Ted Bundy's Perception Of Serial Killers

“I'm the most cold-hearted son of a bitch you'll ever meet.” This is what Ted Bundy said to his interrogator in Pensacola, Florida after he was arrested in 1978 (Brogaard). This statement sums up most of what we assume about serial killers – they are emotionless and callous. Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous serial killers in recent history, was often described as charismatic and mild-mannered. This perception of him wasn’t without merit. He worked at a crisis hotline and shared dreams of becoming a lawyer (Silkes). How could someone so seemingly normal – perfect even – behave in such horrifying and inhumane manners? What truly makes a serial killer? Most theories involve a social aspect, genetic aspect, or both.

There is no official

definition for serial killers. It is often accepted that serial killers are people who kill three or more people with a cooling off period in between kills - as the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggests. This brings problems with it because it is too vague. There are many instances when someone could meet those requirements, but they’re not really serial killers. For example, “a gang member [could shoot] three people in street fights with members of other gangs over a ten-year period with plenty of cooling down periods… this gang member is a serial killer by… definition, but he would not fit the common conception of what a serial killer is (Brogaard). When people think of serial killers, they think of someone who has a specific reason for killing, and carries out that murder in a way that is specific and important to them. A gang member who kills people in fights does not typically fit the general understanding of serial killers. To try to combat this issue, the National Institute of Justice created their own definition that changes the victim count to two and adds that there is usually a sexual component (Brogaard). This is an issue because it is too narrow. As I will discuss in this paper, there are many motives that drive serial killers to kill, so just including sexual motives in that definition erases most other motives.
They are driven by many different motives - greed, lust, and pleasure are among those motives. Serial killers are divided into three main groups – visionaries, missionaries, and hedonists. Visionaries are those who believe they have been instructed by someone to kill, they usually involve people with a delusion disorder. Herbert Mullin, a serial killer who murdered 13 people in the 1970s, was a visionary killer (Lawler). He claimed that a “supreme voice” told him that the only way to prevent a catastrophic earthquake in California was to sacrifice a certain number of lives (Bonn). Secondly, missionaries kill because they “feel it's [their] job to rid the world of its… undesirables.” A classic example of this is Jack the Ripper. While he was never caught and could never give his motives, it is believed that he wanted to rid the world of prostitutes because he thought of them as impure (Lawler).
There is also the hedonist, who kills simply because they will gain something from it. Within this group, there are three more subgroups – the lust killer, thrill killer, and gain killer. Lust killers kill because they get pleasure from having complete control. Thrill killers kill because it excites them, they get a rush much like an addict would get. Finally, there is the gain killer who kills because they will receive attention or money from doing so. An example of a hedonistic lust killer is Jeffrey Dahmer. He killed 17 men and boys whom he believed he was in love with, he believed that by keeping them with him, he would immortalize them and the love he felt (“Jeffrey Dahmer”). All killers have their motives, just as they have their experiences that led up to their ultimate act of murder. This baffles most people, as completely normal people don’t ever imagine killing others as something to gain pleasure from. Because of the confusion that surrounds this topic, many people are trying to find the answer to why serial killers do what they do, specifically asking if killers are born or made.
When experts describe serial killers as being “made,” they’re referring to the social aspect of their behavior. This can be split into two parts – family abuse and bullying. This includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. The theory is that these experiences can fill people with anger and fear (Lawler). It can also numb them, keeping them from feeling any emotions at all. These intense emotions – or lack thereof – can lead to behaviors that confuse and horrify those around them and themselves. There are many behaviors in children that are prevalent in serial killers. Some of those characteristics may be signs of abuse themselves, like animal torture and abuse. Edmund Kemper’s father left him and his mother when he was 9 years old. His mother turned to alcohol after her divorce and often saw Kemper as the cause of all of her problems. Kemper would torture neighborhood cats to get his anger at his alcoholic mother out. Because he wouldn’t stop killing cats, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents, whom he killed when he was 15. He spent a year in a psychiatric hospital and when he was released, murdered 10 more people in California in the 1970s – including several members of his own family (Edmund Kemper Biography). While abuse is common in serial killers, it is unknown if it is the true reason for their actions because not all victims of child abuse become killers. Another theory as to why serial killers kill is the genetic component.
Many serial killers have some kind of mental health issue already in their DNA that affect how they perceive the world around them.

