Since the beginning of time, people have been committing hideous crimes. The term ‘serial killers’ though is relatively recent. Actually, a killer with a long number of victims is nothing new, but the phrase “serial killer” was first used in print in 1981. The phrase was then widely used throughout the 1980s when the FBI began researching murderers who picked out specific victims and carried out methodological killings.
But what is the origin of this term?
“Serial Killer”
Studies and research on these kinds of criminals had begun way before the term was actually coined. Instead, they were referred to as ‘mass murders.’ However, this didn’t align with their own unique forms of brutality. Serial killers then tend to have patterns, pre-plan viciously, and their purpose is usually lost in translation. The origin of the term has been debated. In a book about serial killers, it was mentioned that the term was created by Robert Ressler, an FBI agent who was researching the phenomena. Moreover, a document found entailed that the phrase was coined in the ’30s in Berlin, according to refinery29. A German police director was working on serial crimes and in his documentation, he used the word “serienmörder,” which translates to “series-murderer” in English.
Who’s a serial killer?
Defining the term serial killer hasn’t been easy, as researchers debated on what makes them one. A serial killer is a criminal who has killed three or more people, with a cooling-off period between the murders. According to the FBI, serial murders are separated by a period of time. It’s “described as separate occasions, a cooling-off period, and an emotional cooling-off period.” What’s important is that the murders must have common factors or follow the same pattern.
A serial killer has habits, and a pattern, and operates based on a personalized ritual. Serial killers have an MO (Modus Operandi), a Latin phrase that means a distinct pattern of working. To identify the crimes carried out by a serial killer, the murders must have common characteristics. The common characteristics could be similarities between the victims or the way the killing was done. It could also be done in the same location, as the murderer could be luring victims to his/her lair.
Arab serial killers with different MOs
First, the Egyptian serial killer, Al Tourbini, raped, tortured, and killed more than 30 kids on carriage roofs of trains. Next, we have Mohammed Bijeh aka the Tehran Desert Vampire who is an Iranian serial killer that used to lure young boys into the desert, then poisoned, raped, and buried them. Another Iranian serial killer, Saeed Hanaei, would take prostitutes or drug addicts into his house, strangle them, wrap their bodies in large pieces of clothing, then leave them out in the streets.
Each of these serial killers had their own MOs. Each followed a particular manner in luring in their victims, murdering them, and disposing of the bodies in their own way. Although each one has a personal ritual, they also have a personal motive.
The motive
The serial killers mentioned above were either pedophiles who believed they were involved in a supposedly “righteous” cause or wanted to live out their fantasy, whatever it may be. Studies conclude that the main motive for the serial killing is the need to be in control. Exercising control over others during the kill is what ties serial killers together, and is often done in different ways and for different reasons. It may be due to discrimination against a certain group of people, to satisfy a sexual need, or sadistic desires including dismembering, stalking, or kidnapping people, which all boil down to one factor, a desire for control.
Myths about serial killers debunked
With so much data to study, many theories about serial killers were formulated, only to be disproven. Not all serial killers are actually dysfunctional misfits, and don’t necessarily fit the “monster” appearance many would expect. They could be your coworker, or your childhood friend. They’re normal people on the outside, harboring dark secrets. In addition, it’s not always about sex for serial killers, as we can tell from Raya and Sakina for example, who killed 17 young women just to steal their jewelry.
There isn’t a specific gene that makes a serial killer. And not all serial killers had a traumatizing childhood. Many people have suffered traumatizing childhoods and yet, don’t end up as serial killers later on in their lives. Although serial killers are rare amongst the population, at the end of the day, they’re everyday people like you and me.