Inside the Minds of Serial Killers: Why They Kill

This past week I finished a book which is the title of my blog post, Inside the Minds of serial Killers: Why They Kill. I found that this book did not attempt to define the causes of a serial killers development as did Athens, but it took more of a psychological approach. The DSM-IV was references several times, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This manual list the symptoms that must appear for a person to be diagnosed with any particular psychological disorder.

It was interesting that there was scanning done on the prefrontal lobe of some violent criminals and they found a correlation with some evidence in the prefrontal lobe. I am not sure how accurate this study was, but it was an interesting read none the less.

This book listed the reasons that serial killers kill under topics as chapters, such as: lust, Omnipotence, Intellectual Exercise, Glory, Delusions, Rage, and Profit. There were some chapters that I will not include in this 'review' because they did not seem to be very significant to my study. (such as Living with the dead, No particular Purpose, Blood and Bodies, and Matches made in Hell.)

Chapter 1
Jack the ripper was mentioned in this chapter, and it was said that although he is thought he was thought to be the very first serial killer there are many times throughout history that proves that to be wrong. His murders were covered more in the newspapers of that time. This chapter also introduced the 'lust' for murder that some killers have. The term 'thrill killer' was also introduced.

Chapter 2: Lust
This chapter described how some serial killers kill for the simply lust for killing. They find excitation in causing physical harm to others, by torture or simple killing. Fantasies and arousal further escalate their violent killings and secure their lust for killing. One example of a serial killer who killed for lust, and sexual arousal was deemed the 'Beauty Queen Killer'. He was noted as an attractive male in his thirties who would lure pretty young women to his car or home and then proceed to kill them and use their torture for sexual arousement.

quote: " fantasies are instrumental in how we choose to behave, view ourselves in our world, test possibilities, and sooth ourselves when necessary" p.14

Chapter 3: Omnipotence
This chapter begins with talking about the beltway snipers. Serial killers such as these believe they are god-like and are sent to earth to complete a task. Sometimes this task is to kill a certain type of people or even sometimes a certain race of people. These types of serial killers are sometimes said to have NPD, narcissistic personality disorder. This chapter mentions that these killers simply want outright control.

Chapter 4: Intellectual Exercises
Some serial killers want to prove that they can get away with murder, as some people say these killers want to commit 'the perfect murder'.

Chapter 5: Glory
This chapter was in some aspects the most fascinating to me. Some killers only want the glory of being known as a famous murderer. This chapter mentions that sometimes serial killers who kill for glory will make false confessions, claiming they killed a larger number of people than they actually did. It is fascinating and quite horrifying to me that someone would want to be known for causing pain and torturing people to their death. But these individual do. The Zodiac killer is mentioned in this chapter. They mentioned how he communicated with symbols, and how he was never caught. He found glory in his ability to escape the police, and get away with so many murders.

Chapter 6: Delusions
Interestingly this chapter investigates how many serial killers are admitted to a psychiatric ward before they are officially accused and tried for their actions, and murders.

Chapter 7: Rage
Some killers kill to extinguish or rather express their rage. Page 67 in this chapter talks about how they find comfort in their anger. These individuals find no other way to express their anger and rage and somehow conclude that murder and mutilation is the way to finally express it. Although one murder never seems to be enough for these killers, they seem to recycle their anger and continue to kill to try and deal with their rage.

Chapter 8: Profit
This seems like an obvious motivation for murder. Some murders are committed to collect insurance sums after the person dies.

The next chapter I read of Chapter 12: Early Aspirations
This chapter was interesting because it told the story of some children murders. Sometimes with the descriptions of how the children were raised it was easy to see how some children could develop into being violent through some of Athen's theories.

The last chapter I skimmed through. They did not seem very important to answering exactly what I am looking for. They mention that some people are very close to serial killers and would never have suspected them for the murders that they committed.

I found that this book differed drastically from the book by Rhodes. I think both are very important to consider, but take very different approaches to answering why serial killers kill. I feel that in my paper I will definitely discuss the social vs. psychological aspects that could determine why serial killers kill.