by Gillian Taber

Created on: June 27, 2009   Last Updated: July 08, 2009

The FBI was responsible for both the term 'serial killer' and for the development of the theory of organized/disorganized typography relating to serial killers. This came under the field of criminal profiling made so famous today by TV shows such as Criminal Minds. The theory of Organized/Disorganized Typography in serial killers has had a mixed reaction over the years, mainly due to the fact that not all killers fit into a neat pigeonhole and 'crossovers' or 'mixed' killers do happen.

Define 'serial killer'

The term was coined in the 1960's but serial killers have been around a lot longer than that. Jack the Ripper terrorized London in the late 1800's and has been called the world's first serial killer on more than one occasion, although that is hardly the case as infamous serial killers such as Elizabeth Bathory (1560 - 1614) have been well documented. The serial killer is still very much with us but what takes someone from being a killer to a serial killer?

A serial killer is defined as someone who kills more than three people over a long period of time. The United States Bureau of Justice defines a serial killer as: - ' ... the killing of several victims over three or more separate events' The serial killer is separated from the 'spree killer' by the fact that the former have periods of inactivity between killings, sometimes running into years.

A 'spree killer' is defined by the Bureau of Justice as: - '...killings at two or more locations with no time break between murders.' An example of a spree killer would be Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, notorious for the terrible events at Columbine in 1999.

Organized killers

An organized serial killer is likely to plan his actions well and to be careful not to leave evidence at the crime scene. Criteria for organized killers are:

Intelligent

Socially skilled

Sexually competent

Live with a partner

Likely to target strangers

Show antisocial and psychopathic personality traits

An example of the organized serial killer is John Wayne Gacy. Born on St. Patrick's Day in 1942, Gacy killed thirty-three boys and young men between 1972 and his eventual arrest in 1978. Gacy became known as 'The Clown Killer' because of parties he held in his neighborhoods, where he would dress up as 'Pogo the Clown' to entertain the children. Gacy was married, held down a job, ran his own business and was well liked by his community, the organized killer traits already in evidence.

By 1975 Gacy was beginning to show signs of unpredictable

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