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{{Short description|Person killing in multiple locations in a short time}}
{{Redirect|Killing spree|the 1987 film|Killing Spree (film)}} {{Redirect|Killing spree|the film|Killing Spree{{!}}''Killing Spree''}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
⚫ {{Homicide}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}}
⚫ {{Homicide}}
A '''spree killer''' is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more ]s in a short time, often in multiple locations. There are different opinions about what durations of time a killing spree may take place in. The ] has spoken of "almost no time break between murders", but some academics consider that a killing spree may last weeks or months, e.g. the case of ], who murdered five people over three months.

⚫ == Definition ==

The general definition of spree murder is two or more murders committed by a person (or people) with no cooling-off period, in contrast to ], where there is a period of time between killings.<ref name=Morton/> The U.S. ] (FBI) has found the category to be of no real value to law enforcement because quantifying a "cooling-off period" is arbitrary. Serial killers commit murders in separate events, at different times. ]ers are defined by one incident, with no distinctive period between the murders.<ref name=Morton>{{cite web |editor-last1=Morton |editor-first1=Robert J. |editor-last2=Hilts |editor-first2=Mark A. |date=2008 |title=Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators |url= https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/stats-services-publications-serial-murder-serial-murder-july-2008-pdf |publisher=], ] |page=9 |access-date=July 20, 2023}}</ref>

How to distinguish a spree killer from a mass murderer, or a serial killer, is subject to considerable debate, and the terms are not consistently applied even within the academic literature.


A '''spree killer''' is someone who kills two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The ] defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders".<ref>Charalambous, Nick, and Meryl Dillman. . '']'' (], South Carolina), December 17, 2006. Accessed July 8, 2008.</ref> The ] has defined a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders".<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Zawitz |editor-first=Marianne W. |date=1988 |title=Report to the Nation on Crime and Justice |url= https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/rncjse.pdf |edition=2nd |publisher=Bureau of Justice Statistics |page=4 |access-date=July 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807135046/https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/rncjse.pdf |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Charalambous |first1=Nick |first2=Meryl |last2=Dillman |url= http://www.andersonindependentmail.com/news/2006/dec/17/no-evidence-spree-killer-yet-police-say |title=No evidence of spree killer yet, police say |work=] |location=] |date=December 17, 2006 |access-date=July 8, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081230173647/http://www.andersonindependentmail.com/news/2006/dec/17/no-evidence-spree-killer-yet-police-say/ |archive-date=December 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>


⚫ The ''Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment'' lists five different categories of spree killers and cites ] as an example of the second one.<ref>Levinson, David (ed.): ''''; Berkshire Publishing Group, 2002. p. 1565</ref> He is also noted alongside mass murderers, such as ], in the respective entry about mass murder.<ref>Levinson, p. 1038.</ref> In ''The Anatomy of Motive'', ] cites ] and ] (who murdered five people over three months) as examples of spree killers,<ref>Douglas, John E. & Olshaker, Mark: ''''; Simon and Schuster, 1999.</ref> while ] calls Starkweather a mass murderer and Cunanan a serial killer.<ref>Levin, Jack & Fox, James Alan: , ], 1991.</ref><ref>Levin, Jack: , Prometheus Books, 2008. p. 49.</ref>
⚫ ==Definition==
According to the ] (FBI), the general definition of spree killer is a person (or more than one person) who commits two or more murders without a cooling-off period; the lack of a cooling-off period marking the difference between a spree killer and a ]. The category has, however, been found to be of no real value to law enforcement, because of definitional problems relating to the concept of a "cooling-off period".<ref name=fbi-report>Morton, Robert J., and Mark A. Hilts (eds.) , ], ]. Accessed July 4, 2009.</ref> Serial killers commit clearly separate murders, happening at different times. ]ers are defined by one incident, with no distinctive time period between the murders.<ref name=fbi-report/>


⚫ In ''Controversial Issues in Criminology'', Fuller and Hickey write that "he element of time involved between murderous acts is primary in the differentiation of serial, mass, and spree murderers", later elaborating those spree killers "will engage in the killing acts for days or weeks" while the "methods of murder and types of victims vary". ] is given as an example of spree killing, while ] is mentioned in connection with mass murder and ] with serial killing.<ref>Fuller, John R. & Hickey, Eric W.: ; Allyn and Bacon, 1999. pp. 36.</ref>
⚫ How to distinguish a spree killer from a mass murderer, or from a serial killer, is subject to considerable controversy, and the term is not consistently applied, even within the academic literature. For example, ''The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment'' lists five different categories of spree killers and cites ] as an example.<ref>Levinson, David (ed.): ; Berkshire Publishing Group, 2002. p. 1565</ref> He is also noted with other mass murderers, such as ], in the respective entry about mass murder.<ref>Levinson, p. 1038.</ref> In ''The Anatomy Of Motive'', ] cites ] and ] as examples of spree killers,<ref>Douglas, John E. & Olshaker, Mark: ''''; Simon and Schuster, 1999.</ref> while ] calls Starkweather a mass murderer<ref>Levin, Jack & Fox, James Alan: , Berkley Books, 1991.</ref> and Cunanan a serial killer.<ref>Levin, Jack: , Prometheus Books, 2008. p. 49.</ref>


