This essay aims to provide an answer to the question of whether or not criminologists can provide an adequate explanation for serial murders. Academic experts and police believe serial killings are the rarest form of homicide. However, a serial killer is classified as an individual who has killed three or more people, previously unknown to the killer, with a "cooling off" period between the killings. . Psychological explanations of crime offer a unique way of looking at criminals. They focus more on the individual themselves rather than their environment and therefore go a long way in trying to explain and categorize serial killings. However, this is not to deny the relevance of other theoretical approaches to crime, such as sociological explanations. The study of serial murder has been dominated by an individualized focus on the etiology and biography of particular offenders (Haggerty, 2009). Late-night movies and TV shows seem to emphasize highly effective regimes of forensic science and criminal investigative analysis (profiling) that result in the capture of serial killers and other perpetrators homicides (White, Lester, Gentile, Rosenbleeth, 2011). These shows may seem unrealistic, but they highlight the enormous advances being made in the fields of forensic science and criminal psychology. This article will explore some of the most recent research in the areas discussed and information will be gathered from a variety of sources. Difficulties arise when trying to explain the concept of serial murder because high-profile cases have proven to be so diverse, but this is not new. Today, some claim that serial murder is a practice "at least as old as the human race" (Schechter...... middle of article ......enry, S. (1998 ). Essential Criminology Boulder, CO: Westview Press · Leyton, E. (2001). “Hunting Humans”: London · Martin, N. Carlson, NR and Buskist, W. (2009). Pearson Education: Harlow. [Chapter 14; section on “The Psychodynamic Approach”, pp.630-636.] · Promish, D. and Lester, D. (1999) Serial Killer Classification Program, Richard Stockton College of. New Jersey, United States. · Schechter, H. (2003). The Serial Killer Files New York: Ballanntine Books pp.318· Turvey, B. (1999). San Diego.· White, J. Lester, D. Gentile, M., and Rosenbleeth (2011). Using Forensic Science and Criminal Profiling to Capture New Jersey's Serial Killers..