Rossi and Blake arrived at the recreation center shortly afterward and came directly to the conference room.

"We had an interesting conversation with the coroner," Rossi began.

"It seems all three victims were subdued in the same way," Blake told them. "Bear spray."

"Bear spray?" JJ asked.

"Easily available both in stores and on-line," Reid told her. "And, in this part of the country, no one would ever question it."

"What else?" Hotch wanted to know.

"The unsub apparently is on a learning curve," Rossi reported. "His first victim's incisions showed signs of hesitation and repeated deepening and enlarging. The second victim's incisions were more defined, and the third victim, let's just say the mutilations reflected his increased confidence."

"And, he is using a topical numbing cream," Blake told them. "In increasing amounts on his victims. Although, I doubt if it is doing them much good."

"Numbing cream?" Reid questioned. "That might mean that he does have some concern for his victims, and maybe he just can't control himself."

"A split personality?" JJ asked.

"I don't think anything that extreme," Reid told her. "But, he is evolving at a much slower pace than one would expect."

"We had the coroner give us a timeline starting when each victim was abducted, covering what was done to them, and ending with their death," Blake told them.

Deputy Kelly spoke up. "This torture went on for approximately four days," he observed. "And then he finally put his victims out of their misery. Who could do something like that?"

"That's what we need to find out," Hotch told him.