Mitchell McCord

Mitchell "Mitch" McCord, a.k.a. "The Central Park Ripper" is a serial-turned-spree killer and vigilante who appeared in Bad Moon on the Rise.

Background
At some point in his life Mitch got a job as a dental lab technician, married a woman named Adele, and had a son with her that they named Bryce. On the night of January 24, 2016, Mitch and his family went ice skating and were walking in Central Park as they headed home when they were being mugged at gunpoint by a robber. When the robber wanted Adele's ring, she struggled to remove it and Bryce decided to fight the robber for the gun. During the struggle, Bryce was fatally shot and the robber managed to run off. During the whole incident, Mitchell just stood in shock. Devastated by the loss of her son, Adele blamed Mitchell for not being able to save Bryce and forced him to move out of the house. Soon after, Adele began a relationship with a man named Greg Winters, which Mitch could not accept as he believed he and Adele could still be together. Mitch began to take amphetamines and MPA hoping they would help him cope with the loss of his son and presumably the separation between him and his wife. In December 2017, Adele decided to divorce Mitch, but refused not sign the divorce papers. Hoping to prove to Adele that he was a strong man and because Bryce died on the night of a full moon, he decided to kill criminals in Central Park in the same style as a werewolf using a mouth piece he made from his job. He first killed a local gang member named Victor Guzman.

Bad Moon on the Rise
A month later he killed Brad Norton, a jogger whom he thought was fleeing from the scene of a crime he committed, much like Bryce's killer. It was Brad's murder that led to the BAU being called in.As the BAU is heading to New York City Mitchell possibly witnesses mugger Frankie Brown rob an African American couple from Ohio.As Frankie is checking the wallet Mitch attacks him and slits and tears his throat his body is found several hours later.

Off screen Mitchell witnesses street vendor Vihaan Patel having an altercation with another vendor.Later that night in his apartment Mitch goes into his psychotic break and later that evening as he sees Mr.Patel who is selling to make up for lost business,Mitchell attacks viciously to the point of decapitating him showing he is showing no mercy and is evolving.Via flashbacks as the BAU interrogate Chad Higgins it is revealed that Mitchell sees him sleeping on a park bench he gives him his bloody coat stating,"You need to keep warm",showing that he has control of his psychosis and stating he suffered a lost.

Later in the park Mitchell and Adele meet.Mitchell states to Adele he isn't the "man I used to be".Also stating he wasn't the man "they both needed"(his son Bryce).But Adele tells him that he "knows it could never be the same" but Mitch insists they can make their relationship good and can try to work it out together.But Adele tells him that they tried and they need to move on,Adele later leaves which enrages Mitch.Later in the evening Mitchell excessively drinks alcohol indicating he is going under his psychotic break.Off screen he murders a woman named Kelly Sinclair murdered as a surrogate for Adele and outside of Central Park.and ripped some of her fingers and took her engagement ring. As the team talks to Adele, it is later revealed they separated because of her comments that he should have died instead of Bryce.

Mitchell later sees Chad again and Mitchell, believing he is Bryce, tries to take him away and abduct him when he resists, leaving behind a witness. Mitchell takes him to a wolf den-like structure. In order to use a tactic to calm him down, they bring Adele in. She says that she was sorry about the previous day and saying that nothing will happen to him if he surrenders, stating that the police can protect him. Mitchell responds saying she knows the police can't protect "our boy". Adele mentions that she was wrong and that Bryce's murder was never his fault and she was sorry about what she said, reminding him what a great father he was and he is a brave man. Mitchell comes out, holding Chad. He apologizes to him and releases him. Mitchell is arrested, showing remorse for what he did through tears. It is possible because of his lycanthropy condition he was institutionalized or incarcerated.

Modus Operandi
Mitch's primary victims were men who were either criminals or men he believed had committed criminal acts based on their actions prior to being them killed. He initially killed his victims in Central Park at night during full moons as a reference to the night of his son's murder. He killed his victims using a canine mouthpiece he created through his job as a dental technician, ripping into their throats and disemboweling them after their deaths. As he continued killing he became more violent, biting into Vihaan Patel's throat to the point of him nearly being decapitated. When he killed Kelly Sinclair, he attacked her outside the park and bit off both her pink and ring finger on her left hand, although he specifically meant to bite of the ring finger she wore her wedding ring on as a reference to wife divorcing him. Kelly also acted as a surrogate for Adele following the conversation she and Mitch had in which she rejected him again. Before each of his murders, he would inject cortisol into himself and take both amphetamines and MPA to help him experience stress and kill his victims in a state of rage. After killing each of his victims, he washed his victims' blood of his mouth piece at his home. When he abducted Chad Higgins, he took him to a wolf den in Central Park.

Profile
The unsub is a man suffering from clinical lycanthropy, a psychiatric syndrome in which the person believes he or she can transform into an animal, in most cases, a wolf. This syndrome is associated with schizophrenia and drugged-induced psychosis and the latter is often caused by hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD or ecstasy. The unsubs might me facing with a major stressor in his life that his causing him to suffer from depression and using drugs could be his way of coping with it. It is likely he is fully aware of his action and he is enjoying the power and control that they are giving him. Though while in his delusional state, he is convinced he is shape-shifting. He may be using a fabricated mouthpiece to complete his transformation. Based on his tender treatment of Chad Higgins, the unsub may have suffered a loss. This dualistic behavior indicates a personality split within the unsubs's psyche. His human side may be struggling to keep the "violent animal" within him at bay. With his continued drug use, it is possible he will suffer a permanent psychotic break from reality with his violent persona completely taking him over. This means he will continue killing and it could be anyone in the park.

Real-Life Comparison
Mitchell seems to be based on prolific German serial killer Fritz Haarmann, a.k.a. "The Vampire of Hanover". Both were serial killers who killed their victims by biting into their throats, targeted men, performed post-mortem rituals on their victims' bodies, were in relationships with women who later rejected them (Mitchell's wife decided to divorce him following the death of their son; Fritz's fiancée left him when he accused her of having an affair) and were given names by the media for their crimes. Mitchell killing his victims like a werewolf may be an allusion of one of Fritz's nicknames, "The Wolf-Man"

Known Victims

 * December 2, 2017: Victor Guzman
 * 2018:
 * January 2-3:
 * Brad Norton
 * Frankie Brown
 * January 3-4: Vihaan Patel
 * January 4-5: Kelly Sinclair
 * January 5-6: Chad Higgins

Appearances

 * Season Thirteen
 * Bad Moon on the Rise