Criminal Minds Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Chris Shelton was an "injustice collector"-type mass murderer who appeared through flashbacks in the Season Seven episode of Criminal Minds, "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy".

Background[]

Nothing is known of Chris' background other than he was born on January 28, 1959, and married an unnamed woman and had a son named Bailey. His wife apparently died at some point and he was left to raise Bailey himself. He sent Bailey to Somerville Military Academy to learn discipline, but he was unaware of the constant bullying that was going on there, bullying that was allowed by the Academy's leader, Colonel Ron Massey. When Bailey committed suicide, a fellow student named Josh Redding brought Bailey's stuff to him while he mourned his loss. He was later told by Massey that Josh was responsible for his son's suicide and the two planned a revenge scheme. However, Chris later read Bailey's journal and found out about the bullying done at Massey's request and took his revenge to the next level.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy[]

When he was texted the location by Lieutenant Shockley Tawes of where the boys were assigned to camp, Chris killed the five boys present, all of whom bullied Bailey, as a message to Massey and then carved the message "We're Sorry" under Tucker Calhoun's body. He then proceeded to try to kill Josh, who was also camping with the victims, but Josh fought back and escaped. Later, Josh, led by his survival instinct, constructed a Viet Cong-style pit trap for Chris that killed him. At the case's conclusion, both Massey and Tawes are arrested for their involvement in the crimes. Since Josh had killed Chris in self-defense, he was not incarcerated.

Profile[]

Chris wasn't profiled because the BAU was more focused on Josh. However, it was stated that he killed the boys with the same method Bailey used to commit suicide to send a message that spoke of revenge to Colonel Massey: that you took my son away from me, now I'm going to take yours away from you.

Modus Operandi[]

Chris copied the method that Bailey used in his suicide to kill the boys he felt were responsible for said death: he strangled them to death with their bed sheets and then staged it to look like a mass suicide by hanging them from a tree with the bed sheets tied together in a hangman's knot. Chris also brutally assaulted Tucker Calhoun, Bailey's worst bully, before murdering him and carving the message "We're Sorry" on a stump located under his body.

Known Victims[]

  • The November 29, 2011: The mass hanging
    • Jimmy Burbage
    • Philip Mumford
    • Jerry Bowden
    • Jack Briggs
    • Tucker Calhoun (was assaulted before being killed)
    • Josh Redding (mistaken for another of Bailey's bullies; attempted; he escaped)

Appearances[]

Advertisement