Random Warning Signs That Someone You Know Might Be A Serial Killer (12 items)

(#8) They Have Trouble Holding Down A Job

Sure, we all hate the monotony of a 9-5 job, but serial killers are even worse at holding down jobs. A lot of them tend to work more blue-collar jobs, sticking to unskilled labor so it's easier to move on to the next thing. David Berkowitz, whose intelligence was above-average, worked several low-ranking jobs, including as a mailman, before he was eventually caught.

So, if someone you know has a new job every week because they weren't content with their last one, then it might be time to cut that person out of your life before they end up murdering you.
(#9) They Have A Horrible Family Life

Many serial killers come from less-than-stellar homes. A lot of them are abused in all sorts of traumatic, horrific ways that break their psyche down and help develop their serial killer tendencies. This abuse causes the child to feel humiliated and helpless, which in turn, is a feeling they will later seek to instill in their own victims.

It's safe to say that since serial killers have poor relationships with their families, it's not shocking to find out the families are among the first victims. At 15, Ed Kemper killed his grandparents, followed by six female college students, and then his violent, abusive mother. Kemper decapitated his mom's corpse, used her head as a dart board, and then tossed her vocal cords down the garbage disposal.
(#4) They Have Vivid Fantasies

According to the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI, serial killers train themselves to become murderers, often since childhood. Much of this training has to do with engaging in an increasingly intense loop of fantasy.

The fantasies that young serial killers often have help relieve anxiety and fear over things like abuse and neglect. Of course, not everyone who fantasizes about things is immediately a serial killer, but if your fantasies are overwhelmingly sadistic and violent, you might have a problem.

Serial killer Ed Kemper, AKA the Coed Killer, was quoted saying, "I knew long before I started killing that I was going to be killing; that it was going to end up like that. The fantasies were too strong. They were going on for too long and were too elaborate."

So, to recap: fantasies about winning a million dollars? Good. Fantasies about murdering all your friends and loved ones? Bad.
(#12) They Like To Manipulate People

Do you know someone who could talk you into anything even though you don't want to do it? It's been discovered that serial killers are very manipulative people with the power to sway people to a certain way of thinking without the other person knowing it. They act vulnerable, they act like they want to please people, but all of that might just be a twisted game the serial killer is playing.

An example of this is Dr. Harold Shipman, who was a medical expert that manipulated his patients into treatments that ended up killing them.
(#7) They Brag About Everything They Do

Serial killers often need to tell people about the crimes they've committed, whether they blab to their accomplices, their next victim, law enforcement officers, or just themselves. Their egos are both overwhelming and can often lead to their downfall. They're extremely proud of what they do.

Take Ian Brady and his accomplice, Myra Hindley. The two were convicted of killing five children, and they often spoke about their crimes, but withheld crucial information in order to maintain some mystery and power. Another serial killer named Trevor Hardy was also caught thanks to his inability to keep his murders to himself. Their egos can be huge, but it also helps us catch them.
(#2) They Torture Small Animals

If someone you know likes to take small animals and put them in elaborate traps straight out of a Saw movie, it's a pretty safe bet to assume they'll be a serial killer when they grow up.

Torturing small animals is a major indicator for something more serious. Serial killers kill to control other peoples' lives, and when they are younger, small animals are one of the only types of lives that they have the power to control.

Famous serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz, and Albert DeSalvo all admitted that small animal abuse was one of their first violent acts, and when studies were performed on violent prisoners in prison, it was revealed that 70% of the most violent prisoners often engaged in animal cruelty when they were younger.