Adrian Bale

“	... [T]he emotional release I would feel by pressing that button ... Well, that was just a little too overwhelming to pass up.	”
	— Adrian Bale to Gideon

Adrian Bale, a.k.a. "The Boston Shrapnel Bomber", is a narcissistic and psychopathic serial killer, serial bomber, cop killer, hacker, and one-time mass murderer-turned proxy killer who was first mentioned in the pilot episode of Criminal Minds "Extreme Aggressor" and later appears in "Won't Get Fooled Again".

Background[]

Details of Bale's early life are not specified. However, he mentioned that he filled every criterion of the McDonald triad (which includes bed-wetting, animal cruelty, and obsession with fire setting) and came from a broken home. He became a serial bomber known as "The Boston Shrapnel Bomber" at some point in his life. Gideon was the lead profiler on the case. Eventually, the investigation led to a standoff between the FBI and Bale, who was holding a person hostage. He was talked down by Gideon but blew up his bomb anyway for the thrill of it, killing six FBI agents and the hostage in the cross-hairs. He was then incarcerated for life with no possibility of parole while Gideon went on medical leave until the events of the pilot episode. During his incarceration, Bale developed a cult following. He also got past a firewall set up on the prison Internet and began communicating with the outside world, teaching numerous people how to make bombs.

Won't Get Fooled Again[]

"Oh, but no, actually, I can fool you because I fooled you before. And now there's another me out there, watching, waiting."

In the episode, Bale makes a deal with Gideon to be transferred to a mental health facility when asked to assist the BAU in capturing his copycat, David Walker, who he had online contact with. When Walker blew himself up and a hostage appears with a bomb strapped onto him, he is once again called in for assistance. He instructs the team on how to disable the bomb, telling them to "cut the red wire". Gideon, not trusting him, tells him that if he is lying, the deal is off. Bale ends up lying, but the bomb is safely disabled when agent Gideon remembers that Bale said he could never resist the emotional rush of being able to kill.

Modus Operandi[]

Bale's bombs were built with steel reinforcement rods. He used an explosive mixture of ammonia nitrate, potassium chloride, and aluminum powder. For the improvised detonators, they were comprised of mercury that would cause the bombs to explode when tilted. He then placed them in packages with a white label and the address written in blue ink and would leave them in the front of peoples' homes for the owners to find. In the case of the mass bombing, he strapped a necklace bomb on his hostage, which exploded after he detonated it with a remote control.

Profile[]

Not much about Bale's profile given by Gideon and his colleagues were disclosed, but Bale reveals he is a sociopath, as he fulfills all of the criteria supplied by the McDonald Triad and comes from a broken home. According to Gideon, all bombers are cowards, so that would include Bale.

Known Victims[]

Personal Victims[]

2005:
- March:
  - Three unnamed victims
  - The mass bombing:
    - Six unnamed FBI agents
    - Unnamed male hostage
- October 5:
  - Chicu Reddy (attempted; tried to trick the bomb squad into detonating a bomb attached to him)
  - Unnamed bomb squad officer (attempted; tried to kill through Chicu Reddy's bomb)

Proxy Victims[]

All the following were commited by David Walker after teaching him how to make bombs

2005:
- October 4:
  - Barbara Keller (target victim; also previously scammed)
  - Two injured in the second bombing:
    - Gil Clurman (attempted, but barely survived; his leg had to be amputated)
    - Joe Reese (one of Clurman's investors; indirectly attempted, but survived; superficially injured when he was thrown back by the explosion)
  - Jill Swenson (killed near the scene of the second bombing)
- October 5:
  - Emily and her unnamed mother (attempted; sent them a bomb, but it was safely disabled by police)
  - The escape from his house:
    - His unnamed wife (attempted, but survived; was hit with his car when he escaped)
    - Elle Greenaway (attempted to run over with his car)
  - Chicu Reddy (attempted; strapped a bomb to him, but it was disabled)
  - Attempted to take the following with him when he blew himself up with a bomb, but failed:
    - Aaron Hotchner
    - Elle Greenaway
    - Officer Worthy (first name unrevealed)
    - Three unnamed policemen

Appearances[]

Season One
- "Extreme Aggressor" (mentioned)
- "Won't Get Fooled Again"
- "Broken Mirror" (mentioned)
- "A Real Rain" (mentioned)