NCJ Number
192578
Date Published
2002
Length
368 pages
Annotation
This book takes the reader into the complex world of serial killers by providing a detailed account of seven up-to-date cases, by discussing the myths surrounding serial murderers and the reasons why they continue to kill, by identifying the seven major problems of investigating a serial murder, and by analyzing 14 law enforcement agencies in their response to a serial murder.
Abstract
This book is designed as a text for a separate course on serial murder or as a supplement to a variety of college and university courses. Part I, "The Serial Murder Phenomenon," contains five chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to the crime of serial murder and identifies the six major myths and some of the less well-known myths about serial killers. This is followed by a chapter that reviews and discusses the various theories that attempt to explain why the serial killer kills repeatedly. The third chapter provides examples of known serial killers as well as unsolved serial murder cases in the United States and across the globe. A chapter on serial murder victims introduces and explains the concept of the "less-dead" victims of serial killers, followed by a chapter that discusses how the mass media reports on serial killers and how the media generate a number of myths and inaccuracies regarding serial murder. Part II presents case studies of the following serial killers: John Wayne Gacy, Henry Lee Lucas, Kenneth Bianchi, Theodore Bundy, Jerry Marcus, Joseph Miller, and Jeffrey Dahmer. One chapter presents a cross-case analysis of the similarities of these seven serial killers. Part III is composed of two chapters that pertain to the investigation of serial murder. Seven major problems of a serial murder investigation are identified as linkage blindness, lack of commitment, coordinating investigative functions and actions, managing large amounts of investigative information, public pressure and mass media pressure for information, low priority leads to low clearance rates, and lack of knowledge of others' experiences with serial murder investigations. A second chapter in Part III reviews various police strategies for investigating serial murder. Part IV considers the future of the phenomenon of serial murder and the future investigation of serial murder. 368 references, appended case study source material, and a subject index