A Research Paper
A report submitted to JyotiNivas College (Autonomous) in partial fulfilment of
the requirement for the completion of III –BA Communicative English (
Vocational ) Course
For the academic year 2013 – 2014
Submitted by: Rahael Mathew
Register no;11CVO43F
Prepared under the guidance and supervision of Roshan Sylvester
Department of Communicative English
JyotiNivasCollege (Autonomous)
Bangalore -95
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Research Paper
Evaluated by :
1. External Examiner :
Name :
Designationn
Institutional Address:
Signature
2. Internal Examiner :
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Declaration
I declare that the research paper entitled Media, Serial killers – The Two
Way Street is based on the original study undertaken by the subject in the
partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree in Arts
(Vocational) of the JyotiNivas College (Autonomous).
Further this report has not been previously submitted for any award of
any other degree or diploma of the Bangalore University or Institution.
Place
Date
Rahael Mathew
11CVO43F
Institutional certificate
3
On the basis of the self-declaration made by the student and the statement of the
faculty guide supervised with the report, it is certified that the case study is the
result of independent work carried out by RahaelMathew.
Certification of the Guide :
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This is to certify that the research entitled Media ,Crime - Serial killers is based
on the original study undertaken by Rahael Mathew under the guidance and
supervision during the year 2013- 2014 in the partial fulfilment of the award of
the Bachelor’s Degree in Arts ( Vocational ) of JyotiNivas College (
Autonomous )
Further no part of this report has formed the basis for the award of any degree
or diploma of the Bangalore University or Institution
Place
Date
Guide Name \
College
JyotiNivas
( Autonomous )
Acknowledgement
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I would like to thank our principle Dr. Sister Elizabeth for giving me this
opportunity to research this topic of interest . I would like to thank my guide
Roshan Sylvester for being a guiding light in the moments of confusion ,
without his expert guidance and counscelling this research would have not been
made possible . Furthermore I would like to thank the Communicative English
Department on the whole for adding the missing essence of the research .
Contents :
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I)Media
a) History of media reporting crime
b) Glorifying serial killers
II) Serial killers
i) Definition of serial killers
ii) Introduction to serial killers
iii) Characteristics of serial killers
III) Case study 1: Around the world serial killers
a) Jack Ripper – To hell
b) The Zodiac Killer
IV) Case Study 2:
a) Silence of the lambs
V) Media and serial killers – are they interrelated
VI) Conclusion
CHAPTER 1
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Introduction to Media:
Media is a messenger to the masses, it is a medium that reaches to the millions
within seconds. This coverage or reach is diversified and can be in different
forms. These forms of media include the broadcasting media i.e television
transmit, film, radio. The print media refers to magazines, newspapers and
pamphlets. Thomson Garnham said , “that media happens to be one of
modernity’s great accomplishments”. On a large scale it has been the media that
has led to the widespread coverage of cultures and traditional authorities leading
to simultaneously advance the literacy of the public. Having said so, it is
however unfortunate that such a medium has catered to the appetites that
consistently feed on the horrific and sensational. A predominate media event
happens to be serial killing. It is through media that in general most people have
a perception of serial killers and their motives and lives. The desire people find
within themselves to experience a phenomenon that isn’t tangible, results in
characterizing many of our relationships. However the need to connect with the
lives of serial killers through media has become a extreme cause of this
tendency. There is a blurred line between the what films portray these serial
killers as and what they really are face to face. The gory crimes that are
committed by serial killers have slowly lured people to find a sense of
fascination that will leads to fan following. The modern media has in the
process of publishing and broadcasting such details made these criminals close
to celebrities. Cases like Zodiac or BTK are the examples of how media has to
an extend elevated the status of serial killers to that of celebrities. Uncensored
platforms are one of the new places where the masses are relying on for
information pertaining to the murderously malefic part of society. Media has on
the larger scale been the sole reason as to why the general and innocent
curiosity of serial killers and their lives have been turned into a fan following
idolization for most people. However on one hand one may not be able to pin
point the reason for increased number of serial killers to the role of media, it is
necessary that one takes into account the portrayal of these offenders that
remain in some cases effective in elevating the level of a serial killer to that of a
hero.
