This heuristic study examined potential serial sexual homicide offenders (SSHOs), an unacknowledged offender group comprised of aspiring and probable SSHOs, and compared them with successful SSHOs. Data were collected on six aspiring SSHOs who each failed a single homicide attempt, 16 probable SSHOs who committed 17 homicides in separate events, and 13 successful SSHOs who killed 90 victims in separate events. The study results indicate that while potential SSHOs share more in common with successful SSHOs than they do with single-victim nonsexual homicide offenders, and that there is an overlap between potential SSHOs and successful SSHOs, there is currently insufficient evidence to suggest that there are discreet transitions among categories. While few potential SSHOs strive to become successful SSHOs, this may be due to weak or nonexistent emotional triggers. Being a potential SSHO does not appear to be a predictable first step on a pathway towards becoming a successful SSHO, as potential SSHOs cannot reliably be thought of as prospective SSHOs if all things were equal. The present study could not foresee all potential SSHOs becoming successful ones. An as yet unidentified number of factors still appear to separate potential SSHOs from successful SSHOs.

中文翻译：

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对潜在和成功的连环性杀人犯的罪犯特征异同的启发式研究

这项启发式研究检查了潜在的连环性凶杀罪犯 (SSHO)，这是一个由有抱负和可能的 SSHO 组成的未被承认的罪犯群体，并将他们与成功的 SSHO 进行了比较。收集了 6 名有抱负的 SSHO 的数据，他们在一次谋杀未遂中失败，16 名可能的 SSHO 在不同的事件中犯下了 17 起凶杀案，以及 13 名成功的 SSHO，他们在不同的事件中杀死了 90 名受害者。研究结果表明，虽然潜在的 SSHO 与成功的 SSHO 的共同点多于与单一受害者非性凶杀罪犯的共同点，而且潜在的 SSHO 和成功的 SSHO 之间存在重叠，但目前没有足够的证据表明存在谨慎类别之间的转换。虽然很少有潜在的 SSHO 会努力成为成功的 SSHO，这可能是由于微弱或不存在的情绪触发。成为潜在的 SSHO 似乎并不是成为成功的 SSHO 的可预测的第一步，因为如果所有条件都相同，则无法可靠地将潜在的 SSHO 视为潜在的 SSHO。本研究无法预见所有潜在的SSHO 都会成功。似乎仍有许多尚未确定的因素将潜在的 SSHO 与成功的 SSHO 区分开来。