While it is widely accepted that all serial killers are mentally disturbed in one way or another, that is not the same as being clinically insane. In fact, very few killers qualify as clinically insane. Serial killers who have personality disorders such as sociopathy or psychopathy, for example, may lack empathy or remorse, but they are still able to distinguish between right and wrong.

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All serial killers are insane -

For the insanity defense to hold up in court, the defense must show that the defendant was mentally incapable of understanding the seriousness of their actions when committing the crime.

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Serial killers cannot stop -

Serial killers are often portrayed in the media as being addicted to their crimes. There is a suggestion that they kill once, get a taste for it, and after that they can’t stop.

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Serial killers cannot stop -

While that may be the case for some serial killers, it is certainly not the case for all. Some serial killers are able to kick their murderous habit and leave killing in the past.

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Serial killers cannot stop -

Dennis Rader, for example, otherwise known as the BTK killer, killed 10 people between 1974 and 1991, but after that he seems to have stopped. He was arrested and sentenced in 2005.

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All serial killers are loners -

While it may be difficult to imagine a serial killer functioning as a normal member of society, in fact the majority of them do.

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All serial killers are loners -

According to one FBI report, “the majority of serial killers are not reclusive, social misfits who live alone.” Many of them have lots of people around them who never suspect a thing.

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All serial killers are loners - Indeed, the ability of some serial killers to live a sinister double life explains their ability to commit crimes on the sly and get away with it for so long.

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All serial killers are men -

It is definitely true that the majority of murderers, and therefore serial killers, are men. Nearly all of the most famous ones from the last 150 years have been men.

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All serial killers are men -

That is not to say, however, that women cannot be serial killers. According to a 2015 report from experts at Florida State University and the California School of Forensic Studies, around 16% of serial killers in the US are women.

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All serial killers are men -

Evidence suggests that female serial killers are more likely to poison their victims, and that they are more likely to work as part of a pair or a team.

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Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

TV shows such as ‘Mindhunter’ rely heavily on the misconception that criminal profiling—an activity in which investigators determine personal characteristics of a killer by analyzing the murder scene—is effective.

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Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

However, according to 2007 meta-analysis in the journal Criminal Justice and Behavior, criminal profilers are only slightly better at guessing the characteristics of an offender than the average person.

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Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

Indeed, criminal profiling has been criticized as a reckless misuse of police time and resources.

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A serial killer's MO doesn't change - When it comes to MO (or modus operandi), many people assume that this does not change as a serial killer goes about their crimes.

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A serial killer's MO doesn't change -

We are often led to believe that a given serial killer chooses one method of committing their crimes and sticks with it for all the murders.

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A serial killer's MO doesn't change -

However, according to FBI agent and behavioral analyst John Douglas, a serial killer’s MO should be considered a work in progress that evolves as the killer continues to be active.

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Serial killers pose a serious threat -

If you watch enough true crime media, you may start to worry that there is a serial killer around every corner. The reality is that serial killers do not pose a real threat to the average person.

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Serial killers pose a serious threat -

According to the FBI, serial killers are responsible for less than 1% of murders in the US, and in 2015 there were just 30 victims of serial murder.

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Serial killers pose a serious threat -

The sad truth is that the vast majority of homicide victims are targeted by people they know, rather than random people thirsty for blood.

Sources: (YouTube)

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All serial killers are exceptionally intelligent -

In film and television, serial killers are often portrayed as being smarter than the average person. We see them running around for years committing heinous crimes and getting away with it.

NL Beeld

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All serial killers are exceptionally intelligent -

According to IQ tests conducted during serial murder cases, however, the average serial killer IQ is around 95, which falls in the middle to low end of the ‘normal’ range (90-110).

NL Beeld

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All serial killers are exceptionally intelligent -

It is thought that many serial killers are able to cover up their crimes because they have an obsessive nature. That does not mean they are particularly intelligent, however.

