Lily Rabe Plays A Renowned Serial Killer On 'AHS'

American Horror Story is back, and it is appropriately more horrifying than ever. American Horror Story: Hotel checked in to FX this October, and with it a whole slew of of brand-new characters, from Lady Gaga's blood-obsessed countess to Evan Peters' mustached villain Mr. March. And, though we've already seen enough murder, mayhem and massacre to last us a lifetime in just the first two episodes of American Horror Story: Hotel, we still have more killers waiting in the wings. According to creator Ryan Murphy's announcement during the Television Critics Association tour, Lily Rabe will return to American Horror Story to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos. If that name sounds familiar, it should: actress Charlize Theron scored the Best Actress Oscar in 2003 for her portrayal of Wuornos in Monster.

Though there's no confirmation yet as to whether this will be the same character that Theron portrayed, it seems quite likely, given Murphy's statement on Rabe's new character. Murphy stated during the tour that Rabe would appear as Wuornos in the two-part Halloween episode, and it seems that Rabe will be checking into the hotel for the celebration:

[O]ur Halloween episode this year is called "Devil's Night"... I'm directing it because I love the script so much, when we finished it I said, "I can't give this to anybody else." Lily Rabe is coming to that episode. And she's playing Aileen Wuornos, which is really fun and bizarre. I don't want to give too much away but I will tell you that she's at the centerpiece of that, and that's who she's playing.

It seems that Murphy is basing this character on the real-life Wuornos, who was executed by lethal injection in 2002, one year prior to Theron winning the Oscar for her portrayal of Wuornos. Here's the trailer from the film:

Wuornos certainly has a life worthy of American Horror Story, full of tragedy and mayhem. She claimed she was abused as a child and turned to sex work to make money after being kicked out of her house as a teen. According to Biography, her first kill was in 1989 of a man who picked her up for prostitution. She then went on to kill five other men along the Florida highway. After being caught via phone confession in 1991, Wuornos confessed to the murders and stated that she had acted alone. She was convicted on six counts of murder.

It's unclear how American Horror Story: Hotel will weave Rabe's new character into the story, but the fact that she's making her appearance during Halloween could be a clue. As we know from past iterations of American Horror Story, the dead are allowed to roam free on Halloween. Perhaps Wuornos' ghost will attempt to check in to the Hotel Cortez on her "night off," and stir up some trouble along the way. One thing's for sure: This hotel is getting pretty crowded with killers.