Born or Created?

My eyes are glued to the luminous screen while my mind dives deep into analyzing and

absorbing every detail. Like puzzle pieces, my pulsating mind fits each new detail with a

previous one creating a single image. As the image formulates, my attention strives to answer

one question; who is the perpetrator?

Puzzle pieces form through a procedure of analytical and imaginative philosophy with

each detail pinpointing key characteristics of the offender. My chocolate colored orbs absorb the

stream sanctioning my effervescent mind to sift judiciously through each drop of evidence with

enquiries. Why isnt this character being looked at as a person of interest, considering his

behavior and body language? Whats the significance to this type of crime? Was he motivated by

rage, rejection, or power? Do these killers rationalize their behavior so that its okay?

Characters on the incandescent screen portray answers for my determined mind to scrutinize,

emboldening my entire being to place myself in the whirlwind of activities in the lives of the

victim, suspect, and detective.

The vivid images stream character growth of the central personalities on the show,

Criminal Minds, drawing my attention towards the enticing wonderment. Personalities such as

Aaron Hotchner and Derek Morgan prompt my brain into developing the necessary puzzle pieces

to solve the questions plaguing the case. Human nature and the amplification of behavior and

tendencies are always in question, directing me into a permanent stage of wonderment and

fascination. Questions rack my brain as the old ones stitch together. What forces make up who

we are? What drives these killers to commit such heinous acts? Could it be prevented?

Similar questions plague my mind as the pieces of each new case opens and closes in

front of my russet inquisitive eyes. In a blur of fascination and a court of wonderment,

determination reigns true with the palpitating need to understand the minds of these serial killers.

And it is this court of awe that leads me to my question: Are serial killers a product of their

environment or their genes?

The expedition to answering my question started when I visited the Concord Police

Department. As I made my way to the station, I approached what looked like two different

parking lots, and parked my pearly white car in the permitted area. I took in my surroundings and

noticed two police cars parked in front of me, both with officers in them. As I got out of my car, I

felt a light breeze crawl through my hair. My auburn orbs were enticed by the iridescent green

glow of the trees as the golden sun illuminated between them. Considering the harmoniousness

of my surroundings, an ease come over me, making me feel confident as I approached the

caramel colored station. Making my way to the front of the station I entered through the double

chestnut colored doors, which led me to the lobby of the station. I was greeted with the hazel

orbs, snow-like skin, and cinnamon colored hair of a young woman who gave me a visitor's

nametag and assisted me to the second floor to meet with my mentor, Detective Phalen.

Climbing up the cream-colored stairs, I met my mentor who had the courtesy of showing

me the details of the police station. We made our way back down to the lobby where I was led to

the back of the station and through large azure glass doors to get a peak of the small interrogation

rooms, consisting of a table and chairs. Going even further into the station, I was presented with

the station's charcoal holding cells and more integration rooms; some containing cameras and

recorders and others not. Detective Phalen led me back upstairs where I was shown the room in

which victims or family members would be questioned and where the four different units work

i.e. the special victims unit. Each unit had its special location with the desks setup to mirror what
looked like a maze, definitely nothing like what is showcased on T.V. We then made our way to

begin the interview, which would aid me in furthering my research and answering my question.

The debate on whether we are made up of our genes or our environment has been one

with no definitive answer. Some psychologists state that nurture is the leading factor, some that

nature is, while others state that both factors are equally important. To try to get a definitive

answer this paper will be examining the nature versus nurture debate, specifically focusing on

serial killers.

In order to get a better understanding of a serial killer, one must establish what a serial

killer is. In the simplest of terms, A serial killer is conventionally defined as a person who

murders three or more people in a period of over a month, with cooling down time between

murders (Serial Killer vs). To further understand serial killers, many psychologists have

examined the controversial theory: nature versus nurture. Nature can be defined as, the

Biological explanation of serial murder generally dealing with genetics (XYY chromosomes),

neurology (brain abnormality or dysfunction), and biochemistry (chemical imbalances in the

brain) (Gerdes 89). Nurture on the other hand, can be defined as the learning experiences and

interactions with the world around us, which make and shape us into who we are.

