ho brutally violated and murdered 17 young men in Milwaukee in the 1970s and 1980s; and Aileen Wuornos, a Florida prostitute who killed 7 of her male 'tricks' in the 1990s.
Myths Concerning Serial Killings. The shocking nature of these and other serial murders produced fear and hysteria. Jenkins said that "the late 1970s and early 1980s witnessed dramatically intensified concern about dangers to children" (p. 57). Robert Ressler of the FBI's Behavioral Sciences and Investigative Unit referred to serial killings as having reached "epidemic proportions" (Jenkins, p. 67). The Senate Juvenile Justice Subcommittee estimated in the early 1980s that 20 percent of all homicides in the United States, accounted for as many as 4,000-5,000 victims per annum, were committed by serial killers (Jenkins, p. 60). Jenkins said that the FBI subsequently acknowledged that the correct figures were one percent, and 200 victims, respectively (p. 28).
The FBI produced a psychological profile of serial killers who were "lone white males" "sexual predators roaming from state to state in pursuit of their victims" who were strangers (Jenkins, p. 44). In fact, serial murderers worked as members of a team in 10-20 percent of the cases. Twelve to seventeen percent of serial killings were committed by women (Scott, 2000, p. 13). Women serial killers often killed spouses or relatives, and only 50 percent of male serial killers had a sexual motive (Scott, p. 13). Kelleh
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