"In reality, serial killers are of average intelligence"
About this Quote
Calling them “average intelligence” drags the subject back to an uglier place: the most frightening thing about predatory people isn’t their brilliance, it’s their persistence, their opportunism, and the social conditions that let them repeat harm. Brown’s phrasing is blunt and deflating, a corrective aimed as much at consumers as at cops. It hints that investigative failures often aren’t a battle lost to intellect, but to bias, bureaucracy, under-resourced departments, and patterns of victims being ignored. Average intelligence can still exploit predictable systems: people who won’t report, communities that aren’t believed, institutions that don’t connect dots.
As an entertainer’s claim, it’s also a branding move against sensationalism. Brown positions herself as the grown-up in the room, refusing the glamour of villain-as-genius. The subtext is a warning to viewers: stop romanticizing the predator. The danger isn’t a superbrain; it’s a society that keeps giving an ordinary monster room to operate.
Quote Details
| Topic | Truth |
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| Source | Help us find the source |
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Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Brown, Pat. (2026, January 16). In reality, serial killers are of average intelligence. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-reality-serial-killers-are-of-average-90118/
Chicago Style
Brown, Pat. "In reality, serial killers are of average intelligence." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-reality-serial-killers-are-of-average-90118/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"In reality, serial killers are of average intelligence." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/in-reality-serial-killers-are-of-average-90118/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

