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Killers of American Horror Story and the Real Life Murderers Who Inspired Their Creation - Part Two

Doctor Hans Gruper and Doctor Josef Mengele

It is revealed part way through American Horror Story Season 2: Asylum that Doctor Arthur Arden is actually Doctor Hans Gruper, a war criminal who fled to America after the fall of Nazi Germany. This is very similar to the real life case of Josef Mengele, who escaped Germany in 1945 and hid in South America until his death in 1979.

Arden is also revealed to have been a captain in the Nazi military and responsible for sadistic experiments at the Auschwitz concentration camp. This is identical to the real life Mengele who, like the character of Arden, was “deceptively kind” to his victims and primarily targeted children and twins for experiments he carried out without anaesthetic.

Twisty the Clown and Pogo the Clown

American Horror Story: Freak Show’s serial killer clown Twisty was no doubt inspired by the real life clown persona of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Gacy described the character of Pogo as having multiple personalities. These were personalities Gacy called “compassion clown” and “hatred clown”.

This is mirrored by Freak Show’s Twisty as he will quickly turn from trying to entertain his captives to carrying out their brutal murder. Twisty is also shown as performing for children which is something real life Gacy did at children’s parties. Additionally, Twisty is portrayed by the actor John Carroll Lynch who also played John Wayne Gacy for his appearance in Season Five: Hotel.

Aileen Wuornos and Aileen Wuornos

Real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos appears in Season Five: Hotel portrayed by series regular Lily Rabe. During her appearance in the show, Wuornos expresses her hatred of police which is faithful to real life interviews wherein Wuornos claimed the police allowed her to keep killing so they could profit by selling her story.

Aileen Wuornos appears on the show for ‘Devil’s Night’ in which a group of infamous American serial killers gather in the Hotel Cortez. Having murdered seven men between 1989 and 1990 she joined Richard Ramirez, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and the Zodiac Killer. Lily Rabe said about playing Wuornos: “I do feel a tremendous amount of compassion for her.”

Kai Anderson and Charles Manson

Season Seven’s Kai Anderson directly acknowledges having been inspired by cult leader Charles Manson. Kai is portrayed by Evan Peters who plays Manson himself in the series’ recreation of the Cielo drive murders. Kai states how he wishes to realise Manson’s vision of ‘Helter Skelter’ (an apocalyptic race war).