It is relatively easy to rule out the sexual sadism, visionary, custodial poisoner, and mission oriented typologies due to the fact that Holmes apparently got no sexual pleasure from the killings and was not a religious fanatic, on a specific mission, or a custodial poisoner (although, as a doctor, he could have become one relatively easily if he wished). However, many of the other typologies apply in part to Holmes. The crime spree typology can apply to Holmes due to the fact that he killed many victims in a short time in his “murder castle” during the Chicago World Fair, but, as those were not his only killings, he cannot be classified as only a crime spree killer. Some of his killings fall under the killing for profit typology as he had a history of insurance fraud, and some of his killings, specifically the murder of Benjamin Pietzel, were engineered so he could make a profit from the insurance payout. One of the seemingly more likely typologies is that of the psychotic killer. Holmes killed his victims in so many different ways, seemingly not caring how they died, just that they did die, and the fact that his victims were so random (mostly women, but multiple men and children as well) seem to point to this typology; the idea of his being psychotic is furthered by the aforementioned statement made in one of his various confessions that he was “born with the devil in [him]...[and he] could not help the fact that [he] was a murderer.” Though we cannot take this statement as fact as it has been speculated that this statement was manufactured by the paper in which the confession was published. (Selzer, A. 2012) When some of the rooms in Holmes' Chicago murder castle are investigated, specifically the vault turned gas chamber, it could appear that Holmes was a
It is relatively easy to rule out the sexual sadism, visionary, custodial poisoner, and mission oriented typologies due to the fact that Holmes apparently got no sexual pleasure from the killings and was not a religious fanatic, on a specific mission, or a custodial poisoner (although, as a doctor, he could have become one relatively easily if he wished). However, many of the other typologies apply in part to Holmes. The crime spree typology can apply to Holmes due to the fact that he killed many victims in a short time in his “murder castle” during the Chicago World Fair, but, as those were not his only killings, he cannot be classified as only a crime spree killer. Some of his killings fall under the killing for profit typology as he had a history of insurance fraud, and some of his killings, specifically the murder of Benjamin Pietzel, were engineered so he could make a profit from the insurance payout. One of the seemingly more likely typologies is that of the psychotic killer. Holmes killed his victims in so many different ways, seemingly not caring how they died, just that they did die, and the fact that his victims were so random (mostly women, but multiple men and children as well) seem to point to this typology; the idea of his being psychotic is furthered by the aforementioned statement made in one of his various confessions that he was “born with the devil in [him]...[and he] could not help the fact that [he] was a murderer.” Though we cannot take this statement as fact as it has been speculated that this statement was manufactured by the paper in which the confession was published. (Selzer, A. 2012) When some of the rooms in Holmes' Chicago murder castle are investigated, specifically the vault turned gas chamber, it could appear that Holmes was a