Dr. Tristan Ingalls
Appearances
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Yes, of course. I've seen individuals with delusions learn to reality test appropriately and regain rational thought. But this takes a combination of therapy and medication in addition to abstinence from all substances. And it can be done. However, I've also seen individuals with the same severity of thought disorder as Charles who have not been responsive to medication or therapy as well.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
It really is a case-by-case basis, and it depends on a number of variables, including the age of onset. Someone with an early onset of psychosis or delusions has a much less successful prognosis in the long term than someone with a more standard statistical age of onset.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Like I've previously mentioned, Charles Manson has always been such an intriguing case to so many experts because it's been very difficult to tease out what is manipulation and what is a genuine psychiatric condition.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
I have never met Charles Manson and nor have I ever evaluated him even though I had been working at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at the time of his incarceration. I never worked at his institution, though. So what I'm sharing is based on what was made public. And it's obviously for education and entertainment purposes only.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
But with that being said, there have been a number of diagnoses over the years of Charles Manson. And in 1997, he was re-evaluated by a team of psychologists.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
I have taken lectures from one of the forensic psychologists who was part of this reevaluation, and the results of this were made public after his death with his permission and with the permission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And in these results, the objective testing indicated that he had likely a primary diagnosis of a mood disorder, something like bipolar disorder, but he had chronic hypomania, not mania. And they also found that he had antisocial personality disorder, but it was so severe when assessed with psychopathic traits.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Remember, psychopathy is not a diagnosis, but his score on an assessment of psychopathy indicated that he was severe enough that it was the 98th percentile for male prison inmates and the 99th percentile for male forensic psychiatric patients.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
This is the thing where experts have largely been sort of divided. But the way I see it, given that he had a mood disorder as a primary diagnosis based on this reevaluation, and a mood disorder is considered episodic in nature. And he also had a personality disorder. And that is not episodic in nature. That's chronic. And that's where the manipulation was really driven from.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Manson wanted fame and notoriety. This much we know. And I am not convinced, given the most recent assessments done on him and given all of the things that have been made public, including his own interviews, that that he really believed in the apocalypse. I am not convinced that he did. I'm more convinced that he needed something for his followers to believe in.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And that something has to be big enough for them to believe in him too. And I think that's what he was believing in, in terms of that.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
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Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
So this is the first time that Charles Manson was able to get another person to kill at his command. And this is a level of power and superiority that he has not yet had. A line has been crossed now with his family where they've shown their loyalty and now they're further trapped in his grip, especially knowing that they could become a target themselves if they disobey or challenge him again.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
They are now sort of further entrapped in this cycle of psychological and physical abuse that is the Manson family cult.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
We've talked about the various ways Charles was able to lure followers and how he maintained them. And just to recap on that, he preyed on young, vulnerable women who were looking for love, looking for belonging, and he gave them what they needed to feel that, while also isolating them from their family and the world. So how could he get them to be so dedicated that they would kill for him?
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Well, fear, isolation, and substance dependence is certainly a way to distort their reality and open them up to undue influence. Now, imagine you've been made to believe that there was an impending apocalypse that you needed money to prepare for so that you could survive. And you're motivated in that survival because you want to protect each other as a family.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
that certainly could amplify their motivation. On top of which, you're isolated from anyone who could provide any reality testing and perspective against what Charles has been teaching. And when you add in the regular use of hallucinogens and stimulants, that could exacerbate paranoia and it could absolutely cause impairment in judgment and rational thought.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And I'm Dr. Tristan Ingalls. As Vanessa takes you through our subject stories, I'll be helping her analyze what drove them to commit their crimes as we try to understand how someone can do such horrible things.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
I think at this point we really need to start exploring the impact of trauma on his followers. He recruited people who already had pre-existing familial trauma. This is well documented in their own interviews on the matter. Most of them lacked family or family support. They had come from dysfunctional homes and the majority of them were women who were quite oppressed in that time.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Now they are experiencing varying degrees of witnessed and experienced violence, coercion, and some of his followers have even since admitted to having been sexually assaulted during their time with the Manson family. And when it comes to trauma reactions, many people are aware of the fight, flight, and freeze response, But very few are aware of the lesser known response known as fawning.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And that was certainly not something that was identified back then. Fawning is a coping mechanism that is usually developed in childhood and predominantly experienced by women due to societal norms and pressures. It's a series of people pleasing behaviors that are used to avoid conflict and any perceived danger. People who experience fawning are overly agreeable.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
They have difficulty saying no or setting boundaries. They're overly reliant on others, and they do not know how to prioritize their own needs over another person's. All of these behaviors are done out of fear or conflict or disapproval and to appease their aggressor. They are no doubt living in fear of Charlie.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
fear of being caught, fear of being retaliated against by the Black Panthers or others, and of this impending doom of an apocalypse that they themselves have started. And I think it's important to consider that their loyalty has also become a form of psychological and physical survival.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
I think it's very likely that it's a combination of both of those things. But given all the trauma that they have experienced and continue to experience, the only real way for them to see what is happening clearly is to remove themselves from the situation and place themselves into a safe one. But even then...