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a) History of media reporting crime
In the 1980s there was change in the how these crimes were portrayed in
news channels. This was because they lowered their editorial status so as
to come to the level of other media such as the National Enquirer and
Examiner.
At the turn of 20 th century there was a development of Yellow
Journalism which led to crime news being sensationalised and finding a
prominent place in the news . In the old days when crimes were
committed it was seen as horrid and gruesome acts that couldn’t be
accepted in society. This tabloidization lead a impact that was in all
aspects damaging based on the reporting of the crimes. Most of the new
news that seeped into broadcasting consisted of how the criminals
committed such crimes and which of these crimes that could be ranked. If
there was a murder the media frenzy began its faithful duty in heightening
the interest of the viewer by giving more and more details of the crime
and the statistics of the same.
b) Glorifying the serial killers :
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It is not unheard of and is nothing that hasn’t been prevalent for a long
period of time . Glorification of serial killers remains to be a age all
phenomenon. This however began with the media broadcasting films and
Television shows in some form talked about the serial killers of that time.
These broadcasted mediums portrayed the lives of serial killers and the gory
details of the crime they had committed.
In the long run we see how these films and shows have introduced a new
awakening among the people urging them to connect with the serial killers
while feeling sympathy for them and also a sense of attraction . Most of
people are said to get a high knowing that they are in a room where a serial
killer is lurking. A recent study conducted showed that a few people secretly
wished they had been a victim to a serial killer or in majority of the cases
the serial killer themselves . The true dynamics of a serial killer is never
portrayed accurately. This is due to the fact that 90 per cent of the serial
killers are storylines portrayed which are portrayed in a different manner .
These storylines for films are based on instilling a desire to interest
audiences and present feelings of a catharsis among the viewers . Through
popular movies and crime news accounts of various individuals to the likes
of Ted Bundy serial killer who are seen as predatory and unremorseful
heightening the fascination of the public . Instances of this can be seen in
movies like ‘ Silence of the Lambs ‘ and ‘ Kill Bill’ .
The false impressions surrounding serial killers is compounded by the ‘
Talking Heads Phenomenon’ . These authorities seem to appear either on
print media or the broadcasting media with different information pertaining
to the lives of the serial killers and their characteristics and motives for the
crimes that they committed. Unfortunately most of these cases are based on
information gathered from unreliable resources. Which invariably leads to
inappropriate comments that create misconceptions concerning the serial
murders. The people watching are also under these false impressions and
thus not able to truly see the dimensions of a serial killer.
In the long run , serial killers are transformed into heroes and stereotyped
accordingly , tagging the media responsible for the glorification of serial
killers .
CHAPTER 2
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Part i)
Serial Killer – The definition
A event that is extremely rare yet is prominent in our society is the presence of a
serial killer . They however only comprise to be a meagre one per cent of all the
ruthless crimes of murder that takes place around the world . This topic
however remains to be a part of movies , books , articles and researches having
exceeded its scope . It was in the 1880s when this public fascination took a
strong stand after the world was a witness to countless unsolved murders of
prostitutes that took place in London . The general public however are familiar
with the mundane version of a serial killer that they are so often exposed to in
film productions and mystery novels. However the people who connected with
such stereotyping fail to notice that these productions are created to capture the
interest of the audience other than to portray the actual representation of the
same.
In general most of the serial killings or the mass murders are said to be
described as a certain specific number maybe 3 or more murders that were
occurring at the same time of the particular event , having none or less time
period between the commitment of the murders. These murders were said to be
done in a particular location where the killer is said to have previously
murdered other victims as well .Example : The San Ysidro McDonalds incident
that took place in San Diego as well as the Luby's Restaurant massacre that took
place in 1991 in Texas and in 2007 the Virgina Tech murders in Virgina
Definitions that have been doing the rounds in the fields of research ,
enforcement and academia deem to incomplete based on certain requirements
like the aspects of the murder , the motivation for the murder and the number of
murders that took place. Luckily Serial Murder Symposium came into the
picture and examined serial murders while taking into account the previous
discrepancies. The Symposium agreed on factors that ought to be added to the
definitions , these being : The space between each murder conducted , the time
and place of the murder , whether there were one or more offenders and more
than two murder victims. Finally the definition of serial killers came into being " The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s) in
separate events “
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Part ii)
Serial Killers – The Introduction
Most formerly known as the 'evil monsters ' in Robert Resseler 's book
'Whoever fights Monsters' and 'Speaking with the devil' by Carl Goldberg.
