The Sacramento Sex Slave Murders

Serial killer is described as an example of a murderer who kills several individuals over a long period of time. While these people are usually male motivated by various psychological motives such as power, the number of female serial killers has increased significantly in the recent past. Unlike their male counterparts, female serial killers use less visible means of murder such as poisoning in order to keep under the radar and remain discrete (Gilbert et. al., 2003). Since the less visible methods account for 80 percent of deaths caused by female serial killers, these criminals can be considered as gentle killers.

Serial murder is one of the most baffling crimes that occur in the U.S. and all over the world. Knight (2006) defines serial murder as the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period. The cooling off period may be weeks, months or even years long. Researchers have proposed various psychological, biological and sociological theories that offer a partial understanding of the nature of serial murder. Some propose that the basis for criminal behavior is a predisposition to violence as well as a mix between environment, personality traits and biological factors. Serial killers are predominantly male. Only 3 percent of serial murders are committed by women (U.S. News and World Report,

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,

Social learning theory states that crime is learned through social interaction, and the family is the primary association group. I believe John Wayne Gacy learned his serial killing criminality from his childhood family social interactions. John Wayne Gacy’s father use to physical punish his children with a razor strap and physically abuse his wife. Gacy’s father also use to call him names like a wimp and a girl. I feel that these violent interactions caused Gacy to form a direct association with violent behaviour. These events indicate that Gacy was exposed to violence and ridicule for his entire childhood. Previous statistics stated that the age that abuse occurs and the longer the abuse occurs, influence the severity of the impact of the abuse on a child’s adulthood. I feel that the timing, length and frequency of the abuse that Gacy encountered led to his serial killing behaviour.

This journal is written 3 authors: Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Florida and received his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, Steven T. Holmes. Dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University, Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D. and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Justice Administration at the University of Louisville, Ronald M. Holmes, M.A. They constructed different types of females who are serial killers and discussed homicidal behavioral traits. It begins with differentiating

Offenders and Victims tend to be around a similar age, while offenders of other homicide categories in cases where there is no known relationship, the perpetrators are younger than the victims (Australian Institute of Criminology). Age is inconsistent with the general pattern in this case as Gittany and Ms Harnum were 10 years apart. The dynamics of Mr Gittany and Ms Harnum relationship are consistent with the general pattern concerning gender characteristics. Men are generally driven to commit IPH due to possessive and jealous impulses within the relationship in connection to the threat of separation and control over their spouse (Weizmann-Henelius et al., 2011). There was undoubtable evidence to suggest Mr Gittany was abusive, controlling and domineering within the relationship. He would keep track of her movements by bugging her phone and by surveillance means without Ms Harnums knowledge. Studies show contradictory results, whether mental disorders and personality disorders correlate with IPH. Watt (2008) suggests that cases congruent with spouse batterers, have generally tested positively with a personality disorder, however offenders convicted of IPH rarely have psychopathic traits (Weizmann-Henelius et al., 2011). Although Gittany’s mental health assessment suggested he suffered from depressive,

Dr. Satten claims that because of these past experiences with violence, Perry developed a schizophrenic behavior that led to him killing the father of the Clutter family; therefore proving that the violence in Perry’s life led to the murder of the Clutters. Similar to Perry’s situation, when a boy named Will was five years old, his mother “tried to kill him with a butcher knife. . .For the next several years Will lived with his older brother, until he committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. . .Will eventually joined a gang and committed a number of very serious crimes, including a murder.” Will had witnessed multiple acts of violence during his childhood which is a possible factor that contributed to his crime. Through the study conducted at a prison in Wisconsin and the stories of Perry and Will, it can be concluded that domestic/community violence does play a role in the development of criminal

On Slaveholders’ Sexual Abuse on Slaves” was the selections from the 19th and 20th century of Slave Narratives. This document was published by the National Humanities Center in 2007. Throughout the document, an interview is being conducted from former slaves in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration Slave Narrative Project. This document explain the harshness the women slaves had to deal with from their slaves owners. The women had to give up sex willing or unwillingly. The women were beaten and had to please the slave owner whenever he needed them. The women also gave birth to many babies and the slave owners treated their own children as slaves. They raised the kids to become a slave worker. The southern political party was basically

In this world, there are people who are able to shoot, bludgeon, or torture a whole family and then sleep peacefully just hours after. Serial Killers have piqued the American public’s interest for generations. In the 1970s, for example, America was enthralled by the danger and fear of Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, famous serial killers who killed a combined number of over a hundred people. Following suit of the popularity of serial killers, they have become ingrained in our culture through art, books, news, talk-shows, and movies. A famous example of this trend is in Flannery O’Connor’s ”A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, where the antagonist, The Misfit, brutally murders a family of six. O’Connor described The Misfit as a calm, polite, analytical, morally-confused, murderer with leadership skills and “strong white teeth.” This archetype, a person who can be perfectly calm while being aggressive and lacks a sense of right or wrong, has also been an interest of study in the medical field. The medical community has come together for patients that are described as lacking a moral conscious, naming their disorder psychopathy (Robinson). In Flannery O’Connor’s ”A Good Man Is Hard to Find” The Misfit exhibits signs of psychopathy, shown from his manipulating control over Bobby Lee and Hiram, and staying calm while he directly and indirectly kills six people.

I searched mass murders, serial killers, and violent criminals who have been exposed to domestic violence in his or hers’ lifetime. However, I decided to choose a person who was simply a jealous ex boyfriend that decided to take the lives of eight innocent people. Many cases have made headlines within the year about mass shootings, but this particular case did not make headlines. It happened in Houston, Texas on August 8th, 2015. David Conley was once with Valerie Jackson after their relationship ended in the result of Conley smashing Jackson’s head into a refrigerator. Jackson then returned to her ex husband and restored their relationship for the sake of their six children together. Conley did not like the idea that Jackson returned to her ex husband, so Conley took matters in his own hands and broke into the Jackson’s residence opened fire on Jackson, her husband, and then their six children. (Jeltsen, 2015)

Although the prevalence of the serial killer is ultimately unknown, many researchers agree about “one-half of 1%” of homicides are determined to be the product of serial killers (Homant & Kennedy, 2014). In order to prevent future victims, improve the ability of law enforcement to detect and apprehend, potentially incorporate treatment for current serial killers, and increase the ability to detect potential future serial killers it is important to identify characteristics that may cause one to become a serial killer. The question researchers have strived to answer is are serial killers born or are there explicit factors that contribute to someone ultimately becoming a serial killer? Researchers have potentially exposed several factors that potentially contribute to one becoming a serial killer. These conditions are notably greater in prevalence in known serial killers compared to the general population. These factors consist of family dynamics/parental characteristics, experienced child abuse (physical, sexual, and neglect), and psychological disorders.

“Research into the impact of childhood abuse and neglect on violent behavior of adults who became serial killers concluded that adults who had been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused as children were three times more likely than were non-abused adults to act violently as adults” (Silva, Leong, & Ferrari, 2004).

“He told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his…” The treatment of slaves varied in their personal experiences as well as in the experiences of others they knew, but Harriet Jacobs phenomenally described the dynamics of the relationship between many female slaves and their superiors with these words from her personal narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861). Before slavery was outlawed it was not uncommon for young female slaves to be sexually abused and exploited by their masters. Although many people know about the cruelty of the sexual assaults that made too many young girls victims of rape in the Antebellum South, most people are unaware of the complexity of the issue and how many different ways these women were abused.

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