Silence of the Lambs is arguably one of the best psychological thrillers of all time and sadly many aspects of the movie are inspired by real people and events. Buffalo Bill in particular is based on a few different serial killers including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Gary Heidnik. Most people are familiar with Bundy and Dahmer, but Heidnik's crimes haven't received the same amount of attention. In this episode we discuss Heidnik's life and crimes, as well as the lives of his victims. We talk at length about what he did, why he did it, and how his victims were let down by the justice system too many times. He was a sadistic man who brutally tortured his victims, so please listen with caution.

Sources

“Gary Heidnik.” Criminal Minds Wiki, criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Gary_Heidnik.

“Gary M. Heidnik.” Wikipedia, 25 Aug. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M._Heidnik.

Janos, Adam. “Gary Heidnik’s Unspeakable Crimes: An Interview with the Serial Killer’s Attorney.” A&E, 14 Jan. 2021, www.aetv.com/real-crime/gary-heidnik.

Karimi, Faith. “His Gruesome Crimes Were a Basis for “Silence of the Lambs.” the Sister of One of His Victims Has Mixed Feelings about His Execution.” CNN, 19 Mar. 2023, www.cnn.com/2023/03/19/us/gary-heidnik-pennsylvania-death-penalty-cec/index.html.

Oliver, Mark. “Serial Killer Gary Heidnik: The Real-Life Buffalo Bill Who Fed One of His Victims to His Prisoners.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 24 Jan. 2019, allthatsinteresting.com/gary-heidnik.

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