What Makes A Good Human Turn Into A Serial Killer
In the vast landscape of human interaction, a silent, powerful language operates continuously beneath the surface of our spoken words. It is the language of the body, a constant stream of non-verbal cues that can betray our deepest truths, reveal our hidden intentions, and even signal the presence of profound psychological deviation. To navigate this world is to understand the intricate connection between the mind and the body. Few are more fluent in this language than Gaurav Gill, a consultant psychologist and body language expert who has dedicated his career to decoding the human psyche, from the boardroom to the interrogation room.
In an exhaustive and revealing discussion, Gill peels back the layers of deception and motivation, offering a masterclass that is at once fascinating and profoundly practical. This article serves as a comprehensive exploration of that conversation, a deep dive into every anecdote, theory, and technique shared. We will journey into the chilling mind of the serial killer, uncover the childhood seeds from which monsters can grow, learn the meticulous art of spotting a lie, and finally, understand how to harness the power of our own body language. This is not merely a summary; it is a full-detailment of a conversation that unlocks the secrets we communicate without ever saying a word.
Chapter 1: Anatomy of a Serial Killer’s Mind
What truly separates a serial killer from the rest of humanity? The question is as old as the phenomenon itself. According to Gaurav Gill, the answer lies not in a single trait but in a fundamental void where empathy and remorse should be. While a common criminal might commit an act of violence in a “heat of the moment” rage and later be consumed by guilt, perhaps turning to spirituality in prison, the serial killer experiences no such repentance. For them, the act of killing is not a moral failure; it is a calling, a vocation.
This chilling perspective was articulated by the notorious “Co-ed Killer,” Ed Kemper, who told psychologists, “You say engineering or being a doctor is your vocation. My vocation is killing. That is my calling.” He took a craftsman’s pride in his gruesome work, once asking an interviewer, “Do you know how much effort it takes to cut someone into small, equal pieces?” This complete detachment from the moral and emotional weight of his actions is a hallmark of the psychopathic mind.
The physiological underpinnings for this emotional black hole are often found within the brain itself. “If you scan them,” Gill explains, “you will see changes in their brains that won’t be present in ours.” Specifically, the limbic system, the primitive part of the brain responsible for our emotional responses, is often observed to be smaller or less active in serial killers. This neurological deficiency means they are literally incapable of processing the pain they inflict on others. They can understand it on an intellectual level, but they cannot feel it.
This inability to feel, however, does not render them socially inept. On the contrary, many become masters of emotional camouflage. They are expert mimics, observing the reactions of those around them and mirroring them with stunning accuracy. “They will convince you that they have emotions,” Gill warns. “They will fake it. They will mirror your emotions, and you’ll find it convincing and believe them.” This creates a terrifyingly effective mask, allowing them to move through society undetected, charming and manipulating those who cross their path.
Case Study: The Charm of Ted Bundy
Perhaps no figure in the annals of crime exemplifies this deceptive charm more than Ted Bundy. Handsome, intelligent, and a student of both psychology and law, Bundy was the antithesis of the monstrous stereotype. He used his charisma as his primary weapon. Gill recounts his methods in detail: “In a bar, he would sit with a slight neck tilt and continuously stare at someone. Any girl would feel, ‘This guy has eyes for me. He only wants to look at me.’ And he would charm them.”
His other infamous ploy involved feigning injury. He would wear a sling on his arm and politely ask a young woman for help carrying books to his Volkswagen Beetle. Once she leaned into the car, he would incapacitate her and shove her inside. He had pre-emptively removed the interior door handle, turning his car into a mobile prison. This “good guy” persona was so powerful that it created what psychologists call the “Halo Effect”—a cognitive bias where a single positive trait, like physical attractiveness or charm, creates a positive overall impression that can blind people to glaring negative traits.3 Bundy’s halo was so bright that he even managed to escape from custody twice.4 The judge who finally delivered his death sentence was himself not immune, remarking with a sense of tragic disbelief, “It pains me… I wish you were practicing law; I would have come to see you. Such a handsome man.”
