Ep 6. American Psycho

In this episode of CopyCat Killers, we delve into the story behind the infamous American Psycho, a novel by Bret Easton Ellis which was adapted into a movie in 2000 starring Christian Bale. The film tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy and successful investment banker in 1980s New York who begins to lead a double life as a sadistic serial killer.

Through interviews with experts and investigators, as well as reenactments and archival footage, the episode explores the similarities and differences between Bateman's fictional crimes and the real-life murders committed by three copycat killers.

The first copycat killer we meet is Paul Knowles, who in 1974 embarked on a killing spree that left at least 18 people dead across four states. Like Bateman, Knowles was a charming and attractive young man who used his good looks and charisma to lure his victims into a false sense of security before brutally attacking them. However, unlike Bateman, Knowles did not have a specific "type" of victim, and his crimes were motivated more by a desire for money and excitement than by any kind of ideological or psychological compulsion.

The second copycat killer is Richard Trenton Chase, also known as "The Vampire of Sacramento." Chase was a diagnosed schizophrenic who in 1977 killed six people in a series of gruesome attacks, during which he drink their blood and cannibalize their body parts. Although Chase did not model his crimes directly on American Psycho, he was heavily influenced by the novel and saw himself as a character in its universe. He even believed that his victim's blood was turning into powder inside his body, just like Bateman's victims in the book.

The final copycat killer featured in the episode is Christopher Porco, a college student who in 2004 bludgeoned his parents with an axe, killing his father and severely injuring his mother. Porco was a fan of American Psycho and had watched the movie multiple times before committing his crimes. He saw himself as a successful businessman like Bateman, but felt frustrated and angry at his inability to live up to his expectations. In court, he claimed that he was innocent and that his parents were killed by a mysterious stranger. However, the evidence presented at his trial was overwhelming, and he was eventually convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Throughout the episode, we see how American Psycho's portrayal of violence and materialism has influenced a generation of young men, and how its themes of alienation, sociopathy, and nihilistic detachment continue to resonate with audiences today. We also learn about the psychological and cultural factors that can lead people to emulate fictional characters or real-life criminals, and how law enforcement and mental health professionals can work together to prevent copycat crimes from taking place.