Is Luka Magnotta a psychopath?
Experts are wary of using label in case of accused killer
Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka took videos of their victims. Russell Williams, too. The difference between them and accused killer Luka Rocco Magnotta was that they tried to keep their secrets dark.
In Magnotta’s case, his alleged crime — the killing and dismemberment of a Concordia University student — was not only videotaped, but was posted online for hundreds of thousands to see.
“I’ve seen many cases where offenders will record and document aspects of their crime, but it’s a whole different scenario when they send it out on the Internet,” says Glenn Woods, a former RCMP investigator. “It’s so unusual.”
That he’s disturbed is no question, but is he a psychopath? Experts say that is up for debate. To determine who is a psychopath, police use the “Psychopathy Checklist,” a tool developed by Robert Hare, a psychology professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia.
Hare’s list assesses a person’s degree of psychopathy based on several characteristics, including impulsivity, lack of empathy and manipulative nature.
“They can be very nice guys and powerfully persuasive, the kind of guy you want to have a beer with,” says Gregg McCrary, a former FBI agent.
These are the types of glamorous villains Magnotta apparently idolized, the ones from the movies Basic Instinct and American Psycho.
But, says McCrary, in real life, not all psychopaths are smart.
“If you get people who are lower on the IQ scale, they tend to not be as charming,” he says. “They just don’t have the intellectual power to sway you, or talk to you in an elegant way.”
Michael Woodworth, associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, said it’s not yet clear whether Magnotta is a psychopath.
“Saying he has narcissistic personality disorder, that would not be a stretch,” he said. “That’s as clear as water.” What experts can agree on is that more information is needed, especially about Magnotta’s childhood. Little is known about Magnotta’s early life, except that he grew up in Scarborough and attended high school in Lindsay, Ont. Daniel Waschbusch, a psychology professor at Florida International University, said although he is not familiar with Magnotta’s case or any details about his upbringing, many criminals have rough child- hoods and are defined as “callous-unemotional.” Still, says Waschbush, a positive environment doesn’t solve everything. “Plenty of parents I work with are making heroic efforts to help and the kids are still struggling.” But Mccrary, the former FBI agent, said “I haven’t seen anyone who is a regular guy who suddenly gets up one day and does this stuff. “I don’t think he became this guy overnight.”