Becker Chapin was an arsonist, and later serial killer and thrill killer who was a member of a two-person abductor and killer team along with David Yarno. They appeared in the Criminal Minds novel Jump Cut.
Background[]
Compared to how his friend was raised, Becker had a much more normal upbringing. Becker spent his entire childhood in Lawrence, Kansas, and his parents, Nick, a mechanic, and Danielle, a secretary, had a steady relationship. Becker first met his best friend, David Yarno, while the two were in school. The much larger Becker protected David from bullies and, as their friendship grew, they became more detached from their parents and began committing petty crimes together, eventually being arrested for arson. After high school, the two moved out of their parents' homes and into an RV, which was kept parked on a secluded patch of land owned by David's uncle. In October of 2004, the two, having gone to film school, passed in their term project, an exploitative horror film, early, expecting it to be judged a work of art. Written by David, with Becker directing, the film was deemed a disaster by their professor, being poorly directed, terribly acted and consisting almost entirely of scenes ripped straight from other horror films. The failing grade caused Becker to throw a fit in class, threatening to kill the professor before storming off and dropping out with David. Obsessed with proving themselves, David, when Becker suggested they create another film, decided to film real murders for use in it, recreating death scenes from some of their favorite giallo films. David wrote the film (entitled Final Cut) and acted as the director and cameraman, while Becker played the part of the killer, murdering homeless people the two drugged and abducted.
Jump Cut[]
The BAU is called in after four of Becker and David's victims are found; during the course of the investigation, the two abduct, film and kill another homeless person named Benjamin Gray (severely beating and torturing him beforehand) and also kidnap a former classmate, a girl named Kathy Bonders, who resembles the star of one of their favorite films, Il Morte Improvviso, or Sudden Death. David and Becker send a ransom note to Kathy's parents, demanding sixty-eight thousand dollars in exchange for Kathy's safe return. In actuality, the duo had no intentions to let Kathy live, and instead planned on simply murdering her, taking the money, and use the money to fund Final Cut. The day after dropping the ransom note off, Becker and David decide to taunt the authorities by uploading one of their murder videos onto the internet and leaving another ransom note near-identical to the one sent to Kathy's parents (attached to Kathy's cell phone) at their old school while Gideon, Prentiss and a local detective are there questioning Kathy's friends and teachers. Later, with the ransom drop deadline approaching, the BAU manage to deduce who the unsubs are, their questioning of the film school staff and students having lead them to Becker and David. Going to the boys' old homes, the BAU find a picture of their trailer and track it down, only to find it empty. Hearing screams emanating from the woods, Morgan follows the noise and discovers Becker attacking Kathy with a knife, with David filming and giving orders. When Becker refuses to surrender, Morgan shoots him twice, killing him instantly.
Modus Operandi[]
Wandering through downtown Lawrence, the two, after spotting a vagrant who they found suitable for use in their film, would take a few pictures of them, approach them, and offer cash in exchange for doing a job they claimed they needed help with. If the victim accepted, David and Becker would take them to a restaurant or diner, where they would drug the food they bought with Rohypnol, to make the victim more pliable. The victim would then be taken to the boys' RV, where they would be groomed and clothed.
The victim would then be taken to a secluded area, where Becker and David would then commence filming the scene. Becker's role in creating the scene was to act as the mysterious murderer, wearing a ski mask and all-black clothing, chasing them, terrorizing them and inflicting numerous non-fatal stab wounds, while his friend would film and direct the scene. After some time, the victim would be finished off by having his or her throat slashed (with the exceptions of Frank Webster, who was stabbed in the heart, likely by accident, and his throat slashed post-mortem; and Roger Rondell, whose thigh was slashed). The body would be left at the scene and the footage they shot would be edited to resemble a murder scene from an obscure giallo film.
Known Victims[]
- Unspecified dates: Committed numerous unspecified petty crimes with David. Known ones are:
- A victimless arson
- Unspecified date: Unnamed Professor (threatened only)
- 2006:
- October 29: Elizabeth Hawkins (found in a soccer mom costume; her throat was slashed)
- November 14: Frank Webster (found in a business suit; fatally stabbed in the heart and his throat slashed post-mortem)
- 2007:
- March 9: Paula Creston (found in a waitress uniform; her throat was slashed)
- March 14: Roger Rondell (found in a business suit; his thigh was slashed)
- March 18: Benjamin Gray (found in a police uniform; his throat was slashed)
- March 19: Kathy Bonders (attempted, but survived; was non-fatally stabbed repeatedly; forced to wear a nun uniform)