"Thoughts of the killer still roaming free in the streets chilled Zoes heart, but it fascinated her to ... She took out the scrapbook from under the bed and opened it to the next free page. Then she carefully cut the article from the paper. She leaned her back against the door, prepared to shove the paper and scrapbook under the be if her parents suddenly barged in. She taped the article into the scrapbook and read it again. Progress. What could that mean? Were they about to arrest the killer? The man who grabbed women at night, stripping them and killing them? The monster? That was the papers favorite word when mentioning the killer. A monster on the loose. A monster preying on helpless women. A monster hiding in Maynard. But Zoe realized the horrifying truth. This wasnt a monster. This wasnt some sort of alien or a scaly creature rising from the sewers. Much worse. It was a man."
There are many cultural myths about serial killers, often propagated even by mental health professionals. Many assume there is a profile of a serial killer, that serial killers always go for the same victim type or always use the same MO, that they are more clever than ordinary people, and that they are inevitably charming and attractive. The truth is not as simple as that. There are different types of serial killers, and while there are many books that discuss the serial killer phenomenon especially in relationship to victim types or context, researchers have not yet been able to come up with a definition, or type, that covers the broad spectrum of serial killers and their complex psychological dynamics. Ramsland looks at the variety of serial killer types, illustrating that it is difficult to accurately depict these elusive, intriguing, and dangerous killers. There are many cultural myths about serial killers, often propagated even by mental health professionals. Many assume there is a profile of a serial killer, that serial killers always go for the same victim type or always use the same MO, that they are more clever than ordinary people, and that they are inevitably charming and attractive. The truth is not as simple as that. There are different types of serial killers and while there are many books that discuss the serial killer phenomenon especially in relationship to victim types or context, researchers have not yet been able to come up with a definition, or type, that covers the broad spectrum of serial killers and their complex psychological dynamics. Ramsland looks at serial killer types, illustrating that it is difficult to accurately depict these elusive, intriguing, and dangerous killers. This book examines a variety of serial killers, from sexual predators to psychotic killers, from murder teams to odd eccentric stalkers, in order to present the distinct psychological dynamics that set serial killers apart from other violent murderers. Among the motives addressed are lust, control, glory, profit, thrill, delusions, rage, the desire for company, the need to please a partner, and even murder as an intellectual exercise. Serial killers live double lives, hiding their violence even from those who live with them, so along with a study of motives are chapters devoted to how close associates have described killers, including parents, siblings, co-workers, lovers, and survivors. There is no profile of a serial killer, and this book establishes that in vivid and frightening detail.
Krimi. An online video of a girl clawing at the ceiling of her own grave could be the worst thing FBI forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley has ever seen. Zoe and her partner work as fast as they can to find the monster behind the shocking video, but soon another one shows up online, and another girl turns up dead. Zoe must think fast to prevent another murder
'I think you have something here' I said, 'This could lead to a whole new way of understanding criminal behaviour. As far as I know no one's ever tried to figure out why serial killers kill. The implications are profound.' Haunting, heartfelt, and deeply human, Dr Ann Burgess's remarkable memoir combines a riveting personal narrative of fearless feminism and ambition, bone-chilling encounters with real-life monsters, and a revealing portrait of the ever-evolving US criminal justice system. A Killer By Design will inspire, terrify, and enlighten you in equal measure. It forces us to confront the age-old question 'What drives someone to kill, and how can we stop them?' 'Of all the colleagues I've worked with, Ann is one of the sharpest – and one of the toughest ... She taught us how to harness the chaos of serial killers' minds and helped us decipher the undecipherable. I'd recommend that everyone read A Killer By Design; not only is it a great page-turner, but it's about time Ann's story was heard' - JOHN E. DOUGLAS, former FBI criminal profiler and bestselling author of Mindhunter.
Four turn-of-the-century fiends whose “crimes, even by today’s standards, are still shocking—because they were committed by women” (Yorkshire Magazine). Their names may not be as familiar as such notorious female serial killers as Aileen Wuornos, Myra Hindley, Martha Beck, or Belle Gunness. But more than a century ago they made headlines and enthralled a bloodthirsty public. Now, venturing into the darkest side of human behavior, journalist Stephen Jakobi unearths the life and crimes of four of history’s most twisted women: Agnes Norman, a London servant girl whose victims of choice were children, including three infants. Most startling is that Agnes was a child herself—only fifteen-years-old. Louie Calvert, a prostitute condemned for only one murder. But her unique death cell autobiography revealed much more to her story. Kate Webster committed one of the sickest slayings of the Victorian era. Was she also responsible for the Thames Torso Murders which rivaled Jack the Ripper? Finally, the mysterious Mrs. Willis, an English “baby farmer” whose services included foster care, wet-nursing, and infanticide. Using original research based on family-owned primary sources and government files only recently made available, In the Mind of a Female Serial Killer delves into to the grisly psyche of these infamous murderesses.
From Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Mike Omer comes the chilling conclusion to Zoe Bentley's decades-long nightmare. A murderer who drinks his victim's blood? FBI profiler Zoe Bentley and Agent Tatum Gray thought they'd seen it all, but this young woman's barbaric murder is especially hard to stomach. They didn't expect to work this case. But vampirism aside, the murderer's MO is identical to that of Rod Glover--the serial killer who's been pursuing Zoe since childhood. Forensics reveals the murder to be his work, but not his alone; desperate to fulfill his sick purpose, he has taken on an equally depraved partner. Zoe's own frustration grows after another woman turns up dead and drained--and another goes missing. Time is running out: Zoe knows her own death will be the climax of Glover's sinister play, which has been unfolding for twenty years. To stop Glover and his vile partner, she'll need to plunge deep into their motives; but this means drawing ever closer to becoming another casualty of a dark, dark thirst.
True crime at its most potent: a riveting account of tracking down and convicting an evil serial killer by the detective who trapped him. "In the duel between a small-town cop and France's most dangerous serial killer, the advantage appeared heavily in favour of Francis Heaulme, the criminal known as the 'man from nowhere', who may have killed more than to 50 men, women and children. "Heaulme left few ordinary clues during a career of crime spread across the country. Faced with a master of ingenious alibis and innate resistance to interrogation, all his gendarmerie opponent could count on was instinct. This psychological hunt for a killer has echoes of Dostoevsky. "Heaulme never spoke murders. He referred to pepins - bothersome details, before noting days when pepins coincided with killings he had supposedly witnessed. He gave the impression he was an accidental observer of events in which women were beaten to death or children repeatedly stabbed. He had no criminal record and was scrupulous in living in the law. While he is thought to have been involved at least 50 murders, Heaulme once said that 'every time I visited somewhere there was a pepin.' So far 400 towns and villages have been identified where Heaulme stayed." Paul Webster in the Observer, reviewing the French edition This is the best, clearest, most decisive account of the work of a detective possible. It shows how deadly criminals can only be caught by a combination of luck, patience - and most important of all skill and determination. It is frightening stuff.
Our fascination with serial killers is at once disturbing and understandable: disturbing because, according to society's mores, we should condemn the killers' crimes and avoid all thought of their horrific actions, but understandable because we are so fascinated by their motives. What leads them to behave in such perverted ways? And what makes them become killers who strike again and again? Charlotte Greig has selected fifty of the world's most infamous serial killers, ranging from Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy. When compared, it is easy to see similar themes emerging: the loners, David Berkowitz and Anatoly Onoprienko, who both wrought revenge on a society which they felt had rejected them; those who kill purely for sexual thrills, like Albert Fish or John Christie; and occult practitioners like the Chicago Rippers and Richard Ramirez who were inspired by macabre rituals to take their dark fantasies into even darker realities. Whatever the personal stories that emerge from this lineup of twisted individuals, Evil Serial Killers is a compelling testament, and warning, of the potential of human behaviour for true horror and pure evil. Featuring: • Ted Bundy • Harold Shipman • Ed Gein • Jack the Ripper • Aileen Wuornos • John Muhammad • Charles Cullen • Belle Gunness • Joseph Paul Franklin
Phil Chalmers has spent more than a decade visiting high security prisons to interview young offenders, his mission is to attempt to answer the questions we all are asking: Why do the crimes continue to happen? What sends these kids over the edge? Could we have seen these crimes coming and stopped them? How can we keep our own kids safe? In Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer, Phil explores the reasons why teens kill; the warning signs we must be looking for; and offers a game plan to keep our homes, schools, and communities safe. This book may help save your life or the life of a child you love! What the experts say: “Phil Chalmers has interviewed the killers. He has corresponded with them extensively. He has exhaustively researched their crimes. There is no human being alive who knows more about these killers, and as you read this book, you will truly be taken Inside the Mind of a Teen Killer.” Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (retired), murder expert, and author of Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill “This book has incredible knowledge and information that is invaluable to law enforcement, school resource officers, school personnel, and parents. Every single person who is in a school environment needs to read this book, and understand that some of the most horrific crimes that are being performed are being carried out by our children.” Officer Russ Diehl, School Resource / DARE Officer, Brimfield Police Dept, Kent, Ohio “To go into the mind of a killer, you need to go into their hearts, and Phil has done just that. Phil’s book raises your awareness of where we have gone wrong in society and how we can make major changes with simple steps.” Joe Shillaci, Former Miami Homicide investigator and star of the A&E show The First 48
A psychiatrist and an internationally recognized expert on violence, Dorothy Otnow Lewis has spent the last quarter century studying the minds of killers. Among the notorious murderers she has examined are Ted Bundy, Arthur Shawcross, and Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John Lennon. Now she shares her groundbreaking discoveries--and the chilling encounters that led to them. From a juvenile court in Connecticut to the psychiatric wards of New York City's Bellevue Hospital, from maximum security prisons to the corridors of death row, Lewis and her colleague, the eminent neurologist Jonathan Pincus, search to understand the origins of violence. GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY is an utterly absorbing odyssey that will forever change the way you think about crime, punishment, and the law itself.
