| “ | I guess I won. | ” |
— Matthew after being arrested and seeing his brother's corpse
| ||
Matthew "Matt" Moore is an abductor, possible killer, and a member of a two-person killing team also consisting of his brother Joshua. They appear in the Season Eight episode of Criminal Minds, "The Wheels on the Bus".
Background[]
See section on the Moore Brothers article
The Wheels on the Bus[]
Setting his and Joshua's plan in motion, Matthew stops his car in the middle of the road, just minutes before the school bus they target arrives. Pretending that his car broke down, he gets the driver, Roy Webster, to stop the bus and approaches the door. Webster opens the door and asks what's wrong, and Joshua, wearing a gas mask, suddenly appears and shoots Webster in the leg. The two then proceed to take over the school bus, taking away the cell phones and disposing them. Taking everyone to an abandoned barn, Matthew picks out his five "soldiers" and releases the others. He (or Joshua; it is unknown which of the brothers) also kills Webster and the other adult present, Carol Roberts. Taking his selected students as well as Joshua's own set to the paper mill, they put all ten students in a cage. After a while, Matthew selects Trent Walker as his first soldier, while Joshua selects Addyson Jones. The two direct Trent and Addyson to find flashlights, then force them to split up. Matthew directs Trent to a room with two boxes, one locked and the other unlocked; Trent is ordered to retrieve an unloaded handgun from the unlocked one and load it before Addyson arrives. Trent hurriedly loads the gun, but finds it difficult, just as Addyson arrives with a key. Addyson unlocks the locked box, retrieves the handgun inside, and kills Trent, much to Matthew's despair.
Angered at the loss, Matthew selects Wendy Edwards to be his next soldier, but Wendy refuses to go and Billy Walton takes her place. Joshua decides to retrieve an assault rifle and shoots Wendy in the chest, then excuses his actions to Matthew. Matthew then directs Billy to retrieve a handgun and kill Addyson, telling him that she killed Trent. However, Billy refuses to follow orders and hides instead, just as Garcia hacks into their system, communicating with Billy and telling him that the police are on their way. Matthew and Joshua are quick to find that the system has been hacked, and Matthew blames Joshua, holding him at gunpoint with an assault rifle. However, Joshua reminds him of the promise they made to one another after their parents split up, and Matthew lowers the gun. The two then attempt to re-establish control over their system, but are eventually unsuccessful. They deduce that it is the work of the police and decide to execute their endgame, retrieving their assault rifles and going after Billy and Addyson. Matthew goes after Addyson, but he is stopped by the BAU and arrested. At the end of the episode, he demands to a police detective to know the whereabouts of Joshua. He then spots a stretcher carrying Joshua's dead body, asks if he's dead, and then remarks coldly, "I guess I won." It is safe to presume he is incarcerated for his part in the abduction afterwards.
Modus Operandi[]
See section on the Moore Brothers article
Known Victims[]
Note: For more info on victims, see section on the Moore Brothers article
- November 21, 2012:
- Roy Webster (the bus driver; killed by either him or Joshua[1])
- Carol Roberts (the supervisor; killed by either him or Joshua[2])
- Joshua Moore (his brother; held at gunpoint and intended to shoot him, but was talked down by him)
- Addyson Jones (held at gunpoint and attempted to kill)