The Silence of the Lambs is the story of FBI agent Clarice Starling and her attempts to chase a serial killer named Buffalo Bill who has been abducting and skinning young, heavyset women. She is aided by institutionalized serial killer and famed psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, who subtly manipulates the situation toward his own ends so that Clarice's success contributes directly to his escape. Clarice, meanwhile, apprehends the killer, Jaime Gumb, and discovers that he is making himself a suit of female skin.