The stereotype that exists for individuals who commit serial murders primarily includes men of a specific race. However, we now know that white men are not the only ones to commit serial murder. Men and women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses have been found to be serial murderers. Although this information has been presented to society, the cultural schema of the white serial killer is still prevalent. Hypotheses that implicate serial murderers often include two aspects: the serial murderer is male and serial murder is a type of “lust killing,” often involving sexual crimes committed by a sadist (Keeney & Heide, 1995). ). Keeney and Heide (1994) define serial murder as the premeditated killing of three or more victims committed over time, in separate incidents, in a civilian context, with the killing chosen by the offender. number of research carried out to better understand and profile serial killers, both men and women. With this new research into the law enforcement system, more information about female serial killers and how they tend to differ from their male counterparts is more accessible. The differences between male and female serial killers vary in many areas, such as harm to the victim, torture of the victim, weapon/method, stalking or luring behavior, organization of crime scene, reasons for killings, substance abuse history, psychiatric diagnosis, and household composition (Keeney & Heide, 1994). These differences, along with information describing the social background of the attacker, provide researchers and individuals working in the law enforcement system with substantial cues that can be used to pre...... middle of paper......, Kim, Juhu. 2004. “Critical Characteristics of Male Serial Murder.” American Journal of Criminal Justice 29(1): 117-131 Beasley, James. 2004. “Serial Murders in America: Case Studies of Seven Offenders.” Behavioral Sciences and Law 22: 395-414 Jurik, Nancy C. and Russ Winn. 1990. “Gender and homicide: comparing men and women who kill.” Violence and Victims 5(4): 227-242. Keeney, Belea T. and Kathleen M. Heide. 1994. “Gender Differences Among Serial Murderers.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 9(3): 383-398. Keeney, Belea T. and Kathleen M. Heide. 1995. “Serial Murder: A More Precise and Inclusive Definition.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 39(4): 299-306.Ricard, Suzanne, Thompson, Jennie. “The role of women in serial killer teams: reconstructing a radical feminist perspective.” » Critical Criminology 17(4): 261-275