Why are serial killers and assassins known by three names?

[raccoon]

For example, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Wayne Gacy, Henry Lee Lucas.

Mel Gibson's character in CONSPIRACY THEORY brought this up.

[Left Is Write]

1. Ted Bundy. Gary Ridgway. Sirhan Sirhan.

[johnnie]

3. Party pooper

x(











:P

[raccoon]

9. Maybe they've got some weird unpronouncable middle name? nt

[Left Is Write]

17. Ted's middle name was Robert and Gary's middle name is Leon.

:)

Don't know about Sirhan Sirhan.

[raccoon]

26. Oh, well, so much for that theory. Sirhan's full name was

Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.

But Bishara's not hard to pronounce. Maybe news folks thought "Sirhan Sirhan" was catchier. Who knows?

[av8rdave]

29. David Berkowitz...

Although "Son of Sam" is three words...

[Connonym]

2. According to Oedipus Rex...

I actually asked him this the other day (he's a newspaper dude dontcha know) and he said it's to further differentiate these people from other people with the same first and last name. He also told who originated it but I can't possibly be expected to remember everything, now can I?:dunce:

[raccoon]

8. Thanks! nt

[bertha katzenengel]

4. Sensationalism.

:shrug:

[johnnie]

6. Like

Jack The Ripper


Ooops. Hi Bertha :hi:

Supposed to go to the OP. :)

[bertha katzenengel]

10. Heh heh.

What I mean is that it's not enough for these fools who spew the "news" just to say a guy's name.

Imagine JFK were our contemporary and assassinated last year, and they're doing "anniversary coverage." :eyes:

It wouldn't be "assassin Lee Oswald" or "assassin Harvey Oswald"* -- it's breathless, bug-eyed, "Lee. Harvey. Oswald." with an unspoken "OMG!" in the voice.

Maybe it's just me.

* I don't know if he went by Lee or Harvey.

[johnnie]

12. Oh, I know what you meant

It's just that I posted to your post instead of the OP, that's why I said "oops"..lol


I think he went by Lee :)

[AllegroRondo]

5. what about Sirhan Sirhan?

Timothy McVey?
Charles Manson?

[Oeditpus Rex]

27. Sirhan's middle name is Bishara

It was used in early reports.

I just flashed on my college paper, when we ran the president's list. Sirhan took extension courses at Soledad Prison and was listed as "Sirhan B. Sirhan."

[SteppingRazor]

7. All three names are given out by police reports...

and are then used in newspapers, in order to better establish identity. Lee Harvey Oswald didn't go by "Lee Harvey Oswald," for example. The practice has gotten so common that the use of three names is now used to give a person a hint of criminality — as when conservative hit pieces referred to President Clinton as "William Jefferson Clinton."

[raccoon]

11. Good point---I remember him being referred to by all 3 names. nt

[Deep13]

14. bingo nt

[JackBeck]

13. You forgot

George W. Bush.

[ashling]

15. George Walker Bush

[Critters2]

31. LOL!! Yep, another example. nt

[dolo amber]

16. Tiffany Amber Theissen, Brian Austin Green, Sarah Michelle Gellar

:scared:

[Left Is Write]

18. Tiffani dropped the Amber. She's just Tiffani Thiessen now.

Or maybe she changed to her married name; I'm not sure. At any rate, she dropped Amber quite a while ago.

[dolo amber]

22. Oh, so she's a *reformed* serial killer

:eyes:


;)

[Left Is Write]

35. I think reforming helped her get all the victim roles instead....

It's a requirement for Lifetime movies. ;)

[emmajane67]

19. Were my name Harvey Oswald or John Gacy

I sure would appreciate them banging on about that other bloke with the nickname, rather than making MY life difficult by sharing a name with a murderer.

[gmoney]

21. I'd start going by "John BRIAN Gacy" myself... (eom)

[gmoney]

20. Because when you were in REAL trouble, your mom used all three names...

"LEE HARVEY OSWALD! For that last time, put down that BB gun and come in for dinner!"

[XemaSab]

24. .

:rofl:

[Bunny]

23. This scares me because I go by three names, and there have been

times when I could have quite happily choked the shit out of some people. I've so far managed to restrain myself, but since I meet the main criterion of a serial killer, can I hold out for much longer? :shrug:

[raccoon]

28. If you're a Southerner, it doesn't matter.

If your name is Jim Bob or Nancy Jean or whatever.

If you're not, you do have a problem. :silly:

[Bunny]

30. Oh dear. I'm a Yankee, through and through.

:scared:

[ironflange]

25. I have a theory

There are probably lots of guys with names like Lee Oswald, James Ray, Henry Lucas, George Bush, that sort of thing. The justice system, in its infinite kindness, throws the middle names in so those nice fellows don't have to carry around the stigma of having the same name as a homicidal maniac. Those killers who are known by only two names seem to me the ones with more unusual monikers: Sirhan Sirhan, Jeffrey Dahmer, David Berkowitz.

[liontamer]

32. i'm not sure, but it probably helps differentiate them from other people with similar names

A John Michael Gacy or Henry Steven Lucas who isn't a murderer probably appreciates it.

[meegbear]

33. Zodiac

[krispos42]

34. Or first, middle initial, last...

Just, yanno, thinkin'....

[El Fuego]

36. Because all three names are on a police report, and that's what the newspapers use.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

37. A lot of serial killers have the middle name of Wayne

seriously. I saw this on News of the Weird.

Locally we had Elmer Wayne Henley in 1973, and then there's John Wayne Gacy, and others.

My ex's middle name is Wayne and he is not a serial killer. However, I believe he is a sociopath.

[raccoon]

38. Glad he's your ex! nt