35 Best True-Crime TV Shows - Biographical Crime Dramas to Stream
35 True-Crime TV Shows That Prove Fact Is Def Stranger Than Fiction · What Jennifer Did (2024) · Griselda (2024) · Love & Death (2023) · The Act ( ...
inspired by the true story
Catching a criminal often requires law enforcement to get inside the criminal's mind to figure out how he thinks. That's the job of FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they attempt to understand and catch serial killers by studying their damaged psyches. The true-crime centric thriller is <anchor>inspired by the true story</anchor> of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and some of history's most notorious serial killers.
Is 'Mindhunter' Based on a True Story - Details About the Real-Life Killers From Mindhunter
Is 'Mindhunter' Based on a True Story - Details About the Real-Life Killers From Mindhunter

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3. [The True Story of ‘Mindhunter’ Is Freaking Me TF Out](/entertainment/tv/a28669750/is-mindhunter-real-based-on-true-story/)

# The True Story of ‘Mindhunter’ Is Freaking Me TF Out

This sh\*t is all too real.

By [Mehera Bonner](/author/220852/bonner-mehera/ "Mehera  Bonner")Published: Aug 16, 2019 9:00 AM EDT

![bookmarks](/_assets/design-tokens/fre/static/icons/saved.ad81f1a.svg?primary=%2523000000)Save Article

![1](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/667-mindhunter-107-unit-01740r5-1565624170.jpg?crop=0.669xw:1.00xh;0.175xw,0&resize=640:*)

Patrick Harbron/Netflix

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If you’re reading this, it’s too late you are probably deep into [_Mindhunter_’s second season](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a25802371/mindhunter-season-2-news-cast-spoilers/) and have questions. Questions like: _If I’m attracted to Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, am I also attracted to Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, the animated ice bae in_ Frozen _?_ And, oh yeah: _Is this show based on a true story, and if so, WHAT THE ACTUAL F\*CK?!_

First of all, yes, Kristoff is hot. Deal with it. Second of all, _Mindhunter_ \*is\* based on a true story. Holden Ford is modeled after John E. Douglas, a retired FBI special agent who was one of the bureau’s first criminal profilers. His life was fascinating, so let’s get right to it.

## **Kay, so who was this dude ~really~?**

![John Douglas, former FBI expert on serial killers.](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/a2-1565624505.jpg?resize=980:*)

Fairfax Media Archives//Getty Images

More like who wasn’t he, amirite? Douglas was born in Brooklyn, spent four years in the Air Force, and then got a bunch of extremely fancy degrees from various institutions. He started working for the FBI in 1970 while living in Detroit. He did time on the SWAT team, was a hostage negotiator, and eventually started teaching criminal psychology to agents across the United States (which is depicted in _Mindhunter_’s first season). Around this time, Douglas created the FBI’s Criminal Profiling Program and started interviewing [serial killers](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a28101043/serial-killer-movies/) as part of a study analyzing violent crime. Totally normal job!

## **Cool, but which criminals did he actually interview?**

So. Many. Criminals. _Mindhunter_ season 1 saw Holden interview [Edmund Kemper](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28697587/edmund-kemper-mindhunter-coed-killer-true-story/), aka the Coed Killer, as well as serial killer/rapist Montie Rissell, necrophile Jerry Brudos, and mass murderer Richard Speck—all of whom Douglas spoke to IRL. Here he is describing his process. It’s super interesting if you’re a true-crime nerd like me:

![youtube](/_assets/design-tokens/fre/static/icons/social/youtube.ce3e1ae.svg?primary=currentColor&id=link-out-embed)[View full post on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4cU8YhMl7I)

Of course, _Mindhunter_ can’t possibly show the entire breadth of Douglas’s work. He also interviewed David Berkowitz (aka Son of Sam, who shows up in season 2!), [Ted Bundy](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a27438655/ted-bundy-murders-trial-timeline/), and even the notorious [Charles Manson](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a28467204/charles-manson-sharon-tate-true-story/). But one of the [serial killers](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/movies/a28101043/serial-killer-movies/) who disturbed him the _most_ was Gary Heidnik.

