AutismLink: Psychiatrist says serial killers are autistic

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Brought to you by AutismLink Editorial Note: Our kids are now being labeled as most-likely-to-be-serial-killers? Fabulous news. Always a good thing for autism awareness, tolerance, and understanding. (Please note sarcasm) Piecing together serial killer puzzle Psychiatrists, others find commonality in criminals' mindshttp://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4876226,00.htmlBy Lou Kilzer, Rocky Mountain News July 28, 2006One thing they almost all have in common is an intense, out-of-control fantasy life that involves sex. But that alone doesn't explain why they kill. Forensic psychiatrists are digging deep to find what else makes serial killers kill. And they say what was old hat yesterday is being challenged or modified today. Dr. Arturo Silva, of San , Calif., is in the middle of a study of 50 of the nation's most prolific killers. He says he has spotted something intriguing: autism.

Not in all, he says, but some. And many of the others are borderline. Silva says he finds two distinct groups - those who are withdrawn and disorganized, with longstanding social problems, like Henry Lee Lucas. Others appear to function well in society, including Ted Bundy, Wayne Gacy and the BTK killer, Dennis Rader. But once you get to know them, even this second group, you would get the impression that they "are kind of weird," said Silva. "You would say, 'This guy is off the wall.' " He says the killers have some traits shared with most males: They tend to "deconstruct" objects and are more at ease in understanding those objects rather than emotions. Except that serial killers end up deconstructing women. For Johanna Gallers, a Denver psychologist and criminal profiler, some things are clear: Serial killers are psychopaths - they feel no remorse. And they have something

physically wrong in an area in the brain called the amygdala, where emotions are directed, she says. "They seek power and control," she said, "over life and death." Gallers says they often have some traits in common as children: cruelty to animals, fire-setting and bed- wetting in later childhood. California forensic psychiatrist Mohan Nair is not so certain all serial killer feel no remorse. Some can, he believes. But then the sexual fantasy takes over. He says that one theory is that many were terrorized and abused as children, and they later try to recreate that scene of terror. And in some cases, as with Browne, in which they appear to randomly pick their victims, there is still some order to the madness. Nair says that even when a specific victim is not stalked, a fantasy is. "If a person decides to do a school girl at 7:30 a.m., that kind of scene will be thought

of again and again." One frightening thing, he says, is that people like Browne - who claims 49 victims - do not frequently exaggerate. Bad company Browne's claimed 49 killings, if true, would rank him among the worst serial killers in this country in modern times. Among the others and their victim count: Ted Bundy: 20+ (Some say it may be as high as 35) Dahmer: 17 Wayne Gacy: 33 Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer: 10 Ridgway, the Green River Killer: 48 Join our listserv! Don't get your news second hand! Get LINKED! http://lists.autismlink.com/listsIf imitation is the highest form of flattery, we're flattered daily!