Childhood Characteristics Of Serial Killers

Research has revealed various behaviors shared amongst serial killers throughout their childhood and adults lives. More specifically, the psychopathological triad explains a combination of three childhood characteristics of many serial killers (Chalmers, 2009). These characteristics include enuresis, pyromania, and animal torture. Although these characteristics may exist throughout one’s childhood, they are simply red flags and do not necessarily mean an individual will, in fact, become a serial killer. Enuresis, or bed-wetting, is not an alarming phenomenon, and is extremely common amongst children in preschool and under the age of seven (Chalmers, 2009). However, bed-wetting becomes problematic when it persists throughout teenage years, and is often the result of deeper emotional disturbances (Henson, 2016). According to an FBI report, 60% of sexually motivated serial killers experience bed-wetting well into their adolescent years (Chalmers, 2009). For example, teen killer, Todd Rizzo, admitted “ I wet the bed from birth until tenth grade”, he continued by saying “ I know it was out of my control but sometimes I let it happen when I could easily get up and walk to the toilet” (Chalmers, 2009, p. 134). Another serial
This practice often begins at a young age, and many serial killers have been noted for being juvenile arsonist. David Berkowitz, also known as, the “Son of Sam”, confessed to more than fourteen hundred acts of arson, and was so infatuated with fire setting that he obtained the nickname “Pyro” by many of his peers (Chalmers, 2009). Carl Gary, the “ Stocking Strangler”, and Henry Lee Lucus were also juvenile arsonist. Gary burned down a grocery store during his teens, and Lucus was setting fires to abandoned homes throughout his neighborhood by the age of six (Chalmers,