Cortland Bryce Ryan

"You may think you've seen the last of me, but death cannot take me from you. I will be born again. Today you make me a legend."

Cortland Bryce Ryan, a.k.a. "The Angel Maker", was a serial killer and rapist who appeared in flashbacks in The Angel Maker.

Background
Nothing is revealed about Cortland's early childhood history, including why he started killing in the first place. In 1998, he started killing, eventually claiming the lives of six women over a ten-month period. Eventually, in 1998 or 1999, he was caught during an attempted break-in, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. During the trial, one of his jurors, Chloe Kelcher, became attracted to him. He spent nine years on death row. During that time, he got a number of female groupies and fans whom he would write poetic letters to since he, a narcissist, enjoyed the attention and had a flair for the dramatic. Among these fans were Chloe and Shara Carlino. He also made origami figures which later reached the market for serial killer memorabilia, along with other personal belongings and even his semen and blood. On the day of his execution on September 16, 2007, there were complications when the catheter dislodged twice. In the end, it took him nearly an hour to die. His last words were: "You may think you've seen the last of me, but death cannot take me from you. I will be born again. Today you make me a legend." Chloe later obtained his semen after his death and used it to impregnate herself. When she gave birth, however, the child suffered an illness and died.

The Angel Maker
Exactly one year following his execution, Chloe began a spree of copycat murders, having begun to suffer from severe psychosis at that point. Prior to starting the killing spree, she dug up Cortland's grave and took his body. Eventually, she committed suicide by cop in the end after killing three and attempting to kill a fourth. During the majority of the investigation, local authorities believed that the killings were actually the work of Cortland himself, according to a tale that he still survived his botched execution. While the BAU was searching Chloe's home, they found Cortland's body in a private compartment.

Profile
It was mentioned Cortland targeted women who excited him sexually, and that he was a narcissist whose only real love was for himself. Since he planned on killing nine women, each one corresponding to a constellation, he was presumably a mission-oriented killer. Given the severity of the injuries he inflicted on his victims before he raped them, he may also have been a necrophiliac.

Modus Operandi
Cortland would sneak into the houses of single women while they slept. He went to their beds, beat them with his fists, and raped them. It is not specified whether he raped them after they were killed or if they were alive and died slowly from their injuries, but, since Chloe Kelcher, Cortland's future copycat, replaced the beatings with bludgeoning with a hammer, the first is more likely. Next, he punctured the victims' stomachs post-mortem with a screwdriver. He then crossed their arms, hence his nickname. He punctured them in patterns of the Heavenly Waters constellations. He also opened all of the windows in the house, which was his way of letting the victims' souls out.

Known Victims

 * 1998:
 * January: Tina Banbury
 * April: Julie Pargrove
 * June: Natalie Evercroft
 * August: Annette Gratton
 * September: Unnamed victim
 * October: Unnamed victim
 * Note: Cortland intended to kill three other women to complete the constellations, but was apprehended and executed before he could carry out those murders.

Appearances

 * Season Four
 * "The Angel Maker"