{"id":161992,"date":"2025-08-11T00:48:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T00:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/serial-killers-experienced-a-rise-in-the-1980s-but-today-they-are-statistically-uncommon\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T00:48:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T00:48:18","slug":"serial-killers-experienced-a-rise-in-the-1980s-but-today-they-are-statistically-uncommon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/serial-killers-experienced-a-rise-in-the-1980s-but-today-they-are-statistically-uncommon\/","title":{"rendered":"Serial killers experienced a rise in the 1980s, but today they are statistically uncommon."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If there is a genre of entertainment that has emerged strongly in recent years, it is certainly \u00a0True Crime\u00a0. There are series, podcasts, and even \u00a0documentaries made with AI\u00a0 about real crimes. Many of these narratives explore the chilling tales of infamous \u00a0serial killers\u00a0\u2014notable figures such as <u>Ted Bundy<\/u>, <u>Jeffrey Dahmer<\/u>, and <u>John Wayne Gacy<\/u> have garnered substantial media attention. However, despite their \u00a0cultural phenomenon\u00a0 status, statistics reveal that the serial killer&#8217;s prevalence was largely concentrated within a specific period and primarily in one country: the United States. This begs the question, \u00a0why is there a scarcity of serial murderers today?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 1 --> <\/p>\n<h2><strong>An American Phenomenon<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"article-asset-image article-asset-large article-asset-center\">\n<div class=\"asset-content\">\n<div class=\"caption-img \">\n<p>         <span>Number of serial murderers per country. Source: Radford University<\/span>\n     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The \u00a0FBI\u00a0 defines a serial killer as someone who has killed at least \u00a0two people on two different occasions\u00a0. According to the <u>Annual Serial Killers Report and Victims of the University of Radford<\/u> for 2020, an astonishing <strong>67.7% of registered cases came from the United States<\/strong>. While other countries such as Japan, India, South Africa, Canada, and England have documented cases\u2014some exceeding \u00a0a hundred\u00a0\u2014the disparity is stark. In the U.S., there are \u00a03,690 documented cases\u00a0, dwarfing the combined total of \u00a01,168 cases\u00a0 from other nations.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 2 --> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-asset article-asset-normal article-asset-center\">\n<div class=\"desvio-container\">\n<div class=\"desvio\">\n<div class=\"desvio-figure js-desvio-figure\">\n     <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The lesson of an expert psychiatrist in mass murderers that all media should remember today \" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Serial-killers-experienced-a-rise-in-the-1980s-but-today.jpg\"\/>\n   <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Why are \u00a0there more serial murderers in the United States\u00a0? One reason is that there are \u00a0more records and statistics\u00a0 available compared to other countries, suggesting that the actual figures could be biased. The \u00a0media impact\u00a0 and subsequent glorification of certain killers may also incite others to imitate their behaviors. Furthermore, the ease of geographical mobility within the U.S. has enabled some individuals to commit crimes without being detected.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 3 -->  <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Three Decades of &#8220;Fashion&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"article-asset-image article-asset-normal article-asset-center\">\n<div class=\"asset-content\">\n<div class=\"caption-img \">\n         <img class=\"centro_sinmarco\" height=\"753\" width=\"720\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  src=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754873296_320_Serial-killers-experienced-a-rise-in-the-1980s-but-today.jpeg\" alt=\"Murderers\"\/><br \/>\n         <span>Cases of serial murderers in the United States. Source: Radford University, Graphic of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2016\/12\/2\/13803158\/serial-killers-victims-data\" target=\"_blank\">Vox.com<\/a><\/span>\n     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The graph illustrates the surge of serial killings, revealing that most notorious incidents occurred within a \u00a0three-decade span\u00a0. Some of the well-known cases, such as those involving \u00a0Ted Bundy\u00a0, \u00a0Jeffrey Dahmer\u00a0, and \u00a0David Alan Gore\u00a0, predominantly fell within this timeframe.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 4 --> <\/p>\n<p>The increase began in the late \u00a01950s\u00a0, demonstrating a drastic rise during the \u00a01970s\u00a0, and peaking in the \u00a01980s\u00a0. Reports suggest that there were \u00a0254 active serial killers in the 1980s\u00a0, with the maximum occurring in \u00a01987\u00a0, resulting in over \u00a0400 victims\u00a0. By the \u00a01990s\u00a0, this figure reduced to \u00a0227\u00a0, and by \u00a02010\u00a0, only \u00a066 cases\u00a0 were recorded.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 5 --><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why There Are No Serial Murderers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Researchers attribute the \u00a0decline of serial murderers\u00a0 to multiple factors, especially those related to \u00a0advancements in criminal investigation\u00a0. Police databases are now more comprehensive, and communication among various security agencies has improved. This allows for easier identification of patterns in cases and helps in recognizing potential serial profiles.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 6 --> <\/p>\n<p>Moreover, research methods have become increasingly sophisticated. The \u00a0DNA test\u00a0, first implemented in the mid-1980s, has become a cornerstone of criminal investigations, although initial techniques were quite rudimentary, leading to prolonged analysis times. The establishment of vast databases only further enhances the efficacy of these investigations.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 7 --><\/p>\n<p>Technological advancements play a pivotal role as well. The prevalence of \u00a0security cameras\u00a0 in public and commercial spaces has significantly contributed to resolving numerous crimes across the globe. One notable study indicated that the \u00a0British Transport Police\u00a0 improved its crime resolution rate from \u00a023% to 48%\u00a0 thanks to the implementation of security camera footage.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 8 --><\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u00a0Internet searches\u00a0 have proven to be instrumental in cracking cases. For example, \u00a0Brian Walshe\u00a0, involved in his wife&#8217;s disappearance, made alarming searches on Google about how bodies decompose and ways to dispose of a corpse. This, combined with evidence of his purchases at Home Depot, led to his eventual arrest.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 9 --> <\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most significant advancement has been in mobile technology. Beyond surveillance images, \u00a0mobile phone triangulation\u00a0 allows authorities to track both suspects and victims, reconstructing their movements effectively. Mobile data has proven invaluable in high-profile cases like those of \u00a0Asunta Basterra\u00a0 and \u00a0Diana Quer\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 10 --> <\/p>\n<p>The decline in serial killers aligns with a \u00a0general decrease in violence since the 1990s\u00a0, but it is evident that investigative advancements and technology have made it increasingly difficult for potential serial murderers to operate undetected. In many instances, these individuals often do not commit a second crime due to the enhanced law enforcement capabilities in place.<\/p>\n<p><!-- BREAK 11 --><\/p>\n<p>Cover image | Netflix<\/p>\n<p>In Xataka | A person has made Media Spain hook the most horrendous crimes: Clara Tiscar and &#8216;Criminopathy&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/category\/general\/\" rel=\"dofollow\">General News &#8211; 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If there is a genre of entertainment that has emerged strongly in recent years, it is certainly \u00a0True Crime\u00a0. There are series, podcasts, and even \u00a0documentaries made with AI\u00a0 about real crimes. Many of these narratives explore the chilling tales of infamous \u00a0serial killers\u00a0\u2014notable figures such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":161993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[34688,3336,5950,1161,7172,28864,1652,1891],"class_list":["post-161992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-1980s","tag-experienced","tag-killers","tag-rise","tag-serial","tag-statistically","tag-today","tag-uncommon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}