The Deitz Typology Of Serial Killers

The beginning of mass murder can date back to 753 BC to ancient Rome emperors who would use their power to kill hundreds of people. The relevance of the serial killers we know now, however, did not appear until a widely-known killer, Jack the Ripper, appeared in Europe in the late 1800’s. After this, more and more incidents with serial killers popped up. The term ‘serial murderer’ or ‘serial killer’, was not coined until the 1970’s by an FBI agent, though. The question asked is, “Why do serial killers kill?” Although the reason behind this question can never be known for sure, research has been done in order to get the closest answer possible.

Serial killers are often grouped together into the gory and horrifying people that violate and eat

Since the definition of a serial killer is the killing of two or more people within a stretch of time, gang murders, hit men, and many others are held in the category of serial killers. The categories of serial killers can be seen through the Deitz typology which is the earliest, main typology used in the research world. In the article Serial killers: I. Subtypes, patterns, and motives and Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics by Laurence Miller explains this typology. The Deitz typology is split into five categories, and uses the organized/disorganized killing type to differentiate between the categories. Psychopathic sexual sadists kill for the pleasure of torturing or inflicting pain on their victims through a sexual way. Crime spree killers kill in association with another crime such as theft. Organized crime functionaries are

This killer, as said before, harms their victim through sexual ways and receives pleasure from killing. According to Laurence Miller, author of Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics, the development of serial killers can be related back to early childhood. Serial killers experience abuse in their childhood homes in most cases. In the book, “The Stranger Beside Me” author Ann Rule discusses the childhood life of famous serial killer, Ted Bundy. She notes that Ted received punishment through abuse from his stepfather and was bullied in his early high school years. Serial killers tend to follow a pattern of aggression and violence growing up and get in trouble with school officials or law officers. Bundy had been arrested twice before he reached the age of 18 for auto-theft and burglary suspicion. The majority of killers have abused or killed animals at a young age. Their childhoods are predictable, and Miller says they lead to an “antisocial behavior in later years.” As serial killers progress into early adulthood, their crimes become increasingly worse, eventually leading up to the ultimate crime; murder. They learn through experience and become better at the act, soon developing into a serial killer who kills multiple victims in separate events. Most kill to satiate their sexual fantasies. They either start out as sociopaths or gradually turn into them after the developments of