Serial Killers
For this assignment you will review a serial killer’s case in depth. The killer you choose to review will also be the subject of your Week 5 final assignment, so keep your research material handy.
First, choose one of the following serial killers:
- David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”) taunted police over a year and shot 15 people (6 died) in New York City. The movie “Summer of Sam” was about this time.
- Gary Ridgway (the “Green River Killer”) holds the American record for most victims. He confessed to killing 48 over a 16-year period but is suspected of having killed many more!
- Wayne B. Williams is believed to be the killer of 24 children and young men in Atlanta, though there is still some doubt.
- John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were the “DC snipers” who shot 13 people (ten died) over three weeks in the Washington DC area in 2002.
- Ted Bundy: Confessed to almost 30 murders (there may have been more). He was known for being smart and good-looking, and acted as his own lawyer.
- Jeffrey Dahmer: His case captured worldwide attention after his capture, mostly due to his habit of keeping parts of his victims long after their deaths, as well as cannibalism and necrophilia.
- Kristen Gilbert: An example of a female serial killer, she was a nurse who killed hospital patients in her care.
For this assignment, create a report in Microsoft Word that covers the following points:
- Summarize the case: time period, location, number of victims, etc.
- Describe the killer’s background, methods, and area of operation.
- How did the killer select his or her victims? Was there anything that the victims did to provoke the killer?
- By analyzing all of the above information, you should now be able to propose a three-part typology and explain your analysis. Your typology should describe the killer’s motivation, location, and organized or disorganized factors. For instance, John Wayne Gacy might be described as a Power/Control, local, organized killer.
