Spree killerA spree killer is someane who kills twa or mair victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killin as "killins at twa or mair locations wi amaist nae time break atween murthers".[1] DefinitionAccordin tae the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the general definition o spree killer is a body (or mair nor ane body) who commits twa or mair murthers withoot a ceulin-aff period; the lack o a ceulin-aff period markin the difference atween a spree killer an a serial killer. The category haes, housomeivver, been foond tae be o nae real value tae law enforcement, acause o definitional problems relatin tae the concept o a "ceulin-aff period".[2] Serial killers commit clearly separate murthers, happenin at different times. Mass murtherers are defined bi ane incident, wi nae distinctive time period atween the murthers.[2] Hou tae distinguish a spree killer frae a mass murtherer, or even a serial killer is subject tae considerable controversy an aften thare doesna seem tae be ony coherence in the application o the term. For example, The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, leets five different categories o spree killers an cites Mark O. Barton as an example for the seicont ane.[3] He is notit wi ither mass murtherers such as Patrick Sherrill in the respective entry aboot mass murther.[4] In The Anatomy Of Motive, John E. Douglas cites Charles Starkweather an Andrew Cunanan as examples o spree killers,[5] while Jack Levin caws Cunanan a serial killer[6] an Starkweather a mass murtherer.[7] In Controversial Issues in Criminology, Fuller an Hickey write that "[t]he element o time involvit atween murtherous acts is primary in the differentiation o serial, mass, an spree murderers", later elaboratin that spree killers "will engage in the killin acts for days or weeks" while the "methods o murther an teeps o victims vara". Andrew Cunanan is gien as an example for spree killin, while Charles Whitman is mentioned in connection wi mass murther, an Jeffrey Dahmer wi serial killin.[8] Douglas explains that the identity o a serial killer is generally unkent till he is caucht, an the mass murtherer's identity is anerlie learned efter he haes committit his creeme. The identity o the spree killer, on the ither haund, is uisually kent bi polis, even while his spree continues, an he is socht as a fugitive.[9] Anither term, rampage killer, haes sometimes been uised tae describe spree killers, but it does no differentiate atween mass murtherers an spree killers. See an awReferences
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