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Thread: What Makes A Serial Killer Kill?

  1. #1
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    What Makes A Serial Killer Kill?

    What makes a serial killer kill? A Radford University psychology professor and his students have spent 15 years investigating that -- compiling a database of about 18-hundred killers, over centuries. And he says not all serial killers fit the same mold.

    Dr. Mike Aamodt, Radford University Psychology Professor - "Some people ask, 'What causes a person to be a serial killer?' and we have to give them the psychology answer of: 'It depends.'"

    Dr. Mike Aamodt says 70-percent are white, 90-percent are male and the average age is 28. But that's where the similarities end.

    Aamodt - "Serial killers are portrayed as being extremely intelligent. Like the Uni-bomber, Ted Bundy, Hannibal Lector from 'Silence of the Lambs'. But if you put all of them together, their IQ is basically average."

    His research did find 70-percent were abused as children and 60-percent had some type of brain damage. The database is full of these details.

    Aamodt - "We use the FBI (web) 's definition which is to be a serial killer, you have to kill three or more people on three separate occasions, with a cooling off period in between."

    Like Lawrence Bittaker, who killed five hitchhikers in the late 70's. Or Carroll Edward Cole, who wanted to rid the world of "loose women". His mother had cheated on his father. Cole admitted to killing 35 prostitutes and married women.

    Aamodt - "Why not try to really be a source to where we can really put together accurate information on serial killers, so we can turn it into a science more than pop culture."

    So what started as a simple class assignment, has now become a wealth of information that he hopes can be a useful tool for all to study. His research also found those with higher IQs typically used guns or bombs, while the lower IQ'ed killers raped and mutilated their victims.

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  2. #2
    Administrator Michael's Avatar
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    Forensic Psychology - Dr. Mike Aamodt

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  3. #3
    Catsratz
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    I'm not sure why a serial killer kills, but it might tie in with the best definitions of a psychopath that I've come across.
    Psychos' nerve endings are farther apart than most people, so they need to do more extreme things more often just to make themselves feel at least temporarily good. Don't know if it's so, but it's a compelling explanation.

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