| “ | Remember, when mom and dad split up, we made a promise...that we'd stick together always. It's us against the world, dude. It's always been that way. | ” |
— Joshua
| ||
Joshua "Josh" Moore was an abductor, one-time proxy killer, and possible killer who appeared in the Season Eight episode of Criminal Minds, "The Wheels on the Bus". He was part of a two-person killing team also consisting of his brother Matthew.
Background[]
See section on the Moore Brothers article
The Wheels on the Bus[]
Setting his and Matthew's plan in motion, Joshua waits as Matthew goads the school bus to stop, pretending that his car broke down. When the driver, Roy Webster, opens the door, Joshua, wearing a gas mask, 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, Joshua picks out his five "soldiers" and releases the others. He (or Matthew; it is unknown which of the brothers) also kills Webster and the other present adult, Carol Roberts. Taking his selected students as well as Matthew's own set to the paper mill, they put all ten students in a cage. After a while, Joshua selects Addyson Jones as his first soldier, while Matthew selects Trent Walker. The two direct Addyson and Trent to find flashlights, then force them to split up. Joshua directs Addyson to a room where she finds the dead body of Carol Roberts, with a key slung over her neck. He orders Addyson to retrieve the key, threatening that he will kill her family if she doesn't comply. This prompts Addyson to get the key and put it around her neck as instructed. She is then guided to a room with two boxes, one locked and the other unlocked. There, she finds Trent hurriedly loading an unloaded handgun found in the unlocked box. At Joshua's urging, Addyson unlocks the locked box, retrieves the handgun inside, and kills Trent, an act that horrifies her.
Angered at the loss he suffered, 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. Soon, Garcia hacks into their system, communicating with Billy and telling him that the police are on their way. Joshua and Matthew 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. Joshua goes after Billy, who at this point is being talked down by the BAU when he holds them at gunpoint, confused and thinking they are a part of the game. When Joshua appears and raises his gun at the officers, he is shot and killed by Morgan. As Matthew is arrested, he asked Morgan where his brother is, just as paramedics roll Joshua's body away on a gurney, to which he smuggly guesses he "won".
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; non-fatally shot in the leg by him, then killed by either him or Matthew[1])
- Carol Roberts (the supervisor; killed by either him or Matthew[2])
- Trent Walker (directed Addyson to fatally shoot him)
- Wendy Edwards (attempted, but survived; was non-fatally shot in the lung)
- Billy Walton (intended to shoot)
- Attempted to shoot the following:
- Derek Morgan
- David Rossi
- Two unnamed SWAT agents