So how was such a master manipulator caught? Ironically, it was through a close, intimate relationship. His long-term girlfriend, while attesting that he had never been violent toward her, eventually recognized that he fit the police’s criminal profile and reported her suspicions. Gill explains the killer’s logic: “He didn’t attack her because if you attack your immediate partner, you become the number one suspect. So they don’t attack their immediate partners. They attack everyone else.” Even after being caught, Bundy maintained his innocence to the end, a testament to his unwavering commitment to the mask. He was a chilling reminder that, as Gill puts it, “serial killers don’t have horns on their heads.”
Global Parallels: The Case of Raja Kolander
This psychological blueprint is not confined to one culture. Gill draws a parallel with the Indian serial killer Raja Kolander, who styled himself the “king” of his community. His motivations were rooted in a bizarre and grandiose belief system. “He would kill people, take out their brains, fry them, and then make a soup to drink,” Gill reveals. Kolander believed that by consuming the brains of intelligent individuals, he could absorb their intellect and power. This obsession with status and control was so pervasive that he gave his children names like ‘Adalat’ (Court) and ‘Zamanat’ (Bail), and named his wife after the infamous “Bandit Queen,” Phoolan Devi. Like Bundy, he felt no remorse, only a sense of purpose in his heinous acts.
Chapter 2: The Genesis of Evil: Are Monsters Born or Made?
The question of origins is central to understanding criminal psychology. The overwhelming consensus, Gill affirms, is that killers are made, not born. Their psychological framework is often shattered and rebuilt in the fires of childhood trauma. This devastating process can begin even before birth. Citing research from the University of Durham, Gill explains that when a pregnant mother experiences high levels of stress, the hormone cortisol crosses the placental barrier. Sonograms have shown fetuses exhibiting stress responses, such as scratching their own faces in the womb, directly correlating with the mother’s emotional state.
After birth, the environment becomes the primary sculpting force. A home where violence is normalized can catastrophically skew a child’s moral development. Gill references one of the perpetrators in the horrific Nirbhaya case, who, when questioned, dismissed his actions by saying that physical fights were common and “no big deal” in his family and neighborhood. When violence is the baseline, the threshold for committing it is dangerously low.
Beyond general abuse, psychologists have identified a specific cluster of behaviors in children that serve as powerful predictors of future violent deviancy. This is known as the McDonald Triad.
The Three Pillars of the McDonald Triad:
- Arson: A compulsive fascination with setting fires. This act is not simple mischief; it represents a desire for power, control, and destructive capability. The child who sets fires is often venting a deep-seated rage and feeling a sense of god-like power as they watch the ensuing chaos.
- Cruelty to Animals: This is perhaps the most significant red flag. A child who deliberately and repeatedly harms, tortures, or kills animals is rehearsing for violence against human beings. It demonstrates a profound lack of empathy and a process of desensitization, allowing them to cross moral boundaries with increasing ease.
- Enuresis (Bedwetting): The third, and perhaps most subtle, sign is the recurrence of bedwetting in a child past the age of five, particularly between the ages of eight and nine. This is not a physiological issue but a sign of severe emotional regression. The child is so overwhelmed by trauma or stress that their psychological development reverts to an earlier stage.
“If you see these three things,” Gill states unequivocally, “there’s a high chance they will grow up to exhibit deviant behavior… You need to visit a specialist.” He also adds that the dynamic of an “absent father and a nagging mother” can create a toxic environment of emotional neglect and constant criticism that can further fuel deviant tendencies. The importance of early detection, a point heavily emphasized by pioneering FBI profiler John Douglas, cannot be overstated. These are not just childhood quirks; they are desperate signals from a psyche in profound distress.
Chapter 3: The Unspoken Truth: A Masterclass in Lie Detection
Moving from the “why” of criminality to the “how” of deception, Gill provides a detailed toolkit for spotting a lie. He begins by dismantling the most common myth: that liars can’t make eye contact. “According to new research,” he clarifies, “someone who maintains excessive eye contact, especially in criminal settings, is a red flag.” This is not a sign of honesty, but a technique called threat tracking, where the liar intensely watches their interrogator to gauge whether their falsehoods are being believed.
True deception leaks out through a host of more reliable verbal and non-verbal tells.
