I Hunt Killers

Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity. 

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree – Or Does It?

Jazz wrestles with the idea that because his father is a serial killer, he must also be destined to become a murderer. Jazz worries that his father’s bloodlust, conniving, and cold-hearted nature is in his genes, so he will be just the same. Many real-life serial killers have children, and many of these children share similar fears about their parents’ criminal behavior being somehow embedded in their DNA.

• Have students read Ranker’s article “What the Children of Serial Killers Have Said Publicly About Their Parents.” As they read through the list, ask them to keep in mind the nature vs. nurture debate.
• Also ask the students to read this Psychology Today article “Serial Killers and Their Kids: It’s Complicated,” which dives deeper into the ways serial killers feel about their own children

Teaching Suggestion: As students read through the resources, draw attention to cases where children of serial killers echo Jazz’s experiences in I Hunt Killers. For example, Mae West, the daughter of Fred and Mary West, refuses to work with children saying, "It's about self-protection as much as anything, because if something happened to a child in my care—if they fell and hurt themselves—I'd be blamed because of my background." Have the students write down their comparisons as they read.

In this activity, students will be exploring the nature versus nurture debate. First, ask the class to list all Jazz’s traits on the board at the head of the class. The traits could be physical characteristics, his temperament, his likes/dislikes, personality traits, etc. Then break students up into small groups and have the students discuss each of the traits individually and decide whether each is nature or nurture. After students have gone over all the traits in their small groups, have students reveal their answers and take a tally on the board with each of the votes for nature vs. nurture. For any differences of opinion, have the small groups debate and argue their side.

Paired Text Extension:

Interested students can read the following full books written by real-life children of serial killers:

• A Serial Killer’s Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming by Kerri Rawson
• Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America by Kent Walker with Mark Sophone