Title: Facts and Fictions About Serial Killers | Psychology Today
Headings: Facts and Fictions About Serial Killers
Scott A. Bonn Ph.D.
Facts and Fictions About Serial Killers
Much of what we think we know is untrue.

Content: Media stereotypes and hyperbole create myths and great distortions in the public consciousness regarding the true dynamics and patterns of serial murder in the U.S.
The media are not alone in their misrepresentation of serial murder. Law enforcement professionals also circulate misinformation and stereotypes about serial homicide due to their reliance on anecdotal information rather than scientifically documented patterns of serial killer behavior. Perhaps this should not be surprising because professionals involved in serial murder investigations, including detectives, prosecutors, and pathologists, often have very limited prior exposure to such cases. As noted by the FBI in a 2005 report titled Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators, the extreme rarity of serial homicide means that even a veteran professional’s total experience may be limited to a single investigation, so he/she is likely to extrapolate the factors from that one experience when presented with a new serial murder case to solve (1). As a result of this investigative practice, certain stereotypes and misconceptions take root among law enforcement authorities regarding the nature of serial homicide and the characteristics of serial killers. These stereotypes and misinformation are disseminated to the general public by state authorities via the news media in their official statements about the status of serial murder investigations. Because the news media must rely on state authorities to provide both the formal definitions of serial homicide and the details of particular cases, they generally report what they are told by authorities without question. At the same time, law enforcement authorities must rely on the news media to distribute their formal statements to the public. A quid pro quo relationship exists between law enforcement authorities and the news media that leads them to perpetuate stereotypes about serial killers without even being aware of it.