By Mary Ann Bourbeau
RED BANK – Did you ever wonder what drives a person to kill? What are the escalation points that cause seemingly ordinary people to commit murder? Is it an event or circumstance of their childhood? Perhaps a trauma they suffered? Or unstable mental health?
Forensic psychologist Dr. Rachel Toles has spent a lifetime looking for the answers and will share her knowledge during “Psychology of a Murderer” May 6 at The Vogel at the Count Basie Center for the Arts. The program will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Toles will provide insight into understanding the psychological escalation points that lead people to kill and examine why some individuals develop an “addiction to killing” while others do not. She also delves into why people are so captivated by such horrors.
“Ninety-seven percent of murders are unplanned,” said Toles. “Sometimes it’s a sexual assault or domestic dispute, or a murder committed during a burglary. Every one of them experience PTSD. Some go on a downward spiral and become serial killers. People kill for many different reasons, but most don’t kill again.”
Toles, who is also a criminal expert, has dedicated herself to understanding the motivations, behaviors and patterns of dangerous criminals. She believes murderers tend to be sensationalized by the media, overshadowing the psychological factors and escalation points leading up to the crime.
Her presentation delves into the darkest corners of the human mind to explain the elements that lead to murder through discussions about copycat offenders, serial killers, notorious killer duos and family annihilators. Toles takes the audience on a journey into the minds of some infamous killers, including the Menendez brothers, Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wournos, Aaron Hernandez and the Columbine killers. She will even touch on the case of alleged vigilante Luigi Mangione, who was recently charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Toles’ interest in the subject started at age 5 when she witnessed the violent murder of a young girl. Her father was head of the film department at the University of Manitoba, so she spent a lot of time on movie sets. When filmmaker Guy Maddin, known as the Canadian David Lynch, was filming a movie, her father took her to the set to watch. One scene included a character who was playing dead for several hours while filming the scene.
“When we left the studio, I saw someone push a young girl into the street, where she was hit by a car right in front of my eyes,” said Toles. “I was obsessed with death from that day on.”
Toles said her mother suffered a difficult childhood and, given that history, often brought unhoused women to their home to bathe and have a good meal.
“Some of them looked like monsters to me, but it taught me compassion,” she said.
Toles spent years working with imprisoned female killers and with lawyers on murder cases. While delving into the reasons why some people kill others don’t, she began making videos that went viral. Soon after, she was contacted by a company that suggested she put together a live show. Toles toured Canada and the United States with “Psychology of a Serial Killer,” which was such a hit that she is now presenting the follow-up, “Psychology of a Murderer.” She said nearly 90% of her audience is made up of women.
“Men love porn and sexual fantasy,” she theorizes. “Women love true crime and reality. Maybe it’s because statistically they are far more likely to be prey.”
Like most followers of famous true crimes, Toles is interested in the case of John List, the buttoned-up accountant from Westfield who murdered his wife, three children and mother-in-law in 1971. Using a new name, he started a new life with a new wife and was not apprehended until 1989 when a neighbor recognized an age progression photo of him on the TV show “America’s Most Wanted.”
“His case is very fascinating,” said Toles. “For family annihilators, incest is often a big factor. When their children get older, they decide they have to get rid of the evidence. They often go after boys because girls tend to talk too much. There’s much more shame involved with boys, so it tends to go underreported. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened in his case.”
She also theorizes that she likely has had killers in her audience during her presentations.
“They’re just as curious about why they do this,” said Toles. “I absolutely believe serial killers have come to my shows.”
“Psychology of a Murderer” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at The Vogel. Tickets start at $39 and are available at 732-842-9000 or thebasie.org.
The article originally appeared in the May 1 – 7, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
