Victimology: Serial Killing Case Study Analysis Report - Criminology

This report provides an in-depth analysis of serial killing, focusing on the case of Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer. The introduction defines serial killing within the context of criminology, highlighting the patterns and motivations behind such crimes. The discussion section presents a brief overview of the case, detailing Ridgway's crimes and the evidence against him. The report then explores various criminological theories, including sociological and victimological explanations, to understand the factors contributing to Ridgway's actions and his choice of victims. Specifically, it examines the victim precipitation theory, which explains how certain victim characteristics can influence the offender. The report also outlines the methods of operation commonly used by serial killers, emphasizing the organized nature of their crimes and the cooling-off periods between murders. Finally, it addresses the status of Ridgway's victims, focusing on their socioeconomic backgrounds and the motivations behind the killings. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the patterns and theoretical frameworks that explain the case. The report references relevant academic sources to support its analysis.

Running head: VICTIMOLOGY
Serial killing
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................2
Brief fact of the case:..............................................................................................................2
Theories regarding serial killing:............................................................................................2
Theories of victimology:........................................................................................................3
Method of operation:..............................................................................................................3
Status of victims:....................................................................................................................3
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................3
Reference:..................................................................................................................................4

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Introduction:
The subject matter of the case is based on the serial killing. Under the criminology,
serial killing falls under the category of multicide. There are certain special designs have
been observed in case of the serial killing (Chateauvert, 2014). It includes a number of
homicides that occurred in different places and certain motivations have been there for each
killing. Under the criminology, there are some theories mentioned to identify the offence. In
the present report, the case of Gary Ridgway has been described that deals with certain
theories of serial killing (Fox & Levin, 2013).
Discussion:
Brief fact of the case:
The murderer of the case was a resident of Salt Lake city, United States and was a
notorious criminal who was alleged to kill at least 70 women. The investigation report of
Gary Ridgway had shocked the whole country and it revealed his standard of hatred for the
prostitutes. He had brutally murdered the women and dumped their bodies into the river. The
case of Gary Ridgway is regarded as Green River Killing. However, Court held him liable for
the killing of 49 women depends on the documents and evidences (Kleppe, 2014).
Theories regarding serial killing:
Under the criminology, certain theories are present that demonstrate the reasons of
serial killing by way of various theories. Generally, there are three theories that can defined
the reason behind the killing spree of the serial killer. The theories are biological explanation,
psychological explanation and sociological explanation. Though all the theories are inter-
related to each other, in the case of Gary Ridgway, the theory of sociological explanation is

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applied. Investigation report revealed that the childhood of Gary Leon was disturbed and his
father used to beat them and addicted to prostitutes (Miller, 2014).
Theories of victimology:
Victimology explains the reason why particular classes of people are victimised and
why are not. In the present case, Gary was set the target towards the prostitutes, as he was
beat by his father for them. In the present case, victim precipitation theory will be applicable.
As per the theory, confrontation made between the victim and the killer leads to injury or
death. Here the victims are suffered due to their personal characteristics that encourage the
attacker. The women killed by Gary were from the prostitution business and that become the
personal character for them.
Method of operation:
Serial killing is a part of the organised crime and the killers of this group are operated
the crimes in a systematic way (Murray, 2017). The modus operandi of the serial killer is
common in nature and they have maintained a cooling period after each murder. The criminal
activity covers a large geographical area and it could not be traced easily.
Status of victims:
In the case of Gary Ridgway, all the victims were engaged with flesh trade and all of
them were from a particular age. The socio-economic status of them was not good. The
hidden hatred regarding the prostitute can be observed from the methods of kill the girls. He
used to intercourse with them and strangulate them manually. Sometimes, he intercourse with
them after their death (DeSteno, 2014).

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Conclusion:
Therefore, it can conclude that serial killing involves certain pattern and fall under the
category of organised crime. An attempt has been made to identify the nature of the case
through certain theories of criminology. The reason behind the criminal mentality of the killer
has been discussed.
Reference:
Chateauvert, M. (2014). Sex workers unite: A history of the movement from Stonewall to SlutWalk.
Beacon Press.
DeSteno, D. (2014). The truth about trust: How it determines success in life, love, learning, and
more. Penguin.
Fox, J. A., & Levin, J. (2013). Overkill: Mass murder and serial killing exposed. Springer.
Kleppe, S. L. (2014). Jindabyne. Movie. American Studies in Scandinavia, 39(2), 119-123.
Miller, L. (2014). Serial killers: II. Development, dynamics, and forensics. Aggression and
violent behavior, 19(1), 12-22.
Murray, J. L. (2017). The Role of Sexual, Sadistic, and Misogynistic Fantasy in Mass and Serial
Killing. Deviant Behavior, 38(7), 735-743.