![Gary Heidnik with Officer](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-515208860-1565624943.jpg?resize=980:*)

Bettmann//Getty Images

Here’s Douglas talking to [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/real-mindhunter-john-douglas-recalls-the-most-shocking-murderer) about Heidnik’s crimes, and warning, this quote is very disturbing:

> “Heidnik would fill the pit up with water and not drown \[his victims\] but have them stand in water up to their necks and then get electric wire and torture them while they were in the water. What made it even worse was after he killed them, he then would put the victims in a meat grinder and fed the \[other\] victims….He was definitely shocking.”

## **Did Douglas actually interview the killers featured in season 2?**

[_Mindhunter_ season 2](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a25802371/mindhunter-season-2-news-cast-spoilers/) mostly deals with the [Atlanta Child Murders](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28718866/atlanta-child-murders-true-story/), which were, sadly, very real. Douglas was involved in the investigation and became relatively famous for his contributions to the case. He created a [psychological profile](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/atlanta-child-murders-williams-very-like-fbi-profile/IKyewPxrv06NXcUWz98F9J/) of the killer, which ultimately helped the prosecution arrest and convict suspect [Wayne Williams](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28667012/wayne-williams-mindhunter-murderer-true-story-now/). As Douglas put it, Williams was “looking pretty good for a good percentage of the killings.”

Of course, _Mindhunter_ season 2 also covers the [BTK Killer](https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a28709277/mindhunter-bts-killer-dennis-rader-true-story/) (which...yeah...stands for Bind Torture Kill), Son of Sam, and Manson—all of whom Douglas interviewed IRL.

![Face, Forehead, Photograph, Facial expression, Nose, Eyebrow, Chin, Cheek, Head, Portrait, ](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/sos-1565625237.jpeg?resize=980:*)

Netflix

Left: Son of Sam on _Mindhunter_. Right: Son of Sam IRL.

## **Are Bill Tench and Wendy Carr Real People?**

Holden’s partner in _Mindhunter_ is FBI agent Bill Tench, who helps Holden form the Behavioral Science Unit (along with Boston University psychologist Wendy Carr) in order to study serial killers. And yep, the TV characters’ names are fake, but they are most definitely based on real people.

Bill is based on real-life agent Robert Ressler, who worked closely with Douglas and coined the term “serial killer.”

![Robert K Ressler America Leading Serail Killer Expert Now A Private Consultant But](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/b2-1565625410.jpg?resize=980:*)

Paul Harris//Getty Images

Wendy is based on Boston College’s Dr. Ann Wolbert Burgess, who consulted with the FBI and worked with both Douglas _and_ Ressler. But, er, the show took some liberties with her character.

![Neck, Outerwear, Smile, Fashion accessory, ](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/c2-1565625450.png?resize=980:*)

Boston College

“It’s not quite exactly the way it happened, which is fun,” Dr. Burgess [said](https://psmag.com/social-justice/the-female-forensic-researcher-behind-mindhunter) of her portrayal in the show. “I always have been an academic, but they take her down to \[the FBI headquarters at\] Quantico. I never moved down there like she did. I have children, and they’ve been a little bit nervous about the fact that they have me as a lesbian. That’s been interesting. That’s their right to portray it however they want.”

P.S. Because you’re wondering, Holden’s girlfriend, Debbie, is totally made up!

## **What’s Douglas up to now?**

Mostly soaking up the spotlight and enjoying increased sales on his book, _Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit_. And if you’re wondering how he feels about the show, he’s super down. “They’re going by the book and I am very pleased,” he [said](https://nypost.com/2017/10/21/fbi-agent-hates-the-silence-of-the-lambs-character-he-inspired/), adding that watching “is like reliving my life all over again.”

## Pocket Books Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit

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###### Related Story

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