Sexual Fantasy In Serial Killers

A serial killer refers to an individual who kills at least three different people on three separate occasions over a certain period of time (Bartol & Bartol, 2004). There are numerous stereotypes that come with the term “serial killer,” but one in particular has come to the forefront in recent years: the notion that sexual fantasy plays a role in serial killings, that serial killers are sexually motivated (Seltzer, 1998). The role of sexual fantasy in serial killings was first brought up by Reinhardt in 1957, which he referred to “lust murders.” Bartels and Parsons (2009) studied the transcripts from a court hearing that involved Dennis L. Rader, commonly known as the BTK Killer. Although there was no evidence of sexual penetration, the motivation behind Rader’s murders are considered to be sexual in nature mainly because he left a majority of his victims naked (Douglas & Dodd, 2007). In the transcripts, Rader discusses bringing his “hit kit” because he knew he was going to have sexual fantasies. Rader’s hit kit serves to conceal the violence of his act by turning it into a sexual
act. Rader talks about taking victims’ clothes off after killing them so that listeners knew he was in a sexual fantasy at the time. This sexualizes his crime, making it understandable to the listener. Rader constructs the idea that he must act out whatever is in his sexual fantasy once he is in it. In addition, by describing the murders as sexual, Rader frames his sexual fantasies as abnormal (Bartels & Parsons, 2009). Unlike with serial killers, there is very little talk about mental retardation in relation to psychopathy.
The stereotype surrounding psychopaths is that they are charming and intelligent – those with a mental disability do not fit that image (Meloy, 1988, p. 299). Although the mentally disabled present as socially inept, Hare and McPherson (1984) found that the relationship between violence and psychopathy was not affected by intelligence levels. The only difference lies in that the psychopaths with high IQs used a weapon more often than psychopaths with a low IQ. The typical psychopath is deceptive and manipulative, which they use to their advantage. On the other hand, a psychopath with a low IQ is much more transparent and predictable in terms of their behavior – their planning is more apparent, maybe partly due to the fact that they lack emotional refinement (Meloy, 1988, p.
302). Intelligent psychopaths are thought to be completely devoid of emotion by most. The truth is that psychopaths are capable of emotion, but they are limited due to the narcissistic and grandiose nature of their personalities (Meloy, 1988, p. 74). For example, a psychopathic individual feels anger when something occurs that makes them feel less “special” or entitled. This anger can cause a psychopath to feel what they think is depression, although depression is likely something that they are incapable of feeling at all (Meloy, 1988, p. 91). In regards to pleasure, psychopaths experience it by causing emotional and/or physical pain in others, whereas an everyday person experiences pleasure by responding to happiness in others. Essentially, a psychopath may be aroused by certain people or situations, but are unable to relate to others in an empathic or caring way (Meloy, 1988, p. 114).