What makes a killer a serial killer? According to the FBI, “the term 'serial killers' means a series of three or more murders, of which no less than one was committed within the United States, having such common characteristics as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors” (fbi.gov). This is the definition I based my research on. The three assassins I chose are Ed Kemper, Robert Hansen and Dennis Rader. Before introducing these killers, I will discuss the psychological structure and stereotypes of serial killers. Most serial killers exhibit three symptoms as children that could be considered warning signs. This is known as the “triad of sociopathy […] the triad consists of bedwetting after the age of five, cruelty to animals, and arson or interest in fire” (Weatherby, Buller, McGinnis). This is supported by John E. Douglas, an FBI profiler, who helped catch many serial killers. In his interviews with serial killers, he found that most of them had been abused by one of their parents, especially their mother. In one of his first interviews, the man's mother was friendly to everyone outside the home, “but at home she treated her shy son like he was trash” (Douglas, John E.). The abuse would further lead to development as the brains of every killer examined by Jim Fallon, a neuroscientist, “had damage to the orbital cortex. How you end up with a psychopath and a murderer depends on when the damage is done” (Fallon, Jim). Another factor that influences the development of a serial killer is that most killers have too much serotonin. This is caused by the “major genes for violence [… which are] in the normal population [… and are] duration of sex. It's [loc...... in the center of the paper ......h represented his method and would eventually become his alias. The mistake that led to his capture was asking the police if sending a floppy disk would be untraceable. The police said it would be safe, so Rader sent the disk. Tracking down the disk, they discovered that it came from the church of which Rader was currently president. He was arrested on February 25, 2005. Rader was convicted three days later. On a count of ten, he received ten consecutive life sentences. Serial killers are an interesting bunch, not that I want to be a serial killer. I chose this topic because it reveals a side of life that not many people my age choose to think about. By detailing the lives of these killers, I hope to diminish the power of stereotypes and reveal how the most dangerous killers are intelligent, organized, and careful in their executions...