'I’m a Crime Thriller Author and Here's the #1 Common Serial Killer Myth I’d Love to Debunk'
You only have to browse the shelves at your local bookstore to see people can’t get enough of serial killers. From The Silence of the Lambs to American Psycho, these monsters dominate Crime fiction like no other.
Serial killers represent humanity at the extreme—individuals without boundaries who see others only as props. Who will stop at nothing to fulfill their dark fantasies.
But how accurate is their portrayal in popular fiction?
My latest novel, Truly, Darkly, Deeply was inspired by perpetrators like Bundy, BTK and the Green River Killer—all of whom were family men. It centers on the relationship between a young girl and her mother’s boyfriend—a convicted serial killer serving life without parole for the murders of several women in London in the 1980s. Women who look just like her mother.
The book taps into my fascination with true crime and the criminal psyche. However, what interests me just as much as the mentality of evil is how serialists are able to dupe those closest to them. That it’s possible to share your life with one without ever suspecting it.
This fascination is what led me to study criminal profiling which is how I know that most serial killer fiction is just that. Fiction. A series of myths it’s high time were debunked.
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Truly, Darkly, Deeply
#1 Most Common Serial Killer Myth
"Serial killers are evil geniuses."
Hannibal Lecter is a fabulous fictional creation, but according to criminologists, there’s no way someone so cultured and accomplished would be a serial killer in real life.
Serial killers differ in many ways. Disorganized or organized. Socially inept or able to blend into their environment. Able to hold down a job or mentally ill.
However, there is a set of characteristics all serialists share: deep-seated personal anxiety combined with a sense of inadequacy.
Hannibal simply doesn’t fit into this mold. He’s not anxious in the slightest and he definitely doesn’t feel inadequate. Were he a real person, he would have plenty of other channels to direct his energies!
Related: The 31 Best, Most Suspenseful Thrillers on Netflix Right Now
4 More Common Serial Killer Myths to Debunk
1. "Serial killers are loners"
Although some serial killers are loners, most are not misfits. Instead, many hide in plain sight with families and good jobs, coming across as perfectly ‘normal’- which is of course why they can be overlooked by their neighbors, law enforcement and even their wives.
Denis Rader for example (better known as the BTK) didn’t just have a wife, children and a job, he was also the president of his local church. Ted Bundy (whom I drew inspiration from for Truly, Darkly, Deeply) graduated from the University of Washington and at the time of his arrest had a long-term girlfriend. And the Green River Killer served in the US Navy and was married with a son.
2. "Signature is the same thing as M.O."
M.O. (modus operandi) is often confused with a killer’s signature and although one impacts the other, they are not the same thing.
M.O. is about how a perpetrator commits a crime. Their choice of murder weapon, for instance. Whether or not they use gloves. If they employ a ruse to lure their victims.
Conversely, signature is about the "extras." Actions a perpetrator is compelled to carry out in addition to simply killing the victim. Mutilating a corpse for example or taking trophies. Behaviors that play to their fantasies but are not necessary to commission the crime.
Related: Who Was the Real Zodiac Killer? All About the Mysterious Murderer—and His Copycat Heriberto Seda
3. "Serial killers are motivated by sex"
Whilst there is often a sexual element to serial murder, killers can be motivated by other factors. Aileen Wuornos (who inspired the hit movie, Monster) was driven by financial gain whilst serial sniper, Allen Muhammad, killed for the thrill of it.
4. "Deep down all serial killers want to be caught"
The more often a killer offends without getting caught, the more invincible they begin to feel. Oftentimes, this causes them to become sloppy or take chances which leads to their capture. Serial killers don’t want to be caught. They are caught because they believe they won’t be.
Next: We Ranked the 101 Best Thrillers of All Time, From 'Psycho' to 'Parasite'
Andrew Marshall
Victoria Selman majored in history at Oxford University and holds certificates in criminal profiling and criminal psychology. She’s the author of the Ziba McKenzie criminal profiler series that was published by Thomas & Mercer. She’s been a #1 bestseller on Amazon, a Sunday Times bestseller, and her first novel was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger award. She is also the host of “On the Sofa,” on the CrimeTime FM podcast.
