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.



The psychological profile of Israel Keyes, as revealed throughout American Predator, offers a detailed study in predatory behavior, control, and pathology. Across the chapters, Callahan methodically builds a portrait of a man whose external normalcy masked one of the most dangerous criminal minds in American history.

From early childhood, Keyes displayed behaviors often associated with the development of a serial killer. Raised in isolation, exposed to extremist ideologies, and engaging in acts of cruelty toward animals, Keyes quickly diverged from normative development. His laughter at the suffering of a cat he shot juxtaposed with the horror shown by his peers marked an early understanding that he was fundamentally different. His self-imposed exile into the woods to hunt and stalk living creatures further honed the skills he would later use on human victims.

Keyes’s adult crimes demonstrate a high level of planning, control, and emotional detachment. His burial of “kill kits” across the United States illustrates not only premeditation but significant patience and foresight.