Serial Killers Who Have Inserted Themselves Into The Investigation

[Sam Flynn]

We also need to take into account their massive Egos which convinces them they will never be caught, so they can do whatever they please.

If that were the case, GUT, then I'd have expected rather more examples of "Serial Killer Insertion Syndrome" than we've seen thus far.

[GUT]

G'day Sam

I don't really follow how that applies anymore than if it was a controlling type personalty that caused some to insert themselves, or OCD for that matter.

[Sam Flynn]

I don't really follow how that applies anymore than if it was a controlling type personalty that caused some to insert themselves, or OCD for that matter.

Sorry if I misunderstood your point, GUT. I took your last post as suggesting that having a sense of invincibility might predispose a serial-killer to risk "inserting" themselves into an investigation with more frequency than other criminal types.

[GUT]

G'day Sam

No what I was trying to say, poorly as usual, was that if they wanted to insert themselves they would not be hindered by any feeling of putting themselves at risk, as opposed to making them predisposed to do so.

[Sam Flynn]

No what I was trying to say... was that if they wanted to insert themselves they would not be hindered by any feeling of putting themselves at risk.

Indeed, but it doesn't appear that there are too many examples of serial-killers having done so.

[GUT]

G'day Sam

No only a couple, but I think that the percentage is probably higher than in other crimes, but I don't have any precise data.

[jmenges]

Milat's brother falsely reported to the police witnessing two vehicles near the murder scenes of killings his brother committed. He completely made up these vehicle descriptions with the hopes of directing the police away from his brother. Of course in the end it didn't work, and this example is one degree away of what you're probably looking for. But it is an interesting case of a loved one giving the police misinformation in order to protect them, which as we know, happens all the time in all varieties of crimes.

JM

[Wickerman]

Did he wait several days before coming forward?

[GUT]

G'day jmenges

I forgot about Milat's brother and at one stage during the trial Milat tried to blame his brother for the murders.

[GUT]

G'Day Jon

Yep from memory it was sometime after the murder is alleged to have occurred that he went to the police.

Such a lovely family and now a nephew is in prison for murder.

[Wickerman]

Yep from memory it was sometime after the murder is alleged to have occurred that he went to the police.

Such a lovely family and now a nephew is in prison for murder.

Lovely family?
Are we talking about the same Milat, the great nephew of serial killer Ivan Milat?

Didn't the kid say, "its what we do".

[GUT]

G'day Jon

Exactly.

He's appeal to reduce his sentence was thrown out yesterday.

[Errata]

No what I was trying to say, poorly as usual, was that if they wanted to insert themselves they would not be hindered by any feeling of putting themselves at risk, as opposed to making them predisposed to do so.

On the other hand, massive egos are equally likely to mean that the serial killer never sees the need to insert themselves, since they can't possibly get caught.

Although I think a good number actually do. There was a serial here who did it after he screwed up and was seen, and he started hitting up cop bars to see if the witness had given them any kind of good description. She hadn't, so he stopped doing it. And another one who blew through here who gave a statement as a witness because he couldn't get away from the scene in time. It was a nothing statement, no description given, average bystander stuff. But it counts. And I'm sure he didn't give his real name, the only reason they know about was that a news crew was there and filmed him talking to the cops. When they caught him the film editor recognized him from the tape.

So despite our perception that this behavior is pretty rare, we don't know. The only way we would know is if the killer used his real name, a cop or reporter remembered him in hindsight, or the killer confessed to doing it. And those things don't happen that often. But there are a lot of ways killers insert themselves into an investigation that we never hear about. That are never uncovered.

[GUT]

Of course another real issue is that the size of our pool is relatively small.

[GUT]

G'day Errata

On the other hand, massive egos are equally likely to mean that the serial killer never sees the need to insert themselves, since they can't possibly get caught.

That depends on if they are inserting themselves to mislead, to get information for future kills or simply to relive some of the thrill.

Not that there aren't other reasons as well.