Serial Killers in Ireland?

chopper6

I remember speaking to a Detective at a wedding a few years back when there were numerous disspearnces occuring of young women with none of them every being seen or heard from again.

I asked him did he beleive there was a serial killer in ireland and he said he was sure that there was not.

The fact is that the Gardai will not recognise dissapearnces as the work of a serial killer untill they either start discovering bodies with a similar MO or if somebody actually confesses.

Two female friends of mine were the victims of an attempted abduction by a pair of men in a car in Waterford around the time Jo Jo Dullard went missing...the gardai took the info and that was the last they girls heard about it.

It may have been a once off or maybe the men refined thier techniques...either way they were never apprehended.

Parts of ireland are very secluded and shovels are cheap...there could be several killers at large at any time...either opportunist sickos or calculating sickos who plot and plan every detail...they wont be caught either unless we find the bodies or they're apprehended in the act.

wicklowwonder

AnonoBoy wrote: »

As a matter of interest at what point does one become a serial killer as opposed to someone who has committed multiple murders?


I'm just eh...... asking for a friend.

Serial Killer is someone who has murdered three or more people.

Seachmall

AnonoBoy wrote: »

As a matter of interest at what point does one become a serial killer as opposed to someone who has committed multiple murders?


I'm just eh...... asking for a friend.

Wikipedia wrote:

A serial killer is traditionally defined as a person who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a "cooling off period") between the murders.

Although I'd imagine it varies from place to place and even case to case (for example some don't consider the Shankhill Butchers as serial killers but as paramilitary operatives)

chopper6

wicklowwonder wrote: »

Serial Killer is someone who has murdered three or more people.

Without obvious motive,is unrelated to the victim and who kills for personal pleasure etc.

They should be called "Serial Murderers" IMO as murderers are usually cowards.

xgwishyx

I remember years ago hearing about an FBI case study of Ireland and the traits/characteristics of missing folks in Ireland. They theorised that there were 3 unique serial killers here and gave that info to the Gardai but what came of it, I don't know.

I assume that if there are, and if the Gardai are aware of it and working on those cases, then we (the general public) will only know for sure when the person is brought to court. Otherwise it would cause panic and put any investigations back years.

AnonoBoy

I like the way they have a "cooling off" period.

In many ways serial killing is a lot like purchasing things on the internet isn't it?

chopper6

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I like the way they have a "cooling off" period.

In many ways serial killing is a lot like purchasing things on the internet isn't it?

They dont all...serial killers are incredibly hard to categorise and the "ability" to predict thier next move belongs in Hollywood movies.

Diemos

AnonoBoy wrote: »

As a matter of interest at what point does one become a serial killer as opposed to someone who has committed multiple murders?


I'm just eh...... asking for a friend.

A serial killer is defined as someone who kills, not in self defence, on three or more different occasions, with time spaced between the murders.

So jack the ripper would be considered a serial killer while Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who killed 13 in Columbine, would not, they'd be mass murderers. As far as I know.

chopper6

Diemos wrote: »

A serial killer is defined as someone who kills, not in self defence, on three or more different occasions, with time spaced between the murders.

There's faaar more to it than that.

Serial killers tend not to know thier victims

Tend to specialise in a certain age group,gender,ethnic type or other classification

They do not kill for money.

They do not kill(largely) for revenge.

They often ritualise the killings to some extent.

They often move location.

They usually act alone.

They often kill sadisticaly/employ torture/humiliation/sexual assault.

They use weapons and props.

The can become delusional about thier crimes...claiming divine inspiration or show a desire to taunt authorities etc etc.

This is not a full list but the idea that somebody who commits three murders without certain trappings is a serial killer is incorrect.

Diemos

You're describing observed characteristics, generalisations, the very use of "tend", "usually" and "often" gives it away. None of which define a serial killer.

You can easily find convicted serial killers who defy large numbers of those observations.

The FBI definition of a serial killer is here.

And seeing as they invented the term, they should know.

Galwayguy35

danniemcq wrote: »

Purely looking at the numbers there could be as many as 100 serial killers in Ireland at the present time.

Thats probably(!) high as the only numbers i can get my hand on are for America but like I said thats about max if we had the same number ratio as Washington State.

