Running Head: WHY DO PEOPLE KILL?

Why Do People Kill?

Bryttni D Pugh
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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Why Do People Kill?

Explaining why people kill is more complex than it seems because of the various kinds of
murders and motives. I will reference the killer as a male not to stereotype but to correlate with
my research. The characteristics of a serial killer is typically a male around 25-30 years old
(Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.) and being a male increases violent behaviour nine times
(Szalavitz). Even though I focus on male killers within my findings, the information can apply to
women killers. The purpose of my research is to help others understand a criminals mind, and I
have created a miniature closet that highlights the main points through different outfits and
accessories; with these, a killer can choose his identity.
Violence is less of a 'snap' and more of a buildup or planning process; for the average
person it takes a few days, and it takes only a few hours for someone with bipolar disorder
(Landau, 2009). Examples of premeditation are displayed on the clipboard with a sketch of a
school cafeteria and a letter to police. The sketch is from the journals of Eric Harris and Dylan
Klebold, the shooters at Columbine, and was intended to find the right time to place bombs; with
the bombs unable to detonate, the boys had a successful second plan to open fire throughout the
high school (Diaries and Journals of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, 1999). The letter to police
was written by Dennis Rader, a serial killer known as B.T.K. (bind, torture, kill). He planned on
receiving attention from police and the public by taunting them with graphic letters, and it is
evident that he is proud of his murders (Blanco, n.d.). A criminal won't be able to feel like he can
undo his decision to kill because his emotions and actions are separated; therefore, his fantasy
may lead to reality (Landau, 2009). Although there is no set reason to explain why people kill,
there are many possibilities: seizures, alcohol and drugs, psychosis, PTSD, life experiences, and
brain injuries (Landau, 2009). These can influence mental illness, personal revenge, serial killers,

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social violence of gangs, political and national violence, international violence, and violence of
religious fundamentalists (SEVEN REASONS TO KILL, n.d.).
Mental illness is symbolized with a straitjacket because the general public has
stigmatized the mentally ill by believing they will cause harm; this garment is used to restrict
harm, and has been used in asylums. The social stigmas on mental illnesses may influence
violent behaviour because of the characteristics that accompany it: delusion, disconnection,
social withdrawal and rejection, depression, and lack of emotion. For example, "N," an
anonymous schizophrenic woman who was accused of "planning to plant a bomb" after a
shooting at Northern Illinois University, was suspended and banned from the graduate program
and the university following the assumption (Szalavitz, 2012). Her illness and one-week
punishment affected her personal and academic life. Even though her punishment was reversed,
students and staff did not want to interact with her as if rejecting her existence. The isolation and
her auditory delusions made it difficult to concentrate in her classes, resulting in a dismissal from
the program. Her dysfunction ultimately lead to "a single vision, me, sometimes hanging,
sometimes with gun in hand and a pool of blood on the floor, outside [her former advisers]
office. Suicide, yes, obviously, but also something more: revenge" (Szalavitz, 2012).
Unfortunately, the mentally ill are responsible for about five to ten-percent of murders
committed. Schizophrenia, a disorder that affects roughly one-percent of the U.S. population,
and psychosis, a symptom of the disorder, can lead people to have violent actions.
Schizophrenics have double the chance of becoming violent and twenty times the chance of
committing murder than the average person; violent acts have been carried out by thirty-fivepercent of the people suffering with psychosis. However, less than 1% [of schizophrenics] had

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committed violence severe enough to result in hospitalization or permanent injury (Szalavitz,

2012).
Power is a strong quality that killers strive to possess. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
is a prime example of wanting to gain power. Macbeth is so greedy for the throne that he goes on
a quest to kill Banquo, Fleance, and Macduff just to obtain power. However, the plan that killed
Duncan (and the ghost of Banquo) linger in Macbeth's conscience, affecting his thoughts. The
witches' predictions made his desire to become king greater - along with Lady Macbeth's
support. Ambition got the worst of him because he was too focused on gaining power, making
him increasingly more violent (Shakespeare, 199).
In history, political or national violence and international violence have shown a desire to
acquire power. Political violence is shown through the dirty red and white striped suit, or the
American flag pattern. On the suit there are four buttons with the numbers 16 for President
Lincoln, 20 for President Garfield, 25 for President McKinley, and 35 for President Kennedy
the four presidents who were assassinated. Perhaps the assassins wanted someone new in charge
or enjoyed the feeling of defeating one of the highest positions of authority in the USA. Either
way, conquering the man with more power than the killer was the goal.
International violence, including the Holocaust and ISIS, focuses on dominating an
opposing group instead of a higher power. The Final Solution, developed by Adolf Hitler, is
known to have caused the deaths of 11 million people including six million Jews who were
blamed for the loss in WWI (Anne Frank House, n.d.). Germans were "coerced into killing,
followed orders blindly, succumbed to peer pressure, or simply were unaware of the ongoing
genocide" because of the authoritative and persuasive government (Common questions about the
Holocaust, n.d.). Hitler wanted to eliminate the Jewish people in order to make Germany more