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
That will take a lot of time for them to process first to realize what's really going on.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
So we've already talked about how fear, how the abuse cycle, how grooming, substance dependence and trauma really played a role into why he had this following and why they may have been willing to do this for him. But I also think that people have a hard time understanding that because they don't understand the complexity of who Charles is.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
in the environment he created to get to that level of devotion. Everyone from the outside looking in is seeing it rationally. They are seeing a man who is not rational and wondering how someone as seemingly unwell as him could be so persuasive of others. But they haven't been isolated from their loved ones. They haven't been living in survival mode for years. So it's hard to really grasp this.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Manson has been learning to control people since he was a child. He spent more than half of his life in institutions. And this is how he perfected his ability to control others. In fact, a former colleague of mine from the Department of Corrections here in California They actually did work at the institution where Manson was held.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And they had told me that he was so persuasive, he had to be housed on the top tier of his unit at the very back end so that no one would have to walk past his cell. He was so persuasive that he was successful in smuggling in drugs more than once during his incarceration, which means he had help.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
twice, whether he was convincing enough to get people to assist on the outside or employees on the inside or both. But I think it's likely both, given his fan base and how very little the Department of Corrections wanted him interacting with other incarcerated individuals and staff alike.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
The institution had to take precautions to prevent him from influencing others for the safety and security of the institution and everyone in it. All that to say, he knew how to identify a person's insecurities and vulnerabilities, exploit them, instill fear, and gain control through manipulation, drug dependence, and abuse.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Which Charles surely loved, having the president speak about you on national television was as close to Beatlemania as he was ever going to get.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
I'm glad you mentioned brainwashing in here because I think it's really time to highlight that concept. And for anyone who's not really familiar, brainwashing is the systematic effort to persuade a non-believer to accept a certain allegiance, command, or doctrine.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And it's designed to psychologically manipulate human thought or action against the desire, the will, or the knowledge of the individual. The fact that this has been done systematically over a very long period of time makes it unsurprising to me that his followers maintain their support of him.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And not simply because of the brainwashing, but because technically speaking, he did not lay a hand on anybody. They did it, right? But for anyone who is brainwashed, for them to undo the effects of that, they need to deprogram it. And this is not something that comes fast. It takes time. And that time will vary based on the individual. But it takes intensive practice.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
long-term psychotherapy, psychoeducation regarding what coercive control is and what boundaries are. Medication is warranted in some instances to help manage the intensity of anxiety or depression symptoms associated with that deprogramming. And they need to be able to rebuild their own self-esteem. And this can take years for some people. And at this point,
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
None of his followers have even started the deprogramming process, let alone had gained insight into the fact that they'd been brainwashed.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Mm-hmm. Well, when we continue to explore what made Charles so fascinating, we would be remiss to not also consider the era that this happened in as well. It was the peak of the counterculture movement where hippies were rejecting mainstream values and were wanting to embrace peace and free love and psychedelic drugs, which is exactly what Manson and his family appeared to be doing.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And this was also a time of cultural and political change, and music was at this epicenter of a lot of that, because it really shaped these decades. And Charles Manson not only convinced people to follow him, masquerading as a form of a guru, but as you shared already, he also managed to become friends with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, who once referred to Manson as the wizard.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
If we recall from the story, Dennis even opened up his home to Manson and Manson's family. And he connected him to other industry people, including Neil Young and Terry Melcher, who I don't think we mentioned was the son of Doris Day. And obviously a very high producer at Columbia Records. So...
