ABSTRACT
The key objective of this study was to examine the developmental antecedents of individuals having perpetrated a sexual homicide as well as to contrast and compare serial (SSMs) and non-serial (NSMs) offenders. To this end, multiple domains—such as neuropsychological functioning, family and social environment, and educational and behavioural development during childhood and adolescence—were examined from birth to adulthood. A sample of 55 male individuals was included for this study (10 SSMs, 45 NSMs). The results indicate that the principal distinction between the two groups is the age at which risk factors appear and the accumulation of these factors—with risk factors appearing earlier, and accumulating to a greater extent, in SSMs—rather than the nature of developmental antecedents. Consequently, it appears that serial and non-serial homicides are associated with developmental pathways that are distinct in several ways.
