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Perhaps we tend to see people as "looking like serial killers" because we know they are serial killers, without context Peter Sutcliffe,was a slightly scruffy man in his 30s, Denis Neilson a nondescript man you'd never look twice at, Fred and Rosemary West a not particularly good looking middle aged couple and so on.
 
Perhaps we tend to see people as "looking like serial killers" because we know they are serial killers, without context Peter Sutcliffe,was a slightly scruffy man in his 30s, Denis Neilson a nondescript man you'd never look twice at, Fred and Rosemary West a not particularly good looking middle aged couple and so on.
Definitely! Serial killers generally are nondescript looking people who can blend into society and seem to be able to compartmentalise their behaviours.
 
One of the few photos l’ve seen of a serial killer who looked like a serial killer was of Graham Young, the thallium poisoner:

killer-kids-graham-young.jpg


- but he only looked that way because he’d miscounted the exposures in the photo booth, and was standing up to leave when the camera flashed for the last time. True story.

Guess which snap the tabloids used...

maximus otter
 
One of the few photos l’ve seen of a serial killer who looked like a serial killer was of Graham Young, the thallium poisoner:

killer-kids-graham-young.jpg


- but he only looked that way because he’d miscounted the exposures in the photo booth, and was standing up to leave when the camera flashed for the last time. True story.

Guess which snap the tabloids used...

maximus otter
He looks a bit like Midge Ure in that pic.
 
One of the few photos l’ve seen of a serial killer who looked like a serial killer was of Graham Young, the thallium poisoner:

killer-kids-graham-young.jpg


- but he only looked that way because he’d miscounted the exposures in the photo booth, and was standing up to leave when the camera flashed for the last time. True story.

Guess which snap the tabloids used...

maximus otter
He doesn't look like a serial killer to me. I actually think he looks really good looking in it!! :worry:
 
He doesn't look like a serial killer to me. I actually think he looks really good looking in it!! :worry:
Look at the nasty eyes. It's all in the eyes.
Here's something I do when checking these photos - I hold up my hand to block off one side of the face and then assess how 'evil' it looks.
His right-hand side looks neutral, while his left-hand side looks evil.
 
I think asymmetrical faces have often scored negatively, when people are asked to judged their attractiveness.

We can all be split and reflected by Photoshop, to reveal our Jekyll and Hyde aspects. Actors and models are very aware of their good and bad sides.

I don't think I have an evil side: just one that says ordinary and one that says minor stroke! :willy:
 
Look at the nasty eyes. It's all in the eyes.
Here's something I do when checking these photos - I hold up my hand to block off one side of the face and then assess how 'evil' it looks.
His right-hand side looks neutral, while his left-hand side looks evil.

Unless you met a serial killer, or even a psychopath, there's really no way of telling a lack of morality from looks. What you're describing is confirmation bias, where you've been told someone is evil, so look for signs in their appearance.

We all like to think we are a good judge of character, but some take that further and claim some alchemy in divining someone's personality from their looks. You're more likely to tell from their fashion sense, for instance. Look at all those actors stereotyped as baddies because of their looks - most of them are perfectly goodnatured.
 
Unless you met a serial killer, or even a psychopath, there's really no way of telling a lack of morality from looks. What you're describing is confirmation bias, where you've been told someone is evil, so look for signs in their appearance.

We all like to think we are a good judge of character, but some take that further and claim some alchemy in divining someone's personality from their looks. You're more likely to tell from their fashion sense, for instance. Look at all those actors stereotyped as baddies because of their looks - most of them are perfectly goodnatured.
Years ago, I did meet a psychopath, and - silly me - I ignored my gut feelings.
So... I go with my gut every time now.
 
Years ago, I did meet a psychopath, and - silly me - I ignored my gut feelings.
So... I go with my gut every time now.

But did your gut feelings involve the psychopath's appearance? What about Ted Bundy? He fooled a lot of people because he was a handsome man, had plenty of female fans before and after his trial, but he was a dreadful individual.
 
But did your gut feelings involve the psychopath's appearance?
Partly, yes.
I realise and fully acknowledge that there is confirmation bias involved, but I am right more times than I'm wrong.
It's not science, just instinct.
 
Partly, yes.
I realise and fully acknowledge that there is confirmation bias involved, but I am right more times than I'm wrong.
It's not science, just instinct.

You say instinct, I say that's too close to superstition. You may pick up on microaggressions if they don't do something way over the top, but everyone has their quirks to get others to back off, or impress them to behave a certain way.
 
Unless you met a serial killer, or even a psychopath, there's really no way of telling a lack of morality from looks. What you're describing is confirmation bias, where you've been told someone is evil, so look for signs in their appearance.

We all like to think we are a good judge of character, but some take that further and claim some alchemy in divining someone's personality from their looks. You're more likely to tell from their fashion sense, for instance. Look at all those actors stereotyped as baddies because of their looks - most of them are perfectly goodnatured.
I actually think I've met a lot of psychopaths. The thing is, only a small percentage are murderous psychopaths - most of them are quite happy just taking normal compassionate people as suckers and lining their psychopathic pockets (or whatever other obsession they wish to gratify, sex, control of information, personal domination - sometimes all three without actually committing an identifiable criminal offence) in the process.
 
I actually think I've met a lot of psychopaths. The thing is, only a small percentage are murderous psychopaths - most of them are quite happy just taking normal compassionate people as suckers and lining their psychopathic pockets (or whatever other obsession they wish to gratify) in the process.

Yeah, I believe the amount of psychopaths who would actually kill someone is very small, most of them get ample satisfaction in screwing people over.
 
