The serial killer information center was created to provide students, researchers, and the media with accurate data on serial killers. The project began in 1992 and data are added and revised on a continual basis. To date, the Radford/FGCU Serial Killer Database contains data on 4,743 U.S. and international serial killers.

The database was created using information collected by Radford University students from a variety of sources including prison records, court transcripts, media sources, true crime books, and the Internet. Great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information.

For this project, we used the serial killer definition derived by the FBI at its 2005 symposium in San Antonio, TX: "The unlawful killing of two more more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events." The motivation (e.g., economic, power, thrill) was not considered in the definition but will be addressed by placing serial killers into subtypes.