Murder Mile Walks and True-Crime Podcast - one of the best "quirky, curious and unusual things to do in London" this weekend
  • HOME
  • TICKETS
    • GIFT VOUCHERS
    • CORPORATE TOURS
  • MEET HERE
  • REVIEWS
  • Q&A
    • PHOTOS
  • Shop
  • PODCAST
    • About the Host
    • About the Music
    • About the Sound
    • About the Research
    • Legal Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • Blog

Murderer, Mass Murderer, Serial Killer, Spree Killer - the Difference?

10/11/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Nominated BEST TRUE-CRIME PODCAST at British Podcast Awards 2018, The Telegraph's Top Five True-Crime Podcasts, The Guardian's Podcast of the Week and iTunes Top 25. Subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher and all podcast platforms.
Picture
what differentiates a murderer, a mass murderer, a serial killer and a spree killer?

Before we begin, I must state, these definitions are highly contested among legal professionals and law enforcement alike, so they are very prone to change, manipulation and disagreement.

So, a murderer; Murder is a form of criminal homicide involving the unlawful killing of another person with premeditation (a plan to kill), their actions have criminal intent and (by minimum definition) they will have intentionally murdered at least one person. That’s a murderer.

Next is a spree-killer; a spree killer is a person or a group who commits two or more murders over a short period of time (normally over less than a month), in multiple locations and with almost no “cooling off period” between the murders. So The Blackout Ripper, who murdered four women, in four different locations, over consecutive four days is a perfect example.

A mass-murderer is a person or a group who commits several murders (the FBI states this as “four or more”) which occur either simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time, and in a single location or within close proximity, and (like a spree-killer) there is no “cooling off period”. Mass murders can be committed a group or a single person, and are usually (but not always) attributed to cults, fascists, terrorists, acts of genocide and mass-shootings, with some form of persecution acting as a catalyst. A good example is the mass-shooting at Columbine High School.
A serial killer is more often a person who acts alone (although this is not always the case) who commits three or more murders, usually for personal gratification, over a period of more than a month and includes a “cooling off period” between each murder. Now, three or more is a vague definition, as the FBI defines a serial killing as “a series of two or more murders”, and yet other law enforcement authorities define it as at least four murders. Perfect examples would be the Yorkshire Ripper, Dennis Nilsen, etc.

There. I hope that makes a little more sense. And if you’re a murderer who has been unfairly labelled a serial killer or mass-murderer when you’re quite clearly a spree-killer, there will be a helpline number for you to call. 

If you found this interesting? Check out the Mini Mile episodes of the Murder Mile UK True-Crime Podcast, or click on the link below to listen to an episode.
Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian, podcaster and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten curious, quirky, unusual and different things to do in London”, nominated "one of the best true-crime  podcasts at the British Podcast Awards 2018", and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totaling 50 deaths, over just a one mile walk
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a crime writer, podcaster & tour guide of Murder Mile Walks, hailed as one of the best "quirky curious & unusual things to do in London". 

    Become a Patron!
    Picture


    Picture
    Subscribe to the Murder Mile true-crime podcast

    Categories

    All
    Adverts
    Assassinations
    Awards
    Canalkillers
    Celebrities
    Curious-stuff
    Deadly-families
    Execution Sites
    Forgotten Disasters
    Head Injuries
    Killer Interviews
    Killer Profiles
    Killer's Books
    Killers By Age
    Killers By Birthday
    Killers By Birth Name
    Killers By County
    Killers By Diet
    Killers By Drink
    Killers By Height
    Killers By IQ
    Killers By Job
    Killers By Lunar Cycle
    Killers By Marriage
    Killers By Motive
    Killers By Music
    Killers By Nickname
    Killers By Star Sign
    Killers By Weight
    Killers = Dead Or Alive?
    Killer's Kids
    Killers Last Meals
    Killers Last Words
    Killers Mothers
    Killers Not Caught
    Killers On TV
    Killers & Pets
    Killer's Religion
    Local History
    Mass Graves
    Murder
    Murder Mile
    Podcast
    Poisoners
    Q & A
    Serial Killers
    Soho Murders
    The Dangers Of Booze
    The Innocent
    The Law

    Note: This blog contains only licence-free images or photos shot by myself in compliance with UK & EU copyright laws. If any image breaches these laws, blame Google Images. 

SOCIAL MEDIA

BUSINESS ADDRESS

ABOUT MURDER MILE WALKS

(c) Murder Mile Walks, P O Box 83
15 Ingestre Place, Soho, W1F 0JH
Murder Mile Walks is a true-crime podcast and guided walk of Soho's most notorious murders, hailed as one of the best "quirky, curious and unusual things to do in London", rated five stars and nominated one of the Best British True-Crime Podcasts of 2018
  • HOME
  • TICKETS
    • GIFT VOUCHERS
    • CORPORATE TOURS
  • MEET HERE
  • REVIEWS
  • Q&A
    • PHOTOS
  • Shop
  • PODCAST
    • About the Host
    • About the Music
    • About the Sound
    • About the Research
    • Legal Disclaimer
  • Contact
  • Blog