American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century

Content Warning: This section of the guide references extremely distressing themes, including violence against children, sexual abuse, abduction, gun violence, rape, murder, and desecration of corpses. Additionally, bigoted, racist, and misogynistic beliefs are expressed by the serial killer and members of his family.

Modus Operandi (MO) refers to the particular method or pattern a criminal habitually uses to commit their crimes. In American Predator, Callahan emphasizes adaptability as a key feature of Keyes’s MO: He deliberately avoids establishing predictable patterns by targeting random victims across vast geographic areas and using pre-hidden “kill kits” strategically placed to be ready when he needs them.

A serial killer is someone who commits multiple murders over an extended period, typically with psychological gratification as a motive. In American Predator, Keyes fits and expands this traditional definition, highlighting Callahan’s thematic interest in The Psychological Profile of a Serial Killer. He embodies the sexually sadistic serial killer archetype while simultaneously challenging conventional patterns through his randomness, mobility, and lack of a specific victim type. Keyes’s behavior forces investigators to confront the terrifying reality of a killer who operated undetected for years, blending seamlessly into ordinary life.