Dr. Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby Talk About David Berkowitz, Son of Sam

On Monday, May 6, Dr. Scott Bonn joined television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best-selling author, Rita Cosby on her national radio show on WOR710 New York’s News and Talk to discuss his recent prison visit with David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam.

Cosby landed an in person interview with Berkowitz in 2002 when he wrote a three page letter to her during the DC sniper shootings imparting his opinions and asking for the sniper to stop. A common subject, Berkowitz, Bonn and Cosby share their views about their individual time spent with him.

Scott Bonn has been corresponding with Berkowitz for several years as research for an upcoming book (tentatively titled Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers) thus gaining his trust and finally being granted an in person visit at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY.  Bonn came away from the meeting with a sense of sincerity from Berkowitz about his conversion to Christianity and his ministry within the prison. Bonn reports that the Son of Sam is now known as Son of Hope because of his wish to help others spiritually.

Listen to the podcast

Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby are two of several who have corresponded with David Berkowitz over the years, including many who are skeptical about his conversion.  In a 2010 New York Times story  it states:

Joseph Coffey, the police sergeant who took Mr. Berkowitz’s initial confession, said his statements about his religious convictions were as believable as his amended claim that members of a satanic cult to which he belonged were responsible for some of the shootings.

“It’s a total charade to promote himself,” said Mr. Coffey, who retired from the Police Department in 1985. “I have had people who I sent to prison or put in the witness protection program find religion because it suits them by providing them access to the outside world.”

But, the article contains several accounts from others who feel Berkowitz is sincere in his beliefs and his actions prove that he has turned over a new leaf, including Andy Kahan, the crime victims assistance director to the mayor of Houston who works diligently to prevent people from profiting on the sale of items from notorious criminals, received assistance from Berkowitz in statements and opinions on the “murderabilia” industry. Kahan read the statements in the Texas legislature hearings. He concurs with those who feel Berkowitz is genuine:

“You can’t change the past, but you can alter the future,” Mr. Kahan said, “and by working with me on this issue, it certainly shows that he is trying to make amends.”

The debate about Berkowitz will go on for a long time, he will never be out from behind prison walls and, according to Scott Bonn, has no intention of asking for parole in the future. He seems content with his life, has made apologies, and is working on being an example to others.

Dr. Scott Bonn will include even more details of his visit in his upcoming book, along with his insights to other serial killers he has corresponded with, including Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer and his theories on the identity of Jack the Ripper. Monster Dearest is looking to be available in early 2014.

Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com   Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities.

Dr. Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby Talk About David Berkowitz, Son of Sam

Doc Bonn Visits with David Berkowitz, Son of Sam

I recently spent five enlightening hours with the man whose pseudonym, “Son of Sam,” has become synonymous with evil.

David Berkowitz, the man behind the pseudonym, shot and murdered six people, and wounded seven others, with a .44 revolver during his reign of terror several decades ago in New York City. He ignited a public panic of epic proportions during the so-called summer of Sam in 1977.

After the largest manhunt in New York history, Berkowitz was arrested without incident outside his apartment on August 10, 1977. As he was being taken into custody he mildly said, “Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?”

Jeff Kamen, the Emmy-winning journalist who covered the Son of Sam case extensively, and who also sat close to Berkowitz during his court appearances said, “Sitting there I felt as if I was in the presence of pure evil.” Berkowitz received six consecutive life sentences for his crimes. During his stay at Attica Correctional Facility, Berkowitz was attacked by another inmate in 1979 and received a potentially fatal slash to the left side of his neck that required nearly 60 stitches to close. Incredibly, Berkowitz became a born-again Christian in 1987 after having a self-proclaimed spiritual awakening one night in his cell at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY, where he will likely remain for the rest of his life.

I visited with David Berkowitz on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at Sullivan after corresponding with him regularly through the mail for nearly two years. He has been offering me unique insights for an upcoming book on why so many people are fascinated with serial killers and the dark side of mankind. David gave me a rare, one-on-one interview that I will not soon forget.

To read the complete story go to CBS News Crimesider

Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com  Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on  The Roth Show

Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com   Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities

“Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers” Tell me what YOU think!

