"...[T]he emotional release I would feel by pressing that button... Well, that was just a little too overwhelming to pass up."
Adrian Bale, a.k.a. "The Boston Shrapnel Bomber", is a now-incarcerated serial bomber and cop killer who physically appeared in Won't Get Fooled Again.
Background
Details of Bale's early life are not specified, though he mentioned that he filled every criteria of the McDonald triad (which includes bed-wetting, animal cruelty, and obsession with fire setting) and that he comes from a broken home. At some point in his life, he became a serial bomber known as "The Boston Shrapnel Bomber". Gideon was the lead profiler on the case. Eventually, the investigation led to a standoff between the FBI and Bale, who was holding a person hostage. He was talked down by Gideon but blew up his bomb anyway for the thrill of it, killing six FBI agents and the hostage. He was then incarcerated for life with no possibility of parole while Gideon went on medical leave until Extreme Aggressor. During his incarceration, Bale developed a cult following. He also got past a firewall set up on the prison Internet and began communicating with the outside world.
Won't Get Fooled Again
"Oh, but no, actually, I can fool you because I fooled you before. And now there's another me out there, watching, waiting."
In the episode, Bale makes a deal with Gideon to be transferred to a mental health facility when asked to assist the BAU in capturing his copycat, David Walker, who he had online contact with. When Walker blew himself up and a hostage appears with a bomb strapped onto him, he is once again called in for assistance. He instructs the team on how to disable the bomb, telling them to "cut the red wire". Gideon, not trusting him, tells him that if he is lying, the deal is off. Bale is lying, but the bomb is safely disabled when Gideon remembers that Bale said he could never resist the emotional rush of being able to kill.
Modus Operandi
Bale's bombs were built with steel reinforcement rods. He used an explosive mixture of ammonia nitrate, potassium chloride, and aluminum powder. For the improvised detonators, they were comprised of mercury that would cause the bombs to explode when tilted. He then placed them in packages with a white label and the address written in blue ink and would leave them in the front of peoples' homes for the owners to find. In the case of the mass bombing, he strapped a necklace bomb on his hostage, which exploded after he detonated it with a remote control.
Profile
Not much about Bale's profile given by Gideon and his colleagues was disclosed, but Bale reveals he is a sociopath, as he fulfills all of the criteria supplied by the McDonald Triad and comes from a broken home. According to Gideon, all bombers are cowards, so that would include Bale.
Real-Life Comparison
The way that Bale's bombs were constructed seems to be similar to the source of Walker's inspiration, Mark Hofmann, straight down to the mercury switch that would detonate the bomb should the package be moved in a certain position.
Known Victims
- 2005:
- March:
- Three unnamed victims
- The mass bombing:
- Six unnamed FBI agents
- Unnamed male hostage
- October 5:
- Chicu Reddy (attempted; tried to trick the bomb squad into detonating a bomb attached to him)
- Unnamed bomb squad officer (attempted; tried to kill through Chicu Reddy's bomb)
- March:
Appearances
- Season One
- Extreme Aggressor (mentioned)
- Won't Get Fooled Again
- Broken Mirror (mentioned)
- A Real Rain (mentioned)