# Why do serial killers have fans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948 "2014-09-09T11:33:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/21 "2014-09-09T19:31:08Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > You see milder versions of this in attraction to extremely violent fictional characters, too. I recently heard a woman talking about how attractive she finds The Hound from Game of Thrones. _Game of Throne Spoilers Below - mild but just in case_ I’m neither a woman or gay but I can see why someone would find him attractive, sure he’s a very violent man, but he’s also brave and noble by his own lights. He steps in to save the prince from his brother at the tournament for example, and he acts to protect the Stark daughters when he didn’t have to. As he himself says, there are a lot worse men than him out there. He’s one of my favourite characters in the series actually. > [@jtur88](#): > > It strikes me that the OP’s definition of aberrant behavior is “things I’d never do”. I’m fairly comfortable with stating that wanting to be raped and killed by a serial killer is aberrant behaviour, whether its meant sincerly or just as some sort of strange game. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/22 "2014-09-09T19:45:46Z")
Because some people are crazy. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/23 "2014-09-09T20:01:39Z")
There’s a high-profile murder case going on here, and yes, the murderer does indeed have fans. No, I don’t understand it myself. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/24 "2014-09-09T20:38:40Z")
I think it’s a combination of very low self-esteem, a need for excitement and drama, and a savior/mothering complex. I’m sure some of these women believe that all it takes to change a murderer is the love of a good woman. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/25 "2014-09-09T23:44:14Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > I think it’s a combination of very low self-esteem, a need for excitement and drama, and **a savior/mothering complex. I’m sure some of these women believe that all it takes to change a murderer is the love of a good woman.** That’s quite different than this, though. > [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > There have been cases of serial killers in prison being sent letters by “well stacked” women **asking if the serial killer could rape and kill them.** ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/26 "2014-09-10T02:59:47Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > When I was in my 20’s, I briefly dated a girl who was obsessed with SKs. > > She even showed me the stack of letters she had received from them from jail. (That was her 'hobby", she would write them in hopes of a return letter.) > > But as far as I know, she never asked to be murdered by them. **That’s taking the crazy up a level further than I knew it could go.** > Yikes! I have no direct experience with SKs or their fans. I do however, read true crime books, and watch shows and film documentaries. I’ve heard countless accounts of fans and penpal relationships. I have never heard or read of these women wanting to be murdered. That’s -well, that’s I don’t even know. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/27 "2014-09-10T03:58:54Z")
Yeah, trite as it sounds, it might help if you could cite an instance. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/28 "2014-09-10T04:22:24Z")
Because they’re hot. Obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/29 "2014-09-10T04:36:56Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/30 "2014-09-10T05:38:46Z")
Fans? seriously? I’d trade three Jeffery Dahmers for one Mario Mendoza. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/31 "2014-09-10T23:08:08Z")
Some serial killers are extremely manipulative and can convince people that they are innocent and being railroaded. I know a woman who married a guy in prison for murder. It’s a long story, but he convinced her he was innocent and just needed money for a lawyer. She married him, sold her house and used the money to hire an attorney, and moved into a room. He dumped her and the last I heard, is still in prison. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/32 "2014-09-11T00:10:54Z")
I found myself being drawn to the Tony Soprano character. I think it’s because people are drawn to power. And some people are crazy. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/33 "2014-09-11T01:28:31Z")
Sometimes it’s because of they’re environmental platform. > **[‘I am Charles Manson’s wife’ | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2014/08/09/justice/charles-manson-wife/)** > > Afton Burton was 16 and living with her parents in Illinois when she discovered Charles Manson. Now she wants to be his wife. > [@](#): > > Star says she was first attracted to Manson after reading about ATWA, Manson’s environmental philosophy that stands for air, trees, water, animals. > > “It’s the life on the planet, you know,” Star says. “The Earth is a rock and everything else on it is ATWA.” ---
**Author:** ![wormdrink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/65b543/32.png) [@wormdrink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wormdrink)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/34 "2014-09-11T02:07:00Z")
I’ve asked this question before and think that it applies to other things to. other things meaning odd behavior. I’m thinking that if you have ten people in a room you will have one or two people that are a little off kilter, if you have 100 people in a room that number goes up. when you have 400 million people in the country watching the news about a serial killer you are bound to get many that will exhibit odd behavior. it’s a numbers thing. humans are capable of anything and it shows ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948/35 "2014-09-11T02:47:51Z")
I agree with a lot of the observations here, but just to point out one more thing: > [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > There have been cases of serial killers in prison being sent letters by “well stacked” women asking if the serial killer could rape and kill them. > > Other times, mothers have offered in letters to give famous child molesters and child killers their little girls to be molested and killed. This is obviously a fantasy. It’s not a fantasy I can comprehend at all, but still: they are writing to killers who have already been caught and locked up, so they know their “requests” won’t be fulfilled. If they people were leaving messages for a serial killer who was on the loose, that’d be even crazier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-serial-killers-have-fans/697948.md?page=1)