The 2024 Prime Video series Cross has recently concluded its first season, leaving fans eager to uncover the identity of the Sandman Serial Killer. An adaptation of the popular Alex Cross novel series by American author James Patterson, the show follows the titular detective and forensic psychologist as he solves sinister crimes.
Here’s everything we know about the Sandman Serial Killer from the 2024 series Cross.
Who is Cross’ Sandman serial killer and how is he connected to Maurice Freeman Jr.?
Cross Season 1 introduces the Sandman serial killer, Maurice Freeman Jr., as a fictional character created exclusively for the series. The show seamlessly blends him with references to real-life serial killers.
Ed Ramsey, also known as “The Fanboy” (played by Ryan Eggold), targets Emir Goodspeed as his first victim. Goodspeed, a beloved local activist, is found dead in his car with his dreads mysteriously shaved off. While the Metro PD initially believes it to be a drug overdose, Alex Cross suspects murder and uncovers a scrapbook belonging to Ramsey. This scrapbook contains profiles of Ramsey’s victims alongside details of 11 serial killers he idolized, including the Sandman.
Cross explains that Ramsey modeled his victims to resemble specific serial killers. For example, Emir Goodspeed’s stomach contents—grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes, and a chocolate cupcake—matched the fictional Sandman’s last meal before execution, as described in the scrapbook. Cross explains that Ramsey manipulated each of his victims to resemble a specific serial killer:
“All right, Emir Goodspeed was murdered by a serial killer, but that killer kept a scrapbook of their work. In here, you’ll find a postmortem photo of Emir and ten other victims. Each of those victims was transformed to resemble a serial killer.”
The series references real-life killers like Aileen Wuornos and John Wayne Gacy, but it creates Maurice Freeman Jr., the Sandman, as an entirely fictional character. The show portrays him as a serial killer who “raped and killed 14 women” and was “executed in 2007 by lethal injection” (via The Direct). In reality, no such person exists.
A real-life German serial killer nicknamed the Sandman existed in the early 20th century. However, he has no connection to the Cross character. The creators likely invented Freeman Jr. to avoid legal or ethical issues when linking a killer to Emir Goodspeed’s murder. They portrayed him with enough detail to make him seem real.
Cross Season 1 is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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