<P> Robert Kenneth Ressler ( February 21 , 1937 -- May 5 , 2013 ) was an FBI agent and author . He played a significant role in the psychological profiling of violent offenders in the 1970s and is often credited with coining the term `` serial killer . '' After retiring from the FBI , he authored a number of books on serial murders , and often gave lectures on criminology . </P>
<P> Robert Kenneth Ressler ( February 21 , 1937 -- May 5 , 2013 ) was an FBI agent and author . He played a significant role in the psychological profiling of violent offenders in the 1970s and is often credited with coining the term `` serial killer . '' After retiring from the FBI , he authored a number of books on serial murders , and often gave lectures on criminology . </P>
where did the name serial killer come from
where did the name serial killer come from
Robert Kenneth Ressler
Robert Kenneth Ressler