Serial Killer Research Articles

BTK: A Case Study in Psychopathy

Psychopathy and serial murder have been topics of great public interest and media attention for several decades. Dennis Rader, a serial killer well-known by his pseudonym “BTK,” was responsible for the gruesome torture and murder of ten people between 1974 and 1991. Although some information is known about him through media accounts, little work has been done to synthesize information about his life and crimes, and to examine him as a case study of psychopathy. Through careful literature review and analysis, this study aims to provide insight into Rader’s life and crimes, and to delineate his psychopathology to gain a better understanding of psychopathy. The results of this case study indicate that Dennis Rader exhibited many features of psychopathy, as well as antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. This case study has important implications for the public perception of psychopathy and serial murderers, and the investigation of individual psychopaths, emphasizing the value of a comprehensive review of an individual’s life factors in relation to their criminal behavior.

From small beginnings: to build an anti-eugenic future

September, 1921 was unusually hot and New York was sweltering. For the many immigrants who crowded the city's tenements and pavements, one of the few places for relief from the incessant heat was the American Museum of Natural History. That summer the museum presented a new exhibition with rows of human skulls, snapshots of patients in psychiatric institutions, and the preserved brain of a serial killer. It was all terribly macabre. The immigrants among the museum's visitors who read the leaflet distributed at the entrance soon discovered that this exhibition was all about them. It included charts showing how migration eroded societies, statistics from IQ tests of arrivals at Ellis Island, and posters spouting anti-migrant rhetoric. All conveyed the same message: “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” were not welcome here.

Overcoming AML T cell therapy barriers with engineered proteins

Abstract Leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in children. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has been validated in pediatric B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where engineered cancer-targeting T cells can effectively eradicate tumor and tumor recurrence, generally more safely than drug and radiation therapy. However, ACT is not approved for patients with pediatric AML, other leukemias or solid tumors. Of note, pediatric AML patients have a worse 5-year survival rate than ALL. AML cells can severely diminish ACT efficacy by expressing ligands that activate T cell inhibitory receptors and by downregulating costimulatory ligand expression. To address these issues, we developed fusion proteins that combine the ectodomain of an inhibitory T cell receptor with an intracellular costimulatory signaling domain. We have shown that this effectively “replaces a brake with an accelerator” in CD8 T cells, and have now developed FPs with different costimulatory domains to confer different attributes to T cells. Despite improved outcomes with single FP T cell therapy, we hypothesized that combining differently costimulated T cells would provide a synergistically diverse T cell response and improve outcomes. We tested 1:1 pairwise combinations of differently costimulated T cells that are also transduced with a tumor-specific TCR in serial killing over-time (SKO) assays and in vivo persistence studies. In survival studies, dual T cell therapy resulted in enhanced survival. We propose that a synergistically diverse T cell therapy provides enhanced antitumor efficacy over a monogenic cell product.

Multiomic dynamic single-cell profiling of CAR T cell populations associated with efficacy

Abstract T-cell therapy with specificity redirected through chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has shown efficacy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Although treatment with CAR T cell can result in high response rates, the properties of the cells that comprise the cellular infusion product, associated with clinical benefit are incompletely understood. We utilized a suite of high-throughput single-cell assays including single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq); confocal microscopy; and Timelapse Imaging Microscopy In Nanowell Grids (TIMING). TIMING profiling of a cohort of 16 patients showed that persistent motility of T cells in the presence of tumor cells was associated with both serial killing capacity and polyfunctionality. Confocal microscopy on these same T cells revealed that persistent motility is linearly correlated with both mitochondrial volume and lysosomal number. ScRNA-seq demonstrated that T cells from responders were enriched in pathways related to T-cell proliferative capacity; interferon responses; and a distinct cluster of pathways related to actin cytoskeleton and migration. We employed a marker-free sorting strategy for enriching T cells with persistent motility. RNA-seq on sorted motile T cells showed an enrichment of the core motility signature. These motile T cells also demonstrated superior in vivo anti-leukemia efficacy in comparison to unsorted T cells. Lastly, we also confirmed the association with increased persistent motility and killing of CAR T cells across diverse CARs. In aggregate, our data identified that independent of CAR design or biomanufacturing, persistent motility serves as a selectable cell-intrinsic biomarker, desired in the bioactivity of expanded CAR+ T cells.

Covid, Courts, Communists and Common Sense

Covid-19 is a serial killer. In less than two years it has taken the lives of over five million people. It preys on the vulnerable and the elderly. Seniors in long term care facilities are a favorite target.
 Governments have reacted differently to the threat. Some, including China and Australia, have adopted an aggressive, no- nonsense approach, locking down major cities for months at a time. Others, including Sweden and Brazil were, at least initially, more restrained and laissez faire, allowing their citizens to move about freely and letting the virus run its natural course. Countries also differed in the extent to which the general public was engaged in deciding which approach to adopt. In some the public were very active; in others not at all. In China, public debate and criticism were prohibited. Decisions were made by senior members of the Communist Party from behind closed doors and policies were presented as a fait accompli. In Europe and the United States, members of the general public were much more vocal and outspoken. Citizens who disagreed with their governments organized large protests and demonstrations and, when they were not listened to, took their political masters to court.

