Serial Killers and Their Development

Anastasia Kreyling

Independent Research

04-18-16

Advisor: Dr. Michael Aamodt

Dr. Melissa Kiehl

Abstract:
Serial killers are people who kill more than three people in more than three different
situations. Researchers have recently been analyzing serial killers and seeing how they develop
through different factors such as biological or environmental. However, there isnt a lot of
information regarding the biological factors that develop a serial killer, but an abundance of
information on the environmental factors. Those different factors are then examined and used to
determine the type of serial killer that is created such as an organized vs, a disorganized serial
killer. Classifying serial killers does not only mean the characteristics of one, but the
demographics as well. Researchers have been looking into female serial killers throughout the
years, and they have been identifying the major differences between male and female serial
killers. The goal of this study was to analyze how serial killers develop through the identification
of factors (environmental and biological), and the impact of those on the type of serial killer that
is formed (organized, disorganized, or other). This study also touches on the differences between
male and female serial killers in terms of identification of the serial killer. This study followed a
meta-analysis to identify the different parts of the development of a serial killer. The conclusions
that were drawn regarded the different factors, psychopathy of a serial killer, and the overall
profiling of a serial killer. The product of this research will be a class activity given to a
Psychology AP class at Mount Hebron High School. The subject of it will be the classification of
serial killers through a matching activity. The expected audience of this research is anyone
because serial killers may affect anyones life. They are unexpected people, and the ability to
classify and identify them is extremely important.

Introduction:
There have been plenty of studies regarding serial killers; how they function and develop.
There are plenty of triggers that develop a serial killer, and the serial killers past also contributes
to the type of serial killer that they become. A serial killers past and their previous abusive
lifestyle can be classified as an environmental factor which plays a major role in the
development of the serial killer. Examples of some environmental factors are child abuse,
traumatic events in the childhood, etcetera. Another type of factor that develops a serial killer is a
biological factor as seen in this quote, 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 (Viegas, 2014). These
two variant genes, cadherin 13 and monoamine oxidase A, cause the person to have extreme and
uncontrollable violent behavior. Serial killers also develop into different types of killers such as
the organized or disorganized serial killers. The organized killers are generally smarter, better
organized, and they kill in predictable patters vs. the not so bright disorganized serial killer. This
paper will investigate environmental factors that develop a serial killer as well as determine the
biological factors that create the killer. This paper will also describe the different types of serial
killers and their traits, and this paper will identify the differences between male and female serial
killers. Serial killers develop through environmental and biological factors throughout their
childhood, they develop into different types of serial killers like organized and disorganized
killers, and men and women serial killers kill with different methods and for different means.
Review of Literature:

