Serial Killer The Twentieth Century - 2402 Words

The twentieth century is marked by several remarkable events, from World War I to World War II, to the cold war and nuclear arms race to a plethora of other distinctive occurrences. This time period, however, possesses a rather gruesome attribute as well. It was in this century, the year of 1970 to be exact, in which the term â€Å"serial killer† was first coined. Serial killing ran rampant during the 1900s, riddling each of its decade with bloodshed and horrific methods of murder. Notorious killers, such as Albert Fish and Richard Ramirez, made their debut in this century, brutally and methodically slaughtering innocent victims in the most ghastly ways. The violence via psychopathic murder was so much so during this era that â€Å"Serial Killer† became known as the â€Å"twentieth century bogeyman.† According to the FBI, a serial killer is defined as a person who has murdered at least three people with a period of inactivity between each kill. Oftentimes, a seri al killer has no apparent reason to murder his or her victim, and most victims are virtual strangers to the murderer. Instead, serial killers target easy preys, like prostitutes or unsuspecting hitchhikers, that have common distinctive features, such as similar ethnicities, gender, race,age etc. Motives to kill include satisfaction of sexual desires, unwarranted anger, monetary advancement, or gaining of attention. Profiling a serial killer can prove to be very difficult, if not impossible. They have that innate ability to blendShow MoreRelated Serial Killers Essay790 Words   |  4 Pages The nineteen-seventies was an incredible decade. It was a decade of change, one of freedom, a time for great music. It was also an incredible decade for shock, fear and serial killers. John Wayne Gacy, an amateur clown, was a pedophiliac homosexual. He tortured and killed thirty three little boys and stored their remains under his house. David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam, stalked New York City from nineteen-sixty-seven to nineteen-seventy-seven. He claimed to have been following a voice fromRead MoreSerial Killers And The Psychopathic Personality Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesThe concept of the psychopathic personality originated in the early nineteenth century with the research of J. C. Prichard, who formulated the notion of â€Å"moral insanity† to refer to a number of mental deficiencies that led to violent or undesired behaviors. Prichard’s findings â€Å"certain individuals lacked the â€Å"natural feelings† of respect and responsibility and therefore lacked the ability to restrain themselves from socially unacceptable behavior† The distinction of the psychopath from the ordinaryRead MoreCapital Punishment and the Media1249 Words   |  5 Pagesthe criminal justice system. It has brought important debates to the national attention in every aspect to whether end the lives of criminals. With the intense media coverage, it raised high standards on disputes on high profile cases such as serial killers. The attention given by the media towards capital punishment attracts the public own opinions. As a result, they’re views of the media and society allows them to form important issues of impact on the debate of the capital punishment The majorityRead MoreThe Culture Of America By Mark Seltzer1578 Words   |  7 PagesThe culture of America is drawn to trauma, which is a Greek word for wound. (â€Å"Trauma†) In the turning of the twentieth century, the superstar of the wound culture emerged: the serial killer. The fascination with this new founded celebrity haunts and excites the community. These famous killers are intriguing and raise complex questions of why people do what they do. Therefore, serial killers are molded by family experiences, the oedipal complex, and the fear of abandonment. The early stage of lifeRead More The Killing Spree of Richard Speck Essay836 Words   |  4 PagesThe Killing Spree of Richard Speck Throughout the twentieth century, there have been many mass/serial killers. One killer who may be over-shadowed by the likes of Ted Bundy or Paul Bernardo, is Richard Speck. To some, Speck may be considered a lightweight in the mass murder world but to his victims and their families, he is a man of sub-human character. To prove his poor character, on that frightful night, while he was raping one of his victims he calmly said to her, Would you mind puttingRead MoreEssay on Polio an American Story by David M.Ochinsky1081 Words   |  5 PagesNadikatla PRESENTED TO: Gerard Cleaves Polio an American story is a scholarly readable and informative book which covers the lives of many American eminent scientists who struggled a lot to eradicate polio. This book mainly focuses on the mid twentieth century where the people are very eager to find a vaccine to eradicate polio .This book also covers the entire topics from appearance of polio symptoms to post polio syndrome which shows the valuable thesis done by David M. Oshinsky. Throughout thisRead MoreA Trip At The Moon And Lang s M1691 Words   |  7 Pageswork for example, but was rather testing to which extent cinema could construct images of the impossible. However, we cannot help but question: Why are the scientists and their methods presented in such a ludicrous way? The beginning of the twentieth century was a blooming period for science. A scientist was a serious and self-important man. Their representation in the movie could be Mà ©lià ¨s’ way of dismissing and satirising their sobriety. The scientists manage to build their bullet â€Å"spaceship† andRead MoreEdmund Kemper881 Words   |  4 PagesRUNNING HEAD Gorank Gandhi Mr. Mason Criminal Science Dec 14, 2012 EDMUND KEMPER: The Coed Butcher Edmund Emil Big Ed Kemper III  (born December 18, 1948),  also known as  The Co-ed Killer,  is an American  serial killer  who was active in California in the early 1970s. He started his criminal life by shooting both his grandparents when he was 15 years old.  Kemper later killed and dismembered six female hitchhikers in the  Santa Cruz  area. He then murdered his mother and one of her friendsRead MoreInvestigating The Relationship Between The Actual Reporting Of The Murders During Modern Popular Culture2362 Words   |  10 PagesThis paper will attempt to examine the relationship between the actual reporting of the murders during the time with retellings of the murders in modern popular culture. It will therefore examine sources from the 19th century onward. It will explore both facts and legends associated with the mysterious figure of Jack the Ripper. Public responses both in the original reporting and feedback to modern films will be addressed. This will coinc ide with the cultural significance of these crimes and howRead MoreSerial Killers and Mass Murderers2058 Words   |  9 PagesBlankenship 6 April 2000 Mrs. Waggener English II Mass Murderers and Serial Killers Mass Murderers and Serial Killers are nothing new to todays society. These vicious killers are all violent, brutal monsters and have an abnormal urge to kill. What gives people these urges to kill? What motivates them to keep killing? Do these killers get satisfaction from killing? Is there a difference between mass murderers and serial killers or are they the same. How do they choose their victims and what