killer. These people may
be raised in a home with physical and mental abuse which may permanently damage the person. A
neglected childhood can definitely influence the development of a serial killer. The combination of the
both can make an even more violent serial killer.
Application to Research:
This article helps me understand the nature vs. nurture aspect which affects serial killers like the
environment and biological factors. This theory is very useful, and I will need to remember it because I
feel like the serial killer is based off of it. The later developments and the type of killer they become all
builds off of the nature vs. nurture theory. Personally I believe in the nurture side because saying a killer
is born a killer is a little too hard to prove. Many people have brain damage and brain disease, but this
doesnt mean that they are a killer of some sort. We need to be careful when evaluating the nature theory,
but the nurture side seems more realistic and more influential on the person.

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Stone, M. (n.d.). Inside the mind of a serial killer [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://bigthink.com/videos/inside-the-mind-of-a-serial-killer
Summary: Video
In this video is a man named Michael Stone explaining different serial killers in our history as
well as what a serial killer is. He says that serial killers love having control in the killing situations. The
serial killers are seeking revenge, killing their parents because of the neglect and traumatic experiences in
their childhood, and other motives. Sometimes if they had neglect in their childhood, for example if the
mom abused you, if you are a serial killer you may go after women resembling the mother in order to get
back at her in some way. This is symbolic as Michael Stone says. Some serial killers have regular
childhoods, but start to develop violence in their adolescence which means there is some genetic flaw.
One example of a genetic flaw is having multiple head injuries which cause damage to the prefrontal lobe
area in the brain which lead to violent and serial killing behavior in some serial killers. Head injuries can
also cause personality changes later on in their life which can lead to serial killing.
Application to Research:
This video helps my research because it explain both the environmental and biological factors
that contribute to the development of a serial killer. I can definitely add his facts of the biological factors
because I dont have the ones he said. The information on the damages to the prefrontal lobe of the brain
is all new to me, and I would love to add it to my research paper. I also like how he gave multiple
examples of different serial killers that had each one of those factors induce them into serial killing. That
could be very useful information for the paper as well.
Sun, K. (2009, September 13). Racial profiling and a misunderstanding of probability. Retrieved
November 17, 2015, from Psychology Today website:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-justice-and-responsibility-league/200909/racialprofiling-and-misunderstanding-probability
Summary: Article
This article talks about the racial demographics of a serial killer as well as the misinterpretations
of race related to the serial killer. In criminology and psychology research there are variables that identify
an individuals tendency to commit a crime. Some examples of these variables are dysfunctional
environments, social disorganization, developmental problems, lack of education, childhood trauma, and
more. Some demographic variables that are set into play can be race, gender, and the social class (Par. 3).
Research has also shown that people with only high school degrees are most likely to commit a crime.
Statistics also show that 80% of serial killers are white males, but these statistics are often misinterpreted
(Par. 4).
Application to Research:
This article can be very useful because it provides me with demographics about serial killers. I
may be able to look into different serial killers based on either their race, gender, or social class to see if I
can find any differences in their development of actions in their kills. Looking at the demographics may
also help me identify the differences in their actions, and it the style of their kill as well as the plan of
their kill. Demographics can also help me narrow down the chart of serial killers based on their personal
characteristics, experiences, and more. Each race, social class, and gender experience different things
through their childhood and life which causes them to develop differently which later leads to them

