The well-known difference between serial killers and murderers is the presence of a signature, a specific factor of the crime that did not need to be carried out to complete the crime but was acted out anyway. The MO, modus operandi, or the mode of which the criminal carried out his crime, is how the crime was committed, and is always present, whereas the signature is only present in serial killers. It is what sets them apart and makes their crimes distinguishable from a one-off homicide to the beginning of a slaughtering of victims. Signatures are unique and specific to the killer, even though there are similarities, and groupings of such have been made, they are a personal message from and about the killer, leaving various indications about the killer themselves.
Picquerism
Picquerism is gaining a form of sexual satisfaction from stabbing, cutting, or slicing another person. It might at first look like overkill, with the multiple stab, cut, or slicing wounds present on the body, it would certainly be a gory sight. The Clairemont Killer, Cleophus Prince, is a perfect example of the picquerism signature. Cleophus Prince terrorised women in 1990 from January to September, ultimately killing 6 before being arrested. His signature included localised stabbing and abuse to the chest area of each of the women, specifically the left breast area. Each…
