The Most Infamous Criminals In Law & Order History
The one thing that continues to make the Law & Order franchise such a great watch is the truly scary nature of its villains. The depravity seen is many times jaw-dropping and it is horrifying to know that most of these stories are actually based on true-life cases.
There are infamous criminals that fill the series and with the spin-off, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, this was taken one step further as we also get a glimpse into the perspective of the criminal. Here are a few of the Law & Order franchises’ most disturbing criminals.
The Most Infamous Criminals In Law & Order History
7. John Tagman
When we first see Neil Patrick Harris on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, he is a shy, well-behaved young man. But it isn’t long before we find out that he is hiding a very dark and disturbing secret.
He is a serial killer who gives his victims lobotomies to keep them from leaving his home. Harris plays a crazed serial killer well, first coming across as sympathetic as can be.
It’s the fact that he has a tendency to eat some of his victims that really pushes his crimes to a new, horrible level.
6. Delia Wilson
Delia Wilson is exactly what you’d imagine a cold-blooded pimp would look like, right? Brooke Smith introduced us to Wilson on Law & Order: SVU as a goat farmer and matchmaker who provides escorts for those wanting company.
Digging a little deeper, we find out that she is sex trafficking girls on top of blackmailing a single mother attorney and framing SVU’s Captain Cragen for murder.
5. Mark Bruner
Talk about one of the most depraved serial killers in the Law & Order line-up. Ritchie Coster brilliantly plays the whacked-out Mark Bruner, a serial killer who does his dirty deeds just for “fun.” Because he is bored, he even decides to involve his defense attorney in his sick games. When he is finally caught, his first reaction is: “Now this is what I call fun.”
4. Dr. Greg Yates
Dallas Roberts was so creepy in his portrayal as Dr. Greg Yates in Law & Order: SVU that he needed a cross-over event with the series Chicago PD just to finish his horrific story.
His victims? Pregnant women that he would rape, then murder, then bury in a cemetery on a New York beach. In the cross-over event, he moved to Chicago to follow the same pattern, only to drive his victims to New York and bury them in the same makeshift cemetery.
3. Merritt Rook
Everyone knows that the late Robin Williams was a brilliant comedian. His enormous talents also shined through in the various dramatic roles he took on throughout his career.
So, while it might have been shocking to his fans, his turn as Merritt Rook on Law & Order: SVU turned out to be one of his most chilling.
Creepy, yet brilliant, Rook was responsible for the suicide of the doctor that caused the death of his wife and unborn child. He also ended up kidnapping Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).
2. William Lewis
As one of the most hated and feared villains on Law & Order: SVU, William Lewis’ crimes are horrific. He is a serial rapist and murderer, sadistic in every sense of the word.
To show just how psychotic he is, to show his vast tolerance for pain, he placed his hand on a red-hot stove burner. He was a recurring nemesis for Det. Benson, finally getting his hands on her.
Thankfully she was saved before he could do his dirty deed. His end came just as crazy as could be expected by him playing Russian Roulette.
1. Nicole Wallace
Nicole Wallace was a master manipulator, killer, and criminal mastermind hiding it all behind a pretty face.
Played by Olivia d’Abo, her Law & Order: Criminal Intent crimes began in her home country of Australia. Wallace began to feel her husband was beginning to pay more attention to their young daughter than herself, so to rectify that, she snapped her daughter’s neck.
Then she decided to move to America and start fresh. D’Abo ended up appearing in several episodes, developing an unhealthy affinity for Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio). It doesn’t end well for either of them.
