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I make a promise to watch after these boys. In many ways, they're my own.
Massey to Hotch

Colonel Ron Massey is the leader of the Somerville Military Academy, who appeared in Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

Background

A former colonel, Massey later retired and became the leader of the Somerville Military Academy. He had been the superintendent for 30 years prior to "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy". Prior to "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy", the academy received a new student named Bailey Shelton, who was constantly bullied by most of the other students. Bailey's worst bully was a student named Tucker Calhoun, who would throw him into a laundry dryer and activate it with him inside. Massey was aware of the bullying, but since those who bullied Bailey were his favorites, he didn't bother to stop it, even taking pleasure from it. Later, another student was signed up to the academy, a troubled teenager named Josh Redding. Josh befriended Bailey and always put an effort into protecting him from Tucker and presumably other bullies. One day, Bailey had enough of the constant bullying and committed suicide, hanging himself with his own bed-sheet. The tragedy left Bailey's father, Chris, heavily distraught, and Massey, not wanting to see the bullying be exposed, was able to convince him that Josh was responsible for causing Bailey's suicide, even though Josh pitifully gave Chris his son's belongings just a minute ago. Though he believed Massey, Chris read Bailey's diary and found out about the bullying that was allowed by Massey, enraging him and causing him to formulate a revenge scheme against both Massey and Josh.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When Massey scheduled a survival trip out in the nearby woods, he brought in an accomplice, a supervisor, Lieutenant Shockley Tawes, who allowed Josh to be a part of the trip even though he didn't have enough points that allowed him to be so. Tawes then texted the location of the camp to Chris, who then found it and killed five of the six campers present (Tucker and four of Bailey's bullies and Massey's favorites) as a message to Massey, making the deaths look like a mass suicide. Josh, who witnessed the entire thing, managed to escape, with Chris in pursuit. When Tawes discovers the corpses, Massey calls in the BAU. However, even though Josh was initially considered the prime suspect, Massey's decision to call in the BAU prove to be a mistake: when the team interrogates him, Tawes, and the other cadets, they find the link between Bailey, Josh, and Tucker. When Josh killed Chris in self-defense, using a Viet Cong-style trap, Massey realizes that it is time to put an end to everything. Just as the BAU realize that Chris was the unsub and not Josh, Massey orders Tawes to find Josh and kill him before the team catches up to him. Tawes obliges and drives out into the forest, eventually finding Josh, but the BAU arrive, stop him, and rescue Josh. Massey and Tawes are later arrested for their involvement in the crimes in front of the cadets, and just as the police cruiser containing them drives away, Josh salutes them.

Real-Life Comparison

Massey's case may have been inspired by Russell Williams, a prominent colonel for the Canadian Forces who was later stripped of his rank after being revealed as a murderer and rapist who killed two women (including a fellow Canadian soldier) and raped two others in home invasions.

Known Victims

  • 2011:
    • November 29: Josh Redding (attempted; intended for Chris to kill him but he escaped)
    • December 6-7: Josh Redding (attempted; ordered Tawes to kill him, but he was stopped)

Appearances

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