Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

As one of the most notorious criminals, the offensive legacy of Ted Bundy has struck interest within many. The intriguing coherence between his ruthlessness and typical appearance trademark his identity, as well as the identity of other killers who too are hidden behind suspicious facades of normalcy - it’s time we uncover what really goes on behind the scenes. 

From Ted Bundy to Jeffery Dahmer, what exactly is in the mind of a serial killer? Why do they kill? This article will delve deep into their cognitive differentiation as well as external factors that constitute their predatory nature.

External factors

Serial killers are in essence insecure and fear rejection due to their history of abuse or abandonment. The cases of John Wayne Gacy, Edmund Kemper, and the Ranes brothers illustrate this common factor; Gacy’s neglect by his father, Kemper’s abusive mother, and the Ranes brothers’ experience with alcoholic parents all point towards a turbulent upbringing which would go on to prompt their criminal behaviors. Interestingly in the case of the Ranes brothers, the people targeted all held stark resemblance to their parents; they dwelled in their past and killed those that were reminders of pain and suffering endured during that time. For other serial killers alike, early tragedies manifest into future violence, and safety comes only from getting rid of threats at hand. 

Serial killers also lack social conscience, an attribute which can again be linked to an unstable family setting. A lack of what would be called ‘good parenting’ during childhood means that such killers are unable to differentiate good from bad, true from false, and right from wrong. This is what encourages anti-social behavior, in which a person inflicts distress on others. Some killers may justify anti-social behavior by self-exempting from killing itself - arguably the heftiest social sanction of all time. For instance, in his trial, Richard Ramirez, dubbed ‘The Night Stalker’, claims, ‘you don’t understand me. You are not expected to. You are not capable of it. I am beyond your experience. I am beyond good and evil…I don’t believe in the hypocritical, moralistic dogma of this so-called 'civilized society’. Ramirez strongly believes that his actions, though wholly immoral, are right as he justifies them as misunderstood.

Yet, the above factors are only partial to the full picture. It takes two to tango; what  does a serial killer’s brain look like in action?

Cognitive differentiation 

Serial killers lack empathy - the ability to identify other’s suffering as one’s own and the ability to feel sorry for others when they experience pain. Scientists have been examining this emotional deficit by looking at brain imagery, exemplifying profound disconnectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala processes negative stimuli while the prefrontal cortex gives rise to the corresponding negative emotions such as fear. Thus, disconnectivity means that any processed stimulus in the amygdala does not translate into any remotely empathetic feeling. Killers are immune to what would be the burdensome aftermath of murder and hence there is no pity for the victim.

Oppositely, research has shown that a serial killer’s intent to act may come from an emotional surplus rather than a deficit. The University of Chicago examined the brains of more than 800 prisoners wherein 203 of them, who were convicted of homicide, were found to have reduced gray matter in comparison to those involved in less violent offenses. Gray matter are essentially regions of the brain associated with the behavioral control and social cognition needed to suppress any potential overreactions, and so a reduction will lead to drastic changes in mood and therefore lack of emotional regulation which is evident in many killers. They act violently and to an extreme extent, and are ultimately convinced by their uncontrollable impulses to kill - acting before even thinking about what they are truly doing. 

Conclusion

Why do serial killers kill? The answer lies in a combination of both external factors and cognitive differentiations. While no single profile can encapsulate the diverse motivations and emotions of these individuals, there is ultimately interplay between the realms of psychology and the surrounding environment. As we delve deep into the dark recesses of the human psyche, let us not only unravel mysteries but foster complexities of this distorted nature. 

References

Dennis Relojo-Howell (2023). The Dark Psychology of Serial Killers: Unpacking the Factors Behind their Brutal Behaviour. [online] Psychreg. Available at: https://www.psychreg.org/dark-psychology-serial-killers-unpacking-factors-behind-their-brutal-behaviour/. 

R, Z. (2018). Night Stalker: The Life And Death Of Richard Ramirez. [online] Serial Killer Shop. Available at: https://serialkillershop.com/blogs/true-crime/richard-ramirez-night-stalker.

Wang, J. (2019). Scientists studied the brains of more than 800 prisoners. Here’s what they found.[online] University of Chicago News. Available at: https://news.uchicago.edu/story/scientists-studied-brains-more-800-prisoners-heres-what-they-found.