How does Will die in Criminal Minds? Character's fate explored

CBS's popular police procedural drama, Criminal Minds, premiered nearly two decades ago in 2005. Created by Jeff Davis, the series follows the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as they use criminal psychology to solve high-profile cases. Over 18 seasons, numerous actors have contributed to the long-running series—one of them being Josh Stewart, who played Detective William LaMontagne Jr.

However, Detective William LaMontagne Jr. dies in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Episode 2 (Criminal Minds Season 18) due to an aneurysm caused by a rare thyroid complication. Additionally, ahead of Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3, Josh Stewart took to X (formerly Twitter) and teased his exit from the show.

Over the past seasons, Will's screen time was limited but impactful. Even after a cancer scare during a routine insurance check-up prompted him to prioritize his health, he bravely stepped up to support J.J. and the BAU, even surviving a shootout as well.

Stewart's character, Detective Will, debuted in the second season of the long-running series in Episode 18 titled Jones. While investigating a serial killer case that involved his father, he took the help of the BAU, and it is here that he met SSA Jennifer Jareau for the first time. After several ups and downs in the Criminal Minds Season 7 finale episode, the couple finally married.

Detective William suffered a fatal aneurysm in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3

The tragedy unfolds in Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Episode 2. In the episode, we see Will complaining about severe headaches to JJ, and he feels a little woozy. When JJ asked whether he was doing okay, Will suddenly collapsed on the kitchen floor. As JJ called for help, he was taken to the ER. When the other BAU members arrived in the hospital, they were informed that Will suffered from an aneurysm and that doctors found a rupture in the thyroid artery. As everyone waited for him to recover, a heartbroken JJ informed them that Will has dead.

However, do you know Josh Stewart's exit was planned before the latest season? Showrunner Erica Messer told TVLine,

"We tried to make it work for this year and it just didn’t work out. We love Will, JJ loves Will… and that’s always a part of her world and her character."

However, Will's death scene was shot before they even began production for Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3. Speaking to US Weekly, A.J. Cook, who plays JJ in the series, said that old clips were used to shoot Will's last scenes. She confirmed that Stewart was not a part of both seasons 2 and 3, so how did they plan his exit?

Cook revealed that the showrunner Erica Messer, tactfully made use of the clips of Will fainting from the previous season. She told,

"Remember the cancer storyline that we wrote in Evolution Season 1? We so badly were like, We don't want Josh to think he's going to die, we got freaked out by it, that we pulled this scene of Will collapsing. That's how much we did not want Josh to leave us."

Will's sudden death not only left JJ and his son in a difficult situation but also affected the BAU members. In Season 3 Episode 3, during Will's funeral, Spencer Reid returned for a brief yet emotional appearance, offering comfort to JJ and her sons.

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Also read: Is Criminal Minds: Evolution finally giving Tara the story she’s always deserved? Here’s what we think

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