His gruesome crimes were a basis for 'Silence of the Lambs.' The sister of one of his victims has mixed feelings about his execution

March 19, 2023 at 07:06

He also urged state lawmakers to repeal the death penalty, joining a growing number of state leaders making similar calls.
Shapiro added that he used to believe the death penalty was a just punishment for the most heinous crimes but changed his views after becoming the state’s attorney general.
He preyed on disabled and vulnerable womenNearly four decades after his grisly crimes, Heidnik remains a part of pop culture.
Buffalo Bill, the serial killer in the 1991 psychological thriller “Silence of the Lambs,” was partly based on him.
His death was so much easier than his victims’ (deaths).”Actor Ted Levine as serial killer Buffalo Bill in 1991's "Silence of the Lambs."
In the decades since, the rate of executions in the US has dropped, along with public support for the death penalty.
A 1990s Gallup poll revealed that 80% of Americans supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder.
Currently, 27 states authorize the death penalty, although 13 of them haven’t carried out an execution in a decade or more.
In its latest report, the Death Penalty Information Center said 2022 was the eighth consecutive year with fewer than 30 executions.
Death penalty supporters believe murderers relinquish their right to life when they kill others, a belief Shapiro said he has had in some cases.
He should spend the rest of his life in prison, they said, but the state should not take his life as punishment,” he said.
Lomax said she relied on her faith for closure and decided that Heidnik had stolen enough from her life.
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