Section I: Introduction

Brief Introduction:
This section will include a very brief overview of what your topic is and how it relates to the community in today’s society. This introduction should only be a paragraph or two, 1/2 to one page. A sample is included below. Please look at our Blackboard site for the proper format. Refer to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) in the valuable resources post for proper formatting standards. The elements of the paper should be composed on Microsoft Word and saved on your h:drive. A hard copy of the introduction is due by the end of class on Thursday, April 5.

     Why can’t we look away from car accidents? Why can’t we turn off tragedies on the news? Why are we so obsessed with murder movies? As humans we are compelled, for better or worse, by the bad and evil in the world. A specific type of evil that fascinates us is serial killers. For centuries people have been intrigued with the work of serial killers, because we want to read about or watch something that is completely different from our everyday lives. Over the years, television shows and movies have escalated in both number and gruesomeness in the representation of serial killers. The depictions have gone to extremes and make serial killers seem alluring without touching base on reality. While some works like Criminal Minds and Se7en investigate the psychological aspect, some are stuck on the myths and scary features.

       Most people believe that serial killers are a new, burgeoning type of criminal and that’s what makes them so interesting. However, serial killers have been identified since the 1700’s. They were simply lumped together in the category of mass murderers. Myths gained prominence in the late 1800’s with the widely publicized unsolved murders of “Jack the Ripper.” However, the Hollywood movies and television shows that have gained popularity have perpetuated the myths of serial killers as dysfunctional loners, insane geniuses, and psychopaths. Although some of the myths may be true, not every distinction can be traced back to every killer. As I delved into this Capstone Project, I became more interested in the psychological aspects of early childhood and home-life experiences and the impact on killing motives. Throughout this paper, I am going to focus on these points along with exploring the mythology of serial killers.