⚫ In ''Serial Murder,'' Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen{{nbsp}}T. Holmes defines spree murder as "the killing of three or more people within a 30-day period" and add that killing sprees are "usually accompanied by the commission of another felony."<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 35.</ref> They cite ] and the ] as examples of spree killers.<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 36.</ref> They define ''serial'' murder as "the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period between the killings."<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 6.</ref> Under this definition, Andrew Cunanan would be categorized as a serial killer and not a spree killer.
⚫ In ''Controversial Issues in Criminology,'' Fuller and Hickey write that the "element of time involved between murderous acts is primary in the differentiation of serial, mass, and spree murderers", later elaborating that spree killers "will engage in the killing acts for days or weeks" while the "methods of murder and types of victims vary". Andrew Cunanan is given as an example for spree killing, while ] is mentioned in connection with mass murder, and ] with serial killing.<ref>Fuller, John R. & Hickey, Eric W.: ; Allyn and Bacon, 1999. pp. 36.</ref>


In ''Sexual Homicide'', Ressler, Burgess and Douglas gave more emphasis to killings being at more than one location, and less precision about the time span, saying that a single event can last a short or long time, citing ]'s seven-week "murder event" or "killing spree".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ressler |first1=Robert K. |last2=Burgess |first2=Ann W. |last3=Douglas |first3=John E. |date=1988 |title=Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives |publisher=Free Press |isbn= |page=}}</ref>
⚫ In ''Serial Murder,'' Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes define spree murder as "the killing of three or more people within a 30-day period" and add that killing sprees are "usually accompanied by the commission of another felony."<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 35.</ref> They cite ] and the ] as examples of spree killers.<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 36.</ref> Under this particular definition of spree murder, ], who is usually labelled as a serial killer, would actually be a spree killer because he committed his murders within a 30-day period. Ronald and Stephen Holmes define serial murder as "the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period between the killings."<ref>Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: ; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 6.</ref> Under this definition, ] would be categorized as a serial killer and not a spree killer.


Douglas explains that the identity of a serial killer is generally unknown until he is caught, and the mass murderer's identity is learned only after he has committed his crime. The identity of the spree killer, on the other hand, usually becomes known by police while his spree continues, and he is sought as a fugitive.<ref>Douglas, p. 192.</ref> Douglas wrote that the identity of serial killers is generally unknown until they are caught, and a mass murderer's identity is learned only after they have committed the crime. The identity of the spree killer, on the other hand, usually becomes known by police while the spree is still in progress.<ref>Douglas, p. 192.</ref>{{why|date=March 2021}}


Another term, ''rampage killer'', has sometimes been used to describe spree killers, but it does not differentiate between mass murderers and spree killers. The term '''''rampage killer''''' has also been used sometimes to describe spree killers,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/PAGE-ONE-MOTIVE-MYSTERY-Debate-Over-What-2817104.php |title=Motive Mystery / Debate Over What Kind of Killer is at Work |first=Susan |last=Sward |date=July 18, 1997|website=SFGATE}}</ref>
especially when a single individual perpetrator:
{{blockquote|A rampage involves the (attempted) killing of multiple persons at least partly in public space by a single physically present perpetrator using (potentially) deadly weapons in a single event without any cooling-off period.<ref>Seeger, Thorsten (ed.) ''School Shootings: International Research, Case Studies, and Concepts for Prevention''; Springer, 2012.</ref>}}


== See also == == See also ==
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
*]
* ]
* ]


== References == == References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{reflist}}


{{Rampagekillerslist}}
== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book|first=Pan|last=Pantziarka|authorlink=Pan Pantziarka|year=2000|title=Lone Wolf: True Stories of Spree Killers|publisher=Virgin Publishing|isbn=0-7535-0437-5}}
{{refend}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Spree Killer}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Spree Killer}}
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Latest revision as of 17:40, 16 November 2024

Person killing in multiple locations in a short time "Killing spree" redirects here. For the film, see Killing Spree.

