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

(#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.
(#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.
(#1) They Start Fires

Do you know someone who always insists on starting the campfire? Do you ever find them just staring at a lighter for long periods of time? Do they joke about burning everything down and then say "JK, but really though..." all the time?
If you've answered yes to any of these, you might want to be careful. One of the most predominant early signs of being a serial killer is a desire to start fires. Psychologists say serial killers start off as arsonists because setting fire to things offers the ability to wield power and be in control, two things that go hand-in-hand with serial killing.
A famous example of a serial killer who started off as a pyromaniac is David Berkowitz, AKA the Son of Sam killer. When he was arrested, he took responsibility for dozens of fires across New York.
(#10) They Exhibit Extreme Antisocial Behavior

This warning sign is particularly difficult to diagnose. It's said that serial killers often exhibit extreme antisocial behavior as children, but it's hard to pinpoint what exactly antisocial behavior is. The easiest way to tell if your child is displaying antisocial behavior that will make them grow up to kill a bunch of people is to notice if the child goes from being extremely social to extremely antisocial over a short period of time.

Ed Gein, who was the inspiration for Norman Bates, had no social connections whatsoever besides his "loving" mother, who would punish Gein whenever he tried to make friends, and this led to Gein living an antisocial lifestyle that didn't end well for anyone.