deep end, cm [ 1 ]

050. children of the dark

"The Halbert family. They were murdered last night in the Denver suburb of Cherry Creek. It's the third home invasion like this in the last month." JJ says.

"They kill everyone." Hotch states.

"Parents, kids, pets if they have them. Always families, nice neighborhoods." JJ says.

"What do they take?" Derek asks.

"Nothing they can't fit in their pockets -- cash, jewelry." JJ says.

"Hundreds of ways to get cash and jewels without killing entire families." Hotch says.

"That's why home invasions are so hard to profile -- multiple motives." Jessica says.

"National statistics show an uptick in home invasions over the last few years, 18% in Colorado." Spencer informs.

"You know it's bad if they're inviting us back." Hotch says.

"Back?" JJ questions.

"Well, things went bad after the JonBenet Ramsey case when a couple of agents publicly criticized local detectives." Hotch says.

"Well, they didn't need us to make them look bad." Derek says.

"And that was in Boulder." JJ says.

"Yeah, but the statewide media ran with it and it took on a life of its own." Hotch says.

"Well, I talked to a Lieutenant Nellis. Trust me, they want our help." JJ assures.

"They need it." Emily says. "The first two invasions were 20 days apart. This last one was just 9 days later."

"So they're killing in faster cycles, acquiring a taste." Derek says.

"And getting better at it every time." Jessica says.

+++

"Home invasions typically involve the elderly and single females. The fact that entire families are being targeted suggests multiple unsubs." Spencer says.

"Could mean gang related. Revenge motive, personal business." Derek says.

"I don't think any of these victims are running in gang circles." JJ says.

"Sewing circles, more like it. PTA moms, gray flannel dads -- these guys are killing the Cleavers." Emily says.

"Strange." Spencer comments.

"The pattern?" Derek asks.

"No, the Cleavers. Of all the names for a 1950s idyllic TV family, I mean, it's rife with violent implication. Kind of makes you wonder how the writers really felt about suburbia, huh?" Spencer says.

"Focus, please." Hotch says.

"Uh, okay, what about, um, class based uprising?" Emily asks. "Helter Skelter?"

"There's no graffiti, no messages. At least not visible ones. There's not rituals." Jessica says.

"Manson's aim was to start a race war. There's no proof of any hate crime here." Spencer says.

"The parent murders are brutal, messy. The instruments vary. Uh, golf club, kitchen knife, iron." Hotch says.

"Household elements, symbols of family." Derek says.

"But the kids were different. They died by injection, pentobarbital." JJ says.

"It's a barbiturate, sometimes used as an anticonvulsant for epileptics, anxiety disorders, and state executions." Jessica says.

"The invasions are well planned. Phone lines are cut, ligature marks show the parents were bound and gagged." Hotch says.

"Looks like these guys had some robbery experience." Derek says.