Murder Terminology

They “…choose for a victim a beloved person, a person who is almost a part of themselves” (Podolsky). Their instinct to kill is turned outward and so is their aggression. Their anger toward themselves is channeled against another individual (Podolsky). “A study of bizarre murders indicates a state of extreme and unbearable mental and emotional tension and turmoil preceding the act. Most unnecessary ferocity and sadistic frenzy characterize them. With few exceptions, the murderers in such cases seem strikingly calm after the act, and quite free of remorse. The violence served as a means of releasing them from tension” (Podolsky).
One of the most fascinating types of murders to analyze is serial killings. Fox and Levin state, “Serial murder involves a string of four or more homicides committed by one or a few perpetrators that spans a period of days, weeks, months, or even years”. Surprisingly, the profile of a serial killer differs from that of a one time
or occasional killer. A notorious serial killer named Ted Bundy is an amazing case study that reflects the motives and influences of killers. “Bundy was the handsome and well-spoken law student who brutally killed dozens of women from Washington to Florida in the mid-1970s. While his attractiveness, charm, and intelligence may be important in understanding his keen ability to lure victims and elude the police for years, Bundy is more the exception than the rule. At the other end of the spectrum are serial killers who are high school dropouts and some who are quite unattractive by conventional standards. Most, however, are average, at least to the casual observer. Contrary to the popular stereotype, serial killers tend in many respects to be "extraordinarily ordinary" (Levin and Fox). Such killers like Bundy are incredibly intelligent and skilled in the act of manipulation.
Levin and Fox also point out “One of the most striking dissimilarities between serial murder and criminal homicide generally is the nature of the victim-offender relationship.
Unlike single-victim murder, which commonly arises from some dispute between partners, family members, or friends (only about one-quarter of solved murder cases involve strangers; see Federal Bureau of Investigation 1996), serial murder is typically a stranger-perpetrated crime”. Overall, Criminologist analyze the degree of how and victims of murders by methods of research and statistics.
Throughout the years, murder has captured the attention of those in field of criminology. It is a phenomenal, intricate, yet confusing crime to analyze. Criminologists attempt to understand murder by analyzing statistics and scientific research on the minds of killers then go on to influence law making to punish offenders to the maximum ability. There is no simple reason as to why people kill. However, the critical issue will keep the criminology field
alive.