NCJ Number
225811
Date Published
2008
Length
235 pages
Annotation
The author offers insights into the world of serial killers, targets the issues and problems associated with understanding the minds of killers and then brining them to justice, and suggests ways to both thwart them and redirect the energies of developing killers.
Abstract
Tapping into his wealth of experience with the criminal mind, the author, Jack Levin, offers lessons for law enforcement and the general public about how serial killers think, as well as the conditions under which hideous murders typically occur. The intent of these lessons is to lead to more effective ways to prevent such crimes in the future. Following face-to-face meetings and correspondence with murderers such as the Hillside Strangler (Kenneth Bianchi) and Orville Lynn Majors (the male nurse convicted of killing numerous patients in his charge) Levin reveals that these types of killers are not motivated by money, revenge, or rage but, motivated by a sadistic craving for power and a need to feel in control. Levin has found that many killers are meticulous planners. That even in situations that appear spontaneous, such as a workplace shooting, the act is carefully thought out and prepared for in advance. He also notes that serial killers are able to affect skillfully deceptive facades causing them to them to be dangerous and difficult for investigators to track down and prosecute. Within these 17 chapters, Levin provides a unique and distressing glimpse into the minds of some of the worst criminals offering an invaluable contribution to criminology. Notes and index