Few terms in modern criminology spark as much fear, fascination, and curiosity as “serial killer.” The phrase brings to mind infamous figures like Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy, or Jeffrey Dahmer. But the concept of a person who kills repeatedly, often with a specific psychological pattern, is not as modern as it might seem.
This article explores the historical roots, evolution, and popularization of the concept, tracing its path from early cases in history to its adoption in criminology and media. By the end, you’ll understand not just who coined the term “serial killer,” but also why this way of thinking about violent crime became so important.
⚖️ Before the Term: Serial Killers in Ancient and Medieval History
Although the phrase “serial killer” is modern, the phenomenon itself has existed for centuries. Historical records suggest that individuals who murdered repeatedly, often driven by compulsion or ritual, lived long before criminology gave them a label.
Ancient Examples
- Locusta of Gaul (1st century CE): A notorious poisoner in Ancient Rome, Locusta supplied deadly potions for Emperor Nero. While motivated by power rather than compulsion, her repeated killings hint at serial behavior.
- Juvayni’s Accounts of the Assassins (12th century): The Nizari Ismaili sect, sometimes called the Assassins, carried out targeted killings across the Middle East. Though political in nature, their reputation blurred the line between organized assassination and compulsive killing.
Medieval Figures
- Gilles de Rais (1405–1440): A French nobleman and former companion of Joan of Arc, Gilles de Rais is often cited as one of the first “classic” serial killers. He was accused of murdering dozens, perhaps hundreds, of children in acts that combined violence, ritual, and sexual compulsion.
- Elizabeth Báthory (1560–1614): Known as the “Blood Countess” of Hungary, she allegedly tortured and killed young women, though historians debate the scale of her crimes.
👉 These early cases show that societies have long struggled to make sense of repeated, patterned killing. However, they lacked the language and psychological framework that criminology would later provide.
🧠 The Birth of Criminology and the Study of Repeated Killings
The 19th century brought new approaches to understanding crime. As psychology and criminology developed, scholars began to analyze patterns of behavior rather than seeing each murder as an isolated act.
Early Criminological Thought
- Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909): The Italian criminologist argued that some individuals were “born criminals,” identifiable by physical traits. Though discredited today, Lombroso’s theories helped spark interest in identifying specific criminal types.
- Jack the Ripper (1888): The brutal murders in London’s Whitechapel district highlighted the terror caused by an unknown figure who killed repeatedly, taunted police, and created widespread panic. The case introduced the public to the idea of a single individual responsible for multiple, connected murders.
By the late 19th century, newspapers and police forces were already describing killers like Jack the Ripper as belonging to a distinct category of murderer, though the precise terminology was still missing.
The German Roots of the Term “Serial Murder”
The earliest direct ancestor of the phrase “serial killer” comes from Germany.
- In the 1930s, German police and criminologists used the term “Serienmörder” (serial murderer) to describe offenders who killed multiple people over time, with pauses between their crimes.
- The concept distinguished these killers from mass murderers (who kill many people at once) and spree killers (who kill in a short period without cooling-off intervals).
This linguistic development was crucial—it introduced the idea that repetition and the psychological compulsion behind it made such killers a unique category.
Popularization in the United States: The FBI and Robert Ressler
The modern English term “serial killer” emerged in the 1970s in the United States, largely due to the work of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit.
Robert Ressler and the FBI
- Robert Ressler (1937–2013): An FBI agent and criminologist, Ressler is widely credited with popularizing the term “serial killer” in English.
- He drew inspiration from the German Serienmörder and used the phrase to describe American offenders like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy.
- Ressler’s interviews with imprisoned killers revealed patterns of compulsion, ritual, and psychological gratification.
The FBI’s Profiling Program
In the 1970s and 1980s, the FBI launched efforts to profile serial offenders. Ressler and his colleagues emphasized key characteristics:
- Multiple murders (usually three or more).
- A psychological “cooling-off period” between killings.
- Crimes often driven by fantasy, compulsion, or gratification.
This framework shaped modern law enforcement’s understanding of serial murder.
📰 Media, Pop Culture, and the Rise of the “Serial Killer”
Once the FBI began using the term, it quickly spread into popular culture.
True Crime and Journalism
- Journalists eagerly adopted the phrase in the 1970s and 1980s, especially during high-profile cases.
- Media fascination with the psychology of killers transformed them into dark celebrities.
Literature and Film
- Novels and films such as The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Seven (1995) dramatized the concept of the serial killer as a brilliant but disturbed figure.
- True crime books, including those by John Douglas and Robert Ressler, popularized the FBI’s findings for general audiences.
👉 By the late 20th century, “serial killer” was not just a criminological category—it was a cultural phenomenon.
🔍 Defining Characteristics of Serial Killers
Today, criminologists generally define serial killers as offenders who:
- Commit at least three separate murders.
- Kill over a span of time, with cooling-off periods in between.
- Are motivated by psychological gratification, whether sexual, emotional, or ideological.
This distinguishes them from:
- Mass murderers (who kill many at once, like in a bombing or shooting).
- Spree killers (who kill in quick succession without breaks).
The focus on psychology—rather than just numbers—makes the category distinct.
📉 Criticisms and Debates Around the Concept
While the term “serial killer” is powerful, some scholars caution against overuse.
- Media Sensationalism: The label often glamorizes killers, overshadowing victims.
- Vague Boundaries: Some argue that the distinction between spree and serial killing is not always clear.
- Cultural Bias: The concept is strongly shaped by Western criminology and may not fully apply to all cultures or historical contexts.
Despite these criticisms, the term remains central to criminology, law enforcement, and public understanding of crime.
🌍 Global Perspective: Serial Killing Beyond the West
Though coined in the West, the concept applies globally.
- Pedro López (“Monster of the Andes”): Convicted of killing over 100 young girls across Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in the 1970s.
- Thuggee Cult in India: A secret society that strangled and robbed travelers for centuries, often described retrospectively as serial murder.
- African Ritual Killings: Certain cases in 20th-century Africa involved repeated ritual killings, complicating the definition of serial crime.
This shows that while the term “serial killer” is modern, the behaviors it describes are universal.
📝 Conclusion
The concept of the serial killer has a long and fascinating evolution.
- Ancient and medieval societies witnessed repeated killers but lacked the framework to define them.
- In the 19th century, criminology began identifying patterns, with cases like Jack the Ripper drawing public attention.
- In 1930s Germany, the word Serienmörder introduced a linguistic category.
- In the 1970s United States, Robert Ressler and the FBI popularized “serial killer,” giving law enforcement and society a new way to understand these criminals.
Today, the term is not just criminological—it is cultural, shaping media, literature, and our collective imagination.
👉 Ultimately, the origin of the concept “serial killer” reveals more than just a definition: it reflects how societies have tried to make sense of humanity’s darkest impulses.
📚 Sources
- Ressler, R., & Shachtman, T. Whoever Fights Monsters. St. Martin’s Press, 1992.
- Douglas, J., & Olshaker, M. Mindhunter. Scribner, 1995.
- Egger, S.A. The Killers Among Us: An Examination of Serial Murder and Its Investigation. Pearson, 2013.
- Jenkins, P. Using Murder: The Social Construction of Serial Homicide. Routledge, 1994.
- Britannica, “Serial Murder,” 2025 updates.
