For the past week or so, I've been trying to find the answer to this question, because I want to know - how common is it to reach that level of depravity?

If you're talking about serial killers who have been caught and convicted, it seems like literally, around 1 in a million. For example, the American states with less than a million people have all had around 0 or 1 serial killers, California has had a few dozen.

Many have not been caught though, and some convicted murderers are suspected to be serial killers. My personal guess, is about 1:300,000 people are serial killers.

When you consider about 1 in 300 Americans are murderers, even among murderers, they are rare. Like 0.1% of murderers.

I've heard many times over the years that if an intelligent person, not a crazed psycho... were to commit a series of killings... no one would know and catching him would be nearly impossible...

Giving the huge numbers of missing persons reports we see each and every year...I'm sure those people are out there...

the answer to your question... I fear they are far too common

Originally posted by DaddyBare
I've heard many times over the years that if an intelligent person, not a crazed psycho... were to commit a series of killings... no one would know and catching him would be nearly impossible...

A lot of prominent serial killers have been intelligent people and have been caught.

Since a serial killer is someone who has killed at least 3 persons over an extended period of time there won't be as many of them as there are people who have murdered 1 or 2 people at the same time and got away with it.

Originally posted by Donnie Darko
When you consider about 1 in 300 Americans are murderers, even among murderers, they are rare. Like 0.1% of murderers.

1 in 300?

Wow any links behind those numbers?

Originally posted by Signals

Originally posted by Donnie Darko
When you consider about 1 in 300 Americans are murderers, even among murderers, they are rare. Like 0.1% of murderers.

1 in 300?

Wow any links behind those numbers?

No, it's just a personal guess. I figure that there are about 6 murders for every 100,000 people every year in America, which is 18,000 murders, and most of those are done by a unique murderer, so about 1 million people in America alive today have murdered someone. Which is 1 in 300.

Originally posted by DaddyBare
I've heard many times over the years that if an intelligent person, not a crazed psycho... were to commit a series of killings... no one would know and catching him would be nearly impossible...

Giving the huge numbers of missing persons reports we see each and every year...I'm sure those people are out there...

the answer to your question... I fear they are far too common

Couldn't me more right DB...I give you the BTK Killer. They FINALLY caught him when he was ready to be caught

So the question is...and it is horrifying to think of...how many guys and girls are being locked up, tortured, and murdered right now?

-Kyo

Sorry I can't post links but consider this....

How many of you "Americans" had BB guns, as a child..
What kind of birds were you allowed to shoot.....starllings, black birds, and the like.......
Predecessor to selective killing...hmmmm.. sound familiar?
I believe it is a learned thing thatcomes from early "selective" childhood, teachings.
Many were not just birds, some of them were taught to kill, groundhogs, opossums, raccoons, snakes....etc...etc...
So IMO its a mentality of (no-guilt) killing taught at an early age.
But I'm sure there are many other reasons, I just find it hard to believe that a 10 year old, with no remorse, for killing, has greater odds for being a selective killer in the future.

'Taught' at an early age? Most serial killers I've researched were never taught anything, were never told to kill something, etc. Maybe a very small handful but certainly not the large majority.

So far studies suggest it seems to be a genetic thing. You are born with it.

To me, the people you describe are murderers. There isn't much thought put into kicking down a door and shooting people.

Off topic (sort of):

But last night i re-read Neil Gaiman's amazing graphic novel 'The dolls house' and i still get chills when i read the bit about the young girl who unwittingly rents a room at a hotel during the same time a 'Cereal convention' is taking place down stairs.

Absolutely brilliant.

Originally posted by mr-lizard
Off topic (sort of):

But last night i re-read Neil Gaiman's amazing graphic novel 'The dolls house' and i still get chills when i read the bit about the young girl who unwittingly rents a room at a hotel during the same time a 'Cereal convention' is taking place down stairs.

Absolutely brilliant.

Neil Gaiman is the shiz! Coraline and Stardust ROCK.

If you want to get real about what we really are, then ask yourself these questions: why would nature generate a species where so many individuals are born killers? What evolutionary advantages do such killers give to our species? What does that imply about the chances of humans transcending their animal natures en masse and becoming a more enlightened race?