James Colby

"You will be my finest work, Mrs. Adams"

- Colby revealed his true colors James Colby is a villain from Sleepy Hollow, being the hidden main antagonist of its episode "Piturra Infamte".

Pre-series
James Colby was a serial killer and painter in the 18th century, who befriended the Founding Fathers and yet he was also an alchoholic who Katrina Crane greatly despised.

However, Colby was not just that. He was murderous in the core. He was responsible for a string of murders in 1781 mainly targeted towards orphans and homeless people, inspired by a tarot card known as the "Hanged Man". This captured the attention of Abigail Adams, who was able to solve the crimes. After Ichabod Crane's "death" and Katrina's imprisonment, Abigail continued to investigate the case and found out that Colby was the culprit. Eventually, with the help of Alfred Knapp, she managed to imprison Colby in his own painting to stop him from murdering any more people. The hex spell was on the painting's frame.

Season 2
However, after more tha two centries, Colby awankened. This was accidentally caused by Grant Hollister, a new friend of Ichabod who was an art restorer that touched the painting and broke the hex spell. Grant was later killed. Colby took his blood to finish his portrait and that could release him.

What is worse, Grant is not the only man who touched the painting. The curator of the art show of Adams Family's collection, Evan Miller, touches the painting accidentaly as well. Katrina sensed the dark presence Colby caused and finally knew the truth via a note of Abigail. She and Ichabod both touched the painting and came into Colby's house within the painting by a spell.

Inside Colby's house, Katrina and Ichabod find Miller strung up, bleeding but still barely alive. It looks like Colby has finished his painting with the blood. Katrina began frantically to recite the spell to get them out of the painting when Colby appears and starts to come after them. She finishes reciting and the Cranes and Miller end up back in Grant's workshop.

Ichabod goes to splash paint thinner on the painting when Colby's arm reaches out and grabs him. Then the murderous artist's whole body comes through. He's charging at them when a shot rings out. Abbie fires the silver bullets at Colby, then at the painting. She hits the figure of Colby in the painting and he drops dead.

Later, Miller is expected to make a full recovery and the murders have been pinned on Colby, who hasn't been identified.

Trivia

 * It is unclear that whether he was a minion of Moloch or not.