The Washington DC newspaper Evening Star, in a 1967 review of the book: In his book, Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters (2004), criminal justice historian Peter Vronsky notes that while Ressler might have coined the English term 'serial homicide' within the law in 1974, the terms serial murder and serial murderer appear in John Brophy's book The Meaning of Murder (1966). The German term and concept were coined by criminologist Ernst Gennat, who described Peter KГјrten as a SerienmГ¶rder ('serial-murderer') in his article ' Die DГјsseldorfer Sexualverbrechen' (1930). Author Ann Rule postulates in her 2004 book Kiss Me, Kill Me, that the English-language credit for coining the term goes to LAPD detective Pierce Brooks, who created the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) system in 1985. The English term and concept of serial killer are commonly attributed to former FBI Special agent Robert Ressler, who used the term serial homicide in 1974 in a lecture at Police Staff Academy in Bramshill, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom.

3.6 Ethnicity and demographics in the United States.

Some debate exists on the specific criteria for each category, especially with regard to the distinction between spree killers and serial killers. ДЄlthough a serial killer is a distinct classification that differs from that of a mass murderer, spree killer, or contract killer, there exist conceptual overlaps between them.

Based on this pattern, this will give key clues into finding the killer along with their motives.

Often the FBI will focus on a particular pattern serial killers follow. The victims may have something in common for example, demographic profile, appearance, gender or race. The murders may be attempted or completed in a similar fashion. Psychological gratification is the usual motive for serial killing, and many serial killings involve sexual contact with the victim, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that the motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking. While most authorities set a threshold of three murders, others extend it to four or lessen it to two. For other uses, see Serial killer (disambiguation).ДЄn 1829 illustration of British serial killer William Burke murdering Margery Campbell.ДЄ serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.

What makes a serial killer psychology