Society's infatuation with true crime seems to be more prevalent than ever right now.
It isn't unusual for someone to spend a good part of their day listening to one of the
many podcasts on the subject or checking out a Netflix movie or documentary unpacking Ted
Bundy's harrowing spree of bloodshed.
Whatever the reason may be, people remain curious about what makes a killer a killer.
How does the psychological phenomenon arise?
Where does the impulse to murder come from?
And can a serial killer ever be rehabilitated?
One of the best ways to approach the matter is classification.
According to experts, there are four different types of serial killers, and here's what you
need to know about each category.
The Visionary murderer kills on behalf of what they believe to be a commanding otherworldly
entity.
In other words, they're on a mission from God.
Killers within this demographic are typically disorganized in their actions and often suffer
from psychosis, hearing voices that aren't real, and they also may experience vivid hallucinations
that lead to a psychotic break and a departure from reality, per Psychology Today.
One such killer was Herbert Mullin.
In the 1970s, he took the lives of 13 people in order to prevent what he believed to be
an impending and inevitable earthquake in California.
Mullin claimed that his so-called "human sacrifices" would appease the otherworldly entity that
was speaking to him and prompting him to kill.
After being sent to jail for his crimes, experts diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic
whose symptoms were more than likely accelerated by his heavy use of hallucinogenic drugs in
his earlier years.
According to This Interests Me, Hedonistic killers murder for the sake of personal pleasure,
with the subcategories that drive them being "lust, thrill, or comfort."
It's a primordial compulsion that incorporates certain fantasies, oftentimes chasing an adrenaline
rush or intangible satisfaction.
Jeffrey Dahmer is a prime example of a hedonistic killer.
From 1978 to 1991, Dahmer terrorized the public in a chilling, covert fashion, and took the
lives of 17 men, mostly within the Milwaukee area.
Following his arrest, he confessed to authorities, psychiatrists, and the press that his primary
motive to kill was rooted in sexual impulses.
Dahmer revealed that he was trying to satisfy a sense of control over his subjects in a
hyper-erotic way.
He'd reportedly often try to keep his victims alive as long as possible, inducing them into
a state of submission that granted him total domain over them sexually.
"The killing was just a means to an end.
That was the least satisfactory part.
I didn't enjoy doing that."
The third type, Mission-oriented killers, are out to "rid" society of a particular group.
They apparently follow an internal paradigm that calls for only one effective solution,
and that's cold-blooded murder.
Generally speaking, there's a racial, social, or religious angle involved, as the killer
often discriminates against a specific faction of people that they deem unworthy or destructive
to certain ethical structures, per This Interests Me.
Joseph Franklin was a self-proclaimed white supremacist who began his murders in 1977.
He had explicitly racist motives, and tried to incite others of his hateful persuasion
to also kill.
In July 1977, he bombed a Tennessee synagogue.
Just a few days later, he killed two men in a parking lot in Wisconsin.
He is most infamous for using a sniper rifle to target his victims, and authorities believe
he may have killed up to 20 people prior to his arrest on October 28, 1980.
"Once I started doing it, and showed them how, other white supremacists would do the
same thing, follow suit."
The fourth and final killer type, Power/Control killers, seek to exhibit total control and
dominance over their victims.
Doing so is most likely a means to combat a feeling of powerlessness and inadequacy
that the murderer feels, generally stemming back to childhood, per Psychology Today.
Naturally, it's time to talk about Ted Bundy.
Over the past few years, people have developed a particular fascination with Bundy.
Those who have followed the slew of recent films and documentaries about him probably
understand that he fits the mold of the Power/Control killer chillingly well.
Between 1974 and 1978, Bundy kidnapped, raped, and murdered more than 30 women, and experts
believe that the actual number of victims could exceed 100.
As a child, he was reportedly viewed by his mother as a source of shame.
She was apparently embarrassed by his illegitimate birth because of her deeply religious upbringing.
These assaults on his self-esteem and self-worth are most likely what contributed to his grapples
with powerlessness.
He combated these feelings via manipulative charisma and charm, which he used to lure
women.
He was sentenced to death for his crimes and executed in Florida's electric chair in 1989.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).