Part A: The Body Never Lies (Non-Verbal Cues)
The human body is in a constant battle with the deceptive mind. While the conscious mind works to construct a lie, the subconscious body often reveals the truth through involuntary physical reactions.
- Gestural Retreat: When confronted with a difficult question, a person may physically lean back, take a step away, or pull their torso inward. “This is called a gestural retreat,” Gill explains. It is the body’s instinctive attempt to create distance—both physical and psychological—from the uncomfortable truth or the lie they are telling.
- Blocking Gestures: These are subconscious movements aimed at “blocking” out a negative stimulus. Eye-blocking, which can range from a full eye-rub to a prolonged blink, signifies that the person dislikes what they are seeing or saying.5 Ear-touching or ear-blocking suggests they dislike what they are hearing. These are primitive self-soothing behaviors, as if to say, “If I can’t see or hear it, it isn’t real.”
- Increased Blink Rate: The cognitive load required to invent a lie, maintain it, and monitor the listener’s reaction is immense. This mental strain manifests physically. The average relaxed blink rate is about 12-20 times per minute. Under the pressure of deception, this can spike dramatically, appearing as a “quick flutter” of the eyelids.
- Lip Compression: “When the lips disappear, the stress is near,” Gill notes.6 Pressing the lips together into a thin, hard line is a universal sign of stress, anger, or withholding information. It’s a primal effort to literally keep the truth from spilling out.
- Hand Movement (or Lack Thereof): Normally, our hand gestures are synchronized with our speech, helping to illustrate our points.7 When a person is lying, their cognitive resources are so focused on the verbal fabrication that their hands may become unnaturally still or rigid. Gill uses the example of former President Bill Clinton’s infamous denial: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”8 A man known for his expressive hand gestures stood almost perfectly still, his body betraying the falsehood his words were trying to sell.
Part B: Reading Between the Lines (Verbal Cues)
The words themselves, and how they are structured, are just as revealing as the body language that accompanies them.
- Statement Analysis and The Power of Pronouns: “The only problem is that the ‘I’ is missing,” Gill says, referencing a simple exchange: “I love you” vs. “Love you too.” Pioneered by researchers like Dr. James Pennebaker, statement analysis shows that people subconsciously distance themselves from statements they don’t fully believe. This is especially evident in criminal alibis. A truthful person will say, “I went to the store, then I came home.” A deceptive person is more likely to omit the pronoun: “Went to the store, came back home.” This lack of personal ownership is a significant red flag.
- Psychological Distancing: This is a broader verbal strategy to create emotional distance. A guilty person will often avoid using the victim’s name, referring to them in impersonal terms. They will also use euphemisms for the crime itself. As Gill points out, “If I have stolen something, I won’t use the word ‘theft.’ I’ll say, ‘I didn’t pick up anything.'” The most famous example remains Bill Clinton’s use of “that woman” to refer to Monica Lewinsky—a classic attempt to linguistically sever the personal connection.
- Question Reversal: Instead of providing a direct answer, a liar will often deflect by turning the question back on the asker. To the question, “Did you kill your wife?”, the deceptive response might be, “Are you asking me if I killed my wife?” This buys them precious seconds to think and puts the questioner on the defensive.
- A Sudden Spike in Politeness: When a liar feels cornered by evidence, they may suddenly become excessively formal and polite, using terms like “Sir” or “Ma’am.” This is a subconscious submissive gesture, an attempt to placate the authority figure and appear non-threatening in the hope of receiving leniency.
Case Study: A Difficult Interrogation
Gill provides a compelling real-world example from one of his own cases. He was interviewing a young murder suspect who seemed calm and passed a polygraph test because, like a psychopath, he felt no stress. When Gill pushed him, the suspect refused a more advanced test by fabricating an excuse: “Sir, it can cause a skin infection.”
This was the lie Gill needed. He employed a simple but brilliant tactic: “Okay, you must have checked this on your phone, right? Show me your Google history where you searched for this.” The suspect stared blankly for several minutes. He had never searched for it; his lawyer had simply told him he could refuse. The lie, designed to obstruct, became the very thing that exposed his deception. The case highlights the frustrating reality of interrogation: “You ask someone a question like, ‘The records show you were present there,’ and they reply, ‘I don’t remember, sir.’ What can you do? It’s so frustrating.” It requires patience, strategy, and an understanding of these subtle cues to break through the wall of lies.