To give an overview of serial killers, most of them are male apart from a few females. On

average, a serial killer can carry on his/her crime for four years before being apprehended. In

terms of what motivates these killers to perform such heinous acts, researchers have found a

variety of reasons. Most serial killers kill for the thrill, sexual satisfaction, a sense of

dominance/control, or to rid the world of the filth and evil present. Although these killers

perform heinous acts, some of them do have their reasoning for it.
 Those who do have a reason showcase that nurture is a more dominant factor. For

instance, in the case of Nannie Doss, who only craved love but was given the opposite. Dosss

father showed her no love, only coldness and abuse, making Doss obsessed with the idea of love.

Unfortunately, Doss had no luck in finding the love she craved. The men that she found and

thought she was in love with turned out to treat her the same way her father did. And it is that

treatment that led her to murdering her husbands and children. Similar to Dosss case, there is the

case of Aileen Wuornos, who also exemplifies nurture as the leading factor. Wuornos

experienced a great deal of trauma during her childhood, her ...father killed himself while

serving prison time for child molestation, while her mother abandoned Aileen and older brother

Keith, leaving them to be raised by their grandparents (Aileen Wuornos). On top of that,

Wuornoss grandparents abused her, resulting in her becoming pregnant in her early teens. Which

in turn caused her to give up her child and be forced to live in the woods. Due to the trauma she

faced, Wuornos became a sex worker and targeted men who were seeking her services.

Additionally, the cycle of childhood abuse continues with the case of Carroll Cole. Cole had an

abusive mother who would physically beat him and make him watch, as she would have affairs

with men while her husband was fighting in World War II. Aside from that, she would force Cole

to dress up as a girl and then tease him about it. Due to his poor childhood Cole ... learned to

take this hatred out on innocent women as he grew older, claiming that he felt he killed her

through them (Blanco). These are just a few of the many cases that display the impact that

nurture has and the extent to which it makes certain people become serial killers. As these cases

illustrate the significance of nurture, there are certain cases that favor the opposite.

To counterbalance the nurture aspect, there have been many cases in which nature is a

dominant factor, overruling the idea that the environment shapes these serial killers. For
example, in the case of Dennis Rader, a.k.a. the BTK killer. Rader grew up in an average

home, served in the U.S. Air Force, got married and had children. Rader was just like any other

average man; the only difference was that he had the drive to inflict pain upon others starting

from a young age. Rader started out by hanging stray cats, and as he grew older, went to killing

families by strangulation. He would even take an object from the families he killed as a souvenir.

Correspondingly, there is the case of Jeffrey Dahmer, Dahmer had a normal upbringing with both

his parents and brother. He was an energetic and happy child; the only thing that stood out was

that he displayed troubling behavior following a childhood double hernia surgery. The surgery

seemed to have affected the young boys mind resulting in him becoming withdrawn and

disengaged. Dahmer particularly targeted African-Americans and In addition to killing the men

and teenagers he lured home, he mutilated, photographed and performed sexual acts on the

victims' corpses, keeping body parts as mementos (Jeffrey Dahmer). Lastly, a prime example

of the nature aspect is the case of David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the Son of Sam. Berkowitz was

adopted when he was a few days old into the household of loving parents. He had a close

relationship with his mother and was an intelligent, yet troubled kid growing up. Berkowitz

targeted single women and couples, killing six people and leaving many others injured.

Throughout his childhood, Berkowitz did not experience any trauma that would give an answer

as to why he decided to take the lives of others, further emphasizing nature as a leading role. As

illustrated, these cases and many more like this reveal the impact of genetics. In these cases, all

these serial killers received proper nurture yet they turned to a life of committing heinous acts.

For these serial killers growing up in an environment of overall happiness and love seemed to not

be enough to overcome the natural violent tendencies that was in them.

