It is our hope that the descriptions and vignettes provided here have helped to bring the individual categories of the Gradations of Evil scale to life. We trust that our discussion has driven home the point that, when attempting to understand criminal actions, as well as why some such acts might be called “evil,” it is imperative to be familiar with and to distinguish carefully between various possible underlying motivations. We have sought to illustrate the fact that isolated or repeat acts of homicide, rape, torture, or other forms of aggression should not simply be collectively examined under wide headings, nor should murderers, rapists, or torturers be considered homogenous groups. We have attempted to explain how even extremely grisly actions, such as dismemberment, flaying, or cannibalism, do not automatically warrant high rankings but must be examined on a case-by-case basis, with consideration of whether victims were living or deceased, and offenders’ particular motivations.
In our examination of cases at the lower end of the twenty-two-point continuum, we observed violent acts that were entirely impulsive and unpremeditated; uncharacteristic of their perpetrators; driven by very human feelings of fear, desperation, jealousy, or anger under situational duress; and often followed by genuine remorse. We then transitioned to cases in which certain people lacking psychopathic traits were driven to commit homicide by egocentric yearnings for attention or by smoldering rage that ultimately became ignited by adverse life events. Shifting into the area of the scale associated with persons with more marked psychopathic features, we encountered jealous lovers who committed murder in more premeditated and methodical ways; killers driven by desires to eliminate individuals they felt impeded their various ends; cold-blooded offenders who strove for power over other people at any cost; and a variety of ruthlessly self-centered schemers. We also examined cases in which, in conjunction with certain aberrant personality features, psychotic illness was a motivating factor. Moving into the highest rankings in the scale, we discussed offenders with more severe degrees of psychopathy who, with malice aforethought and no subsequent remorse, engaged in terrorism, subjugation, intimidation, or rape in the absence of murder, or who killed for sport, for perverse sexual pleasure, or out of the sadistic desire to inflict unimaginably protracted pain. As we delineated between these various categories, we observed that the more premeditated a crime and the more suffering it inflicts upon one or more victims, the more people are likely to respond to it with bewilderment and breathless horror—emotional responses we propose are at the very heart of the word evil as it is commonly used. The reader will also note that individuals assigned to the lower end of the scale will typically have committed crimes just on one occasion, whereas the tendency to repeat criminal acts in a patterned way becomes more likely with higher degrees of narcissism, psychopathy, and/or sadism.
It is possible that, despite our exhaustive exposition of Dr. Stone's twenty-two categories of persons who commit violent acts, the reader will still find the use of the Gradations of Evil scale somewhat challenging. This may be particularly true when concepts, such as jealousy, rage, psychopathy, egocentricity, psychosis, and torture, constitute criteria in more than one designation.
To that end, we have created the following algorithm to allow for smoother navigation between categories when considering an offender's actions and established motivations. As part of the development process, eight separate raters (four with no training in psychology or psychiatry, two with master's degrees in psychology, one with a PhD in clinical psychology, and one MD specializing in psychiatry) reviewed vignettes about certain offenders and then attempted to identify their most appropriate rankings in the Gradations of Evil scale by way of the algorithm. This helped to identify problematic areas or vagueness in specific inquiries, which allowed for the gradual improvement of the measure until raters were uniformly capable of arriving at the same rankings on the scale. We must emphasize, however, that the measure has not been empirically validated and is not intended for clinical or legal use, but, rather, as a basic decision tree intended to facilitate the use of Dr. Stone's proposed system of classification.
Note that it is virtually impossible to use the algorithm or, indeed, the Gradations of Evil scale itself, unless one is aware of whether an individual displays no, partial, or full personality traits and behaviors of psychopathy. The latter is so essential to the construct that every effort should be made to determine this aspect of the individual's overall picture. If there are even a few psychopathic traits present—for instance, deceptiveness or superficial charm—it is optimal to proceed with “Some traits are present” in the Psychopathy section at the very beginning of the algorithm. Where there is any doubt whatsoever, it is best to proceed from “Definitely no or uncertain,” since this will require moving through all questions in the Motivations section.
