Book

The A To Z Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers

Bestselling true-crime writer Harold Schechter, a leading authority on serial killers, and coauthor David Everitt offer a guided tour through the bizarre and blood-chilling world of serial murder. Through hundreds of detailed entries that span the entire

(12 total)

Characters

Harold Schechter (12)

“The first serial sex killer of the modern era was Jack the Ripper, who slaughtered five London streetwalkers.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“The most prolific female serial killer in history is Elizabeth Bathory (1560–1614). After her husband’s death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and young women. One witness places the number at 600 victims, though they were convicted of 80.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“While women make up just a very small percentage of serial killers, they constitute the majority of victims: 65%.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“The United States has the highest number of serial killers, with 76% of the world’s total. Europe comes in a distant second with 17%.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“Out of all the states in the U.S., California has the highest number of serial homicide cases in the 20th century, at 16% of the national total. Maine has the lowest: none.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“Most psychiatrists note that psychopaths cannot be successfully treated.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“There are six phases of the serial killer’s cycle: 1) the Aura Phase, where the serial killer begins losing a grip on reality; 2) the Trolling Phase, when the killer searches for a victim; 3) the Wooing Phase, where the killer lures his victim in; 4) the Capture Phase, where the victim is entrapped;…”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“A study that focused on a group of sociopaths who had been adopted as infants showed that the biological relatives of sociopaths were 4–5 times more likely to be sociopathic than the average person. Researchers note that it is easier for ‘bad seeds to blossom in bad environments.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“While many serial killers were abused or beaten as children, there are exceptions. Jeffrey Dahmer had an apparently normal upbringing, yet became one of the most horrible sex murderers in popular culture.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“Steven Egger, in his book Murder among Us, notes that serial murderers are frequently found to have an unusual or unnatural relationship with their mothers.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“Dr. Harold Shipman (1946–2004) is regarded as the most prolific serial killer in modern history, with over 250 murders ascribed to him. He was a British doctor who murdered his patients: the oldest was a 93-year-old woman, and the youngest was a 41-year-old man. He hung himself in his cell in 2004,…”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts

“Men constitute the overwhelming preponderance of serial killers, at over 90%.”

— Harold Schechter, amazon.ca

Tagged: Serial Killer Facts