Serial Killers

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses psychological profiling of serial killers. It provides the case example of serial killer Arthur Shawcross. The writer states that serial killers have long fascinated and repulsed Americans and the world and that many of them are extremely famous, such as Jack the Ripper and the "Boston Strangler." It discusses how much study has gone in to why some people become serial killers, and this has helped identify and capture many modern serial killers. Serial killer Arthur Shawcross killed eleven people in Rochester, New York during a two-year spree; his profile by the FBI turned out to be amazingly accurate and helped lead to his capture.

From the Paper:

"What makes a killer take the lives of repeated victims? Serial killers (those who kill more than three victims) have been around for centuries. One reporter writes, "Yet in the last two decades serial killings have become increasingly frequent, with as many as half a dozen peppering the headlines and newscasts simultaneously, terrorizing entire cities and regions" (Methvin, 1995). While this type of murder may be relatively common, it was not until recently that serial killers were seriously studied, and devices were created to help identify and capture serial killers on the loose. That method is psychological profiling."

More papers on Serial Killers:

• Analytical Essay # 126755 : "Female Serial Killers"
• Research Paper # 128561 : "Female Serial Killers"
• Essay # 57425 : "Serial Killers"
• Comparison Essay # 8975 : "Nature vs. Nurture -A Comparison of Four Serial Killers"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: