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Curtis

Donald "Don" Curtis is a hebephilic abductor who appeared in the Season One episode of Criminal Minds, "What Fresh Hell?".

Background[]

Very little is known about Curtis, other than he lived in Wilmington, Delaware, and developed hebephilic tendencies at some point in his life. Apparently, prior to the episode, he became unable to control his tendencies anymore and sought to abduct a young local girl. He also had a Golden Retriever named Candy who died six months before his crimes.

What Fresh Hell?[]

On January 7, 2006, Curtis manages to abduct Billie Copeland from the local community park, luring her away by claiming that his dog, Candy, has disappeared. Prior to that, he attempted to use the same ruse with a girl named Connie Sutter, but failed as she didn't have time to help him search. Local police were slow to call in an AMBER Alert as they believed her to be with her father. Upon discovering that this is not the case, they call in the BAU. They check with a witness in the park who saw what kind of car Curtis drove and asked Sutter for a description. In order to prevent Curtis from feeling pressured, they cancel the Alert, remove all cops from the streets and give local police the profile. When Garcia searches for registered sex offenders in the area, she finds no one who fits the profile. Locals eventually find the body of a girl washed up on the shore of a lake. However, Gideon can tell that the girl was too old to be Copeland.

The BAU then has the parents hold a press conference asking for a witness driving a car matching the description made by a witness to come forward (they called him a witness since most people wouldn't be able to think of a neighbor or friend as an offender). Eventually, they receive a tip from Mr. Lomax, Curtis' neighbor. He tells Morgan and Reid that Curtis drives a car matching the description, spends a lot of time in the park and used to have a Golden Retriever named Candy who died six months earlier. Since time is running out, Gideon storms into his house, followed by Reid, Morgan and local police despite not having a warrant. When they search through the house, they find his collection of pornographic materials, some of which involves children, but find no trace of Copeland. Hotch questions Curtis, but fails to extract any information from him. Gideon then notices that Curtis had recently swept insulation materials. He then removes an air vent and finds Copeland inside, alive and well. Curtis is incarcerated afterwards for the abduction and for his possession of child pornography.

Modus Operandi[]

Curtis targeted young Caucasian girls. When abducting them, he used the missing-dog ruse to lure in his victims: he would approach a child and claim that his dog Candy (who had actually died earlier) had run off, then ask for her help. He would then get them into his car, drive home, and molest them.

Profile[]

The unsub is a white male aged in his late 20s to 30s who has a menial or temporary job. He is most likely a resident of one of the subdivisions of the park. He is socially marginalized and frustrated and relates better to kids than to adults. Since nobody is aware of his pedophilia, he fits right into the neighborhood. He is fond of solitary activities, such as walking his dog or doing yard work. But if one looks closely, one will notice that he pays a little too much attention to local children. While the abduction of Billie is not his first offense against children, it was his first abduction. This is shown through the fact that he picked someone from his own home area. Since he used the missing-dog ruse and is a regular fixture in the neighborhood, it's very possible that he owns, or has owned, a dog named Candy. He has recently suffered a stressor, such as a job loss, being unable to maintain a normal relationship, and has an extensive collection of pornography. While all of it may not be child pornography, some of it definitely will be. He will be following the news carefully, and since he will kill Billie if he faces capture, it is vital to relieve him as much pressure as possible.

Real-Life Comparision[]

Curtis is similar to Ronald Lloyd Bailey - Both were pedophilic and hebephilic abductors who kidnapped a child in broad daylight from a park, brought their respective victims to their homes, were seen by a witness during the abduction who was able to describe the vehicle they were driving, their crimes were investigated by the FBI, and they were eventually arrested following tips from the public.

Known Victims[]

  • Possibly sexually assaulted numerous other unnamed children
  • January 7, 2006:
    • Connie Sutter (attempted to abduct)
    • Belinda Copeland (abducted and presumably molested; was rescued two days later)

Appearances[]

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