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Visionary serial killers maintain that they hear voices or see visions that command them to kill. One type of serial killer is the visionary serial killer. Criminologists have identified various types of serial killers, distinguishing them on the basis of their motives, although researchers caution that some serial killers may be classified as more than one type or may change motives over time. Moreover, the dramatic increase over the years may not represent a real increase in the number of serial killers, but instead may be the result of greatly improved technology and detection methods in law enforcement, such as the use of DNA evidence to establish that the same offender committed different murders at different locations and at different points in time. Analysts caution, though, that these numbers are rough estimates and that the true number of serial killers in any given year is unknown. From 1900-1924, for example, there were only 13 serial killers known to police, whereas from 1990-2004 there were 163. Trend data indicate that the number of serial killers-that is, individuals who commit serial murder-has increased significantly since the turn of the 20th century. The most commonly cited figure is 20% of murders annually in the United States, a figure which would be approximately 3,000-4,000 homicides, are serial murders, but some criminologists put the estimate as low as 2% (i.e., only 300-400 per year). There is disagreement, however, over what percentage of homicides in the United States should be classified as serial murders. Serial murder is defined by criminologists as the killing of three or more people over an extended period of time, often months or years.
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