 Along with these cases that prove nature being a dominate factor is the research that

researchers have revealed in regards to testosterone and genomes connecting to violent behavior.

Testosterone is a hormone that is found in greater quantity in men than that of women. Through

scientific research testosterone has seem to manifest its way from thoughts, aggression,

dominance in behavior, to that of physical violence. It also plays a key role in the brain

specifically in the arousal of aggression. Furthermore, there is even ...evidence that testosterone

levels are higher in individuals with aggressive behavior, such as prisoners who have committed

violent crimes (Batrinos). Testosterone being one example of genetics playing a crucial role in

the making of serial killers, researchers have also found that there is a certain genome -- A

genome is an organisms complete set of DNA, including all of its genes (What is a) -- that

connects to violent behavior. With this, there is one gene in particular that has been brought to

light. Known as the warrior-gene researcher have found that this gene revealed that ...a

monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) low-activity genotype (contributing to low dopamine turnover

rate) as well as the CDH13 gene are associated with extremely violent behavior... (Keegan).

Both the hormone testosterone and the gene MAOA (and its mutation, CDH13) illustrate the

influence genetics have on a human being. Nature may not be the only reason that a serial killer

decides to take the lives of another, but it has proven to be a significant factor.

As these cases and many more illustrate either the nature or nurture aspect, there are

cases that demonstrate both nature and nurture having a significant role in the lives of serial

killers. One case that stands out is the case of Carl Panzram. Panzram grew up in a normal

household, with his parents, five brothers, and one sister. What stood out about Panzram was that

starting from a young age he had violent tendencies that carried on with him. Due to his parents

being no longer able to handle his violent and criminal behavior, they sent him to a boarding
school at the age of 11. In the boarding school he attended, Panzram was abused horribly; he

faced sexual, physical, and verbal abuse. Once Panzram was finished with the boarding school

he went back home, but his life was forever changed. Panzram went home with a mind full of

hate and made it his life's mission to bring harm upon anyone he encountered. Panzrams crimes

raged from burglary to arson to rape and to murder. Panzrams case clearly demonstrates the

impact of both nature and nurture, Between his nature (propensity to violence) and his nurturing

(the abuse he suffered at the boarding school), Carls fate was sealed (Examination of the).

For Panzram, once he entered the boarding school and experienced all that abuse, the genetic

traits in him were heightened and triggered even further, leading him into a life of inflicting pain

upon others.

As these cases exemplify the way serial killers are formed, they also represent that the

making of a serial killer is more of a case-to-case study. One case that demonstrates this is the

James Fallon case. Fallon, a neuroscientist, examined his brain and found that his brain activity

resembled that of a serial killer's -- it showed that there was unusual activity in the areas

responsible for self-control and empathy, which is common in most serial killers. On top of that,

Fallon had a count of seven murderers in his family tree. With these findings, it is clear that

Fallon's nature illustrates that he had the potential to become a serial killer. Fortunately, Fallon

grew up in a loving environment, causing those genes to be overlooked but, Had he been abused

or neglected as a child, it seems very likely that this aggressive competitive scientist would

instead have become a killer (Ehrenfeld).

All these cases serve the purpose of demonstrating that both nature and nurture are

equally significant. As previously mentioned, the MAOA gene predominantly illustrates nature

as a significant factor, though it also connects to nurture. Past research has found relationships
between specific environmental factors and genes linked to aggressive violence, including

MAOA. A particularly strong connection has been noted among abuse in childhood

(Powledge). This serves the purpose of showcasing that you cannot have nurture without nature

and vice versa. These two factors will always collide and will come together to decide the

predeposition of not only a serial killer, but any human being.

