The Killer We Never Get To See In A Single Criminal Minds Episode

"Criminal Minds" has had some notable and terrifying "unsubs," as the Behavioral Analysis Unit team refers to them, over the 15 seasons of the show. A lot of them have left us uncomfortable, some with nightmares, and others with the satisfaction that the BAU did in fact end up catching them. George Foyet, a.k.a. "The Reaper," is arguably the most famous of all, considering his specific involvement with Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and his family, which eventually led to Hotch's departure from the team. Peter Lewis, aka "Mr. Scratch," also framed Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) for murder and really messed with the mental health of the entire BAU for some time.

However, some unsubs are only mentioned and referenced throughout "Criminal Minds" without having viewers actually see the BAU interact with them. Charles Manson and Ted Bundy are referenced on several occasions, usually by David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) because he studied Manson closely and actually spoke with Bundy. Another unsub that Rossi actually ended up catching but never showed up in the series, despite numerous mentions, was "The Redmond Ripper."

A recent fan thread on Reddit confirms that we never physically see this unsub, despite their detailed history in "Criminal Minds." User u/NieneDreamer noted a particular moment in Season 6 where we are introduced to a character named Ashley Seaver (Rachel Nichols), who is an FBI cadet brought on to the BAU team as a probationary member but has issues being drawn to her past because of her father, who turns out to be Charles Beauchamp, a.k.a. "The Redmond Ripper." In the Season 6 episode "What Happens at Home," we discover that Hotch and Rossi actually caught Beauchamp when Seaver was a child and Hotch was a relatively new agent on the team.

Beauchamp was incredibly protective over his daughter even though he killed 25 women in a seemingly brutal fashion. The episode shows him trying to provide Seaver with the best life possible, attempting to avoid homicidal urges, and even referencing the day Hotch and Rossi catching him as the best day of his life. Not often are unsubs shown as regretful or admitting that they acted out of urges. It is also mentioned that Beauchamp still writes to Seaver, but we never physically see him doing so.

Either way, u/dubscurry30 noted that the arrest of Beauchamp had to have occurred sometime before 1997, given Seaver's timeline and Rossi's 10-year retirement before rejoining in Season 3. The Redmond Ripper mostly serves as a useful development of Seaver's character, as user u/IisforIda mentioned. Many crime shows have shown us the two-way street of children with psychotic parents — they either become the killer or the person who catches them.