# How can you tell who's a serial killer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256 "2003-05-24T18:23:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/1 "2003-05-24T18:23:25Z")
From what I’ve read and heard, serial killers are very likeable, normal-seeming people. So how does a person know??? Are there any signs? Thank you very much in advance for replying.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/2 "2003-05-24T18:30:39Z")
The only sure way to know is when they start killing. There are some warning signs, but that’s the only sure way. As you said, they can live as a normal person until caught. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/3 "2003-05-24T19:47:49Z")
\>\> The only sure way to know is when they start killing. Lets not prejudge people so fast. I think you have to wait a bit and when they get up to about 8 or 10 murders then you can be reasonably sure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/4 "2003-05-24T19:57:47Z")
You always hear neighbors say, “He was quiet, caused no trouble, & kept to himself.” Theses are 3 clues to get you started. ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/5 "2003-05-24T19:58:31Z")
I’ve always heard seriel killer experts say the potential warning signs of a future killer are 'the triad" 1. Wets their bed when young 2. Pyromania 3. Tortures animals Well, I wet my bed when I was a kid, loved playing with fireworks my whole life, and even made some of my own in high school, plus as a little kid, used to love lighting my little army men on fire, and yes, a few bugs and lizards lost their lives to me as well. So far I haven’t killed anyone…though I certainly feel like there are some deserving candidates here at work 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/6 "2003-05-24T20:10:33Z")
You don’t work at the post office, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mr.Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Hand)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/7 "2003-05-24T20:13:12Z")
If you want to be able to tell if your new neighbor/boyfriend/boss/stepfather is a serial killer, listen _carefully_ to the background music when he smiles at you. If you hear a violin glissando… get out quick. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/8 "2003-05-24T20:18:53Z")
There are some clinical characteristics for a sociopathic personality, but not all sociopaths are serial killers. Many serial killers are glib and superficially charming. (Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy). They are also completely narcissistic. They are often pathological liars who will use flattery and tell people what they want to hear in order to get what they want. I don’t know if there’s really any definitive “tell” for this kind of personality, but narcissism combined with any tendency towards violent sexual fantasies would be someone to watch out for. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/9 "2003-05-24T20:32:14Z")
Diog-is it possible to be partly, as opposed to completely, narcissistic? ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/10 "2003-05-24T20:32:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*You always hear neighbors say, “He was quiet, caused no trouble, & kept to himself.” Theses are 3 clues to get you started. \*\* Wrong, those are _spree killers_, the type who suddenly go off and start picking off strangers from a clock tower or something. Completely different pathology. ---
**Author:** ![saiorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@saiorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saiorse)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/11 "2003-05-24T20:57:22Z")
heh i always thought that the huge mystery was what is pathological ? freud seems to have his thought about it and the rest seem to be well confused? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/12 "2003-05-24T22:12:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doctordoowop \* > \*\*You always hear neighbors say, “He was quiet, caused no trouble, & kept to himself.” Theses are 3 clues to get you started. \*\* OMG! That’s me! And I didn’t even know I was a serial killer! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/13 "2003-05-24T23:18:19Z")
[This](http://members.fortunecity.com/mastercrime/thecrimeweb/id31.html) looks like it knows what it’s talking about. Anyone else get double question marks interspersed in the text or is it just me? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/14 "2003-05-25T00:36:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*You don’t work at the post office, do you? \*\* [Two-Year Independent Postal Commission Study Finds: ‘Going Postal’ Is a Myth](http://www.uaw.org/hs/01/03/hs03.html) ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/15 "2003-05-25T01:17:56Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Yarster \* > … 3) Tortures animals …_\* The trail of dead animal corpses is always a good start. ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/16 "2003-05-25T01:46:23Z")
A book I once read said that serial killers had a tendency to be “police buffs” – very interested in police stuff; they often try to get on the force but get rejected and end up taking jobs like security guard. I would also be on the lookout for folks who have set up their lives so that they have a lot of privacy. For example, owning a van; living alone in a house with a basement; etc. The reality is that serial killers are so rare that even if you meet someone that displays all the signs of a serial killer, chances are he isn’t one. (IMHO) ---
**Author:** ![Dragonstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@Dragonstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonstar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/17 "2003-05-25T02:11:22Z")
Do you think you know a serial killer? Did you meet one on the internet? Are you a serial killer and trying to figure out how to hide it? Sociopaths are hard to discern; they have a lot of practice hiding their true nature, and typically have an excuse for everything that you might find suspicious. Since most people give the benefit of the doubt, the sociopath has the advantage; you think “hmmm, that’s a little weird,” but have no concrete facts to back you up. Every lie they tell is plausible, so you believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/18 "2003-05-25T03:19:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lucwarm \* > **For example, owning a van; living alone in a house with a basement; etc.** Above a certain latitude, all houses with concrete or masonry foundations have basements; the foundations have to be below the frost line. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/19 "2003-05-25T03:36:01Z")
A vast majority of serial killers are white males, so there’s a good point to look for. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/20 "2003-05-29T06:45:42Z")
Hehehe, no no no, I’m not a secret serial killer. But I am very dumb and trusting when it comes to judging character and I don’t want my life to end with a lot of hacking in the woods. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256.md?page=2)