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
If all of these highly influential people believed Charles was a likable and talented individual, that can be hard to reconcile with the individual that the public got to know throughout the trials. Even actress Angela Lansbury's daughter, Deirdre, had fallen victim to Charles Manson. So from the outside looking in,
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
A known name ex-convict was able to befriend and influence some of the most influential people of that era. And seeing this can certainly fracture a person's false sense of security. And then naturally, they want to understand, how did this happen? But more importantly, how can I feel confident that it would never happen to me?
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And the irony is, when you're being brainwashed, you lack the insight to see that as it's happening.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
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Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
We talked about his many failed attempts at breaking into the music scene in part one, but let's break down why, despite this, he is still so dedicated to making it big. Obviously, he's seeking fame, he's seeking notoriety. But remember, he was fascinated by the Beatles, and he was primarily attracted to them because of the cult following that they had.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
They had an intense fan base that was worldwide. The footage of Beatlemania showed women in a frenzy, even fainting at the sight of them. This is what Charles is attracted to. He wants that scale of devotion. And even though he has been told by people in the industry he's essentially not what they're looking for, and maybe not as talented as he might believe he is, Charles is extremely grandiose.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
He believes he can control people's minds. He started his own cult and his own religion, so to speak, and he is simply not capable of rational thinking.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
For some time now, Charles has been exhibiting signs of delusions. The earliest delusion is the delusion of grandeur. And that is when someone has an inflated sense of self and believes that they are superior to others and they often have unrealistic wealth or power in their mind.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Often, delusions of grandeur manifest with a religious theme, which we have definitely seen here, but his belief that he can control the thoughts of others is also a delusion of grandeur. Now, he's exhibiting possible delusions of reference, which is when someone believes that ordinary events have personal significance.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
The fact that he believes he's getting a message of an impending apocalyptic revolution only to him from the song Helter Skelter is an example of a delusion of reference. Now, does he really believe that the message he is getting is actually true or is he using that as a means to instill fear into his family to control them? That's the question.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Charles has been a very difficult individual for professionals to diagnose because he is such a master manipulator. And it's been very difficult with Charles to discern what is a genuine psychiatric symptom from manipulation for secondary gain.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
That's an excellent question. And the fact that their drug of choice appears to be LSD, which is a hallucinogen in terms of its classification, it is very possible and very likely that the substance has been inducing persistent psychosis. Substance-induced psychosis happens very frequently and it is a condition recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
There are cases in which someone may have a predisposition to a psychotic disorder and the use of substances awakens that. And then they end up having a psychotic disorder and the condition itself can become fixed or settled as a result of persistent substance use.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
So let's remember that Charles first learned how to groom, recruit, and maintain women from the pimps he was incarcerated with, and that he spent most of his life in and out of institutions learning how to be very criminally versatile. So it's no surprise that he would bring in a biker gang to help them make money.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
And it wouldn't be surprising if that also meant sort of trafficking his own family to these men in exchange for payment. And although he is struggling to control their behavior while on methamphetamine, he can still keep them dependent on him for the substances in the meantime. And I think that he feels this is an easier risk than cutting off the supply altogether.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
He is a career criminal after all, and he will continue to show criminal versatility to get his way.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
Let's explore how he might have handled this news, given that you've outlined how he might deal with disappointment, especially if there's a delusion there. And let's break down what a delusion is. A delusion is a fixed belief that is unchanged. It cannot be challenged, even with evidence that suggests that the delusion is incorrect or the belief is wrong.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
If you challenge the delusion, you can immediately become part of the delusion, especially if there is paranoia. But more importantly, you lose all rapport and trust.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
MURDEROUS MINDS: Charles Manson & The Manson Family Cult Pt. 2
So this was a big letdown for Charles and his delusions of grandeur, not only for the reasons I've already highlighted, but on some level, I think he worries that whenever his grandiosity is challenged, his family will start to challenge him too. And losing the cult following, like I've talked before, is... It is very monumental for him. That would be the biggest loss he could ever endure.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Let's talk about what precipitated this attack and why. After all this time of fantasizing about violence towards women and researching serial killers, does he act now? Joel's upbringing, as we've talked about, appears to have taught him that unless he meets certain standards, standards that were clearly set by his father, he won't be worthy of love or acceptance. So here we are.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
