Serial Killers

[{Dakota}]

I was watching a film last night about a serial killer. This chap had killed 200 women before being caught. This got me to thinking about him and other infamous serial killers and how they managed to obtain serial killer status, i.e. mamaging to kill lots of people, before being caught out.

Obviously, there is something very wrong with these people, some sort of antisocial behavioural disorder or whatever, but to be able to manage to evade the police for sometimes many years, do these people have an above average IQ or were they just cunning?

[Bewlay Bros]

I think it boils down to MOST victims of serial killers are in one way or another out of the social system.

Shipman old fogies
Yorkshire Ripper old toms
Neilson homeless rent boys
The Wests abandoned children (and there own)
Steve Wright old toms

The victims may have many enemies or sadly not be missed. This gives the murderer time to get his story straight and move on to the next victim.

I don't think they have an extra IQ than joe average.

But if I was mad (which they ALL are) how hard is it to simply kill somebody and move on? My DNA and fingerprints are not logged with the police. Even if caught on CCTV, I can cut my hair, grow a beard and as said the cops do not know me.

As as for changing the number plate on, say a grey Ford Focus, is hardly rocket science to evade capture.

[{Dakota}]

Hi Wardy,

I've been sitting thinking about this. So purely because I've not got a record with the police, they have no idea who I am, I could start killing people so long as I'm cunning enough to do it (changing the reg plates on my car etc.)

Note: I have no intention of starting a life of crime!

[Bewlay Bros]

Well you would have to be mad first and foremost, but basically yes.

Killing somebody isn't that hard is it, if there is an element of surprise.

Fair enough if you and I were fighting, even with weopans, it will be fairly tough for you to actually take my life. But if you drugged me first, or approached from behind with a saucepan. Bish bash bosh over my head, I am a gonna.

How many serial killers apart from that weirdo in America a few years back kill with guns?? I can't think of one.

Thomas Hamilton and Michael Ryan are notreally serial killers as their victims were all in one sitting as such.

[natalie_1982]

You would need to hope though Dakota that you never get caught for an offence in future or your DNA / finger print would come up as a match in future.

Also, having read a lot of John Douglas books, it seems that the serial killer types tend to come across as your general Ned Flanders type friendly neighbour so nobody would suspect them. It seems rare that the serial killers are as you would expect them to be, in the same way that sex offenders are rarely smelly old men wearing rain coats.

[{Dakota}]

Don't tempt me, Wardy! ;)

Thank you for your answers. I guess Natalie has a point about the Ned Flanders type of person. Recent cases I can think of, neighbours etc have said smething along the lines of it not being possible for that person to have done it.

[4GS]

minter?
Steve Wright old toms
what happened to innocent until proven guilty? and you with a Law degree??

[China Doll]

The saying that there is a fine line between madness and genius is often very true.

[Whickerman]

The key to an absolutely clean getaway would surely be randomness?

All the killers Bewlay lists fell into patterns and eventually got caught. But if there was no obvious pattern surely it'd be very much harder to pinpoint the killer?

[Bewlay Bros]

Lambert, for the 1000000000th time I do NOT have a law degree. I took the CPE (Common Professional Examination).

Whickerman, the sure fire way to stop serial killers is surely to be a Sgt Howie in every town, village and parish!!!!

[andy-hughes]

Ian Brady has said - and he is qualified to know - that if you murder someone to whom you are connected, and the vast majority of murders are commited by someone known to the victim, then the chances are you will get caught. Murder a complete stranger, and the chances are you wil get away with it.

History does seem to add weight to this argument - Nielsen was only caught because he had a 'backlog' of bodies - he was unconnected to his victims, some of whom remain unidentified to this day.

It appears that killing at random by someone with no police record stands an excellent chance of remaining undetected - what a chilling thought.

[unrulyjulie]

and the ripper was caught because of a motoring offence.
This is my favourite subject.
Its totally fascinating
i think now we have DNA, serial killers are really not going to be as prevellant as they were at one time. Like the Ipswich murders, they arent out there for long. They kill randomly and this will always lead to a mistake along the way.

.I have read some really interesting stuff over the years about more or less all of them.. The Blooding is a great book about Colin Pitchfork and how he tried to evade DNA testing which was the first time it was ever used to catch a killer. Well worth a read if you get hold of it.

[{Dakota}]

The subject of serial killers fascinates me too, but I could never recall any instance where I'd read if the killer in question was more intelligent than the average.

I've read quite a few books on the subject too, though I'm more into the story of the killer, how they killed their victims etc and how they were caught in the end etc.

One of my favourite stories is called 'The Girl in the Box', which isn't actually about a serial killer, but about a chap and his wife who kidnap a hitchiker girl in the 70's and keep her in a coffin like box under their bed for years. She was allowed out for an hour or so a day until eventually she had been brainwashed by them to such an extent that she was free to do what she wanted (go to the shop etc.), yet she didn't make a run for it. I can't imagine ever being in a situation where I would be brainwashed like that, but you never know.

[Bewlay Bros]

As said earlier you have to be mad to be a serial killer. sanity will just not work. It can be summed up nicely in "Hannibal" in a converstaion betwen Will Grahan (Ed Norton) and Hannibal Lecter.

Will Graham: I thought you might enjoy the challenge. Find out if you're smarter than the person I'm looking for.
Hannibal Lecter: Then, by implication, you think you're smarter than I am, since it was you who caught me.
Will Graham: No, I know I'm not smarter than you.
Hannibal Lecter: Then how did you catch me?
Will Graham: You had... disadvantages.
Hannibal Lecter: What disadvantages?
Will Graham: You're insane.

[Metz]

"Neilson homeless rent boys" ... nope he was the black panther
Nilson was the homeless killer ;o)

[Bewlay Bros]

I mean Dennis Neilson (Nillson, Sp???) The ex-Metropolitan special Police Constable who chopped up young gay boys and flushed them down the loo after he took them in to his home and drugged them.

[meglet]

Dakota, that book sounds intriguing! I've just bought on Amazon, thanks for the tip.