| Criminal | |
|---|---|
|
Name |
Donald Henry Grayson |
|
Alias |
The Orange Blossom Rapist |
|
Gender |
Male |
|
Family |
Steve Malcolms (son with Jenna) |
|
Pathology |
Serial Rapist |
|
Modus Operandi |
Rape |
|
Status |
Deceased |
|
Portrayed By |
|
"You're a lovely little blossom, you."
Donald Henry Grayson, a.k.a. "The Orange Blossom Rapist", was a serial rapist who appeared in flashbacks in "Highway".
Background[]
Nothing is known about Grayson's personal life, although he described himself as inadequate when it came to women. In 1965, after a botched date with Jenna Bennington, he snapped and raped her. Empowered by the experience, he became a serial rapist in the 1970s and early 1980s, attacking several women in Miami and becoming known as "The Orange Blossom Rapist" after the orange blossom flowers he would leave behind. By 1982, Grayson had raped a confirmed total of fifteen women, although authorities have now come to assume he may have raped dozens more. Arrested the same year after attempting to rape another woman, Grayson was sentenced to forty years in prison with the possibility of parole. However, in 2014, he was released early for good behavior, much to the anger of the public. For months, Grayson assimilated peacefully into the neighborhood he was placed in without incident, although he received threats daily from his victims, neighbors, and concerned citizens.
Two months prior to "Highway", he came across Jenna by coincidence during a shopping trip. She ranted at him for ruining her life, and in the process, she revealed that he impregnated her during her rape. Wanting to learn more, Grayson did extensive researching and learned that Jenna give birth to twin sons, whom she put up for adoption immediately afterwards. Posing as a reporter, he contacted online the adoption agency Jenna left their son at and learned that one of the boys was adopted by a couple in Tucson, Arizona, while the birth records for the other were mysteriously missing. Feeling entitled to visit his son, Grayson evaded his parole officer and went on the run. His photo was circulated only through Florida media outlets, as authorities didn't believe he would be able to make it out of the state. As a result, he was able to roam freely and undetected once he crossed the Florida boundary into Alabama. He arrived in Tucson in early June, having raped at least two women on the way there, and asked around, eventually deducing his son worked at the police department in some capacity. However, before he could identify his son, Grayson was brutally and viciously stabbed to death by Jenna, who realized where he was going and wanted to prevent their son from ever meeting his biological father.
Modus Operandi[]
Grayson targeted brunette women in their 20s or 30s, all of whom resembled his first victim Jenna Bennington. He would lure them in with a ruse and charm them before subduing them during a vulnerable moment. Then, he would rape them and leave an orange blossom flower behind at the scene.
Profile[]
No official profile was made of Grayson by the BAU. However, Reid briefly described him as a narcissistic power-assertive rapist who chose to leave behind the orange blossom (Florida's state flower) because he felt he symbolized all of Florida.
Known Victims[]
- 1975-1982, Miami, Florida: Fifteen victims confirmed to have been raped by him. Named ones are:
- Unspecified date in 1975: Jenna Bennington (his girlfriend and first victim)
- Unspecified date in 1979: Erika Luck (his eighth victim)
- Unspecified date in 1972: Unnamed woman (attempted to rape)
- 2015:
- May 7, Citronelle, Alabama: Unnamed woman (did not leave an orange blossom at the scene of her rape)
- May 22, Dallas, Texas: Unnamed woman (did not leave an orange blossom at the scene of her rape)
- Note: Grayson is popularly assumed to have raped a total of 50 women as the Orange Blossom Rapist. Also, the BAU assumed that he may have raped an unknown number of women during his hitchhiking trip from Florida to Arizona.
Appearances[]
- Season Three
- Highway (via flashbacks)