The murders may be attempted or completed in a similar fashion.
Psychological gratification is the usual motive for serial killing, and many serial killings involve sexual contact with the victim, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that the motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking.
While most authorities set a threshold of three murders, others extend it to four or lessen it to two. Murderer of multiple people Part of a series onĪn 1829 illustration of British serial killer William Burke murdering Margery Campbell.Ī serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.