We are, of course, aware that offenders sometimes have multiple distinct reasons for committing homicide or other violent acts. In our examination of hundreds of infamous, widely publicized cases, however, there is generally one driving force that predominates over the rest. That driving force may have actually served as the impetus for the others—for example, intense rage that was rooted in narcissism. The objective is to gauge, based on all available information, the most prominent of an individual's various motivations, in the rater's best estimation. These designations are, to be sure, open to some debate. Separate users, for example, may have different ideas about which driving factor is first and foremost in a given offender's actions. We have noted, however, that, while rankings sometimes vary, the disparity will rarely amount to more than a one- or two-point difference in the categories selected. As a simple rule, where there is more than one distinct motive present, the motive associated with the higher score on the scale should be used.
For the reader wishing to become adept at the use of Dr. Stone's scale, we strongly recommend revisiting the vignettes provided in the previous chapters and carefully examining them alongside the step-by-step method delineated in this algorithm. This will make clear the numerous categorical decisions that are required when choosing between the instrument's twenty-two levels until their various features have been internalized. Additionally, numerous other vignettes with specific rankings will be presented later in this volume, allowing for further study.
Algorithm for the Gradations of Evil Scale
Developed by Gary Brucato, PhD, and Michael H. Stone, MD
PSYCHOPATHY
Before proceeding:
Does the individual exhibit behavioral and/or personality traits consistent with psychopathy?
Definitely no or uncertain – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #1.
Definitely yes – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #7.
If some traits are present, but they are not markedly pronounced – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #6.
MOTIVATIONS
1. Has the individual committed homicide, and has the killing been established, beyond a reasonable doubt, to have been purely in self-defense?
Yes – Go to SELF-DEFENSE question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #2.
2. Did the person commit homicide, primarily motivated by jealousy?
Yes – Go to JEALOUSY question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #3.
3. Did the individual commit homicide or some other violent crime chiefly due to fear of or loyalty to another person or group that kills or commits other violent acts?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 3.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #4.
4. Did the individual commit homicide in the context of a traumatic or desperate situation, such as chronic abuse, from which escape seemed nearly impossible, and was this followed by remorse?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 5.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #5.
5. Did the person commit homicide in the context of a long-standing temperament characterized by hotheadedness, or chronic feelings of anger or resentment?
Yes – Go to RAGE question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #6.
6. Did the person kill, chiefly motivated by extreme narcissism, attention seeking, or egocentricity?
Note: If the individual has murdered two or more victims in separate incidents and shows some personality or behavioral features of psychopathy, go to MOTIVATIONS #7. Answer “Yes” for (a) a parent who lacks psychopathic features and has killed one or more of his or her own children in the interest of drawing attention or sympathy; (b) cases in which the individual's victim, for paraphilic reasons, desired to be abused and/or killed by the perpetrator; or (c) in which murder was in the context of relentless stalking behavior. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 7.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #7.
NOTE: Individuals from this point onward must exhibit at least some, although not necessarily full, personality and/or behavioral features of psychopathy. If no clear psychopathic features are present, return to MOTIVATIONS question #1 and reexamine.
7. Was the offender a power-hungry type, who committed homicide or arranged that some confederate do so, with the aim of achieving a higher level of status or power in a hierarchical system or group?
Note: Answer “Yes” for power-hungry individuals with psychopathic personality traits and/or behaviors who kill when cornered by authorities or enemies.
Yes – Score CATEGORY 12.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #8.
8. Did the person commit homicide to get one or more individuals “out of the way” because they were impediments to some desired end or to eliminate one or more witnesses?
Note: If the homicide aimed at elimination was related to jealousy or rage, and not merely “practical” purposes, continue to MOTIVATIONS question #9. If the offender (a) eliminated one or more witnesses following sexual assault or (b) committed murder aimed at elimination in the wider context of numerous other vicious acts, go to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #1. Otherwise:
Yes – Go to ELIMINATION question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #9.
9. Was there homicide in the context of jealousy, accompanied by marked personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Yes – Go to JEALOUSY question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #10.
10. Did the person kill, chiefly motivated by either chronic or sudden anger, accompanied by marked personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Yes – Go to RAGE question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #11.
11. Is the offender a ruthless, self-centered, and scheming individual who may or may not have committed homicide, demonstrating marked personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Note: Answer “Yes” for repeated serious criminal acts without murder, rape, or torture, such as bank robbery, hijacking, or arson, if aimed at personal gain or profit. For repeated serial criminal acts without murder, rape, or torture, which are driven more by viciousness than by means to personal gain or profit, continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #1. If the individual has killed two or more victims in separate incidents, continue to MOTIVATIONS question #12. If the individual has never killed, but committed torture, go to TORTURE question #1. If the individual has never killed, but committed acts designed to psychologically terrorize or to subjugate, such as the keeping of an abducted victim as a sexual slave, go to OTHER question #1. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 14.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #12.
12. Does the individual meet current FBI criteria for serial killing (i.e., has the person murdered two or more victims in separate incidents)?
Yes – Go to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #1.
No – Continue to MOTIVATIONS question #13.
13. Has the individual either (a) killed at least two victims, without meeting current FBI criteria for serial murder because the murders occurred in one incident or during a murderous spree; (b) committed extremely vicious acts, such as child abuse, rape, animal torture, or other violent crimes at least twice without murder; or (c) committed a single murder and one or more other vicious acts?
Note: Answer “Yes” for acts of necrophilia in the absence of murder.
Yes – Go to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #1.
No – Go to OTHER question #1.
SELF-DEFENSE
1. Did the self-defense occur in the context of aggression that was largely provoked by the killer himself or herself?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 4.
No – Continue to SELF-DEFENSE question #2.
2. Did the individual kill not in self-defense in the context of a specific life-threatening incident, but due to an event that was perceived as the “last straw” in a chronically abusive or traumatic relationship?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 5.
No – Score CATEGORY 1.
JEALOUSY
1. Was there homicide that, it has been established beyond a reasonable doubt, was entirely impetuous and unplanned?
Yes – Continue to JEALOUSY question #2.
No – Continue to JEALOUSY question #3.
2. Was the killing limited to the object of the jealousy and/or the third party in a love triangle, in a “crime of passion?”
Note: If the individual has killed one or more victims to eliminate an obstacle to a romantic connection, such as one's own child, which he or she believes is preventing a partner from initiating or continuing a relationship, go to ELIMINATION question #1. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 2.
No – Continue to JEALOUSY question #3.
3. Was the killing extreme in nature, possibly encompassing numerous victims?
Yes – Continue to JEALOUSY question #4.
No – Continue to JEALOUSY question #6.
4. Did the killer display some personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Yes – Continue to JEALOUSY question #5.
No – Score CATEGORY 6.
5. Does the individual meet criteria for mass murder, having killed three or more victims in a single incident? If yes, and the individual exhibits possible signs of psychosis, a developmental disorder, and/or intellectual impairment, score CATEGORY 13. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 16.
No – Continue to JEALOUSY question #6.
6. Was narcissism or egocentricity a significant factor in the killing(s)?
Note: If the killer murdered his or her lover or spouse, continue to JEALOUSY question #7. Also, answer “Yes” for cases in which homicide is committed by a stalker. If murder occurred in a wider context of multiple vicious acts, go to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #1. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 7.
No – Continue to JEALOUSY question #7.
7. Does the individual display marked or full-blown personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 9.
No – Score CATEGORY 6.
RAGE
1. Did the individual commit a homicide, related to anger or rage that was established, beyond a reasonable doubt, to have been entirely impetuous, with no major degree of premeditation?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 6.
No – Continue to RAGE question #2.
2. Did the individual exhibit marked personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy, in addition to some degree of premeditation?
Yes – Continue to RAGE question #3.
No – Score CATEGORY 8.
3. Did the individual commit more than one homicide and exhibit personality and/or behavioral traits of psychopathy?
Yes – Continue to RAGE question #4.
