Indefinite definitions

[Stan Reid]

Sometimes we don't really know what's meant so here's the place to make up our own case related dictionary.

[Stan Reid]

There seems to be some confusion regarding categories of multiple murders so here are my definitions that you can take or leave and with an example:

Mass Murder: A number of people killed by a single action - Tim McVeigh

Cluster Murder: A number of people killed in one location in a brief period of time from multiple actions - James Huberty

Spree Murder: A number of people killed in different locations in a brief period of time - Charles Whitman

Serial Murder: A number of people killed in one location or different locations over a substantial period of time - Jeffrey Dahmer

[Stan Reid]

To clarify - by a number of people, I mean two or more and by a brief period of time, less than five weeks, thus, a substantial period of time being five or more weeks.

I realize that this is pretty inclusive.

[admin tim]

I think Charles Starkweather is really a better example than Charles Whitman.

[Stan Reid]

Perhaps but Whitman did kill earlier at home before going to the tower.

I might even call Starkweather a serial killer because he'd killed that guy the month before the rampage.

[Magpie]

Generally the serial murder definition contains a "cooling off" period of several days between each murder.

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

To clarify - by a number of people, I mean two or more and by a brief period of time, less than five weeks, thus, a substantial period of time being five or more weeks.

So, I guess if I was one who thought that Jack killed Nichols-Eddowes (I'm not) then I'd classify him as a spree killer.

[Howard Brown]

Stan:

Until now I had believed a "spree" killer was someone who went into a shopping mall or workplace and whacked as many as they could...in a one off. Even Bundy pulled a "spree" in Florida.
Does the technical definition of spree killer fit the Ripper...IF...he only killed Nichols,Chapman,Stride,and Eddowes since there is less than 5 weeks between the first and last murder ?
Thank you.

[Stan Reid]

Hi How,

Those are just my parameters. I've seen some definitions that put the juncture at thirty days but I chose to make it an even 5 weeks which also makes it impossible for a serial killer to murder all his victims within one month. It's all very subjective. For instance, when people talk about a cooling off period, how much time is required to qualify for that - a week, a day, an hour? Juan Corona is classified as a serial killer even though he was slaying someone on a daily basis toward the end of a six week murder campaign.

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

So, I guess if I was one who thought that Jack killed Nichols-Eddowes (I'm not) then I'd classify him as a spree killer.

To clarify, I meant Nichols through Eddowes, not just Nichols and Eddowes.