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powerful and to make an Aryan race - blond hair and blue eyes - that would be superior to the
Jews.
ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has been active since al Qaeda's Iraq faction,
AQI (ISIS trail of terror, 2015). Their actions are committed as an offering to Allah and Jihad, to
seek revenge on the U.S. led coalition for burning more than twenty ISIS terrorists, and to follow
the Quran 'So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has
assaulted you (Walid Shoebat, 2015). U.S. journalists, like James Foley and Steven Sotloff,
have been targeted and beheaded on film, symbolized through the VHS tapes; the Jordanian
pilot, Al-Kassasbeh, was filmed being burned alive. A Muslim woman speaking on behalf of all
Muslim mothers believes that ISIS's way of killing is 'too humane' and suggests the Khazouk, a
long spike driven up the rectum and through the back or mouth; if it were a hot rod, the victim
would be able to live up to two days in suffering. As a result of obeying America, the terrorists
"pledged to behead any U.S. pilot who is caught" and that "the message is meant to be a warning
to all U.S.-led coalition (Walid Shoebat, 2015). Through several threats and actions and taking
advantage of the Iraqi government, the terror group has been able to receive power and support
from Iraqi military and citizens; the group has over 30,000 members. Unfortunately, roughly 150
citizens of the U.S. have supported ISIS or traveled to Syria in hopes of being in the group, but
the U.S. continues to fire airstrikes to weaken them (ISIS trail of terror, 2015).
Filming actual murders may be absurd yet as fascinating as a horror film. Horror is
comprised of three factors: tension, relevance, and unrealism. Tension includes the gore or
mystery within the story; relevance includes the personal or societal connection to the viewer;
and unrealism includes the graphics that are not real. People will watch the film for the gore,
thrill, helplessness, or in hopes of overcoming their fear. They are attracted to being scared by

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monsters, a trigger of fear in the amygdala; the killings of people they dislike; and the sensory or
dream-like experience (The Psychology of Scary Movies, 2015). People attribute horror movies
to their everyday lives by not being deceived about trust, continuing to go on about their lives
regardless of how imperfect the world is, and that the "construction of everyday is necessary"
(Fahy, 2010). Horror is important in letting us know that we should place our trust on people or
items we rely on instead of what we find insecure or what we find ourselves too dependent on.
We also tend to "continue to act in the presence of fear" like going up stairs after hearing a noise
we find discomforting, and we can create scenarios to find security and confidence in certain
situations (Fahy, 2010).
A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre are famous horror movies
that portray these characteristics, and they create iconic looks that are nothing more than a
costume. American Horror Story is a television show that incorporates different types of killers
and has an abundance of violence. According to Ryan Murphy, the co-creator, he had been
thinking about lessening the amount of violence in the show because of certain events like the
Sandy Hook shooting. He says that there are a lot of ways to convey horror and violence
without semi-automatic weapons (Cohn, 2013). However, he did not make the previous season,
American Horror Story: Freak Show, any less violent or without any weapons. Murphy
describes that the violence he puts in the show is a personal choice because he believes that
television and movies reflect culture; and, he likes to have a say on culture through his shows
(Cohn, 2013). For instance, an anonymous user on the social networking site Reddit describes
how American Horror Story: Freak Show want[s] us to realize how corrupt or easily corrupt
law systems can be, especially when in favor for money and against people who don't fit the
norm as shown through the cops who killed for money and the freaks (AHS parallel to our

