theexorcist:

Did you know? This is Paul Bateson. Paul was a 38 year-old x-ray technician at NYU Medical Center where the arteriogram sequence in The Exorcist was shot, and landed himself a bit-part in the film as the radiologist’s assistant.

In his free time, Paul enjoyed picking up men in local gay bars, and, after sleeping with them, mutilating and dismembering their bodies. In 1979, Paul was convicted after confessing to the murder of film critic Addison Verrill by crushing his skull with a frying pan and then stabbing Verrill multiple times in the heart. While in custody and awaiting trial, Paul bragged of killing other men “for fun,” dumping the bagged remains of his victims in the Hudson River.

Paul was sentenced to 20 years in prison and while detectives were satisfied with his confessions, he was never actually charged for all six of the murders that terrorized the New York LGBT community and to this day still remain technically unsolved.

After reading about the events in the paper, William Friedkin then arranged to meet with Paul at Rikers Island Penitentiary - a big change from their last encounter on the set of The Exorcist. After interviewing Paul and learning the facts of the case, Friedkin went on to direct Cruising. Released in 1980 and starring Al Pacino, the film was inspired by the series of “bag murders” of ‘77 and ‘78.

Paul Bateson was released from prison in 2004.