Youth Serial Killers: Psychological and Criminological Profiles

Serial murder is a specific type of violent crime that falls into the crime category of multicide. According to the nomenclature of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crime Classification Manual and Academic Researchers for the Classification of Violent Crimes, most serial killers are adults. However, serial murder is also committed by young people, although to a lesser extent. Young serial killers are a topic of relevance in areas such as psychology, criminology, and the justice system. Given that the study of the variables that could be the basis of such multicide criminality is not conclusive, the need for further research is evident. The homicides perpetrated by children and young people point to a social panorama that is alarming due to their young age. This issue is prevalent enough to conduct a review. The performed review concludes the importance of psychosocial factors to better understand the process by which children and young people commit crimes as serious as serial murders. The scope of the problem of serial murders perpetrated by minors is controversial because it often depends on how the number of real cases is counted. Although official statistics indicate the low prevalence of juvenile serial killers, childhood is a period in which antisocial behaviour can have its beginning. Some authors consider that it is not uncommon for the first murder of this type to occur in adolescence. It is important to consider psychopathy as an influential factor in the various forms of serial criminal conduct committed by children and young people. The research works consulted provide evidence of the special relevance of psychopathy in the generation of serious juvenile delinquency.

Locked and Loaded: Mechanisms Regulating Natural Killer Cell Lytic Granule Biogenesis and Release.

NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity is a critical element of our immune system required for protection from microbial infections and cancer. NK cells bind to and eliminate infected or cancerous cells via direct secretion of cytotoxic molecules toward the bound target cells. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular regulations of NK cell cytotoxicity, focusing on lytic granule development and degranulation processes. NK cells synthesize apoptosis-inducing proteins and package them into specialized organelles known as lytic granules (LGs). Upon activation of NK cells, LGs converge with the microtubule organizing center through dynein-dependent movement along microtubules, ultimately polarizing to the cytotoxic synapse where they subsequently fuse with the NK plasma membrane. From LGs biogenesis to degranulation, NK cells utilize several strategies to protect themselves from their own cytotoxic molecules. Additionally, molecular pathways that enable NK cells to perform serial killing are beginning to be elucidated. These advances in the understanding of the molecular pathways behind NK cell cytotoxicity will be important to not only improve current NK cell-based anti-cancer therapies but also to support the discovery of additional therapeutic opportunities.

Modus of Killer Profiling in Nordic Crime Series

Criminal investigators, scientists, mental health experts, and the media have always studied serial killings. Since Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s, and even today, attempts have been made to understand the complex issues surrounding the investigation of serial murders and the motives for these horrific acts. The topics of serial killings are attracting too much attention from the media, academia, and the general public. Nordic crime series make a special contribution to identifying and analyzing many issues related to serial killings including common myths, definitions, typologies, pathology and causality, media role, prosecution issues, organization of investigations, and especially through the affirmation of forensic psychology and criminal profiling. We believe that scientific papers dealing with this topic can be useful in generating an effective response in identifying, investigating, and reaching verdicts, and strengthening the collective ability to understand, respond and act preventively to prevent these violent and serious crimes.

Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach

Simple SummaryAnimal abuse is widely recognized as both a risk factor for and a potential consequence of interpersonal violence. In children, especially, factors such as dysfunctional families, antisocial personality, physical, psychological, or intimate abuse, and frequent exposure to domestic aggression or animal abuse have been confirmed as factors that can predispose young people to perform acts of animal cruelty. It is important to recognize warning signs such as those identified as the McDonald triad (bedwetting, pyromania, animal cruelty). A one health, one welfare approach, incorporating physicians, veterinarians, other health care professionals, social workers, and humane education, is critical for the recognition, management, and prevention of domestic violence, involving both humans and other animals.For years now, the importance of animal cruelty has been gaining recognition in the industrialized cities of the West. Animal cruelty encompasses any act that causes a non-human animal unnecessary pain or suffering, including negligence, abandonment, abuse, torture, bestiality, and even theriocide. This represents a red flag for society as a whole because people who commit such acts can escalate violence and direct it to other individuals. Animal cruelty and interpersonal violence—as well as other socially undesirable conduct such as bullying, antisocial personality disorder, rape, and serial murder—are closely related, so timely diagnoses of either one can help prevent acts of aggression. It is necessary, therefore, to analyze and try to understand whether there are early indicators that may help identify potentially violent individuals. It is well known that kids from homes with actual violence in their homes show a high tendency to reproduce such behaviors with both animals and other people. In conclusion, much research and rethinking of the importance of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty is needed to help detect and prevent cases of interpersonal violence that may arise over time.

