Citation

Beasley JO. Behav. Sci. Law 2004; 22(3): 395-414.

Affiliation

National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135, USA. jobeasley@fbiacademy.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/bsl.595

PMID

15211559

Abstract

This article summarizes and compares information on seven interviewed serial killers in an ongoing project designed to study similarities and differences among these individuals. The aim of this article is to increase our collective knowledge of the dynamics of serial murder by examining the perpetrators' backgrounds, as well as the unique ways in which they view themselves and the world around them. Although qualitative interview research alone is not sufficient to fully understand such behavior, it is useful in many ways. Some of the information discussed based on the seven offenders interviewed is compared with broader epidemiological studies, and the strengths and limitations of each type of research are discussed.

Language: en