Serial Killers lack a conscience , care for the pleasures in life , feel absolutely
no remorse and thus lacks the sheer feeling of empathy to the sufferings of one
's victim. A serial killer is a person who kills in order to sustain the
psychological urge within him to do so . The killing of victims include more
than 2 to 5 people at random. There is sometimes a gap between the murders
which is called the cooling off period , after which the killer strikes again .
A few famous serial killers who were known for their ruthlessness :
 Theodore Robert : ‘Ted’ - American serial killer who murdered numerous
,raped and also kidnapped and assaulted many
 David and Catherine Birnie – Known as the ‘ Moorhouse Murders’ . This
couple from Perth Australia killed four women.
 Marcel Petriot – was a doctor who from France who killed 63 would be
refuges.
 Charles Sobhraj – from south east Asia killed 12 western tourists
Of course there are the 3 most horrifying serial killers who are not convicted
and still free .This however supposedly took place due to certain loopholes that
were present in the legal system .
 Nikolai Dzhumagaliev - He is the closest to Hannible Lecter as anyone to
get . Nikolai known as the "Metal Fang" due to his half metal teeth . He is
said to have killed about 7 women whose bodies he served as food to a
few of his friends. However despite this Nikolai escaped the mental
institution he was placed in and the government decided that 10 years of
rehabilitation was more than required and he was set free.
 Pedro Lopez- A south American Killer who confessed crimes directly to
the authorities who failed to believe his story until it was backed up by
the discovery of a grave containing all his victims, a mass grave which
had a total of 300 girls from Peru , Columbia and Ecuador. However
apparently Ecuador has no life penalty and he was set free after 20 years
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 Issei Sagawa - studying literature in Sobornne academy In Paris invited a
fellow Dutch student for a innocent poetry reading during which he shot
her and consumed her body as well . He was placed in a asylum, post
which his father arranged for his transfer to a Japanese Institution. After
15 months in the asylum he is free and living a peaceful life in Tokyo .
Part iii)
Characteristics of a serial killer :
The killer uses violence as a form to fulfil needs no matter how reprehensible
they may be . Literally a serial killer is used interchangeably with anti-social
disorder and psychopaths. In this context the word psychopath was
recommended for use by psychiatrists to pin point the syndrome or disorder of
the character which involves traits like impulsive , selfless disregard of the
people around them by being reckless. They are concerned with the
management of impression. The acts of psychopath involve actions like murder
, rape and torture . However a serial killer or a psychopath is capable of being
able to lure victims with both elegance and charm. They may appear to be
incapable of anything violent and appear to be a truly innocent person.
For Example :
1) A 34 year old man from Baton Rouge raped and murdered a number of
women in particular colony, Derrick Lee was one serial killer who remained on
the loose for a long time because he was able to blend in socially. He was
known to be 'friendly' and 'charming' . Thus a preacher who lead the Bible
study group turned out to be a serial killer.
02) In 2004 48 prostitutes in Washington State were put to their deaths by a
certain Mr. Gary Ridgway who came to be known as the Green River Killer.
This particular man was scene at all the 48 crime scenes in tow with his son ,
portraying himself as a 'fatherly figure' .
Serial Killers are known to target absolute strangers . This however makes the
work of a criminal psychologist more difficult as there will have no basis to
challenge the motivation or the relationships involved . A psychological
facilitator being known as the Compartmentalization helps the serial killers to
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neutralize or numb the feelings of guilt . Thus saying that serial killers lack
warmth and concern may not be accurate. Compartmentalization refers to the
process of segregating the people around them into two categories the one that
involves their family and close ones and the one that consists all the people they
don’tknow . This enables serial killers to kill with total disregard for the feelings
of their victims.
