Have you ever wondered what makes a serial killer tick and sets them off? What makes them want to kill and what is their drive to continue this horrible, sickening journey through their life or what was the cause for them to change their nature in life and create them into these monsters that we see them as today. It takes tragic experiences to cause that like abuse whether it is verbal, physical, or even sexual to cause a sense of damage to a person’s mind and disrupt their ability to comprehend what is sane and not. Well, Edmund Emil Kemper III had all of the makings of becoming a serial killer due to his troubled childhood. He was born in Burbank, California on December 18, 1948 and was the son of Edmund Emil Kemper, Jr. and Clarnell …show more content…
Clarnell was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder which caused her to make the decision of him to live with his paternal grandparents in North Folk, California on a ranch. His grandfather bought him his first rifle which was a .22 caliber that he would use to shoot birds and other small creatures. Age 15, he commits his first two murders of both of his grandparents. He shot his grandmother, Maude Kemper, while she was sitting in the dining room finishing up on her latest child’s book and then stabbed her. He then shot his grandfather in the head because he knew what the consequences would have been if he had seen his wife’s body. He then called his mother and asked what to do and she told him to call the police so he did. Edmund waited for the police and when brought in for questioning, he told them “I wanted to know what it felt like to kill grandma”. Edmund also stated that he didn’t really like her and that he thought she was senile because she emasculated both him and his grandfather. Afterwards, he was admitted to Atascadero State Hospital. While there, he befriended a psychologist and even became his assistant while attending the institution. Atascadero also revealed that Edmund had an I.Q. of 136 and eventually once an adult, it had grown to 145 showing that he is very intelligent. Edmund was a patient to the
Sometimes considered disgusting, cruel, terrible, or unforgivable, serial killers could arguably have a reason for their madness. Beaten as a child, raped, or even for left to die could spark what could soon become disastrous. Some serial killers do it for the fun of it, but for the most part they do it because of a poor childhood and upbringing. This is what some believe to be the reasons for the killings done by The Coed Killer, Edmond Kemper. After his conviction of killing ten people, prosecutors then found the real reason of the horrific murders. Seen as a gentle giant by some, Kemper was all but that.
This essay aims to examine weather serial killers are born a certain way and their genetics define their psychotic tendencies or whether they're a product of a bad environment that they grew up. This essay looks at recent killings in the late 20th century as there is more information on the killers from this period and it's easier to gain details about their childhoods. Whilst I will look at various different killers to reach more rounded conclusions (see appendix for comparison table), this essay will focus on four in detail to examine the debate; Ted Bundy (1946-89), Jeffery Dahmer (1960-1994), John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994) and Gary Ridgway (1949-present).
In an article called “The Traits of A Serial Killer,” by Simon (2004), psychopaths are not “created” over night, but rather their behavior can be connected all the way to their childhood. What trauma a child experiences plays a major role in the rest of his or her life. A serial killer, most of the time,
Serial killers are the byproduct of many different things: trauma, death of loved ones, abuse, neglect, adoption, and even witnessing abuse (Are Serial). Serial killers have had to endure a massive amount of something such as trauma or abuse to an unimaginable extent to become what they are; the extent of the abuse, the trauma, the psychological damage they endure is incomprehensible to many. The destruction of one’s innocence can occur at any given time in his or her life, but he or she is more impressionable in his or her youth by the negativism of someone else’s actions (Scott, Shirley L. What Makes Serial Killers Tick ~ Childhood Event). People are susceptible to what they endure in their adolescence, and cruel upbringings, such as
Ever heard of the zodiac killer? He was a serial killer who operated in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in 5 states between December 1968 and October 1969. The general profile for a serial killer is a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern. There are many types of serial killers. There are natural born killers who are born willing to kill someone, insane killers which have mental and physical disorders and criminaloids who do not exhibit specific traits. The childhood of a serial killer would typically be someone who is neglected by their family mainly their mothers. They tend to be antisocial and have anger issues. Poor families often cannot provide what the child always wants so they might commit crimes to get want they want. Abused children have a higher chance of being killers also because they have a lot of built up aggression and anger. All can lead to substance abuse which is never a good thing to mix in with a potential serial killer in the making. General behavioral progression from pre-crime to post-crime are that they use killing as a source of relief. Before committing a serious crime they could have built up anger and hatred. They is a high possibility that they are suffering from depression and anxiety too. After killing someone the killer feels relieved. They also feel
Every serial killer has their own twisted ways to doing their crimes. Richard Kuklinski is no different from other killers in this way. He started young, killing cats and other animals for the fun of it and to feel “empowered”. Different from other killers, he committed his first murder in middle school. Kuklinski beat a bully death and then disposed of it. A lot of their character traits relate back to their young family life. A common pattern in several serial killers is that their parents abused them in some way or the other. Richard Kuklinski, or the “Iceman”, is like these serial killers in the way that he was abused as a young boy. Although there are an uncertain amount of things that led Kuklinski to his brutal, senseless killings, some of the factors stand as: The abuse from his parents, his emotionless personality, and the money he earned from these killings.