So. We just play the percentages then?
No choice really. You can't just imprison people for being callous self-seeking barstewards. You have to wait until they actually kill - or at least physically harm someone or commit an obvious fraud - before you can do something about them.

Even psychopaths have rights.
 
An old(ish) fella I know personally dropped this anecdote last night on his facebook page .. he's not known for being a bullshitter .. he still lives in Brandon ..

"So the Yorkshire Ripper is now dead from Corona virus.
This is my story.
I was trying to get a lift from Brandon to Bury St Edmunds, hitch hiking.
It was the day after the last Rippers victim.
A Lorry slowed & the Driver said, where are you going ?
I said Bury. He said get in.
Trying to make talk I said. I see that the bastard Yorkshire Ripper has attacked again.
He said nothing & that's what I got the whole trip in the lorry.
I guessed that he just didn't want to talk.
We reached Bury St Edmunds & he said. I'm heading to Ipswich. So I will drop you off at the next round about.
He stopped I got out & thanked him.
That I felt was the last I would see of him.
About a month after I wasn't paying too much notice of the news & the volume was down. I was listening to Music.
I then looked up & there was a Mans face on the news.
I thought, I know him. He gave me a lift to Bury. What's happened to him.
I turn up the TV & found out that he was the Yorkshire Ripper.
They then said that he travelled the length of Britain, as a Lorry driver.....
I just thought Holy CRAP !! And the things that I said about him. I had said much more than I spoke of that I had said above in this post. I thought that I was lucky to be alive.
And that was my roughly 30 minute trek, with the Yorkshire Ripper. Peter Sutcliff."
 
An old(ish) fella I know personally dropped this anecdote last night on his facebook page .. he's not known for being a bullshitter .. he still lives in Brandon ..

"So the Yorkshire Ripper is now dead from Corona virus.
This is my story.
I was trying to get a lift from Brandon to Bury St Edmunds, hitch hiking.
It was the day after the last Rippers victim.
A Lorry slowed & the Driver said, where are you going ?
I said Bury. He said get in.
Trying to make talk I said. I see that the bastard Yorkshire Ripper has attacked again.
He said nothing & that's what I got the whole trip in the lorry.
I guessed that he just didn't want to talk.
We reached Bury St Edmunds & he said. I'm heading to Ipswich. So I will drop you off at the next round about.
He stopped I got out & thanked him.
That I felt was the last I would see of him.
About a month after I wasn't paying too much notice of the news & the volume was down. I was listening to Music.
I then looked up & there was a Mans face on the news.
I thought, I know him. He gave me a lift to Bury. What's happened to him.
I turn up the TV & found out that he was the Yorkshire Ripper.
They then said that he travelled the length of Britain, as a Lorry driver.....
I just thought Holy CRAP !! And the things that I said about him. I had said much more than I spoke of that I had said above in this post. I thought that I was lucky to be alive.
And that was my roughly 30 minute trek, with the Yorkshire Ripper. Peter Sutcliff."
When I was at Uni the father of one of my friends had interviewed Sutcliffe as part of the investigation. No particular insight I’m afraid.
 
The only near brush with a serial killer I'm aware of that I've had was when serial killer Joannah Dennehey decided to do a bit of shopping at the Roman Camp garage on the same day as her largest killing spree on the same route. My best mate was working there and I did the odd shift at the bar in the hotel next door , I usually went in to hang out with him but I didn't that day for some reason. Her victims were exclusively men on their own walking on roads that day and I would have been walking from Cromer on the same quite road they were driving on ..

ajoroman.jpg

CCTV footage from Roman Camp Service Station , Aylmerton where murderer Joanne Dennehy stopped whilst in Norfolk.
 
The only near brush with a serial killer I'm aware of that I've had was when serial killer Joannah Dennehey decided to do a bit of shopping at the Roman Camp garage on the same day as her largest killing spree on the same route. My best mate was working there and I did the odd shift at the bar in the hotel next door , I usually went in to hang out with him but I didn't that day for some reason. Her victims were exclusively men on their own walking on roads that day and I would have been walking from Cromer on the same quite road they were driving on ..

View attachment 31517
CCTV footage from Roman Camp Service Station , Aylmerton where murderer Joanne Dennehy stopped whilst in Norfolk.

What do you think is the average serial killer's garage snack?

Scotch egg?
 
What do you think is the average serial killer's garage snack?

Scotch egg?
No. Definitely crisps. Take Johanna Dennehey in that picture, she's clearly eyeing up that 6 pack of cheese and onion 'Walkers' crisps which is also ironic now I think about it. They probably go for Ferrero Roche sometimes as well when the cost doesn't concern them anymore.
 
No. Definitely crisps. Take Johanna Dennehey in that picture, she's clearly eyeing up that 6 pack of cheese and onion 'Walkers' crisps which is also ironic now I think about it. They probably go for Ferrero Roche sometimes as well when the cost doesn't concern them anymore.
Hang on, I've just eaten a bag of crisps, does that mean...
 
Also, serial killers aren't exactly a huge, or even small, proportion of the worlds' population, they're very rare and nowadays spree killing is the usual way to go for a mass murderer.

"Meanwhile, Thomas Hargrove of the Murder Accountability Project thinks that as of 2019, the U.S. alone had something like 2,100 unidentified serial killers running around. Author and former police detective Michael Arntfield thinks that the number could be as high as 4,000.

Obviously, we have no way to know for sure which of these undiscovered serial killers are most terrifying, because, well, they haven't been caught yet."

https://www.grunge.com/200167/the-most-dangerous-active-serial-killers-in-2020/

"Unidentified serial killers"

The following 90 pages are in this category...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Unidentified_serial_killers

maximus otter
 
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