Serial Crime: Analysis and Criminal Justice Response

Catalog description

This course will examine the topic of serial murder in the United States to understand the definition of such crime, the history and frequency of this type of crime, the theories of causation, and the problems associated with investigation, apprehension, prosecution, punishment, and prevention. Specific cases will be examined and through class discussion and written assignments the re-investigation of these cases will be conducted using contemporary theoretical approaches, as well as forensic science skills. The motivations of serial killers, the factors in society that facilitate this crime, and factors related to the choice of victims will be explored. Serial killers have been surrounded in the myth that they are Caucasian males with above average intelligence. In actuality, fifty percent of serial killers are African American, nearly seventeen percent are female, and most are only of average intelligence. This course will explore the facts, as well as the myths, to understand the true depth and diversity of serial murder.