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RAPE-WURDER Rape and Rape-Murder: One Offender and Twelve Victims Robert K. Ressler, MI.S., Ann Wolbert Burgess, D.N.Sc., and John E. Douglas, M.S. high schooi, when he was involuncarily withdrawn This study analyzes data pertaining to 12 rapes und from school due to excessive absenteeism and lack of rape-murders committed by one male udolescent progress. He was of average intelligence and had aspired to offender over +-year period. All offenses except the attend college. He was athletically inclined and played first were committed while the offender was under league basebail. He was ourgoing, otten attended psychiatric and probationary supervision. The use or social events, and had close circle ot friends, boch relinquishment of violence by the offender was found male and female. He saw himself as a leader, nor a to be dependent on subtle interpersonal factors. The uuthors stress the importance of the use of crime follower. The offender's antisocial behavior was tirst recorded scene data and interviews of patients who have committed sex crimes, the role of psychological when he was age 9, when he and 3 other boys were caught by the school principa! writing cusswords on profiles in upprehension of suspects, and the the sidewalk. The boys were required to wash the contribution of law enforcement as a data resource. sidewalk until the words were removed. His criminal (Am J Psychiatry 140:36-40, 1983) record started when he was age 12 with assaultive and disruptive behavior involving breaking into an apart ape-murder, a crime of increasing concern in our ment and stealing property valued at Si00. At age 13 society, results from one person killing another in he was charged with driving without an operator's pur Aeregang aain peeanen sem ay tI ale ir desegee the contexr ot power, sexualiry, and brutaliry. Al- rape and committed 2 minor acts ot petty larceny as though the literature is replere with reports on the well as stealing a car. He readily admitted using murderer, ir is relatively silent on the vicrim. This alcohol and drugs of all rypes from his early teen years. omission from the clinical literature significantly im- He worked sporadically throughout his high school pedes our understanding of the possible variables in a rape assault and handicaps our progress in victimolo- years as part of a program whereby he attended school. in the morning and worked in the afrernoon. gy. To contribute to the study of rape-murder, we The ofender was sent our of state to a psychiarric report on 12 rapes committed by a male teenager over a 4-year period in which 5 of his victims were mur- residential facility following the first felony ot rape and burglary at age i4. During his 18-monch stay he dered following the rape. received individua! insighr-oriented psychotherapy. and the discharge recommendation was that he live at home, attend public school, and continue psychothera- Profile Of the Offender py on a weekly outpatient basis, with his mother The ofender, born 24 years ago in the Vlidwest, was actively involved in his trearment. Three weeks atter returning home from the residencial facility he was the youngest of 3 children and had an older adopred charged with attempted armed robbery brother and natural sister. It is reported thar he was an. tended to be rape. It took I year for him to come Rh baby and required a complete blood transfusion at before a judge for sentencing on this charge, and in birth. He has reportedly suffered no major health thar time he had commitred the lirst rape and murder problems. The parents separated and divorced when he was age 7, and both parents remarried shortly but had not yer been charged for thar oifense. The disposition on the attempred armed robbery was pro- thereafter. He continued ro live with his mother even bation and ourpatient psychotherapy; he had served 3 though her second marriage dissolved when he was 12. months when he was apprehended for the 5 murders. He complered age-level work until his senior year in His psychiatric diagnoses according to Dsml-lI have included adolescent adjustment reaction. character dis- order without psychosis. and multiple personality. At Received Apni 2.. 1981: revised Oct. 13. 1981: accepted Nov. +. the time ot his arrest for the murders the young man 1981. From che Behavioral Science Unic. FBl Academy. Quannico. Va.: and Boston Ciny Hospital. Bosron. Mass. Address reprint was 19 years old, weighed 65 kg, and was i70 cm tall. requests to Mr. Ressler. FBI Academy. Quannico. VA 20135. He was given 5 life sentences tor the 5 rape-murders. Supported in part by National Insacuce ot Justice grant CX-)065. Aiter 2 years of incarceration, he admitred co 6 1933 Amencan Psychiatnc Associaton O00-953 additional rapes for which he was never charged. 33.01.0036.05-500.50. 137 Am J Psychiutry 1+0:1. Januury 1983