TO KILL AGAIN The Motivation and Development of Serial Murder.

Hardback, 1st US edn. The serial murderer could be somebody who lives in your street. He usually presents to the public the persona of a successful, well-established individual, the quiet man next door, or the affable co-worker. He attracts no special attention and is the last person anyone would suspect of committing a horrible crime. Yet underneath that benign appearance lies an individual driven to kill - again and again. Serial killers ply their murderous trade over periods ranging from weeks to years; at least one individual is known to have taken more than 100 lives. They often operate without apparent motive, preferring to kill their victims through strangulation, clubbing, or knifing. What motivates a person to commit repeated acts of such atrocity? Is there anything society can do to prevent this kind of crime from occurring in the future? In this book, the author first studies the backgrounds of 2 well-known killers: Theodore Bundy and John Gacy. Comparing these 2 men with other serial murderers, he draws a profile of their common characteristics. He then discusses the psychological, sociological, and biological factors that contribute to the development of a serial killer, finally proposing the "catathymic crisis" theory, first set forth by Dr. Frederic Wertham, as the key to understanding the motivations of this criminal type. With the insight gained from his investigation, the author offers trenchant proposals on how society can prevent serial murder. Features : Henry Lee Lucas, David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam"), Albert DeSalvo ("the Boston Strangler"), and Kenneth Bianchi ("the Hillside Strangler"). With Bibliography and Index. 175pp. 8vo. h/back. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. in F. dw.