Do you find killers interesting?

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This does fall into "Autism" since I get wrapped up and obsessive towards stuff. In light of todays U.S. tragedy of a shooting at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises I've kept up with the breaking news and info on the killer all day. I am a Criminal Justice major so find information on the latest killer fascinating. Most people such as my parents see tragedy and sadness people lost there lives to which I agree. But I also found the context of a killer interesting and why they did it and so on.

I took a Criminology class which is criminal behavior and my eyes lite up like a kid in a candy store!! !! I was excited over a group assignment on violent crime and showed my excitement only to have one of the group students snap at me "Ok if you are so excited you be the leader." Also when I did a small speech on a killer who cut open victims including children and sat on them playing with there intestines then he would cry in the corner while his servants cleaned the mess I was excited while reading it.

I don't think I could ever handle SEEING blood or other such violent things but hearing about them is another thing. It's fascinating to hear about and read about. Not that I'd ever want something happening to me or my loved ones.

I was curious do other Aspies or WPers find killers fascinating?

I'm pretty much as obsessed as they come when it comes to criminal psychology/ serial killers.
It's interesting, to say the least, how one person can grow up so differently than the rest, yet fit in almost perfectly with society until they "crack". Of course that's just the stereotype serial killer.
Some, such as Dahmer for example, who seem to lead troubled lives until they give in to their urges to kill.

Have you seen This website? I find myself browsing that for a few hours every day.
I've also got quite a big book collection on this subject, including an encyclopaedia with A-Z on killer's profiles and MO's, which is really interesting.

Then there's the movies/ documentaries -- it's such an interesting subject.

Have also been keeping up with that Colorado killing spree, apparently one of the victims had recently escaped a mall shooting, I think it was, but died after being shot multiple times at the premier.

Thanks! IMO You'd have to be an idiot to be killed by Dahmer! COME ON! He went to local malls and coaxed 12 yr. old boys to come to his house for $50 bucks! A 12 yr. old is smart enough to not do that! and a mall there are plenty of OTHER places to get victims!! !! In the 2000's that'd be unheard of!! ! Those people deserved it of sorts. To be killed NO but COME ON! They were stupid!! !! ! Also while the Colorado tragedy is sad There are other ways of killing. I'm not violent myself just have an imagination is all.

I read about a man I think it was in the early 30's/ 40's where he walked into a bank posed as a legitimate doctor and claimed to be instructed to give them some sort of medicine (something which might have been common in those days, in Asia), everyone lined up and dropped dead of cyanide poisoning almost instantly, I think two people died at hospital, the man then robbed the bank for little over $700 and was later caught after being identified for a small scar on his chin, or something.

I thought it was quite original anyway.

Maybe James Holmes thought Christian Bale would show up, haha. Either way, I'm interested to know what his motives are. It's not every day a spontaneous shooter let's the police take them alive.

No, it's not because they're stupid. It's because Dahmer was a rather accomplished and manipulative predator. You're looking at this like he just picked kids, and said "I'll give you $50 if you come to my house," but his approach was more than that.

I've been studying psychopathy lately, and one thing that comes through pretty clearly is most people are simply not equipped to detect or respond appropriately to psychopaths, and psychopaths are well equipped to spot the "best" potential victims - those who are least-equipped to resist their advances.

One of his victims managed to get away from him, I think clad in just his underpants, someone called the police and Dahmer rushed out and said he would take him home, the police didn't bother to check Dahmer's record which showed of his violent and predatory history, and let him take the boy back to his house where he was later murdered.

If he can manipulate the police and a concerned member of the public, what chance does a poor homeless kid have? He did seem rather cunning from what I've read.
He was also quite attractive as well, which can certainly help someone take advantage of another person. (Not saying all attractive people do this, of course.)

I don't find them interesting at all. They are part of the reason that it takes me some time to open up to new people as my lack of intuition in this area makes me see everyone as a potential threat. I have gotten better at reading people due to my years of pizza delivery, but I still do tend to shut down outside that context.

We already know that James Holmes, the midnight killer, was a loner. Just a matter of time til we find out he was probably one of us. (That's what they said about the recent Seattle mass murderer and Anders Breivik). In any case, I don't get why people do mass murders, or murders at all. I write about it in my fiction and I've seen tons of murderers in film, and I still don't get it. Maybe ZeldaPsychology can explain.

I'm glad I am not the only one who thought this. He was highly intelligent and a loner, which seems to indicate that he might be on the spectrum. However, I don't get his motives and suspect that few (if any) here ever would. I do fear that this will be used both against autists and gun owners.

I'm not obsessed with killers but I like reading -very- gory and brutal horror. I'd recommend Scott Sigler's work to anyone who is the same. He is an excellent storyteller as well, extremely detailed/accurate. I'd start off with Infected.

Hmm. I didn't realize there is a market for brutal fiction. I have a short story I wrote but still wonder if I should include it in my upcoming collection because it's so violent. I do have a disclaimer on it, though.

If you ever need someone to read it let me know. Hahaha.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a lot of the truly gory and brutal stuff, but there is a faithful following.

I read that book some months ago and thought it was all right, a bit cheesy and unimaginative in places, but all right.

Thomas Harris (The Hannibal series) is nothing short of a literary genius, well from my experience anyway. All of his books are beautiful and brutal.

I'll agree it was a bit unimaginative in places - I guessed correctly right where he was going many times - such as the chicken scissors scene (and the aftermath - what he was carrying in his hand) - but I enjoyed reading it and his other works. Ancestor was my favorite, so far, especially the ending.

I liked his stuff though, just because I found myself going through it as fast as possible, enjoying every moment of it, and not stopping unless I absolutely had to. I also listened to the audiobook versions - I like doing that because it's different for me, because I read very very fast - I can even read two lines at once if I want. If I'm listening to an audiobook version of a book, it's different than just reading it. He also acts out the voices pretty well. I also finish books really fast if I'm not listening to the audiobook version, and I like having it drawn out to increase the amount of time I'm enjoying it.

I'll read the Hannibal series now because of what you said - I've not read it yet.

I'm not so interested in serial killers as I am crime in general. For example, I watched the new Tom Hanks 9/11 movie a few months ago and that really peaked my interest and I've been reading around the internet and watching videos on youtube about 9/11. I was really young when it happened (7th grade) so I didn't comprehend the magnitude of the situation. So as I'm learning all this new stuff, it's like I'm experiencing it maturely for the first time.

When I was younger (about 5th grade) I was interested in presidential assassinations and read about them.

Same.

[quote[Have you seen This website? I find myself browsing that for a few hours every day.[/quote]

Thanks for this link. I do like to read this website too.

Before my parents threw them out, we did have a collection of magazines called murder casebook. And there was a much recent version too.

Not that interested in fictional serial killers; much prefer the ones that really happened.

Having been obsessed from a young age, (11 or 12 years old) I do know a lot of cases inside out now.