Murder Most Rare: The Female Serial Killer

Predator: an organism that lives by preying on other organisms.

Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary

The title of this book, Murder Most Rare, applies especially to the female sexual serial killer who acts alone in carrying out her egregious crimes. So unusual is this crime that America has only experienced a single female sexual serial killer in its history--Aileen Wuornos. Although it is not unusual for a woman to partner with a male sexual predator as a member of a serial-killing team, the female sexual predator who acts alone unquestionably represents the most extraordinary of perpetrators in the history of this crime. Indeed, her crimes are murder most rare.

Despite the fact that we have a growing knowledge of the male sexual predator and his crimes, it is uncertain if any of this knowledge is applicable to the female sexual serial murderer. To draw conclusions about this type of perpetrator from what is known about her male counterpart may or may not prove to be valid; it is, at best, risky guesswork. In the final analysis, male and female serial murderers differ in fundamental ways that make workable comparisons difficult and uncertain. Likewise, female sexual predators who are members of a serial-killing team do not provide a sure point of comparison for the obvious reason that their motives are shared and intermingled with their murderous partners.

The questions raised by the crimes of Aileen Wuornos are complex and troubling. Since her case is unique in the history of criminology, very little of

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