Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: Mill
Jim Jones was a mass murderer. The DC Snipers were spree killers.
I'd say the most notorious is Jack the Ripper. Scariest to me is Gein.
I didn't realize that if you kill people quickly you can't be a serial killer?
Seirously though, 'serial' is a term that is given when someone murders more than a certain amount of people. I learned it in criminal justice class, but I can't remember the exact number or murders associated with a serial killer, but I am pretty sure that I do remember it was a low number, even below 10 if im not correct.
Serial Killer:
"someone who murders more than three victims one at a time in a relatively short interval "
Spree Killer:
"a serial killer whose murders occur within a brief period of time"
So the DC snipers are Spree Killers, which are also Serial Killers. However, their acts pale in comparison to the atrocities carried out by some of these other killers. Shooting somebody != torturing and eating them alive :-/