title: The relationship between serial sexual murder and autoerotic asphyxiation.
abstract: This case series documents and examines the association between autoerotic asphyxiation, sadomasochism, and serial sexual murderers. Autoerotic asphyxiation, along with other paraphilias found in this population, is reviewed. Five cases of serial sexual killers who engaged in autoerotic asphyxiation were identified worldwide: four from the United States and one from Russia. Case reports for each are provided. All (100%) were found to have sexual sadism in addition to autoerotic asphyxiation. Furthermore, two (40%) had bondage fetishism, and two (40%) had transvestic fetishism, consistent with these paraphilias co-occurring in those with autoerotic asphyxiation. Overall the group averaged 4.0 lifetime paraphilias. Some possible relationships were observed between the offenders' paraphilic orientation and their modus operandi, e.g., all of these serial killers strangled victims-suggesting an association between their sadistic and asphyxiative paraphilic interests. The overlap of seemingly polar opposite paraphilias in this sample--sexual sadism and autoerotic asphyxiation--is explored from a historical and clinical perspective. Multiple commonalities shared between these five offenders and serial sexual murderers in general are addressed. A primary limitation of this study is its small sample size and empirical basis; the results may not be generalizable beyond the sample. The findings from this study support the supposition that crime scene behaviors often reflect paraphilic disturbances in those who commit serial sexual homicides.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 102, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. wmyers@health.usf.edu
authors.forename: Wade C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Alexandr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bukhanovskiy
authors.forename: Elle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Justen
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tilley
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Virgil L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Vandagriff
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Hazelwood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000523:psychology*; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010262:Paraphilic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology