James Stanworth

"Let's do this."

James Stanworth is a serial killer who appeared in 25 to Life.

Background
James was born and raised in Washington D.C. and came from a poor background. In 1982, his family lost their house and moved to the outskirts. Their old home was then moved into by Don Sanderson, his wife and their son and daughter. On the night of March 9-10, 1985, James, a closet psychopath, manipulated Tom Wittman and Mary Rutka, two locals and petty criminals, to break into the Sanderson residence with him. He killed Mrs. Sanderson and her daughter. While Don was convicted of the killings, James moved up in society and eventually became a successful businessman. During those years, Mary Rutka kept extorting money from him using a video recording of the attack. She used the money to care for a son she and James conceived together and who apparently never knew his father. As he formed a family with another woman, James' psychopathy manifested itself as an explosive temper and a need to destroy. Among other things, he, in 1998 alone, fired 6000 people from one of his companies. Some of them even committed suicide in response. Prior to 25 to Life, he began running for Congress, using "Let's do this", the phrase he said before killing Mrs. Sanderson and her daughter, as his campaign slogan. In 2008, a stash of heroin was found in Don Sanderson's cell. It is implied in 25 to Life that James arranged for it to happen to have his Internet privileges revoked because he was doing research about Tom Wittman online.

25 to Life
After James, through his political connections, learns that Don Sanderson has been released on parole and killed Tom Wittman in self-defense when he attempted to confront him about the murder night, he attacks Mary Rutka in her apartment. The BAU and local police arrive while he is searching for the video recording, forcing him to flee through the window and down the fire escape. Nobody ever gets a clear look of his face. Fortunately, Rutka was able to scratch him during the attack, leaving DNA under her fingernails. Using the offender profile coupled with the fact that the UnSub knew his way around the house, the BAU deduce that he lived in the house at some point. Garcia compares the list of suspects to the list of residents in the Sanderson house before they moved in there and narrows it down to James. Because he is running for Congress and is very well connected, Strauss is completely against the notion of accusing him of three murders based solely on the profile and the limited physical evidence.

Realizing that killing Mary Rutka has gotten James going and increased the chance that his inner psychopathy might be exposed, Morgan takes the chance and goes to a fundraiser hosted by the Stanworths along with the rest of the BAU. After James makes a speech, Morgan confronts him. Though James arrogantly dismisses his accusations as "worthless fabrications", his explosive temper begins to show when his wife makes inquiries. When Morgan shows the scratches Rutka left on his hand, James claims they were made when he cut himself on a broken glass. Morgan then calls him a killer and a psychopath and begins telling James how he made a mistake when he panicked as a result of Sanderson's release, causing James's anger to grow even more pronounced. When Prentiss tells James that they found the recording, he flinches in concealed shock, but it is noticed by the BAU. He is then arrested by a D.C. detective and taken away. He isn't seen or mentioned for the rest of the episode, but was presumably incarcerated for the murders.

Modus Operandi
James killed the Sandersons by stabbing them with some unspecified weapon, apparently a knife. He broke into the house from the basement using his knowledge of the house to navigate it. How he killed Mary Rutka is unspecified, but judging from the blood on her and the fact that it took time for her to die suggests that she was stabbed as well.

Profile
James is a closet psychopath who is smart enough not to kill again. He enjoys power and is extremely manipulative, yet trustworthy enough for people not to stop him. He is also destructive, a trait which would manifest itself in his work life. The BAU figure that he works as a businessman and owns a lucrative business managed with ruthless tactics that leaves people in its wake. The BAU figured that he is a businessman since they share some narcissistic characteristics with psychopaths, such as a grandiose sense of self, deceptiveness and a lack of remorse.

Real-Life Comparison
Elements of the Sanderson murders are similar to both the Jeffrey MacDonald and Sam Sheppard cases.

Known Victims

 * March 9-10, 1985: The Sanderson family
 * Donald Sanderson
 * Carrie Sanderson
 * Joshua Sanderson
 * Abby Sanderson
 * ?, 2010: Mary Rutka

Appearances

 * Season Six
 * "25 to Life"