For example:
A man by the name of Kenneth Bianchi famously known as the hillside
strangler who brutally killed 12 women.This man happened to place the world
into two camps: the first consisting of all the women he so ruthlessly murdered
and the other which consisted of his mother,cousin Angelo and his wife.
Most importantly most of the serial killers could not accept that the killing that
was sheer delight and brought them a distinct happiness. We see this in the case
of the Hillside Strangler who claimed that ' Killing a Broad ' meant nothing to
him. When ' killing a broad' actually meant everything in the world to him
Even though serial Killers in their shell commit violent crimes against the
innocent people, they may not differ from normal people who are lead to
believe. Serial Killers are mostly stereotyped to being loners who live alone and
are reclusive. However this does not hold true as they are the people who are
easily accepted in the society around them . They remain to be in clear view and
sometimes even a prominent person overlooking the crime scene . They are
mostly successfully well off financially with decent jobs , having loving
families living in close proximity to them . This is why nine out of one time
they are not recognized as serial killers by the law enforcement department.
Chapter 3
Methodology
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Case Study 1 –Jack Ripper
Jack ripper remains to be the unidentified serial killer in the poverty stricken
areas that consisted of the Whitechapel district of London. The original name of
Jack Ripper remains to be a mystery . A letter signed by the name of Jack
Ripper reached the London authorities , this letter was apparently written by the
murderer . However there is speculation that this hoax letter was sent by a
person from the media . Thus enabling the media to be able to increase the
interest of the general public . For the greater part of the investigation the files
of media journalist and crime case files the name of the murderer was restricted
to either ‘ Leather Apron’ and ‘ The Whitechapel Murderer’.
This so called Jack Ripper offences involved the murders of several female
prostitutes who wandered the streets of London . The victims were found with
their throats slit open and their abdominal parts mutilated . Some of the victims
happen to have internal organs that were missing . These dynamics led to the
belief that Jack Ripper did have prior knowledge of anatomical surgery . It was
in September of 1888 that the murders were finally connected after several
letters from Jack Ripper came to the surface in Scotland Yard .A famous titled
letter ‘ From Hell’ was received by the Vigilance Committee George Lusk .
This letter contained along with it a package containing a preserved kidney .
These brutal murders and the violent gruesome character of Jack Ripper led to
the media treating these convictions with intensified coverage .Which invariably
led to the masses becoming increasingly interested in these murders.
International notoriety on Ripper was due because of the extensive newspaper
coverage. Even though a new investigation in 1891 was conducted there was no
evidence that the same killings that happened in Whitechapel were the same .
However this did not stop the case of Jack Ripper from solidifying. It was
because these murders that went unsolved, legends of Jack Ripper was
established and there was a combination of historical research and folklore.
‘Ripperology’ was a new term coined to understand the phenomenon of the
Ripper case. It is claimed that the Ripper murders remained to become a clear
watermark in the treatment that the media developed over crime. Even though
Jack Ripper was not the first of the serial killers in history it remained to create
a strong and lasting media frenzy. With the tax reforms in the 1850 s coming
into the picture earlier on, there were a lot of newspapers that were printed on
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large scale and small scale. These newspapers hurdled the Ripper Case into the
limelight.
Media
The movie – “From Hell”
From Hell is Mystery Horror Film in America which was directed by Hughes
Brothers . The main plot line was sparing based on the novel of Alan Moore and
Eddie Campbell and the Jack Ripper Murders. This Film is quite close to the
true incidents that took place in Jack Ripper cases but in real life Ripper was
never caught and remained to be lurking . The name From Hell was taken from
the titled letter that was also called the ‘ Lusk Letter’ named after the recipient .
These fake letters were the only communication between the actual killer and
Scotland Yard . The name of the film ‘ From Hell’ was taken from the titled
letters that were sent to a certain Mr. Lusk from the Vigilance Committee in
Scotland Yard . Unlike the movie where Jack Ripper is caught in the end , Jack
Ripper remained in real life to anonymous. The film crossed a
$74,558,115worldwide and domestically earned $31,602,566.
b)Zodiac Killer
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In the late 1960 s and 1970’s a serial killer went rampant in Northern California.
