"God, I've never done anything. Help me, help me! God, why is this happening? Help me!" Robert Violante screamed as the Son of Sam's .44 caliber bullet tore through his temple (Eyes of a Killer, http.//www.serialkiller.com). Serial killers are the most famous of all murderers because of their mass numbers of victims and their odd rituals of killing. What is a serial killer? A serial killer falls into two categories: psychotics and
             psychopaths. Psychotics are clearly insane, they fail to perceive reality correctly. A minority of serial killers are psychotics. Psychopaths, also known as a sociopaths, do not suffer from a mental illness, but from a character flaw. They are in touch with reality, and know right from wrong. They know killing is wrong, they just don't care (1994,
             Serial Killers, Time Life Books). You cannot pick a sociopath out in a crowd because they look just like everybody else. Actually, they act just like everybody else. You could have a neighbor that's a serial killer and not even know it. Psychopaths are everyday people with everyday lives, but they just have one problem, they have a need to kill.
             What does a serial killer do? Serial killers usually have reasons for killing, they just don't go out and kill anyone (the majority). A serial killer will plan out where, when, why, and how before they actually kill. Ted Bundy used to lure his victims with a phony cast on his leg. Others lured with the promise of sex or porno movies. When they kill
             they usually have their own style. The Son of Sam used a .44 Cal, Dahmer killed various ways and then hacked his victims into several pieces, dumping the bodies into vats of acid, and Gacy molested little boys before strangling them and dumping them into the crawl space under his home.
             What makes a serial killer? A serial killer tends to be white, male, and middle aged. There are other races, sexes, and ages, but the majority fit the description I've just given. ...