The Telltale Signs That Someone Might Be A Murderer

Murder is one of the most serious crimes a person can commit, and per Our World in Data, more than 400,000 people all over the world die from homicide per year. In 2019 alone in the United States, there were 19,141 reported homicides reported, which translates to 5.8 murders committed in a population of 100,000 (via Center for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC). In some cases, murders occur as a result of drug abuse or mental instability, but there are also incidents wherein a person just snaps.

In 2010, Reuters reported on CDC data indicating that one of the leading causes of murder is interpersonal problems. The rate of men murdering their spouses is three times higher than that of women committing the crime. There are many cases wherein people have escaped from a murderer by looking at some of the evident warning signs. Although there are many scenarios wherein a homicide may be committed, murderers have some shared common characteristics.

One of the most common traits that murderers share is their controlling behavior — trying to control what their partners wear or who they talk to. In some cases, murderers even get jealous when their partners spend time with friends or family members, per Healthfully, and control who they can and cannot see. Another common sign is anger issues or an impulsive temper, which can result in murder when a person isn't able to reel in his emotions and act rationally.

According to Aftermath, drug and alcohol abuse are also behaviors commonly associated with violence that can lead to murder. Consuming copious amounts of Illicit substances and alcohol results in a cloudy judgement and increased impulsivity, which can lead to murder. A compilation of red flags from Buzzfeed indicates drug use and alcoholism are significant, dangerous factors.

Kent Kiehl, a neuroscientist who studied the brains of incarcerated murderers, comparing those brains against their peers in jail, found out that there is a difference in murderers' brains when compared to criminals who never committed homicide. Per Futurity, the study was conducted in a span of 10 years in eight prisons. Murderers who suffered from psychiatric issues and brain injuries were excluded from the study.

According to the results, less gray matter was seen in the MRI scans of murderers compared to the results of those who committed minimally violent and non-violent crimes. The gray matter is responsible for controlling emotions, movement, and memory (per a report posted at the National Center for Biotechnology Information) and affects the processing of information. Despite the results of the study, however, it's not enough to conclude that a person can be a murderer based on the size of his gray matter. Further research is being done to see whether a person's brain can be indicative of potentially murderous behaviors.