Serial killers differ from other types of killers. The number of serial killers in the United States is staggering. The differences are evident between serial murders and conventional murders. Serial killings can be classified as motive-based or organization- and society-based. Holmes' typology helps to understand the motivations behind serial murders. Serial killers may also be motivated by fame as part of their motivation to kill. John Wayne Gacy could be seen as evil due to his repeated violent acts. Jeffrey Dahmer was also evil by committing his acts of serial murder. Both Gacy and Dahmer had police records prior to their arrest for serial murders. Serial killers are poor candidates for rehabilitation. Their acts are evil. Serial Murders Are Rampant in the United States According to estimates from a recent study conducted by the FBI, there have been approximately 400 serial killers in the United States over the past century, with the total number of murder victims ranging from 2,525 to 3,860. Various industry experts have suggested that there could be anywhere from 50 to as many as 300 serial killers active at one time, although there is no clear evidence to support this. Certainly, an estimate of 300 active serial killers seems at odds with the FBI's estimate of 400 in the entire previous century. But an estimated 80% of the last century's serial killers emerged since 1950. Whatever the reason, serial murders are clearly on the rise, with the term itself only coined since the mid-1970s, so maybe 300 serial killers active at the same time could unfortunately be possible. The number of serial murders in the United States is staggering. There are important differences between serial killers and other types of murderers. Motivations... half of the paper... they were considered evil because of their repeated acts of violence. An interesting point is that both Gacy and Dahmer had run-ins with the law before becoming serial killers. Serial killers are not good candidates for rehabilitation. Their acts are evil. Works Cited Geringer, Joseph. “The Black Widows: Veiled in Their Own Web of Darkness.” Unknown. Network. March 2014. FBI. “Crime in the United States 2011: Murder” Unknown. Network. March 2014. FBI. “Serial Murder: Multidisciplinary Perspectives for Investigators.” Unknown. Network. March 2014. Freeman, Shanna. "How serial killers work." October 2007. Web. March 2014. (Pg 1,2,3).Montaldo, Carlo. "Profile of John Wayne Gacy the "killer clown"". Unknown. Network. March 2014.Murderpedia. “John Wayne GACY Jr.” Unknown. Network. March 2014.Murderpedia. “Gacy.pdf”. Unknown. Network. March 2014.NNDB. “Jeffrey Dahmer.” Unknown network. March 2014.