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turning into a distinct type of serial killer. Therefore finding this article has led me to be able to narrow
down my serial killers even further in their development.
Szalavitz, M. (2012, May 14). Understanding psychopathic and sadistic minds. Retrieved September 9,
2015, from http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/14/understanding-the-psychopathic-mind/
Summary: Article
The article compares and contrasts a psychopath serial killer and a sadistic serial killer. To find
what triggers the serial killers instincts, all someone needs to do is to contrast the killer. Researchers also
found that another trait of a killer is sexual sadism. Decety and his colleagues recently published a
brain-scan study of 15 violent sexual offenders, eight of whom were classified as sexual sadists (par. 4).
Sadist show more brain activity when shown pictures of stabbing or other violent items compared to
sexual offenders. Psychopaths, on the other hand, tend to be indifferent to the emotions of others (par.
9). Brain activity between normal people and psychopaths is also very different. Decetys work and that
of others had previously shown differences between psychopaths and normal people in a nearby
prefrontal area, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, or vmPFC (par. 15). Psychopathy can begin in
childhood, anti-socialness, and more which will lead into a serial killer possibly who may carry out his
childhood anger out on other people.
Application to Research:
To find out if this article is biased all I would have to do is compare its information to other
articles on the same subject. If they are similar or close than the article is not biased which is good. This
article raises me with the question of how are psychopath killers really different than regular serial killers.
Another question would be can sexual offenders become sadistic killers? Another resource that I could
consult to find these answers would be another website on a similar topic which could be more detailed. If
I were to create a project on this topic I would probably conduct a survey because I would want peoples
opinions on how the different types of serial killers are different, and what are the different triggers of
each one. An accessible audience could be the general public because most people dont know if there is a
serial killer among them which is why people get murdered in the first place. This could inform the
general public. I would best conduct the information through a presentation because there will be so much
of it towards the end of the year. I could evaluate my success through the responses I get from the viewers
of my presentation, and through evaluation surveys.
Szalavitz, M. (2012, August 17). My brain made me do it: Psychopaths and free will. Retrieved December
15, 2015, from Time website: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/17/my-brain-made-me-do-itpsychopaths-and-free-will/
Summary: Article
This article discusses if psychopaths should be punished less severely if researchers are able to
blame their actions based on their brain differences or differences in their genes. Most judges who judge
criminal cases dont reduce the sentences of the serial killers even if they do blame it on their behavioral
issues or gene issues. They usually dont even consider brain or genetic behaviors of the convicts (Par. 3).
A lot of researchers have been surprised that the judges even reduced the sentences by a little bit.
Researchers have also found out that the criminals with the variant gene MAOA have shown a lot of antisocial behavior (Par. 7). Judges who were given the information that the criminal had biological
explanations for his actions gave the criminal shorter sentences than those judges who gave the criminals

Anastasia Kreyling
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longer sentences because they werent given any information on the biological differences in that criminal
(Par. 10).
Application to Research:
This article is great for my research because it provides me with information of bias within the
judicial system, and how they judge people based on the psychological or biological issues that they have.
The bias is very important towards the validity of the judges judging because these criminals are being
judged for the same crime, but the ones who are said to have an issue get a sort of easier sentence. I feel
this is unfair because even if you do have some sort of mental issue, you shouldnt be excused from a
major crime. Also people who kill other people must have some sort of psychological problem because
killing a person is severely inhumane.
Ted bundy biography. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2015, from Biography website:
http://www.biography.com/people/ted-bundy-9231165#synopsis
Summary: Article
This article is mainly about the life of the serial killer Ted Bundy. In the 70s he murdered and
raped many women in several states in America. He was said to have killed 36, but many say more. He
was executed in an electric chair in 1989 (Par. 1). As a young baby and child, Ted was hid from the world
as his mothers son because it was a religious scandal to have a child out of wedlock. Later his mom
married, and she had other children. Ted grew up in a steady family. He started to steel, play with knives,
and peer into peoples windows (Par. 3). Many of his victims looked like his college girlfriend. Bundy
however was really smart and studied at the University of Washington, and he got accepted into the law
school in Utah. He attacked women where ever he went. He also attacked girls at a sorority house at
Florida State University. He received multiple death penalties. He only admitted to 36 of the total killings.
Application to Research:
This article contributes to my research because it gives me a real life example of a serial killer.
Ted Bundy was very famous, and he was famous for his character, ability to kill so many people without
getting noticed, and his charm. I think by evaluating his character will help me identify his serial killer
characteristics. Also I think I can track his evolution of kills through a timeline which will also help me
identify his development as a serial killer. This example of ted Bundy will be very useful in the future
presentations and research because I think I will use Ted Bundy as my main example of a model serial
killer. He grew up in a not so steady environment, he played with knives, and stole at a young age. All of
this contributes to the development of a serial killer, and identifying these evolutions in his life will help
me with my research of seeing how a serial killer develops.
Types of serial killers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2015, from Crime Museum website:
http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/types-of-serial-killers
Summary: Article
This article summarizes how the FBI categorizes serial killers in three main categories. It would
take too much time to list all of the possible categories that serial killers can fall under. These categories
are based on how the serial killers act in their murders. The three main categories are The Medical
Killer, The Organized Killer, and The Unorganized Killer. The Medical Killer is a highly
intelligent and careful person. They know how to hide their murders and make it seem as if the victim

