Research paper

Students will complete a 5 page research paper worth 200 points. The student may 

choose from the suggested list of known murderers below, or any other murderer 

that interests you. Just make sure that this person is not so recent that there are no 

research materials written about him or her yet.  Your paper should discuss the 

criminal’s personal history and background, his or her crimes, and your analysis, as 

well as the analyses of criminologists or psychologists, regarding which 

criminological theories may explain why this person committed the crimes they did. 

The paper must be fully cited using APA (Author Year) in-text citation, and contain a complete 

reference section, utilizing a minimum of three (3) references.

Here are examples of murderers you can write about (but there are so many more to

choose from!)

Ted Bundy

Jeffrey Dahmer 

David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)

Aileen Wuornos

John Wayne Gacy

Gary Ridgeway (Green River Killer)

John Allen Muhammad (DC Sniper)

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (Columbine Killers)

Charles Manson