No – Score CATEGORY 8.
4. Was there murder that was extremely and unusually vicious, above and beyond what would be required for expeditious killing?
Note: Mass murder can sometimes be scored here. If the individual exhibits possible signs of psychosis, a developmental disorder, and/or intellectual impairment, score CATEGORY 8 if there is no accompanying psychopathy, and CATEGORY 13 if some degree of psychopathy is also present. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 16.
No – Score CATEGORY 13.
ELIMINATION
Is there evidence that the killer meets full personality and/or behavioral criteria for psychopathy?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 11.
No – Score CATEGORY 10.
MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS
1. Did the murder(s) or vicious act(s) involve the torture of human beings?
Yes – Continue to TORTURE question #1.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS/VICIOUS ACTS question #2.
2. Were there at least two homicides in separate events with predominantly sexual motivations?
Note: For acts in which murder or aggression sexually stimulates an individual, couple, or group who do not actually sexually abuse or rape the victim(s), continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #3. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 17.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #3.
3. Does the individual meet criteria for spree murder, having killed two or more people at different locations with no cooling-off period between homicides?
Note: Choose “No” if the individual has committed a murder spree, but elsewhere has committed one or more unrelated homicides. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 15.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #4.
4. Was the individual a scheming type who committed murder and/or other violent acts chiefly for personal profit or gain?
Yes – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #5.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #6.
5. Does the individual meet current FBI criteria for serial killing, having committed two or more murders in separate incidents?
Yes – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #6.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #7.
6. Was there homicide or some other form of violence that was extremely and unusually vicious?
Note: For murders that were expeditious (e.g., by shooting) and chiefly “practical” in nature, select “No.” If there has been no murder, continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #8. If the individual has killed and exhibits possible signs of psychosis, developmental disability, and/or intellectual impairment, score CATEGORY 13. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 16.
No – Continue to MULTIPLE MURDERS / VICIOUS ACTS question #7.
7. Were the killings generally expeditious (e.g., by shooting) and chiefly intended to achieve some financial end or eliminate enemies?
Note: If slow, cruel methods (e.g., slow-acting poison) or a blend of expeditious and slow, cruel methods were employed, select “No.” If the latter was used to torture one or more victims, go to TORTURE question #1. Otherwise:
Yes – Score CATEGORY 14.
No – Score CATEGORY 15.
8. Is the individual someone who never committed murder or torture of a human being, but committed (a) sexual assault of a child or adult, (b) animal torture, (c) intentional mutilation or disfigurement of a living person by any means, (d) acts of necrophilia, or (e) highly vicious acts not specified elsewhere in the algorithm?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 16.
No – Go to OTHER question #1.
TORTURE
1. Is there clear evidence of psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, in which the individual, at least part of the time, committed murder and torture in response to hallucinations, delusions, or thought disorder?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 20.
No – Continue to TORTURE question #2.
2. Was there physical torture that was intentionally prolonged?
Note: If torture has been purely psychological and there has been no homicide, go to OTHER question #2. Otherwise:
Yes – Continue to TORTURE question #3.
No – Score CATEGORY 18.
3. Is the individual known, for certain, to have killed, in addition to physical torture?
Yes – Score CATEGORY 22.
No – Score CATEGORY 21.
OTHER
1. Were there multiple acts of physical or psychological torture of human beings?
Yes – Go to TORTURE question #1.
No – Continue to OTHER question #2.
2. Is the offender someone who has not committed murder, who was motivated by a desire to rape, subjugate, intimidate, or instill terror? Note: Answer “Yes” for individuals who have not committed homicide or physical torture, and who have abducted one or more victims for the purpose of sexual slavery.
Yes – Score CATEGORY 19.
No – Continue to OTHER question #3.
3. Were there one or more violent acts other than murder, such as rape, child abuse, or animal torture? Note: Answer “Yes” for acts of necrophilia without homicide.
Yes – Score CATEGORY 16.
No – Return to MOTIVATIONS question #1 and reconsider.