Netflix's 'Mindhunter' Has Subtle Connection to 'The Ted Bundy Tapes'

Viewers tuning into Netflix's recently released documentary Conversations with A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes may have noticed a link to Mindhunter.

Debuting on the streaming platform on Jan. 24, The Ted Bundy Tapes detail the story of the infamous serial killer, convicted of the murders of 30 girls and young women, told through the voice of Bundy himself. And while the series captivated viewers, it holds a special connection to another popular Netflix original crime drama.

In the fourth and final episode of the four-part docuseries, a 1984 news bulletin flashes across the screen discussing the FBI's latest endeavor: delving into the criminal psyche to better understand their crimes and how to prevent them.

"The nation's worst mass murderers may yet make a contribution to society," a young Tom Brokaw tells viewers. "They have supplied the raw data to help the FBI build a composite picture of the masked killer and his victims."

The new program, headed by the FBI's newly formed Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), would go on to be the focus of Netflix's Mindhunter, which follows FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench. The series, debuting in 2017, is based on FBI agent John E. Douglas' 1995 novel Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, which details his criminal profiling of serial killers and even made mention of Bill Hagmier of the BAU, who was featured heavily in The Ted Bundy Tapes.

Hagmier had been assigned the task of interviewing Bundy, recording more than 100 hours of audio recordings in which the murderer spoke of his crimes.

"He talked about how a lot of serial killers will return to the crime scene," Hagmier says. "He also talked about leaving evidence behind that had nothing to do with the crime scene that might throw them off. [Bundy] confirmed a lot of things that we suspected about serial killers, but he also gave us a lot more things to think about."

Just two days prior to his 1989 execution, Bundy confessed to 30 murders that occurred between 1973 and 1978, which he had continuously denied, during one of Hagmier's recordings.

"You know, the truth is, is terrible," Hagmier said. "It's terrible."

While Bundy isn't currently slated to feature in the upcoming second season of Mindhunter, a handful of other notorious serial killers that the Behavioral Science Unit interviewed will, including notorious cult leader Charles Manson and his follower Tex Watson, who was responsible for leading his fellow Manson Family members in the murder of Sharon Tate and several others.

Conversations with A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is currently available for streaming. Netflix has not yet announced a premiere date for Mindhunter Season 2.