Criminal Minds (TV Series)

A Thin Line (2012)

Thomas Gibson: Aaron Hotchner

Quotes 

• Clark Preston : I'm innocent!

  Aaron Hotchner : Clark Preston, you have the right to remain silent.

  David Rossi : Yeah, please feel free to exercise that right.

• Aaron Hotchner : We believe we're looking for a white male in his late 20s to early 30s.

  Deputy : Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry, I thought we were looking at black gangbangers.

  Derek Morgan : The unsub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible.

  Deputy : Why would anyone do that?

  Jennifer Jareau : We think he's trying to create some sort of racial conflict.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-LaBianca murders, in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as "Helter Skelter".

  David Rossi : A name he stole from a Beatles song.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the Black Panther Party was responsible.

  Aaron Hotchner : Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable, but necessary.

  Emily Prentiss : Our unsub may be a member of one of these groups. Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prison, so he may be an ex-con, or even possibly related to a convict.

  David Rossi : We think he may also be some kind of zealot. He believes his war is already being fought, and these murders are a mission to him.

  Jennifer Jareau : And like a solider, he is willing to put himself in harm's way.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : The unsub may also be vulnerable somehow. Weak-minded or even lonely. His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging.

  Derek Morgan : He's physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he's probably young.

  David Rossi : But not so young as to be impulsive. These attacks took planning and focus, so he's disciplined.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : He uses Oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners. But he does so without killing them, which means he's knowledgeable about dosages.

  Emily Prentiss : And Oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers, anyone with access to to prescription drugs.

  Aaron Hotchner : This unsub is dedicated and driven. Makes him especially dangerous. Surrender's not likely part of his strategy.

• Derek Morgan : Hey, Hotch, check this out. There's a mayoral race in town, and there's a guy named Clark Preston all over the news. Looks like he's running a close second.

  Clark Preston : [footage of a news conference]  These vicious home invasions are a sign of the times. As demographics change, so do crime rates. Now, we may not be able to slow the browning of America, but we can sure as hell take our city back, and if you elect me, I'll lead that charge.

  Derek Morgan : "The browning of America"? That's damn near a hate speech.

  Aaron Hotchner : He's using the murders to further his campaign, and I guess people are rallying behind it.

  Derek Morgan : So what if our unsub is nothing like Manson? Manson never got his hands dirty. What if our unsub is more like his followers?

  Aaron Hotchner : You think he's being manipulated?

  Derek Morgan : Maybe even unintentionally, but either way, rhetoric like this could fuel his fire.

• Penelope Garcia : [answering phone]  I live to serve you, sir!

  Aaron Hotchner : Garcia, what can you tell us about a bar called the Drunken Dog?

  Penelope Garcia : Ooh, I like it already!

• Aaron Hotchner : So he was always in trouble?

  Ray Phillips : Not FBI trouble! He ain't got the brains nor the work ethics

  Aaron Hotchner : Kids have a way of hiding things

• Clark Preston : You're profiles, right?

  Aaron Hotchner : Right

  Clark Preston : You study behavior, not actual facts, and then you come up with theories

  Aaron Hotchner : It's not quite as simple as that

• Penelope Garcia : San Bernadino, California. Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart. Exact same M.O. Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : And in each case, the entire family was shot and killed?

  Penelope Garcia : Yes, that is right. I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis families.

  David Rossi : They took out the power and phones to isolate them. Their alarm systems wouldn't work and they can't call for help.

  Dr. Spencer Reid : Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company.

  Penelope Garcia : Yeah, but the Mitchells had an older system, and the Lewises were behind on their account, so it was inactive.

  Jennifer Jareau : An assailant was killed in each case?

  Penelope Garcia : Affirmative, but the sheriff hasn't IDed them yet.

  Emily Prentiss : So both families were armed and fought back and shot one of their attackers.

  Derek Morgan : Is that a coincidence or a connection?

  Aaron Hotchner : What concerns me is the frequency of the kills.

  Jennifer Jareau : Only four days apart.

  Aaron Hotchner : All right. It's a long flight. We'd better get going. Wheels up in thirty.