Evil or Insane? The Female Serial Killer and Her Doubly Deviant Femininity(7) Helen Gavin

 


Evil or Insane? The Female Serial Killer and Her Doubly Deviant Femininity(7)

Helen Gavin

6.   Comfort serial killers (7)

Comfort serial murderers kill for profit in order to fund a comfortable lifestyle, but also can be said to be providing comfort as a means to ensnare victims. A review of the writings on female serial killers by Frei et al showed that, amongst the very sparse literature, it is difficult to categorise by patterns and/or motives, but that the most common motive identified is material gain.[i] Perhaps the most vilified profit killings are those done by women who were trusted with the lives, literally, of the vulnerable. During the 1980’s, Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house for elderly or mentally handicapped residents in Sacramento, California. She was, however, pocketing a large portion of their monthly benefits payments. This deception was netting her somewhere in the region of $6000 a month. Some of the tenants started to disappear. In 1988, police calling to enquire after one missing tenant found the body of another in the house, and seven others in the garden and basement. No-one thought this little white-haired old lady could be implicated, and she was allowed to wander off.

          Comfort serial killers also include the so-called black widows. 41 year old Japanese businessman Yoshiyuki Oide was happily planning his wedding when he was found dead in his car from carbon monoxide poisoning. He had transferred five million yen (about £42,000 or $65,000) to his fiancée days before his death. The fiancée, Kanae Kijima was subsequently suspected of involvement in the murders of up to six other men, netting her over ¥200,000,000 (£1.3M or $2.2M)

 A woman who kills for profit is much more common than a woman who kills for sexual gratification or sheer revenge. The lone female killer is much rarer than the woman who kills with a partner.


[i] Andreas Frei, Birgit Völlm, Marc Graf and Volker Dittmann, ‘Female serial killing: review and case report,’ Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health 16.3 (September 2006): 167–176. 167

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 6 J 34

Image
  Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 6 J 34 A STANDARD SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATING AND CLASSIFYING VIOLENT CRIMES SECOND EDITION   Investigation The group involved with the murder was not a structured gang at the time of assault but more a gathering of bored young people. The attack was not directed by distinctive leadership, but started with a suggestion from some- one to rob somebody. Not long after the proposition was raised, Catherine Fuller walked by.
Read more

Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 8 B34

Image
  Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 8 B34 A STANDARD SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATING AND CLASSIFYING VIOLENT CRIMES SECOND EDITIO N   After the girls moved in with their natural father, they were able to disclose the abuse. The case was reported to authorities. The mother denied any knowledge of the offenses.
Read more

Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 9 B 5

Image
  Crime Classification Manual Part II Chapter 9 B 5 A STANDARD SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATING AND CLASSIFYING VIOLENT CRIMES SECOND EDITIO N   Crime Scene Indicators Frequently Noted. The robber usually spends a minimum amount of time at the scene. Typically, he brings a weapon or the threat of having one, such as a bomb. Sometimes communication between the robber and the victim is written or verbal. Communication is minimal.
Read more