Aaron Stampler

Aaron Stampler is a fictional character in William Diehl's 1993 novel "Primal Fear" and its two sequels, "Show of Evil" (1995) and "Reign in Hell" (1997).

Appearances in Diehls's novels

In "Primal Fear"

The novel reveals that Stampler was born and raised in the tiny (fictional) Appalachian mining town of Crikside, Kentucky, and subjected to systematic physical, emotional and sexual abuse from a young age. In public, he often appears meek and frightened, with a severe stutter. He recalls going down into the mine as a child with his father, and being so terrified that he vowed to never go down there again. As a result, he suffers from a phobia of being trapped in the dark.

He loses his virginity at age 14 to Rebecca Nolan, one of his (much older) teachers.

At 16, Stampler runs away to Chicago, where he is homeless until he is taken in by Richard Rushman, the city's beloved Archbishop, who gives him a home in a mission for disadvantaged youth. Rushman seems to dote on Stampler, making him head of the mission's altar boys and featured soprano in the choir, and introducing him to his first real girlfriend, Linda. There is a darker, hidden side to their relationship, however; Rushman is a child molester, and forces Stampler, Linda, and the other altar boys to perform in videotaped child pornography.

This goes on for three years until Rushman is brutally murdered. Stampler is arrested immediately after the murder, covered in Rushman's blood. He is dubbed "the Butcher Boy" in the media and becomes the most hated man in Chicago — attracting him to Martin Vail, a hotshot defense attorney who wants to represent him for the publicity. Stampler swears to Vail he didn't kill Rushman, claiming that he had been with the archbishop but had blacked out, awakening to find him dead.

One day, after Vail questions him harshly, Stampler flies into a rage and literally becomes like a different person; his stutter gone, he now appears to be a violent sociopath and begins identifying himself as "Roy." He then brags about killing Rushman. Vail and court psychiatrist Molly Arrington realize that Stampler suffers from disassociative identity disorder and that the "Roy" persona had in fact committed the murder, as well as several others beginning when Stampler was as young as five. Arrington explains that "Roy" takes over whenever "Aaron" feels threatened, and acts out on the violent impulses Stampler is too traumatized to express.

"Roy" emerges in the middle of the trial, attacking prosecutor Jane Venable in the middle of her cross-examination. Stampler is found insane by the court and sentenced to a mental institution. Vail, who by now has come to care about Stampler, feels that justice was done — until Stampler reveals to him that he had been faking the whole time. In reality, the "Aaron" persona had been an act, and he was merely being himself when he became "Roy". Angered that Vail had not introduced Rushman's child porn tapes into evidence, Stampler taunts Vail by admitting that he had been perfectly sane each time he committed murder; He is confident that Vail will never reveal the truth for fear of ruining his career.

In "Show of Evil"

In the sequel to "Primal Fear", set 10 years later, Stampler is released from the institution and persuades his former lover, Nolan, to kill the other altar boys and Linda, to get revenge on people he thinks have betrayed him without casting suspicion on himself. Vail finds him out, tracks him back to Kentucky, and foils his plan. Vail pays a price for it, however, when Stampler kills Arrington, who had also briefly been Vail's lover, and beats Venable (who is now in a relationship with Vail) so badly that she loses an eye. Nolan is killed in a shootout with police and Vail chases Stampler to the feared coal mine of his childhood, which he falls into to his (apparent) death.

In "Reign in Hell"

The final novel in the series reveals that Stampler survives the fall. He then travels to rural Texas and disguises himself as a blind Baptist preacher, part of a scam to bilk people out of their money and get access to their teenage daughters. He aligns himself with a survivalist militia, which attracts the attention of his archenemy Vail, who now works for the U.S. Attorney's office.

In the novel's climax, as the militia surrenders to federal agents in what turns into a Branch Davidian-like shootout, Stampler tries to escape in the clothes of an agent he'd murdered. Justice finally catches up with him, however: He is shot and killed by an agent after Vail, who had accompanied federal authorities, recognizes him.

In other media

Aaron Stampler was portrayed by Edward Norton in the 1996 film adaptation of "Primal Fear". He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. Neither of the other novels have thus far been adapted into films.