Catching my serial killer

Uncarved

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How are most serial killers really found out? My killer isn't leaving little clues so he can get caught if the cops decypher them in time like most books I've read. He finds his vics, slices the meat off them, turns it into jerky, disposes of the body and waits for the next vic.

I'd like different ways, scenarios, that he could get caught.

I appreciate it
 

Good Word

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<shudder>

How does he make the jerky? Did he have to buy one of those food dehydrator thingys to make it?
 

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There's always "the one that got away" - a failed abduction. Maybe he could screw up the process and get food poisoning. Bad jerky.

Everybody makes mistakes, even serial killers who don't go the "taunting" route. That scenario is exaggerated in fiction, anyway. Cases like BTK made it a tantalizing story hook, but in real life they mostly don't want to get caught.

Read Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert Ressler (one of the FBI agents, along with John Douglas who pioneered the art/science/voodoo of criminal profiling.) It's a fascinating read and might give you lots of ideas for a plot involving a thrill killer.
 
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alleycat

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If it's of any interest to you, there is a book written by the former head and founder of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Bureau. It's an interesting book about serial killers and their motives and behaviors. I can't recall the title offhand but if you're interested I'll try to look it up.

ac
 

Jamesaritchie

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tinasamuels said:
How are most serial killers really found out? My killer isn't leaving little clues so he can get caught if the cops decypher them in time like most books I've read. He finds his vics, slices the meat off them, turns it into jerky, disposes of the body and waits for the next vic.

I'd like different ways, scenarios, that he could get caught.

I appreciate it

Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone leaves clues. It's your job as a writer to leave appropriate clues, and to have the authorities find them in a clever manner. There is no such thing as a perfect crime because there is no such thing as a perfect criminal.
 

Soccer Mom

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my experience has always been just as James suggests above. They screw up. There is the failed abduction, the inadvertant clue (DNA, finger print, personal item) left behind. Someone somewhere sees something. A family member or friend gets suspicious and reports something.

If you want real life inspiration, check out some books on real life cases in the true crime section or watch a little CourtTV.

The master criminals of fiction are simply that: fiction.

Plan your mystery. Place your clues where your reader and detective can locate them. You really have to think through every step of a mystery before you write--IMHO.

Happy plotting!
 

Gillhoughly

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http://www.robertkressler.com/

Founder of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences Unit, who first coined the term "serial killer."

Click on the "books" link.

This is scary stuff.

This is the guy who advised Thomas Harris for "Silence of the Lambs."

You can also google the BTK killer, if you've the stomach for it. I don't.


Most of these will be available in a library or through Inter-Library Loan. That's how I get to read books they don't have on the shelf.
 

Carlene

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Interesting topic.

I heard a real CSI speak a couple of months ago here in San Diego. Someone in the crowd asked if there was such a thing as the perfect crime and he laughed. He said it happens all the time - only about half the homicides are ever solved. The criminals they catch are stoooopid.

Also, there's a book out titled, "The Good, the Bad and the Innocent," written by a forensic phycologist and she said, that some people kill not because they're nuts, but because they are evil - they are born that way and because...they like it. Scary.

Carlene
 

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I think a little more info would be best. Take us through one of his killings, how he picks the victim, how he takes the victim, kills, gets rid of said victim. Then, since these are multi-slayings, what's different between them or not different. Knowing the reason behind the killings is a good way to leave clues in your work for him getting caught.
 

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Thank you everyone!
Yes he does have a food dehydrator

I've read so very many serial killer cases, Gein, BTK, bundy, ramerez..


Hoody said:
I think a little more info would be best. Take us through one of his killings, how he picks the victim, how he takes the victim, kills, gets rid of said victim. Then, since these are multi-slayings, what's different between them or not different. Knowing the reason behind the killings is a good way to leave clues in your work for him getting caught.
He kills because he mama never had an interest in him or what he did

He picks his victims at sporting events where their kids play. They drop them off and pick them back up. He makes sure they never stay to watch them, as they are too busy to do that. It infuriates him. He kidnaps the mom, thinking its for the boys best good and to get back at his own mom, and slowly fillets them. They are always soccer moms with young boys. It never alters.

His jerky is sold at a roadside cart in a small southern town
 

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Perks said:
Read Whoever Fights Monsters by Robert Ressler (one of the FBI agents, along with John Douglas who pioneered the art/science/voodoo of criminal profiling.) It's a fascinating read and might give you lots of ideas for a plot involving a thrill killer.

Thanks I just went and ordered this
 

writeperch

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Then someone gets food poisoning from the jerky and is taken to the emergency room. Or for irony, the killer gets food poisoning (as mentioned earlier in this thread) and while in the hospital, some smart doctor decides to analyze the bits of jerky pumped from his stomach....
 

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tinasamuels said:
He picks his victims at sporting events where their kids play. They drop them off and pick them back up. He makes sure they never stay to watch them, as they are too busy to do that. It infuriates him. He kidnaps the mom, thinking its for the boys best good and to get back at his own mom, and slowly fillets them. They are always soccer moms with young boys. It never alters.

