This episode appears to be based on the true story of Canadian serial killers Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka (aka "The Ken and Barbie Killers"). Bernardo (aka "The Scarborough Rapist") and Homolka were arrested in 1993 and by 1995, Bernardo was convicted of the murder of two teenagers: he received life in prison and a dangerous offender designation, the full maximum sentence allowed in Canada. During the 1993 investigation, Karla Homolka told investigators that Bernardo had abused her and that she had been an unwilling accomplice to the murders. As a result, she struck a deal with prosecutors for a reduced prison sentence of 12 years in exchange for a guilty plea for manslaughter. On the Psychopathy Checklist, Homolka scored 5/40 in contrast to Bernardo's 35/40. However, videotapes of the crimes were later found that demonstrated that she was a more active participant in the crimes than she had claimed. As a result, the deal that she had struck with prosecutors was dubbed in the Canadian press the "Deal with the Devil." Public outrage about Homolka's plea deal continued until her high-profile release from prison in 2005.
Peter Williams has books in his apartment about real-life serial killers Ted Bundy, Richard Speck, and the Boston Strangler. Like Williams, these killers targeted women.
Ellen Pompeo, who portrays Laura Kendrick, appeared as Jenna Weber 4 years prior in Savior (1996) (Episode 6.16).
"Melanie Daniels" - the name of the witness who was a willing participant in the sex games of Laura Kendrick and Peter Williams - is also the name of the principal character in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds (1963), a character played by actress Tippi Hedren.