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died of natural causes in a hospital. These types of killers are rare. The Organized Killer is very
intelligent, well organized, cautious, plans out every move in advance, can stalk their victim for days, and
the killer takes pride in the kill. These killers are very proud of what they do, and they like to be praised
on their work The Unorganized Killer does not plan the kill, randomly kills victims who get caught
under their foot, they dont cover up their tracks, low IQ, and usually an anti-social person.
Application to Research:
This article will definitely help me out in my research. It gives me a baseline from where to start
with researching killers. First I will start with the generic categories of killers, and then later in my
research I will begin to expand on them creating longer lists. By doing this I can track how each trigger
effects how they kill, and why they kill. I can also evaluate their brain patterns, and what factors affect
their kill as well. This article is a great start to my research.
Viegas, J. (2014, October 28). Murderers may be hardwired to kill. Retrieved October 5, 2015, from
Discovery News website: http://news.discovery.com/human/genetics/murderers-may-behardwired-to-kill-141028.htm
Summary: Article
This article is mainly about how serial killers are hardwired to kill because of two genetic
variations in their genes which cause extreme violent behavior (Par. 1). This evidence could essentially
explain why a small amount of people who are anti-social and repeat offenders are the ones to commit
these crimes (Par.2). Tiihonen, who is a professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at
Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and his colleagues completed an experiment by screening 1004 prisoners
in Finland. 184 of them didnt want to participate, and 26 of them were excused. Blood samples were
taken as well as the prisoners background (Par.4). The scientists determined that the prisoners who had
repeatedly committed, or attempted to commit, violent crimes tended to have one or both of the following
genetic variants: CDH13 and MAOA, a.k.a. the "warrior gene" (Par.5). MAOA metabolizes a
neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine, and having both of these together creates a perfect storm
(Par. 6). Alcohol and drugs also cause a larger amount of dopamine to develop which creates aggression
and anger in the person. CDH13, on the other hand, is a gene that codes for neuronal adhesion protein,
so it contributes to the development of neuronal connections in the brain (Par. 8). This gene is associated
with ADHD. With both of these genes the person is more likely to commit a violent crime, and if they
include alcoholism and addiction to drugs to the mix then that is an even bigger boost. He added that
worldwide, about 20 percent of many populations carry at least one of the two genetic variants. Clearly
not all of these people are murderers (Par. 14).
Application to Research:
This article is extremely important to my research because it provides me with a lot of biological
information on how serial killers develop, and also it provides the genetic cause of violent behavior. This
article contributes plenty of information to my research and hypothesis this year because one of the topics
that I am looking into are nature vs. nurture and biological vs. environmental factors on a serial killers
development/trigger. This article also provides me with research into my next reading report which will
be looking deeper into the two genetic mutations.
Zyga, L. (2012, January 18). Serial killing follows predictable pattern based on brain activity. Retrieved
November 3, 2015, from PhysOrg website: http://phys.org/news/2012-01-serial-pattern-basedbrain.html

Anastasia Kreyling
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Summary: Article
This article is about the patter in serial killings based on the brain activity of the serial killer.
Based on Andrei Chikatilo who murdered 53 people of women and children, and based on this,
researchers have found a pattern between the intervals of the kills. The researchers propose that the
murder activity can be explained by the model describing neuronal firing in the brain, very similar to the
model that describers the distribution of intervals between epileptic seizures (Par. 1). The researchers
Mikhail Simkin and Vwani Roychowdhury of UCLA began to analyze Chikatilos murders through a
graph. They found it irregular with long periods of no murders that were interloped with short periods
with many murders. One of the longest periods was two years. Due to the appearance of the graph they
called it the Devils staircase (Par. 2). They found that the short intervals are more common. They
found that this distribution of murders is si8milar to the graph of the distribution of epileptic seizures.
Roychowdhury note that previous research has suggested a link between epilepsy and criminality (and
psychosis), so the possibility that similar processes in the brain may lead to both epileptic seizures and
serial murders is not unreasonable (Par. 3). The researchers think that the firing of neurons in the brain
creates psychotic activity which causes the killer to commit murder (Par. 4). This concludes that the
killings create a sedative effect on the killer. But neuron firing must still be close to the threshold,
since the probability of a new murder is significantly higher in the days after a murder compared to the
average murder rate (Par. 6).
Application to Research:
This article has contributed a lot of information about the pattern of the kills to my knowledge. I
can use this to track the possible development of the killer through their murders up to their arrest.
Comparing psychology to epilepsy is a good research start because it is showing the biological cause of
serial killings. The patterns in their brain activity show the possible biological cause of the killings. The
patterns in between the killings also show if the killer is organized or disorganized which may help
catching the killer. Analyzing this graph with the epilepsy graph will contribute a lot of useful/graphical
information to my research.

Anastasia Kreyling
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