His father passes away, and he feels a sense of relief from the pressure he was under. And he can start to make progress at his own pace. And he begins to excel. He was getting straight A's. He got an internship. And if he feels that he can only be accepted and worthy if he is succeeding, then he's likely starting to feel that way now.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
And then he gets a crush on someone, an intern, and that crush is not reciprocated. So now, in Joel's mind, he's being rejected, despite finally being successful and worthy. And so that's counterproductive for him. It makes sense why he's now deciding to direct that anger outward onto his first victim.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
In some ways, it does seem atypical, because serial killers often do feel a sense of relief and gratification when they're killing because it fulfills a deep psychological need for control or power or thrill. On the other hand, Joel was given up at birth, which is a trauma in itself, one of abandonment.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
And with the possible exception of one previous girlfriend, he's not really learned how to have warm and empathetic connections with others. And arguably, his entire life has been detached from others.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
So although this may seem atypical for serial killers in general to not feel that relief or that gratification after the killing, the detachment that he is showing does seem to be typical for Joel in general.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
There are a couple things here that are of significance. The fact that he identifies Ted Bundy as one of his, quote, heroes really speaks to what he aspires to be. A conventionally attractive man who is highly educated, unsuspecting, and someone who is able to gain the attention of women organically, not necessarily women he has to hire. So why is this important?
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
It says a lot about his insecurities, and it also makes sense why, when given the opportunity to engage in necrophilia, he found that to be repulsive over everything else he's already done. Ted Bundy engaged in those acts because he couldn't handle rejection, whereas I feel that with Joel, he wants to feel desired or accepted, and he cannot experience those feelings during an act of necrophilia.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
And I'm Dr. Tristan Ingalls. As Vanessa takes you through our subject stories, I'll be helping her dive into these killers' minds as we try to understand how someone can do such horrible things.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
But he can experience those feelings when he hires sex workers, which makes sense as to why he chose to kill a sex worker and not the woman who rejected him, because it's her job and she's willing to be intimate with him and willing to make him feel desirable and accepted.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Unfortunately, this is not really something new when it comes to the mishandling of cases involving sex workers.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
It actually wouldn't surprise me if either of those were true. But more importantly, it wouldn't surprise me if he wanted to make it look like a drug overdose, since that was the ruling with Barbara. And Joel is clearly learning as he goes how to best protect himself and become more sophisticated.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Not to mention having her under the influence, like he said, makes her more vulnerable for what he plans to do to her next.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Yeah, this definitely is emboldening him. But he's also likely getting a thrill from it. Thrill-seeking and a need for stimulation is a big trait that is seen in serial killers. I think part of his thrill-seeking is evident in the research and the planning phases of his killings. At least that's how it seems.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
It's something that he's been doing since he was a child and continues to do after each killing. He continues to research how to do it differently. He finds new ways to kill, new tactics to use. But his methods are remaining the same in that he continues to target vulnerable sex workers.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
I think for Joel, as I touched on briefly, his thrill is also motivated by the fact that he feels he is doing these killings, quote, right in his eyes. It's giving him a sense of being successful. And as we have established, living up to the expectations of his father and excelling at literally anything was a core value in the home.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
So perhaps to Joel, he finally feels he has met that in this very depraved way. Since he's getting psychological gratification as a result and continues to remain undetected, we can definitely expect to see an increase in frequency.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
This is a deviation from his normal methods because there's no second location and no sexual intercourse, at least from what you've shared. And it happens after a few months of resisting.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Joel definitely exhibited quick thinking here and very little reaction given what he had just did and then encountering the police. So why is that? There are a couple reasons here. Joel has been somewhat habituated to violence since he was a child, starting with his interest in the movie Frenzy and his research into serial killers.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Additionally, he has engaged in several depraved acts that he has expressed very little emotional reaction to, So his emotional range is very limited as it is. There are also some potential biological causes for this. Individuals with psychopathy or sociopathy have reduced connections in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
The amygdala is where the fight or flight response is, which is where anxiety, fear, and empathy are. So it's more likely than not that it's a combination of psychological and biological causes for why he's quick thinking, but also not very reactionary. I think most of us, when we walk back to our car and see police there, are going to have a bit of an anxiety reaction to that.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Joel is clearly not capable of that.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
So this is an example of habituation that I was referring to earlier. Habituation is when there is a decrease in the thrill response because of the repeated stimulus. So he's had four years of the same murder, right? So after four years of having the same repeat of a stimuli, he is getting a decrease in his reaction or his response to it. And what drives him is that thrill, right?
