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Serial Killer Behaviors Ritualistic, But Not Necessarily Consistent

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National attention has focused on Long Island this week, where new searches have taken place for possible victims of a serial killer. Remains of 10 bodies have been found there since December of 2010, four of them known prostitutes who advertised for clients on Craigslist. Investigators are faced with the question of whether all 10 are victims of the same killer; they believe two may be unrelated to the others. Forensic experts are analyzing remaining victims to find clues to link their cases. A 2010 study based on the records of 38 serial sexual killers and their 162 victims debunked the common belief that such killers engage in “signature” behaviors—identical ritualistic behaviors—at each crime scene.

For more on serial killer behavior, see Psychiatric News at http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/45/16/16.2.full.