The Axeman of New Orleans specialized in killing grocers of Italian descent in the 1910s, apparently to promote jazz music. Dorothea Puente was a little old landlady who murdered her tenants, but kept cashing their government checks. The Manson Family terrorized California in the 1960s, as did the Hillside Stranglers a decade later. Twelve serial murder cases, occurring in eight decades between the 1890s and 1990s, had one thing in common: significant presence of the mass media. This book examines these specific cases of serial murder, and the way the media became involved in the investigations and trials of each.

This book explores the multifaceted mutually-manipulative interrelationship between the mass media and law enforcement during serial murder investigations. Four primary serial murder case stakeholders have been identified, including the killer(s), law enforcement, the public and the mass media. Two secondary stakeholders are the victim(s) and the loved ones and associates of the victim(s).

The interactions between these four sets of stakeholders are vital to serial murder investigations. The public is fascinated with serial murder and eagerly consumes media coverage of these cases, and sometimes pressures the police to solve cases. The media and law enforcement’s relationship is typically characterized by intense distrust and dislike. That is greatly unfortunate, because serial murder investigations would be greatly enhanced by cooperation between these two primary stakeholders, in a mutually symbiotic not competitive relationship.

Media coverage of serial murder cases has both positive and negative consequences. There are three positive effects, including media assistance in apprehending the criminals and enhanced motivation for law enforcement agencies.

Unfortunately the negative consequences of serial murder cases far outweigh the beneficial aspects. Media coverage of serial murder cases motivates the offenders, causes checkbook journalism, creates media zones, and results in the celebrization of people involved in the case.

Additionally, serial murder case coverage results in direct media involvement in the investigation, and media interference in the investigation, as stake-outs are blown, crime scenes are contaminated, witnesess interfered with and instances of reporters chasing the police.