this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2024

435 points (98.7% liked)

News

22890 readers

3624 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil

Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.

2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.

Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.

3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.

Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.

4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.

Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.

5. Only recent news is allowed.

Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.

6. All posts must be news articles.

No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

7. No duplicate posts.

If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.

8. Misinformation is prohibited.

Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.

9. No link shorteners.

The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.

10. Don't copy entire article in your post body

For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

435

Serial Killers Have Rapidly Declined Since The 1980s (www.discovermagazine.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

162 comments fedilink hide all child comments

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

This alarming decrease in the population of notorious serial killers poses an immediate threat to our society, as it could lead to a shortage of chilling true-crime documentaries and thrilling podcast series. To address this pressing issue, we must work together towards increasing the number of active serial killers. Here are a few possible ways to do so:

Serial Killer Incubation Programs: To ensure we never run out of potential murderers, we could create incubation programs specifically geared toward nurturing future serial killer talents. By identifying young individuals with a predisposition towards violence and sociopathic tendencies, these programs would provide them with the necessary training to hone their craft. Just as Olympians train for years before they reach the pinnacle of their sport, we can develop a similar system for aspiring serial killers.

Free Education: We could offer free education to troubled youths who show a promising aptitude for serial killing. Providing them with the best resources will enable these young minds to explore advanced methods for committing multiple homicides. Subjects such as forensics, human psychology, and law enforcement tactics could be included in their curriculum. This knowledge would empower them to avoid detection while enhancing their body count.

Tax Incentives: One way to encourage individuals to take up serial killing as a profession is by offering tax incentives to those actively engaged in the practice. This would make it financially beneficial for people to become serial killers. The more victims they claim, the larger their deductions would be on their annual taxes. They'll be able to enjoy substantial financial benefits while spreading fear across communities.

Mentorship Programs: Establishing mentorship programs would allow experienced serial killers to guide newcomers through the murky waters of their chosen career path. Veteran murderers like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy could impart their wisdom and expertise to eager apprentices, ensuring that their deadly legacies live on.

Creative Advertising Campaigns: To increase awareness about the exciting opportunities offered by serial killing, governments could initiate targeted advertising campaigns aimed at disenfranchised and socially isolated individuals. By highlighting the freedom and adrenaline rush associated with this occupation, we could inspire a new generation of predators.

In conclusion, by implementing these measures, we can revitalize the dwindling population of serial killers and ensure our true-crime enthusiasts never run out of captivating stories to consume. Additionally, the increased supply of serial killers will provide police departments with ample opportunities to showcase their skills, further cementing our commitment to public safety.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Murder "clearance" rates in the US have been declining for decades, meaning police are solving fewer and fewer murders. Unsolved killings were at record highs in 2023.

Seems to me that there are probably just less serial killers being suspected, investigated, and caught, as police continue to do less and less, rather than there being less serial killers. The United States is now basically the least effective country at solving murders in the industrialized world.

It's absurd trying to spin police incompetence as a positive thing. Roughly 27% of murders in Oakland, CA are solved for instance. Who knows if there is a serial killer at work with that kind of solve rate?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

A problem conceiled is a problem solved.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

Oh great, the millennials are killing the killing industry as well...

[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Most crime has declined dramatically since the 90s. And yet right wing media is scaring the shit out of people, saying there are murderers, rapists, and terrorists behind every bush.

The world is actually becoming more empathetic and safer, but some people want us to be scared because fear keeps them in power. Don’t believe them.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

Well it is trending up again

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's not just right wing media, all media does this because it drives profits.

Fuck Fox News though, they are terrible for a multitude of reasons.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes, that’s true, but right wing media is doing it on an exponentially larger scale than others, which is why I called them out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I upvote while I gare angrily at NYC.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Lots of great possibilities listed in article.

I was shocked that 60% of murders are solved. It was not that long ago that the solving rate was near 20%.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It was roughly 60% in 2018, which was lower than it was decades before that. It was 90% in the 1960s for instance. Murder clearance rates have been declining for decades. 2023 was under 50% and is a record low for murder clearance.

Basically more and more murders are going unsolved, and this is a trend stretching decades. National murder clearance rates have never been 20% since that data has been tracked.

Some cities are near that currently though, like Oakland. Interpreting police incompetence around murder cases as somehow indicating less serial killing is pretty absurd.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I wonder if thats due to increasing competency/giveafuckness by authorites.

or if its due to decreasing competency amongst killers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

I believe that was discussed in the article. Along with early interventions that help little shits not grow into giant shits.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Tracking people is so much easier now I think.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Nowadays peopke bring their phone to a murder like a chump.

Some of the analytical software that can be applied to mobile phone cell ping and metadata alone is incredible. Not only is it able to show snapshots of a given period to identify patterns, but it can also be walked back in time to identify patterns which are increasing in their intensity. This can indicate changing behaviours in individuals and groups.

You might think the solution is to turn off your mobile, wrap it in foil, leave it at home, smash it ect but that's not the answer. A suddenly lost mobile agent is a red flag, as is an abnormally stationary one, or an abnormally repetitive one.