With all these cases presented, from Nannie Doss to Dennis Rader to Carl Panzram to

James Fallon it is clear that there is no definitive answer as to what shapes a serial killer, but

rather that both nature and nurture play a significant role in the making of a serial killer. All these

cases demonstrate that the, Predisposition to serial killing, much like other violent offenses, is

biological, social, and psychological in nature, and it is not limited to any specific characteristic

or trait (Serial Murder). In the cases of serial killers there isn't a factor that can dominate the

other, merely because there is so much to consider. When it comes to serial killers, it isn't just

about whether their environment or genes shape them but it is all the factors combined and

analyzed together. In an interview with Northgate High School's psychologist, Mary Tsuboi,

regarding the question In your professional opinion to what extent does environment play a role

in the life of a serial killer and to what extent does genetics? she stated:

I believe environment is equally as important as genetics when determining what makes a

serial killer. A killer can be equally affected by their environment (having a history of
being abused, neglected, bullied and/or traumatized) or his genetic make-up (addiction or
mental illness already in the family).
Furthermore, in an interview with Detective Shawn Phalen from the Concord Police Department

he stated:

I think it's both, simply because we have both ends of the spectrum, you have perpetrators
who grew up in a normal family, with a dad, a mom, and a sister, went to the good
schools, got an education, did all those things and then somewhere along the line
something happened which caused them to become disenfranchised and to become
murderers. On the other end of the spectrum, these kids are traumatized at a young age
 and a lot of them are able to overcome it and lead a normal, productive life and be able to
be successful, putting that part behind them.
Subsequently emphasizing that when it comes to serial killers, there are many factors that

need to be taken into consideration. While there are similarities and behavioral patterns that

overlap in these cases, the only way to analyze these killers is really by a case-to-case study.

Ultimately, each of these serial killers have unique aspects that make them who they are and it is

only by examining their genetic makeup and environment together that one can truly understand

how these killers are made, concluding that Both nature (heredity) and nurture (environment)

are always important for every human attribute (Rogers 205).

After gathering comprehensive research and conducting interviews, I have obtained a

much better understanding on what shapes a serial killer and how nature and nurture work

together, or separately. Along with that, this research has furthered my knowledge on

psychology, sociology, criminology and the impacts of the brain/genes. Through this I have

learned that I truly do have a passion for criminology and psychology. I have seen that those are

the two subjects that really intrigue me and get me critically thinking/analyzing.

Furthermore, I have found that there truly is a lot to analyzing a serial killer and that it is

not just limited to two factors. I have found that when it comes to serial killers one must look at

gender differences, how they commit their crimes, who they target, are they organized or

disorganized, and what motivates them. Gender differences aid in helping to identify certain

aspects of the killer, as does how they commit their crimes. For example, psychologists look at

whether these killer use strangulation, a gun, a knife, or drowning on their victims. From

analyzing the specific way these killers kill psychologists are able to identify certain

characteristics of the killers, if a killer strangles or drowns their victim it mostly means that the

kill was more personal, since killing in this manner allows the killer to feel the life leave the
body. Then there is who they target which connects with what motives these killers to kill.

Usually serial killers target a specific range of people and that contributes to why they kill. As

previously mentioned, Carroll Cole, targeted women similar to his mother since his mother

inflicted so much abuse and trauma onto him. Therefore, his motivation was revenge and him

wanting to get his anger out on women who resembled his abuse/trauma. Along with that there

are organized killers who stalk their victims, choose specific ones, and plan their kills. While

disorganized killers will usually kill anyone that fits their target victim without any planning.

As illustrated, the process of writing this paper has furthered my knowledge in what

really makes a serial killer. Throughout my research, I have found that there are many factors

that need to be considered and that it is the combination of all these factors that shapes who and

what serial killers are.

 Works Cited

Electronic

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Primary

Received by Mary Tsuboi. Re: Senior Project. Shaghasi, Henna, 17 Mar. 2017.

Shawn, Phalen. Personal Interview. 22 March 2017.

Print

Gerdes, Louise I. Serial Killers. Greenhaven, 2000.

Rogers, Kara. New Thinking about Genetics. Britannica Educational Pub.in Association

with Rosen Educational Services, 2011.