Does the news media help perpetuate gendered images of womanhood and motherhood when reporting cases of female serial murder? This is a content analysis of American newspapers that analyzes the extent to which female serial killers are depicted in such a way that reinforces normative expectations associated with being a woman and a mother. I analyze newspaper articles from 1900 to 2013 depicting cases of female serial murder consistent with the FBIs definition of serial murder. Descriptions of female killers victimization history and mental health/substance abuse issues function as a means to...