People become serial killers for many reasons. Serial Killers are people with three or more separate events with an emotional cooling off period between homicides with each. (Schechter and Everitt, 69). Serial Killers are the most frightening psychopaths because they do not reveal any of the basic human emotions-empathy, conscience, or remorse (Schechter and Everitt, 179). According to Schechter and Everitt, authors of the A-Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, Serial Killers tend to be Caucasian males who kill white victims. Their studies have shown that 84% of serial killers are Caucasian, 90% are males, and 89% of the victims are white. The most common type of serial killer is the Lust Killer, who kills to sexually stimulate themselves. The more they torture a victim, the more pleasure the serial killer receives (Wilson & Seaman, 1983, 27).

Although serial killers are well known today, they originated as far back as ancient Rome. Serial killing first started when the Roman Emperor Caligula tested torture and perversion on his prisoners. Most people believed that first modern era serial killer was Jack the Ripper, a man who killed five London prostitutes. Serial killing did not become well known until the post-world war II. By the 1970’s, serial killing had become such a problem that law enforcement officials needed to define the new crime category (Schechter and Everitt, 115). Most serial killers situate in the United States. The United States is the home for 76% of the world’s serial killers (Schechter and Everitt, 276). Although serial killers are increasing people still wonder why these monsters have such psychopathic behavior.

Many people wonder what causes the disturbing behavior of serial killers. Most criminologists believe the theory that traumatic childhood experiences lead directly to the behavior of serial killers. The “Homicide Triad”, which is the traits of a serial killer when they are a child, is the key factor in the deve