‘Mindhunter’: Who Is William “Junior” Pierce?

When it comes to Mindhunter Season 2, Edmund Kemper (played by Cameron Britton) is no longer the standout serial killer. That perverse honor goes to William “Junior” Pierce, Episode 4’s dim and Reese’s Cup-obsessed fiend.

Season 2 of Mindhunter picks up right where Season 1 left off with Agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) still interviewing murderers for the FBI. One of those assignments leads him to Georgia with his buddy Agent Jim Barney (Albert Jones). And that’s where they meet William “Junior” Pierce and William Henry Hance (played by Corey Allen), two mass murderers with low intelligence who threaten to uproot the FBI’s entire hypothesis.

But who exactly was this little-known serial killer? Here’s what you need to know about William Pierce, Jr.

Who was William “Junior” Pierce?

Between 1970 and 1971 William “Junior” Pierce murdered at least nine people. He primarily strangled his victims and, on at least one occasion in the case of 13-year-old Margaret “Peg” Cullino, Pierce raped his victim before murdering her. Unlike other serial killers there was no distinct profile for Pierce’s victims. They ranged anywhere from 13 to 60 years old, and unlike other killers who primarily focus on one gender Pierce’s victims were both men and women. It’s believed that he’s responsible for murdering two men and seven women across Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

However what makes Pierce an especially interesting murderer for the purposes of Mindhunter is his intellect. According to reports Pierce’s IQ “barely broke 70.” This is a vast departure from killers such as the Co-Ed Killer Edmund Kemper, Gianni Versace’s murderer Andrew Cunanan, or Jeffrey Dahmer, all three of which were known to be highly intelligent. Pierce was one of the first killers to prove that serial killers can also come from pools of low intelligence criminals.

Who plays William “Junior” Pierce on Mindhunter?

Mindhunter‘s version of the murderer is portrayed by Michael Filipowich. Prior to appearing in the Netflix series Filipowich starred in 24 as Nick Coughlin. He’s also appeared in The Oath, Longmire, and The Fosters.

Watch Mindhunter on Netflix