Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. (AP File Photo)
Q. What prompts a person to commit serial murder?
There is great diversity in the needs and desires of serial killers. Many serial killers are survivors of early childhood trauma of some kind -- physical or sexual abuse, dysfunctional family, emotionally distant or absent parents -- and as a result they suppress their emotional response. They have no sense of remorse or empathy and their decision-making is faulty.
Q. Are there any specific motive for the serial killings?
Anger, delusional mission, revenge, power, thrill, morbid tastes and fame are power motivations for many serial killers. Also, it may seem to be counter intuitive on the surface but many serial killers are actually insecure individuals who are compelled to kill due to a morbid fear of rejection.
Q. Do the serial killers derive pleasure out of murders?
Yes. For serial killers cruelty can be pleasurable and exciting. Sometimes, the behaviour of serial killers can be bizarre and horrendous that they may resort to necrophilia and mutilation. Some of them might even keep body parts, which they refer to as trophies.
Q. Will a serial killer continue with the murders until he/she is caught?
We seem to know very less about serial killing to answer this question That’s because the more serial killers cases studies we aggregate, the less clear the patterns become.
