-- The six myths of serial murder: addressing the "black hole of misinformation" that surrounds the subject.
-- Detailed case studies of John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and other serial killers.
-- The state-of-the-art in law enforcement investigation of serial murder.
This book brings together all of what we know, what we think we know, and what we don't know about the horrific violence of serial murder. Part I introduces the subject of serial murder and presents the "six myths" of serial murder that interfere with understanding and successful investigation. Part II presents detailed case studies of four infamous serial killers, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Kenneth Bianchi and Henry Lee Lucas. Part Ill focuses on the investigation of serial murder, showing the problems law enforcement faces -- notably "linkage blindness", the inability of unwillingness of police agencies to share information on unsolved murders. This section includes an extensive discussion of fourteen different police responses to serial murder. Finally, the author -- a noted criminologist and former homicide investigator -- discusses the future of serial murder and its investigation. Students of criminology, psychology and sociology; true crime buffs; mystery writers and readers; journalists; skeptics; and criminal justice professionals.
Definition of a Serial Killer: A series of two or more murders, committed as separate events usually, but not a/ways, by one offender acting alone. The crimes may occur over a time ranging from hours to years. Quite often the motive is psychological, and the offender's behavior and the physical evidence observed at the scene will reflect sadistic and sexual overtones.
– The Definition of a Serial Killer (Brooks et al., 1988)
This book takes the reader into the complex world of serial killers by providing a detailed account of seven up-to-date cases, the myths surrounding serial murderers and the reasons why they continue to kill, the seven major problems of investigating a serial murder, and an analysis of the fourteen different law enforcement agencies who respond to a serial murder.
New to the second edition:
- An expanded chapter on how the media treats the phenomenon of serial murder
- An essay on victimology
- An expanded chapter on the victims of serial killers
- Three new cases
- Numerous examples of serial killers, both on a national and international basis
- A discussion on the concept of "the less dead" or how victims of serial killers are devalued
