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unpredictable, and it varies from one serial killer to another in terms of its duration. The length of the cooling off period can also vary between murders committed by the same serial killer. The duration can be days, weeks, months, and, in rare instances, years. For example, Dennis Rader(or “BTK”) confessed to ten murders that he committed from 1974 to 1991, a span of nearly twenty years, after he was captured in 2005. In between his murders, Rader lived what appeared to be a remarkably normal life with a wife and two children. He was perceived as a pillar of his community in Wichita, Kansas. Inwardly, however, Rader was secretly satisfying his sexual needs and delaying his compulsion to kill for months and even years at a time through autoerotic fantasies in which he relived his murders with the aid of trophies taken from his victims such as articles of clothing, identification cards, and jewelry. As a result of this practice, the length of the cooling off period between Rader’s murders was highly variable and often lasted much longer than that of other serial killers. His ability to control his compulsive need to kill is highly unusual for serial killers. I examine the fascinating case of Dennis Rader in much more detail in chapter 7, where I offer important new insights into the significance of the cooling off period gleaned directly from BTK himself. In that chapter I also share exclusive new insights into the pathological personality of BTK gained from my personal correspondence with him.
    Conclusion
    The general public seems to be fascinated by serial killers, including real-life predators such as John Wayne Gacy and fictional killers such as the “Tooth Fairy.” Many serial killers have been elevated to the status of popular culture icon over the years. However, the reality of serial homicide in the US has been obscured or hidden from public view because all serial killers are presented in sensationalized and stylized terms by law enforcement authorities and the entertainment news media. It is time to set the record straight about serial killers and consider exactly why they have become morbid “rock stars” in the popular culture. Therefore, in this book, I seek to answer the sociological question of why so many people are riveted by serial killers and spend their hard-earned money on books, movies, and other forms of entertainment in order to be terrified by gruesome tales of atrocity. I attempt to explain why society transforms serial killers into celebrity monsters. I also attempt to paint an accurate picture of real-life serial killers and their motivations, patterns, methods, and techniques of murder. It should become clear in the following chapters that when it comes to serial killers, reality is far more complex and interesting than fiction.

CHAPTER 2
DEBUNKING POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT SERIAL KILLERS
    In the first chapter of this book, I introduced a working definition of serial homicide based on the behavioral characteristics of actual killers. I also clarified the narrow serial murder niche within the broader category of multiple murder, which includes such things as mass murder and professional contract killing. In this chapter, I now present a more detailed and accurate picture of serial murder in the US and attempt to dismiss a number of popular myths and stereotypes about serial killers that have been promoted by law enforcement authorities and the mass media over the past fifty years.
    The Power of Myths
    Much of the general public’s knowledge concerning serial homicide is a product of sensationalized and stereotypical depictions of it in the news and entertainment media. Colorful story lines are written to pique the interest of audiences, not to paint an accurate picture of serial murder. By focusing on the larger-than-life media images of socially constructed monsters, the public becomes captivated by the stylized presentation of the criminals rather than the reality of their crimes. Media