A very British psychopath

[Scorpio]

Psychopath....,this is possibly the most overused and least well understood terms in crime related media, and has been applied to just about any individual commiting a violent act. I believe one individual who's career and personality appear to have a genuine psychpathic dimension is John George Haigh. Haigh was a low level career criminal,who,during his forty years,committed murder, theft,forgery and fraud. This criminal versatility,combined with a parasitic lifestyle is common in those diagnosed as a psychopath. It is a recognised personality disorder characterized by key factors covering personal and behavioural elements. Perhaps the most widely recognized of these personality factors is lack of affect, which can be described as a chronic emotional deficit. Psychopaths have problems processing cues regarding the emotional states of others and feel little or no emotion themselves, and this lack of empathy often leads to callous and destructive behaviour.Haigh was convicted of six murders by shooting and bludgeoning, but would blithely claim nine victims and showed no remorse for any of them. Given Haighs dishonesty and manipulative nature, the final three victims were probably invented as an aid to his insanity plea. Pleading an insanity defence is not uncommon, but few go as far as to claim vampirism and drink urine, which is precisely what Haigh did. The emotion, or lack of, most associated with psychopaths is fear and, once again, Haigh is a good case study.During his trial for murder, while a court decided whether he should be executed or not, Haigh apparently showed little interest in his fate and completed cross word puzzles to ease his boredom.
Can anyone with an interest in criminal history nominate a likely pschopathic personality, as i am interested in this particular area.
Scorpio

[Steven Russell]

Hello, Scorpio. Interesting post. I'm not too well up on the case (or mental health diagnoses) but how about Ted Bundy? And I wonder if Bianchi and/or Buono should be considered true psychopaths. Two coming together and working as a team must be rare.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Scorpio]

Hi, i think Ted Bundy fits the criteria nicely. He reminds me of British serial killer called Neville Heath, who was described as a psychopath during his trial.
Scorpio.

[apricot]

I believe Gordon Cummins; the Blackout Ripper, fills the criteria for a psychopath.

KR Angie

[corey123]

Hello Scorpio,

Perhaps Peter Kurtin?

[Scorpio]

Hi all, thanks for your replies, they are worthy nominations, but I dont believe that a psychopath is necessarily murderous. Consider Kit Marlowe, the sixteenth century, playwright,spy and general busybody/troublemaker. He is also psychopathic material i would argue .

[Shelley]

How about the British psychopath ' Patrick MacKay '

[corey123]

Hello Scorpio,

Whether Kurten murdered anyone or not(obviously he did) it wouldn't sway my mind that he is indeed psychopathic.

Have you read about him? Perhaps, if you have "the complete Jack the Ripper" by Rumblerow, you can read the chapter which speaks of him.

Very interesting.

Yours truly

[Scorpio]

Hi corey, i do believe Kurten was a psychopath. The nature of much of the source material about him, gathered by a noted psychiatrist called Karl Berg, suggests that he was. I do not know whether the psychopathic personality concept was current in the 30's,when Kurten was studied, but it would be interesting to know what conclusions the Doctor came to. The only book i have that deals with Kurten does not mention this.
Scorpio.

[kensei]

Hi all. See the 2009 book "Columbine" by Dave Cullen for a very concise explanation as to why the teenage Eric Harris was not really a bullied kid who snapped at all but an absolutely classic psychopath, homicidal to his core, while his friend Dylan Klebold was more of a suicidal follower. Lot of stuff in that book that never made the mainstream.

[FrankO]

I believe Gordon Cummins; the Blackout Ripper, fills the criteria for a psychopath.

Hi Angie,

Can you put me through to the information you base your belief? Because reading the little information I've been able to find about him, I wouldn't say he particularly strikes me as a psychopath - or anything else for that matter.

All the best,
Frank

[FrankO]

PCan anyone with an interest in criminal history nominate a likely pschopathic personality, as i am interested in this particular area.

I would nominate Severin Klosowski. He seems to fit a number of psychopathic traits: he lied, was manipulative, fraudulent, had no close friends and killed, and he doesn't seem to have any remorse about anything he did. He doesn't seem to have cared for anybody but himself.

All the best,
Frank

[apricot]

Hi Angie,

Can you put me through to the information you base your belief? Because reading the little information I've been able to find about him, I wouldn't say he particularly strikes me as a psychopath - or anything else for that matter.

All the best,
Frank

Hello Frank,

So sorry for delay in replying, damn work gets it the way!

I suppose to be honest I have no evidence, just an assumption given the personality traits he was said to have displayed, the egotism ( giving the impression he was of noble birth, hence his nickname of "The Count")
Recklessness, as though he thought he was untouchable and lastly, the objectification of his victims as playthings.
Sorry for what is probably a disappointing reply.

KR Angie

[Natalie Severn]

I would nominate Severin Klosowski. He seems to fit a number of psychopathic traits: he lied, was manipulative, fraudulent, had no close friends and killed, and he doesn't seem to have any remorse about anything he did. He doesn't seem to have cared for anybody but himself.

All the best,
Frank

Hi Angie and Frank, its my view too that Severin Klosowski had psychopathic traits.
I think the character Tom has been writing about,Le Grand, is a clear candidate too and almost certainly Tumblety.The old definition was "a plausible rogue' -such as confidence tricksters and the like. A key feature of their everyday affairs is the trail of chaos they leave behind --- bounced cheques,stolen passports,disrupted work patterns, broken relationships,run ins with the law---and numerous addresses making it difficult to track them down.

[ianincleveland]

I believe Gordon Cummins; the Blackout Ripper, fills the criteria for a psychopath.

KR Angie

not so sure about that as though he claimed to be from a noble family,he had no criminal record or history of violence but he murdered 4 prostitutes in 4 days and then tried to kill 2 more after.His mistake was to leave his gas mask behind with his service number in it which is how he was identified.

I would have said he was temporarily insane more than anything else though what set him off we will never know