# Are there different classes of mass murderers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509 "2000-07-31T05:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/1 "2000-07-31T05:24:58Z")
I was reading a book on crime and they seemed to lump together people like Richard Speck, Robert Smith, David Burkowitz(sp?), Jeffery Dahmer together. Now it seems to me they are not really the same. I mean people like “Son of Sam,” Jeffery Dahmer, John Gacy, etc murdered one at a time slowly over years, while people like Robert Smith, Charles Whitman, and Gang Lu killed all at once and at random. Maybe even a third type like Mark Essex were it was a racial thing. And also why am I the only one that seems to remember Robert Smith, WEHT him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/2 "2000-07-31T05:53:00Z")
Since it was a book on crime I imagine that ‘mass murderer’ was sufficiently descriptive for the author’s purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/3 "2000-07-31T05:55:21Z")
According to _Malicious Intent by Sean Mactire_: Mass murder is the killing of 4 or more victims at one time (divided into _Family mass murder_, which is the “killing of four or more members of the same family by another family member” and _Classic mass murder_, which it “the killing of four or more non-family victims in a single location at one time”). (Some examples given: John List, Charles Whitman, Richard Speck) Other types of multiple murderers (as opposed to mass murderers) are _spree killer_, who “commites murder in two or more locations, but the killings are linked by motive as a single event” (Example given: Michael Ryan)and _serial killer_ (Examples given: Christopher Wilder, Elizabeth Bathory, Jack the Ripper, Joel Rifkin). ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/4 "2000-07-31T06:31:36Z")
Another distinction of serial killers in several of the books I have read is that the killing has a sexual element. Either the killer has sex with the victims or he/she derives sexual pleasure from killing itself or from some element of the killing. According to a few sources I read (don’t have the cites right now–I’m at work) this sexual element is necessary for a killer to be classified as a serial killer. To add to Kat’s list, Charles Starkweather and Andrew Cunanan are also considered to be spree killers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/5 "2000-07-31T06:47:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\*And also why am I the only one that seems to remember Robert Smith, WEHT him anyway. \*\* I remember Robert Smith. He has a reputation for being rather dark, but he seems like a nice guy. I can’t believe he’s a mass murderer. Although I think that’s a different Robert Smith. What does WEHT mean? ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vampire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Space\_Vampire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vampire)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/6 "2000-07-31T10:19:39Z")
My best guess is What Ever Happened To. ---
**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2000, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/7 "2000-07-31T11:47:37Z")
Check out [http://www.crimelibrary.com](http://www.crimelibrary.com) Not only does it have well written profiles on all types of crime cases but it also has interviews and articles about psychological profiling. Needs2know ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/8 "2000-08-01T02:24:08Z")
Cool link but I couldn’t find Robert Smith in it. I don’t know why he sticks out in my mind except that I think he was the one who wanted to be like Speck. I tried search engines but there are so many Robert Smiths nothing relevant comes up. Anybody got any links on him. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/9 "2000-08-01T03:28:05Z")
Marxx- The only thing I find about Robert Smith is that at age 18, November 1966, he walked into a beauty parlor in Mesa, Arizona and killed five women and two children by making them lie on the floor and shooting them in the back of their heads. He explained, “I wanted to become known, to get myself a name.”\*\* \*\*This is from the book _The Encyclopedia of Modern Murder_ by Colin Wilson and Donald Seaman. Not the best book in the world but it does cover terrorists in addition to mass murderers and other killers. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-different-classes-of-mass-murderers/27509/10 "2000-08-01T04:48:41Z")
Hmmm, this site looks promising. [http://serial-killers.virtualave.net/](http://serial-killers.virtualave.net/) Well, no info on Robert Smith on that page, but there’s a links page at [http://serial-killers.virtualave.net/sklinks.htm](http://serial-killers.virtualave.net/sklinks.htm) that might lead you to a site with info, Markxxx. (Warning: Multiple pop-ups on both of the pages.)