(no subject)
We tend to think of a murderer who is someone who kills. Period. Nothing else. However, Dr. Linda Edelstein describes the various traits that tend to cluster around certain types of murderers.
Argumentative Murderer
This person often uses "violence to solve problems." When insulted or offended, this person can result to assault or murder.
Most likely traits:
Erotomaniacal Murderer
This "rare type of murderer" can be delusional. They stalk, particularly someone of high status, and then imagine a relationship.
Most likely traits:
Okay, don't shoot me because I KNOW women can fall into the other categories, but Dr. Edelstein gives women murderers their own category. She does this because there are statistical differences; for example, women tend to be a little older at an average age of 31. 60% were or are married, and 80% of the time, women kill men who were lovers or friends. I guess we keep it closer to home. Women also tend to kill people in their own homes.
Most likely traits:
Professional Murderer
This is the good old fashioned "hit man" who kills for pay.
Most likely traits:
These people are seriously freaky. They kill, not for money or revenge, but for some compulsion which becomes overwhelming over time. Their motives and timing aren't affected by external events, but exist in some inner psychological landscape. Eventually these types "decompensate" and make mistakes. Some serial murders will make mistakes TO get caught because they "feel out of control."
Most likely traits:
This one can't deal with stress and tension, so he just kills someone instead of taking yoga. The murder is actually a relief, and the killer feels like the death is "restitution for real or imagined wrongs."
Most likely traits:
Argumentative Murderer
This person often uses "violence to solve problems." When insulted or offended, this person can result to assault or murder.
Most likely traits:
- young male
- little eduction
- doesn't sexually assault victim
- has a history of violence (fights, assault)
- knows the victim
- sloppy, unplanned crime
Erotomaniacal Murderer
This "rare type of murderer" can be delusional. They stalk, particularly someone of high status, and then imagine a relationship.
Most likely traits:
- fixated on someone
- preoccupied with the victim/ stalks them
- does not expect any profits from the murder
- looks for a spiritual union through the murder
- wants to "own" the victim
- imagines themselves to be rebuffed by the victim
- believes they have received 'secret messages'
- plans the murder carefully.
Okay, don't shoot me because I KNOW women can fall into the other categories, but Dr. Edelstein gives women murderers their own category. She does this because there are statistical differences; for example, women tend to be a little older at an average age of 31. 60% were or are married, and 80% of the time, women kill men who were lovers or friends. I guess we keep it closer to home. Women also tend to kill people in their own homes.
Most likely traits:
- often unemployed
- may have been drinking before the murder
- uses a gun or a knife (as opposed to what? Fists?)
- knows the victims
- kills at night (between 8 pm and 2 am)
- kills children more often than men, usually as the result of abuse
- rarely kills strangers (only 7% of the time)
- kills in the heat of the moment
- may kill after a fight
- kills out of "rage, jealousy, anger or revenge"
Professional Murderer
This is the good old fashioned "hit man" who kills for pay.
Most likely traits:
- generally married with a clueless family
- keeps work separate
- is emotionally distant from crimes
- takes victim by surprise
- kills quickly/efficiently.
- spends as little time as possible at crime scene
- uses sophisticated weapons (um.... like???)
- is comfortable with killing
- leaves weapons on scene to avoid being caught with evidence
- no history of stealing or assault
- has a preferred method for killing
- has a history of violence
- stalks the victim--murder is premeditated.
These people are seriously freaky. They kill, not for money or revenge, but for some compulsion which becomes overwhelming over time. Their motives and timing aren't affected by external events, but exist in some inner psychological landscape. Eventually these types "decompensate" and make mistakes. Some serial murders will make mistakes TO get caught because they "feel out of control."
Most likely traits:
- kills strangers
- usually a white male between 18 to 35 (this does not suggest good things about the white gene pool, does it??)
- becomes better and more ritualized with each killing
- develops very personal rituals
- may be charming and well-spoken
- wants to dominate and manipulate others
- has a history of bed-wetting, fire-setting, cruelty to animals, sadistic rape, or breaking and entering without the help of accomplices
- often collects trophies
- rarely expresses hatred
- lives in a fantasy about killing, attempts to recreate this inner fantasy
- has a history of abuse
- has feelings of inadequacy and rage
- can commit crime in reaction to stress
This one can't deal with stress and tension, so he just kills someone instead of taking yoga. The murder is actually a relief, and the killer feels like the death is "restitution for real or imagined wrongs."
Most likely traits:
- accumulates hostility
- has a history of frustration, especially with trivial problems
- can't identify real source of stress (relationship problems) from the trigger or trivial problem (a misfiled form)
- is not experienced, but plans the murder well
- has a bad history of conflict in school or relationships
- has a long standing conflict with the victim (even if the victim doesn't know they have a conflict)
- becomes quiet about the "injustice" just as soon as he makes the decision to commit the crime
- creates an imaginary link between himself and the victim
- perceives others as wronging him
- may murder multiple people in an effort to relieve the stress