William Pickton Anthropology

Serial killers, we have all heard of them and most of us are petrified of them. They commit horrendous crimes that many people cannot even begin to wrap their head around. Unfortunately, for those of us who are afraid of them it is likely we have encountered at least one if not multiple in our lifetime. That last sentence really puts the “be nice to everyone” quote into perspective, doesn’t it? It is not known how many serial killers are actually walking around among us however most studies conducted reviled we may not want the answer. Chances are the number is higher than we would have thought and definitely higher than we had hoped. Although I highly doubt we will ever get an actual number. It is not likely that a survey will be given to see how many serial killers are actually walking free. Even if this hypothetical survey was given I do not think an actual serial killer is going to put a checkmark in the are you a serial killer box. Although if they did mark the box they would save a lot of lives. Answering yes to such a question would land them in a psych ward. We may not know how to identify a serial killer simply by looking them up and down but we do have theories that help predict why they choose to commit unspeakable crimes. One of these theories that will be discussed is the biosocial theory. Throughout the report, the biosocial theory of crime will be thoroughly explained and applied to this topic to better understand serial killers. Anyone who has some time to

Los Angeles, California went through a time period where serial killings happened and the suspect was on the run for over two decades. Most of the victims were prostitutes in South Los Angeles. The serial killer began his killings in 1987, apparently stopped for 13 years then resumed with his killings. The killer left little to no evidence, besides his DNA from sexually assaulting his female victims. For decades LAPD failed to find the killer or anyone who was related to him (Dolan & Landsberg, 2010).

Several serial killers have a definitive and common personality profile. Almost every major social, biological, psychological behavioural influence that has been seriously suggested as playing a role in causing crime has been thoroughly thought as potentially

Donald Gaskin may be one of America’s most notorious serial killers, possibly killing over fifty men, women, and children, but the courts only convicted him of eight murders. One might say how could he get away with so many murders? The answer is multifarious, and as Fox and Levin dictated in Extreme Killing “It is difficult to gauge the full extent of serial homicides. Because of complexities in linking murders committed by the same perpetrator but at different times and even places, no precise estimate of a serial killer is even possible” (Fox & Levin, 2005). Forensic psychologists attempt to catch serial killers by profiling them based on the crime scene and the killer’s childhood, yet Gaskins was not a typical serial killer because his motives to kill altered from profit to sadistic thrills. Customers often paid him to kill their cheating spouse, enemy, or even parent, making it a full-time profession for Gaskins, but he often killed for the sadistic thrills and power due to his terrible childhood.

Police have opened an investigation on a possible serial killer on the loose. There have been reports from the homeless saying that they have seen others going off with an unknown figure in the dark nights.

Though serial killer may have a fairly specific definition, there is no single precise profile for the serial killer. Each has a unique identity, set of motives and methods, and a unique psychopathology that would attempt to explain the mens rea, that is, the purpose or intent of the murder. “Psychological profiling is an investigative tool used strictly to answer the how of the crime, not the why” (Severence et al, 1992; Lanier and Henry, 1998). By examining the psychological make-up of the serial killer, it is often possible to explain the behavior, which might make it a useful tool in solving crimes.

Sex worker Toni Mac explained that “if you’re selling sex in places like Kenya, South Africa or New York, a police officer can arrest you if you're caught carrying condoms, because condoms can legally be used as evidence that you're selling sex.” This causes sex workers to gauge whether carrying condoms is worth getting caught. Oftentimes, it is not worth the fine or jail time, and sex workers risk contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In a study of San Francisco prostitutes, 82% reported experiencing some sort of physical violence, 55% of that at the hands of a client. Sex workers are unable to go to the police when abused because of the fear and reality that they too are involved in illegal activity. Sometimes, sex workers who do actually attempt to seek help instead are further abused by law enforcement. A reported __ of prostitutes were abused in some way by a police officer. People, predominantly men, know they are able to get away with violence towards sex workers because there is nothing a victim is able do about it. This makes violence that much more inevitable. High-profile murderers like Jack the Ripper and the Green River Killer both targeted prostitutes, presumably for their anonymity and allure. These serial killers went undiscovered for years by preying on vulnerable women. Because of the lack of regulation of the sex work industry, workers can disappear for

