Possible Serial Killer Hunting Suburbs of Paris
on April 6, 2012 in Unsubs by Brian CombsFour people in the suburbs of Paris have been killed with the same gun since November 2011, sparking fears that a serial killer is on the prowl.
A 35-year-old lab assistant was shot and killed in her building in Gringny on November 27. A man who claimed to be her ex-boyfriend confessed to the crime, but later recanted.
He was in jail when a 52-year-old man was murdered on February 22, in the same building, and using the same gun.
On March 19, and 81-year-old man in the Ris-Orangis neighborhood was killed by a gun of the same caliber as the others. It hasn’t been definitively linked, but seems to be part of the same series.
Most recently, a 47-year-old woman was killed near her home in Essonne yesterday (April 5th).
A source told the AFP that all four killings had been committed with the same weapon by ballistics.
And all the victims were killed by a gunman on a motorbike. This, or course, brings to mind the Islamist extremist who killed seven people in southern France last month.
This current series has none of the political and religious motives that case had. In addition, I feel the attacks last month are more properly classified as a spree killing, not serial murder.
Looking at the dates of these killings, there seems to be a larger gap between the first and second killings than the second, third and fourth. Does this suggest an escalation or a missing murder?
Probably an escalation, although it’s impossible to say there’s not a missing murder. A long gap between first and second is very common, actually.
Thanks, that’s interesting about the gap between first and second killings.
I was going to say, there seems to be a remarkably short cool down period between the murders… so I’d tend to agree it really should be a spree killing, but then, is a cool down period of any sort regular in spree murder?
Well, “cool down period” isn’t really defined in the literature. It seems to be a “I know it when I see it” sort of thing.
What this latest series in Paris shows is the classic shortening of the cycle. The first cycle is long, then they get progressively shorter. Murder becomes the offender’s drug, and he needs it more and more often.
This one doesn’t have the political feel that the shootings by the Islamic extremist did last month. Given the info we have so far, it feels more random, more like a thrill killer.
Going by the short cool down periods, the next one could happen at any time, if it hasn’t already…
Yes, it could happen any time, based upon his previous cycle. I doubt it’s happened yet, as we’d certainly hear about it quickly.
[Being only semi serious]
I reckon the longer cooldown period between one and two is due to the killer (unless they’re madder and less controlled than a bag of snakes going:
“I did it. Did I get away with it? Panic/stress/panic…read every newspaper and watch every newscast… panic…wait … exert self-control… wait… stressstressstress….ahgodammit I can’t hold it in anymore….”
If they get away with the second murder they probably feel more confident in their ‘abilities’ to get away with such…
Depending upon the offenders motivations, your scenario could be fairly accurate, actually.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, John.