Investigator Answers True Crime Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

WIRED・2 minutes read

35 to 50% of women murdered by a spouse or partner, 1% of cold cases solved, with Jack the Ripper and Thomas Cream as real serial killers. Citizen sleuths help solve crimes, COVID-19 increased homicides, US has high murder rate, and psychopaths can blend in.

Insights

  • 35 to 50% of women murdered are by a current or former spouse or partner, making the spouse a primary suspect, highlighting the prevalence of intimate partner violence as a significant factor in homicides.
  • Citizen sleuths, like those on TikTok, have aided in locating missing persons or solving crimes, showcasing the potential for public involvement in criminal investigations, although authorities warn against the risks of false accusations and misinformation spread.

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Recent questions

  • What percentage of women murdered are by a spouse or partner?

    35 to 50%

  • What is the murder clearance rate in the US?

    About 50%

  • How do serial killers typically get motivated?

    Power, control, sexual fantasy, or hallucinations

  • What factors contributed to the spike in homicides during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    Financial strain, stress, reduced policing

  • Who is America's most prolific serial killer?

    Samuel Little

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Summary

00:00

"Murder statistics, serial killers, and psychopaths"

  • 35 to 50% of women being murdered are by a current or former spouse or partner, making the spouse a primary suspect.
  • Only 1% of cold cases are solved, with the murder clearance rate in the US at about 50%.
  • Jack the Ripper did exist and committed violent murders in Victorian England, alongside another serial killer named Thomas Cream.
  • Citizen sleuths, like those on TikTok, have helped locate missing persons or solve crimes, but police caution against false accusations.
  • Serial killers are generally motivated by power and control, sexual fantasy, or hallucinations, with brain studies showing differences in areas like the amygdala.
  • Homicide spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to financial strain, stress, and reduced policing.
  • The US has a high murder rate compared to other developed countries, with about 120 Americans killed by guns daily.
  • Psychopaths can go unnoticed in society, with traits like trouble reading emotions being potential giveaways.
  • The distinction between sociopaths and psychopaths is blurred, with psychopathy being more clinically defined and studied.
  • Samuel Little is America's most prolific serial killer, confessing to over 90 murders, mostly of marginalized women.

15:16

Dangerous allure of killers in society

  • Women who write letters to dangerous individuals are often romantically drawn to their capability of harm, not seeking harm themselves. Family annihilators, typically older men with a history of domestic violence and suicidality, commit acts where they kill their wife, children, and themselves, with about 10 to 20 cases annually.
  • Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer, dismembered his victims and admitted to consuming their bodies, possibly as a means of dominance or to connect with them due to loneliness. Advances in technology, such as DNA tracing and increased surveillance, have significantly reduced the prevalence of serial killers in recent times.
  • Missing hikers cases may involve more than just accidents, with instances of murders occurring while hiking. The theory of routine activities suggests that hiking presents a lack of guardianship, making it an ideal setting for crimes to take place, as seen in the Gabby Petito case.
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