Are you fascinated with serial killers?  I’d like to hear your comments on my forthcoming book.

Synopsis of “Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers”

Since at least the 1970s serial killers have been frequent and chilling actors on center stage in the news and entertainment media.  Massive and highly stylized news coverage of real life serial killers such as David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” and Jeffrey Dahmer transforms them into ghoulish celebrities.  Similarly, fictional serial killers such as Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter in the blockbuster 1991 film Silence of the Lambs have also become popular culture icons.  More recently, the tremendous financial successes of the Showtime television series Dexter and the book and film franchise based on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo demonstrate how eager the public is to be frightened by serial killers.

When you bring up the name of an infamous real life predator such as Jack the Ripper or Ted Bundy in conversation with a group of people, it is clear that serial killers are a hot topic.  Some folks actually become gleeful in their demeanor when discussing them.  Why is that, I wonder?  Could it be that some of us have a macabre fascination with serial killers for the same reason(s) that many of us are morbidly drawn to stare at a catastrophic automobile accident unexpectedly encountered along a highway?  Therein lies the central question of this book.  Why are so many people, including myself, fascinated by serial killers?  Answering this intriguing social question while also debunking serial killer myths and providing compelling new insights into serial predators are the primary objectives of this book.

Unlike other books about serial killers which focus on the behavior of the criminals only, “Monster Dearest” offers an exploration into the nature of society itself and its powerful appetite for the macabre, while also providing new and unique insights into serial murderers.  Significantly, this book provides a penetrating sociological look at the public’s fascination with serial homicide which is groundbreaking in its approach.  In order to understand why so many people in society seem to be captivated by serial killers, “Monster Dearest” examines the social agents and processes that turn them into fiendish celebrities.  In order to achieve its objectives, this book contains the following components:

•           An in-depth examination of serial murder realities in the U.S. and a comparison of serial killing to other types of multiple homicide such as mass murder.

•           A discussion of antisocial personality disorders, including sociopathy and psychopathy, and how such conditions may be manifested in serial killers.

•           An examination of criminal profiling techniques used by law enforcement professionals such as the FBI to identify and apprehend unknown serial predators.

•           An investigation of important social processes, including news media reporting, that may help to explain how and why serial killers often become grizzly popular culture personalities.

•         An examination of the role of key social agents such as the news media, state officials (e.g., law enforcement) and the general public in the creation of the public identities of serial killers.

•           A compelling exploration of the actual words of two notorious serial killers, i.e., David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) and Dennis Rader (Bind, Torture, Kill), gained through exclusive correspondence with them, which offers insights into their minds and the public’s fascination with serial predators.

•           An argument that the sudden appearance of a serial killer in the public eye, driven by massive news media coverage and journalistic hyperbole, can create public anxiety or “anomie” (i.e., conflicting social norms) when the public is confronted by a socially defined super predator that defies all conventional wisdom concerning criminal motivations and behavior.

•           A second argument that the stereotypical representation of serial killers as inhuman monsters by law enforcement and the media reduces anomie or public anxiety by clarifying moral boundaries and defining evil while also establishing serial killers as the “other” in society—that is, they are separate and distinct from decent, normal people.

I am writing “Monster Dearest” as you read this, so your feedback will make a contribution to my work.

Would you like to read this book?  Why or why not?

What appeals to you the most about it?

What would you like to see added or changed?

Please give me your comments below.

Thank you. “Doc Bonn”

Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com  Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on  The Roth Show

Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com   Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities

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Sociopath or Psychopath, Which is a Serial Killer More Likely to Be?

Sociopathy and psychopathy are both antisocial personality disorders and they share many common behavioral traits.  Their similarities lead to the confusion between them and help to explain why many people incorrectly believe they are the same, identical disorder.  Key traits that both sociopaths and psychopaths share include:

• A disregard for laws and social mores
• A disregard for the rights of others
• A failure to feel remorse or guilt
• A tendency to display violent behavior and emotional outbursts

In addition to their similarities, each of these two antisocial personality disorders also has its own unique characteristics which are explained below.

First, sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated.  They are volatile and prone to emotional outbursts, including fits of rage.  Second, they are likely to be uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place. They are frequently transients and drifters.  Third, it is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments with others.  They are capable of bonding emotionally and demonstrating empathy with certain people, and in certain situations, but not others.  Thus, some sociopaths are able to form attachments to an individual or group, although they have no regard for society in general.  Finally, in the eyes of others, sociopaths will appear clearly disturbed.  Any crimes committed by a sociopath will tend to be haphazard and spontaneous.  A sociopath who becomes a serial killer will most likely conform to the FBI’s disorganized category of serial predator.  Jack the Ripper offers a classic example of the volatile, spontaneous and disorganized serial killer.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy with others, although they often have charming and disarming personalities.  They are very manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust.  They learn to mimic emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to other unsuspecting people.  Psychopaths are often well educated and hold steady jobs.  Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature.  When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail and often have a contingency plan in place.  Unlike their sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic criminals are cool, calm and meticulous.  They make few mistakes.  A psychopath who becomes a serial killer would most likely conform to the FBI’s organized category of killer.  The charming Ted Bundy provides a classic example of the poised, articulate and highly organized serial killer.

The etiology or cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy.  It is believed that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment).  According to the late David Lykken, a behavioral geneticist known for his studies on twins, psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more the product of childhood traumas and abuse.  Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy or emotional connection with others but only to certain individuals, such as a family member or friend, and only in certain contexts.  Psychopaths, on the other hand, are simply incapable of empathy and are unable to form real emotional bonds with anyone.  Ironically, it is the ability of psychopaths to so effectively mimic empathy and emotional bonds with others that make them especially dangerous, deceptive and highly successful serial killers.

The traits of the psychopathic personality are more highly correlated with the characteristics of highly successful, organized serial killers than are sociopathic traits.  Many of the most infamous and prolific serial killers in U.S. history, including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Dennis Rader, Ed Kemper, Joel Rifkin, Jeffrey Dahmer and Gary Ridgway, have manifested the central traits of psychopathy, and many of these killers have been classified as psychopaths by forensic psychologists.  A cool and unemotional demeanor combined with a keen intellect and charming personality makes the psychopath a very effective predator.

It should come as no surprise that the entertainment industry has provided many inaccurate examples of psychopaths in film, television and books, etc.  Psychopaths are often incorrectly presented by the media as scary people who look frightening or have other off-putting characteristics.  In reality, a psychopath like Ted Bundy can be anyone—a neighbor, coworker, lover or homeless person on the street.  Each of these seemingly harmless people may in reality prey ruthlessly on others around them.

Follow criminologist and media expert Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com

Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com   Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities.

 

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Doc Bonn shares the real life atrocity tale of serial killer Edmund Kemper

 

The following is a real life horror story and atrocity tale that defies comprehension.  Edmund Kemper III, a U.S. serial killer and necrophile, also known as “The Co-ed Killer,” was born December 18, 1948, in Burbank, CA.  He was arrested in April, 1973, at the age of 24, after murdering six female students, his own mother, and her mother’s best friend.

Despite his relative youth upon capture, Kemper had actually committed his first two murders nearly a decade earlier.  Kemper was an extremely intelligent child but he engaged in sociopathic behavior early on, including the torture and killing of animals, a common childhood practice among nearly half of all serial killers.  During childhood, Kemper was physically and emotionally abused by his alcoholic mother, Clarnell, who was divorced from his father.  Clarnell frequently locked her son in a dark basement alone at night.

Not too surprisingly, Edmund grew up to hate his mother and, at the age of 14, ran away from home in search of his father in Van Nuys, CA. After locating but being rejected by his father, young Edmund was sent to live with his paternal grandmother and grandfather in North Fork, CA.  Kemper claims that his grandmother, similar to his mother, was very abusive and he disliked her intensely.

In 1964, at the age of 15, Edmund shot his grandmother in the head allegedly just to see what it felt like, and then killed his grandfather, too, because he knew that his grandfather would be angry at him for killing his grandmother.  Kemper was committed to the Atascadero State Hospital for the criminally insane.  To his chagrin, he was released into his mother’s care in 1969, after less than five years of confinement and treatment.  His juvenile criminal record was expunged.

