In the Criminal Minds episode ‘Profiling 202’, it’s Agent Rossi’s (Joe Mantegna) birthday. On his big day, he receives a phone call from his nemesis, serial killer Tommy Yates. Yates’ present to Rossi is to tell him the location of his latest victim. Last time Rossi saw Yates was five years ago (again on his birthday). In that 2012 episode ‘Profiling 101’, Rossi was giving a lecture at a university using Yates as an example about how to profile serial killers.
Tommy Yates is portrayed by Adam Nelson. He’s known for his roles in the films Mystic River (Nick Savage), Appaloosa (Mackie Shelton), The Abyss (Ensign Monk) both with Ed Harris, and O Pioneers with Jessica Lange. Fun fact: Before Mystic River, Nelson appeared in two Sean Penn directed films The Indian Runner (as a cellmate) and Dead Man Walking (as a guard). Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 9pm on CBS.
[Nelson’s relationship with Sean Penn is mentioned in the biography of director Hal Ashby (Being There, Harold and Maude, In the Heat of the Night) Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel]
