ABSTRACT
A disgruntled and revenge killer is a person who seeks revenge for real or imagined wrongs at the hands of coworkers, employers, family, friends, or any other identifiable or stereotyped person. He or she may have harbored the need for vengeance for a long time, even since childhood, and victims may be the actual targets or represent the target in some way, such as resembling them physically, by culture, location, and so forth. Regarding criminal behavior, victim selection and preplanning is important, and may be accompanied by homicidal fantasies to help manage the distressing feelings. Revenge killers may also engage in stalking behaviors. The relationship with the victim or origin(s) of the hatred is important in understanding and managing these killers. Examples of disgruntled killers are ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, who sought revenge against his fellow officers, and USCB college student Elliot Rodger, who went on a killing rampage to wreak revenge against women for rejecting him. These case studies, as well as those of Jennifer San Marco, a disgruntled former U.S. Postal Service employee; Amy Bishop, murderous university professor; and James Holmes, Aurora theater mass shooter, are used to propose two primary pathways of revenge killers: posttraumatic embitterment and chronic psychopathology.