As a young adult, Kemper stood six-foot-nine and weighed 280 pounds.  He frequently thought about killing his mother but wasn’t yet ready to pursue that goal.  The prospect of killing his mother without first perfecting his murder skills on others was too overwhelming for Kemper.  So, between May, 1972, and February, 1973, Kemper embarked on a series of six shocking serial murders in which he picked up hitchhiking female students along the highway and then transported them to rural areas where he would kill them, decapitate, and have sex with their corpses.  He collected their dismembered heads in his apartment and would later have sex with them, too.

Like certain other notorious serial killers such as Dennis Rader, who called himself “Bind, Torture, Kill” based on his actual criminal motivations and modus operandi, Ed Kemper sought public recognition and acclaim for his murders.  This led him to befriend, socialize and drink in a bar called “The Jury Room” with the very law enforcement officers who were actually pursuing the man they called “Big Eddie.”

After finally realizing his ultimate fantasy of killing his mother (and her best friend) on Good Friday, 1973, and having sex with her decapitated head, Edmund Kemper confessed what he had done to authorities by telephone.  However, the police initially refused to believe him, thinking that “Big Eddie” was just pulling a prank on them.  After several calls and the disclosure of information that only the killer would know, Kemper finally convinced the police that he was “The Co-ed Killer.”  He was arrested and later charged with eight murders in the first degree.  Kemper was found guilty and given a life sentence because there was a stay on the death penalty in the U.S. at the time of his conviction.

Given his homicidal obsession with his mother, one might wonder if killing her finally exorcised the demons that tormented Edmund Kemper and gave him closure.  Perhaps you can decide for yourself based on his following actual words.  Sometime after his conviction, Kemper was asked allegedly by a Cosmopolitan magazine reporter during a prison interview how he felt when he saw a pretty girl.  He said, “One side of me says, I’d like to talk to her, date her.  The other side says, I wonder how her head would look on a stick.”

What are your reactions to this real life atrocity tale? I’d like to hear from you.

 

Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University in Madison, NJ.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq”and is currently writing a book about the public’s fascination with psychopathic serial killers in reality and fiction. He is @DocBonn on Twitter.

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Everyone has something to offer, even serial killer David Berkowitz the “Son of Sam”

I contend that in his own way David Berkowitz is a contributing member of society behind bars where he will remain for the rest of his natural life.  I have been corresponding regularly with David Berkowitz in prison for some time.  David is a born again Christian who spends most of his time working one-on-one with emotionally disturbed prisoners and also reaching out from his prison cell to comfort physically and emotionally ill people around the world.  He has quite a following.  This is his story.

Better known to the public as Son of Sam, David Berkowitz is an infamous 1970s New York City serial killer who killed six people and wounded several others. He became legendary because of the bizarre letters that he wrote to the police and news media throughout his killings, and due to his explanation for committing the attacks.  He claimed to be driven to kill by messages sent from demons in the form of howling dogs.

David Berkowitz, born June 1, 1953, was the adopted son of Nathan and Pearl Berkowitz. The family lived in a middle-class home in the Bronx. The couple loved their son yet David grew up feeling rejected and scorned because of being adopted.  He was told that his natural mother died while giving birth to him.  This became the source of intense guilt and anger in the young Berkowitz.  Around the neighborhood he developed a reputation for being hyperactive and a bully.

Pearl Berkowitz died in 1967 of breast cancer. David was devastated and became severely depressed.  He viewed his mother’s death as a grand conspiracy that was designed to destroy him.  He began to fail in school and spent most of his time alone. When his father remarried in 1971, his new wife did not get along with the young Berkowitz.  The newly married couple moved to Florida, leaving 18-year-old David behind.

Berkowitz joined the army but after a disastrous three years he left the service. During that time he had his one and only sexual experience with a prostitute and caught a venereal disease. When he returned home from the army, he found out that his natural mother was still alive and that he had a sister. There was a brief reunion but, eventually, David Berkowitz stopped visiting them. His isolation, fantasies, and paranoid delusions progressed into full force and he lost touch with reality.

