Why experts believe serial killers walk among us
- Replies 5
Picturing a serial killer, one might think of iconic movie figures like Michael Myers, with his butcher knife, or perhaps Pennywise and his iconic red balloon from Steven King's novel.
However, notorious real-life serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Australia's own Ivan Milat might also come to mind.
While these characters make our skin crawl, it's much scarier to think there are those who still walk among us, undetected and unaccounted for.
Experts suggest that the average person unknowingly brushes shoulders with 36 murderers in their lifetime. That person standing in front of you in line for coffee, the passenger sitting next to you on a plane—could they be serial killers?
This brings to light a very important question: how many active serial killers are out there, let alone in Australia?
The answer might be surprising.
'I would be very surprised if in Australia today we don't have a serial killer active', said Criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett on the True Crime Cheat podcast.
'You know, we have all sorts of people missing, and when the bodies are not discovered, it's very difficult to link crime. So what we can really do is look at the behaviour of the potential offenders, see if there's any kind of links to people that we know that may have been in the area.'
'You know, like with Ivan Milat, for example, we saw the pattern of victims being targeted in a certain geographical space.'
Dr Mallett also emphasised that she strongly believes there are more serial killers active in Australia currently. However, these cases have not yet been connected, leading to a lack of awareness about their presence. The situation becomes especially concerning in instances where bodies have not been found.
'Do I think that all of the current unsolved murder cases are committed by individuals? No, I think that's highly unlikely. I think there are some people out there that have killed more than one person and have not yet been caught,' she said.
Former police detective Luke Taylor agreed, telling a news source it is likely that there are serial killers in Australia since 95 per cent of the country is uninhabited.
He described what a serial killer might look like: 'Serial killers are often diagnosed as psychopaths or sociopaths. Many can be high functioning and intelligent,' Taylor pointed out.
'The lack of empathy that exists and loner tendencies also assists in the ability to refrain from advertising or discussing their kills.'
Taylor also discussed how these killers may conceal their wicked acts.
'Disposed bodies are generally placed downhill from a vantage point so that the killer can return to check if the remains are disturbed later, as well as gravity assisting with the dumping of the body. They are also on average 5-7 metres from an established trail, road, or path.'
Considering the potential presence of serial killers hiding in plain sight, the implementation of improved police investigations to identify and apprehend these offenders is of paramount importance.
A significant challenge in this regard is the considerable number of unsolved homicides accumulated over the years. Without definitive solutions to these crimes, it becomes challenging to ascertain whether specific cases are linked to a single individual or a group.
Dr Mallett also believes the Australian police system must take greater steps to prioritise unsolved crimes that could be linked to serial killers.
'Lots of things are happening,' she said. 'Some of these [murders] were in remote communities that are just now being tied together.'
The length of time it takes to solve crimes may also disproportionately affect certain groups, according to Dr Mallet.
She continued, 'You have Indigenous women going missing that are not taken seriously by police... we have a number of missing person reports of people who've chosen to go missing… but a number of them may not have chosen to go missing.'
'I think there are more [murders] out there than we have actually acknowledged.'
It certainly doesn't paint a very comforting picture of our society. It's unnerving to think that every time you're on a bus, in a pub, or even walking down the street, you could be looking at a murderer in plain sight.
Members, if you ever feel like you're in an unsafe situation, no matter where you are, do not hesitate to call Triple Zero 000 for police assistance.
If you have information about illegal activities or suspected perpetrators related to crime anywhere in Australia, you can help by providing information to Crime Stoppers. To provide your information, call the toll-free number 1800 333 000.
What are your thoughts on this article? Have you heard of any potential serial killer cases in your state or city? Share them with us in the comments below.
However, notorious real-life serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Australia's own Ivan Milat might also come to mind.
While these characters make our skin crawl, it's much scarier to think there are those who still walk among us, undetected and unaccounted for.
Experts suggest that the average person unknowingly brushes shoulders with 36 murderers in their lifetime. That person standing in front of you in line for coffee, the passenger sitting next to you on a plane—could they be serial killers?
This brings to light a very important question: how many active serial killers are out there, let alone in Australia?
The answer might be surprising.
The likelihood of serial killers operating in Australia without getting caught could be higher than most people think. Credit: Unsplash/nampoh.
'I would be very surprised if in Australia today we don't have a serial killer active', said Criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett on the True Crime Cheat podcast.
'You know, we have all sorts of people missing, and when the bodies are not discovered, it's very difficult to link crime. So what we can really do is look at the behaviour of the potential offenders, see if there's any kind of links to people that we know that may have been in the area.'
'You know, like with Ivan Milat, for example, we saw the pattern of victims being targeted in a certain geographical space.'
Dr Mallett also emphasised that she strongly believes there are more serial killers active in Australia currently. However, these cases have not yet been connected, leading to a lack of awareness about their presence. The situation becomes especially concerning in instances where bodies have not been found.
'Do I think that all of the current unsolved murder cases are committed by individuals? No, I think that's highly unlikely. I think there are some people out there that have killed more than one person and have not yet been caught,' she said.
Former police detective Luke Taylor agreed, telling a news source it is likely that there are serial killers in Australia since 95 per cent of the country is uninhabited.
He described what a serial killer might look like: 'Serial killers are often diagnosed as psychopaths or sociopaths. Many can be high functioning and intelligent,' Taylor pointed out.
'The lack of empathy that exists and loner tendencies also assists in the ability to refrain from advertising or discussing their kills.'
Taylor also discussed how these killers may conceal their wicked acts.
'Disposed bodies are generally placed downhill from a vantage point so that the killer can return to check if the remains are disturbed later, as well as gravity assisting with the dumping of the body. They are also on average 5-7 metres from an established trail, road, or path.'
Considering the potential presence of serial killers hiding in plain sight, the implementation of improved police investigations to identify and apprehend these offenders is of paramount importance.
A significant challenge in this regard is the considerable number of unsolved homicides accumulated over the years. Without definitive solutions to these crimes, it becomes challenging to ascertain whether specific cases are linked to a single individual or a group.
Dr Mallett also believes the Australian police system must take greater steps to prioritise unsolved crimes that could be linked to serial killers.
'Lots of things are happening,' she said. 'Some of these [murders] were in remote communities that are just now being tied together.'
The length of time it takes to solve crimes may also disproportionately affect certain groups, according to Dr Mallet.
She continued, 'You have Indigenous women going missing that are not taken seriously by police... we have a number of missing person reports of people who've chosen to go missing… but a number of them may not have chosen to go missing.'
'I think there are more [murders] out there than we have actually acknowledged.'
It certainly doesn't paint a very comforting picture of our society. It's unnerving to think that every time you're on a bus, in a pub, or even walking down the street, you could be looking at a murderer in plain sight.
Members, if you ever feel like you're in an unsafe situation, no matter where you are, do not hesitate to call Triple Zero 000 for police assistance.
If you have information about illegal activities or suspected perpetrators related to crime anywhere in Australia, you can help by providing information to Crime Stoppers. To provide your information, call the toll-free number 1800 333 000.
What are your thoughts on this article? Have you heard of any potential serial killer cases in your state or city? Share them with us in the comments below.
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