Criminological Theory Into Murder Criminology

Criminological Theory Into Murder

Criminology

An Psychoanalysis of Australian Serial Murderers and their Modus Operandi

This essay attempts to analyze the psychology of serial murderers by concentrating on serial murders committed in Australia during the seventeen year period from 1989 to 2006. After establishing an acceptable definition of what constitutes a serial murder, the essay focuses on data collected and collated by National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) in a research conducted under the aegis of Australian Institute of Criminology and concludes that the nature of serial murders in Australia were not much different from serial murders committed in other countries. Psychological traits of Australian serial murderers and their modus operandi also had much in common with serial murderers worldwide. As these murders attract high voltage media glare, it is only normal for general public to view these as a social menace of epidemic proportions. But, relevant statistics state that they form only 1% of all homicides that had taken place during the period under consideration.

Introduction

Academics have failed to reach a consensus as to what constitutes a serial murder, but, for the purposes of this essay; three or more "repetitive sequential homicides" of any type are considered as serial murders. (Douglas, et al. 1997) Researchers have, however, identified many common characteristics as, type of victims, modus operandi and motivation of the killers in serial murders occurring across the world. (Aki 2003) The overriding motive identified amongst serial killers is either use of sex to dominate the victim and enjoy the fact that the victim has been overpowered rather than pure lust, or, obtaining some other form of psychological gratification by committing the murder. (Egger 1998) An uncanny correlation between gender of the murderer and the modus operandi of murder has also been identified by researchers as they concluded, male serial killers generally used superior physical force and resorted to stabbing, strangulating or beating as their favorite means of killing the victim. (Kraemer, Lord and Heilbrun 2004) The female serial killers, though far fewer in number, varying between 12% and 17% of the total incidents of serial killings every year (Hickey and Holmes 1991), used poison as their preferred weapon of killing. (Kelleher and Kelleher 1998) There has also been a similarity in the choice of victims among serial killers across the world. While male serial killers preyed upon complete strangers that were physically weak or vulnerable as, children, the elderly, the homeless, prostitutes or mentally retarded persons (Kraemer, Lord and Heilbrun 2004), female serial killers hardly ever ventured outside their known circle of family members, friends, partners, acquaintances and dependents and took extra efforts to make the serial killings appear as natural deaths. (Fox and Levin 2005)

Main Text

Categories of Serial Killers

Serial killers can be primarily categorized into organized and unorganized types depending on how much careful and specific planning they undertake prior to murder. Further, they are subdivided into the following four categories:

Visionary -- they claim to have received orders from either God or Devil to kill

Missionary -- they consider it their duty to eliminate undesirable elements as prostitutes from society

Hedonistic -- consists of either lust killer or thrill killer who kills either for sex or simply for the thrill of being able to murder a person

Power/Control -- the killer is motivated by the sense of power that they enjoy by completely subjugating another fellow individual (Holmes and Deburger 1998)

Serial Murders as Contrasted to Homicides