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Abstract. The motives of serial killers have always been in the forefront of people's interest. A mentally healthy person cannot conceive what makes serial killers commit their repeated brutal crimes. Bedwetting, arson and torturing of animals could be appalling phenomena from childhood according to the characterization of the Macdonald triad. Childhood imprinting, and the environmential circumstances of the perpetrators are also substantial factors as Edwin H Sutherland reckons. Childhood trauma may create irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, due to which it begins to think in a different way. From a neurophysiological aspect, brain damage, the abnormality of brain waves and the dysfunction of brain workings can be revealed in most cases. There is disharmony in the structure of their psyche, therefore their reactions are pathological. Their dissociative attitude, and identity disorder may derive from lack of parental rearing and a guilty conscience This study is meant to reveal the basic childhood, mental and environmental roots, along with the motivating factors of their actions. Primarily, it outlines the concept of serial killing, and enumerates the diverse types of serial killers and their aftermath. The motivations are also grouped and supported by the actions, unstable family history and the methods of perpetration of the most notorious cases.
DOI: 10.5604/20805268.1212110
http://dx.doi.org/10.5604/20805268.1212110
Keywords: serial killer, Macdonald triad, psychopath, unstable family history
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1.The Concept, and the Characteristic Features of Serial Killers
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification.1
A sexual element is often involved in the killings. Macdonald has set up a triad by which he characterized the childhood of serial killers as potential psychopaths. He highlighted bedwetting, arson and torturing of animals as appalling phenomena.2 According to Edwin H Sutherland, criminal tendencies can be acquired from our environment, therefore, childhood imprinting is substantial.3 The murders may have been attempted or completed in a similar fashion and the victims may have had something in common; for example, occupation, ethnicity, appearance, sex, age group, taxi drivers, homelessness or their social circumstances. Interestingly enough, civilians wearing red jackets were also...