Imagine you're an analyst, and you're aware of a potential terror cell consisting of 5-8 members. You've identified from cell metadata that each member has met at least one other member at least once in person. Imagine then that 6 of these individuals either go off-line, or their phone remains stationary for an unusual amount of time, eg normally they would be at work. You could reasonably conclude that they are having a secret rendezvous in meatspace. Then, based on the time taken for each mobile to reconnect, and its position when it does, you might be able to heat map a list of possible locations that they could have met at, based on estimated travel time for each. Then you might find evidence of tgeir meetup from osint sources like CCTV or sat imagery.

If you dont want mobile phone metadata used to uncover your crimes, you should constantly behave unpredictably. Maybe carry a foil bag and keep your phone in it sometimes at work to simulate black spots. Maybe choose a mobile provider with the worst possible coverage. Sometimes leave your phone at home. You know those random spam messages you get on Signal or whatsapp? Converse with them occasionally, these act like red herrings in your interaction matrix. Anything that contributes as chaff, white noise, false signals, whatever you want to call them, anything will help if it makes you unpredictable.

And that's just phones. CCTV, satellite imagery, other peoples phones and devices, freeway ALPR cameras, audio devices, all these things contribute to mapping your move.ents, constantly, over time.

Take solace that probably nobody is actually watching you, at least, no human is. Just an algorithm. When the algo detects youve deviated from your pattern, then it might flag you for human review, so try not to have an easily identifiable pattern, and chaff that bitch up as often as you can.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I know I'll sound like a bootlicker, but this is why I'm in favor of more street cameras for the city. It's obnoxious how often there's a picture of the car involved in something but no one catches them because there's no way to just follow the car to where it went.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

because it's also a massive privacy invasion as well. If someone with access to the system decides they don't like me, they can stalk me, if someone hacks it, whatever is in there about me is now available to them. If the government wakes up one day and decides that it doesnt like people who have differing political opinions, suddenly they have a profile of who i am and what i do almost perfectly.

It's very much patriot act levels of national security, but for the individual. "we'll spy on you, but it's only so terrorism doesn't happen, we promise" and then uh, snowden shows up in the story.

Same thing with something as simple as tracking vehicles, it's a lose lose most of the time, and a win lose the rest of the time.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Well but people who attend protests should not be tracked through clothes they have purchased, for example.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Reduction in lead exposure plays a huge part.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago

The lead generation is currently running the country (that I live in). It shows.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Is there actually any scientific consensus on this, or just conjecture.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Here's a starting point if you care https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead%E2%80%93crime_hypothesis

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Everyone keeps saying that. I didn't know.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Are serial killers a 1st world country thing? In my country a third world one only have 1 recorded serial killer and that was in the early 1800s and he was a priest.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No there are others. Like the one that show The Serpent was based on was in Vietnam. I think it's mostly North America though.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Four of the most prolific serial killers were based in south American countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil etc.

After those, it's India, China, Pakistan, former Soviet states, Russia and so on.

Hardly first world countries, and especially not when these killings took place.

Those killers' body counts eclipse all American killers' by a very significant margin.

Gary Ridgway (the Green River Killer) is the most prominent American serial killer by a mile, but he's not that "famous" even though he was arrested and convicted rather recently (about 20 years ago).

He is an uninteresting person who is rather stupid, doesn't do interviews and doesn't revel in his infamy like the more famous serial killers do or did. He's almost more akin to a rabid animal as far as public perception goes.

Furthermore, the decline of serial killers, even with more interest and attention than ever, I think is largely attributed to better social safety nets.

As it turns out, it seems that in at least some cases, socialistic policies work surprisingly well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Wasn't a serial killer with the arguably largest kill-count a doctor from the UK? I can't remember his name, but it's not just an American thing.

There was also that dude in Argentina (?) who had hundreds of kills attributed to him, mostly children? There's the Chess Board Killer as well, he was Russian and was trying to kill a person for every square on a chess board. (I believe he was a few short before he was finally caught).

[–] [email protected] 34 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Now they just do mass shootings.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago

parallel killers

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That was specifically covered in he article.

There's almost zero overlap in motivations between mass/spree killers, and serial killers.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I tend to agree but I don't know if we can say that for sure.

Incels who want media attention is one way you could frame both types of killers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I'm not sure that you can safely label serial killers as incels per se. BTK was married, IIRC. Ted Bundy def. dated. John Gacy was a pedophile (more accurately a hebephile, but close enough).

Many of them were misogynistic for sure, although that's not necessarily a motive when you have serial killers that are gay or pedophiles (Gacy, Wayne Williams--believed to have been the Atlanta Child Murderer--and Dahmer). Incels seem to be much more likely to be spree or mass murderers; the idea of an incel where all women collectively share the blame seems to be a fairly new idea. And a lot of mass murderers aren't related to sex a all, like the people that have been trying to start racial holy wars by murdering non-white people.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago

I wonder how many of them just got badges.

load more comments