...Pierce Wendy L. Eddy English 1213-308 24 Mar 2010 Sane or Insane Albert Fish was so demented that he stuck alcohol soaked cotton balls into his anus after setting them on fire. He was also found with twenty nine needles stuck in his body between his anus and his scrotum. Fish was also found guilty of the killings of fifteen little boys and mutilating one hundred others. He said that God told him to do it. The doctors said that he suffered from a religious psychosis (Rawlins). Some people seem to get away with these kinds of heinous crimes because of insanity and others, who really have mental problems, get locked away in prison and forgotten about. The definition of insanity is “the mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct his/her affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior” (Insanity). In other words, a person may live in a fantasy world and believe that things are going on around them that really are not. Also, a person may not be able to control their urges. For instance, a person may get the urge to flip someone the middle finger that cuts them off in traffic. This would be an uncontrollable impulsive behavior. Many serial killers use this line of defense as a strategy to get put into a mental hospital rather than prison. Mental hospitals give prisoners less rules and more freedoms than do Pierce 2 prisons. Some killers though, are truly insane. There is a fine line, as...
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...already think, really who would kill their best friend? This man was creeped out by a feature of a friendly old man so much that he decided to kill a man over an eye. You may think that because he killed an old man that he is insane but, he was very well sane at the moment of the crime and these three reasons will support my case. One of my reasons that proves that the man in the story is that he knows he is planning to kill a man. One way this is proven is at the beginning of the story when he admits that he is aware of himself during the crime because he can tell the story perfectly without flaw. The killer also knew he was doing this and tries to tell you the story “calmly” as if he did nothing. According to the model penal code test if the criminal is not aware of if the crime is right or wrong then he is insane ,but this man said he pondered on it for a few days and then made up his mind.This one of many reasons proves that he was not insane at the time of the murder....
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...Hamlet Pleads Sane William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is considered to be a great tragedy in the eyes of many. In the play, the protagonist, Hamlet, is on a quest to avenge the death of his father. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is upset that his mother married his uncle, Claudius, only two months after his father’s death. As the story progresses, Hamlet is confronted by King Hamlet’s ghost. The ghost informs Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. When the ghost asks Hamlet to seek revenge for his murder, Hamlet takes on the task whole-heartedly. Hamlet’s actions, in the first half of the play, are rooted in revenge and anger, not madness. I can prove he is not crazy and acts as a normal human, out of curiosity. Hamlet’s first soliloquy begins by him suggesting, “Oh,that this too, too-solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!”(Shakespeare 1.2.129-132).This excerpt clearly highlights Hamlet’s thoughts regarding his mother’s recent nuptials. It only took Gertrude two months after the death of King Hamlet to marry Claudius. This abrupt marriage causes Hamlet to suspect that something might have been taking place between the two before his father’s death. Hamlet reacts as any logical or sane individual who finds himself in the same situation. Hamlet’s anger towards the hasty marriage between Claudius and Gertrude is a logical reaction that any sane individual has; thus highlighting...
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...Jeffery Dahmer Hannah Bialas CRJ 308: Psychology of Criminal Behavior Instructor: David Ojo October 6, 2014 Introduction Everyone knows that there are many killers out there in the world but some were made famous because of what they did. Jeffery Dahmer is a famous case that really has an interesting story behind it. Behind every killer there is something that made them that way which could include many aspects of one’s life. The Jeffery Dahmer case has many aspects as well as different theories as to what made him the way he was and made him to the things he did. Childhood History Jeffery Dahmer was first born and go little attention from his parents but then another child came along and he did not like getting less attention than he already did. After he was no longer the only child that is when the problems started. “He was born into a loving household and was a happy child till he was six, when his brother was born and he received some minor surgery then he became increasingly insular and lacking in self-confidence” (The Dominion Post, 2007). Soon after the family ended up in Ohio which made Jeffery Dahmer’s life darker because he became less social or more insecure and ended up with no friends because of these issues. He had a hard time making friends because he was into death, taxidermy, and flesh which can make it very difficult to make any type of friends. According to Dahmer he had thoughts of murder and necrophilia around the age 14 which was after his parent’s...
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... months, or years apart. Most serial killers are afraid of being caught, and they take precautions in order to continue killing . Serial killers tend to murder strangers rather than people they know. Their victims normally have something in common such as age, race, educational background, gender, occupation, or facial features. Serial killers normally have an image of the perfect victim, but will sometimes settle for anyone, if he cannot find his preference. Victims who are from broken homes, runaways, prostitutes, and they who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse normally fall prey to serial killers. Serial murders sometimes share common characteristic; however, their approach to killing might differ. According to Fahui Wang, some serial killers are organized and others are disorganized. Some serial killers are very organized, and they plan their attacks with care; they tend to be very selective in choosing their victims, and oftentimes, follow the same patterns when committing a crime. Their crimes are planned in detail, and they involve various ways in which the murders will occur. Some serial killers normally know what sort of victim they are looking for, and where and when the murders should occur. On the other hand, disorganized killers are careless and sloppy. Their victims are chosen at random, and they tend to move on impulses and the instant need and self gratification to kill. Most serial killers murder their victims close to or at their...
