The specter of the
marauding serial killer has become a relatively common feature on the
American landscape. Reactions to these modern-day monsters range from
revulsion to morbid fascination-fascination that is either fed by, or a
product of, the saturation coverage provided by print and broadcast
media, along with a dizzying array of books, documentary films,
websites, and "Movies of the Week". The prevalence in Western culture of
images of serial killers (and mass murderers) has created in the public
mind a consensus view of what a serial killer is. Most people are
aware, to some degree, of the classic serial killer 'profile.' But what
if there is a much different 'profile'-one that has not received much
media attention? In Programmed to Kill, acclaimed and always
controversial author David McGowan takes a fresh look at the lives of
many of America's most notorious accused murderers, focusing on the
largely hidden patterns that suggest that there may be more to the
average serial killer story than meets the eye. Think you know
everything there is to know about serial killers? Or is it possible that
sometimes what everyone 'knows' to be true isn't really true at all?