Harrison discusses her team’s research on female serial killers (FSKs) who committed their crimes in the US, beginning with FSK background. Topics include demographics, physical appearance, education, socioeconomic status, developmental history, family events, and age of first murder. The occupations of FSKs are discussed. Alarmingly, FSKs are often nurses, nurse’s aides, or other caregivers. The author compares her findings with those from other notable studies, such as from criminologist Eric Hickey. The rarity of empirical research on FSKs is underscored. The author describes her sample of FSKs derived using the mass media method of forensic research, examining information from newspapers, television networks, courts, government records, and historical societies. Harrison underscores the importance of incorporating and citing information from valid source material. Long-term effects of childhood maltreatment and a traumagenic background are underscored. To illustrate chapter concepts, the author presents the cases of FSKs Dorothea Puente and Jane Toppan and revisits the case of FSK Aileen Wuornos.

This chapter looks at killers who were subject to abuse from their fathers. Heterosexual killer Richard Ramirez was subject to severe punishment and witnessed punishment of his brothers, while his cousin showed him photographs of the sexual assault of Vietnamese women. He consumed large amounts of drugs, which could have had a sensitizing effect on his violent tendencies. It appears that masturbatory fantasy involved domination and sexual violence against women. Danny Rolling is a heterosexual killer who had a terrible upbringing in which nothing seemed to go right. Rolling described the thrill of house-breaking. He took souvenirs from his killings and left his victims sexually posed, suggesting a signature. He described a struggle between right and wrong and showed dissociation. Heterosexual lust killer Keith Jesperson described the thrill that he derived from arson. Jane Toppan described a sexual thrill that she got from killing her patients with morphine injections.