NL Beeld

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Shutterstock

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All series killers have dozens of victims -

Shutterstock

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All series killers have dozens of victims -

By this definition, there are many more serial killers out there than we would care to think. It’s just that the more prolific ones tend to hog most of the attention.

Getty Images

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All serial killers are insane -

Shutterstock

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All serial killers are insane -

For the insanity defense to hold up in court, the defense must show that the defendant was mentally incapable of understanding the seriousness of their actions when committing the crime.

Shutterstock

8 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers cannot stop -

Serial killers are often portrayed in the media as being addicted to their crimes. There is a suggestion that they kill once, get a taste for it, and after that they can’t stop.

Shutterstock

9 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers cannot stop -

While that may be the case for some serial killers, it is certainly not the case for all. Some serial killers are able to kick their murderous habit and leave killing in the past.

Getty Images

10 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers cannot stop -

Dennis Rader, for example, otherwise known as the BTK killer, killed 10 people between 1974 and 1991, but after that he seems to have stopped. He was arrested and sentenced in 2005.

Getty Images

11 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are loners -

While it may be difficult to imagine a serial killer functioning as a normal member of society, in fact the majority of them do.

Getty Images

12 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are loners -

According to one FBI report, “the majority of serial killers are not reclusive, social misfits who live alone.” Many of them have lots of people around them who never suspect a thing.

Shutterstock

13 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are loners - Indeed, the ability of some serial killers to live a sinister double life explains their ability to commit crimes on the sly and get away with it for so long.

Getty Images

14 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are men -

It is definitely true that the majority of murderers, and therefore serial killers, are men. Nearly all of the most famous ones from the last 150 years have been men.

Getty Images

15 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are men -

Getty Images

16 / 27 Fotos

All serial killers are men -

Evidence suggests that female serial killers are more likely to poison their victims, and that they are more likely to work as part of a pair or a team.

Getty Images

17 / 27 Fotos

Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

NL Beeld

18 / 27 Fotos

Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

NL Beeld

19 / 27 Fotos

Criminal profiling of serial killers is effective -

Indeed, criminal profiling has been criticized as a reckless misuse of police time and resources.

NL Beeld

20 / 27 Fotos

A serial killer's MO doesn't change - When it comes to MO (or modus operandi), many people assume that this does not change as a serial killer goes about their crimes.

Shutterstock

21 / 27 Fotos

A serial killer's MO doesn't change -

We are often led to believe that a given serial killer chooses one method of committing their crimes and sticks with it for all the murders.

Shutterstock

22 / 27 Fotos

A serial killer's MO doesn't change -

However, according to FBI agent and behavioral analyst John Douglas, a serial killer’s MO should be considered a work in progress that evolves as the killer continues to be active.

Shutterstock

23 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers pose a serious threat -

If you watch enough true crime media, you may start to worry that there is a serial killer around every corner. The reality is that serial killers do not pose a real threat to the average person.

Shutterstock

24 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers pose a serious threat -

According to the FBI, serial killers are responsible for less than 1% of murders in the US, and in 2015 there were just 30 victims of serial murder.

Shutterstock

25 / 27 Fotos

Serial killers pose a serious threat -

The sad truth is that the vast majority of homicide victims are targeted by people they know, rather than random people thirsty for blood.

Sources: (YouTube)

Shutterstock

26 / 27 Fotos

Common myths about serial killers

Taking true crime with a pinch of salt

04/04/25 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Murder

If you are a fan of true crime media, you will be intimately familiar with the concept of a serial killer. In recent years there has been a proliferation of series in this genre. From 'Mindhunter' to 'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,' the tragic stories of the serial killers of recent years have had us glued to our screens.

But while true crime series and films may be endlessly entertaining (for reasons we won't go into here), they do tend to perpetuate some common misconceptions about serial killers and how they operate. With this in mind, check out this gallery to see some common myths about serial killers debunked.