Dec 26, 2025 07:33 PM
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/br...l-36459457
INTRO: Whilst serial killers are mostly male, there are key differences in the way male and female serial killers operate, which is what often leads to female serial killers evading capture. Research reported by Crime Investigations concludes that male serial killers are nearly six times as likely to kill a stranger, whereas female serial killers are almost twice as likely to kill a person with whom they’re already familiar.
They even report that some 65.4 per cent of male serial killers, to one degree or another, stalked their victims before murdering them, compared to just 3.6 per cent of female serial killers. The motive and means for those who become their prey and eventual victims are very different. However, there are female serial killers throughout British history who have committed some of the country's most shocking acts.
Speaking to Rest Less, Associate Professor of Psychology, Marissa Harrison, from Penn State University, suggested that the “roles” assigned to each gender play a key role in explaining the way in which they kill. She said: “Historically, men hunted animals as prey and women gathered nearby resources, like grains and plants, for food. As an evolutionary psychologist, I wondered if something left over from these old roles could be affecting how male and female serial killers choose their victims.”
Through research for Harrison’s book, Just as Deadly: The Psychology of Female Serial Killers, Harrison found that 39 per cent of female mass killers work in healthcare professions and are likely to be well educated. From quiet Victorian poisoners to modern hospital wards and killing sprees, these cases, when brought to light, have stunned the nation and sometimes reshaped how police, courts and the public view female violence. Here, the Mirror looks at some of Britain’s most infamous female serial killers... (MORE - details)
COVERED:
Mary Ann Cotton
Myra Hindley
Rose West
Beverley Allitt
Lucy Letby
Joanna Dennehy
INTRO: Whilst serial killers are mostly male, there are key differences in the way male and female serial killers operate, which is what often leads to female serial killers evading capture. Research reported by Crime Investigations concludes that male serial killers are nearly six times as likely to kill a stranger, whereas female serial killers are almost twice as likely to kill a person with whom they’re already familiar.
They even report that some 65.4 per cent of male serial killers, to one degree or another, stalked their victims before murdering them, compared to just 3.6 per cent of female serial killers. The motive and means for those who become their prey and eventual victims are very different. However, there are female serial killers throughout British history who have committed some of the country's most shocking acts.
Speaking to Rest Less, Associate Professor of Psychology, Marissa Harrison, from Penn State University, suggested that the “roles” assigned to each gender play a key role in explaining the way in which they kill. She said: “Historically, men hunted animals as prey and women gathered nearby resources, like grains and plants, for food. As an evolutionary psychologist, I wondered if something left over from these old roles could be affecting how male and female serial killers choose their victims.”
Through research for Harrison’s book, Just as Deadly: The Psychology of Female Serial Killers, Harrison found that 39 per cent of female mass killers work in healthcare professions and are likely to be well educated. From quiet Victorian poisoners to modern hospital wards and killing sprees, these cases, when brought to light, have stunned the nation and sometimes reshaped how police, courts and the public view female violence. Here, the Mirror looks at some of Britain’s most infamous female serial killers... (MORE - details)
COVERED:
Mary Ann Cotton
Myra Hindley
Rose West
Beverley Allitt
Lucy Letby
Joanna Dennehy