In episode 3, viewers are introduced to William Henry Hance, a serial killer and former soldier who murdered at least three women in Georgia from 1977 to 1978. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images William Henry Hance He can apply again in May 2020.ĭavid Berkowitz's police mug shot.
He has been turned down for parole numerous times. was mentioned to Berkowitz in an interview, Mindhunter's implication that he was asked to form an opinion on that case seems far-fetched.īerkowitz is currently serving six life sentences at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York. As far as we can tell, authorities never asked for Berkowitz's insights on the infamous Kansas murders, much less handed him copies of evidence. That being said, Mindhunter veers towards fiction when it comes to Berkowitz's pseudo-consultation on the B.T.K. In addition, the series' brief mention of a legal battle between Berkowitz and his former attorney is a reference to controversial Son of Sam legislation, an umbrella term used to describe laws that prohibit criminals from profiting off of their wrongdoing by selling their stories. The self-proclaimed Son of Sam, David Berkowitz is one of the more recognizable murderers portrayed on Mindhunter - and broadly speaking, the show gets his story right.īerkowitz committed the six killings described in episode 2, as well as admitted that his alleged "the dog made me do it" motive was a hoax, specifically in an interview with Ford's real-life counterpart John Douglas. Here's a rundown on the very real criminals depicted on this season of Mindhunter. In Season 2, Mindhunter dives further into its source material, exploring the psychological profiles of killers like David Berkowitz, Wayne Williams, and Dennis Rader. Much of Mindhunter is based on the trio's true accounts of working in the BSU, with the primary focus put on Douglas's book of the same name, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. Douglas and Robert Ressler - and Professor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) is inspired by Dr.
Series leads Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) are based on real-life FBI investigators John E. The BSU served as the basis for the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit, a current department under the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, and established many of the criminal profiling tactics still in use today. The Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI, responsible for profiling many of the country's most infamous criminals, was a real organization - and an important one at that. Netflix delivered a triumphant and terrifying Season 2 of Mindhunter this past weekend, but how much of that "based on a true story" actually happened?
Entertainment > TV Shows Warning: Major spoilers for Mindhunter Season 2 lie ahead.