An Examination of Homogeneity Within Profiles of Male and Female Serial Killers

For decades, society has held an innate fascination with serial murder and serial killers. The fascination lies in the motivations behind the actions and the way in which investigators apprehend them. The psychological field of investigative and behavioral psychology emerged to attempt to answer some of these questions and the investigative tool of behavioral profiling soon followed. Researchers have conducted comparison studies of male and female serial killers many times to understand what differentiates them. This research aims to answer another question: Are female serial killers more homogenous based on their profiles than male serial killers? The media portrays female serial killers in a very specific light, poisoners who kill due to revenge or money, but how well does this portrayal actually hold up when analytically examined? This research compiled case studies of fifteen male and fifteen female serial killers based on twenty-six characteristics and profiled each according to three different typologies to determine how homogenous these groups actually are. This research can help assist investigators and the public to better understand the diversity of these types of offenders and be able to determine who these offenders are.