Optimizing NK-92 serial killers: gamma irradiation, CD95/Fas-ligation, and NK or LAK attack limit cytotoxic efficacy

BackgroundThe NK cell line NK-92 and its genetically modified variants are receiving attention as immunotherapies to treat a range of malignancies. However, since NK-92 cells are themselves tumors, they require irradiation prior to transfer and are potentially susceptible to attack by patients’ immune systems. Here, we investigated NK-92 cell-mediated serial killing for the effects of gamma-irradiation and ligation of the death receptor Fas (CD95), and NK-92 cell susceptibility to attack by activated primary blood NK cells.MethodsTo evaluate serial killing, we used 51Cr-release assays with low NK-92 effector cell to target Raji, Daudi or K562 tumor cell (E:T) ratios to determine killing frequencies at 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-h.ResultsNK-92 cells were able to kill up to 14 Raji cells per NK-92 cell in 8 h. NK-92 cells retained high cytotoxic activity immediately after irradiation with 10 Gy but the cells surviving irradiation lost > 50% activity 1 day after irradiation. Despite high expression of CD95, NK-92 cells maintained their viability following overnight Fas/CD95-ligation but lost some cytotoxic activity. However, 1 day after irradiation, NK-92 cells were more susceptible to Fas ligation, resulting in decreased cytotoxic activity of the cells surviving irradiation. Irradiated NK-92 cells were also susceptible to killing by both unstimulated and IL-2 activated primary NK cells (LAK). In contrast, non-irradiated NK-92 cells were more resistant to attack by NK and LAK cells.ConclusionsIrradiation is deleterious to both the survival and cytotoxicity mediated by NK-92 cells and renders the NK-92 cells susceptible to Fas-initiated death and death initiated by primary blood NK cells. Therefore, replacement of irradiation as an antiproliferative pretreatment and genetic deletion of Fas and/or NK activation ligands from adoptively transferred cell lines are indicated as new approaches to increase therapeutic efficacy.

Maniac From the Adjacent Canon: How Science Normalizes Cult Evil

This article is devoted to studying cinematic images of serial criminals in a series of relevant topics: those where scientific and quasi-scientific methods, which are in Russian called “profiling”, are used to calculate and catch them. Assuming that cinema and television can change (and shape) a person's ideas about life, norms, about right or wrong, and proper and improper behaviour, the author refers to the comparison of the novel and the series as artistic phenomena with similar specifics of functioning and impact on the public. Further, the author compares the trickster and the maniac (psychopath or sociopath) found in the research literature and shows why this comparison is incorrect. Based on Foucault's discourse theory and his research of the concept of “abnormality”, the author focuses on the history of this concept in science and philosophy. Also, she stresses how the figure of an expert (criminologist, psychiatrist, doctor) arises and is conceptualized along with clarification of characteristics he is researching. Analyzing John Douglas' works, the author concludes that researchers who are now called profilers can be considered “experts” in the sense that Foucault wrote about it. They described the characteristics of a serial killer maniac, well known to us from films and TV shows. In the future, the images of serial criminals were built into account the data of modern science.

Time after time: Factors predicting murder series' duration

PurposeThe duration of time that the serial offender remains free in the community to commit murders may be seen as a direct measure of their longevity; a sign of their success. The aim of this study is to predict the duration of the serial homicide series by examining the factors that contribute to the length of time a serial murderer is able to remain free of police detection. MethodsGeneralized estimating equations with a negative binomial link function were used to examine factors predicting the duration of series in a sample of 1258 serial murder cases. ResultsResults showed that offenders' criminal history, race (i.e., White and Hispanic), and victims of minority backgrounds significantly predicted longer duration in their murder series. A combination of multiple killing methods and atypical methods also predicted longer murder series, while the moving of the victim's body predicted shorter duration in the series. ConclusionsThis study builds upon the serial homicide literature, particularly the duration of the series. Results from this study help inform investigative efforts in serial homicide cases.

