Criminal Minds Actors You May Not Know Are Dead

With over 300 episodes and counting (Season 19 is on the way), few "Criminal Minds" fans can recall every actor who's appeared on the iconic police procedural. We all know the main cast, of course, though there's been some pretty big departures over the years. 

Mandy Patinkin left the show after two seasons, with Thomas Gibson's Aaron Hotchner taking over as the BAU's Unit Chief. After Gibson was fired, Paget Brewster returned to the show as Emily Prentiss following her departure alongside A.J. Cook, who plays fan-favorite JJ. Beloved characters like Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), and Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore) have graced our screens for years on end.

The short-term cast members of the show are just as important, playing the killers, cops, suspects, and family members that make up the broader world of "Criminal Minds." You may not know all of their names, but they've definitely made an impact, and in many cases, have had long careers outside of their stints on "Criminal Minds." Sadly, some of these actors are no longer with us, though they'll forever be a part of the "CM" canon. Here are "Criminal Minds" actors who have passed away.

In Season 2 of "Criminal Minds," Nicki Aycox played Amber Canardo, a deeply damaged young woman who grows up to be a sadistic, misogynistic serial killer. Abused at the hands of her father and brother and neglected by her mother, Amber begins torturing and killing girls alongside her male partner. Though she presents herself as a victim, the BAU realizes she's the mastermind behind the killings.

In addition to her shocking appearance on "Criminal Minds," Aycox was perhaps best known for her role on "Supernatural." She played a delightful villain named Meg, a demon and follower of Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). She also appeared in "Cold Case," as Christina Rush, the oftentimes troubled younger sister of Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris). You may have also seen her in episodes of "Law and Order" and "CSI: Miami," as well as films like "The Girl on the Train," "Perfect Stranger," and "The X-Files: I Want to Believe."

Nicki Aycox died in November 2022 at the age of 47. Aycox revealed that she had been diagnosed with leukemia in 2021, and often documented her experiences on social media. "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke wrote on Twitter following her passing, "She was a delight & delivered lines like honey & venom."

In a Season 7 episode of "Criminal Minds," René Auberjonois played an unusual character — not a serial killer, but someone who stands by while others die. Auberjonois is Colonel Ron Massey, the leader of the Somerville Military Academy. One of his students is being badly bullied, but he looks the other way because the bullies are his favorite pupils. Massey's actions lead to a suicide and several murders, while the BAU tries to work out the real culprit.

If you recognize Auberjonois, it's probably not from "Criminal Minds." He's best known for playing shape-shifting security officer Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," while also playing series regulars on "Benson," "The Practice," and its spinoff, "Boston Legal." In film, he appeared in Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H," 1976's "King Kong," and voiced Chef Louis in "The Little Mermaid." Auberjonois was also a respected theater actor, winning a Tony for the musical "Coco," which he starred in alongside Katherine Hepburn.

Auberjonois died in 2019, at the age of 79, from metastatic lung cancer. His death was publicly mourned by fellow "Star Trek " actors William Shatner and George Takei, the latter of whom called him on X a "wonderful, caring, and intelligent man."

Though his time in Hollywood was relatively short, Johnny Lewis made his mark early on. He began working as a teenager, appearing in shows like "The Sausage Factory" and "Boston Public." He appeared as Chili on "The O.C." and in films like "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" and "The Runaways." His most prominent role was in "Sons of Anarchy," where he played Kip "Half Sack" Epps in the show's first two seasons.

His final television role was in a Season 4 episode of "Criminal Minds" called "Zoe's Reprise." Lewis played a character named Eric Olson, whom the BAU learns is a copycat killer mimicking the M.O.'s of other killers until he finds his own signature style. It's a chilling episode with a powerful performance from Lewis.

Unfortunately, Lewis' own life took a dark turn following his appearance on "Criminal Minds." In 2011, he was involved in a motorcycle accident, and was arrested three times over the next year following increasingly violent and erratic behavior. His father believed he suffered head trauma during the accident, but no official diagnosis was ever given. In September 2012, Lewis was found dead outside the home of his elderly landlady, whom police determined Lewis had murdered. The actor was 28.

Prolific TV and film actress Denise Dowse appeared in more than 100 projects over the course of her three-decade career. While many viewers got to know her in the 1990s as Yvonne Teasley, the vice principal in "Beverly Hills, 90210," she also appeared in episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "ER," and "Seinfeld." She played a judge in the Simon Baker-led TV series "The Guardian," and therapist Dr. Rhonda Pine on "Insecure," while showing up in films like "Ray," "Starship Troopers," and "Pleasantville." She also directed the film "Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story."

Dowse guest-starred in two episodes of "Criminal Minds," playing Derek Morgan's (Shemar Moore) aunt, Yvonne Burns. Yvonne's daughter, and Morgan's cousin, Cindi (Shanola Hampton), was abducted by a stalker, and Yvonne often calls Morgan to see if he has information about her case. In Season 6, she comes into the BAU when it looks like Cindi's body may have been found, but the truth about her disappearance doesn't come out until Season 7.

Dowse died in 2022 at the age of 64 from viral meningitis. Ian Ziering, who played Steve Sanders on "90210," posted a tribute to her on Instagram, writing: "My scenes with Denise will [always] be remembered with the utmost in respect for her talent, and fondness for the loving soul she was."

