From theNational Museum of Crime & Punishment
Worried that antisocial kid in school might grow up to be a cold-blooded murderer? Here’s9 early warning signs for serial killers. Remember, however, these traits and signs are just a guideline. Think twice before crying “serial killer” on your weird neighbor.
Ed Gein circa 1957 |
1. Antisocial Behavior
Psychopaths have a strong tendency towards antisocial behavior, so watch for extremely antisocial children. That being said, some children develop more slowly, and this is not a definitive sign. Pay attention if a child regresses from being extremely social to extremely anti-social. Ed Gein, the inspiration for Psycho’s Norman Bates and Silence of the Lamb’s Buffalo Bill, had no social connections besides his extremely religious and abusive mother, who punished him whenever he tried to make friends. After she died in 1945, Gein began to murder and dig up graves, collecting body parts of women who looked like his mother and trying to make a “woman suit.”
2. Arson
Many serial killers start as arsonists. Arson is psychologically attractive because it involves manipulating power and control, something that serial killing also offers. David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam” killer, was infatuated with pyromania as a child, to the point that other children called him “Pyro.” After being arrested, he took responsibility for dozens of New York arsons. Some sources indicate that he might have been responsible for up to 1,400 fires.
Jeffrey Dahmer’s mugshot 1982 |
3. Torturing Small Animals
This is one of the strongest warning signs. Children who torture or kill small animals like squirrels, birds, cats, and dogs without showing remorse are highly likely to be sociopaths. Many serial killers kill to control others’ lives, and as children, small animals are the only lives they have the power to control.
Cannibalistic serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer would bike around the woods as a child, collecting dead animals to dissect. Dahmer even killed and dismembered his own puppy, mounting its head on a stake when he was done.
4. Poor Family Life
Many serial killers come from unstable families with criminal, psychiatric, or alcoholic histories. These killers often have terrible relationships with their families, and often use them as their first victims. When he was only fifteen, Ed Kemper, “the Co-ed Killer,” killed his grandparents. After being released at age twenty-one, Kemper killed six female college students. The police finally caught him when Kemper killed his violent, alcoholic mother. He treated his mother’s corpse particularly brutally, decapitating her, using her head as a dart board, and throwing her vocal cords down the garbage disposal.
Aileen Wuornos |
5. Childhood Abuse
Many serial killers are abused – physically, psychologically, sexually – as children by a close family member. This behavior instills in the child feelings of humiliation and helplessness, feelings which they will later seek to instill in their victims. Aileen Wuornos, the prostitute serial killer portrayed by Charlize Theron inMonster, was abandoned by her mother when she was four and never met her father, who was serving time in prison for raping a seven-year-old girl when Aileen was born. Aileen’s grandfather, who took over care of Aileen when her mother left, physically and sexually abused her until she ran away at age fifteen.
6. Substance abuse
Many serial killers struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.Jeffrey Dahmer began drinking in his teens and was an alcoholic by his highschool graduation. His alcoholism resulted in both his expulsion from college and his discharge from the military.
7. Voyeurism
From a young age, many serial killers are interested in voyeurism, sado-masoch*stic p*rnography, and fetishism.Ted Bundy claimed that, as an adolescent, he would get drunk and stalk around his community at night, looking for undressing women or other titillating sights.
Ted Bundy |
8. Intelligence
Many serial killers have IQs in the “bright normal” range. Organized serial killers who kill methodically, like John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy, have an average I.Q. of 113, while disorganized serial killers have an average I.Q. of 93. Ed Kemper had an I.Q. of 136 (140 is often used as the genius mark in I.Q. tests). He used his intelligence to convince psychiatrists to release him after serving only five years for his grandparents’ murders, claiming to have reformed. He hadn’t, and he killed eight more women before being caught again.
9. Shiftlessness
Despite higher than normal intelligence, many serial killers have trouble keeping jobs or work in unskilled labor.
After leaving the military, David Berkowitz, who reportedly was of “above-average intelligence,” held several blue-collar jobs before he was captured, including his last one as a postman.
FAQs
Many serial killers are abused – physically, psychologically, sexually – as children by a close family member. This behavior instills in the child feelings of humiliation and helplessness, feelings which they will later seek to instill in their victims.