Environmental factors are very crucial and impacting on the development of a serial
killer. One example of an environmental factor is the nature vs. nurture theory of development.
The nature part of the theory is that the person (the serial killer) is born with some type of
neurological damage which causes their emotions to become interchangeable. They arent able to
distinguish between sadness and anger or happiness and anger. This type of damage causes
emotional unstableness which is evident in most serial killers. In this case, people who are
tracking a serial killer often need to analyze them in depth. Doctors as well as detectives
consider a profile, where they assume the killings are due to the killers past physical and/or
mental abuse (Serial killers: Nature vs. nurture, 2007). Doing this can help the FBI or police
understand how and why they were damaged which can in turn help them catch the killers. The
nurture part of the theory also plays a huge role on the serial killers. The people who follow the
nurture side have had emotional and traumatic events in their childhood which they had to grow
up through. An example of this may have been a mother killing herself in front of the kid, or the
mother beating the child up. This may cause permanent damage to those people in their future.
Believe it or not, but violent T.V shows have an incredibly negative effect on children.
Frankly, T.V shows are a hard environmental factor to eliminate because children are exposed to
a lot of violence, whether one is simply listening to the news or watching SpongeBob.
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 (Gross, 2013). The children become fearful of social
situations, and they tend to solve problems in violent and abusive ways. They also develop the
unwillingness to cooperate (Gross, 2013). This may furthermore cause neurological damage, and
the child may experience some type of mental disorder such as depression. These mental
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disorders play a huge role on the development of a serial killer causing mental instability to
develop.
Another type of an environmental factor can be the demographics of a serial killer. This is
how they developed, who they are, and where they came from. Some individuals tendencies to
commit crime are dysfunctional environments, social disorganization, developmental problems,
lack of education, childhood trauma, and more (Sun, 2009). These individuals may have
experienced some type of disruption in their past which induced them to commit crime. Some
demographic variables are race, gender, and social class that affect a serial killers tendency to
commit a crime (Sun, 2009).These demographic variables effect the targeting choices of the
serial killers. An example of this may be if a lower ranked man got fired from his job at a very
prestigious law firm by the owner of the firm, then the FBI/investigators have found a
demographic motive because the person fired is most likely going to go after the richest/most
wealthy person of that firm, the owner. In this case recognizing a specific motive is very
important to the case because it opens up a pathway of reasons on why the person may have
committed the crime. Therefore, demographics are an important environmental factor to focus on
because they can easily explain motives or targeting.
Environmental factors are one part of the nature vs. nurture theory. Biological factors
take the nature side of the argument, the other factors that develop a serial killer. There are two
types of variant genes that are found in serial killers. The first is monoamine oxidase A, a variant
enzyme found in humans who are associated with violent behavior. Monoamine oxidase A is an
enzyme that breaks down important neurotransmitter in the brain, including dopamine,
norepinephrine, and serotonin (Baum, 2009). Since this variant breaks down important
neurotransmitters, this causes different behaviors to develop in the person. By performing those
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actions, monoamine oxidase A, also known as MAOA, influences aggressive behavior, violence,
and crime (Baum, 2009). Several studies were conducted, and they found that there is a
correlation between the low-activity MAOA and aggression (Baum, 2009). MAOA is only part
of the extremely violent mix. Together with Cadherin 13, another variant gene, they are known to
cause uncontrollable behavior.
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 (Scudellari, 2014). This variant is a protein coding gene, and
is often related with people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In turn,
this means that CDH13 causes behavior that isnt or cant be controlled. In some ways CDH13
can be helpful by coding for a neuronal adhesion protein which means a binding between
neurons on the surface. By coding for the neuronal adhesion protein, it contributes to the
development of some neuronal connections in the brain (Viegas, 2014). A person with both
MAOA and CDH13 is known to show extreme violent behavior that is uncontrollable in some
cases which is why serial killers are known to have both of them. A demographic showed 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 (Viegas, 2014). Even if someone may carry one of
the variant genes it does not mean that the person is going to reveal the symptoms associated
with the specific variant. These biological factors are found to be very prevalent in serial killers
and their formation, and both environmental/biological factors have a significant effect on the
development of serial killers.
One way to analyze the differences between a serial killer and a non-serial killer is by
looking at the brain. There are many differences, either small details or grand things that stick
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out. Sexual Sadists are people drawn to sexual arousal in response to traumatic events in their
past (environmental factor). Sexual Sadists show more brain activity when shown pictures of
stabbing or other violent items compared to the less of a reaction from ordinary sexual offenders
(Szalavitz, 2012). Hence, the difference between serial killers and regular offenders. Psychopaths
are people suffering from a mental disorder which is caused by the experience of violent
behavior. A psychopaths brain activity is very different from the brain activity of a normal
person. 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 (Szalavitz, 2012). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is a part of the prefrontal cortex
in the brain which is located at the front of the lobe. It is known for processing risk and fear.
Psychopathy can begin in the childhood which later develops into anti-social behavior and more.
The serial killer is likely to carry out their childhood anger out in their kills because of a possible
buildup of emotion. As a result of the different brain activities, it is easy to decipher between
serial killers, psychopaths, and others.
Those biological factors are found to be very prevalent in serial killers and their
formation, and both environmental and biological factors have a say on the type of killer that the
