Criminal Minds is a police procedural drama that follows the lives of FBI agents in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Notable BAU members include SSA Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Tara Lewis, David Rossi, Luke Alvez, and Jennifer Jareau. Additional to the BAU are Tech Analyst Penelope Garcia and Dr. Spencer Reid, who haven't returned for the 2022 revival Criminal Minds: Evolution.

The BAU uses criminal profiling and behavioral analysis to aid investigations. These crimes tend to involve serial killers who have a ritualistic aspect to their killing or criminals who are difficult to track down. In most episodes of Criminal Minds, there are several mentions of real-life serial killers in comparison to the crimes the BAU investigates. In some cases, the Criminal Minds' writers based some episodes on true stories, making these episodes even more disturbing.

Updated on April 2, 2024, by Florencia Aberastury: Criminal Minds, like many other procedural shows, features many cases based on real-life criminals. This article has been updated to add more episodes and include extra information about some of the lesser-known episodes based on real life, as well as to bring the article up to current CBR standards.

This list contains sensitive topics about murder, violence, and assault.

15 “The Perfect Storm” Takes Inspiration From The Ken And Barbie Killers

Season 2, Episode 3

"The Perfect Storm" is a particularly disturbing Criminal Minds episode made even more disturbing after knowing it's based on a real-life case. This Criminal Minds episode starts after a family receives a videotape of their daughter being assaulted. The BAU quickly starts investigating and believes there are two criminals, and soon another girl sadly goes missing.

The biggest revelation comes after the BAU team realizes a suspect and his wife are both involved, and the woman is the dominant partner. "The Perfect Storm" is based on the gruesome Ken and Barbie killers from Ontario, Canada, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Like in this Criminal Minds episode, Bernardo and Homolka kidnapped and assaulted girls, and taped their crimes.

14 "Blood Hungry" Was Based On A Chilling 1970s Case

Season 1, Episode 11

Season 1 kicked Criminal Minds off with intense and disturbing content. In Episode 11, audiences watch as the BAU tracks down a serial killer who feels compelled to drink human blood and eat human flesh and organs. "Blood Hungry" is gory, especially when the criminal puts containers of human meat into his freezer.

"Blood Hungry" is based on Richard Trenton Chase's case. In the 1970s, Chase believed himself to have a heart condition that would be solved through the consumption of human blood. He killed six people before his incarceration in 1978.

13 "Omnivore" Featured Criminal Minds' Most Terrifying Killer

Season 4, Episode 18

George Foyet (aka The Reaper) was arguably the most notorious killer to feature in Criminal Minds. First appearing in Season 4, Foyet posed as a victim of his crimes, mimicking the actions of the infamous serial killer, The Zodiac. Similar to The Zodiac, Foyet sent cryptic messages to the police and attempted to make deals with law enforcement.

Foyet killed 20 people in Criminal Minds, and The Zodiac killed 5. George Foyet returns in later seasons, taunting the police further by kidnapping Aaron Hotchner's ex-wife — Haley — and child. In one of the most heartbreaking scenes, Foyet murdered Haley.

12 “25 To Life” Was Based On Don Sanderson’s Murders

Season 6, Episode 11

Rather than just hunting criminals, the episode "25 To Life" also focuses on a recommendation for parole. "25 To Life" follows Don Sanderson, who was charged with the murder of his wife and daughter but has defended his innocence and proven to be a model inmate. Derek Morgan, portrayed by Shemar Moore, recommends him for parole, but on his first night of freedom, Don is arrested for another murder.

Don claims there were other people present on the night of his family's murder. As a key witness is murdered, the team decides these are the actions of a killing group. They find evidence in her house to prove that a corrupt politician had killed Don's wife and daughter. "25 To Life" is based on the Jeffrey MacDonald case from 1970. MacDonald was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and daughters but claimed the murder was committed by intruders.

11 “The Company” Was A Harrowing Kidnapping Case

Season 7, Episode 20

Once in a while, the BAU members will end up dealing with a personal case. Even when this trope wasn't a fan favorite, it gave the audience some of the best episodes ever. It's a long-running plotline in Criminal Minds that Derek Morgan's cousin has been missing for 8 years. When Derek finds out his sister saw Cindi (their cousin) in a car with the man who abducted her, Derek presents the case to the team. Knowing her cousin had seen her, Cindi shoplifts to get their attention. It turns out that Cindi was abducted by her long-term stalker (Malcolm), who forced her to sign a slave contract. Malcolm threatened that 'The Company' would kill her and her family if she disobeyed.

