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Do you think I'd hurt her? That I'd betray you? Or is that because of what you did to me?
Baleman to William Harris

Steven "Steve" Baleman is an ephebophilic abductor, serial rapist, and later serial killer who appeared in the Season Four episode of Criminal Minds, "Soul Mates". He is one-half of a predatory killing team along with William Harris.

Background[]

Nothing much is revealed about Baleman's past, only that he is married to Annie, has two children with her, and they have a rather rocky relationship. He is also known to be the owner of a local real estate agency, Sandy Palms Realty. At one point, he raped a woman named Connie Mayers. Though she reported it, he wasn't caught. He and his partner, William Harris, met at a local block party, where the two instantly bonded over a disturbing conversation.

Soul Mates[]

Baleman is first seen in Harris' flashbacks of their meeting and subsequent murders. After that, Baleman is next seen in the present day, consoling Harris' wife Sharon after her daughter Andrea's new car is egged and spray-painted. It is during this time that Missy DeWald's corpse is found, with bite marks that are matching Baleman's teeth. The BAU suspect that Baleman, being the submissive partner, is becoming more confident in Harris' absence, as there is no evidence of bite marks on their mutual victims. These bite marks were also present on Connie Mayers. Andrea would then follow Baleman after a brief conversation with him later on. He inadvertently leads her to a local warehouse, where he realizes she is following him and abducts her. Harris would show up later on, wired by the BAU, and demands to know why he abducted his daughter. The team speculates that Harris was willing to be wired in order to see Baleman one last time. After their brief reunion, both men are arrested and Andrea is returned home safely.

Profile[]

The unsub is a white male in his forties, who is a strong and confident anger-excitation offender who has a family like William. He is uncertain of what will happen to William, which will cause a manifestation in mood swings. Based on the language indicated in the messages and his evident knowledge of the area, he was most likely born and raised in Florida. He and William would most likely have a signal of some sort that would tell them when they would kill a victim; if this signal is an audible one, he would have to be living close to William in order to hear it. He either has a steady job or has his own business and has lived in Sarasota for his entire life.

Modus Operandi[]

No in-depth details, other than rape and strangulation, were mentioned about the cause of death. The victims were always black and white college girls who the two abducted (except for Missy DeWald, who attended a local high school). They would abduct the girls at different times of day, bind their arms and legs together, cover their mouths with duct tape, and put them in a car. They brought the victims to an abandoned warehouse, where they took turns raping them before killing them two days later. They would then dump the bodies in random locations. Whenever Baleman raped his victims without Harris, he had a habit of choking and biting his victims while wearing a mask.

Known Victims[]

  • 2008:
    • Unspecified date: Connie Mayers (raped and bit only prior to Soul Mates)
    • November-December:
      • Kim Groves (raped only)
      • Unnamed victim (raped; was also killed by either him or Harris)
      • Unnamed victim (raped; was also killed by either him or Harris)
  • January 14, 2009:
    • Missy DeWald (abducted on the previous day; bit, killed and presumably raped)
    • Andrea Harris (William's daughter; abducted; was rescued)

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. Because only one victim can be positively attributed to him, with the perpetrator of the other two murders up in the air, Baleman isn't individually classified as a serial killer. However, he is considered a serial killer alongside Harris.
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