Turns out, Stranger Things' Eddie Munson is based on a true crime story
Warning: Stranger Things season 4 spoilers ahead!
Hellfire Club president Eddie Munson stole our hearts in episode 1 of Stranger Things, and actor Joseph Quinn has definitely earned his title as season 4's breakout star. What you might not know, however, is that Eddie's storyline is loosely based on a real-life true crime story that took place in the early 1990s.
Eddie's long, scraggly hair, obsession with Dungeons and Dragons, and penchant for heavy metal made him a target for bullies at Hawkins High. The United States in the '80s was rampant with the Satanic Panic, a mass hysteria in which many believed that 'satanist' cults were committing ritualistic murder and taking over the country. Though this was led by propaganda and had no basis in fact, many individuals were wrongly accused and even convicted for sadistic crimes in which they had no involvement.
The official Twitter account for Netflix Geeked confirmed (opens in new tab)that Eddie Munson's story is, in fact, inspired by the documentary series Paradise Lost, which chronicles the wrongful conviction of three teenagers from West Memphis, Arkansas. Eddie is loosely modeled after author and artist Damien Echols, who was falsely pinned as the 'ringleader' of the West Memphis Three.
After popular cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham is killed by Vecna in Eddie's trailer, Jason and the rest of his basketball clique are convinced that the murder was part of a satanic ritual led by Eddie and decide to hunt him down – and hurt anyone who stands in their way.
Echols himself was targeted by residents of West Memphis essentially for having long hair, wearing Metallica shirts, smoking cigarettes, and keeping to himself. His being 'different' made him an easy target. Echols,
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