William O'Brien

William O'Brien was a serial arsonist who appeared in Public Enemy.

History
Born on February 6, 1967 in Providence, Rhode Island, William O'Brien was a "connected man" and sociopath who would commit arsons for profit as well as for his own pleasure. In 1993, he set a fire that killed his wife and made it look like an accident in order for him to claim her life insurance. He was arrested on May 5. His then 10-year old son, Connor, caught him in the act and testified against him, sending him to jail. William then spent 17 years in prison for arson and first degree murder. In 2010, his sentence was reduced to the possibility of parole in 2015. This drove Connor to become a serial killer, slashing the throats of random people in public places. After a month and three murders, the BAU were called in and were able to catch him. Connor ended up in the same prison as his father. In the lunch line, Connor was handed a shiv by a fellow inmate and greeted William, who, unaware that Connor was armed, mockingly replied "Does your mother know you're here?" and was stabbed to death by a furious Connor while the other inmates idly watched.

Modus Operandi
William's M.O. is never specified, but it is mentioned that he specialized in making the fires look like they were caused by faulty wiring.

Known Victims

 * Five presumably victimless arsons
 * Four arsons set for profit
 * His wife (killed in a fire in order for him to claim her life insurance)

Appearance

 * Season Five
 * Public Enemy