PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Schlesinger, Louis B.
AU  - Ramirez, Stephanie
AU  - Tusa, Brittany
AU  - Jarvis, John P.
AU  - Erdberg, Philip
TI  - Rapid-Sequence Serial Sexual Homicides
DP  - 2017 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
PG  - 72--80
VI  - 45
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jaapl.org/content/45/1/72.short
4100  - http://jaapl.org/content/45/1/72.full
SO  - J Am Acad Psychiatry Law2017 Mar 01; 45
AB  - Serial sexual murderers have been described as committing homicides in a methodical manner, taking substantial time between offenses to elude the authorities. The results of our study of the temporal patterns (i.e., the length of time between homicides) of a nonrandom national sample of 44 serial sexual murderers and their 201 victims indicate that this representation may not always be accurate. Although 25 offenders (56.8%) killed with longer than a 14-day period between homicides, a sizeable subgroup was identified: 19 offenders (43.2%) who committed homicides in rapid-sequence fashion, with fewer than 14 days between all or some of the murders. Six offenders (13.6%) killed all their victims in one rapid-sequence, spree-like episode, with homicides just days apart or sometimes two murders in the same day. Thirteen offenders (29.5%) killed in one or two rapid-sequence clusters (i.e., more than one murder within a 14-day period, as well as additional homicides with greater than 14 days between each). The purpose of our study was to describe this subgroup of rapid-sequence offenders who have not been identified until now. These findings argue for accelerated forensic assessments of dangerousness and public safety when a sexual murder is detected. Psychiatric disorders with rapidly occurring symptom patterns, or even atypical mania or mood dysregulation, may serve as exemplars for understanding this extraordinary group of offenders.