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...incompetent? Should the government allow the defendant to be treated then allow him to face the death penalty? This was the case with Charles Laverne Singleton Argument Charles Laverne Singleton was found guilty for the murder of a grocery clerk in 1979 and was sentenced to death. While awaiting the death penalty, Singleton’s mental capacity began to deteriorate. Can someone be treated for incompetency then be put to death? This was the argument that stood out in the Singleton’s case. The public had mixed feelings about this case but the federal appeals court made their decision on February 11, 2003. “The federal appeals court ruled that officials in Arkansas can force a prisoner on death row to take antipsychotic medication to make him sane enough to execute because of the Supreme Court decision that prohibits the execution of the insane” (Liptak 2003). Authorities are allowed to give antipsychotic medication to insane death row prisoners so they are able to know and understand that the bad decisions they have made has now resulted in their death. This decision will indeed pave the way for others that are in the same situation as Singleton. My Position When someone is born into this world, it is easy to make assumptions that “this baby will be a doctor, or this baby will be a famous actress.” We hardly hear the assumptions such as “this...
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...Poe’s suspenseful short story, Tell-Tale Heart, effectively portrays the killer through the use of literary tools and themes such as mortality, imagery, and point of view. The main character wants to show he is not insane, and even offers a story as proof. The narrator’s decision to kill the old man so that the eye would stop looking at him marked the initial situation. The motives of the killer aren’t understood, which makes the murder mystery difficult to understand. Was the narrator insane? Did he kill the old man in self-defense? As such, the fear of death is expressed in the text. For example, “I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” This excerpt illustrates the narrator’s thoughts of mortality. “Yes, he was stone, stone dead”, depicts how the narrator continued to express the old man’s death in a conspicuous/ distinct manner. Edgar Allen Poe can build so much fixated context over the old mans “vulture eye”, amplifying the use of imagery in the text. “You fancy me mad...You should have seen how wisely I proceeded.” This is ironic because the man tells himself he is normal that he is killing a man because of his eye. Another example is, “a pale blue eye, with a film over it.” The symbol in this quote was the film over the eye, how the man couldn't see as well what was going on right under his nose. Poe creates confusion using his pandemonium literature to render the imagery of the story. Whether or not the old man...
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...motivation to commit such a cold blooded crime. Out of the two, Perry Smith is the most complex character who displays a natural ability to kill, but who also has been shaped to become a murderer, making a more “likable” character than his co-murderer Dick Hickock. In the first part of his novel entitled The Last to See Them Alive, Capote gives the reader hints that Perry Smith is indeed born a natural killer. When he was jailed in the Kansas penitentiary “Perry described a murder, telling how simply for the hell of it," he had killed a colored man in Las Vegas - beaten him to death with a bicycle chain” (Capote 54). After hearing the story his future partner in crime Dick Hickock “became convinced that Perry was that rarity, "a natural killer" - absolutely sane, but conscienceless, and capable of dealing, with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows” (Capote 55). Perry Smith certainly proved to be “that rarity” when he cold bloodedly killed with a single shot in the head Nancy, Kenyon, Bonnie Clutter, and cut Herb Clutter’s throat. He is a completely remorseless killer. One second he is talking nicely to his victim, and the following one he is slashing his throat. “I didn't want to harm the man.”, he told the FBI investigators, “I thought he was a very nice gentleman.Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat” (Capote 244) Nevertheless Perry Smith the murderer is also the product of a terrible...
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...motivation to commit such a cold blooded crime. Out of the two, Perry Smith is the most complex character who displays a natural ability to kill, but who also has been shaped to become a murderer, making a more “likable” character than his co-murderer Dick Hickock. In the first part of his novel entitled “The Last to See Them Alive”, Capote gives the reader hints that Perry Smith is indeed born a natural killer. When he was jailed in the Kansas penitentiary, “Perry described a murder, telling how simply for the hell of it," he had killed a colored man in Las Vegas - beaten him to death with a bicycle chain” (Capote 54). After hearing the story his future partner in crime Dick Hickock “became convinced that Perry was that rarity, "a natural killer" - absolutely sane, but conscienceless, and capable of dealing, with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows” (Capote 55). Perry Smith certainly proved to be “that rarity” when he cold bloodedly killed with a single shot in the head Nancy, Kenyon, Bonnie Clutter, and cut Herb Clutter’s throat. He is a completely remorseless killer. One second he is talking nicely to his victim, and the following one he is slashing his throat. “I didn't want to harm the man.”, he told the FBI investigators, “I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft-spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat” (Capote 244) Nevertheless Perry Smith the...
