Joel David Rifkin

Joel David Rifkin also known as "Joel the ripper" born on January 20, 1959 in New York City. Rifkin an American serial killer convicted of murder of nine women, even though it is alleged he killed 17. Most of the women he killed were prostitutes between 1989 and 1993 in NYC. Rifkin as a child got beat up by bullies in front of women. To escape the mistreatment he isolated himself, last in class and last leaving the building. He spent most of his time in his bedroom, the only place he felt safe. He began to create a fantasy life, which began to overpower his hold on reality. Watching the film frenzy, he began a sexual obsession with strangling women. In 1977, Rifkin graduated high school and a year later began his freshmen year in college, he figured losing his virginity he would fit better. Rifkin headed to Manhattan and picked up a prostitute, after years of being rejected for once he felt he would be in control. This feeling intoxicated him.

The 1st theory I selected to evaluate the context of this defendant is the biosocial theory. This theory attributes to the disorders of personality and conditions of mind to the response of biologically indomitable personality traits to environmental stimuli. Biosocial origins in 1947, when Lombroso figured there was a link between mental and physical traits, the behavior and social environment. This theory is linked with Joel Rifkin and his brain, his frontal lobe "In the normal person the frontal lobe is one of the most highly active areas of the brain," says Buchsbaum, calling up an image on his computer. In this individual, who carried out a murder, we can see that the frontal lobe is quite inactive." This part of the brain is what put brakes on impulses. For example Rifkin was mentally and physically abused by his class mates, he had some anger that needed to be released. The only time he felt he was in control, was with his first victim, and after that without him actually knowing he was committing more murder because in a way unconsciously he felt in control. Rifkin was a depressed child, the suicide of his father contributed to his depression; he became obsessed with murder and prostitutes.

The 2nd theory I selected to evaluate the context of Joel Rifkin is the rational theory. This theory was stirred initially in the 1700s by Cesare Beccaria. This theory demonstrates strong logical consistence on almost every type of crime, he viewed that crime is rational and can be prevented by punishment. As in Rifkin, he basically had a "hunting process" he knew 1 out of 3 prostitutes he picked up one would die. It's based on individual decision making model, after his first murder he knew that it was a crime, even though he wasn't mentally stabled or didn't know why he committed the crime he could have asked for her or turned himself in. The fact that he let it go and kept committing murders was his rational choice; he was avoiding