On Christmas Eve, 1975, Berkowitz’s self-reported demons drove him into the streets with a hunting knife to find a victim to kill. Later he confessed to plunging a knife into two female victims that first night, one of which could not be confirmed.  The second victim, 15-year-old Michelle Forman, survived the attack and was treated for six knife wounds. Soon after the attacks, Berkowitz moved out of the Bronx to Yonkers. It was in his new home that the Son of Sam was born.

Howling dogs in the neighborhood kept Berkowitz from sleeping.  In his troubled mind the howls were messages from demons ordering him to kill women. Berkowitz later said that in an attempt to quiet the demons, he began to do what they ordered.  His neighbor, Sam Carr, had a black Labrador named Harvey that Berkowitz also believed was possessed. He eventually shot Harvey but that did not stop the torment because David believed that Sam Carr was actually Satan.

Throughout his murderous rampage in the summer of 1977, Berkowitz wrote letters to the police and news media, including legendary reporter Jimmy Breslin.  In those letters Berkowitz introduced himself as the Son of Sam and claimed responsibility for his murders.  Berkowitz was caught in August, 1977, due to a chain of events stemming from a parking ticket he received at the time and place of one of his murders.  After being evaluated, it was determined that he was competent to stand trial. He pled not guilty and ultimately received a 365-year prison sentence.

In 1979, Berkowitz was interviewed by legendary FBI profiler, Robert Ressler. Berkowitz told Ressler that he invented the Son of Sam stories so that if ever caught he could persuade the court that he was insane.  He said the real reason he killed was because he felt resentment toward his mother and his failures with women. He found killing the women to be sexually arousing.

Berkowitz is currently housed in Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, New York.  In 1979, there was an attempt on his life.  David refused to identify the person(s) who had attacked him with a knife, but he suggested that the act was in retaliation by a cult he once belonged to.  David bears a permanent scar from the wound that took 52 stitches to close.

In 1987, David became a born again Christian in prison. According to his personal testimony, his moment of conversion occurred after reading Psalm 34:6 from a Gideon’s Pocket Testament Bible given to him by a fellow inmate.  He is now deeply remorseful for his murderous past.  David believes that God has forgiven him for his terrible crimes and he now calls himself the “Son of Hope.”

David has written a memoir titled, Son of Hope: The Prison Journals of David Berkowitz, published by Morning Star Communications.  He receives no money from the publication, and a portion of the proceeds go to the New York State crime victims board for distribution to the victims of his crimes.

David Berkowitz believes that he belongs in prison and has no interest in parole, although he is periodically eligible for review; most recently, earlier this year.  However, David will never be released from prison and he knows it.  He claims that his only desire is to serve God from prison and to ease the suffering of others in any way he can. He knows that he can never undue the harm he has done in this lifetime.

David gets no compensation or incentives for his work with troubled inmates.  He claims that his work with others is the joy of his life.  I believe that David is sincere in his convictions and I can see that he is helping people.  I believe that no one, not even the former Son of Sam, is beyond redemption.  Who is to say that even the worst among us do not have the capacity to do some good?  The Son of Hope is an inspirational story of change and spiritual rebirth.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  Please send me your comments below or email me directly at docbonn1@gmail.com.  Follow me @DocBonn on Twitter.

Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University and a media expert.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq” and is currently writing a book about the public’s fascination with serial killers. 

 

 

 

 

 

Doc Bonn Explains: The Difference Between Serial Killers, Spree Killers and Mass Murderers

Serial killers hold the fascination of the public whether in real crime news accounts of individuals such as Ted Bundy and the “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy or fictional characters such as Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs.” Serial killers seem so purely predatory and unremorseful that the general public simply cannot help but display a macabre interest in them.  Although they account for no more than 2% of the approximately 17,000 homicides in the U.S. annually, serial killers receive a disproportionately high level of media attention due to the incomprehensible savagery of their deeds.

Significantly, serial killers differ from mass murderers and spree killers. A mass murder involves the killing of multiple people at a single location where the victims may be either randomly selected or targeted.  A mass murder often occurs when the perpetrator who is usually deeply troubled suffers a psychotic break from reality and strikes out at his perceived tormentors.  A mass murderer is often killed at the scene of the crime; sometimes by his/her own hand.

