Episode 005: Power/Control, Hedonistic, Mission-Oriented, Visionary

on November 26, 2010 in Law Enforcement, Podcast Episodes, Psychology, Serial Killers by Brian Combs

Tags: Coral Watts, David Berkowitz, Dorothea Puente, Ed Gein, H. H. Holmes, Hedonistic, Herbert Mullin, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Joseph P. Franklin, Kenneth Bianchi, Mission-Oriented, Power-Control, Richard Cottingham, Ted Bundy, Ted Kaczynski, Visionary, Zodiac Killer

Ronald M. Holmes and James Deburger developed a system for categorizing serial murderers in 1998. Stephan T. Holmes joined them in developing later versions. The system is now referred to as the Holmes Typology. It was based upon the analysis of case material and interviews from 110 serial murders. Their typology looks to categorize serial killers by motivation. They eventually settled on four categories:

• Power/Control
• Hedonistic
• Mission-Oriented
• Visionary

Serial Killers Mentioned: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, H. H. Holmes, Dorothea Puente, Kenneth Bianchi, Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Zodiac Killer, Richard Cottingham, Coral Watts, Ted Kaczynski, Joseph P. Franklin, David Berkowitz, Herbert Mullin

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Sources:
Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters by Peter Vronsky
The Organized/Disorganized Topology of Serial Murder: Myth or Model? by David V. Canter, Laurence J. Allison, Emily Alison, and Natalia Wintink in Psychology, Public Policy and Law
“Serial Killers and Serial Rapists: Preliminary Comparison of Violence Typologies” by Stacey L Shipley and Bruce A. Arrigo
An empirical test of Holmes and Holmes serial murder typology by David V. Canter in Criminal Justice and Behavior