The popularity of shows about serial killers has provided a wealth of information for both researchers and the serial killers themselves regarding how to avoid getting caught. The recent portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer by Evan Peters in a new Netflix series is an example of this phenomenon.
Women make up a majority of the audience for true crime shows, with a significant percentage falling in love with incarcerated serial killers. This phenomenon may be linked to an interest in high-status individuals and the desire to create a successful life trajectory.
The podcast discusses the psychology of execution as a form of historical entertainment; how people may have found such spectacles appealing, and why viewers may have found themselves feeling sympathetic towards the executed.
The prevalence of serial killers in the past was possibly influenced by the lack of safety regulations, but current studies suggest that early brain injury may play a role in creating tendencies towards violent behavior in some individuals.
A young girl's unsolved murder case still lingers many years later in Tacoma, Washington, with no name or closure in sight.