Serial killer

1829 illustration of Irish serial killer William Burke murdering Margaret Docherty

A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is an individual who murders three or more people, with the killings taking place over a period of more than one month in three or more separate events, and the killings having a motive of perverse satisfaction. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that the motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, attention seeking, and financial gain. The victims tend to have things in common, such as demographic profile, appearance, gender, or race. As a group, serial killers have a variety of personality disorders. They are often not adjudicated as insane under the law. The primary motivations for serial killing involve some form of psychological gratification, usually though not always sexual.

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