Michael Massee made a career out of playing villains. He appeared as Funboy in "The Crow," the Gentleman in "The Amazing Spider-Man," terrorist Ira Gaines in "24," murderous satanist Isaiah Haden in "Revelations," and serial killer Charles Hoyt in "Rizzoli and Isles." He also guest-starred on shows such as "Alias," "The Blacklist," and "Supernatural," and played roles in films like David Lynch's "Lost Highway," "Amistad," and "The End of Violence."

Not surprisingly, Massee's Season 1 appearance in "Criminal Minds" is one of many instances in which the actor played a murderer. He appeared as Jacob Dawes, a prolific serial killer of at least 18 victims. With Dawes in prison for life and facing the death penalty, Hotch (Thomas Gibson) and the team interrogate him to see if he committed any more murders. Meanwhile, his wife, Sarah Jean Mason (Jeannetta Arnette), who assisted him in his atrocities, is keeping secrets of her own.

Massee died in 2016, at the age of 64, from stomach cancer. He left behind a wife, Ellen, and two children.

In Season 9 of "Criminal Minds," Mary Mara played Judith Anderson in an episode about the dark side of marriage. Judith is married to Alan (Ned Bellamy), a serial killer and rapist. They discover a mutual love for murder and become a killing team, and though they take a break from their gruesome hobby, a marriage counselor inadvertently reignites their passion for murder, eventually leading to their capture by the BAU.

Mara was a TV veteran, having appeared in dozens of TV shows in addition to her stint on "Criminal Minds." She played Inspector Bryn Carson on the police procedural "Nash Bridges," which featured Don Johnson and Cheech Marin in the lead roles. She appeared in several episodes of "ER," playing Loretta Sweets, a woman with cervical cancer. She also appeared in episodes of "NYPD Blue," "Law and Order," "The Practice," "The West Wing," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Dexter," and "Ray Donovan."

Mara died in 2022 of an apparent drowning. She was 61 years old. In a statement following her death, Craig Dorfman, Mara's manager, called her "electric, funny and a true individual."

Carmen Argenziano made a name for himself in the '90s sci-fi show "Stargate SG-1," playing Jacob Carter, the father of Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and the host of the Tok'ra Selmak. The veteran actor's career began in the late 1960s, and included films like "The Accused," "Broken Arrow," and "The Godfather Part II," in which he played a mob enforcer working for Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). He appeared in numerous cop shows and procedurals over the years, including "Kojak," "The F.B.I.," "Police Woman," "Police Story," "Booker," "L.A. Law," "CSI: NY," and "The Mentalist."

In 2009, Argenziano played a very spooky man of the cloth named Father Paul Silvano in a Season 4 episode of "Criminal Minds" called "Demonology." A Vatican priest who's been performing deadly exorcisms as revenge for the killing of a fellow priest, he believes he's unstoppable thanks to his diplomatic immunity. The episode brings up a lot of past trauma for Prentiss (Paget Brewster), whose friend died during one of Silvano's exorcisms. (Another friend of Prentiss in this episode is played by Walton Goggins of "Justified" fame.)

Argenziano passed away in 2019 at 75 years old, with his cause of death not revealed to the public. "While he was a class act and a consummate gentleman at the events he was booked for, he was also a caring and generous person," read a statement from Event Horizon, his personal appearance agency.

Geoffrey Lewis was a hardworking Hollywood actor who logged over 200 films and television shows over the course of his six-decade career. Lewis began as an actor in the 1960s and gained recognition for his work in numerous Clint Eastwood films, including "High Plains Drifter," "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot," "Every Which Way but Loose," "Bronco Billy," "Any Which Way You Can," and "Pink Cadillac." He also acted in films such as "Down in the Valley," "The Devil's Rejects," and "Night of the Comet."

His TV roles were plentiful and included appearances on series such as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The X-Files," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "Magnum P.I," and "Dawson's Creek." In 2006, Lewis appeared in a Season 2 episode of "Criminal Minds" titled "The Boogeyman," which centers on the murder of children in a small Texas town. Lewis played a county medical examiner in the episode.

Lewis died after a heart attack in 2015, at the age of 79. The father of actress Juliette Lewis, the pair starred in several films together, including "The Way of the Gun" and "Blueberry." "He loved us so," Juliette Lewis wrote on Instagram following his passing. "I am forever my father's daughter and he will never be gone." Lewis was also the father of eight other children in addition to Juliette.

In a Season 6 episode of "Criminal Minds," Brad William Henke played a serial killer with an unusual criminal pathology. His character Steve has a genetic condition called hyperosmia, which gives him a heightened sense of smell. A taxi driver, Steve abducts women from his cab who give off a smell he finds attractive. Once he captures them, he attempts to create a perfume of their scent via a disturbingly sadistic method.

Though Henke's "Criminal Minds" character is certainly worth remembering, you probably recognize him from "Orange is the New Black," in which he played corrections officer Desi Piscatella. Prior to his time on "Orange is the New Black," Henke had been working consistently since the 1990s after retiring from professional football. (He was drafted by the Denver Broncos, playing in Super Bowl XXIV.) He appeared in TV shows like "Nash Bridges," "Lost," "Justified," and "Dexter," and also acted in films like "The Frozen Ground" and "Choke."

In 2022, Henke died in his sleep at the age of 56. His family did not reveal the cause, though he posted about several serious health issues on Instagram the year before. "Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy," read a statement by Henke's manager, Matt DelPiano.

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