Serial Killer Poster Assignment

Clifford Olson

British Columbia
Serial Killer

Crimes and Victims:

1. Christine Weller, 12, stabbed and strangled, 1980.


2. Colleen Marian Daignault, 13, vanished, remains were found in a forest near American border, 1981


3. Daryn Todd Johnsrude, 16, repetitive hammer blows, 1981.


4. Sandra Wolfsteiner, 16, 1981


5. Ada Court, 13, 1981


6. Simon Partington, 9, raped and strangled, 1981.


7. Judy Kozma, 14, raped and strangled, 1981.


8. Raymond King Jr., 15, raped and bludgeoned to death, 1981.


9. Sigrun Arnd, 18, raped and bludgeoned to death, 1981.


10. Terri Lyn Carson, 15, raped and strangled, 1981.


11. Louise Chartrand, 17, bludgeoned to death with hammer, 1981.

Clifford Olson targeted adolescents ages 9 - 18, male and female. He would often lure the children into his car and drive away to some rural area where nobody could find him. Olson though did not kill every person who entered his car, many times he drove them where they wanted to go, other times he sexually assaulted them, other times he killed them. His method to lure in the kids were by offering jobs to fake companies, drugs, alcohol, and rides in his car to places they needed to go.

Clifford Olson was arrested on August 12, 1981 due to attempts to abducted two teenage girls. Also a witness gave information on Olson because he had been socializing with him and so he knew some information about him. The police had, had their suspicion's on Olson for a long time but had not enough evidence to convict him, and when more witness's and evidence was provided, Clifford Olson was sent to prison with a life sentence.

Clifford Olson was born on January 1, 1940 in Vancouver, BC and was the first born of his three siblings. He was reported to have been in trouble with the law from a young age, he also killed and tortured animals, and at school was a bully. At this young age these signs show that Olson was a developing psychopath and now is seen as an extreme psychopath. At the ages of 17-21 Olson had, had 194 arrests including fraud and robbery. In all of his 41 years, Olson had only lived 4 of those adult years as a free man and he also had escaped from prison 7 times. Clifford Olson proffered to commit crimes with heavy objects (hammers), knives, and whatever he had around him such as rocks or metal pieces, another proffered technique was strangling. Some particular characteristics Olson:

1. torture and killing of animals
2. bullying
3. constant jail time (could have made the choice to stop after his years in prison)
4. he had many interventions like having children and jail time and a psychiatrist but he chose to keep committing crimes

Clifford Olson could be defined in the Classical Theory and Biological Theory. The Classical Theory is when a criminal makes that choice to commit the crime and the Biological Theory states that a criminal is how he/she is because of some biological ailment. Though these almost contridict themselves I believe that both these theories are true about Clifford Olson because he grew up torturing and killing animals which is a part of the Biological Theory, and effects something in his mind which later makes him a psychopath. But Olson grew up in a good environment with working parents who later on were embarrassed and his father (Olson Senior) said that "[his son] knows what he's facing, [and] [knows] he might have to serve 10 years." (http://www.skcentral.com/articles.php?article_id=31) demonstrating that his criminal behaviour has nothing to do with the way he was raised, and also that not only Olson knows but his father knows that Olson has his own choices, he just didn't choose the right ones.

Olson was a hedonistic killer because he found out easy prey whom he could take easy control over which helps him get what he wants and then easily be over with. He always raped his victims so he could get his pleasure then killed them, he was also involved in sexual assaults early in his life.