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
So there's likely to be an increase in thrill-seeking behaviors as a result of the fact that there's now some level of tolerance to his current routine. And it's similar to an addiction in that way, only there's no real physiological dependency like you would expect to see if it was an addiction to a substance.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
But what we are seeing is an increase in frequency and carelessness as a result of his need for more stimulation.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
It's interesting that they're able to identify that they died from strangulation wounds because generally speaking, strangulation doesn't really leave any outward signs. It's like a silent killer in that way. Generally, what they find is that there are signs of strangulation internally versus externally.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
But either way, this really speaks to Joel's rage because that's really what drives that kind of killing.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
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Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
I'm not sure what age Joel was in the story when he had his intelligence quotient tested as because this varies. But generally, it does appear that Joel has an above average IQ. However, someone can be highly intelligent and still have a learning disability. I don't know that a lot of people really grasp that.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
We tend to identify a possible learning disability when there's a discrepancy between a child's aptitude, which is their ability to learn new information, and their achievement, which is where their current level of accomplishment is. So Joel has the ability to learn new information, but there's something that's limiting his ability to advance to the level he's capable of.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
And that appears to be something his successful and intelligent adoptive father is struggling with understanding himself. When you're able-bodied the way that Bernard is, both intellectually and physically, it can be hard to understand and be compassionate as well as patient with those who aren't.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Yeah, they can definitely linger and put undue stress on Joel, especially when you factor in the added complexity that these are his adoptive parents. There's an additional pressure to feel accepted and maintain their expectations because of that. This can make Joel feel more susceptible to performance anxiety, low self-esteem, and even confidence can be impaired.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Not to mention, if he's not able to control the things he's being criticized for by his parents, then he's going to find ways to overcompensate for that. And I'm sure we're going to see that as you take us through his story.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
There's a lot of literature on the long-term effects of bullying on children and teens, and the results have been pretty clear that children who are bullied are at an elevated risk of developing depression, anxiety, anger, becoming socially withdrawn, or having poor social skills, which is largely due to the rejection of their peers.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
mistrust in others, increased substance abuse, and obvious interpersonal deficits later in life. And when you add in the fact that Joel, from what you described, might even be experiencing parental bullying, because an argument can be made that his adoptive father's comments to him about his perceived weaknesses could be a form of bullying in itself.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
So when you have a child who doesn't feel safe at school or at home, and they're getting bullied in both environments, they'll begin looking for ways to self-soothe and regulate those emotions on their own. And typically, when there is no guidance in teaching them appropriate ways of coping, that's going to elevate their risk of developing maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Now, that does not mean that children who are bullied grow up to become violent serial killers or violent in general. In fact, statistically, it's the individuals who do the bullying that are more likely to become more prone to violence and criminal behaviors by adulthood.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
This is a very pivotal moment for Joel in what's to come.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Yeah, whenever there are symptoms or a pattern of behavior that begins to impair someone's functioning socially, professionally, academically, or even legally, it warrants further evaluation. And what you're describing here is definitely something indicative of functional impairment related to his illegal sexual preoccupation and also his violent thoughts.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
It's clear that Joel, despite the strain of his relationship with his adoptive father, felt some kind of obligation to maintain loyalty and be appreciative of him despite all that emotional coldness. Joel might have felt or have been made to feel by Bernard that Bernard chose to raise Joel, despite his perceived shortcomings, when his biological parents did not.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
Joel likely understands that it's possible for parents to relinquish their children and sees that his adoptive parents never did that, even if he did not live up to his adoptive father's expectations. That's the model of love that Joel has been taught. As long as they don't reject you or abandon you, then you should remain appreciative of them.
Killer Minds: Inside the Minds of Serial Killers & Murderers
Joel the Ripper: Joel Rifkin 1
When the reality is that there's two things that can be true here. They did choose to raise him despite their disappointment in him, and they can be emotionally abusive at the same time.