‘Mindhunter’ Season 2 Complete List of Serial Killers

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is ready to dive back into the minds of some of the most notorious serial killers in American history in Mindhunter season 2.

Season 2 of Netflix original series Mindhunter, based on the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, may not have a premiere date just yet, but thanks to recent casting announcements and That Hashtag Show, fans are getting a first look at some of the serial killers set to be featured on the upcoming season.

As FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench investigate the Atlanta Child Murders, they will also see themselves continuing the work they began in season 1 in an effort to prevent crime before it happens, setting the groundwork for what would eventually become the FBI’s BAU of today.

Keep scrolling to see every serial killer set to make an appearance in Mindhunter season 2.

Wayne Williams

Although only tried and convicted for the 1982 murders of two men, it is believed that serial killer Wayne Williams was responsible for at least 23 of the 29 Atlanta Child Murders, which began in 1979 and ended just after Wayne’s arrest in 1981.

Wayne was never convicted of the Atlanta Child Murders and has maintained his innocence. He is currently serving a life sentence for his other charges.

Charles Manson

Probably the most recognizable name on the list, and likely the name that has seen Hollywood the most, famous cult leader Charles Manson will be the subject of at least one of Ford and Tench’s interviews.

Manson, who is also set to make an appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, ordered nine murders in 1969, which would later come to be known as the Manson Family Murders.

Manson, who had originally been sentenced to death in 1971 but later had his sentenced commuted to life in prison, died on November 19, 2017 in a Bakersfield, Calif., prison at the age of 83.

Tex Watson

While it is not known if the Manson Family will be a large focus of the upcoming season, another member of his cult, Tex Watson, will also be featured.

Watson was responsible for leading the group of Manson followers who murdered Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger, Gary Hinman, Leno & Rosemary La Biance, Steven Parent, and Donald Shea.

Elmer Wayne Henley

Currently serving six consecutive life sentences, or a total sentence of 594 years, Elmer Wayne Henley will make an appearance in season 2.

Henley was convicted in 1974 of the Houston Mass Murders, in which 28 teenage boys and young men in the Houston area were kidnapped, tortured, sexually assaulted, and murdered between 1970 and 1973. Henley, who was convicted of six of the murders, was an accomplice to Dean Corll, who he shot in 1973. He is believed to be one of the deadliest serial killers in American history.

David Berkowitz

Another serial killer to be featured in the upcoming season is David Berkowitz, better known as the Son of Sam or the .44 Caliber Killer.

Beginning in the summer of 1976 and lasting through July 1977 in New York City, Berkowitz killed 6 people and injured nine others with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver, prompting the largest manhunt in the history of New York City. While eluding police, he sent letters to them promising more crimes. After being arrest in 1977, Berkowitz pleaded guilty to the shootings and was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences.

In a letter to the New York Post following his confession, he warned “There are other Sons out there, God help the world.”

William Pierce Jr.

After being released from a Georgia state prison in 1970 despite a report from staff psychiatrists stating that he “may be dangerous to himself and others,” William Pierce Jr. went on to murder nine people ranging in age from 13 – 60. He committed his first murder just a month after his release, and his reign of terror did not end until March 1971, when he was arrested on a theft charge.

Pierce ultimately confessed to three of the murders in Georgia and was eventually indicted on charges for all nine murders. He was found guilty and handed down consecutive life sentences.

William Henry Hance

Initially known to be an American soldier, William Henry Hance soon came to be best known as The Stocking Strangler following a series of murders in the 1970s.

Hance, who is believed to have killed four women in and around military bases in 1978, attempted to divert attention away from himself by sending the police letters and phone calls claiming that the murders were perpetrated by a group of white men known as the “Forces of Evil.” Criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler eventually created a profile that led to Hance’s arrest in 1978.

Hance was found guilty of three murders and not tried for the fourth. In 1994, he was executed by the state of Georgia in the electric chair.

Paul Bateson

While he had a small role in The Exorcist, Paul Bateson quickly made headlines for something far darker than his Hollywood fame.

Between 1977 and 1978, Bateson terrorized the New York City LGBTQ community, targeting and killing gay men, including Variety film critic Addison Verrill. The killings became known as “The Bag Murders” after the bodies were discovered in trash bags in and along the Hudson River. Bateson was eventually arrested for Verrill’s murder and convicted.

Along with being the focus of the 1980 film Cruising, a character playing Bateson was also featured on CBS’ Criminal Minds.

Dennis Rader

Teased throughout season 1, Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK Killer, will continue to be a focus in season 2.

As FBI agents Ford and Tench continue their interviews, they will also reportedly be looking for BTK victim Kevin Bright, the brother of other BTK victim Kathryn Bright, who was found dead in her home in 1974.

Rader became known as the BTK Killer (Bind, Torture, Kill) during a series of 10 murders between 1974 and 1991. After sending taunting letters to police, he was eventually arrested in 2005 and entered a guilty plea. He is currently serving 10 consecutive life sentences.