A spree killing involves the murder of multiple people at different locations over a short period of time (the maximum duration is usually seven days).  The perpetrator in spree killings often but not always knows his/her victims and frequently targets family members or romantic partners.  There is no emotional cooling off period between murders on the part of the killer.

The most commonly accepted definition of serial killers was created by the FBI, which identifies a serial killer by three criteria:

1. The perpetrator kills at least three people.
2. The murders take place in separate events and locations.
3. The killer has an emotional cooling off period between the murders.

The key distinction between serial killers and mass or spree killers is the emotional cooling off period between murders in which the killer blends back into his/her seemingly normal life. The predator reemerges to strike again when the urge to kill becomes overwhelming. The duration of the cooling off period can vary from weeks to months or even years, and varies by killer. For example, Dennis Rader, a.k.a. “Bind, Torture, Kill” (BTK) confessed to ten murders committed over a span of nearly 30 years upon his capture in 2005.  In between murders, he lived a remarkably normal outward life with a wife and two children.

There is some disagreement over the serial killer definition among experts, mostly about the number of killings required to be a serial killer. There is also debate as to whether organized crime hit-men should be considered serial killers.  Doc Bonn argues that they are not serial killers because their motivation is purely business and their murders fulfill no emotional needs on the part of the killer.

Serial killers are driven to murder by urges and fantasies they may not even comprehend but which are insatiable and undeniable.  Thus, the defining characteristic of serial killers which distinguishes them from other murderers who also have multiple victims is their disappearance from the public eye during an emotional cooling off period and their shocking reemergence when their desire to kill again becomes overwhelming and uncontrollable.

Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Criminology at Drew University and a media expert.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq.”  He is currently writing a book on the public’s fascination with serial killers.  Follow him @DocBonn on Twitter or email him directly at docbonn1@gmail.com.

 

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Was Charles Manson a serial killer? No, says Doc Bonn.

The infamous Charles Manson has once again been denied parole for masterminding the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and several others.  Manson is now 77 years old.  He will be 92 if he lives to see his next scheduled parole hearing.

The diabolical Manson is often incorrectly referred to as a serial killer.  That is simply not an accurate description of his crimes.  According to the FBI, serial murder is “the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events,” with an emotional cooling-off period between the murders. The FBI previously set the number of victims at three, but its Behavioral Analysis Unit lowered that number to two in 2005.

The emotional cooling-off period is the most important factor in determining a serial killer.  Ted Bundy and the “Killer Clown” John Wayne Gacy are good examples. They both slipped back into their seemingly normal lives in between their murders. That’s where the cooling-off period comes into play — their ability to maintain an outward appearance of being completely normal and functioning in society and then, when the urge to kill becomes overwhelming, they strike again.

The misconceptions about Manson began decades ago and continue today.  Manson was leader of the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that he formed in California in the late 1960s. Manson believed in an impending apocalyptic race war, which he termed “Helter Skelter,” after the Beatles’ song of the same name. He orchestrated a series of gruesome murders on consecutive nights in an effort to help precipitate the race war. In 1969, Manson and his followers were convicted in the slaying of actress Sharon Tate and several others. Initially sentenced to death, Manson’s sentence was later commuted to life in prison.

So, if not a serial killer, then what category of killer does Manson fall into?  I contend that the Manson family murders constitute a killing spree.  The Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as “killings at two or more locations with almost no time-break between murders.” The FBI’s general definition of spree killing is two or more murders committed by an offender or offenders without a cooling-off period.

Consistent with a killing spree, the Manson murders involved multiple incidents that took place over a short period of time.  Significantly, there was no emotional cooling-off period. The killing spree was cold-blooded, calculated and planned.  Moreover, Manson and his followers are what are known as “mission killers.”  That is because the Manson family had a specific purpose (i.e., to bring about Helter Skelter) and that purpose led to a killing spree.

