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“ | I've put a lot of time and effort into making this a special night. Is it too much to ask for a little appreciation? | „ |
~ Joe Belser threatening one of his victims. |
Joe Belser is the main antagonist of the Criminal Minds episode "Slave of Duty".
He is a delusional, misogynistic serial killer who stalks women, kidnaps them, and forces them to act out his fantasy of a perfect date before killing them.
He was portrayed by Wes Brown, who also played Gaston in Once Upon a Time.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Belser was born into an affluent family in Nashville, Tennessee. When he was 18, his parents died in a boating accident. Soon afterward, he lost most of his family's money in the stock market, and incurred massive debts by making extravagant purchases in order to maintain his privileged lifestyle.
He spent even more money after getting engaged to Rose Smith, a successful magazine editor, paying for a lavish wedding to ensure entry into Rose's upper-class world. Shortly before the wedding, however, he caught Rose cheating on him with his best man. He called off the wedding, but the ceremony was already paid for, leaving him alone and bankrupt.
Desperate for money, Joe took a job as a driver for a valet company that worked high-class events, and became obsessed with the successful, high-status career women whose cars he drove, women who reminded him of Rose. He used their cars' GPS systems to find out where they lived, and stalked them until he learned their routine. He would then kidnap them and force them to act out his fantasy of a perfect relationship, only to kill them when they ruined the fantasy by trying to escape.
"Slave of Duty"[]
By the time local police contact the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) to profile the murders, Belser has already killed two women. He kidnaps his third victim, Erika Silverman, who pretends to be in love with him so he won't kill her, even having sex with him to maintain the illusion. When her boyfriend arrives unexpectedly, however, Belser becomes enraged and brutally murders them both.
BAU agent Derek Morgan theorizes that the killer came from money, but had fallen on hard times and spent beyond his means to preserve his former lifestyle. Agents Jennifer Jareau and Spencer Reid investigate the expensive venue the victims had all frequented, while technical analyst Penelope Garcia looks for employees of the venue who have recently racked up large debts. When the four examine the totality of their evidence, they realize that Belser is the killer.
The BAU tracks Belser to the home of his latest victim, Ann Herron, just as he is about to kill her for fighting back and ruining his fantasy. Agent Emily Prentiss, who had been particularly outraged by the abuse he inflicted upon his victims, kicks him in the groin and tells him to "play along", just as he had forced his victims to do, when he is sexually assaulted in prison.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Joe Belser on the Criminal Minds Wiki