There is no real general profile of serial killers; each serial killer has a unique set of characteristics. In attempt to profile these types of criminals, there has been some common characteristic that serial killers have exhibited during child that has been mention in early in this paper. Research into serial killers is important partly because even though there is literature out there on serial killers, there is still not much known about these types of criminals. The purpose of this paper's focus on Mr. Kuklinski is to hopefully debunk stereotypes and myths in regards to serial killers. Popular or common belief of serial killers to deranged psychopathic people who are unhinged. However, Kuklinski is the opposite he is cold hearted and possesses a full mental capacity to where he understand everything he doing and full ramification of his action. He completely understands that he is indeed committing first-degree murder and if he were to get caught he would punish with life in
I wouldn’t presume to understand why Edmund would be so distrusting in his siblings. Edmund constantly acts as though he is hiding something, he acts as though he cannot trust anyone. Even before Edmund meets the witch his is always acting shifty. This dishonesty Edmunds exhibits is one of his key personality traits the witch preys upon. She is almost immediately aware that she will be able to manipulate him easily. Unfortunately for Edmund and his family alike, this misplaced faith in the witch makes him follow her nearly blindly, it also leads me to believe he is capable of strong faith in something. If he would have not been left alone he wouldn’t have been led astray by the witch. He also would not have had this opportunity to learn a valuable
Serial killers have plagued the world since before the 1500s. Theories have evolved over long periods of time for explanations as to why people begin killing. The earliest explanation was rooted in witchcraft and demonic possessions overtaking the person causing them to commit these acts of violence. Biological, psychological, and social theories have emerged over the years as society has developed and advanced. The latest theory suggests that the behavior of serial killers results as a combination of biological, psychological, and socialization factors. Despite the numerous theories trying to explain the phenomena of serial killing, no one knows exactly why or how seemingly normal people begin killing others. One of the most infamous serial killers was Donald Harvey. Harvey was a self-proclaimed “angel of death.” He murdered dozens of victims as a hospital aid. Due to Harvey’s difficult childhood and prolonged sexual abuse, Donald developed a psychopathic-type personality disorder and killed dozens of victims.
Edmund Kemper is one example of a child killer with an exceptionally high IQ and showed all the classic traits of a sociopath — an interest in torturing animals, and a deeply troubling relationship with his mother (Thomas, 2015). Edmund was staying with his
Throughout time there has always been mentally disturbed people, but the problem is that they are on the streets and not in a psych ward. As you read this paper you will learn about some of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century and the horrific atrocities they committed. We will go inside the mind of a serial killer and discover what drives them to kill people and also why some serial killers love to devour their victims, keep their limbs and even continue to preform sexual acts with them even after there are already dead.
Serial killers have fascinated the imaginations of people for a long time. One of the most notorious serial killers is Jeffrey Dahmer whose gruesome murders shocked the nation. Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer also known as Milwaukee monster was a notorious American serial killer and sexual offender in the 1980s and early 1990s. Between 1978 and 1991 Dahmer had murdered 17 men. His victims were usually raped, tortured, dismembered, and cannibalism was also involved. Jeffrey was a troubled child psychologically and his social skills had a lot to be desired. All the way through his childhood he was ignored and had queer fantasies of cadavers. In his adulthood this psychosocial status quo didn 't change and was in fact aggravated.
There are many traits that make a serial killer, with abuse during childhood playing a major factor. The four main aspects of abuse that seem to make killers are: emotional, psychological, sexual and physical abuse. The serial killer group has six times more reported physical abuse during childhood than the general population. Research has demonstrated that many serial killers have much in common when it comes to their childhood experiences Emotional abuse often diminishes a child’s self-esteem, making it hard for them to adapt to their surroundings, such as situations involving school or work. Due to this factor, most serial killers often find it hard to keep jobs and intimate relationships for longer than a very short period of time. Emotional neglect also impairs a child’s ability to develop empathy, therefore lacking compassion. If the child grows up to become a murderer, having no empathy means they are able to kill someone without
The events of the past can hold a great influence on the actions and behaviors of the future. From being raised in a supportive and loving home, to one that is full of neglect and abuse, each event can potentially impact the future of an individual. In the case of serial killers, there has been some debate on whether the evil ones are made or born; does it happen because of a genetic factor, environmental factor, or is it simply they addicted to the feeling of slaughtering another individual’s life? Although, the most important key in finding the truth deals with the past and shapes the outcome of the future. Upon viewing in a psychological stance, there is no clear understanding of why one aspect that most serial killers share, namely
They usually hate their parents. Almost every serial killer is abused as a child, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically, or psychologically. This abuse may come from a stranger or a family member, but many serial killers try to lie about this history of abuse. Most serial killers have records of early psychiatric problems and often spent time in institutions as children (i.e.: mental hospitals or psychological rehabilitation centers). They have an intense interest in voyeurism, fetishism, and sadomasochistic porn at a very early age, and they also have a very high rate of suicide attempts. Future serial killers share three other traits in their childhoods. More than sixty precent of serial killers wet their beds past the age of twelve. They also have a fascination with fire, which may be an early manifestation of their fondness for mass destruction. In addition, almost every serial killer starts his abuse and sadistic torture on animal victims (Fisher and Fisher, 2003).