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Leryn Rose-Doggett Messori, Psy.D., is a 2016 graduate of the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Santa Barbara

From left – Stephanie Holland (Psy.D. Program Coordinator), Dr. Leryn Rose-Doggett Messori, Dr. Ron Pilato (dissertation chair), Dr. Brett Kia-Keating (dissertation committee member) at dissertation presentation on June 16, 2016.

Dissertation Committee:

  • Ron Pilato, Psy.D., Dissertation Committee Chair
  • Brett Kia-Keating, Ed.D., Dissertation Committee Member
  • Maxann Shwartz, Ph.D., Dissertation Committee External Expert

Keywords

Serial Murder, Serial Killers, Bounded Case Study, Etiological Factors, Intrinsic Motivation, Typology, Organized, Disorganized, African American Serial Killers, Caucasian Serial Killers, Hispanic Serial Killers, Female Serial Killers

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

This study examined the association between serial killer typologies and previously proposed etiological factors within serial killer case histories. Stratified sampling based on race and gender was used to identify thirty-six serial killers for this study. The percentage of serial killers within each race and gender category included in the study was taken from current serial killer demographic statistics between 1950 and 2010. Detailed data was gathered about each case, including past experiences and details of their crimes using publicly available primary and secondary source material. Etiological factors identified for this study include military experience, alcohol use, drug use, whether or not the subject was bullied as a child or sexually abused, whether they displayed assaultive behavior as an adolescent, whether they were physically abused by their maternal figure, and whether they had engaged in animal torture or engaged in fire setting in childhood or adolescence. The presence of these factors was coded dichotomously (present = 1; not present = 0) for each case history. Cases were then divided by inclusion in two typologies: the FBI’s organized/disorganized typology and Holmes, Holmes, and DeBurger’s intrinsic motivation typology. The etiological factors were examined for interrelatedness and prevalence in the designated serial killer typologies. Results of crosstabulations and chi-squared analysis showed that military experience was significantly associated with the organized/disorganized typology (p

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Leryn Messori, PsyD

ORCID Scholar ID: 0000-0002-5584-1208

Leryn Rose-Doggett Messori is a clinical psychologist who completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Antioch University in Santa Barbara, California. Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she pursued an early career in theater; writing, producing, and directing her first play at the age of fifteen, which received community accolades. Leryn received her B.F.A. in Theater and B.A. in English from Chapman University in Orange, California in 2004 before working in the film industry in Los Angeles for five years. With a growing desire to want to help people, Leryn decided to change career directions and returned to school to receive her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of New Mexico in 2011. After graduation, she was accepted to Antioch University’s doctorate program for clinical psychology.

Throughout her time completing her doctorate, Leryn began her professional development working with a variety of client populations. She spent three years working as a residential counselor for individuals with severe mental illness and addiction, and a year as a graduate assistant with the Department of Rehabilitation assisting the psychologist in completing psychological assessments for disability benefits. Leryn found a passion for working with adolescents and transitional age youth after spending two years counseling teenagers on probation for drug related offenses. During that time, she became a Certified Additions Treatment Counselor (CATC). Leryn completed her pre-doctoral internship at Girls, Inc. of Alameda County in Oakland, California in 2016, acting as a consultant and therapist for children at an elementary school and adolescents at an alternative high school in San Leandro, California. Currently, she is pursuing a post-doctoral position counseling children and youth, as well as licensure in the state of California.

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