Abstract
Currently it is generally accepted among members of the law enforcement community, forensic psychologists, criminologists and profilers that serial killers are mostly white males in their twenties and thirties of above average intelligence who usually commit intra-racial murders of strangers. The present paper focuses on validation of these hypotheses through the study of 21 serial killers (and their 97 victims), whose cases have been closed by arrest and finalised in terms of convictions and appeals. The issues of prior charges, military service, marital status, criminal organisation, modus operandi and psychiatric diagnosis are included in the analysis as well. It is concluded that though currently accepted hypotheses still hold in general, the melting pot trend of the modern society towards diversity and interdependence leads to far more complex a picture of serial killers than previously thought. Implications of these findings for law enforcement, forensic psychology and profiling are discussed.
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