# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/41 "2003-05-30T00:23:00Z")
More often, the police and the press use all three names, not the killer. They do it mainly to be specific to that particular person, and let other men with similar names off the hook. For instance, Lee Harvey Oswald was known to all friends and acquaintances as simply Lee Oswald. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/42 "2003-05-30T01:29:26Z")
[This is](http://perso.club-internet.fr/tmason/WebPages/Publications/Serial_Killers.htm) an interesting article on the inaccurate perception of serial killers as given by the media. The author makes some good points, I think, and as to the white male thing, Mason says killers from ethnic minorities “are present in proportion to their numbers in the general population”. .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/43 "2003-05-30T01:32:12Z")
According to [this](http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/weekly/newsnat-29may2003-18.htm) article: “Test probes minds of psychopaths”, researchers at Cardiff University in Wales have developed a test that can be used for detecting psychopathic tendencies. You might be able to track down more info from this. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/44 "2003-05-30T03:21:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Okay, I actually know several serial killers. > [@](#): > > Dear Sir… Share! Nothing too interesting to share. I’ve spent the last twenty years working in prisons. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/45 "2003-05-30T05:28:37Z")
Just to [eliminate any and all doubt](http://www.allthetests.com/quiz05/dasquiz.php3?testid=1054272340). 😉 Happy ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/46 "2003-05-30T05:32:01Z")
And for the record, I made that quiz, and I scored a 50% chance of being a serial killer. :eek: Happy ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/47 "2003-05-30T11:09:33Z")
**Chronos** IANApsychologist, I’m just an amateur people-watcher with an interest in abnormal psychology, but I’ll try to explain it in a bit more detail. > [@](#): > > 1. Wets their bed when young As **alice** said, after puberty it’s less common, and that’s the time they’re talking about. I recall reading that it can be caused by stress that has no outlet, but since it could have so many other causes I’m not certain that that’s the main reason for it’s inclusion in the triad. If that is the reason- as a sign of unexpressed tension or inner conflict that has nowhere to go- it makes sense that it could lead to “lashing out” later at a victim (when combined with the other two). > [@](#): > > 1. Pyromania I’m sure this refers to repeated attempts, not the experimenting with matches or a lighter phase that a lot of kids go through. Pyromania as a warning sign could have to do with a power trip, but it could also be part of the development of sexual deviance. In repeated firestarting, the pyromaniac enjoys both the destruction and the chaos of the response of other people. It can feel powerful to have that kind of control over people emotions- to stir them up, scare and excite them. > [@](#): > > 1. Tortures animals This refers to warm fuzzy animals that are generally anthropomorphized by our culture into having more human-like personality traits and characteristics. It’s not quite the same thing as messing with bugs, or tearing the wings off of flies. It might be more accurate to say tortures pets, but not necessarily their own family’s pets. Obviously being indifferent to and/or enjoying the suffering of innocent and helpless warm fuzzy-type pets is symptomatic of deep apathy and disconnection from others. Hope that was useful. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/48 "2003-05-30T12:17:53Z")
Well I took the quiz and answered yes to only 3 questions - but I lied about the last question and said I had killed 5 people - quiz rated me 88% not likely to be serial killer??? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/49 "2003-05-30T14:01:09Z")
This is as good a place as any for a first post. One thing that should be considered about the Louisiana killer is that his last known victim, Carrie Lynn Yoder, wasn’t exactly naive. She was a Ph.D. student who had traveled the world who was **fully aware** that was fully aware that a serial killer was roaming her streets. If she fell victim to him, I doubt the average person with no knowledge of an active serial killer has much chance. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/50 "2003-05-30T14:02:29Z")
oops, typo with the fully aware part. Sorry about that :smack: ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/51 "2003-05-30T15:03:26Z")
I’ve met a few prisoners who are not known serial killers, but something in their personality seems misplaced or odd. Hard to say what, it’s not just being clingy needy but also inadequate, an intenseness perhaps, a deluded self belief that often evaporates when confronted. There’s just _something_. One or two are so worrying that staff have personally informed their local police, and I mean aside from all the official notifications that happen when a prisoner is released. One former inmate just did not seem safe to be around children at any time or any place and was seen by one prison officer one a day off. This former prisoner was seen at a table top sale, a big organised one, hovering around where the ice-cream vans were parked. Personally I could easily imagine this one as a child killer, its just a matter of waiting until his offences escalate.I doubt he will stop at just one. Aside from being aware personally I am not in a position to do anything except report his odd behaviour to local police, I am not allowed to mention to Joe Public what I have read in his records, and the prison officer who saw him in the bric a brac sale cannot either. ---
**Author:** ![joe\_iguana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@joe\_iguana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe_iguana)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/52 "2003-05-31T07:50:05Z")
check this out…I actually read all the bios…yeah I was bored one weekend. 😛 [http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/archives.html](http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/archives.html) ---
**Author:** ![joe\_iguana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@joe\_iguana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joe_iguana)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/53 "2003-05-31T07:51:33Z")
crazies come from all walks of life apparently…trust me too…i worked one summer in the local DMV…whoa buddy. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/54 "2003-05-31T14:31:34Z")
Didn’t do good in school, but has high IQ - ADD Quiet, ah but friendly too. I know a lot of people like that, including myself. Which one of us will snap first? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256/55 "2003-05-31T17:33:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*I’ve always wondered about this. It seems to me that an equally good triad would be > > 1. Likes ice cream > 2. Doesn’t like doing homework > 3. Tortures animals > > I mean, isn’t torturing animals, _all by itself_, a major warning sign of problems? And the other two elements of the “triad” are common enough that I can’t imagine them being any help at all. \*\* This reference is to the “homicidal triad”. The basic premise behind these assertions is that these past event will many times lead to inappropriate affect. For example, torturing animals leads to a sadistic pleasure in the suffering of animals that could be transferred to humans. Wetting the bed (enuresis), especially at an older age, may lead to a low self-esteem and negative reactions from those who are close to you. This negative self-image may result in isolation and generalized rage. Finally, setting fires is the acceptance of destruction without consideration of the consequences. This does not equate to using fire crackers. We are talking about setting fires in public places or in areas where people could be in danger. Both setting fires and torturing animals (usually mammals or warm-blooded animals, most theorists do not believe bugs are as bad because the likelihood of transferring human characteristics to a bug are significantly reduced. But as for a puppy, most people name them, treat them like parts of the family, etc…) prevent the development of a healthy sense of empathy. There are two very important facts about the homicidal triad: 1. You have to have all three and they must be relatively serious. Pulling legs of spiders does not equate. 2. It is largely considered unproven and shaky on scientific grounds. Serial Killers are usually individuals who are isolationist (this does not mean they cannot be charismatic, they just enjoy private time more), have a lack of empathy, tend to have sadistic fantasies and usually have incredibly low self-esteem that is many times compensated with extreme narcissism in public places. In other words, they are incredibly anti-social (in the clinical sense). On a side note, this does not address mass murderers who kill mutiple victims in close temporal proximity. Serial killers take out victims over a longer period of time. “Mr. Lissa” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-tell-whos-a-serial-killer/177256.md?page=2)