Let us move on with the myth that surrounds serial killers. In this section you can download the vocabulary of the first unit.

Serial killers have long been in the center of attention. Popular movies, such as Silence of the Lambs or Se7en have ignited the interest of the public, almost making people look at serial killers in awe. The frightening reality of these killers have produced vast researches and literature where experts and psychologists have tried to decode what lies in the minds of serial killers. While there isn’t a final answer yet, there are some characteristics, which they share. For example, the very definition of a serial killer is somebody who commits a series of three or more unlawful killings in separate events. So, what else do they have in common?
Serial killers work in a timeline - after they kill, there is a cooling off period, which can take years. It means that they wait for their next victim. They also have their own modus operandi, that is, they have a particular method of their horrendous acts. For example, the infamous American serial killer, Dennis Rader calls himself the "BTK Killer”. These letters refer to his modus operandi - Bind, Torture and Kill - the way he committed his killings.

Some have signatures - these target psychological gratification of some sort or sending messages. Signatures are not essential for the murders, they only serve ritualistic purposes. For example, the positioning of the body in a certain manner, or serial killers put different objects on the victims’ body.
While these are general beliefs, there are certainly myths that linger around serial killers. Eric W. Hickey, the Dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University collect some of these myths.
He claims that it is not true that all serial killer are white, in fact, every fifth killer is black. The same goes for the next misconception that is, all are male. Hickey suggests that 16% are female, think of Aileen Wuornos or Rosemary West. Do they kill dozens of victims alone? The answer is no: usually, they have fewer than 10 body counts and every fourth has a helper. It is also untrue that they want the police to catch them: as the number of the successful killings grow they become more confident.