Herbert Mullins- a Case Study of a Serial Murderer
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Herbert William Mullin was born on April 18, 1947, in Salinas California (Newton, 2000). Dr. Lunde and Morgan describe Salinas as a farming community in Monterey County South of Santa Cruz (1980). Herbert is the younger of two children his sister Patricia being the elder, born to Jean and Martin William Mullin. Jean, a devout catholic, and Martin, a military veteran; raised their children in what some would say a “nurturing, stable but perhaps strict Roman Catholic household” (Vronsky, 2004 p. 149). He was a gentle natured child and very bright. He played little league baseball and was a Boy Scout (Lunde, Morgan, 1980). Herb attended parochial school so he was separated from neighboring peers that attended the local public school. As a result, Herbert failed to make close bonds which led to loneliness and alienation (Lunde, Morgan, 1980).
When Herbert was halfway through high school, the Mullin family relocated to Felton in 1963. He finished his second year at Riordan High school, a Catholic Boys School. However, in Felton he attended the local public high school. Even though, the move was at a vulnerable time in his life, Herb seemed to have adjusted well. His sister Patricia stayed in San Francisco to finish college (Lunde, Morgan, 1980).
In High School, Herbert was of slight stature, his height was 5’7 and he weighed 120 lbs. Regardless of his size he participated in high school athletics (Newton, 2000). He was part of a group of athletes called the ‘Zeros’ (Douglas, Burgess, Burgess, and Ressler, 1992). He played basketball, baseball and football. He played offensive guard on the football team (Vronsky, 2004). Herbert was the happiest he had ever been. His grades even improved from the previous school. By fall of 1964, Herbert had been the first string guard on the varsity football team (Ressler, Shachtman, 1992) and had a steady girlfriend Loretta Ricketts. He was popular and likeable and made many friends (Scott, n.d.). Herbert possessed
When Herbert was halfway through high school, the Mullin family relocated to Felton in 1963. He finished his second year at Riordan High school, a Catholic Boys School. However, in Felton he attended the local public high school. Even though, the move was at a vulnerable time in his life, Herb seemed to have adjusted well. His sister Patricia stayed in San Francisco to finish college (Lunde, Morgan, 1980).
In High School, Herbert was of slight stature, his height was 5’7 and he weighed 120 lbs. Regardless of his size he participated in high school athletics (Newton, 2000). He was part of a group of athletes called the ‘Zeros’ (Douglas, Burgess, Burgess, and Ressler, 1992). He played basketball, baseball and football. He played offensive guard on the football team (Vronsky, 2004). Herbert was the happiest he had ever been. His grades even improved from the previous school. By fall of 1964, Herbert had been the first string guard on the varsity football team (Ressler, Shachtman, 1992) and had a steady girlfriend Loretta Ricketts. He was popular and likeable and made many friends (Scott, n.d.). Herbert possessed
References: National Institute of Mental Health, Schizophrenia. Retrieved April 15, 2008 From http://www.medicinenet.com/schizophrenia/article.htm Scott, S. L. (n.d.). Herb Mullin: Killing to save California from earthquakes - a new motive for serial murder? Retrieved April 5, 2008, from http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/weird/mullin/index_1.html Vronsky, Peter (2004). Serial Killers: The Method and madness of monsters. [Electronic source] Penguin Group (USA) Inc.