¿Mentes criminales se basan en historias reales? 15 episodios que son
Hay una razón por la que Criminal Minds estuvo al aire durante más de 320 episodios y quince temporadas. El programa es una representación épica de la BAU o Unidad de Análisis del Comportamiento del FBI. Analizan patrones de comportamiento criminal para perfilar a los perpetradores, utilizando ese análisis para reducir la lista de sospechosos y encontrar a los criminales. Entonces, ¿Criminal Minds está basada en historias reales?
Con más de 300 episodios de acción, la mayor parte de Criminal Minds es puramente ficticia. Sin embargo, existen numerosos episodios que se basan, o al menos se inspiran, en historias y crímenes reales. Algunos de esos episodios siguen con precisión las historias reales, mientras que otros se basan sólo vagamente en ellas.
Algunos de estos crímenes y situaciones son históricamente conocidos, como el BTK Killer, el Night Stalker o el Zodiac Killer, mientras que otros son más recientes, como el caso Elliot Rodger. Profundicemos en la historia de Criminal Minds para ver qué episodios y personajes se basaron en historias reales y en qué medida.
¿Criminal Minds está basada en historias reales?
Criminal Minds es una serie de ficción producida por CBS que duró 15 temporadas, desde 2005 hasta 2020. Sigue la Unidad de Análisis de Comportamiento (BAU), una rama del FBI que analiza patrones de comportamiento de los perpetradores de delitos y utiliza esa información. centrarse en el criminal o evitar que ocurran crímenes similares.
Ahora sabemos que el análisis del comportamiento es algo real en las investigaciones de delitos y que existe una unidad del FBI que cumple una función similar en la vida real. La pregunta es, ¿los criminales y los episodios de Criminal Minds están basados en historias reales?
Bueno, en su mayor parte, no lo son. La mayoría de las historias son completamente ficticias y no tienen nada que ver con cosas que sucedieron en la vida real. Sin embargo, también hay episodios que, de hecho, están basados en historias reales y crímenes escalofriantes de la vida real.
Algunos de estos episodios, como, por ejemplo, «Hostage» de la temporada 11, siguen la historia real con bastante precisión, mientras que otros se basan sólo vagamente en lo que sucedió en la vida real. Los escritores sólo utilizaron los casos como inspiración.
Los mejores episodios de Criminal Minds basados en historias y crímenes reales
Con tantos episodios de Criminal Minds detrás de nosotros, no fue tan fácil determinar qué episodios estaban inspirados en historias reales y cuáles eran completamente ficticios, especialmente porque todos los nombres han cambiado.
Revisé la historia de Criminal Minds y encontré los mejores quince episodios basados en historias y crímenes reales. La siguiente lista no está clasificada de ninguna manera, sino que está ordenada cronológicamente a medida que se publican los episodios.
Asesino nato (temporada 1, episodio 8) – El hombre de hielo
Uno de los primeros episodios inspirados en hechos reales de Criminal Minds llegó en el episodio 8 de la temporada 1. En el episodio, un presunto golpe de la mafia ataca la Unidad de Crimen Organizado del FBI. A medida que el equipo se concentra en el perpetrador, se dan cuenta de que no fue un ataque de la mafia, sino que fue obra de un solo hombre.
Vincent Perotta fue un asesino en serie que tuvo como objetivo a miembros de la OCU y mató al menos a siete personas. El personaje de Perotta se inspiró en Richard Kuklinski, también conocido como The Iceman, un sicario de la mafia que supuestamente mató a unas 250 personas.
En realidad, sólo siete están confirmados, y Kuklinski tenía debilidad por exagerar sus crímenes después de ser arrestado. El asesino incluso afirmó haber matado a Jimmy Hoffa. Recibió el apodo de «El hombre de hielo» debido a su costumbre de poner cadáveres en congeladores.
Blood Hungry (Temporada 1, Episodio 11) – El vampiro de Sacramento
Este fue un episodio que solo esperaba que no fuera una historia real, pero resulta que estaba equivocado. El programa no sigue el caso al pie de la letra, sino que se inspiró en el caso de Richard Trenton Chase, quien «operó» a finales de 1977 y principios de 1978 en California. De hecho, todos sus crímenes ocurrieron en un mes.
El asesino brutal y enfermo tenía una obsesión: el canibalismo y la necrofilia. Chase mató al menos a seis víctimas en su enfermiza ola de asesinatos, tuvo relaciones sexuales con sus cuerpos mutilados, les extrajo la sangre y se comió sus restos.
The nickname Vampire of Sacramento came due to the fact that Chase drank the blood he drained off his victims. He was sentenced to death and executed in 1980.
Unfinished Business (Season 1, Episode 15) – BTK
This particular episode is only loosely based on real-life events, and fans drew their conclusions on who it was based on. In this episode, the murderer, known as the Keystone Killer, was a serial killer in Philadelphia who taunted the police and media with letters describing his crimes and saying they’ll never catch him.
