The Bone Collector (book)

Colin Stanton, also known as Dr. Peter Taylor and The Bone Collector, is the titular main antagonist of the book The Bone Collector.

History
Colin Stanton had lost his family, and had blamed criminal investigator Lincoln Rhyme for letting it happen as he was investigating the case. Under the name Peter Taylor, he planned on killing Lincoln on their first meeting, but when finding out that he in fact wanted to die, he needed a reason to keep him alive.

Using inspiration from a 19th Century serial killer called James Schneider (AKA The Bone Collector) who had lost his family as well when they where gunned down by police officers, he used the identity as an alias and began copying the killings in the book, believing his own victims to be those of Schneider. Also, Schneider is German for "Tailor", where he got the idea for his alias.

Peter kidnapped a business couple, and killed the man and had the woman killed with Steam. His third victim was a German immigrant who he believed to be Hanna, one of Schneider's victims. He tied her up and cut her down to the bone and left her for the rats, but she was saved on time. His fourth victim was an old man, who he chained up by the pier to be drowned, but he was saved. He then kidnapped a mother and daughter. Although he made a "deal" with her to free them as long as he can cut the flesh from her right foot, he decided against it after her three-year old daughter was crying. He tied up the mother in a burning church, and left the child to be devoured by wild dogs outside his home. But both of them where saved by Lincoln's assistant Amelia Sachs. Peter later when to Amelia's home, and gagged and bound her and buried her in her garden, but she was found on time by other police officers.

He then went to confront Rhyme at his town house, and killed his guard and fellow office Polling, and told Rhyme he was going to kill his friends in front of him. When he got too close to, Lincolm grabbed into Taylor's neck with his teeth tearing at his artery. Taylor then bled to death.

Trivia

 * The Bone Collector has continued to being referenced in Lincoln Rhyme series, being that as one of Lincoln and Amelia's biggest adversaries and (of course) their first big case together. He was referenced to in The Cold Moon in which one of his previous victims (who was a terrorist) returned to New York in a planned terrorist attack. The Bone Collector was directly referenced to in The Skin Collector in which Amelia and Lincoln originally believe a new killer is following in his footsteps. The case was also featured in a crime book. It also appears Lincoln may still feel guilt over what Stanton had become as in The Skin Collector he is asked if Stanton had any possible children to continue his legacy, and Lincoln remembered that Stanton had none because they were killed due to his own carelessness.