Legal Definitions - serial murder

Serial murder refers to the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender or offenders in separate events over a period of time. A defining characteristic is the presence of a "cooling-off" period between the murders, which distinguishes it from other types of multiple homicides like mass murder (multiple victims killed at one time or in one continuous event) or spree murder (multiple victims killed in a short period without a distinct cooling-off phase).

• Example 1: An individual, over the course of five years, abducted and murdered three different victims. Each abduction and murder occurred in a different state, with several months or even a year passing between each incident. The victims shared a similar physical characteristic, suggesting a pattern in the perpetrator's selection.

  Explanation 1: This scenario illustrates serial murder because there are multiple victims (three), the killings occurred in separate events (different states, different times), and there were significant "cooling-off" periods (several months to a year) between each murder. The pattern in victim selection further supports the serial nature of the crimes.

• Example 2: A hospital employee, working night shifts over a decade, was later found to have intentionally administered lethal doses of medication to four different patients. Each death was initially attributed to natural causes or complications, occurring months apart in different hospital wards, with no immediate connection suspected at the time.

  Explanation 2: This is an example of serial murder because the same individual was responsible for multiple unlawful killings (four patients). The deaths happened in separate incidents (different patients, different wards, months apart) and involved distinct "cooling-off" periods, even though the method of killing was less overt and initially concealed within a medical setting.