Currently, there are four main types of serial killers listed, with many different subcategories listed under each. You see a full list of the different kinds of killers and the characteristics of their crimes by clicking here. And, depending on the nature of their crime, they are either categorized as organized or disorganized. Organized serial killers tend to be rather intelligent, usually having IQ scores ranging from 105 to 120. Every detail of their crime is planned out well in advance, and the killer take every precaution to make sure they lerave no evidence behind to link them to a murder. It is not uncommon for this type of psychopath to watch potential victims for days to find someone they consider a good target. Disorganized serial killers, on the other hand, tend to have lower IQ scores than average, ranging from 80 to 95. These kind of killers rarely plan out their actions, and they appear to kill at random, usually people that happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. They usually do not take the extra precautions to cover up or remove any evidence of the crime, and they tend to travel from state to state, or even to other countries, to avoid being captured by the authorities. For more characteristics on organized and disorganized killers, you can follow this link.

 

The four main types of serial killers based by the type of crime they commit are as follows: thrill seekers, mission-oriented, visionary killers, and power/control seekers. 

 

Thrill seekers are serial killers that see outsmarting the law as some sort of amusement. They enjoy attention from the media and they also enjoy being pursued by the police. They can be distinguished from other serial killers because of the fact that they send messages to others and they keep detailed records of their killings. Because of this, it is logical to say that most thrill seekers can be categorized as organized, but at the same time they do not always plan everything out in advance. For that, they are also seen as unorganized killers. Thrills seekers typically use weapons and/or rape their victims before killing them. After that, they hide the victim's corpse and they move on to their next victim, that is, unless of course they are caught in the act of doing so.  

 

Mission-oriented serial killers are killers that feel that they are doing society a favor by ridding it of certain people; these can include young women, prostitutes, drug dealers, or homosexuals, people they feel that society could do without. These killers are generally not psychotic. Some see themselves as trying to change society. They always have a controlled crime scene, hence categorizing them as organized makes them much easier to track. However, since these killers always go after specific victims, this makes them much easier to track down.

 

Visionary serial killers are people that occaisionally suffer from psychotic breaks from society. They sometimes believe they are another person, or they are compelled to murder by higher entities such as God or the Devil. In fact, the two most common subcategories for visionary serial killers are demon-mandated and God-mandated. David Berkowitz is an example of such a killer. He had claimed that a demon transmitted orders to him through his neighbor's dog that told him to kill. Since visionary killers tend to be more unorganized than other killers, they are very easy to track down. 

 

Power and Control serial killers enjoy their victim's terror, suffering and screaming. These killers tend to be very organized and they usually have a history of childhood abuse, which left them feeling powerless and inadequete as adults. Many of these killers also sexually abuse their victims, but they are not motivated by feelings of lust. To them, rape is simply another form of dominating the victim.

 

Besides these four basic categories listed, there are also dozens of other subcategories that make serial killers unique based on their killing rituals and the nature of their crimes. For example, "black Widow" is the title given given to female serial killers, because it is known that a female black widow spider always kills and digests its mate after laying her eggs. There are also serial killers that kill another person after already killing someone else. These kind of serial killers are called "spree killers". "Lust killers" are serial killers that harm their victims largely for sexual arousal, and there are killers that form clubs that kill for sacrifice and acceptance into the group; these are called "group killers", but are more commonly refered to as cults. "Mass murderers" are serial killers that kill large groups of people at a time, killing with no specific targets in mind, but rather just to kill for their own enjoyment.

 

Serial killlers can also keep mementos of their victims once they are dead. Robert Keppel, an American detective and law enforcement officer (now retired), placed these collections into two categories: souvenirs and trophies. Souvenirs are personal items which allow the killer to enjoy their memories of particular crimes they committed. These can be things such as jewelry, body parts, and other items pertaining to the victim. Trophies are objects that serial killers can make into a shrine, forming a collection of particular items from their past crimes.