Criminalizing prostitution did not reduce the act, in fact statistics showed that prostitutes are constant reoffenders. According to attorney Carrasquillo, “arrests and fines do not effectively act as deterrents; prostitutes are soon selling sex in order to pay off their fines. Prostitution is costly, both to citizens and prostitutes” (708). Furthermore, Carrasquillo goes on to state that, “the NYPD makes an

A serial killer could be dining, sitting, or even living next to you at this very moment. Most killers offer little to no obvious clues that will lead anyone to detect their often secretive, undercover actions. I ask myself, “How can we be so naive to these types of people?” Serial killers amongst us are often well educated, portray an All-American image, yet have a psychotic side to them.

The legalization of prostitution has also been used as a suggestion to help resolve issues of prison over-crowding. David C. May points out that some people think victimless crimes, such as prostitution, “need to be redirected to offset the ever-growing burden on law enforcement and the correctional system that these crimes cause” (336). Some people think that laws against prostitution are outdated and should be abandoned to free up prison space and allow law enforcement to focus on other more important

When investigating any homicide, law enforcement first looks at all internal subjects and work their way outward. Therefore, investigations start out focusing on the closest relationships closest to the victim. For the most part, this strategy is successful in murder investigations as many homicides are generally committed by someone close to the victim or someone who the victim knows. However, in cases of serial murders, the victim and subject are not usually acquainted or have a consensual relationship. Most serial murders involve strangers who have no relationship with one another. Often time, the perpetrator identifies a victim based on their vulnerability (the degree to which the victim is prone to being attacked), availability (the lifestyle

It’s counterintuitive to some people, but prostitution laws are actually inhibiting sex traffickers from being brought to justice. The primary reason being that prostitution laws obviously create a barrier between sex trafficking victims and the police. Hence, a study by the Department of Justice found that officers replied that “victims’ distrust” of law enforcement was by far the most difficult challenge in their investigations, as opposed to lack of resources, lack of training, etc.

William Pickton is not behaving the same as normal people in the society he resides in. He has murdered over twenty people, but doesn’t show any evident psychological defect, except for the fact that he may be a serial killer. There could be basic reasons for becoming a serial killer, such as revenge, or serious psychological problems, as a result from a trauma.

Prostitution and Commercialized Vice is a unique category of crime in that it is the only crime for which a greater number of women are arrested than men, and where the arrest rates for white offenders is greater than that of any other race combined (United States 2014). As used in this essay, prostitution is defined as the exchange of sexual acts and services for money (Walsh, Section XIII, p. 500). The key players in the crime of prostitution include those who exchange sexual acts and services - tricks - for money (prostitutes), those who recruit a prostitute and arrange meetings with clients in order to take a portion of their earnings (pimps), the keepers of a bawdy house or brothel (madam), and the individuals who purchase sexual acts and services (Johns). (Walsh, Section XIII p. 483). In the UCR for 2010, the total number of arrests for prostitution and commercialized vice was 62,670, with the female population of arrestees (43,190 total female arrestees) more than twice the number of male arrestees (19,480 total male arrestees) (United States 2014). In a 2000 General Social Survey, 17% of American men self-reported paying for sex (Levitt, Venkatesh; McGough) ; using this information in congruence with the UCR report that more than twice as many women than men were arrested for the crime, it is fair to assume that roughly 34% of

Nor is there any doubt that serial killers know sex workers are afraid to seek protection from police; or that the public believe violence is part of a prostitute's job description. Until prostitution is legalized, these women will continue to toil down on the ocean floor, miles away from the light, in constant fear of predators." (Mariano 3) The violence and crimes committed against prostitutes will continue and increase until there are set laws that will make prostitution a legal profession.