Joe

Joe was an Unclassified Murderer who appeared in Season Three of Criminal Minds.

Background
Born mentally handicapped Joe worked at a traveling carnival run by his father Landon, doing menial chores and dressing as a clown to try and entertain visitors. Joe, when the carnival passed through Indianapolis, Indiana in 1988, grew attached to young Connie Galen, who he had given a poorly made balloon animal. Wanting to play with her Joe began to follow Connie around the grounds, worrying Connie's parents, who decided to leave early. While his father was busy working on a malfunctioning ride Joe took off, somehow tracked the Galens down to their home and broke inside, intent on finding Connie. Mistaking Mr. and Mrs. Galen's room for the children's Joe entered and accidentally woke up Mr. Galen, who hit him with an axe. Growing angry after being hurt Joe took the axe from Mr. Galen and used it to kill both him and his wife. Instantly regretting what he had done Joe placed the Galens's bodies back in their bed just before his father found him. Landon managed to removed all the evidence Joe had left, except for one fingerprint he missed, which would prove useless to authorities anyway.

To punish Joe for what he had done Landon would have the carnival pass through Indianapolis around the same time every year, to remind his son of the murders. While in town Joe would drop some carnival prizes off to the Galen children (with the children assuming the gifts were delivered by Rossi, who by sheer coincidence happened to be one of the first to respond to the scene of Mr. and Mrs. Galen's murder).

Damaged
Back in Indianapolis twenty years after the murders Joe drops some gifts off to the now grown Galen children once again, though this time he goes as far as putting a stuffed animal in Connie's car before she got off work. The day after Joe dropped the presents off the carnival began to pack up, with Joe helping out by cleaning up trash. When the BAU, who were investigating the Galen's murder, arrived at the carnival Joe ran and hid when he saw Morgan and JJ approaching. Accidentally leaving a trail of the garbage he had picked up Joe was found cowering under a vehicle and pulled out by Morgan and JJ, who arrested him. While being handcuffed Joe began weeping, crying out to his father, who could only look on helplessly as his son was taken away.

Pathology
Joe possessed a child-like mentality, easily growing attached to young children, who he simply wanted to play with, leading him to stalk them. Joe killed the Galens in a fit of rage and felt immensely guilty afterward, gently placing the Galens bodies in their bed and giving toys to the orphaned Galen children every year after the murders.

Modus Operandi
Joe killed the Galens with an axe he took from Mr. Galen, scared and angry after Mr. Galen chased and hit him with the axe.

Known Victims

 * Mr. and Mrs. Galen

Appearances

 * Season Three
 * "Damaged"