Credit: Brion Vibber
According to Michigan State University (MSU) Libraries, a serial killer is someone who commits three or more murders as part of three or more distinctive events; whereas a mass murderer is someone who kills a group of people as part of a single incident.
Yesterday, 35-year old Binh Thai Luc was arrested and charged with counts that would define him as a mass murderer if he is indeed guilty of the homicidal crimes for which he’s been accused.
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On Friday at 7:45 am a woman entered a home, in the Ingleside District of San Francisco, to find one man lying dead near the foyer and another man and a woman deceased in the garage. When law enforcement arrived, they found a total of five murder victims in four separate areas of the home.
Originally investigators pondered whether the gruesome scene was evidence of a murder-suicide. Not all of the victims have been identified, but it is believed they are all part of the same family. According to Police Chief Greg Suhr, Luc, the suspect arrested on Sunday, knew the victims.
As of late this morning, the exact causes of death remain unclear, according to the Associated Press. Some details have been revealed however, including that at least two of the fatalities were most likely shot and that the five casualties had sustained some form of blunt force trauma. Chief Sur also shared that an “edged-weapon” was somehow implicated, states CNN.
Suspect Luc lives with his brother Brian Luc in San Francisco. Brian was also arrested but for separate charges: for violating probation and possession of narcotics and ammunition.
As of yesterday, 40 investigators were working the case that still seems to be surrounded by mystery as to motive and how the three women and two men were killed. Crime scene investigators have four crime scenes to process within the same home and detectives are most likely working around the clock.
A police detective job description involves working in collaboration with CSI units, interviewing witnesses and suspects and also those that have ties to both parties. Their goal is to determine exactly how and why a crime was committed and work long hours to do so. If you would like to become detective, you must serve as a police officer for one to five years and usually should upgrade your education. If this career path interests you, consider completing a criminal justice or a law enforcement degree. A Masters level program will increase your chances of being promoted to detective rank.