The UnSub, later identified as Hinckley, makes a series of cryptic and threatening phone calls to the parents to induce a state of pure terror. He waits for the parents to be distracted or away from the child's side for only a few seconds before snatching them.
The BAU tracks the UnSub to a remote area. They find that he has been keeping "trophies" of his victims and that his motivation stems from his own childhood trauma and a distorted need to "save" children from what he perceives as inadequate parenting. [S9E10] The Caller
Fans often rank "The Caller" as one of the saddest episodes of Criminal Minds due to the realistic horror of a child being taken from their home and the long-term devastation it causes families. You can watch the full episode on Paramount+ or other streaming platforms. The UnSub, later identified as Hinckley, makes a
The episode highlights Alex Blake's linguistic expertise as she analyzes the UnSub's speech patterns in the recorded calls. They find that he has been keeping "trophies"
Hotch remains the stoic anchor, especially when dealing with the grieving parents who are being torn apart by the UnSub's mind games. Critical Reception
The episode begins in St. Louis, Missouri, where a young boy named Andy Tabb vanishes from his bedroom. His parents report receiving a terrifying, silent phone call just before his disappearance. The BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) is called in and quickly realizes the case bears a striking resemblance to a cold case from 1985 in Newark, New Jersey, involving a boy named Richard Higgins.
" The Caller " is the 10th episode of the 9th season of , which originally aired on November 27, 2013. Directed by Rob Bailey and written by Sharon Lee Watson, it is widely considered one of the series' more unsettling and emotionally taxing episodes because it centers on the psychological torment of parents and the cold-blooded abduction of children. Episode Summary