Note: Varies by jurisdiction Note: Varies by jurisdiction A thrill killing is premeditated or random murder that is motivated by the sheer excitement of the act.
[1] While there have been attempts to categorize multiple murders, such as identifying "thrill killing" as a type of "hedonistic mass killing",[2] actual details of events frequently overlap category definitions making attempts at such distinctions problematic.
[3] Those identified as thrill killers are typically young males, but other profile characteristics may vary, according to Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence at Northeastern University.
"To a certain extent, [thrill killers] may make their victims suffer so that they can feel good," said Levin.
The killer might torture, degrade, or rape his or her victim before he or she takes his or her life.