Psychopathy is characterized by “deception, manipulation, irresponsibility, impulsivity, stimulation seeking, poor behavioral controls, shallow affect, lack of empathy, guilt, or remorse, a callous disregard for the rights of others, and unethical and antisocial behaviors” (Bonn). Psychopathic killers often disregard human life so they can achieve their own goals. They don’t feel the emotions that regular people would. Ted Bundy is an example of a killer who was influenced by his mental health. Bundy has been credited saying that his family was not to blame for his crimes. In fact, his last words were “Jim and Fred, I'd like you to give my love to my family and friends.” Jim was his lawyer and Fred was a minister he had talked to all night about his upcoming execution. He was raised in a normal home and lived a seemingly normal life. His psychopathy seems to be the main reason for his killing; however, his home life was not as normal as he let on. His mother had him at a young age, so his grandparents raised him as their own and he believed his mother was his sister. This is enough to mess with anyone, but he refuses to blame anyone but himself for his crimes. He maintains that his childhood was happy, so did his family have more of an effect on him than he thought or was his mind to blame? Psychopathy is not the only illness that

has been traced to serial killers. Some killers have a kind of delusion disorder that makes them believe some higher power made them commit their crimes. David Berkowitz, The Son of Sam, is an example of this. He claimed that he was instructed by a “demon-possessed dog” to commit his murders. There were also some social factors that may have impacted him. As a teenager his mother died, however, he was described as trouble even before her death (David Berkowitz Biography). There are many other mental illnesses that have been connected to serial killing, but are they really to blame?
In addition to the genetic and social theories of serial killing, there is a physical theory.

This states physical injuries and illnesses as a cause for serial killing. Many killers have talked about a head injury they have sustained as a child. Head injuries are known to change the personality, because “damage to specific areas of the brain, including the frontal and temporal lobes, amygdala, and hippocampus might leave the survivor vulnerable to agitation, volatile emotions… physical aggression, and impaired impulse control” (Cromer). These characteristics are all common in serial killers, so it isn’t that big of a leap to believe that some serial killers may have sustained head injuries. Bobby Joe Long was injured in a motorcycle accident and hospitalized for several weeks, and he sustained several head injuries as a child. He was always troubled, but his wife described that after the accident he became angrier. He also believed he was affected by the accident, stating “after I’m dead, they’re going to open my head and find that, just like we’ve been saying, a part of my brain is black and dry and dead” (Winerman). There are also some problems with this theory, because not everyone who kills has a head injury, and not everyone who has a head injury kills. This is the problem with most theories – there is no consistency. All of these theories usually have to work together to produce a

killer.
Serial killers are motivated by everything that happens throughout their lives, as well as their genetics. The exact circumstances that lead to this behavior is complicated and may never be truly understood. There is no one answer to why people kill because the instances leading someone to that extreme option are complicated and intense. Sometimes, abuse as a child exaggerates symptoms that were already present. Mental health disorders can be a direct effect of abuse and neglect. Many of the head injuries reported in serial killers were caused by abuse. There doesn’t seem to be one factor without another. James Fallon, a neuroscientist studying Alzheimer's, discovered his brain showed all of the signs of a psychopath. He was then diagnosed with psychopathy by his psychiatrist. When he was diagnosed, he did some reflection and realized he did have traits of a psychopath as a child – he was impulsive, manipulative, and often put himself and others in danger. When he discovered this, however, he described himself as a family man who had a great career. He wasn’t a killer, nor did he have the urge to become one. He attributes this to his childhood. He was raised in a happy home with supportive parents and siblings. He had no social factors that serial killers often have (Fallon).
Serial killers are beginning to play a bigger role in our society, whether that’s in media or in the real world. Society has a morbid fascination with serial killers and their motives. This is fueled by fear and confusion. It is important to understand what makes a serial killer so we can see the signs and prevent it. If a child is being abused, something needs to be done. If a child is showing signs of psychopathy – animal torture, anger, and disregard for lives – they should receive proper help. We may never truly understand what drives people to kill, however, being more informed could help many people.