Abstract Serial murder is considered as one of the most serious crimes any individual can commit. The heinous act is characterized by the killing of multiple persons over a long period of time, usually weeks, months or years. Statistics conducted by various scholars indicated an increase in serial murders particularly the period between 1950 and 2000. Furthermore, statistics by the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported over 30,000 murders during the same period. Over the years, psychologists and lawyers have continued to research on the patterns and behaviors of serial killers with the aim to identify their characters and motives. The purpose of this study was to examine research on this issues regarding the characteristics of serial murderers. The objective of the research was to examine the lives of two prominent serial killers in history and critically analyze their behavioral patterns identified by their past criminal records.   [Show Less]