This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | Kathy Miller? ...I haven't heard that name in a long time. | „ |
~ Sam Burnett to Joy Struthers. |
Sam Burnett is the secondary antagonist of the Criminal Minds episode "Target Rich". He is a shuttle driver who comes forward when he is identified in a security camera video as a person of interest in Bahni Desai's kidnapping, which is being investigated by the BAU. While he is eventually cleared as a suspect in that kidnapping, it becomes clear that he is an unsub in his own right shortly after.
He was portrayed by Lea Coco.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Little is known about Burnett's past, other than that he was born on June 13, 1987, and attended New York University as a communications major. For unknown reasons, while there he abducted and killed a student named Kathy Miller. He became a serial killer after this, claiming another college student named Bailey Halbert before dropping out of NYU, traveling around the East Coast and killing two more college students. Burnett then moved to Virginia, where he got a job as a sober shuttle driver who drove drunk college students back to their dorms, mostly those attending Judy Temple College.
Target Rich[]
However, Burnett did not give up his serial-killing ways after moving to Virginia, and attempted to abduct Bahni Desai, a college student at Judy Temple College who he found stumbling home drunk after attending a party. However before he could do so, Tom Larson, a man who has been stalking Bahni, abducts her once the two reach an alley by putting his arm around her and pretending to help her home. Burnett is later identified as a person of interest in the investigation into Bahni's kidnapping and desperate to throw the police off the trail of his other murders, he turns himself in and submits himself to questioning by the BAU.
While is is intitially affable and calm while being interogated about his whereabouts the night of Bahni's abduction, Burnett quickly turns defensive when SSA Jennifer Jareau asks why he stepped back in the doorway when he saw Bahni initially. He says that he took a fare after Bahni walked off with Tom Larson and they can check his GPS for proof. He then threatens to lawyer up if they don't believe him. Upon checking his GPS and other details of his alibi, he is cleared of any suspision and is let go.
Disatisified with this, Joy Struthers, a journalist and the daughter of Joe Rossi, contacts Burnett and arranges to meet with him in the alleyway where Bahni was abducted. While he initially acts in a polite and informative manner, when he is recounting the events of Bahni's abduction, he shoves Struthers up against a wall, apparently at an attempt to reenact the abduction. Struthers is unconviced by this claim however as he is clearly excited by his act of assault, and she states that she knows he killed Kathy Miller, whose disappearance she is investigating. Sam indirectly confirms that he did when he says he hasn't heard that name in a long time. Before he can go any further however, the BAU show up and arrest Burnett for assaulting Struthers.
When Bahni is finally rescued and Tom Larson is brought to justice, Burnett is met with JJ and Rossi in the interogation room. He states that he intends to lawyer up and that Struthers' recording of their conversation in the alleyway that she secretly made is inadmissable in court. Rossi however reveals that it did give them probable cause to search his residence, where they found a necklace belonging to Kathy Miller, along with other incriminating items. Knowing that this will seal his fate, Burnett attempts to offer a deal to JJ, which she immediately turns down. Burnett is then presumably imprisoned for his crimes.
Trivia[]
- Burnett is inspired by multiple real-life serial killers:
- Jesse L. Matthew, Jr., an American convicted murderer and serial rapist, including of the rapes and murders of Hannah Graham and Morgan Dana Harrington, at universities across Virginia. Matthew is suspectes of more murders and rapes than found guilty of.
- Ted Bundy, one of America’s worst serial killers, responsible for disappearing college students.
- The attempted rape on Joy she recounts in the episode may be inspired by the murder of Suellen Evans, a North Carolina college student who was slashed to death stopping a rape attempted at her.
External Links[]
Sam Burnett on the Criminal Minds Wiki