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reality, 2014). Another series, 48 Hours, shows the investigation of actual crimes that put the real
world into perspective - many horrific crimes day to day.
Religion, displayed through a priest outfit and a bible, is oftentimes used to justify a
killing. The family members in Charles Mansons cult murdered who they were told because
they believed the leader was a god; Manson thought of himself as Jesus Christ reincarnated
(Interview with Charles Manson, 2010). On the other hand, he was also known as Satan. The
lack of faithfulness to a religion is symbolized by a knocked over cross in-between Christianity
and Satanism.
Before all of the advancements in technology and education, people believed killers were
possessed by demons or Satan and used crosses and Bible messages to let the demons free. When
one is possessed he may believe that others around him are as well or are coming after him
(Mother who killed her two young sons, 2007). In the U.K., a mother killed her two sons because
she thought that they were possessed by demons. She suffocated one with a diaper, and drowned
the other in the bathtub. She was not guilty because of insanity, and she was transported to a
mental institution. The mother's attorney said she had schizoaffective disorder and could not
figure out the difference between right and wrong (Mother who killed her two young sons,
2007).
Freud's death instinct theory, describing how a person will repeat unpleasing experiences,
explains why serial killers do not fully understand the difference between right and wrong (The
Psychology of Scary Movies, 2015). Jeffrey Dahmer had a routine of getting drunk and
murdering a man; but, he found it to be a pleasing experience. On the nurture side, or any
environment on the map, social interactions and events could have influenced his thoughts
instead of actions. After Dahmer had moved, he began to favor dissecting roadkill over playing

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with other kids. Killing and dissecting animals, or a teddy bear, shows dominance, in hopes to
become powerful while under his parent's rules; and, "animal abusers were five times more likely
to commit acts of violence such as assault, rape, and murder against others" (Serial Killers:
Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.). This horrific hobby can worsen in adulthood, but it comforted Dahmer
as a child while he felt abandoned by his family hence the reason there is a picture of flowers
in the frame instead of a family. The picture could also symbolize the lack of support from John
Wayne Gacys family; his dad was abusive and an alcoholic. Gacy is known as Pogo the clown,
represented with a happy face balloon, and reveled in killing younger boys (Schechter, 2004).
The judges outfit is meant to show that a killer can be granted the insanity plea, meaning
"a criminal defendant who is found to have been legally insane when he or she committed a
crime may be found not guilty by reason of insanity" (Insanity Defense, n.d.). There are four
rules to determine if a criminal is insane: the M'Naghten rule (not knowing right and wrong or
not understanding his or her actions), the irresistible impulse test (not in control of impulses), the
Durham rule (mental defect), and the model penal code test for legal insanity (not able to act
lawfully and not able to understand his or her criminal actions) (Insanity Defense, n.d.). There is
controversy around the plea because it defeats justice. The psychiatry used in testimony includes
elaborated theories over scientific evidence, and exemption from responsibility. The law states
that people are free to do as they choose and are responsible for their actions and the
consequences that follow. Instead, psychiatry used in the insanity defense leads one to believe
that a criminal is not in control of his or her actions; previous events and his state of mind
excuses his behaviour. Jurors can still be convinced to set the guilty free because of their
confusion about the human mind and the expert's excessive amount of information (Winslade
and Ross, 1984). However, the criminal is usually found guilty or may feel guilty, as represented

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by the orange inmate jumpsuit. There will always be a form of evidence, whether it be blood and
stains (found on the outfits and weapons), DNA, weapons, or a classy cover-up.
The lab coat and scrubs represent a scientist who believes the killers acts of violence are
caused by DNA, or nature over nurture. Swedish scientists tested 895 Finland prisoners in order
to figure out if there was a specific gene that correlates to violent behaviour. The study
concluded that "a monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) low-activity genotype (contributing to low
dopamine turnover rate) as well as the CDH13 gene (coding for neuronal membrane adhesion
protein) are associated with extremely violent behavior (at least 10 committed homicides,
attempted homicides or batteries)" (Keegan, 2014). In Finland, these genes were found in about
five to ten-percent of serious violent crime and in the majority in other countries. Not only could
the genes MAOA and CDH13 contribute to violence and murder, but anti-social personality and
social factors could play a role (Keegan, 2014). They are not necessarily linked to these specific
genes, but they could potentially still contribute to violence, perhaps more in small crime than
severe crime.
Violent behaviour is found to be higher in children and those of young age because they
are still learning what is morally right and wrong. It is also found in the "orbital frontal cortex,
the anterior cingulated cortex, and the amygdale, which plays a large part in the control of
negative and violent emotions. The orbital frontal cortex has been found to control and restrain
the impulse of emotional outbursts, the anterior cingulated cortex was found to deal with
responses to conflict, and the amygdale is known to control reactions to fear (Serial Killers:
Nature vs. Nurture, n.d.). Of course, the amydale's activity was much higher than the other two
regions, which were faded away. Brain and gene defects help figure out (and possibly

