 Mystery: October 11, 2006 Issue [#1304] |
  Mystery
This week: Edited by: The Milkman  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
| There is Mystery in the air... it is October. Are you ready to feed hungry ghosts, ghouls and goblins? |
| ASIN: 197380364X |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
|
|
In the last month I renewed one key element to writing a mystery novel, novella or a short story, and that is research. I also discovered that there are a large separation between the media coverage, Hollywood and fact about serial killers. Because of this month's research online and in several books I had to switch my topic from "Married men who commit serial murder" to “what the professionals say about serial killers as a whole with an entire section on “Women who like to kill”. This will be the first of a three part series and it will factoring in the common traits of both sexes who have killed multiple times (which as you’ll discover is not an accurate definition of serial killer).
The most straight forward definition I have found is from Belea T. Keeney and Kathleen M. Heide *: Serial murder is the premeditated murder of three or more victims committed over time, in separate incidents, in a civilian context, with the murder activity being chosen by the offender.
I also must add that most definitions include a minimum number of killings to classify them as serial murders. The number I found was three.
Before I can stray off to the point of this editorial I would like to name some gender-related traits shared between the male and female serial killer.
# Serial killers seem to blend in well with the community as they are exceptionally skillful in presenting themselves so that they appear beyond suspicion.
People, which include the Mystery Writer, often held the misconception that serial killers must look monstrous or evil, which causes them to overlook the pleasant, normal looking murder next door. Ever hear a killers next door neighbor say, "He was the nicest guy on the block. I can't believe he killed all of those people"?
# Serial killers tend to have impaired childhood attachments, formative traumatic experiences, and a private internal world of violent thoughts and fantasies.
This combination leaves the individual isolated, preoccupied, and lacking of socially accepted constraints on behavior.
# If nothing else, serial killers are opportunists, and they seek out conditions that will allow them to kill repeatedly without detection or apprehension.
E. Hickey, studied serial killers for a period of more than 100 years and was able to classify some data on gender, race and age of these repeat offenders.
-- median age of 30
-- 90% Caucasian
-- On average killed between 8 to 14 victims in a period of 4 to 8 yrs.
-- 12 to 17% were women offenders
The researcher was also able to determine that men are more mobile; meaning they are more willing to travel several hundred or thousands of miles to murder. Men are also more violent and more often sexually motivated in their killings. Women tended to commit murder over a longer period of time, had a smaller "Comfort Zone", more often killed for personal gain, and used poison as a weapon more often. Women were more likely to kill their husbands or relatives.
The comfort zone refers to the area in which the killer feels the most safe to commit their crimes.
Hopefully the first couple of paragraphs left you with enough background information for you do one of two things, delve deeper into your own fact finding or wait until next month for my second editorial on this multi-faceted subject.
|
Here are a couple of items that are based on the toppic of this month's editorial...
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1079286 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1043865 by Not Available. |
Here are a few of the Mystery items that caught my eyes for this month. I hope you enjoy them.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1158518 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1158052 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1155364 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B01CJ2TNQI |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: $ 5.99
|
|
| I look forward to answering your questions in the very near future...so don't be scared to ask me. |
| ASIN: B07NPKP5BF |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction
of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
