The number of serial killers dropped drastically after 1980: So what’s the reason?

The second half of the twentieth century was a very disturbing period, especially in the United States. The truth is, serial killers who were very elusive to catch from the 1970s were operating in many states. Some have been arrested and are now well known – psychopath Ted Bundy, who was responsible for the deaths of at least 36 people, is a prime example.

Some serial killers, including the mysterious Zodiac, were never caught. Researchers recently examined statistics on serial murders and were surprised to discover that there has been a marked decrease in the number of such crimes since 1980. So what happened that affected the number of serial killers in the world?

serial killer database

The serial killer database began in 1990 when Michael Aamodt, a professor of forensic psychology, asked his students to gather as much information about serial killers as possible. His students provided him with the biographies of the “maniacs”, the chronology of their crimes and many other data, and this task was accomplished perfectly. Michael Aamond kept the data folders for a long time, but was later added to the Radford University website. After that, the database started to be updated with new information and became one of the most detailed databases in the world.

It is worth noting that serial killers are generally considered criminals who commit two or more murders with an interval of more than a month. In other words, if a person has killed several people at once, that person cannot be called a serial killer – it’s more of a mass murder.

What is known about serial killers

Recently, experts from various universities reviewed the database on serial killers and made some interesting discoveries. It turned out that they mostly operate in the United States, where 3,613 such perpetrators have been recorded since the beginning of 1900. There were also large numbers of serial killers in England, Japan, South Africa, India and Canada.

Serial killers were mostly men. The main motives were theft, but sometimes there was no reason – crimes were committed by people who lack moral values ​​and are mentally unstable. Female killers often killed members of their own families, and their favorite weapons were poison. Thanks to the database, scientists also uncovered shocking facts. For example, it was determined that 1.8% of men and 1.3% of women ate their victims, that is, they practiced cannibalism.

Why has the number of serial killers decreased sharply?

Serial killers peaked in 1980, when there were about 700 perpetrators in the United States. Then, gradually, the number of such murders began to decline markedly, and according to the authors of scientific studies, the number of American serial killers in the 21st century is less than 100 people. The difference is huge, so scientists have a question: What is it all about?

1. It is thought that the number of crimes has decreased for various reasons. First of all, the police have a greater capacity to find murderers, especially if they have committed crimes with the intent of robbery. In the 1970s, people were using cash, so it was very difficult to track their movements. Today most people use debit cards and any transaction can be tracked and criminals can be caught before they commit any more murders.
    
2. The second reason for the decrease in serial killers is stricter laws. The authors of the research paper note that by the middle of the 20th century, criminals were able to break free and return to their old ways. Statistics show that in the 1950s, about 16.8 percent of the “psychopaths” in the database were serial killers after they were released. Today, serious criminals are much less likely to be released, which has helped reduce crime.
    
3. Third, very few people hitchhike nowadays, most people actively use taxi services and buses or own their own cars. This must have played an important role in reducing the number of homicides, because in the 1970s many people hitchhiked, and serial killers randomly chose hitchhikers as victims. One of these killers is Patrick Kearney, who killed more than 20 teenagers on California roads between 1965 and 1977. He is still alive and serving a life sentence.