Sam Russell

Sam Russell is a serial killer and the now-incarcerated partner of John Nichols, who appeared in The Black Queen.

History
Little is known about Russell, including why he started killing prostitutes alongside John Nichols. However, what is known about him is that he became a hacker, which could be how he met Nichols, also a hacker. Together, they started killing in 2004. When he was arrested as a suspect in the killings because of his numerous offenses of trespassing in the homes of street-walkers and drug addicts (the types of prostitutes that he and Nichols killed), Russell agreed to take the fall for all eight murders he committed with Nichols, even though he was responsible for only four. In return, Nichols supplied him with drugs and prayer beads containing his victims' hairs in prison. He was eventually sentenced to death. Since he didn't exactly fit the profile the BAU gave at the time of the original investigation, plus the fact that the profile stated that there were possibly two unsubs due to the alternating pattern of stabbing and strangling as methods of killing, there were some doubts about him being responsible for all eight murders. Russell eventually began protesting against his incarceration, and converted to Buddhism. This allowed him to keep a prayer bead he had Nichols give him, and routinely received locks of hair from his victims that reassured him the plan was in motion. When the hacking activist group Starchamber hacked the U.S. Justice Department website, displaying an image that claimed Russell was innocent and that the prostitutes "died in vein". Russell claimed he was fed drugs by the police in order to confess.

In "The Black Queen", he is visited by Hotch and JJ in the middle of his prayer. He gives them a friendly greeing, and then claims his innocence in the face of Hotch's skepticism. At first, he refuses to help them find Starchamber, but on the second visit (after which Nichols killed another two prostitutes), Hotch claims to believe he is innocent, which convinces him to help him set up a meeting with the Starchamber leader, Shane Wyeth. However, on the third visit, JJ explains what they have deduced from the investigation and begins pulling her hair to her neck, mimicking what he did to his victims. This causes him to snap his prayer bead necklace, scattering several of them onto the table where Hotch places them in a bag. The agents promise that he and his partner will both spend the rest of their lives in prison, and as they walk out, he starts screaming for his beads.

Modus Operandi
Russell targeted prostitutes along with Nichols, all of whom were drugged by a drink they took. He would then kill his individual victims by either stabbing them or strangling them to death, but it is unknown as to which method he used to kill his victims. He would also pull the hair of his victims to their necks.

Profile
No official profile of Russell was made, since the BAU was more focused on Nichols.

Known Victims

 * 2004: Four unnamed prostitutes

Appearances

 * Season Nine
 * The Black Queen