True Crime Friday: Paul Bateson, the Suspected Bags serial killer
Have you ever wondered what happened to the cast of The Exorcist? There have been several tall tales about what happened during the production of the movie. Strange phenomena happening to the cast and crew. Well buckle up because one of the extras became a serial killer and his name was Paul Bateson.
Paul Bateson was born on August 24, 1940. He was a suspected serial killer and murderer. He was a radiographer that appeared in the movie Exorcist as the actual radiologic technologist in the movie. The director of the movie William Friedkin watched him perform a cerebral Angiography the previous year and decided to cast him in the film. In 1973 this scene caused an uproar for being the most disturbing because of the realistic blood scene. It was praised for being so realistic.
Bateson was convicted of the murder of film industry journalist Addison Verrill and sentenced to twenty years in prison. He was released on parole in 2003. Bateson is suspected of being the Bag Murders Serial Killer which are unsolved murders in New York City of gay men. He had confessed to being the serial killer while in jail, but prosecutors never charged him with the murders. While Bateson was in prison, Friedkin was inspired by Bateson to make the film Cruising in 1980. The film was largely criticized by the gay community for being a stereotypical film regarding the depiction of homosexuality.
Friedkin said that in 2012, he visited Bateson in jail and Bateson confessed to being the Bag Murderer. Other than the alleged comments made during the Friedkin interview with the police and prosecutors, there is no other record of definitive incriminating evidence that he committed the Bag murderers, but he remains the prime suspect.
The Early Childhood of Paul Bateson
Paul Bateson grew up in Pennsylvania in a strict religious family. The reason Bateson appeared in the movie was to send a message to his strict religious father. He considered appearing in the film as revenge against his father. His father would not let him attend Saturday Matinees. He was allowed to listen to opera music on the radio. There does not seem to be any abuse or neglect recorded but generally growing up in an extremely religious home can be considered abuse within itself.Paul Bateman served in the Army in the early sixties. He became an alcoholic during his time in the Army. He eventually was discharged from the Army and became a recovering alcoholic. He moved to New York in 1964 and met a man that he began a relationship. Bateson trained as a Neurological Technologist and found a job at New York University in Brooklyn.
The Victims of Paul Bateson
- Addison Verrill
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim
- Unidentified Victim