What was John Wayne Gacy's IQ? ›
His associations are intact, however, his answers tend to be rather circular.” Gacy's IQ score was 118, placing him in the “bright normal range,” and his highest verbal test score was in comprehension, “indicating a high degree of social intelligence or awareness of the proper way to behave to influence others.”
What did the study of 50 serial killers find? ›
Deviant Fantasies
In a study that examined 50 serial killers, 68% were found to have experienced some form of maltreatment or another form of abuse, at some point in their childhood (Mitchell & Aamodt, 2005).
Who is the youngest serial killer? ›
Amarjeet Sada, a boy born in the Musahari village of Bihar in 1998, is called "world's youngest serial killer". Not much is publicly known about him, but what we do know is he killed three children by the time he was eight years old.
What are 5 common traits of a serial killer? ›
However, attendees did identify certain traits common to some serial murderers, including sensation seeking, a lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior. These traits and behaviors are consistent with the psychopathic personality disorder.
Who has 113 IQ? ›
113 falls in the high average range and at the 81st percentile. This IQ indicates that you have a normal IQ.
What was Ted Bundy's IQ? ›
The smarter serial killers probably could have done more with their life if they channeled their intelligence for good. But, they were often unmotivated. Bundy reportedly had an IQ of 136 but repeatedly dropped out of colleges and worked multiple minimum-wage jobs. He was described as having a lack of ambition.
Who has 257 IQ? ›
After graduation, Buterin enrolled into the University of Waterloo which he eventually dropped out after a year of computer science and landed the Thiel Fellowship. He used his time to co-found and work on several startups in cryptocurrency and digital finance. He's also well-known for having an IQ level of 257.
Who is the handsome serial killer? ›
Ted Budy
With a score of 6.2, Ted Bundy takes the third spot. Like Dahmer, despite his violent crimes, the serial killer had a slew of female fans. Bundy's good looks, intelligence and superficial charm not only allowed him to gain the trust of his victims but also led to a legion of fans protesting his innocence.
Who was the most educated serial killer? ›
Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, achieved a Ph. D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan (where H. H. Holmes had gone to medical school). Michael Ross attended an Ivy League university, Cornell, and got his prestigious undergraduate degree in agriculture, with the intent of running a business.
A serial killer may not even understand his/her compulsion to kill but knows that it is both undeniable and uncontrollable when the urge arises. The cooling-off period is to a serial killer what coming down from a narcotic high is to a drug addict. It is a time of rest and re-composure.
What is a hedonistic killer? ›
What is a Hedonistic serial killer? ▶ This type of serial killer looks for thrills and derives pleasure from killing, seeing people as expendable means to this goal. They kill for the joy. of it.
What blood type do serial killers have? ›
Blood group B+ has the least occurrence, having similar frequency with blood group A for inmates charged for Murder. This study indicates that Blood group O+ had the highest frequency for inmates convicted for the various crimes. Blood type AB+ and AB- had the least frequency.
What do most serial killers suffer from? ›
While not all individuals with mental illness are violent or engage in criminal behavior, there are cases where mental health issues can contribute to or coincide with serial killing behaviors. Many serial killers exhibit traits of psychopathy, while some experience psychotic symptoms, Ramsland told Fox News Digital.
What is the psychology of a child serial killer? ›
They often have a history of “assaultive behavior”, developmental disorders, and an inability to cope with stress. These children usually spent the first year of their life without proper parental care or affection, sometimes in a poorly staffed adoption institution.
What is the personality of a serial killer? ›
Some serial killers have been diagnosed by psychologists as psychopaths, suffering from an antisocial personality disorder (APD). This makes them unlikely to conform to social norms, irritable and aggressive and lack of remorse.
What is the common age for serial killers? ›
The racial demographics regarding serial killers are often subject to debate. In the United States, the majority of reported and investigated serial killers are white males, from a lower-to-middle-class background, usually in their late 20s to early 30s.
What are the three signs of a serial killer? ›
The triad links cruelty to animals, obsession with fire-setting, and persistent bedwetting past the age of five, to violent behaviors, particularly homicidal behavior and sexually predatory behavior. However, other studies claim to have not found statistically significant links between the triad and violent offenders.
