Replies to post #1228 on Poet's Corner

[Poet]

I'm going to take you seriously (this time -g):

the difference between a mass murderer and a serial killer...sociopath vs. psychopath...Oh the fun we can have.

These are my thoughts/definitions:

mass murderer: One who kills a large number of people (more than five??) in the same episode. I think Yates fits the bill here.

serial killer: One who kills one person at a time over a period of years, with sexual violation and/or torture involved. The brutality usually escalates over time.

sociopath/psychopath: same thing in the psychiatric literature, I believe.

Thoughts?