Horrifying true story of serial killer who inspired Scream

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

The Scream franchise has become a monster in its own right by inspiring parody movies and Halloween costumes, but did you know the horror actually has its origins in real life?

Before the release of the 1996 movie, a series of killings took place in Gainesville, Florida which earned the murderer the nickname of 'The Gainesville Ripper'.

The killings have been detailed by YouTuber MrBallen, whose in-depth coverage tells the story of Daniel Rolling's four-day murder spree.

Christina Powell was among the first of Rolling's victims (Acey Harper/Getty Images)

It all began on August 24, 1990, when Rolling broke into an apartment where two college students, Christina Powell and Sonja Larson, were asleep.

Rolling saw Powell asleep on the couch, but initially chose to spare her. First, he focused on Larson, whose mouth he taped shut before he stabbed her.

Rolling then returned to find Powell, who he assaulted and killed before posing her and Larson's bodies.

Just hours later, Rolling struck again at the home of student Christa Hoyt.

Hoyt wasn't home at the time, so Rolling waited for her to come home before he assaulted and stabbed her. Once she was dead, he cut off her head and once again posed her body.

The next two killings took place the following week, when Rolling killed Manny Taboda - the first and only male involved in his spree.

He then turned his attention to Taboda's roommate, Tracy Paules. She attempted to escape to the bedroom, but Rolling broke through the door and stabbed her.

Paules' death marked the end of Rolling's murderous rampage, but it was actually events that took place prior to these killings that led to him being caught.

As police investigated the murders, they found a link to the murder of a family in Louisiana six months earlier.

While Rolling was in Louisiana, he admitted to friends that he had a problem, and when they asked him to expand, Rolling said he 'likes to stick knives into people'.

When news of the Florida murders reached the friends, they called Crime Stoppers and advised police to look into Rolling - who at that time, had been jailed for robbing a grocery store.

Police found that evidence, such as tape and tools, from the robbery had also been used in the killings. Not only that, but Rolling had talked about his crimes in a diary police found.

After being charged with the killings, Rolling was found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to death.

Rolling was executed for his crimes (Clark Prosecutor)

Four years after the Florida killings, Scream writer Kevin Williamson was watching an ABC show which detailed the crimes of The Gainesville Ripper.

The news of the killings left Williamson shaken, and it was this feeling he held on to when he began to write the screenplay that went on to become Scream.

MrBallen's coverage of the killings captivated viewers, with one going as far as to ask Netflix if the YouTuber could 'have his own show'.

While the creator is still staying busy on YouTube and with his podcast series, he has also launched a new graphic novel titled MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious.

The book, created in collaboration with graphic novelist Robert Venditti and acclaimed comic book artist Andrea Mutti, offers true crime fans a new way to digest the horrors by featuring graphic adaptations of the mysterious stories based on true events.

The collection, which also includes new, exclusive stories, promises all sorts of twists and surprises which will leave readers thoroughly spooked.

MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious is available to buy now.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org