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This Brief provides an overview and history of the definition of serial homicide, from the perspectives of psychology, medicine, criminology and forensics. It reviews research to provide a standard definition of serial homicide (as opposed to multiple or mass homicide), and provide insights on profiles of victims and offenders for police practitioners. It also includes a discussion of the media approach to covering serial homicide.

The Brief is divided into four major sections covering: definitions and overview of serial homicide, profiling perpetrators according to different typologies, profiling victims, applied case studies, and recommendations for investigation and prevention.

The author´s approach is aimed primarily at researchers in police studies, but will be of interest to researchers in related fields such as criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and public policy.

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Introduction.- Chapter 1: The Phenomenon of Serial Murder.- Chapter 2: Perpetrators of Serial Murder from the Criminological Perspective. The Conditioning of Criminals, Motives for their Actions, Typology.- Chapter 3: Victims of Serial Murder. Cause and Effect in the Victim-Perpetrator Relationship.- Chapter 4: Case Studies of Famous Serial Killers.- Chapter 5: Prosecuting and Evidencing Crimes. Possible Measures to Counteract Serial Murder More Effectively.- Conclusion.

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