Blunt force wounds, pink foam, smothering and depersonalizing — this is some of the jargon from the sociology of serial crime class offered in the Sociology Department.Ronald Wells, sociology instructor, teaches the class on serial crime which involves not only murder but serial arson, rape and bombing.”The course keeps peoples’ attention because people like the gore,” he said.Wells worked in military intelligence from 1969 to 1975 and is now working with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office as the director of research and development and a commander of the intelligence unit.The class builds up to students creating profiles of serial killers — a complex task.”It’s kind of like putting a puzzle together,” he said. “You’re really taking a look at the physical evidence and saying what is it telling me about the psychological makeup of this individual.”Serial killers tend to cover their tracks at a crime scene, Wells said. “You take the organized killer, and they’re extremely educated,” he said. “They typically know police technique, and so they’re going to sterilize the crime scene, and there won’t be any physical evidence.”Wells said a serial crime scene should be analyzed in much the same way as a painting would.”By studying a painting, if you really understand brush strokes and some basic human psychology, you can understand the person who painted this,” Wells said.Sociology instructor Ginger Stevenson said the rarity of serial crime is what interests students the most. She said serial murder is unique because, while a murder usually involves people that know each other, a serial killer typically involves strangers.”And that’s something that we’re afraid of,” she said.Wells said the chances someone will become a victim is based on the preference and proximity of the serial killer. He said the likelihood of being a victim is not random, and killers choose their victims because of similar features.”It’s the new modern boogeyman,” Wells said. “He’s out on the loose, and everyone thinks it’s random.”Wells said people similar to the serial killer’s other victims should be the most concerned.Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Gillis and lesser known killers like Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskin are used to explain specific behaviors, but Wells said he does not describe prolific killers in historical terms.The interest created from crime themed-television shows makes some think murder and other crimes can be solved easily, Stevenson said.”It has led to some unrealistic expectations that these crimes are not always going to be solved,” Stevenson said. “[Serial killers’] careers can span decades.”Wells said serial crimes take longer to solve but investigators and police also receive pressure from the community and politicians to speed up the process.”For all practical purposes, you’re going to have to have at least three homicides before you’re going to be able to establish that it was a serial killer,” Wells said. “You’re going to have to have those links.”Wells said the images he shows in class are true representations of real crime, and although some students have trouble handling the images, they are necessary to help understand the situations.—-Contact Sean Griffin at [email protected]