Better data and efforts to collaborate more widely have recently led to discoveries that have shown serial murder to be the result of a multifaceted, complex process involving the offender’s unique socialization, experiences, and fantasies that develop over the course of their maturation. For the purposes of this article serial murder is defined as the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same individual(s) over a period of more than 14 days. Half a century after the term was reconceptualized, basic concepts – such as how to properly define serial murder and what constitutes a series – are still a matter of great debate. Much of what is known about serial murder by the general public has been generalized, filtered through the realm of entertainment, and converted into myths and stereotypes. Serial murder has had a storied history which has complicated society’s understanding of the topic. The impact of race‐based assumptions among law enforcement agencies and the public regarding the criminality of any group poses a danger to that whole society. Consequently, the predominant media portrayals of serial murderers are white male perpetrators. This article suggests that the unquestioned ethnocentric profile of the serial killer as a white male in the US was created by the FBI, and subsequent media portrayals have reinforced this myth. The media show little reticence in portraying black males as low‐level criminals, but rarely portray them as serial killers.
Despite the fact that numerous television shows, news reports and films address serial murder in fictional and non‐fictional portrayals, there remains a dearth of information and portrayals regarding black serial killers. Previous research has identified 90 black serial killers beginning in 1945, yet their notoriety and celebrity are absent from America's popular cultural landscape. The existence of African American serial killers is a fact that appears to have escaped the attention of the American public. Snipers who, while not comparable to the traditional media portrayals of serial killers, do qualify as such, based on the FBI's assessment.
More astute individuals could mention the more recent D.C.
For those who can remember, it might be Wayne Williams, the so‐called ‘Atlanta child murderer’. ‘Can you name an African American (black) serial killer?’ In the US, the answer is often silence.
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