Serial Killers: Why?

Okay, okay, you all got to see me be a massive nerd in class because of how much I like this topic, but seriously, once you get past the gore and terror, serial killers are fascinating. There are so many insane variations of people who fall into the topic of "serial killer" that it's so vast to study.

Example: You get people like The Zodiac killer, who killed thirty seven men and women in the 1960s-70s, and sent encrypted notes to local police forces, notes that some say were asking for help to stop. He was never caught. It's suspected he committed suicide, which is supported by the recent cracking of one of his letters. (Read the article, at least the bit at the end where the note's contents are. It's so crazy!)

Also along the same lines, is Jack The Ripper, who roamed the streets of London in the late 1880s, snatching women off the streets, killing them, and, in later murders, taking small body parts (ear, spleen, etc.). Those are "souvenirs" or "trophies" of the crime (the two terms actually mean different things, but since The Ripper was never caught, it's unclear as to which these may fall into, although it's most likely the second category). Jack The Ripper, like The Zodiac killer, sent letters to the local police forces, telling them that he (or she, there's speculation that The Ripper was a girl) had "done their work" and always addressed the letter "Dear Boss". Creepy, right? But also insanely interesting.

Then, on the flip side, there's people like The Green River Killer, who killed forty plus people, and walked away laughing once he was caught. He showed absolutely no sign of remorse.He never asked for help, and once in custody he told, proudly, of more bodies that the police hadn't even come close to finding.

It's terrifying, we can all agree, absolutely terrifying, and almost unfathomable that a person can be capable of such a horrible crime, of such horrible crimes in the plural, but it's also fascinating. How do people come to be like this? Is it the double Y theory? Is it something they're raised to do? Maybe they're born with it? (Maybe it's Maybelline? No? Awful joke? Moving on...)

So why do you think they do it? There's really no wrong answer when we're talking so generally, not about one specific person. What could be motivation? Could psychological disorders fit into it? How do sociological aspects fit into the profile of a serial killer? What do you think? 


(and, if you're interested in things like this, some movies I'd definitely recommend would totally be:
Zodiac (2007 - Fincher), The Capture of the Green River Killer (2008 - Lifetime). And, if you're like Mrs. Wren and like TV over film, check out Criminal Minds. They have real F.B.I. members consulting on the show to make sure it's accurate, and they reference some of the most famous cases.)