Criminologist David Wilson has broken down what actually drives people to commit murder after interviewing hundreds of killers throughout his career.
Wilson, a professor of criminology who has sat down with “hundreds of murderers,” laid out his findings in an episode of the outlet’s Explainer for a Stranger. He identified four distinct motivational categories that explain why killers do what they do, ranging from psychological power trips to delusional missions.
“Serial killers are a long time in the making and often the roots of why they will behave in this way are determined by events in their past,” Wilson said during the episode. “And again, when one speaks with serial killers, as I’ve done, it’s often about asking them about their childhood, about their relationship with their parents, about their relationship with peers.”
Wilson believes there is “usually something in their background” that may predict they will become a serial killer, alongside certain “events and tryouts” before they actually kill someone.
“Psychologically, they enjoy the power, they enjoy the control that they have over people, and the ultimate form of power and control is to take someone’s life. So there are some serial killers that are motivated in that way,” he said.
However, not all killers are driven by dominance. Wilson explained that some operate on what he calls a “self-appointed mission.”
“For whatever reason, they want to rid the country of sex workers because ‘what sex workers do is immoral’. So they want to rid the world of sex workers. So there’s a kind of mission orientated serial killer that appears in reality,” he said.
Rex Heuermann, the Gilgo Beach serial killer, stands as one example of this type. Heuermann, 60, was sentenced to three life terms in prison in June after pleading guilty to murdering eight sex workers between 1993 and 2010.
Wilson also pointed to “hedonistic” killers who “enjoy the sexual thrill of taking another person’s life,” as well as those suffering from severe mental health issues.
“And then you’ve got serial killers who hear voices and see visions and they are obviously dealing with underlying mental health issues,” he added.
Beyond the psychology of perpetrators, Wilson delivered stark statistics about who faces the greatest danger. Males between ages 16 and 24 are at “greatest risk of being murdered,” he stated. That same demographic is also more likely to commit homicide.
“Murder really is a young mans business,” Wilson said. “Nine out of 10 perpetrators of murder are male, but what’s less often appreciated is that seven out of 10 of the victims of murder are also male.”
The setting for these crimes also defies common assumptions. Wilson noted that people are more likely to be murdered in their own home than in any public space, with one room standing out as particularly deadly.
“Different rooms of the home are used by different murderers in different ways,” Wilson said, before revealing that the kitchen is the room “where you’re most likely to be murdered.”
The United States records approximately 14,000 to 20,000 murders annually, averaging around 40 murders per day.
The full Explainer for a Stranger episode featuring Wilson is available through the outlet’s platforms.