Söze's character is based on John List, a New Jersey accountant who murdered his family in 1971 and then disappeared for almost two decades, assuming a new identity before he was ultimately apprehended.
Sözeov lik temeljen je na Johnu Listu, računovođi iz New Jerseyja koji je ubio svoju obitelj 1971. godine i nakon toga nestao, uzevši novi identitet; uhvaćen je tek nakon gotovo 20 godina.