What are the odds of being killed by a serial killer?

Answer 1

That sort of depends on where you are, who you are, and what you are doing.

Not silly. Murder statistics are specific. Where are you when murdered; who are you, and what you are doing. Every state in the United States of America keeps this stuff; most countries do a tolerable job at numbers: don't sell the farm on the numbers. Some countiries just seem to invent murder numbers as they go along: sort of like executions. (still better than nothing)

Just for general purposes, you are probabaly going to be murdered by somebody you know, while you both are drinking, and of the same 'race' whatever that it, and less than 10 miles from where you live (lived); sort of like being in an automobile wreck, it happens close to home.

The question again: if you don't say where, when and what you are, it is not going to be answered but with glib babble.

OTHERWISE, your chances as a normal civilian in society can range from very high to as little as 1 out of 1,000,000. It depends where you live and who you are. For example, if you are currently living in a warzone and are a high ranked general or officer you have a high chance of being assassinated or killed. But if you're a normal civilian living in a suburb or large city, you have almost no chance of being murdered.

IN GENERAL, NON-SPECIFIC TERMS: Based on the most recent Uniform Crime Report (compiled by the FBI), you have about a .000054 chance per year (nationwide, local stats are varied). multiplying that by the average life span (about 70 years), you get about a .00378 chance of being murdered in your lifetime.

Answer 2

It depends on who you are and what lifestyle you lead. According to FBI statistics serial killers comprise less than 1% of all murderers. The press love to cover gory details of these types of killers which gives the impression that there may be more than there really are. Certain people are more at risk. Women working as prostitutes have a lifestyle that puts them at a much higher risk of violence in general, including murder by serial killers. Washington state's Green River Killer Gary Ridgeway confessed to more than 60 murders, the overwhelming majority were girls and young women working, at least part time, as prostitutes. New York State's Arthur Shawcross also picked prostitutes as targets.

Ted Bundy picked his victims mostly from college campuses, as did Danny Rolling from Florida. These young women, although killed by serial killers, did not live a high risk lifestyle. They were just extremely unlucky to be young and in the wrong place to cross paths with such a rare type of killer. For the average person the chances of being killed by a serial killer is far less likely than being struck by lightening or being run over by a bus.