There are many cultural myths about serial killers, often propagated even by mental health professionals. Many assume there is a profile of a serial killer, that serial killers always go for the same victim type or always use the same MO, that they are more clever than ordinary people, and that they are inevitably charming and attractive. The truth is not as simple as that. There are different types of serial killers, and while there are many books that discuss the serial killer phenomenon especially in relationship to victim types or context, researchers have not yet been able to come up with a definition, or type, that covers the broad spectrum of serial killers and their complex psychological dynamics. Ramsland looks at the variety of serial killer types, illustrating that it is difficult to accurately depict these elusive, intriguing, and dangerous killers. There are many cultural myths about serial killers, often propagated even by mental health professionals. Many assume there is a profile of a serial killer, that serial killers always go for the same victim type or always use the same MO, that they are more clever than ordinary people, and that they are inevitably charming and attractive. The truth is not as simple as that. There are different types of serial killers and while there are many books that discuss the serial killer phenomenon especially in relationship to victim types or context, researchers have not yet been able to come up with a definition, or type, that covers the broad spectrum of serial killers and their complex psychological dynamics. Ramsland looks at serial killer types, illustrating that it is difficult to accurately depict these elusive, intriguing, and dangerous killers. This book examines a variety of serial killers, from sexual predators to psychotic killers, from murder teams to odd eccentric stalkers, in order to present the distinct psychological dynamics that set serial killers apart from other violent murderers. Among the motives addressed are lust, control, glory, profit, thrill, delusions, rage, the desire for company, the need to please a partner, and even murder as an intellectual exercise. Serial killers live double lives, hiding their violence even from those who live with them, so along with a study of motives are chapters devoted to how close associates have described killers, including parents, siblings, co-workers, lovers, and survivors. There is no profile of a serial killer, and this book establishes that in vivid and frightening detail.

'To me it was like hunting. Hunting people down.' - Anatoly Onoprienko From perverse acts of cannibalism and dark sexual fantasies to vicious acts motivated by greed and a simple lust for blood, this book reveals the methods and motivations of some of the world's most notorious serial killers, including Juan Corona, Ian Brady & Myra Hindley, Pee Wee Gaskins and Ivan Milat. Discover the true stories behind celebrity murderers whose names have become legend, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, as well as the chilling truth about psychopaths such as Anatoly Onoprienko, whose urge to murder whole families was suppressed by the USSR and has only recently come to light. Whatever the personal stories that emerge from this line-up of twisted individuals, Serial Killers is a compelling testament, and warning, of the potential of human behaviour for true horror and pure evil.

In 2004, Charles Cullen was arrested and charged in the deaths of more than 30 patients in his care. Crossing several jurisdictions in seven counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he was stopped after a fifteen-year spree at ten institutions. While many people do not think of healthcare workers as serial killers, their profession is disproportionately represented among the serial killer population, and they tend to be more prolific than other serial killers, having more opportunities, better cover, and easy alibis. Healthcare professionals who kill have learned how to exploit the atmosphere of trust in the healthcare community and to hasten deaths that may go unnoticed in an already vulnerable arena. This book delves into the world of the healthcare serial killer, looking at the special characteristics of the different groups of murderers, the motives, the methods, and the outcomes. Crime specialists have long suspected that many healthcare serial killers have gone undetected. Because it is easier to cover up their crimes, it is harder to uncover that a crime has even been committed. Here, Ramsland identifies some of the warning signs that a serial killer may be on the loose in a healthcare setting. Further, she offers suggestions for reform in the healthcare and criminal justice communities that would help identify potential killers before they have a chance to strike, or strike again. Using numerous real-life cases in every chapter, she provides a fuller picture of this most deadly type of serial killer and helps readers understand how they work, and how they can be stopped.

A criminal profiler journeys inside the dark minds of serial killers to provide a portrait of these deadly predators, how they hunt for victims, how to identify them, and how to protect oneself from them.

Our fascination with serial killers is at once disturbing and understandable: disturbing because, according to society's mores, we should condemn the killers' crimes and avoid all thought of their horrific actions, but understandable because we are so fascinated by their motives. What leads them to behave in such perverted ways? And what makes them become killers who strike again and again? Charlotte Greig has selected fifty of the world's most infamous serial killers, ranging from Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy. When compared, it is easy to see similar themes emerging: the loners, David Berkowitz and Anatoly Onoprienko, who both wrought revenge on a society which they felt had rejected them; those who kill purely for sexual thrills, like Albert Fish or John Christie; and occult practitioners like the Chicago Rippers and Richard Ramirez who were inspired by macabre rituals to take their dark fantasies into even darker realities. Whatever the personal stories that emerge from this lineup of twisted individuals, Evil Serial Killers is a compelling testament, and warning, of the potential of human behaviour for true horror and pure evil. Featuring: • Ted Bundy • Harold Shipman • Ed Gein • Jack the Ripper • Aileen Wuornos • John Muhammad • Charles Cullen • Belle Gunness • Joseph Paul Franklin

Four turn-of-the-century fiends whose “crimes, even by today’s standards, are still shocking—because they were committed by women” (Yorkshire Magazine). Their names may not be as familiar as such notorious female serial killers as Aileen Wuornos, Myra Hindley, Martha Beck, or Belle Gunness. But more than a century ago they made headlines and enthralled a bloodthirsty public. Now, venturing into the darkest side of human behavior, journalist Stephen Jakobi unearths the life and crimes of four of history’s most twisted women: Agnes Norman, a London servant girl whose victims of choice were children, including three infants. Most startling is that Agnes was a child herself—only fifteen-years-old. Louie Calvert, a prostitute condemned for only one murder. But her unique death cell autobiography revealed much more to her story. Kate Webster committed one of the sickest slayings of the Victorian era. Was she also responsible for the Thames Torso Murders which rivaled Jack the Ripper? Finally, the mysterious Mrs. Willis, an English “baby farmer” whose services included foster care, wet-nursing, and infanticide. Using original research based on family-owned primary sources and government files only recently made available, In the Mind of a Female Serial Killer delves into to the grisly psyche of these infamous murderesses.

Since the first recorded U.S. case of mass murder in 1949, massacres have been increasing each decade, with workplace violence taking the lead as the most common form. The psychology of the killers, however, differs from that of spree, serial, or situational murderers. Based on a review of mass murders, the author argues that the red flags of a developing mass killer are obvious and predictable, and people who learn to recognize them may be able to defuse a potentially violent situation before it occurs. Using details from various cases, she examines the different kinds of mass murders, from visionary to family to workplace, and the distinct psychological dynamics of the different types of murders.