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...Louis Riel Lana Forsberg 11172571 Native Studies 107 Swapna Padmana November 19, 2014 Louis Riel is one of the most influential citizens in not only Metis history but also in Canadian history. Riel’s story shows society that life is a battle of controversy when trying to gain the rights and freedom that you are deserved. Although Louis has inspired a lot of people, he has also caused a lot of hatred and pain because of his actions. Many people consider him to be a hero but on the other hand others see him to be a killer and a mad man. A person’s actions can affect the way people view them for the rest of their lives and in Riel’s case he is a prime subject to this. Riel led the Metis through a historical rebellion and throughout this rebellion made it sane for scholars and historians to view him as a hero but also a victim in Canadian history. In 1844, Louis Riel was born into the Red River Settlement, which now is considered Manitoba. Louis Riel grew up around the time when the west was opening up and a lot of different ethnicities were migrating into Manitoba. This caused issues for the Metis because the Metis people were offered little education and food sources started going scarce. The Metis were considered to be half-breeds and eventually there was an account of starvation and mass hunger throughout the area. Even though this was all happening during Riels pre-adulenscent years, he was one of the few people that were able to get education and started...
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...CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Is it the only Justice for Killers? CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Is it the only Justice for Killers? Crime is literally universal. Convicts are basically a fragment of our society. But that does not mean that they loiter and linger amongst ourselves without any action being taken against them. Reducing crime and convicts is our liability, and we cannot disregard it. Getting the justly alleged to an impartial sentence is crucial. Certain crooks are compelled to do an offense since they have no other choice to live, but some in particular do it for the fun. I do not promote death punishment for everyone. An individual, who took bread from a grocery stock, certainly does not be worthy of a death penalty. Nonetheless, a serial killer, who murders people for amusing himself or for his own gain, absolutely justifies death penalty. The society’s garbage can be eliminated by continuously using the penalty of death. Everybody does not deserve to die, but there are some people who definitely do. I support death penalty for numerous reasons. Firstly, death penalty helps in diminishing crime and serves as a deterrent. Secondly, although death penalty is irreversible is true, but a wrongly convicted person is difficult to kill due to the numerous chances given to the convicted to provide evidence for his innocence. Thirdly, by the elimination of these criminals using death penalty, safety of the society is assured. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life...
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...Jeffrey Dahmer Serial killers have fascinated the imaginations of people for a long time. One of the most notorious serial killers is Jeffrey Dahmer whose gruesome murders shocked the nation by killing, raping, and feasting on 17 young men and boys. The cause of Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrible spree of murder and cannibalism cannot be summarized with one explanation.To truly understand his mindset of killing; you must understand the events from Dahmer’s life that aided his obsession with murder and death. Most serial killers have some sort of background that contains a horrific event in their lives. For Jeffrey, other than his mom being known to be an argumentative person, this was not the case. He grew up in a stable middle class home...
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...The “wily” woodchuck is skillful enough to avoid being killed by the speaker (21). This causes the speaker to become incredibly determined to find him. She demonstrates this when she says, “I dream/ I sight along the barrel in my sleep” (23-24). In her “dream”, the speaker wants to kill the final woodchuck; Just like she wants to do consciously. The speaker feels “If only they’d all consented to die unseen/ gassed underground the quiet Nazi way” (25-26). It’s almost as if she wished they died the way she intended to so she wouldn't change into the killer she has now become. Though in another way she compares herself to...
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...The Thin Blue line, directed by Errol Morris investigates the murder of Officer Robert Wood. Randall Adams was wrongfully accused of committing the crime and sentenced to life in prison. David Harris, who accused Adams of murdering Wood, was the real killer. Through the use of interviews, voice recordings, and reenactments, The Thin Blue Line challenges the justice system of Dallas, Texas as to whether they convicted the right man for the murder of Officer Robert Wood. Morris first heard about this case while he was working as a private detective during the 1980’s on Wall Street in New York City. He had heard through lawyers that he knew about a psychiatrist named Dr. Grigson who was known in Dallas as Dr. Death. The reason Dr. Grigson...
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...John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Serial Killers Abstract John Wayne Gacy was a serial killer and rapist. John Wayne Gacy murdered and sexually assaulted young boys. John Gacy killed and hid his victim’s bodies in the crawl space of his home. John seemed like a normal man, he was well-respected in his community. John was a psychopath who had no remorse. When john was captured he was able to give a detailed drawing of where all the bodies could be found. John was sentenced to the death penalty. The term serial killer was a term no one had heard of until about forty years ago. There are many definitions to the term serial killer. Each definition differs by the number of murders, the serial killers motivation, and the characteristics of the murders. The most known one is the FBI’s definition, which is “the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender, in separate events.” Numerous people may confuse the term serial killer with mass murders and spree killers. There are six categories of motive types of serial killers. These categories are visionary, mission-oriented, thrill-orientated, lust, power and control, and gain motivated. The visionary type means they hear voices or have visions and they are psychotic. The mission-oriented serial killers will kill a certain type or person because they think that they are bettering the world. The thrill-oriented type will kill because they have fun doing it. The lust motivated killers will kill because it turns them...
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