There is a great deal of hype and myth surrounding both the phenomenon of serial murder and the process of criminal profiling. Much of the serial murder fiction is a result of the portrayal of these killers in the popular media, and the way in which they are represented by the news media. Their crimes occupy a high profile category, and occur at the end of the spectrum of normality (an arbitrary distinction between us and people not like us). Therefore, they usually attract a great deal of attention.
Because the average person is unable to fathom the acts of serial killers, explanations for their behavior fall somewhere between the evil of the perpetrator and some form of mental instability. Neither of these explanations is necessarily helpful in understanding their behavior, and neither is necessarily correct.
Just as serial murder pulls a large crowd, one of the investigative tools often employed to aid in their capture, most broadly known as criminal profiling, has also received a large amount of attention in recent times. The mythology that surrounds this practice is no less prevalent, just different, and there is no doubt that the process is largely misunderstood by the greater population.
It is the purpose of this paper to explore a dozen or so of the most popular myths relating to serial murder and criminal profiling, and to examine where possible what the literature says about them. This paper will set the stage for subsequent works on criminal profiling, including the developmental origins of criminal profiling, the different methods used in the profiling of criminals, and the evaluations of criminal profiling.
Owing to widespread fascination with serial murder and the criminal profiling process, there has been a relatively astronomical rise in the mythology surrounding these subjects. Much of what we "know" about serial murder is based on misinformation and myth construction. The net result of this is that the aura surrounding this sensational form of murder has assumed a life of its own as it is consumed by both the public and the private sectors of society.
Popular literature has a lot to answer for in the public misinformation stakes, and the media cannot be entirely absolved from blame. Selective reporting, and the reporting of cases in which the full information has not yet been released, are just two examples that may serve to provide false or misleading information to the public.
It is the purpose of this section to examine some of the facts, fiction, fantasy and fallacy as they relate to both serial murder and criminal profiling. These myths shall be examined in relation to the professional literature available on the respective subjects, and where possible, the objective information will be provided.
While it is largely true that many of the serial murderers throughout history have been male, the presentation of the serial murderer population as all male is wholly incorrect. Female multiple murderers have typically been left out of the official figures, as their crimes are usually less sensational and less publicized, and they are usually driven by different motivations than their male counterparts. The reader will likely be familiar with the "@Black @Widow," a female who typically kills many individuals (usually a husband or partner) over a long period of time for the purpose of financial gain. They may also hide the crime by making it appear to be the result of an internal cause (such as heart attack, suicide or accident). While their offences are ôserialö in nature by strict definition, they are not generally considered so by the media, professionals or law enforcement. Further, give the time span between offences and the seemingly accidental nature of the deaths, connections may never be made between two deaths by the same perpetrator.
The best known female serial killer will most likely be @Aileen @Wuornos, who was sentenced to death for the murder of one man, and accused of six others. Wuornos was a prostitute who claimed that her clients had tried to rape her and leave without paying for the services she had rendered, and that she had killed them in self-defense. Wuornos is the only female serial killer acknowledged by most authors and her claim of self-defense is likely a common one that helps to keep many female multiple murderers out of the official figures.
Furthermore, a female will often kill in conjunction with a male partner, and they are often portrayed as unwilling participants, forced into murder by a dominant male companion.
