because serial killings are so rare, there’s relatively little scientific data available about them. The general public get their serial killer info from Hollywood movies, Netflix, and the Crime section of their local bookshop, and that’s okay, because the general public is only looking for entertainment. The problem is that, consciously or unconsciously, rank-and-file police officers get their serial killer info from the same place—and that’s not okay because they’re looking for the actual perpetrators.
