If you were sat opposite a serial killer on a bus… would you know it?
Here are the creepy tell-tale signs and traits that can expose someone as a murderer, according to an expert.
And while you may be thinking that you know it all after binging Netflix true crime shows on Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer, there is far more to it than that.
Cliff Lansley, a behavioural scientist, spoke to The Hippocratic Post and explained the odd body language, tiny signs and gestures that apply to killers in real life.
He said that even the ‘most confident, hardened killers’ can slip up, and little signs in the face, body, and voice can help spot whether a killer is lying.
But, the key is to know what you are looking for – so here are the signs…
Peter Sutcliffe (left) was sentenced to 20 consecutive life sentences for a total of 22 murders. Meanwhile, Harold Shipman (right) was a GP that murdered his patients using a lethal dose of diamorphine
Police mug shot of convicted serial killer Ted Bundy (left). After nine years in Florida State Prison, on Jan. 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was put to death by the state. Mugshot of cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (right) who was also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or Milwaukee Monster
According to a study conducted in 1971 by social psychologist Professor Albert Mehrabian at the University of Los Angeles, body language makes up for 55% of the meaning in how someone communicated their feelings.
And around 38% comes from the tone, pitch and pace they use, while just seven per cent comes from the actual words.
Following this, Mr Lansley says that when trying to determine whether someone is lying about being a murderer – it is not whether they maintain eye contact, sweat, or evade questions – it is all about how their behaviour changes.
While the circumstances in which you interrogate a killer may vary, at the beginning of an interview, a interviewer may hold a conversation with a suspect that makes them feel comfortable.
For example, they may discuss family, skills, education and their dreams.
It is during this period Mr Lansley says that ‘we note how often they blink, the normal colour of their skin, their speech rate and how they maintain eye contact.
‘Later on, when the real questioning begins, we can assess changes to these normal baseline patterns to assess discomfort, stress and lying.’
However, some criminals might use eye contact to gauge whether the interrogator is buying their story, while others may try and avoid it altogether.
Theodore Bundy gestures as he cross examines witnesses for the prosecution while members of the jury look on in the Miami courtroom, July 9, 1979. The expert says that even the ‘most confident, hardened killers’ can slip up
Theodore Bundy, seated in court, charged with the killings of two Florida State University students
Therefore, when police interview potential suspects, they are trained to question them in such a way as to reveal their innermost feelings and thoughts.
And while we may be accustomed to believe that someone looking away from you means that their lying, this is actually not true.
The behavioural scientists explains: ‘Studies show that maintaining eye contact while telling an account is actually a stronger indicator of deception than looking away, since this suggests someone is checking to see if they are being believed.’
So there you have it.
Finding out whether someone is a serial killer is all about noticing behavioural changes – even if they are small or unnoticeable at first.
DailyMail
