Of all the crime procedural dramas on television, ‘Criminal Minds’ is distinct for its portrayal of some of the most terrifying deaths.
To hunt a serial killer, you have to be able to think like one. That’s exactly what the FBI group of criminal profilers, working for the Behavioural Analysis Unit in ‘Criminal Minds do. They investigate horrifying crimes committed by the most notorious serial killers. While working on certain cases, they sometimes become victims themselves. The series has often featured the most appalling crimes and several chill-inducing psychopaths. Keep reading as we revisit the show’s serial killers and the crimes they committed.
Highlights —
- The Reaper
- Thomas Yates aka the Womb Raider
- The Roycewoods
1/7
The Reaper
Without a doubt, CBS ‘Criminal Minds’ most memorable killer was master-manipulator George Foyet, a prolific, narcissistic killer who killed 20 people. He can do anything to absolve himself of suspicion! For instance, when he killed Hotchner’s wife, he stabbed himself multiple times to appear as a victim and not the perpetrator. He mercilessly killed Hailey with a gun, breaking the hearts of everyone watching.
The Reaper caused grief and pain like no other killer did. He was almost caught once so he slit his own wrist, and was moved to a hospital from where he knew how to escape. He was always prepared and one step ahead of everyone who was trying to catch him.
2/7
Frank Breitkopf
Frank has killed over 150 people and possibly a number much larger than that. His dark childhood shaped his serial killer profile, and he would always target people like gang members. Essentially, people who were unwanted in a normal society.
Frank would use ketamine on his victims and paralyse them but make sure they were awake while he tortured them. Most of his victims died due to the draining of blood from their bodies. Think that’s wild? Here’s another story: he’d make windchimes from the bones of his victims’ rib cages.
3/7
Thomas Yates aka the Womb Raider
Yet another ‘Criminal Minds’ killer with perhaps one of the highest body counts, Thomas Yates’ crimes will render your nights sleepless. With a grudge towards women, Yates was a misogynist and pointlessly murdered over 101 women before getting captured. He made sure to acquaint agent David Rossi with the name of a new victim each year on the agent’s birthday, and did so for 17 long years.
Yates’ murders were linked because they always featured the ripping out of vocal cords and removal of female victims’ reproductive systems. Fans believe the reason behind the latter was the killer’s wish of having never been born since his mother gave birth to him after being raped.
4/7
Floyd Feylinn
If you thought Yates was disturbed, Feylinn belongs to a different species altogether. A barbaric cannibal, he goes on to kill women after being released from a hospital for biting his sister’s arm.
He kills the women, eats them, and once made multiple people eat human meat while volunteering to cook for them. It’s almost unwatchable, but he is one of the most memorable criminals in ‘Criminal Minds’.
5/7
The Roycewoods
We’re sure you’ll agree that this couple has some serious, serious issues. The husband and wife killer-abductor team kidnapped twelve children in a decade, keeping them in their house and pretending they’re their own. The children that don’t “behave themselves” or object are killed and cremated in their funeral home. It’s a lot like Hansel & Gretel without the candy.
6/7
Tobias Hankel
A true representation of multiple personality disorder, it’s really hard to understand this criminal because his mind works in different ways. Tobias kills people based on their sins and uploads videos of the crime on the internet.
He lets dogs feast on a woman when he traps them together and is under the impression that he was killing in the name of God. He kidnaps and tortures Dr Spencer Reid for two years, repeatedly injecting him with drugs, nearly killing him.
7/7
Dr Stanley Howard
Howard is a psychiatrist who kills his patients using their worst fears. He murders a woman named Jenny Whitman, who was suffering from claustrophobia, by sealing her in a box until she suffocates. He also drowns an aquaphobic man named Patrick and watches him die. Dr. Howard drugs another female patient of his and attempts to bury her alive, but the BAU reaches in time to rescue her while Howard commits suicide.
Which murder do you think was the most terrifying in ‘Criminal Minds’? Let us know in the comments.
