Am I misunderstanding what you are saying? Ted Bundy, Dennis Rader, etc., were indeed sociopaths, VERY mentally ill people. Not only were they capable of hurting people, they DID hurt people, AND THEY FUNCTIONED IN SOCIETY in a seemingly normal life, flying under radar as it were.
It does not excuse their behavior, as they knew right from wrong and were responsible for the choices they made
Mental illness/personality disorders are still terribly misunderstood today. Usually in cases such as this one with EJ, in restrospect looking back, there were LOTS of signs of mental illness, but no one wanted to think the unthinkable really would happen and no one stepped up to the plate to do the really hard work to see that the person got adequate treatment and controls. Sad.