serial killing
Repeated homicidal pattern
Serial killing is the murder of multiple victims by the same person over a period of time, typically with cooling-off periods between killings.
The term distinguishes this pattern from mass murder (many victims at once) or spree killing (multiple victims in a short burst).
Serial killing often involves a psychological compulsion and may follow ritualistic patterns: The FBI developed profiling techniques to catch serial killings before more victims died.
- victimOne harmed by another
- crime sceneLocation of an offense
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
- homicideCausing another's death
- true crimeGenre covering actual offenses
slaughter · forensic evidence · assassination · sociopath · fear · massacre · behavioral analysis · methodical · cooling-off period · hunting ground · genocide · cold cases · media frenzy · blood · profiling · sadism · compulsion · mutilation
- murderhomicide, manslaughter, assassination, premeditated murder, mass murder
- capital crimesfirst-degree murder, premeditated murder, treason, high treason, felony murder
- deadly crimeshomicide, murder, manslaughter, assassination, infanticide
- killingshomicide, murder for hire, manslaughter, assassination, first-degree murder
- feloniesmurder, homicide, manslaughter, robbery, arson
- violenceviolence, physical attack, brutality, physical violence, aggression
serial killinglifesaving
Preserving human existence
life preservation · healing · protection · rescue · medical intervention
serial killinghumanitarian work
Efforts aiding those in crisis
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