Professor James Alan Fox said that known evidence does not support theories that only one murderer is responsible for 12 human remains found recently in three states.
Increasing speculations according to which a serial killer is free in New England – triggered by recent discoveries of 12 human remains in three states – seems to be motivated by rumors distributed via social media.
James Alan FoxA criminologist from the Northeast University is skeptical about speculation. He says that known evidence does not suggest the presence of a serial killer.
The police also have rejected the probability that an author alone is responsible for deaths.
And yet, the rumors of a serial killer persist – driven largely by more than 70,000 users in a private Facebook group which offered conjectures and theories on the mysterious deaths. An anonymous confession on the page of the group A led to A futile body research by rhode Island police.
Known evidence does not corroborate with common behavior in many serial killers, explains Fox, who has been studying mass killings for four decades.
Fox says that there seems to be little or no link between deaths.
“Most serial killers have common points in their victims,” explains Fox, A teacher of research of criminology, law and public policy to the northeast. “Usually it is sex, race, age or physical characteristics of the victims. It is not always true, of course, but they tend to have a particular preference for the type of victim.
“But in these cases, there are so many dissimilarities,” explains Fox, adding that some of the deaths may not be the result of the murder, according to known evidence.
The remains were discovered in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts in March and April, which led to current police investigations. Although a man of the Connecticut is accused last month of murder From his roommate, a woman whose dismembered remains were found in a suitcase in March, said the police of the Connecticut State No evidence was found To connect this murder with other unresolved deaths.
The 12 remains were found in 11 cities and cities, which, according to Fox, further decreases the probability of serial murders.
“There is no model in discharge sites,” explains Fox, which manages the Associated Press / USA TODAY / NORTHEASTERN University Mass Killing Database and is the author of “Extreme Killing: Understanding serial and mass murder. “” Many serial killers will have a particular discharge site where they have their bodies. Thus, when the police find evidence of a serial killer, they tend to find several bodies because the killer feels comfortable from the elimination of bodies in this place. More than 70% of serial killers kill in a place, generally around their house or their workplace or somewhere.
“It is much safer for them to kill in a place where they know the ground. In addition, they tend to have jobs and families, which means that they are part -time – literally, they have free time to kill. And in general, they cannot spend weeks and months to find victims. ”
Speculation has dropped despite a national fall in serial murders. Improvements in legal science, police, criminal justice and technology have been responsible for A significant drop in serial murders Since the 1980s, when more than 250 active killers have represented 120 to 180 deaths per year. During the decade of 2010, there were less than 50 known active killers.
Fox recognizes that the police generally do not publish all the details of the current surveys. This vacuum relating to information contributed to online speculation, said Laurie KramerNortheast professor of applied psychology.
The Facebook conjecture should not be rejected with casualness, adds Kramer.
“When people believe they feel very strongly and who are reacting with repression, then these beliefs can become even more strongly held,” explains Kramer. “People can become more anchored in their thoughts. And over time, a situation can intensify and become much more intense. ”
For some people, the worst case of an active serial killer can be the product of other fears, says Kramer.
“These beliefs can be strengthened by meeting other people who share these same ideas,” explains Kramer. “Sharing these beliefs with others can help them feel more safe because they realize that there are other people who are also concerned and try to make our world safer and less confusing.”
And then some other users can consider their online participation by trying to resolve the mystery of the bodies recovered as a kind of entertainment of reality.
“This kind of conversation strengthens convictions that the world does not feel safe, that our leaders may not be completely transparent or share everything with us, that there can be other explanations on what is happening that they may not have considered,” says Kramer. “In many ways, this can reflect the national feeling right now.”
If the cases are resolved, Kramer hopes that the authorities have a convincing range of facts to alleviate public skepticism.
“The fight against the beliefs of a group of 70,000 people who develop their own interpretation and understanding the facts will be really important,” explains Kramer. “Maybe it will prove to be an author. But whatever it is discovered, people will need evidence to accept it.
“People will have to be shown the facts. Something should happen within this group to help this mass of people accept evidence – or at least critically think about the information they receive. I hope they will be able to move forward to understand and accept everything that evidence shows. ”