people become. There are three main categories of serial killers which are The Medical Killer,
The Organized Killer, and The Unorganized Killer. The Medical Killer is a highly
intelligent and careful person who knows how to hide their murders, and make it seem as if the
victim died of natural causes. They are very rare (Types of serial killers, n.d.). Medical Killers
are prone to kill in hospital, hence the name medical killer. They make it seem like a medical
accident happened to their victim by choosing the appropriate weapons. The Organized
Killer is very intelligent, well organized, cautious, plans out their kills, moves out in advance,
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stalks the victims for days, and they take pride in their kill. They like to be praised on their kill
because they are proud of what they do (Types of serial killers, n.d.). These types of killers are
very tough to catch because they know how to cover their tracks. They make sure that everything
goes as planned. The Unorganized Killer does not plan the kill, they randomly kill and choose
their victims, they dont cover up their tracks, they are generally unintelligent, and they can be
anti-social (Types of serial killers, n.d.). These killers are more likely to be caught because they
are unable to think as well as the medical and organized killers.
Along with the sub-categories of serial killers, there are many characteristics to be found
in a serial killer that help to identify them. The first couple of characteristics that are associated
with serial killers are associated with environmental factors that trigger and develop the serial
killers. Most serial killers have substance abuse with both alcohol and drugs. They may have had
some sort of psychological abuse in their childhood that was triggered by a traumatic event.
Emotional abuse by a parent is one of the most common types of psychological abuse. Sexually
stressful events are seen as well. This is usually done by family members, or they witness
sexually stressful events which cause changes to their lifestyles and personalities (Gerber, 2013).
The next couple of characteristics are socially stressful and personal characteristics of serial
killers. Bed-wetting is seen in the history of some serial killers who are going through some type
of psychological family disorder. They are then often teased by family members. Another
characteristic is growing up in isolation which can develop into anti-socialness which is often
seen behavior in serial killers (Gerber, 2013). The rest of the characteristics are associated with
acting out fantasies, and the development of strange behaviors. They can start to develop strange
fetishes in their childhood like stalking for example. This later develops and builds up into
something much greater such as extreme perversion. They can also act out their killing fantasies
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on small animals at first, but then that develops into killing humans. This is typically seen before
they move on to larger prey (Gerber, 2013).
It is said that Actions speak louder than words, so looking into the actions of certain
people can help in the identification of their serial killing behavior. One of the first signs is the
development of anti-social behavior. This can be created by the killer being in isolation for most
of their childhood. Many serial killers experience anti-social behavior because of past troubles in
their families. Another sign found in their personality can be the fact that they are manipulative
and powerful. They would like the sense of having full control, and getting exactly what they
want (9 early warning signs of serial killers, n.d.). Serial killers are known to be unable to show
signs of remorse. While regular people show emotions when something devastating happens, the
killers show nothing. These people may have had a poor family situation, for example bad
relationships with family members that may have led to isolation apart from them. The
unstableness of the situation may trigger certain emotions in the developing serial killer (9 early
warning signs of serial killers, n.d.). Lastly, intelligence is also a key thing to look for in these
people, as well as the other characteristics described. Extremely high IQs (Intelligence Quotient)
can mean that they are indeed a serial killer. However there are serial killers who have low IQs
and they are described as unorganized killers (9 early warning signs of serial killers, n.d.). These
actions do not guarantee that one is a serial killer, but they certainly help in sorting through the
potential ones.
The different types of serial killers are influenced by the factors that they were exposed
to, but mostly people only think of potential serial killers as men; however, females are just as
capable of becoming serial killers. Female serial killers are more rare than their male
counterparts, but they arent nonexistent; about one in six serial murderers is a woman (Anthes,
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2015). Knowing this, people cannot exclude women from the list of potential killers. Researchers
have been looking into female serial killers over the years and compiling lists of them over a
certain time frame. They have calculated that on average a female serial killer kills about six
people (Anthes, 2015). Many studies have been done about women serial killers through the
years, so that they are able to discover their patterns. There are differences between how male
and female serial killers kill. Women usually go after people they know, while males go after
strangers for the most part. Males are also more violent in their kills using knives and other
torture tools, while women usually stick to poison. Women are mostly in for the profit when they
kill (Anthes, 2015).
There are certain characteristics to go along with female serial killers such as who they
go after, why they go after them, and with what other external motive. Women are most likely to
kills people they know and not strangers. This is because they may have a certain motive for the
kill, for example vengeance. The person may have wronged them in a way for them to react with
a kill (Harrison, 2015). There are specific demographic details to take into mind when tracking
female serial killers. Most female serial killers are tailored to killing white, upper-class men.
They usually kill them with poison to leave no trace (Harrison, 2015). These female serial killers
usually are found to have college degrees, and they are found to work in care-giving roles. They
are also found to be married, or they once had been married. Female serial killers are fully aware
of who they are going to kill (Harrison, 2015).
It can be said that male and female serial killers have juristic differences in the way they
kill, and how they kill as separate people. According to a study from Pennsylvania State
University, a profile of an average female serial killer is that she works as either a nurse, nanny,
or a teacher. All of these jobs require the person to be around others who need aide (Kaplan,
