The Serial Killer
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A serial killer is classified as a person who kills multiple people over a period of time, usually to satisfy some kind of psychological need. Sometimes, there is an interval between kills which could be long or short and the murders usually follow a definite pattern.
There is usually a reason for these murders. Most often these justifications might not make sense to other people but in the mind of the killer, it is perfectly reasonable. For example, a person who was sexually abused as a child begins to hate all people of similar gender to their abuser and decides they are all evil and need to be killed, whether guilty or not. To them, every man or every woman, not just their abuser is guilty of the crime.
The Brain of the Serial Killer
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See to understand how serial killers come to be, you have to first know the inner workings of their brain. A lot of factors can cause a person to become a killer, some of which include genetics, brain patterns and most especially the environment in which the person grows up in.
In a study conducted by Dr Helen Morrison, who studied and interviewed about 135 serial killers, she discovered that a chromosome abnormality might be the trigger. The chromosome abnormality begins to come into effect during puberty, where people who have this condition begin to display signs of psychopathy and an inability to form attachments, display homicidal tendencies and an inability to empathize with their victims which allows them to kill without remorse.
Study of brain activity has revealed several differences between the brain of a serial killers and those that are not. It was revealed that there was a decreased connectivity between the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that processes negative stimuli and the ventromedial prefrontal corvex, which is the part of the brain that interprets response from the amygdala. The decreased connectivity hinders their ability to feel negative emotions, which makes them unable to feel nervous or embarrassed if caught and also unable to empathize with other people’s pain.
According to research done by neuroscientist Jim Fallon(not to be confused with the night show host), who studied the brain of psychopaths for over 20 years, they also exhibit low orbital cortex activity. He also studied his brain and found out he had this tendency also.
Neurology of Serial Killing
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Earlier, i stated that genetics was one of the possible factors that could lead to serial killing. It involves the age old argument of Nature versus Nurture. Some people believe that if the parent is a killer, then the child would grow to be one too, while, others believe that genetics don’t matter but it all depends on the experiences the person undergoes. Research and studies haven’t really given conclusive data. Studies have been done on the brain activity of known serial killers and several possible genetic links have been identified.
One of the first things that you have to recognize is that serial killers are usually quite smart. They tend to be psychopaths or sociopaths but not all psychopaths/sociopaths are serial killers. They react abnormally to emotional stimuli because they make more use of the left hemisphere of the brain which controls analytical or strategic thinking, so they tend to be less emotional and more calculative in their reactions.
They also tend to have low serotonin levels, which controls the aggressive aspects of testosterone, that is, low serotonin and high testosterone. Several other important brain structures such as the limbic system or the hypothalamus are usually either impaired or severely damaged which affects their ability to properly process certain emotions or even switch them around completely such as violence could be processed as sexual excitement and a lack of empathy or fear enables them to commit these crimes without remorse or a fear of being caught.
A Few Notable Serial Killers
1. Ted Bundy
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A notorious American serial killer who killed over 35 victims. He escaped from prison twice and even murderJimed multiple women within a day or sometimes within a few hours each other. He was executed using the electric chair in 1989, after 10 years in prison.
2. Luis Garavito
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He was a Colombian serial killer, who if I’m being honest was a pretty despicable human being. He was called the beast and raped, tortured and killed about 140 boys between the ages of 8 and 16 years old. I’m a pacifist usually but this man made me consider the death penalty as a punishment. He was a total monster.
3. Jane Toppan
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She poisoned about 31 people in order to satisfy a sexual kink and would lay with them as they died. She was deemed criminally insane and was remanded into an asylum until her death.
4. Gary Ridgway
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He was an American serial killer who operated for over 13 years. He cannibalized his victims and kept their body parts in his freezer. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he was killed by a fellow inmate.
5. Jeffrey Dahmer
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He was a truck painter who killed over 71 women. He was known as the green river killer. His victims were prostitutes. He was also sentenced to life in prison.
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