His jerky is sold at a roadside cart in a small southern town


There is one clue that will lead to his arrest. At some point the investigators are going to come across the fact that each missing woman has left kids at ball fields on the day they were last seen. This could be gathered by talking to husbands (if they have one) who sort of mention in their first questioning that they got a call from another parent at the field or the coach himself that the mother didn't pick up their kid. If single parent, I would assume the coach would take the kid home. All this information can be gathered just by taking to friends and neighbors. Don't know what the story all entails but I envision, since the serial killer has a concern with attentive parents, he/she could possibly be an coach/co-coach or works with kids in some way.

My 2 cents.
 

alleycat

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tinasamuels said:
His jerky is sold at a roadside cart in a small southern town
I think I've eaten there . . .
 

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alleycat said:
I think I've eaten there . . .

I kept seeing a stand for jerky going to Alabama, and after a year or so, well I just had to write about it.



I like that the killer could get food poisoning.
I like that idea a bunch, lol.
 

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Quite a few of these guys are caught by accident, during things like traffic stops, or the neighbours complaining about a funny smell. If you used it as a plotline you'd probably be accused of using the "deux et machina" (not sure if I spelt that right) but in real life... Check out real-life stories - there are an incredible amount on the net.
 

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Well this is probably going to be the least productive reply you will receive but here goes anyway ...

I remember reading that a lot of serial killers have a history of animal torture/killing. Maybe you man has continued this and you could work that into the story. Myabe a neighbour sees him kidnapping little Fluffy or something. Or an animal carcass in the rubbish. As you´ve probably guessed I don´t write mystery/thriller!!!

Well, just thought I´d throw it out there and see if it might trigger something for you or someobody else to suggest.

Also where does he live? Does he do the grisly stuff at his house or has he a rented place (garage or something)? In the city or country? People around or normally deserted? Easily accessed or not?
 
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newmod

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Sharra, just curious, were you thinking of Denis Nielsen when you mentioned the smell? I used to live quite near Cricklewood. A kid at school actually lived on the street!!! Melrose Avenue wasn´t it?
 

Uncarved

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he kidnaps them and stores them in a shed by his trailer. Then the meat is prepared in his kitchen, its in a remote section of the woods, in the country. Usually very deserted.
 

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writeperch said:
Then someone gets food poisoning from the jerky and is taken to the emergency room. Or for irony, the killer gets food poisoning (as mentioned earlier in this thread) and while in the hospital, some smart doctor decides to analyze the bits of jerky pumped from his stomach....

They both--the killer and one of his roadside customers--get food poisoning and are in the same hospital ER.
 

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Carlene said:
Interesting topic.

I heard a real CSI speak a couple of months ago here in San Diego. Someone in the crowd asked if there was such a thing as the perfect crime and he laughed. He said it happens all the time - only about half the homicides are ever solved. The criminals they catch are stoooopid.

Also, there's a book out titled, "The Good, the Bad and the Innocent," written by a forensic phycologist and she said, that some people kill not because they're nuts, but because they are evil - they are born that way and because...they like it. Scary.

Carlene

He must have been from Washington D.C., which is just about the only place in the country with such a low homicide clearance rate. There are no perfect crimes, but there is also no perfect police work. But it's simply not true that only half the homicides are ever solved. Throughout most of the country, homicide is the most solved of all crimes, and 70% of black murders, and 80% of white murders are solved within days. Most are solved right on the spot.

Unsolved homicides are most often committed by stupid criminals, not smart ones. They aren't planned as much as they're simply done. Drive by shootings, etc.

This makes the clearance rate unnaturally low in some big cities. But you can't call these perfect crimes, and you can't say the police only catch the stupid criminals. Unless you have a really stupid police department.

Just because the police fail to find the murderer does not mean it was aperfect crime. It usually just means it was either a random killing, or the police themselves were imperfect.

I'm awfully glad that CSI doesn't work here. The criminals our guys catch are frequently very smart. But they don't assume there is such a thiong as a perfect crime. There are only cases they have solved, and those they will solve sooner or later.

It would scare me to death to hear someone responsible for solving crimes say that any crime they can't solve is a perfect crime. Talk about a self-defeating attitude guaranteed to lower the clearance rate.
 

katiemac

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I heard a story similiar to this once.

The guy did something very similar to his victims and stored the meat in his home refridgerator. Apparently, at some point, he'd donated a good portion of his stock to an elderly home, as he frequently did. Many individuals got sick, police called to investigate, and voila. Found the rest in his fridge.

I don't remember what exactly made the police get involved, as it was a long time ago and the details are fuzzy. It very well could have been an urban legend as opposed to an actual crime, too. It sure sounds like one.
 

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100% Organic Jerky
Made Fresh

:)

I've heard of many things, but I thought the jerky angle was fresh and different. I'd hope the readers would think so .
 

Carlene

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"It would scare me to death to hear someone responsible for solving crimes say that any crime they can't solve is a perfect crime. Talk about a self-defeating attitude guaranteed to lower the clearance rate."

That's an interesting concept. Silly me - I always thought Law Enforcement personal solved crimes using evidence collected by CSI's. If CSI's solve crimes, what do detectives do?