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n.d.). Men however, can be in any position at any job such as a lawyer to a carpenter. A
psychology professor from Pennsylvania State University, Marissa Harrison, looked through
news reports dating back to the revolutionary War to find every record of a female serial killer.
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 (Kaplan, n.d.). According to Harrison, Female serial killers
gather and male serial killers hunt (Kaplan, n.d.). Males also seek dominance in their kills, but
women seek power or money from the kills (Kaplan, n.d.).
Research Methods and Data Collection:
The research question in this research is what biological and environmental factors
trigger/develop a serial killer, and what are the differences in the development/actions of the
different types of serial killer? The hypothesis in this research is, biological and environmental
factors that develop in the childhood and adolescence are the most influential in the development
of a serial killer and influence what type of serial killer they become. Both the research question
and hypothesis were addressed through a meta-analysis of four scholarly articles. The only
participant in the data collection was the researcher. The data was collected directly from the four
articles. The articles by name and author are, Criminal Profiling From Crime Scene Analysis,
Natural Born Killers?: The Development of the Sexually Sadistic Serial Killer, The making of a
serial killer by Brogaard, and The hidden suffering of the psychopath by Martens.
The first source is about the profiling of serial killers, and how law enforcement always
looks into the background of that person because that is where the clues are. They focus on the
behavioral and personality traits of the criminal to narrow them down. The source also says that
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serial killers look into each and every one of their victims through risk factors such as race,
gender, occupation, and more. The second source is about the development of a serial killer, but a
sexually sadistic one in particular. The source includes factors that develop these killers such as
abuse in the childhood, bad parenting, and poor education. Many of the serial killers had strange
obsessions in their childhood, and some may have gotten excited when they viewed acts of
violence. At the time when this journal was written, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
identified 35 operating serial killers in the United States. The journal ends by giving more
information on sexual sadism. The third source is also about the development of a serial killer,
but through multiple theories including psychopathy. The journal states that psychopathy can
develop biologically or through environment factors. It can be identified through abnormalities
in the brain. The serial killers with psychopathy have decreased connectivity in their brain which
causes negative emotions. These emotions can cause unnatural behavior which may be
uncontrollable. Childhood neglect, anxiety, and other factors can lead to bigger psychological
problems that relate to psychopaths. The fourth source is about psychopathy and psychopath
characteristics. These include intelligence, bad judgement, impulsivity, and more. They then
develop poor self-control, sexual behavior, manipulation, and criminal behavior. Many of these
psychopaths experienced emotional pain, substance abuse, and more. The article also states that
psychopathy is related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain.
Results and Data Analysis:
The data applies to my thesis and research question because all of the aspects referenced
in both the research question and hypothesis were analyzed in the data collection. This included
the analysis of environmental and biological factors, serial killers characteristics, and other
details. The results found supported the fact that environmental and biological factors found in
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the childhood and developed throughout their life have a direct correlation with becoming a
serial killer. The results found also supported the fact that environmental factors in a person
induce serial killer behavior, and they have a huge impact on the development of a serial killer.
The data also shows that psychopathy in a person has a huge effect on the behavior and
development of a serial killer. Each source had different information as well that was analyzed
and taken account of in the data collection.
Appendix A:
[Special issue; PDF]. (1986). Criminal Profiling From Crime Scene Analysis, 4. Retrieved from
file:///F:/Independent%20Research%202015-2016/Data%20Collection/Doc%203.pdf
[Special issue; PDF]. (1997). Natural Born Killers?: The Development of the Sexually Sadistic
Serial Killer, 25. Retrieved from file:///F:/Independent%20Research%202015-2016/Data
%20Collection/Doc%204.pdf
Brogaard, B. (2012, December 7). The making of a serial killer. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from
Psychology Today website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhumanmind/201212/the-making-serial-killer
Martens, W. (2014, October 7). The hidden suffering of the psychopath. Retrieved April 3, 2016,
from Psychiatric Times website: http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/psychotic-affectivedisorders/hidden-suffering-psychopath

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Discussion and Conclusion:

Serial killers are developed through a variety of different ways as seen throughout this paper.
They can develop from environmental factors to biological induced development such as the two
variant genes MAOA and CDH13. Serial killers can also be categorized differently depending on
the type of character traits that they have. A very intelligent, careful, and proud killer is
characterized as an organized serial killer. A not so smart, not careful killer is characterized as an
unorganized serial killer. The factors that develop a serial killer can also in a way induce the
person into being a certain type of serial killer. Although most people think of men when serial
killers are mentioned, women are very prevalent in the serial killing world as well. However, a
smaller percentage of serial killers are women. Therefore serial killers are developed through
different factors that induce different characters when they become killers in their future. All of
this information can be found in Appendix A of the paper. The limitations of this study may be
that there werent enough biological factors analyzed because there arent many studies focused
on them. Also there may have been more biological factors that are still undiscovered that trigger
the development of a serial killer. Research that can be done in the future on this topic may
include newly discovered biological factors as well as ways to prevent the development of a
serial killer. The data collected answers the original research question, and it supports the
hypothesis because of the correlation found between the environmental and biological factors
and the development of a serial killer.

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