The identity of this serial killer remains till this date a mystery. The victims
were not connected in any way, they were murdered at different locations like
San Francisco,Vallejo and Benicia. The victims were four men and three
women . The name ‘zodiac killer’ was derived from the result letters that were
sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters were in every form taunting in
nature .The letters sent contained a total of four cryptograms however only one
of them were fully solved and understood .
Media –
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Zodiac Killers
The case of the zodiac killer was one of the most published cases in the history
of US. The letters that were sent to the authorities dealing with the crime cases
were also sent to the newspapers. The newspapers that received these letters
were The Chronicle and Times Herald . This in turn demanded publicity of the
same. As per the sample of the letter that the serial killer sent – “ If I do not see
this note in your paper I will do something nasty” . This shows that the serial
killer was aiming to create a media frenzy and make headlines in the daily .Over
a period of time the officials who were registered for the course closed the file
and moved on . However the heighten interest of the audiences and masses were
fed by the broadcasting of the media.
Even though the officials at the press gave up the case , many other
organizations devoted their time to finding out more about the zodiac killer.
Countless number of television channels featured stories on this case after it was
closed. The fascination of the masses were fuelled by two movies that were
based on the zodiac killer.
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Chapter IV
Case Study 2 :
Silence of the lambs :
In 1991 the film Silence of the Lambs shows the point of view of a FBI
detective who is on the trail of a serial killer who happens to be at large
skinning and butchering his victims. In order understand the motives of the
killer, this detective has to first understand the inner workings of a imprisoned
psychopath . Who constantly leads her into a game of cat and mouse. The case
portrayed in this film are in all context not pertaining to one serial killer, but to
a number of serial killers all rolled into one. Unlike the other horror movie
counterparts , the Silence of Lambs covers serial killers and their lives along
with the characterized motives for their offences . It is noted that in 2001 , the
ABC channel came up with special air time that dealt with nominations of some
of the greatest films of our times. The countdown for the same was conducted
on the basis of a poll by the People’s magazine . The No .1 Best Suspense /
Thriller went to Silence of the Lambs and the Greatest Film Character 4 th place
went to Hannibal Lector. Furthermore the film was listed as one of the greatest
films in the past 100 years by the American Film Institute. This shows the
obsession that the common masses have for serial killers . The more gruesome
and vindictive the more the media covers the events and the more the people
quench their thirst for it. It is through these portrayals that people come face to
face with knowing a tad more about the killers and becoming increasingly
familiar with their lives. This is in the long run not appropriate owing to the fact
that these serial killers become heroes overnight . Television shows , films ,
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newspaper articles and blogs continue to retell the stories of these serial killers
again and again .
Chapter V
MEDIA AND SERIAL KILLERS : are they interrelated ?
The Author of the book “Viewer Discretion Advised : Taking Control of Mass
Media Influences ” was written by Dr.Mcall. As a professor of communication ,
he remains to be one of the most renowned professionals who are called upon to
answer questions that are related to media . In this book he comments upon the
media’s role in conforming to the publicity of crimes .
"It seems to me that these kinds of creepy and graphic shows are of more
interest to the creative community than to the general audience. In that
sense, it is the television producers projecting an entertainment agenda on
to the audience. That's not to say that these shows can't generate a bit of
an audience and a bit of buzz for a while, but most TV viewers just won't
want to watch such dark and bizarre shows on a weekly basis. Real life is
confusing and bizarre enough without us viewers having to absorb
creepiness in our 'entertainment. "
In 1986 the Wichita Police in Braudy came across a serial killer who in fact had
a complaint that he proposed to the authorities with convictions . The complaint
is as follows :“How many times do I have to kill before I get a name in the
paper or some national attention?” .
The relationship of a serial killer and the media is like two sides of the same
coin. Even though media seems to evade this proposition , it is quite relevant
that the media and serial killers in some way do take care of one another. Both
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of them being responsible for impacting their society in their own way
respectively.
Dr Mcall doesn’t seem to see reason how media coverage has in any way
instilled a sense of fascination among the people. His argument remains that
people have on a daily basis in their lives a sense of darkness and hopelessness .
