Serial Killers By the Numbers: 11 Facts About the Darkest Side of Humanity

Ever wonder what triggers a person to kill without the slightest hint of guilt? Investigation Discovery dives into the unstable psyche of the world’s most dangerous criminals in the special-edition 100-page publication Serial Killers. From John Wayne Gacy, Jr. to the Zodiac Killer, as well as a few less notorious (but no less deadly) killers throughout the ages, this special issue features expert psychological profiles and analysis delivered by Candice DeLong and Michelle Ward in the way only Investigation Discovery can.

Below, we break down the facts about monstrous serial killers by the numbers and their unfortunate victims. Get more information about the most infamous killers, including the ones the police haven’t caught, in Investigation Discovery’s Serial Killers.

Belle Gunness. Photo Credit: Murderpedia

65—Percentage of serial killer victims who were approached and then drawn in by a killer’s ruse or scam. Belle Gunness convinced men she would offer them sex and business opportunities.

8—Number of years women’s killing careers last on average, according to a 2011 study by criminologists, titled Lethal Ladies. In comparison, men’s sprees tend to last only two years.

12—Percentage of serial murderers who killed more than 10 victims between 1960 and 2006, according to an FBI study. Of the 92 killers the FBI included in its study, roughly 11 fit this category.

Henry Lee Lucas stabbed each of his victims. Photo Credit: Murderpedia

15—Percentage of serial killer victims who are stabbed to death, according to a 2014 serial killer statistics study by M.D. Aamodt. More than 40 percent of serial killers choose a less intimate method of murder and opt to shoot their victims.

8—Percentage of killers who murder for multiple motives, according to Aamodt’s Serial Killer Statistics.

23—Percentage of female serial murderers who were considered “migratory,” according to Female Serial Killers by Peter Vronksy.

70—Percentage of serial killers who only prey on and kill strangers, according to Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters by Peter Vronksy.

42—Percentage of women serial killers who lure victims to their domain—residence or workplace—before slaughtering them, according to Peter Vronksy’s Female Serial Killers.

21—Percentage of serial killers who experienced definite or suspected head injuries in the past, according to a study published in June 2014 by Aggression and Violent Behavior.

Ted Bundy derived sexual pleasure while torturing and killing his victims.

81—Percentage of serial killers active between 1960 and 2006 who were motivated to kill for sex, according to an FBI study. Ted Bundy is well within this figure.

50—Number of serial killers who are operating in the United States at any given time, according to the FBI’s report Serial Murder: Pathways for Investigations.