A Thrill killing is a nickname for a kind of premeditated murder committed by a sane criminal who is motivated by the sheer excitement of the act.

Soldiers have recorded that the murder of helpless prisoners, men, women and children gave them a thrill, even in brutal cases such as bayoneting the wounded.

Documented thrill kills

• May 21, 1924 - University students Leopold and Loeb, murder 14-year-old Bobby Franks. Both imprisoned for life.
• February 12, 1993 - Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, kill toddler James Bulger. Imprisoned for ten years.
• March 1994 - Lawrence Colwell Jr. Strangled an elderly tourist in Las Vegas. Executed.
• April 28, 1996 - Martin Bryant. A killing spree in Port Arthur, Tasmania, known as the Port Arthur Massacre. Imprisoned for life.
• May 27, 1996 - Tony Amati , Edward James and Troy Sampson murder three people in Las Vegas.
• 1999 - Alfred Brissette and Marc Girard, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Conspired to kill a 30-year-old woman.

See also

• Thrill Kill, PlayStation game
• Thrill Kill Kult
• The Thrill Killers , 1965 movie