Why do Woman Kill? A Look at Female Serial Killers Michael Clouse Des Moines Area Community College There are endless documentations on male serial killers. However female serial killers are a little less common. Females are known to be nurtures and gentle by nature. There are nine classifications for females serial killers. Angel of Death An angel of death is a female serial killer that usually preys on the sick. She has a sense of playing God by controlling how well the person gets and how sick the person is. In the end she controls how and when the person dies.

She can usually be seen in the role of medical caretaker, nurse, midwife, home aide, doctor, etc. (Buzzle. com). Black Widow Black widows are often controlled by money. They will kill their husband, children and family members to collect insurance money or inheritance. She typically starts her career at the age of twenty-five and actively murders victims for a decade or more before she is apprehended or her killings cease for another reason (Kelleher). Sexual Predator Sexual predator female serial killers usually are in the works with a male partner making a serial killer team. Kelleher) Despite the fact that we have a growing knowledge of the male sexual predator and his crimes, it is uncertain if any of this knowledge is applicable to the female sexual serial murderer. Due to lack of knowledge it is hard to track this type of female serial killer if she is acting by herself. Avenger (Buzzle. com) Avenger – lashes out at all those who have thwarted her in her gains. Deep seated anger, desire for revenge drives this woman to commit mass murders. The motives for the female avenger serial killer range widely from personal reasons.

However the intent from these crimes are usually obvious and they are usually not remorseful. Team Killers Team killers can be female/female, female/male, and family teams. Teams of female/ female killers are usually more than two. However female/ male killer teams are usually only made up of the two people. Family teams are three or more members usually made up of both genders. Often in team serial killers there is a dominant leader. Team killings make up almost one third of serial killings. Profit or Crime Profit or crime killers kill for profit and seek out non family members to help them commit the crimes.

They are similar to the Black Widow in the aspect of killing for profit. (Kelleher) Profit or Crime killer consciously establishes herself in the business of murdering for profit and will actively pursue victims. These women are not team killers even though they usually seek out the help of others to carry out their crimes. Often the person they seek out to help carry out these crimes have no knowledge of their helping. Question of Sanity These killers have mental disorders. These mental disorders can contribute to their crimes. Mental disorders such as schizophrenia, paranoia and delusions. These types of killers are usually male.

These types of killers must be able to prove that they didn’t know what they were doing was wrong. If they can prove that they didn’t understand what they were doing they can be placed in insane asylums. Unexplained (Kelleher)Although the female serial murderer is often an elusive and challenging criminal, her motives generally become apparent once she has been apprehended and tried for her crimes. These crimes are hard to solve since there is often no pattern to them. They are usually just as random as they are unexplained. The motives of these killers are the hardest to understand since often they don’t understand their actions themselves.

Unsolved They tend not to solve these because there just aren’t enough clues or evidence or the killing cease. They can cease because of old age, death, picked up for other crimes. (Kelleher) Other serial murders are considered unsolved because, even though the perpetrator was thought to have been irrefutably identified by law enforcement personnel and properly charged with the felonies, he or she was never convicted of the crimes. Female serial killers are so rare that it often takes twice as long to catch a female than a male.

The average male serial killer gets caught after four years. This means a female serial killer usually has at least an eight year window to kill who and how she pleases. There are many motives for female serial killers. They will probably never be fully understood. References Female serial killers. Retrieved from Buzzle. com website Http://www. buzzle. com/articles/female-serial-killers. html KELLEHER,MICHAEL D. AND C. L. KELLEHER. (1998). Retrieved from Murder Most Rare website: http://www. questia. com/read/14217482? title=Murder%20Most%20Rare%3a%20The%20Female%20Serial%20Killer