Due to Derek's persistence, the BAU tracks down Cindi, Malcolm, and their son. "The Company" is based on the real-life kidnapping of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, who was hitchhiking to a friend's house. Colleen was kept as a prisoner and sex slave for 7 years and was forced to sign a contract. During the 7 years, Colleen and one of her captors, Janice, banded together and plotted their escape. Colleen's kidnapper Cameron Hooker was arrested and imprisoned in 1985.

10 “The Boys Of Sudworth Place” Sees Victims Take Revenge

Season 10, Episode 8

Many Criminal Minds episodes feature disturbing twists, and "The Boys of Sudworth Place" is no different. This Criminal Minds episode takes inspiration from real life and follows two young men who kidnap a lawyer named Jack Westbrook. But things soon turn once the BAU finds out Westbrook himself is a criminal, and the men who kidnapped him were his victims who now want revenge.

"The Boys of Sudworth Place" draws inspiration from a couple of real-life sources. Most notably, Westbrook's character shares many similarities with convicted criminal Jerry Sandusky, who is mentioned in the episode as well. Sandusky was also a respected member of the community and volunteered to help underprivileged and at-risk youth. "The Boys of Sudworth" also shares similarities with Lorenzo Carcaterra's fictionalized memoir "Sleepers."

9 The BAU Worked Hard To Help The Victims Of “Hostage”

Season 11, Episode 14

The 11th season of Criminal Minds brings the episode "Hostage." A young woman escapes her kidnapper, who has held her and two other women captive for years while abusing them. The BAU locates the young women and their children, gets them treated at the hospital, and reunites them with their families.

"Hostage" is based on the Ariel Castro case, who abducted three women in Cleveland, Ohio, and held them captive for several years. The victims in the Criminal Minds episode and the victims of the Ariel Castro case share similarities: both sets of women were repeatedly beaten, abused, and impregnated by their captors.

8 Spencer Reid Was Framed In “Alpha Male”

Season 12, Episode 15

With Dr. Spencer Reid in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, the BAU is left to uncover the perpetrator behind a string of seemingly random acid attacks in Philadelphia. They deduce that the Unsub was trying to hurt happy couples and young, attractive people. The Unsub was profiled as an entitled and narcissistic man who wanted a world where women feared men.

By finding a member of a misogynistic website who works in a chemical lab, SSA Stephen Walker profiled the Unsub, pretended to befriend him, and gave him the false promise of releasing his manifesto to the world. "Alpha Male"’s case is based on Elliot Rodger, who killed 6 people in 2014 in California. Both Rodger and Crawford committed crimes out of spite and misogyny, and they both wrote long manifestos detailing the need for their crime.

7 “The Big Wheel” Was A First For The BAU

Season 4, Episode 22

"The Big Wheel" marks an unusual case for the BAU, as their first proper lead on a string of murders came from the Unsub. The footage showed the Unsub writing "help me" on the wall. Garcia found many clues in the video footage, and the rest of the BAU figured out he was organized and detailed. The BAU created a timeline of the Unsub’s killings and managed to track down a young boy named Stanley.

The Unsub befriended Stanley after killing his mother, not realizing that his victim had a child. The Unsub was found by the BAU at the carnival, a place he took Stanley to go on the "the big wheel." Vincent Rowling (the Unsub of "The Big Wheel") is based on a real-life serial killer who’s never been identified. The unnamed killer also targeted women, asked for help from the police, and spared a child.

6 The Body Count Was High In “To Hell...” & “...And Back”

Season 4, Episode 25 & 26

Two of the darkest episodes of Criminal Minds, "To Hell…" and "...And Back" take the BAU to Canada. There, they find a remote farmhouse that belongs to Lucas and Mason Turner, the two main suspects in a serial murder case. Mason is a quadriplegic who maintains innocence because he "never laid a hand on anyone." Lucas and Mason were abducting people, killing them, and using their bodies to carry out stem cell research that they believed could cure Lucas’ paralysis.

The FBI team found 89 pairs of shoes at the farmhouse, suggesting the Turner brothers had 89 victims who were fed to their livestock. Mason Turner was inspired by criminal Ed Gein, who also lived on a farm with his brother (who also sustained a life-altering injury). They both primarily targeted women. Lucas Turner was based on Robert Pickton, a serial killer and abductor. Pickton also had a brother, lived on a farm, worked as a pig farmer, targeted drug addicts and sex workers, and operated in Canada.

