Criminologist who's met ‘hundreds of murderers’ reveals what really motivates a killer

The United States records approximately 14,000 to 20,000 murders each year, averaging around 40 murders a day. But what motivates someone to kill?

Criminologist David Wilson, who has sat down with 'hundreds of murderers', explains that a combination of childhood experiences, personal relationships and significant life events can contribute to the development of a killer.

"Serial killers are a long time in the making and often the roots of why they will behave in this way are determined by events in their past," Wilson said during an episode of LADbible's Explainer for a Stranger. "And again, when one speaks with serial killers, as I've done, it's often about asking them about their childhood, about their relationship with their parents, about their relationship with peers."

Wilson believes there is 'usually something in their background' that may predict they will become a serial killer, alongside certain 'events and tryouts' before they actually kill someone.

'Somebody will kill because they just quite like killing'

And sometimes it's just as simple as that, the professor of criminology believes.

"Psychologically, they enjoy the power, they enjoy the control that they have over people, and the ultimate form of power and control is to take someone's life. So there are some serial killers that are motivated in that way," he said.

However, the criminologist says there are others who are on a 'self-appointed mission'.

Wilson explained: "For whatever reason, they want to rid the country of sex workers because 'what sex workers do is immoral'. So they want to rid the world of sex workers. So there's a kind of mission-oriented serial killer that appears in reality."

Examples of this include the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, who was sentenced to three life terms in prison in June after pleading guilty to the murder of eight sex workers between 1993 and 2010.

David Wilson has sat down with 'hundreds' of killers (LADbible Stories)

Thirdly, Wilson says there are those 'hedonistic' killers, who 'enjoy the sexual thrill of taking another person's life'.

"And then you've got serial killers who hear voices and see visions and they are obviously dealing with underlying mental health issues," he added.

Elsewhere, Wilson stated that those at 'greatest risk of being murdered' are males between ages 16 and 24. They're also the age group more likely to commit the murder, according to the criminologist.

Watch the full Explainer for a Stranger episode here:

"Murder really is a young man's business," Wilson said. "Nine out of 10 perpetrators of murder are male, but what's less often appreciated is that seven out of 10 of the victims of murder are also male.

"That is the phenomenon of murder."

He also explained that people are more likely to be murdered in their own home than a public space.

"Different rooms of the home are used by different murderers in different ways," Wilson said, before revealing that the kitchen is the room 'where you're most likely to be murdered'.