Ep 16. Mosley Lane

The episode named Mosley Lane is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of Criminal Minds, a popular crime drama television series. It aired on March 3, 2010, on CBS network and was directed by Matthew Gray Gubler, who also plays the role of Dr. Spencer Reid in the show.

The episode starts with a disturbing case, where three young children go missing from a small town in San Diego. The team of behavioral analysts from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is called in to investigate the case. The case is personal for Agent Hotchner, who is reminded of his own son when he sees the missing children's photos.

As the BAU starts delving into the case, they discover that the children are not being taken by a predator but are being kept somewhere against their will. They suspect it might be a human trafficking case, but as they dig deeper, they find something much worse – a child killer who has been abducting and murdering children for years.

The team then comes across a woman named Erin Strauss, who was involved in a similar case 20 years ago. At that time, several children had gone missing, and the FBI had failed to find them. The kids, including Erin's son, were presumed dead, and the case had been closed. But when the BAU investigates further, they discover that the children are actually alive, and were kept hidden all these years by the kidnapper.

Further investigation leads the team to a woman named Clara Hayes, who had been keeping the children captive in her home. They find out that Clara and her husband, Robert, were unable to have children of their own, so they started abducting children and keeping them hidden in their home. More shockingly, they learn that Clara had been involved in the prior case 20 years ago and was responsible for Erin's son's disappearance.

The team is devastated by the tragedy, but they remain focused on rescuing the children. They lure the kidnapper out of hiding by staging a press conference and then follow her to her home. However, things take a dangerous turn when the kidnapper discovers their plan and tries to escape. The team is forced to act quickly to secure the situation and save the children.

The episode ends on a bittersweet note with the BAU bringing the children to safety, but Agent Hotch is visibly shaken by the case, given the personal connection he has to it.

Overall, Mosley Lane is a particularly engaging episode that deals with a sensitive subject matter with great care. It is an emotional episode that showcases how strong the BAU team is and how they work together, overcoming their personal feelings. It is also a reminder of how important it is to protect and care for children and prevent anything from happening to them.