---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: there isn't such a thing as a murderer…"
description: "\"“there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes at random. Either he removes people who stand (however insignificantly) in his path, or else..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg"
---

#  there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes…

![“there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes at random. Either he removes people who stand (however insignificantly) in his path, or else he kills by conviction.” quote by Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg)

> ““there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes at random. Either he removes people who stand (however insignificantly) in his path, or else he kills by conviction.””

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A murderer acts with purpose, targeting those who impede his goals, not randomly.

**In simple terms:** Killers have motives, not randomness.

Key Takeaway

Recognize intent behind harmful actions.

Themes

crime motivation psychology

Mood

suspense thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- investigations
- legal analysis
- personal safety

Key Concepts

determinism ethical judgment

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives a person's willingness to eliminate obstacles?
- How does understanding motive affect justice?

A Different Perspective

Random violence is rare; most harm is goal‑directed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Commits Crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commits-crimes-1873067/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crimes Random](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes-random-1873065/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Murderer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murderer/) [Murderer Commits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murderer-commits-1873064/) [Thing Murderer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-murderer-1873066/)

## Related quotes

> [If you think anyone goes out and commits crimes because of some daffy film they've seen, then I question your judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/if-you-think-anyone-goes-out-and-commits-crimes-because-of-some-daffy/)

[Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/)

> [What makes Bush different from Hitler? He commits crimes in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons. With all these crimes, they still behave like bullying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-khamenei/what-makes-bush-different-from-hitler-he-commits-crimes-in-guantanamo/)

[Ali Khamenei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-khamenei/)

> [“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend,” observed Poirot philosophically. “You cannot mix up sentiment and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend-observed-poirot/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Everyone is a potential murderer-in everyone there arises from time to time the wish to kill-though not the will to kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/everyone-is-a-potential-murderer-in-everyone-there-arises-from-time/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“You’re quite right,” said MacMaster. “You’re putting your finger on the thing that matters. If you think it over, you know, that’s always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/you-re-quite-right-said-macmaster-you-re-putting-your-finger-on-the/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“It’s so dreadfully easy...killing people… And you begin to feel that it doesn’t matter…That it’s only you that matters! It’s dangerous...that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-s-so-dreadfully-easy-killing-people-and-you-begin-to-feel-that-it/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“A murderer is seldom content with one crime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/a-murderer-is-seldom-content-with-one-crime/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [There are more important things than finding the murderer. And justice is a fine word, but it is sometimes difficult to say exactly what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-are-more-important-things-than-finding-the-murderer-and-justice/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Already, at twenty-three minutes to one, Ratchett was dead—” “And it was his murderer speaking!” finished M. Bouc impressively. Poirot”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/already-at-twenty-three-minutes-to-one-ratchett-was-dead-and-it-was/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [Every bullet fired from the barrel of a police pistol was my bullet. If you call that murder, then I am the murderer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/every-bullet-fired-from-the-barrel-of-a-police-pistol-was-my-bullet/)

[Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/)

> [You can put a murderer in a suit, and hes still a murderer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-iverson/you-can-put-a-murderer-in-a-suit-and-hes-still-a-murderer/)

[Allen Iverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-iverson/)

> [“(A murderer about their victim:) "He was an expert in vicarious death. I should like to have been there to see how he enjoyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-d-james-2/a-murderer-about-their-victim-he-was-an-expert-in-vicarious-death-i/)

[P.D. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-d-james-2/)

> [I committed the first crime by creating men as mortals. After that, what more could you do, you the murderers? Come on; they already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-committed-the-first-crime-by-creating-men-as-mortals-after-that/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [A man who kills on his own is a murderer. A man who kills at his government's request is a national hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramman-kenoun/a-man-who-kills-on-his-own-is-a-murderer-a-man-who-kills-at-his/)

[Ramman Kenoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramman-kenoun/)

## More by Agatha Christie

> [One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/one-must-accept-the-fact-that-we-have-only-one-companion-in-this/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“I like to see an angry Englishman," said Poirot. "They are very amusing. The more emotional they feel the less command they have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-like-to-see-an-angry-englishman-said-poirot-they-are-very-amusing/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Now, as I expect you know, there is nothing more cruel than talk, and there is nothing more difficult to combat. When people say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/now-as-i-expect-you-know-there-is-nothing-more-cruel-than-talk-and/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“A child says ‘Thank God for my good dinner’. What can I say at seventy-five? ‘Thank God for my good life, and for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/a-child-says-thank-god-for-my-good-dinner-what-can-i-say-at-seventy/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“I'm afraid I always find Shakespeare terribly dreary. All those long scenes where everybody is drunk and it's supposed to be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-m-afraid-i-always-find-shakespeare-terribly-dreary-all-those-long/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Either her dream had taken a very odd turn or else - or else Mary had really rushed into the room and had said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/either-her-dream-had-taken-a-very-odd-turn-or-else-or-else-mary-had/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend,” observed Poirot philosophically. “You cannot mix up sentiment and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend-observed-poirot/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Well, of course, it was not any of my business but you get very queer glimpses of life sometimes, and you can't help speculating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/well-of-course-it-was-not-any-of-my-business-but-you-get-very-queer/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered. Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell. "My goodness," he cried, "I've only just realized it! That rascal, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/mr-satterthwaite-looked-cheered-suddenly-an-idea-struck-him-his-jaw/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“The old gentleman refuses to have the telephone which he regards as a device of the devil, and on a par with radio, television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-old-gentleman-refuses-to-have-the-telephone-which-he-regards-as-a/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“That’s how they do it, these girls! Othello charmed Desdemona by telling her stories, but, oh, didn’t Desdemona charm Othello by the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/that-s-how-they-do-it-these-girls-othello-charmed-desdemona-by/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-ridiculous-to-set-a-detective-story-in-new-york-city-new-york/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“Poirot, watching him, felt suddenly a doubt--an uncomfortable twinge. Was there, here, something that he had missed? Some richness of the spirit? Sadness crept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/poirot-watching-him-felt-suddenly-a-doubt-an-uncomfortable-twinge-was/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [In the midst of life, we are in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/in-the-midst-of-life-we-are-in-death/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [Then there are some minor points that strike me as suggestive - for instance, the position of Mrs. Hubbard's sponge bag, the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/then-there-are-some-minor-points-that-strike-me-as-suggestive-for/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

[Explore all 1,053 Agatha Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

## More Crime quotes

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/)

[Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/)

[Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/)

> [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/)

[Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/)

[Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/)

> [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/)

[Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/)

> [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/)

[Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/)

> [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/)

[Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/)

> [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/)

[Avis Bohlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avis-bohlen/)

[Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes at random. Either he removes people who stand (however insignificantly) in his path, or else he kills by conviction.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Agatha Christie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-who-commits-crimes-at-random/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Crime"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-who-commits-crimes-at-random/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/96a/agatha-christie-154_crime_there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-w_2592551.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“there isn't such a thing as a murderer who commits crimes at random. Either he removes people who stand…” — Agatha Christie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Agatha Christie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“there isn't such a thing as...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-who-commits-crimes-at-random/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/there-isn-t-such-a-thing-as-a-murderer-who-commits-crimes-at-random/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