However when averaged over the entire US you are left with a number closer to .47 serial killers per 100,000 people and when thats checked against Ireland (6.8 million people) that gives you around 30.

This again is probably high due to a number of things.

In a smaller population its much harder to remain hidden.
In a smaller population its easier to notice a trend whereas somewhere like America with a lot more "other" crimes over a much larger area its harder.
In somewhere like America there would be a lot more people who are for lack of a better word disposable (homeless, junkies, runaways etc) compared to other countries.

When you look at the numbers there is also a huge difference in terms of per state numbers. For example like I mentioned Washington with 1.47 per 100,000 is really damn high but somewhere like Nevada, S. Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia have 0.

Ah where are ya going with your 100 serial killers?

No way could it be that high in a small country of 4 million people.

RayCon

chopper6 wrote: »

Parts of ireland are very secluded and shovels are cheap....

I dont know why but that made me laugh ...

ScumLord

Dean0088 wrote: »

Don't serial killers normally leave a kind of trail or have a trophy pattern?

I would guess that's just a hollywood meme.

Bigfellalixnaw

What about that fella who killed a mother, her child and a priest in Clare around 1994? Brendan O'Donnell was his name, would he be considered a serial killer? By the way he committed suicide while locked-up.

The Dagda

AnonoBoy wrote: »

As a matter of interest at what point does one become a serial killer as opposed to someone who has committed multiple murders?


I'm just eh...... asking for a friend.

If you work hard enough and dream long enough, maybe, just maybe, you'll make it...

ColeTrain

Dean0088 wrote: »

Don't serial killers normally leave a kind of trail or have a trophy pattern?

There has been the case of "The Wet Bandits" who operate in Ireland. They're not serial killers but they rob your house when you're on holiday and and block your sink with rags so when they turn on the tap your house ends up like a lake.

Nasty crowd, I certainly wouldn't stay alone in my home if I knew there were in my area.

Diemos

Bigfellalixnaw wrote: »

What about that fella who killed a mother, her child and a priest in Clare around 1994? Brendan O'Donnell was his name, would he be considered a serial killer? By the way he committed suicide while locked-up.

Nope, misses out due to the time constraint.

Galwayguy35

Bigfellalixnaw wrote: »

What about that fella who killed a mother, her child and a priest in Clare around 1994? Brendan O'Donnell was his name, would he be considered a serial killer? By the way he committed suicide while locked-up.

It was a heart attack the killed him if I remember correctly, he used to hang around the area where I live a good bit, everyone was afraid of him even though he was only a small fella.

mrkiscool2

danniemcq wrote: »

Purely looking at the numbers there could be as many as 100 serial killers in Ireland at the present time.

Thats probably(!) high as the only numbers i can get my hand on are for America but like I said thats about max if we had the same number ratio as Washington State.

However when averaged over the entire US you are left with a number closer to .47 serial killers per 100,000 people and when thats checked against Ireland (6.8 million people) that gives you around 30.

This again is probably high due to a number of things.

In a smaller population its much harder to remain hidden.
In a smaller population its easier to notice a trend whereas somewhere like America with a lot more "other" crimes over a much larger area its harder.
In somewhere like America there would be a lot more people who are for lack of a better word disposable (homeless, junkies, runaways etc) compared to other countries.

When you look at the numbers there is also a huge difference in terms of per state numbers. For example like I mentioned Washington with 1.47 per 100,000 is really damn high but somewhere like Nevada, S. Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia have 0.

Ehh no, the CIA and FBI generally say that 55 serial killers are active at any one time in the US. What does active mean? That they have killed recently (I think recently is 3 years, not sure about that though). According to your stats there would be 1,800 serial killers in the States, which there just aren't!

There is more than likely either a single serial killer active and one or two who aren't or there are no active serial killers but 2 or 3 are around! Not a hundred and not 30. 3 at max who have never been caught!

chopper6

Bigfellalixnaw wrote: »

What about that fella who killed a mother, her child and a priest in Clare around 1994? Brendan O'Donnell was his name, would he be considered a serial killer? By the way he committed suicide while locked-up.

Nah...he was just a lunatic who went on the rampage.

AnonoBoy

The Dagda wrote: »

If you work hard enough and dream long enough, maybe, just maybe, you'll make it...

I foresee a very macabre training montage in my future....... :pac: