{"id":2428,"date":"2022-03-20T13:25:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-20T13:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wickedness.net\/?page_id=2428"},"modified":"2022-08-26T08:27:03","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T08:27:03","slug":"serial-killer-vs-spree-killer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wickedness.net\/serial-killer-articles\/serial-killer-vs-spree-killer\/","title":{"rendered":"Serial Killer Vs Spree Killer"},"content":{"rendered":"
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)<\/span> dropped the spree killer classification<\/span><\/a> in 2008 after discussing the validity of a spree killing or spree murder. That\u2019s because the law enforcement officers believed that this classification had no practical value.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the spree murder general definition, a spree killer is a person who has committed two or more murders without any cooling-off period. The definition also suggests that the lack of cooling-ff period marks is basically the primary difference between a serial murder and spree murder.<\/span><\/p>\n The FBI discussed the definitional problems relating to serial murder and spree murder and the cooling-off period concept and said that the separate spree murder category doesn\u2019t help law enforcement in any way.<\/span><\/p>\n However, when it comes to understanding serial killers, spree killers, and mass murders, the FBI isn\u2019t the only game in town. Serial killer, spree killer, and mass murderer concepts and their differences are subject to considerable debate.<\/span><\/p>\n There are similarities, as well as differences, between these concepts and criminological researchers offer a lot of useful information regarding them. Let\u2019s discuss each concept in detail.<\/span><\/p>\n Serial killers, unlike spree killers and mass murderers, have cooling-off periods and they select their victims between murders. In fact, some serial killers, including Israel Keyes and Ted Bundy, also travel from one place to another to find their victims.<\/span><\/p>\n Most serial killers also have some major similarities and same patterns that police investigators can easily identify. However, it still remains a mystery what motivates serial killers and how they have such strange behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to think that you can define a serial killer but it\u2019s not as easy as it seems. The psychological profile, organizational tactics to commit a crime, and rationales of a serial killer can vary radically from one serial killer to another.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the basic definition says that a serial killer is someone who commits a series (three or more victims) of murders over a long period of time. it can be over the course of even decades.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the<\/span> FBI<\/span><\/a>, a serial killer is a person who has murdered three or more people over at least a cooling-off period of a month in separate incidents. There are many popular names such as Jeffrey Dahmer, who devolved in this way.<\/span><\/p>\n Probably the most popular serial killer of the 20<\/span>th<\/span> century is Ted Bundy. Before his eventual capture, he committed about 30 murders from 1974 to 1978.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the other hand, the most popular serial murder case of the 19<\/span>th<\/span> century is linked to \u201c<\/span>Jack the Ripper<\/span><\/a>\u201d. He killed multiple young women in 1888 in London. Later in 1896, another case of serial murder took place in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This case is linked to<\/span> H.H Holmes (Herman Webster Mudgett)<\/span><\/a>, who committed 27 serial murders. Keep in mind, a serial killer commits murders in separate events, and serial murder is usually driven by pleasure or psychological thrill.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the<\/span> official literature<\/span><\/a>, there are only two different types of serial killers, which are disorganized and organized. You might think that all serial killers have somewhat the same thought process.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggests otherwise. According to the FBI, disorganized and organized serial killers are very different from each other. Disorganized serial killers do not have any planning as they simply jump in and start killing people.<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, organized serial killers are meticulous planners and they meet the traditional stereotype. They also have rituals and routines regarding their murders. However, sometimes even the most organized serial killers take advantage of a particular situation by acting on impulse.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to note that among the law enforcement communities, the division between organized and disorganized serial killers has a lot of controversies.<\/span> Literature suggests<\/span><\/a> that disorganized serial killers are rare and some experts say that it\u2019s hard to say whether they exist or not.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, there is a strong tie between a particular psychological profile and serial killing. Serial killers are<\/span> usually psychopaths and not sociopaths<\/span><\/a>, (<\/span>antisocial personality disorder<\/span><\/a>) and these two terms should not be used interchangeably.<\/span><\/p>\n Psychopaths are often extremely professional and charming but they don\u2019t have any sense of morality or empathy. Whereas, sociopaths don\u2019t fit into any society because of their nature and it leads to a lack of personal connections, unemployment, drifting, and disconnection.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A criminologist, Ronald Holmes, from the University of Louisville,<\/span> published a study<\/span><\/a> about serial killers in which he identified different types.<\/span><\/p>\n The visionary serial killers are usually psychotic and they are compelled to kill people because they see visions or hear voices that order them to kill certain types of people.<\/span><\/p>\n This type of serial killer kills to take ultimate control over their victims. Although not psychotic, the power-oriented serial killers are obsessed with kidnapping and controlling their victims. They also force them to obey their commands.<\/span><\/p>\n A good example of a power-oriented serial killer is<\/span> Pedro Alonso Lopez<\/span><\/a>. He used to capture kids to control them even after killing them.<\/span><\/p>\n This type of serial killer kills for pleasure and thrill. They also become sexually aroused and enjoy the act of killing. Lust Killer,<\/span> Jerry Brudos<\/span><\/a>, is one of those serial killers who fits this profile.<\/span><\/p>\n The mission-oriented serial killers target a certain group of people because they firmly believe that they are not worthy of living. They target a specific race or color in order to eradicate them as they think that the world would be a better place without them.<\/span><\/p>\n The FBI says<\/span><\/a> that there is not a single identifiable factor or reason that causes the serial killer’s development. In fact, there are a wide range of factors that lead people to become serial killers. However, the personal decision of the serial killer is the most significant factor.<\/span><\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, defining the differences between serial killers, spree killers, and mass murderers is not simple and it\u2019s the source of an ongoing debate between experts and criminologists.<\/span><\/p>\n However, most experts say that the term \u201cspree killer\u201d is usually dropped and people use serial murderer or mass murderer instead.<\/span><\/p>\n Because of the performance and the way of committing a crime, the definition of a spree killer differs from a serial killer or mass murderer. A mass murderer kills multiple people during one or more events over a very short period of time. On the other hand, a spree killer kills people in several different locations over a longer period (several days).<\/span><\/p>\n According to the<\/span> FBI definition<\/span><\/a>, a spree killer is a person who kills two or more victims without a cooling-off period at more than one location. Although spree killers commit murders in separate locations, their overall spree is still counted as a single event.<\/span><\/p>\n Usually, killing sprees of a spree killer are accompanied by another felony. The FBI also says, between the murders of a spree killer, there must not be any emotional cooling-off period. According to the spree killing<\/span> definition of the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics<\/span><\/a>, a spree killer is a person who performs killing at two or more locations without taking any break between murders.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Beltway Snipers are undoubtedly one of the most horrifying examples of spree killers. In October 2002<\/span> Lee Boyd and John Allen<\/span><\/a> went on a killing spree. However, their killing spree started way earlier (February 2002) and not many people know about it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another person who fits the spree killer patterns is<\/span> William Balfour<\/span><\/a> who murdered the Jennifer Hudson family.<\/span><\/p>\n Spree killers are rarer than serial killers and mass murderers. That\u2019s because killing people without taking any break isn\u2019t very common but it still happens. One of the major differences between a serial killer and a spree killer is the idea behind their motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n Spree killers don\u2019t take any cooling-off period between their murders and they also don\u2019t stop to reconsider their actions. Another major difference between spree killers and serial and mass murderers is the total number of their victims.<\/span><\/p>\nSerial Killers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Definition Of a Serial Killer<\/b><\/h3>\n
History Example<\/b><\/h3>\n
Psychology<\/b><\/h3>\n
Types of Serial Killers<\/b><\/h3>\n
Visionary<\/b><\/h4>\n
Power Oriented<\/b><\/h4>\n
Hedonistic Killers<\/b><\/h4>\n
Mission-Oriented<\/b><\/h4>\n
Spree Killers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Definition<\/b><\/h3>\n
History Example<\/b><\/h3>\n
Psychology<\/b><\/h3>\n