Purpose The duration of time that the serial offender remains free in the community to
commit murders may be seen as a direct measure of their longevity; a sign of their success.
The aim of this study is to predict the duration of the serial homicide series by examining the
factors that contribute to the length of time a serial murderer is able to remain free of police
detection. Methods Generalized estimating equations with a negative binomial link function
were used to examine factors predicting the duration of series in a sample of 1258 serial …

When both the police and the public become aware that a serial murderer has begun a
series of homicides, one of the primary concerns is the length of time the offender remains
free in the community. As such, the longer a serial murderer is active, the deeper the sense
of panic is felt among the community. Drawing from the criminal career perspective, in
particular, the criminal achievement concept, the duration of a homicide series may be seen
as a direct measure of the serial murderer's longevity; a proxy signal of their level of criminal …