Serial killers are among the most notorious criminals. They are hard to catch, and years go by to look into the pattern and modus operandi of their crimes. Several true crime documentaries show how ruthlessly they kill and hunt for their next victim. Serial killers can also go undetected due to lack of evidence, connection to the crime and legal aspects. Now, the FBI has revealed one particular job serial killers may be at while going on their normal killing sprees.
Serial killers usually want to blend in but not so much to get caught. They need a stable profession but also something that can explain their absence easily. A former FBI Assistant Director released a book for counterintelligence. Frank Figliuzzi talks about serial killers and how they can be truck drivers. The book is called Long Haul- Hunting the Highway Serial Killers. It discusses the link between unsolved crimes and long-route truck drivers.
Many serial killers have similar personality traits, so it does explain why they pick the same job. For instance, several of them are aggressive and violent. They have a certain degree of narcissism in them. Therefore, they might pick similar partners and similar jobs that work in their favor.
There have been 850 murders in the last few decades that are linked to truck drivers, as per FBI’s “Highway Serial Killings Initiative. With 25 drivers already in prison for multiple murders, the serial killer theory for them being in the long-haul driving profession adds up.
Figliuzzi discusses that there have been more cases in the Ohio and Cincinnati region, with over 200 unsolved cases. They may also be related to trick drivers. There are over 450 suspects currently under investigation, mentions a report by Tyla.
Excited to welcome a new face to CC24: Frank Figliuzzi, retired FBI Assistant Director for counterintelligence with 25 yrs as an FBI Special Agent. His upcoming book: LONG HAUL: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers, is the story behind the FBI’s Highway Serial Killers Initiative. pic.twitter.com/VsIoHDfAHE
— CrimeCon (@CrimeCon) March 1, 2024
Figliuzzi did an experiment to get the experience of a truck driver. He traveled across the US with a truck. He immersed himself in the lifestyle to learn more. He traveled for over 2,000 miles with a co-driver.
His theory is that these criminals who drive trucks get their victims in the 18-wheeler in one jurisdiction and then kill them in another. It’s easier for them to stash the victim in their truck and leave no trails behind. Then, they dump the body in a third jurisdiction. All this is done to confuse the investigating officers and delay any developments in the case.
Even the remains of the victims in these cases have no ID on them, and it’s hard to determine if they were trafficked for a long time. Maybe the drivers take the IDs as a souvenir, or the victims don’t carry them in the first place.
The personality traits of serial killers in the long-drive profession align with someone who’s into isolation and does not like socializing. And this profession clearly allows them that. The profession also provides them with more opportunities to kill and dump the body. They can be miles away when the body is discovered.
He signed his crimes with a smile. Hear from the investigators and families of the known victims in “The Happy Face Killer: Mind of a Monster” on discovery+#HappyFaceKiller pic.twitter.com/431mt3tX4H
— discovery+ (@discoveryplus) April 9, 2025
One popular case, Happy Face Killer, is of a truck driver who killed at least eight women. Keith Jesperson was from Canada and committed those murders between 1990-1995. He even tied a victim under the truck to get rid of identification marks, explains a report by The Independent. Figliuzzi also says that most truck drivers are trying to provide for their families and are law-abiding. So, there are just a few bad apples that kill.