Due to the letters, some fans thought the Keystone Killer was based on the Zodiac Killer, but in fact, the better comparison would be Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer. The nickname BTK was given to the killer by himself as an abbreviation of his actions – “bind, torture, kill.”
The Keystone Killer in the show went silent for over a decade and then came back to haunt the FBI investigator who pursued him. Rader went silent for 18 years before returning, which was his ultimate downfall.
The Tribe (Season 1, Episode 16) – The Manson Family
It seems that the writers had a thing for true stories in the first season, as The Tribe followed right after Unfinished Business. In this episode, the BAU is in New Mexico, investigating a horrific scene of several college kids found tortured, raped, and murdered.
The culprits turned out to be a cult calling themselves The Tribe, who wanted to present the crimes as if they were done by the Native Americans to turn people against them. Their leader, Jackson Cally, wanted a race war to ensue – much like the guy that inspired this episode.
The Manson Family was a cult in California led by Charles Manson. He wrote Helter Skelter, a book that calls for racial war, similar to what we see in the show. The Manson Family was responsible for numerous murders, including the high-profile case of Sharon Tate.
Ashes & Dust (Season 2, Episode 19) – Paul Kenneth Keller
This particular episode was inspired by a real-life criminal, and a real-life activist organization, though in the show, their actions have deadly consequences, unlike in the real world. The episode follows Vincent Stiles, a serial arsonist who starts fires around Washington state as a sign of protest, ultimately stemming from an ugly divorce he went through.
He also got involved with an organization called the Earth Defense Front, which protested against environmental destruction and started fires. The story was inspired by Paul Kenneth Keller and an organization called the Earth Liberation Front, which set fires and protested in the same manner. Their fires, however, didn’t result in any deaths, whereas in the show, they did.
Minimal Loss (Season 4, Episode 3) – David Koresh
Minimal Loss is one of the most popular Criminal Minds episodes ever, and the main antagonist, Benjamin Cyrus, is one of the most popular villains of the show. Cyrus was a cult leader who held hostages, which resulted in a raid by police forces, resulting in brutal mayhem.
For this episode, the writers were inspired by the Waco Siege that happened in 1993. The event was an FBI attack on the cult leader David Koresh that resulted in over 85 deaths. The cult was named the Branch Davidians, and Koresh claimed to be their last prophet.
Omnivore (Season 4, Episode 18) – Zodiac Killer
There was an ongoing storyline in Season 4 that revolved around a character named George Foyet, aka the Boston Reaper. Foyet was brutal, scary, and cunning and was one of Hotch’s first cases that marked his life forever. The killer returned after years and years of inactivity to kill Hotch’s wife and continue tormenting him.
The character was inspired by none other than the infamous Zodiac Killer and his early crimes due to the nature of his actions, such as taunting the police. The difference is we don’t know who the Zodiac Killer is to this day, whereas we know the identity of the Boston Reaper in the show.
The Big Wheel (Season 4, Episode 22) – The Lipstick Killer
There were many episodes in Season 4 that were inspired by true events, but The Big Wheel might be the most intriguing case of all. Vincent Rowlings was a disturbed man that killed at least three victims that looked like his mother. The urge to do so stemmed from him seeing his father murder his mother when Vincent was just a kid.
He sends the BAU a videotape where he begs them to find and stop him before he kills again. That particular thread was inspired by William Heirens, aka The Lipstick Killer, who confessed to killing three women in Chicago in the 1940s. At one crime scene, a message written in lipstick was found, saying: “For heavens Sake catch me Before I kill more I cannot control myself.”
Heirens also had a troubled childhood, and his parents had huge fights, but instead of witnessing them killing each other, William committed petty thefts and small crimes to keep his mind off of the hardships of his life.
To Hell… And Back (Season 4, Episodes 25-26) – The Pig Farmer Killer
This storyline came at the very end of Season 4, spanning two episodes. The first was titled ‘To Hell…,’ and the second ‘And Back.’ It was a story of a brutal serial killer that operated in Detroit and then continued in Canada. As it turns out, there were actually two killers – brothers Luvas and Mason, who killed people and disposed of their bodies by feeding them to their pigs.
It was a brutal, disgusting thread, but what’s even more horrifying is that it actually happened in real life. In Canada, there was a guy named Robert Pickton, later known as the Pig Farmer Killer. He is believed to have killed more than thirty people, but it’s unclear if the number is accurate or even higher.
Our Darkest Hour (Season 5, Episode 23) – The Night Stalker
The story of a brutal serial killer in Los Angeles, who invaded people’s homes at night during blackouts, tortured, and killed them, actually spanned over two episodes – the final episode of Season 5, named Our Darkest Hour, and then the first episode of Season 6.
