Differences between organised and disorganised serial killers?

Answer 1

An organized criminal leaves nothing to chance. They plan their crime bringing any tools or weapons they will need to complete the crime. Organized criminals are intelligent and and are usually detail oriented, they leave nothing to chance. It makes sense that this type of perp is much harder to apprehend.

Disorganized on the other hand doesn't plan every little detail. Impulse driven, their crimes may be more spur of the moment with little forethought to the execution of the crime or the consequences that may follow. They may commit the crime with whatever is available, such as a knife from the victim's home. Since not much thought goes into the planning of their crimes they make mistakes that will usually end in their arrest. They leave evidence, and if they do try to clean up a crime scene it is usually a sloppy job.

There are many criminals that have characteristics of both groups. An example, the perp will bring the weapon with him but will pick a random victim in a high risk situation, such as a public place where he could be seen by anyone walking by. Jack The Ripper was a combination killer. He brought his weapon, knew the area but most likely picked his victims randomly. He killed them in places where he could easily could have been discovered, especially when he had to have known that a constable would be walking by at any moment.

Answer 2

Organized serial killers tend to be methodical and careful in their planning and execution of murders. They may have a high level of intelligence and often have a stable job and social life. In contrast, disorganized serial killers are impulsive and opportunistic, often committing crimes on a whim without much planning. They may display signs of mental illness or social dysfunction and usually have a lower IQ.