Later that morning, the BAU team, along with Detective Addams and Deputy Kelly, were seated around one of the library tables looking the pictures and notes JJ and Reid had put up on the whiteboards.
"We need to take a look at your timeline," Hotch told Rossi and Blake. "And, then we need to go over victimology and see if there is anything we missed."
"Okay, timeline," Rossi started. "He abducts these women, using bear spray to subdue them. Puts them into a fairly large vehicle, and transports them to a location he has already set up. Most likely some place isolated where no one can hear them, and then he restrains them. According to the coroner, at this point they were probably in a sitting position."
"He doesn't give them food or water for approximately three days and then, sometime during the fourth day, forces them to swallow laxatives and diuretics," Blake continued. "None of these women were very large, so force feeding them would have been easy. Also, since they hadn't had any food or water, they may have taken the medications just to get the water."
"Just a minute," JJ interrupted "When an animal is taken to the slaughterhouse, aren't they denied any food or water prior to slaughter?"
"That's right," Morgan told her. "Among other things, it helps prevent fecal contamination of the meat that is subsequently processed."
"So, this unsub works or has worked in a slaughterhouse?" Detective Addams asked. "I don't think there are any around here."
"There aren't," Deputy Kelly responded. "But, some of the farmers in this area do raise and slaughter their own animals. That's where he may have learned how to do this."
"Most serial killers do start with animals," Blake explained. "It's considered the bottom level of the homicidal triad."
"How many farmers in this area may be slaughtering their own meat?" Hotch asked.
"A lot," Deputy Kelly replied. "We really have no way of knowing what happens on private property or for personal consumption."
"However, we also need to take into consideration the fact that prior to surgery patients are also instructed not to eat and, if there is extensive abdominal surgery planned, they are subjected to a bowel cleansing regimen," Reid contributed.
"Okay – So now this guy thinks he's a surgeon?" Detective Addams asked.
"Well, that does seem to be another possibility," Hotch noted.
"On the fourth day, he finally gets down to business," Rossi grimaced as he continued. "He lays them out flat on their backs, restrains them, and, after applying the topical numbing cream, begins opening them up. Two horizontal incisions joined by a vertical incision. He then opens the flaps and – whatever. None of the internal organs are missing. Apparently, somewhere along here he gets bored and/or fed up and suffocates the victim."
"Okay, we know what he does," Morgan interrupted him. "But, how does he choose his victims? How did Ms. Harris attract his attention?"
"And, what was the trigger that suddenly brought on this behavior?" JJ asked.
Hotch turned the laptop computer screen towards the room and brought up the Skype program. "Garcia," he called out. "What have you found out about the victims?"
