The Decision to Kill or Not to Kill
Advisor(s)
Jessica Swanson
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; McIntosh Activities Room
Start Date
21-4-2023 10:00 AM
End Date
21-4-2023 10:50 AM
Abstract
Title: The Decision to Kill or Not to Kill
Abstract:
Serial killers, by definition according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are individuals who unlawfully kill two or more victims on separate occasions. Convicted serial killers are tried and sentenced and most are given one of two convictions; life in prison or death. Why these killers receive different punishments was the basis of this research. The purpose of this research was to find different factors that may have had some effect on why some serial killers were sentenced to life, while others were given capital punishment. This case analysis examined two different American serial killers who conducted their killings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Those serial killers were John Wayne Gacy Jr. and Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. These two serial killers were selected because they conducted their killings around the same time period, their victim total was relatively similar, and both were eligible to receive the death penalty due to being tried in a capital punishment state. Research includes how these serial killers conducted their murders and the entirety of their trials after they were caught. The two trials were then analyzed to see what difference led to one of them receiving a sentence of life while the other received the sentence of death. Results showed differences in the defense's argument, if a plea deal was offered or not, the age in which the killer was tried for their murders, the number of victim impact statements given at the trial, and the time in which the serial killer was tried.
Keywords:
Serial killers, Death penalty, Criminal Justice, trial, life without parole, capital punishment, homicide, murder, plea deal, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Recommended Citation
Evilsizor, Gabriella Layne, "The Decision to Kill or Not to Kill" (2023). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 47.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2023/posters/47
Open Access
Available to all.
The Decision to Kill or Not to Kill
ONU McIntosh Center; McIntosh Activities Room
Title: The Decision to Kill or Not to Kill
Abstract:
Serial killers, by definition according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are individuals who unlawfully kill two or more victims on separate occasions. Convicted serial killers are tried and sentenced and most are given one of two convictions; life in prison or death. Why these killers receive different punishments was the basis of this research. The purpose of this research was to find different factors that may have had some effect on why some serial killers were sentenced to life, while others were given capital punishment. This case analysis examined two different American serial killers who conducted their killings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Those serial killers were John Wayne Gacy Jr. and Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. These two serial killers were selected because they conducted their killings around the same time period, their victim total was relatively similar, and both were eligible to receive the death penalty due to being tried in a capital punishment state. Research includes how these serial killers conducted their murders and the entirety of their trials after they were caught. The two trials were then analyzed to see what difference led to one of them receiving a sentence of life while the other received the sentence of death. Results showed differences in the defense's argument, if a plea deal was offered or not, the age in which the killer was tried for their murders, the number of victim impact statements given at the trial, and the time in which the serial killer was tried.
Keywords:
Serial killers, Death penalty, Criminal Justice, trial, life without parole, capital punishment, homicide, murder, plea deal, Federal Bureau of Investigation