Chapter 4: The Language of Power and Social Dynamics
The principles of body language extend far beyond the realm of crime and deception. They are fundamental to how we perceive power, establish trust, and navigate social hierarchies.
The Body Language of World Leaders
Gill points to several world leaders as case studies in non-verbal communication:
- Barack Obama: Gill describes his charisma as “unmatched,” stemming from a relaxed gait and a genuine capacity for empathy. He recounts how, on the day of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Obama sat through a public event, even laughing at a comedian’s jokes about bin Laden, to avoid arousing any suspicion. “That was a masterpiece,” Gill remarks, a perfect example of maintaining a calm external façade under immense pressure.
- Vladimir Putin: His body language is a direct reflection of his KGB training. “When he walks,” Gill observes, “only his right hand swings. The left is kept close to his body.” This is a trained “weapon-side” posture. His non-dominant hand remains still and ready, a constant, subconscious signal of his readiness for combat.
- Donald Trump: The host notes Trump’s “unapologetic” nature as a key to his appeal. Gill agrees, adding that Trump’s confidence and consistency, whether for good or bad, resonate with people. “People don’t like inconsistency,” the host suggests. “Be a villain, but be a consistent villain.” This highlights a core psychological principle: predictability, even if negative, is often preferred over erratic behavior.
This leads to a fascinating observation about the world’s most powerful people: they rarely, if ever, apologize. “They don’t do it,” Gill confirms. They may express regret in a roundabout way (“Maybe I should have dealt with it in a better way”), but they will almost never utter the words “I’m sorry” or “I apologize.” This is a calculated projection of unwavering strength and a refusal to cede ground.
How to Project Power and Confidence
For the average person, Gill offers several actionable techniques to instantly project more power and confidence:
- The Steeple: Touching the fingertips of both hands together to form a steeple is a universal sign of confidence and contemplation. It’s a low-power pose that conveys high authority. Gill notes that research has shown holding such “power poses” for just two minutes can increase testosterone and decrease the stress hormone cortisol.9
- Occupy Space: Confidence is territorial. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, taking up a solid amount of space, sends a signal of stability and self-assurance.10 Conversely, shrinking oneself down conveys submissiveness.
- Chin Position: A level chin is neutral and confident. A chin tilted too high can be perceived as arrogant, while a chin tilted down can appear defensive or submissive. In an interrogation, a suddenly lowered chin can be a “confession mode” signal.
- Open Gestures: In social settings, avoid crossing your arms or hiding your hands. Open palms and visible hands are ancient signals of trust—they show you are not concealing a weapon. This small change can make you appear more approachable and confident.
Navigating Social Situations
To build rapport, Gill emphasizes listening for the “other person’s pain point.” Addressing a need or a concern they have is the fastest way to create a connection. He also shares a subtle psychological trick: “The better thing to offer a first-time guest is a hot drink, not a cold one.” The physical sensation of warmth can subconsciously translate into feelings of emotional warmth and foster a more positive impression.11
Conclusion: First, Read Yourself
In a final, insightful exchange, Gill performs a live analysis of the host, noting his good listening skills, his steady eye contact, and his tendency to return to a question until it’s answered. His advice for improvement is simple but powerful: “You can smile a bit more. And your neck can tilt a bit.” A neck tilt is an evolutionary sign of trust, exposing a vulnerable area to signal that you perceive no threat. It is an invitation to connect.
The conversation concludes with a profound piece of wisdom. Before you can hope to accurately read others, you must first understand the signals you are sending yourself. “First, you must read yourself,” Gill insists. “You should know what signal you are sending to the other person, and that will determine whether they want to come close to you or not. You decide the boundary.”
From the darkest corners of the criminal mind to the subtle dance of a first meeting, the language of the body is a constant, flowing river of information. By learning to read its currents, we can protect ourselves from deception, project the confidence we wish to feel, and forge deeper, more authentic connections with those around us. The truth, as Gaurav Gill so expertly demonstrates, is almost always unspoken.
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