‘Criminal Minds’ Digs Into ‘Ritualistic’ Murder Case on Wednesday Night’s Episode

Criminal Minds is investigating the person responsible for ritualistic killings in a sneak peek for the latest episode.

As the Behavioral Analysis Unit works to capture a prime suspect for a vicious ritualistic murder in Tallahassee, a second person is found dead under similar circumstances, who happens to be related to the victim.

In a sneak peek for the tense episode, Prentiss (Paget Brewster) briefs the team on the victim and the peculiar way in which the Unsub murdered her.

“Our victim is Melissa Wallace, 39, a wife and mother who lived in Tallahassee, Fl. Local law enforcement referred the case to us due to the ritualistic nature of the kill,” he said.

“Her body was discovered in a wooded area, not far from where she lived,” Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) adds. “She was found barefoot, wearing a night shirt and bound to a tree. Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.”

“No signs of sexual assault,” Tara (Aisha Tyler) says.

“The backdoor was wide open, otherwise there were no signs of forced entry,” Simmons (Daniel Henney) added.

Rossi (Joe Mantegna) says: “Looks like she was lured or abducted from her home.”

Prentiss adds that her children, 10 and 13 respectively, were both asleep in the house when the murder occurred and did not see what happened.

“Threatening to hurt them could be how the Unsub got her out of the house,” JJ (A.J. Cook). When Spencer (Matthew Gray Gubler) wonders why the killer didn’t just kill her at her home. JJ speculates maybe the killer wanted to spare the children from seeing the macabre image.

“Is Tallahassee sure they need our help?” Alvez asks, noting that it seems that their case against the husband might be close to being solved.

“Except the husband, Danny Wallace, has an alibi,” Prentiss says as the clip comes to an end. “He was in Tampa on business.”

The episode will also see Prentiss reaching out to Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangness), who she notices has been acting strange since she and Reid were abducted by a serial killing cult at the end of season 13.

Garcia managed to get away just in time to help the BAU connect the cult to a former case, and finding their location just in time to save Reid from being sacrificed. The traumatic event surely must have taken its toll on the team members so fans will have to wait and see how Garcia reacts to Prentiss’ intervention.

Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.