"I know I made a hole in a lot of people's hearts and souls, but probably I had the biggest." - Keith Chul Weaver, Korean adoptee who murdered his American adopters. in "The Childhood Psychopath: Bad Seed or Bad Parents," by Katherine Ramsland (at "Crime Library" on Internet)
ADOPTED KILLERS
Introduction (The Stats & Facts)
While many factors come into play with regard to criminal behaviors, the fact of the adoption, and Adopted Child Syndrome is purposely overlooked at trial because it is "politically incorrect" to explore adoption's negative negative effects on the adoptee.
 Richard Ramirez Night Stalker |
 David Burkowitz Son of Sam |
 Bianchi-Bono Hillside Stranglers |
 Gaetan Dugas Aids Patient Zero |
 Ted Bundy Co-Ed Murderer |
 Joel Rifkin Dark Son |
Ninety-eight percent of all homicides are committed by men; 98% of all serial killers and mass murderers are men (Jack Levin, PhD, Criminologist, Northeastern University). In FBI statistics, 76% of the world's serial killers are in the United States; 90% are male. An incredible over-representation of serial killers are adoptees. Most adoptees who kill, as well as adoptees incarcerated for other crimes, were adopted at birth. In a study of "Serial Killers" on Internet by Dr. Mike Aamodt, Radford University, 14% of (225) serial killers are adopted.
The FBI estimates 500 serial killers currently in the U.S; about 80 or 16% have been identified as adoptees. Since adoptees represent only 2-3% (5-10-million) of the general population, 16% that are serial killers is an overrepresentation compared to the general population. http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/foiaindex_s.htm
Serial killers have been a fascination for forensic psychologists who profile killers by their crime scenes. Separating this group from other adoptees who kill is the fact that they kill strangers. Researchers have noted that, "to an adoptee, everyone is a stranger." Dr. David Kirschner told a New York Times reporter, "I've personally been involved in 12 cases of adoptees who have killed... including a tiny but significant group who become serial killers. And while many undergo therapy, unfortunately, there is barely ever a mention of the impact adoption has on their lives. It's a subject no one ever wants to talk about, particularly adoptive families."
For further information, see article, "Killer Adoptees: Don't Shoot the Messenger" at: http://www.amfor.net/messenger.html
AmFOR's comments about actual outcomes of "Famous Adoptees" listed at the pro-Open Adoption site at http://www.adoptionopen.com/famousadoptions.html can be found at http://AmFOR.net/FamousAdoptees.