In the show, his name was Billy Flynn, and he was known as The Prince of Darkness, a sadistic, heinous scumbag portrayed perfectly by none other than Tim Curry (Home Alone 2, It). The character was inspired by the infamous Night Stalker, aka Richard Ramirez, who invaded people’s homes at night, raped, and killed them brutally in the name of Satan.
Ramirez killed over twenty people in the 1980s before he was recognized by people in public, brutally beaten up, and apprehended. Even after his arrest and during the trial, the Night Stalker yelled, ‘Hail Satan.’
25 To Life (Season 6, Episode 11) – Jeffrey MacDonald
This episode was just heartbreaking – especially knowing that it was inspired by true events. In the episode, the BAU interviews a man who’s been incarcerated for twenty five years and always maintained his innocence in the murder of his wife and kids, claiming that intruders broke into their home and brutally murdered his entire family.
He was eventually proven innocent and released from prison, unlike Jeffrey MacDonald, the real-life inspiration for the show. In the 1970s, a tragic, horrifying crime scene saw MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two young daughters killed in a brutal fashion. Jeffrey was the first and only suspect and was sentenced to 25 to life, as the name of the episode suggests.
He claimed that four intruders – three men and a woman – entered their apartment through an unlocked back door, attacking him and his family with clubs, knives, ice picks, etc. However, physical evidence pointed at him. He was charged, then the charges were dismissed, but then further investigation indicted and convicted him again before a grand jury.
He still maintains his innocence but serves a sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.
The Thirteenth Step (Season 6, Episode 13) – Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate
Many people thought The Thirteenth Step was inspired by the infamous Bonnie and Clyde. Although there are some obvious connections – a criminal couple on a spree, eventually caught by the police – the real inspiration behind the episode was Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate.
The two had a killing spree of over ten victims. However, at first, Starkweather was the instigator, killing Fugate’s family as his first kill.
In the show, the couple is named Ray and Sydney. Sydney fell for Ray, and instead of him killing her parents, she killed his girlfriend, and the murderous couple continued traveling and killing people, mostly at random gas stops. The couple was caught after a hostage situation at one such stop, where the BAU’s negotiator managed to turn Ray and Sydney against each other.
The Company (temporada 7, episodio 20) – Cameron y Janice Hooker
Si hay un episodio en esta lista que siguió la historia real al pie de la letra, es The Company en la temporada 7. Bueno, no exactamente a la perfección, pero sí lo suficientemente cerca. Seguimos un caso en el que una niña fue secuestrada, atada, violada y encerrada durante 23 horas al día. Su única hora «desbloqueada» fue la hora de la violación.
Sus secuestradores eran una pareja que la recogió mientras hacía autostop y la mantuvieron bajo control alegando que, si intentaba escapar, una organización llamada La Compañía la atraparía y torturaría hasta extremos insondables. Era una mentira total en la vida real, mientras que el programa convirtió a The Company en un grupo real y existente.
El caso del secuestro de Colleen Stan es absolutamente una locura, y si eres un verdadero fanático del crimen, te recomiendo que lo busques.
Rehén (temporada 11, episodio 14) – Ariel Castro
Otro episodio que se ciñó con bastante precisión a la historia real fue Hostage en la temporada 11. Siguió a un violador y secuestrador en serie, Ariel Castro, quien secuestró, torturó y violó a varias mujeres antes de finalmente ser detenido. Castro era increíblemente sádico y no le importaba embarazar a las mujeres: una dio a luz y dos tuvieron abortos espontáneos.
Todos los horribles detalles del programa son lo que realmente sucedió en la vida real, e incluso llamaron a Castro por su nombre en un momento del episodio, lo que no dejó dudas sobre la verdadera inspiración de la historia para los escritores.
Macho alfa (temporada 12, episodio 15) – Elliot Rodger
Por último, pero no menos importante, el programa se inspiró en un caso bastante reciente de Elliot Rodger, un YouTuber que era tan oscuro y brutal como su homólogo en Criminal Minds. Rodger era un adolescente que era, esencialmente, un incel misógino que odiaba a las mujeres porque no salían con él.
Con frecuencia publicaba Vlogs sobre lo mucho que los odiaba por no notarlo, a pesar de ser un buen tipo. Sí, un buen tipo que creía que las mujeres debían sucumbir ante los hombres o morir. Su despecho y misoginia fueron más allá cuando comenzó a arrojar ácido a parejas al azar en la calle.
Todo culminó en un vídeo final, donde Rodger dijo que iba a cometer un asesinato en masa, que es exactamente lo que hizo. Mató a seis personas e hirió a varias más antes de suicidarse.
El programa sigue a un chico con las mismas tendencias y odio hacia las mujeres, arrojándoles ácido simplemente porque no les agrada. El personaje del programa también tenía un manifiesto sobre sus pensamientos idiotas, muy parecido a lo que hizo Rodger en YouTube.
