Serial Killers: Competing Explanations

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

By definition per the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a serial killer is “one who commits a series of two or more killings as separate events, usually but not always a single offender acting alone.” It is thought that serial killers have existed all throughout history, but modern cases were not noted until 1888. For as long as there have been cases such as these, criminologists and psychologists alike have fought to explain what drives the killers. This poster will touch on how serial killers are identified, the patterns they exhibit and the reasons behind why they commit such acts, including but not limited to psychological explanations.

Author

• Nelle Sumerall, Western Carolina University