5 The Unsubs In “The Thirteenth Step” Were Based On Bonnie And Clyde

Season 6, Episode 13

"The Thirteenth Step" follows a young, loved-up couple who commit killings and robberies together. The BAU head to Montana where the Unsubs had killed patrons of a gas station and had been caught on CCTV. The team managed to locate the Unsubs, but they had already taken a child hostage. Nevertheless, BAU managed to get the Unsubs to turn on each other and release the child.

Eventually, Ray strangled Sydney and killed her. "The Thirteenth Step" was based on real-life criminals Bonnie and Clyde, who operated between 1931 and 1934 in America. The Unsubs of "The Thirteenth Step" were also inspired by Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, another couple who committed murder and robberies.

4 “Riding The Lightning” Had An Interesting Plot Twist

Season 1, Episode 14

Season 1's "Riding the Lightning" focused on one of the most fascinating Unsubs. Sarah Jean Mason married an unassuming man named Jacob Dawes. Eventually, Mason discovered that Dawes was torturing and murdering teenage girls. Although she kept quiet about his kills for many years, she eventually made an anonymous tip, and he ordered her to kill their son Riley.

Instead of killing her son, Mason gave Riley away to a loving couple and falsely confessed to killing him. The BAU looked into Dawes' murders and visited Mason in prison to get more information. Gideon quickly worked out Mason's innocence, but she begged him to let her be executed. She preferred to die with the secret rather than allow her son to find out who his parents were. Jacob Dawes and Sarah Jean Mason were based on Fred and Rosemary West. The pair killed at least 12 people between 1967 and 1987. The Criminal Minds episode mirrored Dawes's brutal torture, assault, and killing methods.

3 “Minimal Loss” Gets Inspiration From A Real-Life Cult Story

Season 4, Episode 3

"Minimal Loss" sees Detectives Prentiss and Reid go undercover to investigate a cult, and get caught in the crossfire after a police raid goes wrong. Prentiss and Reid pretend to be child service workers as they investigate claims of child abuse within the cult. Luke Perry guest-starred in this Criminal Minds episode as the charismatic cult leader, Benjamin Cyrus.

This Criminal Minds episode is based on true events, particularly the Waco siege. The Waco siege was a siege by the federal government of a compound belonging to the religious cult known as the Branch Davidians. Perry portrays a version of the real-life cult leader, David Koresh.

2 “Unfinished Business” Was Based On The BTK Killer

Season 1, Episode 15

"Unfinished Business" features the return of a serial murderer, the Keystone Killer. After finding out that a book was written about his crimes, the Unsub murders a brunette woman named Carla. The Keystone Killer sent the BAU some clues to his identity and promised to kill another person after five days. To deal with this Unsub, the BAU enlists the help of Max Ryan, a profiler who was hunting the Keystone Killer in the '80s.

The Unsub's huge change in MO led the BAU and Max right to him, and Morgan arrested him as he was just about to kill again. The Keystone Killer was based on Dennis Radar, who's infamously known as the BTK Killer. Radar was also a stalker and killer who had access to his victims' homes and kept his victims' driver's licenses as trophies. Both Radar and the Keystone Killer sent clues and puzzles to law enforcement officers.

1 Native Americans Are Framed In “The Tribe”

Season 1, Episode 16

After five bodies are found in New Mexico, the BAU questions how many Unsubs it would take to successfully pull off such a crime. Their deaths were found to be war rituals of the Native American Plain Indians, and the location of their murders was atop a sacred burial ground. The BAU asked one resident for his expertise in Native American culture. He suggested that there were six victims and at least eight Unsubs. Additionally, the Unsubs may have known about Native American culture, but they were not Native Americans.

When the BAU identified the sixth victim, they learned that she’d been living in a cult for over a year. When they found the cult leader, a tense fight and hostage situation ensued, but the BAU managed to save the day. The cult leader, Jackson Cally, had similar motivations to Charles Manson. Cally aimed to wage a race war between Native Americans and Caucasians. Manson’s race war was named Helter Skelter and began in 1968. The case also drew inspiration from the Symbionese Liberation Army, which also kidnapped a young woman and committed several crimes between 1973 and 1975.