Female Serial Killers by Peter Vronsky

[Neoma]

You know... I picked out this book awhile back, by my reaction of, "You must be joking..." Well, he's not joking. On page 3:

One in nearly every six serial killers in the U.S, is a woman, acting as a solo perpetrator or an accomplice. Of a totaly of about 400 serial killers identified between 1800 and 1995, nearly 16 percent were females-a total of 62 killers. While that might not be an overwhelming majority, it is not an insignificant number either-those 62 women collectively killed between 400 and 600 victims- men, women and children. Three female serial killers alone- Genene Jones, Belle Gunness, and Jane Toppan- might account collectively for as many as 200 suspected murders.
(snip)
More disturbing is that three-quarters of female serial killers in the U.S made their appearance since 1950, and a full half only since 1975!

Buh...buh...but, women are always nurturing!

Haha...

[ZenLefty]

1. 16% is an outrage - I demand equality!

Kidding! Kidding!



Okay, seriously. I'm curious if the book sheds any light as to whether their reasons differ much from male serial killers. I'd assume that serial killers' reasons are kind of all over the place. Some do it for the thrill, others to right a perceived moral wrong, others for revenge, etc. But I really don't know much about serial killers as a whole, of either gender.

I think there's a potential for darkness in all of us, male or female. Maybe more men act on that darkness because of capability, or because men tend to be more aggressive. I don't know, but I think it's kind of interesting.

[Neoma]

2. Well, since both men and women are disarmed by women...

Never can tell.

[ismnotwasm]

3. The motivations tend to be different right?

Revenge, profit, 'mercy killing nurses' and not so many psycho-sexual peversion murders? I know there are some, especially when the it's a couple killer.

I've been fascinated by serial killers for years, but not so much the last few years. Makes me wonder how many women killers went under the radar, because you know we don't do that kind of thing.

A friend of mine was killed by one, he was that guy in Alaska who hunted women like animals. The movie 'Naked Fear'-- which I haven't bothered to watch--is loosely based on his murders. She was a sex worker trying to get away from an abusive husband. Thirty years ago now. You never forget though.

[obamanut2012]

5. I was wondering about intent and motivation, too

And, what the author is citing as being a serial killer, since the info in the OP flies against what Ive read from FBI profilers, like Ressler and Douglas.

[gkhouston]

7. I also would have expected the numbers to be lower than 16%.

And you're right, "black widow" or "mercy killer" types are far more common than sexual sadists.

[obamanut2012]

8. Karla Homolka and Myra Hindley are/were two sexual sadist killers

who popped into my head immediately.

Both "sidekicks" of men, although Homolka is as loathsome as her husband (even tortured and killed her own sister), and it is a crime she was released. Of course, neither of those are American!

[FloridaJudy]

12. From what I've noticed

Men and women express psychopathology differently. Men are more likely than women to kill random strangers, women tend to keep their murderous impulses closer to home. Andrea Yates didn't go round the twist and start shooting strangers at a school or a mall: she drowned her own children.

Of course, there are numerous cases of men killing their children, and a woman is far more likely to be killed by her husband than a man is by his wife. But on the whole, if a woman kills anyone, it's almost always a family member.

And there have been recent cases of women strapping dynamite to themselves and detonating it in a crowded market, but your average suicide bomber is still usually a male.

[gkhouston]

13. When there isn't mental illness involved, women seem more likely to kill for a perceived gain

(money, a boyfriend) and men more likely to be lust killers. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but a strong tendency.

[ricky-fle]

4. female serial killers

I am collecting the information on famous female serial killers and found your thread as much interesting. I am also having the few female killers in my list and looking to add some more. Thanks

[Gormy Cuss]

6. From an Amazon review

by "Jack42"

He fails, however, to hide his snarky and improper tone. It is really a shame, for this could be a good book if not for his constant injection of anti-feminist principles. Regardless of whether the reader identifies as a feminist or not, hearing Vrosnky's (uninformed and incorrect, I might add) misrepresentations of feminist theory are a turn-off, at best. It indicates his lack of objectivity, which subsequently casts doubt on the veracity of his conclusions. His inability to merely report facts without spinning them in some way to reflect his own personal anti-feminist agenda is frustratingly obnoxious and completely unnecessary.

Did you find the book to have this tone, Neoma?

[obamanut2012]

9. Very interesting, Gormy

Which may also explain the 16% cited, as that stat does contradict John Douglas, Robert Ressler, etc.

[Neoma]

10. He criticizes 2nd wave feminism.

There's bound to be an angry voice in the reviews over that.

[FloridaJudy]

11. Male serial killers might always predominate

Recent research on psychopathy suggests that it's promoted by a defect on the X-chromosome. X-linked genetic problems are more likely to show up in males, since most females have another perfectly good X to cancel out the bad one.

Biology is rarely destiny, though, except in cases of such overwhelming genetic defects that a normal life is near impossible. Most men who have the gene will never become serial killers - the scientist who did the study is one such. It takes the combination of a bad gene and a violent upbringing to bring it out. Also, some women can be so damaged by trauma that they become killers: Aileen Wuornos comes most readily to mind.

I'm a TED addict, and I found this talk fascinating:

http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer.html

[Jamastiene]

14. I have to say something controversial, on this subject.

I feel rather strongly about it or I would not say it. When it comes to Aileen Wournos, I believe that if what she said was true of her first murder (that she was raped), she wasn't really guilty of murder, per se, on that one. I can't say much about the rest of her murders, but if she was raped on that first one, it should have been considered self defense. It was never brought up at her trial, but the first guy she killed already had a criminal record for rape. So, it is quite possible she was telling the truth about that. I always kind of felt for her on that first one.

Otherwise, I have always been fascinated by what causes serial killers to do what they do. How is it that some people have all of the classic "warning signs," yet, they are not serial killers? I guess that goes back to the nature vs. nurture debate. I have always wondered how many female serial killers there are too.