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Richard Stahl is the secondary antagonist of the Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior finale episode "Death by a Thousand Cuts". Stahl is a prison guard and the henchman of Rawlins, a mastermind of murders perpetrated by random people whose loved ones are kidnapped with Stahl's assistance. Rawlins later sets stall up as a patsy, then to be another victim due to his suicidal tendencies.
He was portrayed by French Stewart, who also portrayed Rentwhistle Swack in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
Biography[]
Stahl's parents died in a car crash, so his aunt Mary Ellen took him in and raised him. Without his parents, Stahl became severely depressed and suicidal, to point he self harmed so badly he cut two of his fingers off with a motorized buzzsaw. He also carved "Lingchi", meaning "Death by a Thousand Cuts", on the headboard of his bed as a totem to his masochism. He found work at a prison in Dallas, where Rawlins was both his direct superior and mentor. As Rawlins was a sadistic narcissist, he held a domineering influence over Stahl and turned him into a side kick for his future plans at a killing spree. With Stahl making the primary demands, the duo would abduct someone at gunpoint, call their loved one, and order them to a public location of Rawlins' choosing to shoot an innocent pedestrian, otherwise the hostage would be shot instead. Three murders were successfully executed, so each of the hostages were released. The revolvers used were left at the scenes to cause fear in the public.
When the FBI's Red Cell Team was called to investigate, Stahl had already abducted Carolyn Malek, the pregnant wife of Martin Malek. Martin was ordered to kill someone at a market to save Carolyn, but the Red Cell Team stopped him. As a consequence, at the last second of the timed ultimatum, Martin shot himself in his head. Rawlins and Stahl still found his suicide applicable to their demands and released Carolyn anyway. But as Rawlins wanted to challenge the team, he abducted Agent Beth Griffith. Playing off Stahl's depression, he ordered him to call Agent Sam Cooper and arrange them to meet downtown. Stahl was to be who Cooper shot, and in spite of Cooper's pleas for Stahl to turn on Rawlins, Stahl counted the seconds down while in tears. The episode ended on a cliff hanger: Cooper holding Stahl at gunpoint, Rawlins training a gun on Griffith, and their colleagues and local police ready to storm the house. As no episode followed after the sound of a gunshot and the "To be continued..." graphic, the ultimate fate is left unknown.
External links[]
- Richard Stahl on the Criminal Minds Wiki
