Costa Reprises “Serial Killers” Class for Special Presentation

For years, the “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” class was a student favorite, and now it is being reprised for a special event, April 18.

Sal Costa, professor emeritus of psychology, created the class in 1995 and taught it every semester for 27 years. The class was a perennial hit and often had a waitlist of eager students. While it can be useful for psychology majors, the class had broad appeal and touched on related topics of biology, personality traits and disorders, abnormal psychology and psychopharmacology.

Since Costa retired from teaching in 2022, “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” has not been offered. In coordination with Truman’s Psychology Club, Costa will deliver a special presentation inspired by his course. Topics discussed during the event will include the phases of serial killers and psychological profiling. Costa will also discuss some specific serial killers, from the obscure to the infamous.

The “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” special presentation will take place at 7 p.m. April 18 in the Student Union Building Activities Room. The event is free and open to the public.

Since his retirement from the classroom, Costa has continued to serve Truman in other capacities. In conjunction with Student Engagement, Enrollment Management and Marketing, he assists the Office of Admissions with scholarship review. He also works to match students with internship opportunities, and he is responsible for recruiting new faculty and staff as advisors for clubs and organizations.

In addition to the special presentation, Costa will teach the full three-credit JINS version of “Serial Killers and Psychopaths” in the fall semester.