Argumentative Essay On Serial Killers

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Convicted serial murderers should not be put to death for their crimes except for some exceptions. The death penalty has proven to be a tricky call and even with convicted serial murders the decision to sentence someone to death is a tough one. It is impossible to be certain the accused committed every crime they were charged with, the “eye for an eye” mentality here is not productive, death penalties do not deter behavior in psychopaths. With this said it is easy to see where the death penalty can pacify the public. Serial murders with a strong public hatred being sentenced to death can provide a sense of justice.
Even with today’s technology, it is impossible to know every detail of a crime. Without a victim to confirm the story, the accused …show more content…

While revenge can bring a fleeting sense of justice, a death for a death is not productive because the death penalty does not deter behavior in serial killers. Serial killers, often falling onto the psychopathy spectrum, do not have the same fearfulness or avoidance of non-psychopaths. Taking the Lykken (1957) study into consideration, anxiety or fear reactions are lower in psychopathic populations than non-psychopathic …show more content…

Cases of recidivism, or causing harm in prison, could be in the best interest and safety of the public.
In contrast, according to Death Penalty Information Center since 1976, 1,455 prisoners have been executed in the United Sates, and only 150 were believed to be innocent. Suggesting the death row system is fairly accurate. Also, the death penalty may not have the same affect on psychopaths, non-psychopathic killers will have a normal level of fear and anxiety over the death sentence. So making a blanket statement that no convicted serial murderer should receive the death sentence ignores the complexities that come with murderers.
Making exceptions for the death penalty has its critiques as well. Sentencing a convicted serial murderer to death after confession has been argued as the “easy way out”. After an arrest and confession keeping the murderer in jail for the rest of their life may be a more just punishment because psychopaths do not fear the death penalty the same way non-psychopaths

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