Charles Holcombe

"Just let me do my job!"

Charles Holcombe was a serial killer who appeared in Legacy.

History
When Charles' father died, he inherited the family's meat packing plant, a substantial amount of money, and took up serial killing for an unknown reason. He had an accomplice, Steven Foster, who would pick up vagrants, junkies, and prostitutes under the pretense of being a social security worker in exchange for money and a place to live. After the number of potential victims reached 63, obsessive-compulsive Kansas City, Kansas Detective Cal McGee personally contacted the BAU and showed them his personal notes of people living within his assigned area (Legacy). Hotch and JJ reluctantly went with him to Kansas City to discuss the matter with his superior, Captain Wright, who remained adamant that the possible disappearances of the 63 people were a pure coincidence as the case was difficult and they had no records of any of them. Since the BAU requires being asked for help by local police, unless the case is federal, they couldn't do anything. When JJ discovered that a letter sent to McGee by Charles had been sent from Kansas City, Missouri, which is across a river but also across the state line, making the case federal, the rest of the BAU were called in.

After asking around for potential suspects on the street and coming up with nothing, the BAU spotted Steven's van. When they tried to question him, Steven tried driving away but Derek jumped in through the window, causing him to crash. After being promised protection from Charles in exchange for his name, location, and a way to get to him, Steven gave them the required information. The BAU and local police caught him just as he was about to kill his next victim, a prostitute named Maggie. When he raised his butcher's knife, shouting "Just let me do my job!", he was shot and killed and Maggie was saved.

Modus Operandi
After being given his victims by Steven, who picked them up with a van using some simple ruse such as pretending to be a Social Services employee, Charles would torture them indirectly both mentally and physically by placing them inside the basement of his meat packing plant and giving them a few hours to find their way out. The dungeon was filled with traps (such as crushed glass and dead ends) and gas and a Doberman dog were used to keep the captives going. If they didn't make it out in time (and it appears no one did) Charles would sedate them using gas, strap them to a stainless steel table, butcher them alive, record the murder, and then use the tape to torment future victims with. Charles kept the shoes of his victims, presumably as a kind of trophy, in a room near the meat plant's exit.

Profile
The BAU classified Charles as a "house cleaner", a mission-oriented killer who fixes perceived wrongs in the world. While he knows the killing to be wrong, he believes he's doing the world a service by doing so. This type of killer is usually a loner as not many people can tolerate him. If he has someone close to him, that person will not be an equal, but more of a servant. Charles would be fastidious, tending towards Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and would have an overwhelming sense of indignation towards the things he perceives as wrong, not even considering the reasons why someone might disagree. It is unlikely that he will have an actual job, as it would prevent him from his murdering. The killing was most likely set off by the death of a family member or someone who had control over Charles.

Known Victims

 * A maximum of 63 victims killed prior to Legacy, presumably more. Named ones include:
 * Victor Arkwright
 * Roger B.
 * Mile Cye
 * Jane Daughterly
 * Daryl Espenson
 * Doreen Gorbold
 * Marcy Hackett
 * Kimberly Harmond
 * Dillion Jeffers
 * Naomi Keegen
 * Clint Lesser
 * Bailey Mathews
 * Dean Maxby
 * Oriah Odell
 * Jonathan O'Neil
 * Carl Padmore
 * Travis Phung
 * Henry Quincy
 * Tina Radley
 * Shirley Sangster
 * Mindy Spano
 * Jorge Sucrez
 * Tad Underhill
 * Ross Valenta
 * Robin Waller
 * Ben Wolcott
 * Kevin Zanetti
 * Nate
 * Maggie

Quotes
Maggie: "Oh, please. I have a baby. Her name is Sheila May. Please. I just wanna go see my daughter. I know you're there. Why... why are you doing this to me? What did I do to you?"

Charles: "What did you do? Hmm. What is the legacy of a whore, Maggie? How 'bout AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis, disease, and filth. What did you do? You... were... you."

Maggie: "I don't have any diseases. I just went to the clinic. I'm clean."

Charles: "You don't even know the meaning of the word. You've been judged and sentenced to death."

Maggie: "No... no. Pl-please, don't kill me. I have a daughter. I will do anything you want."

Charles: "I assure you, I'm not without compassion. You're in the center of a 130, 000-square-foot facility. You have until sunrise to find your way out of here. If you don't, your sentence will be carried out. You only have a few hours, Maggie. Go."

Charles: "But you will beg, whore. They all do."

Appearances

 * Season Two
 * Legacy
 * Novels
 * Jump Cut