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A spree killer is someone who commits a criminal act that involves two or more murders in a short time, often in multiple locations. There are different opinions about what durations of time a killing spree may take place in. The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics has spoken of "almost no time break between murders", but some academics consider that a killing spree may last weeks or months, e.g. the case of Andrew Cunanan, who murdered five people over three months.

Definition

The general definition of spree murder is two or more murders committed by a person (or people) with no cooling-off period, in contrast to serial murder, where there is a period of time between killings. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has found the category to be of no real value to law enforcement because quantifying a "cooling-off period" is arbitrary. Serial killers commit murders in separate events, at different times. Mass murderers are defined by one incident, with no distinctive period between the murders.

How to distinguish a spree killer from a mass murderer, or a serial killer, is subject to considerable debate, and the terms are not consistently applied even within the academic literature.

The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics has defined a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders".

The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment lists five different categories of spree killers and cites Mark O. Barton as an example of the second one. He is also noted alongside mass murderers, such as Patrick Sherrill, in the respective entry about mass murder. In The Anatomy of Motive, John E. Douglas cites Charles Starkweather and Andrew Cunanan (who murdered five people over three months) as examples of spree killers, while Jack Levin calls Starkweather a mass murderer and Cunanan a serial killer.

In Controversial Issues in Criminology, Fuller and Hickey write that "he element of time involved between murderous acts is primary in the differentiation of serial, mass, and spree murderers", later elaborating those spree killers "will engage in the killing acts for days or weeks" while the "methods of murder and types of victims vary". Andrew Cunanan is given as an example of spree killing, while Charles Whitman is mentioned in connection with mass murder and Jeffrey Dahmer with serial killing.

In Serial Murder, Ronald M. Holmes and Stephen T. Holmes defines spree murder as "the killing of three or more people within a 30-day period" and add that killing sprees are "usually accompanied by the commission of another felony." They cite Charles Starkweather and the Beltway Snipers as examples of spree killers. They define serial murder as "the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period between the killings." Under this definition, Andrew Cunanan would be categorized as a serial killer and not a spree killer.

In Sexual Homicide, Ressler, Burgess and Douglas gave more emphasis to killings being at more than one location, and less precision about the time span, saying that a single event can last a short or long time, citing Christopher Wilder's seven-week "murder event" or "killing spree".

Douglas wrote that the identity of serial killers is generally unknown until they are caught, and a mass murderer's identity is learned only after they have committed the crime. The identity of the spree killer, on the other hand, usually becomes known by police while the spree is still in progress.

The term rampage killer has also been used sometimes to describe spree killers, especially when a single individual perpetrator:

A rampage involves the (attempted) killing of multiple persons at least partly in public space by a single physically present perpetrator using (potentially) deadly weapons in a single event without any cooling-off period.

See also

References

  1. ^ Morton, Robert J.; Hilts, Mark A., eds. (2008). "Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators". National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Federal Bureau of Investigation. p. 9. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. Zawitz, Marianne W., ed. (1988). Report to the Nation on Crime and Justice (PDF) (2nd ed.). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. Charalambous, Nick; Dillman, Meryl (December 17, 2006). "No evidence of spree killer yet, police say". The Anderson Independent-Mail. Anderson, South Carolina. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  4. Levinson, David (ed.): Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, Vol. 4; Berkshire Publishing Group, 2002. p. 1565
  5. Levinson, p. 1038.
  6. Douglas, John E. & Olshaker, Mark: The Anatomy of Motive; Simon and Schuster, 1999.
  7. Levin, Jack & Fox, James Alan: Mass Murder: America's Growing Menace, Berkley Books, 1991.
  8. Levin, Jack: Serial Killers and Sadistic Murderers, Prometheus Books, 2008. p. 49.
  9. Fuller, John R. & Hickey, Eric W.: Controversial Issues in Criminology; Allyn and Bacon, 1999. pp. 36.
  10. Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: Serial Murder; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 35.
  11. Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: Serial Murder; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 36.
  12. Holmes, R. M, & Holmes, S. T.: Serial Murder; SAGE Publications, 2010. pp. 6.
  13. Ressler, Robert K.; Burgess, Ann W.; Douglas, John E. (1988). Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives. Free Press.
  14. Douglas, p. 192.
  15. Sward, Susan (July 18, 1997). "Motive Mystery / Debate Over What Kind of Killer is at Work". SFGATE.
  16. Seeger, Thorsten (ed.) School Shootings: International Research, Case Studies, and Concepts for Prevention; Springer, 2012.
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