Benjamin Richter

 is a fictional serial killer and one of the main antagonists featured in season nine of the FX Network television series American Horror Story, subtitled "1984". He was played by actor John Carroll Lynch.

Biography
Benjamin Richter was an American soldier who served in Vietnam during the late 1960s. He proved to extremely efficient at killing, and demonstrated a perverse joy in his duties - so much so, that he was given a dishonorable discharge.

Back in the states, Richter found employment working as a janitor at Camp Redwood in California. Those near him were always alerted to his presence by the jangling of his key ring, earning him the nickname Mr. Jingles.

Original reports claimed that in 1970, Benjamin Richter suffered a psychotic break, and went on a killing spree at the campground, killing nine people before finally being apprehended. After murdering a camp counselor, he would sever one of their ears as a souvenir. One of Richter's would-be victims was Margaret Booth, who miraculously survived Richter's assault, though she did lose an ear in the process. Booth became the star witness at Richter's trial that sent him to a mental health institution to spend the rest of his days. It is later revealed, however, that Margaret was the culprit behind the 1970 murders and framed Mr. Jingles, using his war experience against him. After being subjected to number electroshock therapy sessions and drugs, Benjamin truly began to believe he was really the monster Margaret made him out to be.

By 1984, Margaret Booth had since become the owner of Camp Redwood, which had been closed down ever since the Richter murders. Her intent was to re-open the camp, and she hired staff to serve as counselors.

Donna Chambers, a psychologist, visited Richter and gave him orders on how to escape in order to study him in the wild, informing him of Camp Redwood's reopening. He pretended to commit suicide by hanging himself in his cell and when an orderly checked on him, he murdered him and swiped his keys. Before escaping from the mental hospital, he triggered the master release switch, letting all of the other patients out. Richter escaped into the night amidst the chaos.

Benjamin Richter made his way back towards Camp Redwood. Along the way, he murdered a gas station attendant named Ed. Arriving at the campground, he murdered an amnesia hiker by impaling him with a sharp object.

Notes & Trivia



 * Playing the role Benjamin Richter is actor John Carroll Lynch's third character on American Horror Story. It is also the third time he has played a serial killer. He played Twisty the Clown in the season four storyline, "Freak Show" and season seven's "Cult". He played the ghost of real-life serial killer John Wayne Gacy in season five's "Hotel".

Body Count

 * Unnamed orderly - Escape from mental hospital.
 * Ed - Gas station attendant.
 * Jonas Shevoore - 1970 and 1984 incident.
 * Karen Hopple - 1984 incident.
 * Blake - 1984 incident.
 * Keith - 1984 incident.
 * Larry - 1984 incident.
 * Real Nurse Rita - 1984 incident.
 * Ray Powell - 1984 incident.

Appearances

 * American Horror Story: Camp Redwood
 * American Horror Story: Mr. Jingles
 * American Horror Story: Slashdance
 * American Horror Story: True Killers