Black, White, and Read all Over: Exploring Racial Bias in Print media Coverage of Serial Rape Cases

The discussion of race and crime has been a long-standing interest of researchers, with statistics consistently showing an overrepresentation of non-white offenders compared to their white counterparts – specifically in relation to violent crimes such as murder and rape. Prior research has found that about 46 percent of identified serial rapists are black, which correlates with other sensationalized violent crimes such as mass murder and serial murder (Wright, Vander Ven, & Fesmire; 2016). The news media are the primary sources of this kind of information for the general public, with previous studies acknowledging that the media primarily focus on discussing non-white offenders in their crime-based news stories. With the majority of Americans receiving their information about crime from the news media, it is important to increase our understanding of how they present crime information. The current study explores the print media representations of serial rapists, from 1940–2010, from five prominent newspapers: The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. A content analysis was conducted on 524 articles covering 297 serial rape offenders from the data compiled by Wright and colleagues (2016) in which race of the offender was known. Results suggest that while newspapers dehumanize both white and non-white offenders, white offenders tend to have their behavior neutralized using techniques to garner more sympathy, while these same neutralization techniques are not generally applied to non-white offenders, thus potentially increasing racial and ethnic bias.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes targeting a conserved SARS-CoV-2 spike epitope are efficient serial killers.

Understanding immune response to infections and vaccines lags understanding humoral responses. While neutralizing antibody responses wane over time, T cells are instrumental in long-term immunity. We apply machine learning and time-lapse imaging microscopy in nanowell grids (TIMING) to study thousands of videos of T cells with specificity for SARS-CoV-2 eliminating targets bearing spike protein as a surrogate for viral infection. The data on effector functions, including cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity, provide the first direct evidence that cytotoxic T lymphocytes from a convalescent patient targeting an epitope conserved across all known variants of concern are serial killers capable of eliminating multiple infected target cells. These data have implications for vaccine development and for the recovery and monitoring of infected individuals.

Fractional Order Mathematical Model of Serial Killing with Different Choices of Control Strategy

The current manuscript describes the dynamics of a fractional mathematical model of serial killing under the Mittag–Leffler kernel. Using the fixed point theory approach, we present a qualitative analysis of the problem and establish a result that ensures the existence of at least one solution. Ulam’s stability of the given model is presented by using nonlinear concepts. The iterative fractional-order Adams–Bashforth approach is being used to find the approximate solution. The suggested method is numerically simulated at various fractional orders. The simulation is carried out for various control strategies. Over time, all of the compartments demonstrate convergence and stability. Different fractional orders have produced an excellent comparison outcome, with low fractional orders achieving stability sooner.

PSYCHOPATHIC ACTION IN LOVES MUSIC LOVES TO DANCE NOVEL

The writer applied the theories that were relevant and support in this thesis, those are: Psychological approach, theory of psychopath and characteristics of psychopath. Meanwhile, the writer used descriptive qualitative research and library research to make complete this thesis. The data and data source is taken from the novel, Loves Music Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark like: the dialogue, and narration. And the data source required from books, journals, and articles in internet sites related to the topic discussed. Moreover, the analysis is the main point in composing this thesis in order to figure out the action of Charley’s psychopath as a serial killer. The result of the analysis is psychopath has his own view which is very different from a normal person and psychopath usually cannot stop his action until the satisfaction of his own fulfilled.

A Rose by Any Other Name: Problems in Defining and Conceptualising Serial Murder with a New Proposed Definition

The prevalence of serial murder is low; however, it has been the focus of much academic and popular attention. Despite a considerable research base on serial murder, there is still debate as to how it should be defined. This article examines often used definitions of serial murder, followed by a critique of some of the main components of these definitions. From this, a definition is advanced with rationales for the inclusion of the characteristics in the proposed definition. This analysis provides for some clarity in the identification of serial murder and those aspects of the crime used to define it.

Elizabeth A. Gurian, Serial and Mass Murder: Understanding Multicide through Offending Patterns, Explanations, and Outcomes

Elizabeth A. Gurian, <i>Serial and Mass Murder: Understanding Multicide through Offending Patterns, Explanations, and Outcomes</i>

Traumatic residue, mediated remembering and video evidence of sexual violence: A case study

This qualitative case study examines the impact of video evidence of violent crime in the tragic Canadian case of serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Through in-depth interviews with those centrally involved in the case, interviews with criminal justice professionals currently working with video evidence of violent crime, and review of official documents and media reports, we explore the complex role video evidence played in this case and the legacy it continues to have in society, the justice system, and in the individual lives of those involved twenty-five years later. Two primary sources of harm arose in our analysis: critogenic harm related to the use of video evidence in the justice process; and harm arising from the media publicity surrounding the video evidence. Both of these sources of harm intensified the trauma for victims and their families, and contributed to distress and trauma reactions of criminal justice professionals and members of the jury. Given the global increase in the use of video-evidence in criminal justice processes, it is imperative that continuing harms to those involved in the process are considered and mitigated.

Serial Murder and Honor: Rereading the Story of an Ottoman Murderess

Murderesses are not among the stock characters of Ottoman prose stories, but they give us a rare opportunity to discuss how being a woman and committing a crime is represented in literary fiction. They also give us the opportunity to discuss how these stories might have been perceived by their audiences. With that in mind, I suggest a close reading of a story that I will summarize here. The story raises questions regarding narratives, gender, and honor as represented and perceived in fiction.