Steven A. Egger

"We as a society enjoy serial killing, albeit vicariously," asserts Steven A. Egger, professor of the criminal justice program at the University of Illinois at Springfield and an expert researcher on serial murder. The news and popular entertainment media thrive on serial murder because of its mass appeal; meanwhile, the murderers yearn for the notoriety and public attention that comes with their crimes. In the following selection Egger contends that misinformation and misunderstanding of the nature of serial killers and their crimes feed the dangerous symbiotic relationship between murder and the media.

SERIAL MURDER IS IMPORTANT TO THE PRESS, the electronic media, screen writers, and movie producers as well as comic book artists. It sells newspapers and draws viewers to TV screens and movie theaters. It sells books and fills movie theaters. The true&mdash...