When the team is sent a videotape from a serial killer detailing one of his crimes, they discover a hidden message asking them to help him stop his murderous ways.
The BAU is called to upstate New York to investigate mysterious disappearances. Also, Prentiss gets some disturbing news about one of her former Interpol colleagues.
Prentiss enlists two former friends from Interpol to track down an old enemy, as Reid discovers clues that could help the BAU locate the parents of an autistic boy.
The BAU hunts a stalker in San Diego who is targeting college students. Meanwhile, the team comes under Strauss' scrutiny in the wake of the loss of Prentiss.
The BAU is called to a North Carolina resort town after a woman is found badly injured and another woman is missing. On arrival, the team discovers these two women are not the only victims.
When the BAU is called to Florida after bodies are discovered buried in the ocean floor off the Jacksonville coast, the case hits home for Morgan because his aunt fears her missing daughter could be one of the victims.
As the BAU searches for a suspected human trafficking ring when the bodies of two missing persons are found in the trunk of a car, Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner intimates there could be changes within the team due to budget cuts as Jennifer "JJ" Jareau returns to the FBI. The team is also assisted by SSA Andi Swan, the head of the Domestic Trafficking Task Force.
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.