However, an argument that Manson never killed anyone persists despite the fact that he was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder for

his role in the killings. Technically, it is true that Manson never murdered anyone himself.  Instead, he ordered his followers to murder for him.  Essentially, his family was doing his bidding when they killed on his behalf and in compliance with his orders.  The court ruled that Manson’s family was an extension of him.  Thus, when they committed murder for him it was the same as if Manson had done it himself.

What are your thoughts on the legacy of Charles Manson and my argument that he is a mission killer who ordered his followers to commit a killing spree on his behalf?  I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic.  Please submit your comments below or email me directly at docbonn1@gmail.com.  Follow me @DocBonn on Twitter.  

 

Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University and a media expert.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq” and is currently writing a book about the public’s fascination with serial killers. 

 

 

Dr. Scott Bonn Writes to Serial Killers

Sociology Professor Shares What He’s Learned From Corresponding With Two Serial Killers

Detailed, hand-written letters recounting the gruesome killings of more than 16 people arrive in two stark-white envelopes at Scott Bonn’s Manhattan apartment once a month.

Bonn, a sociology professor at Drew University, is pen pals with Dennis Rader and David Berkowitz, two notorious serial killers. Both men will die in prison for the crimes they committed.

“I’ll admit I’m both repelled and fascinated at the same time by serial killers,” said Bonn, 55.

Bonn corresponds with the serial killers as research for a book on the media and the public’s fascination with serial killers.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-bonn-writes-to-serial-killers-2012-3#ixzz1qcdnFuic

 

 

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Doc Bonn Explains: The Difference Between a Sociopath and a Psychopath

The study of criminal behavior includes an examination of mental disorders that can contribute to deviant behavior. Sociopathy and psychopathy are terms used in psychology and criminology to refer to two separate groups of people with antisocial personality traits.  Significantly, these conditions are not classified as mental illnesses and they are not official diagnostic terms.  In the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) both sociopathy and psychopathy are listed under the heading of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Many psychiatrists and criminologists use the terms interchangeably. I believe there are important distinctions between them, including their causes or etiology.

Sociopathy and psychopathy share many traits, which is the main source of confusion for differentiating them in psychology and criminology. Traits that sociopaths and psychopaths share include:

• A disregard for laws and social mores
• A disregard for the rights of others
• A failure to feel remorse or guilt
• A tendency to display violent behavior and emotional outbursts

Although there is no consensus among professionals on exactly what differentiates sociopaths from psychopaths, among those who believe each is a separate disorder, there is a list of significant differences. First, sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. Second, they are likely to be uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place. Some sociopaths form attachments to an individual or group, although they have no regard for society in general. In the eyes of others, sociopaths appear clearly disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath tend to be disorganized and spontaneous. Miguel Rivera (“Charlie Chop-off”) is a classic example of a sociopathic and disorganized serial killer, as is Jack the Ripper.

Psychopaths, on the other hand, often have charming and disarming personalities.  They are manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to other unsuspecting people. Psychopaths are often educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature.  An example of such an individual is the serial killer Dennis Rader (“Bind, Torture, Kill”) who had a family, career, civic life and avoided detection for 30 years.

When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail and often have contingency plans in place. Because of the marked difference between the method of crimes committed by sociopaths and psychopaths, the distinction between these disorders is perhaps even more important to criminology than it is to psychology.  That is because psychopathic criminals, unlike sociopathic criminals, commit highly organized crimes often after meticulous planning.  Ted Bundy is a classic example of the psychopathic and organized serial killer.

It is also appears that the etiology of psychopathy and sociopathy is quite different.  It is likely that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment).  According to the late David Lykken, a behavioral geneticist known for his studies on twins, psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more the product of childhood traumas and abuse.

Based on this model, sociopaths are capable of empathy or emotional connection with others but only to specific individuals, such as a family member or friend, and only in specific contexts.  Psychopaths, on the other hand, are simply incapable of empathy and are unable to form real emotional bonds with anyone.  It is the ability of psychopaths to effectively mimic empathy and emotional connection that make them particularly dangerous, unassuming and often highly successful criminals.

Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University and a media expert.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq” and is currently writing a book about the public’s fascination with serial killers. Follow him @DocBonn on Twitter.

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