Serialists: How Male and Female Serial Killers Differ

Male and female serialists differ in many ways. By the end of this post, you decide who’s more ruthless. The media attaches cutesy nicknames to female serial killers, like Giggling Granny, Jolly Jane, or Tiger Woman. For males they use epithets that beget terror, such as Night Stalker, Flint Serial Slasher, and Jack the Ripper. With female serialists, however, the victims never view her as a threat until it’s too late. Thus, it’s a mistake to underestimate a woman hellbent on murder.

Signature v. Modus Operandi

To fully grasp any serial killer’s lethality, it’s important to recognize that “signature” and “modus operandi (MO)” are two different things. In fact, the signature is the opposite of the MO. The MO is what the serial killer needs to do to accomplish their goal. Impersonating an officer of the law, forcing open a window, or offering a ride to a hitchhiker becomes part of the modus operandi.

As the serial killer—male or female—hones their murderous craft, the MO evolves. The art of serial killing improves over time. By learning and adjusting the MO, the male serial killer is able to avoid capture for 4 years, on average. A female serialist’s reign averages 8-10 years, and some continue for over 30 years without detection.

Statistically speaking, women are simply better at serial killing than men. Sorry, guys!

A sick and twisted fantasy life drives the male serial killer to act, and in turn, the MO changes to match the fantasy replaying on an endless loop inside his head.

A signature is an act the offender does not need to do to fulfill the ultimate act of murder—to bind a victim who isn’t resisting, to take a trophy, to pose the body after death. While the MO defines how the murder was done, the signature holds the key to why. Unlike the MO, the signature remains consistent.

Sometimes the murder itself is misinterpreted as part of the female serial killer’s MO leading to categorizations such as Black Widow or Angel of Death. The murder is seen as a method to attain other goals—profit usually the most often cited motive. On closer examination, though, murder is often entirely unnecessary for the attainment of the goods. There are easier ways to steal than murdering someone. Why kill then? 

 

That is not a helpful question to ask. Because when we say “easier to steal” without killing we put a different value on human life. For a female serialist a human life is as valuable as a used tissue. It actually is easier for them [to kill]. The hedonistic comfort of material gain outweighs the price of human life.

~ Peter Vronsky, author of Female Serial Killers

But many female serial killers commit murder because that is what they want to do; murder is their ultimate goal.

It’s about the pleasure of the kill—the sense of power she gets—the buzz. Taking property is just a warm snack in the feast of control—a little further satisfaction, a tingling in the killer’s tummy. 

Age

Another major difference between male and female serialists is the age when they first take the plunge into serial killing. Males often start killing in their 20’s; most females wait till their 40’s. 

Motive

Perhaps the most glaring contrast between male and female serialists is motive. The single biggest driver for males is sexual compulsion. That’s not to say that all male serial killers rape their victims. But on some level, there’s generally a sexual component to their crimes.

Females, on the other hand, tend to murder for a purpose. The reason may not seem logical to you or me, but it does to them. The why behind the murders could be financial gain or convenience. Or the reason may well be for revenge. She uses violence as a release, a catharsis of sorts.

MO

On average, female serialists use quieter means to kill than males, such as poisoning, suffocation, or drowning. Males often use brute force and more violent means, such as shooting, stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning or beating to death. One reason could be that men tend to be physically stronger than women. But if we dig a little deeper, the reason could be much more sinister. The more violent a crime, the more evidence is left behind. The female serialist possesses a subtle and cunning nature. Using one’s brain over brawn spawns a ruthless killing machine. Hence why females are able to avoid capture for (at least) twice as long.

Victims

Male serialists are nearly six times more likely to kill a stranger, whereas females are twice as likely to murder those closest to them. According to a new study, some 65.4% of male serial killers stalked their victims before striking, compared to just 3.6% of females.

Female Exceptions

There’s always an exception to the rule when it comes to serial killers. Unlike the typical female serialist who discreetly leaves her victims’ bodies in beds, cribs, or buries them in the garden, Aileen Wornous dumped her victims by the rest stops and roadsides of Florida’s interstate system. She killed more like a man—murdered strangers, used brute force, and got caught within twelve months. Interestingly, she oozed male qualities.

What can we learn from this, ladies? If your goal is to be a female serial killer, stay in your own lane. Because as soon as you veer into using more brawn than brains, the evidence will pile up against you. 🙂

Two other notable exceptions are Rosemary West and Joanne Dennehy. Rosemary and her husband, Fred, spent years coaxing young girls to their home to satisfy sick desires to rape and torture. Then they murdered the girls and buried the bodies in the basement or in the garden out back—aka The Garden of Death. Even though Fred had murdered and raped at least two women before he met his wife, Rosemary was far from a saint. Left on her own while Fred did a short stint in jail, she murdered his teenage daughter from a previous marriage.

Dennehy killed because she loved the sight and smell of blood. Post-arrest, she told a psychiatrist, “I killed to see if I was as cold as I thought I was. Then it got moreish.”

Organized/Disorganized Serialists

The FBI Behavioral Science Unit developed this investigative tool based on the assessment of the serialist’s crime scene. Organized killers tend to carefully choose and stalk their victims. They plan the murder, bring a weapon and restraints, remove the victim from the scene, and dispose of the body and evidence. Organized killers are more intelligent, keep a tidy home, and tend to be personable. They’ll use charm to lure their victims. They’ll drive clean, maintained automobiles, own property, and be gainfully employed.

Disorganized killers are less intelligent, loners, and sloppy. Brute force trumps a detailed plan. They drive junk cars and live in messy, filthy apartments, and have sporadic educational and employment histories.

Since female serial killers frequently kill acquaintances and intimates, they fit more into the organized killer profile. And yet, there exists some differences within this classification.

The FBI has a third category, that of “mixed” between disorganized and organized. Most female serialists fall into this classification. Organized because they plan the murder in advance, along with the murder weapon—i.e. poison, pillow, or a bathtub full of water—and they conceal evidence. At the same time most know their victim and leave the body at the crime scene, a characteristic of a disorganized serial killer.

Serialists Classified by Motive

• Visionaries hear voices that tell him/her to kill, and they usually suffer from multiple personality disorder and psychosis.
• Missionaries feel it’s his/her duty to rid the world of scum, those s/he deems unworthy of living.
• Hedonists or Thrill-Seekers kill because they enjoy it.

Hedonists or Thrill-Seekers are broken into three sub-categories.

1. Lust Killers: a killer who receives sexual gratification from murder.

For subcategories of Lust Killers, see my 2016 post entitled The Terrifying World of Serial Killers.

2. Comfort/Gain Killers: a killer who murders for profit or to improve their life in some way.
3. Power-Seekers: The simple explanation is they’re control freaks who kill to dominate their victims. They get off on controlling others.

New(ish) Categories Reserved for Female Serialists

• Black Widows murder their husbands or lovers to improve their lifestyle.
• Angels of Death kill patients or children in their care, sometimes for profit but most often the reasons are never 100% clear.
• Cult Disciples are led to kill by a charismatic leader. Think: Mason girls.
• Accommodating Partners participate in murders perpetuated by their husband or lover.
• Depraved Sadistic Partners enthusiastically participate in rapes and murders, like Rosemary West.
• Explosive Avengers are driven to murder a particular type who resembles a past abuser.
• Profit-Predators kill strangers for financial or material gain.
• Missionaries have a social or political agenda. Nazi nurses fall into this category.
• Power-Seekers attempt to gain control or power in their personal or political life.
• Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy Killers are mothers and caregivers who harm and murder to gain sympathy and attention for themselves.

We’ll dive into each category another time. For now, who do you find more ruthless, male or female serialists?