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preventing) the trigger behind a person's violent behaviour (Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture,
n.d.).
The killers culture, medical treatment, and economic disparity have a larger role in
violent behaviour (specifically homicide). The difference in income between the rich and the
poor have accounted for 74% of murder rates, and social networks have accounted for 82% of
homicides (Thaler, 2012). Money is more of a weapon than guns and drugs. Weapons are
obviously associated with killers whether it be a rope, chainsaw, knife, axe, or gun. Gun
availability has caused a spike in shootings and publicity in the U.S. and other developed
countries. Forty-two percent of homicides across the world are linked to firearms. The rates for
homicides by firearm varies from country to country, but violence and gun availability is
prevalent across each nation. The preference for guns contributes because the homicide rates in
Eastern European nations hardly changed when guns were made widely available. In America
and other areas with more firearms, people of all ages were more likely to be murdered,
especially with handguns (Thaler, 2012).
Homicides have a wide range of motives that stem from gangs (generic street clothes
outfit), family affairs, money, and relationships. Murderers have a personal motive to kill while
psycho/serial killers have an instinct or desire to make their fantasies come true. One-hundred to
two-hundred murders a year are committed by serial killers; ninety-percent of the victims were
strangers, three-percent were friends, and one-percent was family (Murder most common, 2006).
Killers are "magicians of death" and can be quite clever when trying to present a fake version of
themselves; their false personality can trick someone into becoming their next victim (Murder
most common, 2006). Even with the vast majority of serial killers having only a high school
education, they are creative enough to make their crimes difficult to solve. Patrick Bateman from

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American Psycho is a more realistic version of a serial killer. He uses a raincoat in the axe scene
as a literal cover-up to prevent the blood spatter from staining his suit. The black suit represents a
classy cover-up that allows others to perceive him as a normal, handsome, and possibly wealthy,
man.
Adapting a new persona, known as depersonalization, is similar to a cover-up because the
killer is still maintaining a hidden identity such as James Holmes, the Aurora movie theatre
shooter who wanted to imitate the Joker from The Dark Knight (Barber, 2012). It creates a mask
for him, and he can be more inclined to be involved in violence like homicide. Although he may
have a small personal motive for revenge, he wants to redo a certain crime that has a lot of
publicity and media coverage. On a depressing note, "the rampage killer wants to commit suicide
but opts to take others with him" (Barber, 2012). Suicides, whether committed by firearm or a
noose, are hardly given attention on the news because the stories may give other adolescents new
ideas. They are more likely to act on what they see or hear, and the media is cautious when
reporting suicides to not cause harm. On the other hand, the media reports shocking mass
shootings which fuels attraction and creates a spotlight for the event. Not all details to a horrific
event need to be released to the public because copycat criminals will emerge at a time when
there should be peace (Barber, 2012).
The concept of dehumanization, when opponents view each other as less than human
and thus not deserving of moral considerations, is shown through the product as a whole
(Maiese, 2003). For instance, the killer and the victim view one another as inferior and as a threat
because of what he or she has done. Both will have negative feelings toward the other, increasing
the likelihood of severely violent actions. This act can result in alienation, isolation, exclusion,
and extermination as seen by the conflict between the Nazis and the Jewish community. People

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will go outside societys norms to discard their enemy just as a killer will find a way to mistreat
and harm his victim. The man who intends to do harm will be viewed as evil, whether it be
through the victims eyes or societys eyes. However, judgment needs to be determined more
carefully because the killer may believe that his actions are acceptable when they are, in reality,
morally wrong. As a consideration from Maiese, dehumanization can be overcome through
empathy (2003). The killer may view himself differently in the mirror than others will as they
cross his path; you can only wonder which person you walk past or meet is fantasizing about
your death.

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References

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Inquiry Product Pictures

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