1
In this sense there seems no apparent need for the masses to be interested in the
gory details of the serial killers. On the other hand we see the apparent need of a
serial killer to be recognised by society and the only way in which he can attain
this is by being a public spectacle thorough his gory , vindictive and cold
blooded offences .
Mcall – Professor of media studies – Orange county register.
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Conclusion
The result of this research is to provide a in depth understanding of not the
terminology of a serial killer or a criminal psychology but to see how media has
been a tool that has either spurred serial killers or has created a interest in serial
killing . Most serial killers are know to find the urge to dominate or spur
attention to themselves. They wish that the people around are aware of their
individuality and sense their dominance and power. Considering this , media
seems to be the catalyst that fuels this need of attention , power and dominance
of serial killers. In some cases there was sensational headlines like for example :
‘ The Green River Killer outsmarts the police’.
The amount of information , profiles, blogs ,researches , websites based on
serial killers is as equivalent to a library for all the aspiring serial killers to refer
to . The question arises here , owing to the fact that the media is influential it
remains to be one source that people blindly believe in . Considering this , is the
media helping in some small way to create new and more serial killers .
One of the predominate media events remains to be serial killing . Serial killing
happens to be a rare crime and this is because people do not have a first hand
experience of the same . The Zodiac Killer infact used the media as a weapon to
taunt the police. Media on the whole definitely understands the effects of
portraying the violence and morbidity of the situation but it is in many cases not
applicable . There is sometimes a exaggerated coverage of murders and serial
killer which enables the masses to become familiar with the lives and the
characteristics of serial killers. Serial killers are in the first place previously
unknown to the society until they commit the offence. Post which they are
brought under the limelight and are to some level hero worshipped.
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In conclusion after a clear analytical understanding of these terms and statistics
it can be concluded that though media has its effect on the people it doesn’t not
create a media effect that will urge the people to adhere to what they are
exposed to and in turn become serial killers just because they are exposed to it.
The influence of the media however is to create a framework and basic cultural
context for the characteristics and operations of the serial killing.
Bibliography
Books:
1. Crime, Justice and the Media by Ian Marsh, Gaynor Melville
2. Criminal Psychology: A Beginner's Guide (Beginner's GuidesPaperback)
by Ray Bull.
3. Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology (Paperback) by Dr
Dennis Howitt
4.Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions (BPS Textbooks
in Psychology) (Paperback) by Graham M. Davies
5.Media and Crime By Yvonne Jewkes
6.Crime, culture and the media - EamonnCarrabine
7.Media and Criminal Justice: The CSI Effect By Dennis Stevens
Internet sources :
http://murderpedia.org/female.M/m/mallika.htm
http://criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Serial_Killer
http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/academic/ddl/viol_cr/files/readings/reading22.pdf
http://investigation.discovery.com/murders
http://www.academia.edu/1470327/Crime_media_and_fear_of_crime
http://wesscholar.wesleyan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1928&context=etd_
hon_theses
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http://www.serialkillerchronicles.com/killersP1.htm
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/zodiac/2.html
http://www.zodiackillerciphers.com/?p=190
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/media_crime.htm
http://www.thecrimereport.org/
Quotes :
- Harold Schechter and Everitt David in their book ' The A-Z Encyclopedia of
serial killers
- Kelleher & Kelleher (1998)
- Eric Hickrey -Serial Murderers and their Victims
- Damon Muller - 'Real Science or Just Wishful Thinking '
- Holmes and Holmes – criminal profiling
- Robert Resseler 's book Whoever fights Monsters
- Speaking with the devil by Carl Goldberg
- Dr .Mcall – communications professor
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Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1999.
 Sidoti, Francesco. “Investigation, Media, Violence.” International
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 Signorielli, Nancy and George Gerbner. Violence and Terror in Mass
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York; 1988.
 Gibson, Dirk C. "B.T.K Strangler Versus Wichita Police Department:
The Significance of Serial Murder Media Relations." Public Relations
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 Haggerty, Kevin D. “Modern Serial Killers.” Crime Media Culture.
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