Serial Killers Around the World: The Global Dimensions of Serial Murder

The infamous crimes of Jack the Ripper were described in this chapter. Although the identity of the killer was never ascertained, it is nevertheless possible to discuss aspects of the killer. It seems likely that the killer had medical training, was strong and daring. Other possible Ripper crimes committed inside and outside of Great Britain were described. The murders were described with respect to the victims, victimology, MO, time frame, motive and number of crimes. Three kinds of communication were described; letters, wall writing and the Lusk kidney episode. The nature of the police investigation was considered, along with the impediments to the police probe.

This chapter described the profit-motivated murders and related criminal conduct of a husband and wife team of serial slayers, Martin and Marie Dumollard. Brief biographies of the Dumollards were provided, along with a description of their relationship. Allegations that Martin was a vampire were investigated. The MO of the murders was explained, and the number of victims, victimology, time frame and victims were described. The investigation was considered, and the trial and sentencing were also discussed.

The infamous South African poisoner Daisy DeMelker killed several husbands and her son in profit-driven offenses. She was an attractive woman who earned nursing credentials but earned her living by marrying men, killing them and reaping the resultant reward. This chapter describes DeMelker, and her monetarilymotivated marriages. The MO, time frame, number of victims and victims were analyzed. Significant serial killer rhetoric was considered. The investigation leading to her arrest was discussed, and the trial described.

Yoshio Kodaira was one of two serial slayers using the same MO operating in Japan at the same time, in the final days of World War II in the Pacific theater of operations. He was a rapist who disposed of witnesses to his crimes. In this chapter Kodaira was described and the crimes discussed. The MO, motive, number of victims, victimology, victims and time frame of these murders were analyzed. The investigation into Kodaira’s murders was considered, and the trial and execution described.

The case of Christa Lehmann is a poignant and ironic one. In a nutshell, she accidentally murdered her best friend with poison intended for the mother of her best friend. This case unfolded in postwar Germany immediately after World War II. In this chapter the killer was described, and her other juvenile crimes noted. The murders were described, with respect to the MO, motive, victimology, time frame, number of victims and the victims themselves. Serial killer communication was described. The investigation was discussed, and an account of the trial provided.

The murders and mutilations of Lucian Staniak were reminiscent of the brutality of Jack the Ripper. Staniak killed along the Polish mass transit lines, and even in train cars on occasion. This killer’s life was explained in detail. His other crimes were also discussed. The murders were analyzed with respect to motive, MO, number of crimes, victims, victimology, and time frame. Staniak was a prolific communicator who sent letters to newspapers before and after crimes. The investigation into the crimes and the trial were also discussed.

The case of the Monster of Florence is one of the most infamous unsolved serial murder slaying sprees. Murders and mutilations were committed throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s in and near Florence, Italy. The identity of numerous suspects was investigated in this chapter, and the known facts abut the killer were described. The possibility that other crimes were committed by the Monster of Florence was considered. The killings were explained through examination of the MO, number of victims, victims, time frame, motive and victimology. Serial murder communication was evident in this case as the killer sent body parts of victims to the authorities. The lengthy investigation was chronicled, and the trials described.

Pedro Alonzo Lopez is credited as being among ther most prolific serial slayers of modern times. He reportedly killed at least 100 little girls in Columbia, and the same number in both Ecuador and Peru. Lopez lived on the streets at the age of eight after being evicted by his mother for sexually abusing a younger sister. This chapter described the killer in detail, and investigates his other crimes. The serial murders themselves are explained with respect to the MO, number of victims, motive, victimology, and time frame. The investigation into the murders was described, and the trial and sentencing discussed.

Better known in the U.K. as the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe murdered prostitutes throughout England during the 1970s and 1980s. Vicious mutilations accompanied the killings. The murder weapons were simple tools like hammers, screwdrivers and a kitchen knife. This chapter described Sutcliffe in some detail, and examines the possibility of other crimes. The serial murders are described with respect to the MO, victimology, victims, number of victims, time frame and motive. Serial killer communication, both authentic and fraudulent, was a significant factor in this case. The investigation, trial and sentencing were discussed.

The Birnies were not united in a wedding ceremony, but they were a common law married couple. According to her therapist he controlled her and she was an unwilling accomplice in the murders, mutilations and rapes. In this chapter the two killers were described in detail, as was their relationship. Their other crimes were discussed, and the killings themselves were analyzed in terms of MO, motive, time frame, victims, victimology and number of victims. Significant serial killer communication was discovered and explained, and the investigation and trial discussed.

Serial murder is a relatively rare occurrence in the Muslim world, according to available reports from those nations. Similarly, homosexuality is not a common lifestyle choice, but Javed Iqbal was an exception to these general tendencies. His motive was unclear; was he a social reformer, as he claimed at his trial, or merely seeking revenge against the Pakistani police for alleged acts of brutality? This chapter describes the killer, and explores the possibility of other crimes. The serial murders were analyzed in terms of motive, MO, victimology, time frame and number of murders. The existence of suspiciously incriminating serial killer communication was investigated, along with other rhetorical acts related to this case. The investigation and trial were discussed, along with the alleged suicide of Iqbal and his accomplice.

The international serial slayer known in Belgium and the U.S. as the Butcher of Mons may have been recently incarcerated for other crimes. Smail Dzurlic was convicted in 2012 of similar murders. This chapter examines this Montenegran’s life and discusses the possibility of other offenses. Significant serial killer communication exemplified this case, as the killer left bags full of body parts on the banks of the River Hate, and the Path of Worry. The serial murders were considered with respect to the motive, MO, number of victims, victims, victimology and time frame. The investigation into Dzurlic’s crimes was described, and the trial analyzed.

This final chapter attempted to draw together the varied content of the preceding twelve chapters into some sort of integrated summary. Initially, this chapter offered two global summaries about the nature of international serial murder. Then, a series of eight specific conclusions was offered. The implications of this research were discussed, and the chapter concluded with recognition of certain reservations about this type of scholarship.