Saving Agent Hotchner | 1

32. Killing for family

It was 7 AM when Penelope sent out a mass text to the team, informing them that a case had popped up. Jess came to help deal with Jack, while Y/N and Hotch got ready for work. Y/N put on her bracelet and necklace, and helped Hotch make sure that his new tie-clip was in the right spot.

By 7:35 AM, Hotch and Y/N were walking into the bullpen with their go bags.

"Her name was Tanya Hill. She was 29, a bartender, found 2 days ago in Edgewood, New Mexico. She's the fifth woman in over 6 months to be found dead in a ditch off the I-40 and I-25." Penelope started the briefing as everyone took their seats around the table, looing up at the images on the board.

"All were manually strangled. None were sexually assaulted." Rossi noted.

"Well, maybe the act of strangulation is what gets him off." Derek suggested.

"Where were they abducted from?" Spencer looked down at his file, curious.

"All over." Penelope explained.

"Well, they're not just crossing state lines. These cities are hundreds of miles apart." Y/N noted, furrowing her eyebrows.

"That's a lot of bodies. Why is it taking so long to be invited?" Emily asked, confused.

"We haven't been invited. We found this on H.S.K. database." JJ shook her head, looking at Aaron.

"Well, a lot of police departments won't want this problem." Rossi shrugged his shoulders.

"The geographic profile shows that only one of them has it. They just don't know it yet. Because he has a comfort zone..." Spencer spoke as he studied the locations on the map in front of him.

"How do you know that?" Y/N glanced at Spencer, who exhaled.

"Based on the direction he was heading when he dumped the bodies. All 5 cases point to our unsub heading to Edgewood, New Mexico." Spencer explained, everyone now realising.

"And now so are we. Wheels up in 20." Hotch spoke as everyone got their things and headed to the jet.

———

"Clearly this unsub doesn't care about his victims being found." Derek shrugged his shoulders, swiping through the images on his screen.

"Or he knows he can't be linked to them. The M.E.'s report supports that. Matching DNA was found on all 5 victims...but not in any database." Y/N glanced at Hotch, who nodded.

"Right. It's also in keeping with the victimology and abduction sites." Hotch exhaled.

"Which are what?" JJ asked, confused.

"Target rich and offender friendly. Time of death from time of abduction varies dramatically in each case. Some lived 12 hours, others 24 before they were killed." Spencer told as he held a map in his hands, showing his research.

"So what's he doing with them?" Rossi tilted his head, trying to understand the situation.

"Well, he's not having sex with them. There's no sign of torture or even restraints." Emily noted, shaking her head.

"What was the matching DNA?" Y/N questioned, looking at the M.E. report on her screen.

"Uh, skin. That and metal shavings were found under the fingernails of all 5 victims. Tanya only had one nail left." Hotch revealed.

"One nail?" JJ furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Yeah. It looks like whatever she was in, she tried to claw her way out." Derek exhaled.