Kyleigh Cassidy

Mr. Wood

English IV

15 May 2020

Senior Project Reflection

It felt like before COVID-19 I had finally got the ball rolling for my senior project. I was

learning a lot and having a great time doing it, I was able to explore my interest in both a

psychological phenomena and serial killers. I set out to explore the question: Are serial killers a

product of nature or nurture? While studying this topic I gained so much knowledge. I studied

brain and behavior research done by psychologists and neurosurgeons. I looked into the

background of some of the most infamous serial killers and had the discussion on whether they

were a product of nature, nurture, or both. I studied chemical balances that could potentially lead

to sociopathic tendencies and certain things parental figures could do that later could lead to acts

of serial killers. In result of my senior project I learned that there is no clear cut answer to my

question, a quote that I think would summarize my findings perfectly is, “G​enetics load the gun,

their personality and psychology aim it, and their experiences pull the trigger” (Clemente).

While quarantine has stripped me from completing both my project and volunteer aspect

of my senior project, I did accomplish a good understanding through interviews, reading books,

and research. My mentor, Max Ahmadi, helped me understand how workers in the Behavioral

Analysis Unit use nature and nurture to develop a profile for their suspect. Mr. Ahmadi also

shared his own experiences with how profiling has helped solve multiple cases. I also read, ​The

Anatomy of Violence​, which dissects the criminal brain and shows evidence that the brain is the
key culprit in crime. I think this insight from both my mentor and the book I chose were

extremely valuable and helpful. I also accomplished what was going to be my project. I

completed a murder mystery packet where I wrote witness reports, suspect information, made

puzzles, incident report, and much more.

I intended to sell the murder mystery packets I made and donate my profits to the Brain

and Behavior Research Foundation. Through my senior project I also wanted the community to

recognize the signs of psychopathy and sociopathy and how to better understand their minds and

backgrounds. My ultimate goal would be to help psychologists and the Federal Bureau of

Investigation understand what creates serial killers, and then future advancements can be made to

help identify future serial killers.