Monk Minor Characters / Characters

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WARNING: As this page details the identities and motives of every murder suspect (and their victims) throughout the series, well, needless to say this page is going to be rife with many highly-visible spoilers. You have been warned.

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Murderers and Other Criminals

Season 1

Ian Sykes

Played by: Shawn Reis

A hitman who opened fire on mayoral candidate Warren St. Claire's rally. Mr. Monk believes his target was not the candidate, but bodyguard Jason Ronstadt. Appeared in Mr. Monk and the Candidate.

Cold Sniper: Sykes' MO is shooting his victims from a distance.
Exactly What I Aimed At: His public attack on Warren St. Claire was a misdirection; he was actually firing at Jason Ronstadt, who as St. Claire's bodyguard would be by his side during the event.
From Camouflage to Criminal: Former US Army special forces soldier turned Professional Killer.
Obfuscating Disability: Pretends to be paralyzed to throw off suspicion about his being the killer. It fails when Monk notices his shoes are scuffed, indicating they've been used.

Gavin Lloyd

Played by: Ben Bass

The first culprit of the series, guilty of hiring Ian Sykes to murder three people: Nicole Vasques, a bookkeeper who discovered that he'd been embezzling campaign money, Jason Ronstadt, a bodyguard who refused to carry out the hit, and Jake, a volunteer who could have revealed a connection. Appeared in Mr. Monk and the Candidate.

Conspicuously Public Assassination: Invoked. He deliberately had Sykes kill Ronstadt in a way that would look like a failed political assassination, because that would keep the police thinking the killer was after Warren St. Claire, and get the guy some public sympathy in the process.
Crime After Crime: Crime he didn't want to get caught for- embezzlement. Crime he eventually did get caught for- first-degree murder.
Stealing from the Till: Lloyd has been charged with embezzling from a political campaign once before, but was acquitted. The fact that he didn't learn his lesson and did it again is what kicked off this whole mess.

Commissioner Ashcombe

Commissioner Harry Ashcombe

Played by: John Bourgeois

The corrupt (now former) commissioner of the SFPD. Appeared as the villain in "Mr. Monk and the Psychic", where he murdered his wife in order to continue an affair with another woman.

Dirty Cop: No doy.

Dr. Vezza

Doctor Christiaan Vezza (AKA Glenn Q. Sindell)

Played by: Juan Chiron

Dale the Whale's personal physician, who Dale blackmailed into killing Judge Lavinio after she ruled against him. He appears in the episode "Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale."

Accidental Child-Killer Backstory: Sindell is a disgraced former surgeon who inadvertently killed a child by operating while high out of his mind on drugs. He jumped bail and tried to start a new life for himself, only for Dale to learn the secret and use it to blackmail him into following his every order, including committing a murder. At the episode's end, Sindell decides to turn states' evidence against Dale to atone for his crimes.
Heel–Face Turn: "Dr. Vezza" is actually a disgraced former surgeon named Glenn Q. Sindell, who jumped bail after killing a child while operating under the influence of drugs. Dale learned Sindell's secret and used it to blackmail him, eventually forcing him to kill Judge Lavino. At the end of the episode, Stottlemeyer reveals that the FBI told the cops all about it, and offers Sindell the chance at a reduced sentence in exchange for his testimony against Dale; Sindell wholeheartedly agrees, remarking that he hopes he can undo some of the damage he's done by helping put Biederbeck in prison.
Named After Someone Famous: Dr. Vezza claims his parents named him after Christiaan Barnard, the first surgeon to perform a heart transplant successfully. This gives him away because Monk notes that Barnard didn't become famous until two years after the doctor was born.

Todd Katterskill

Played by: Patrick Garrow

Originally thought to be just another random citizen of San Francisco Monk manages to bother, Tod Katterskill was actually a man on an odious mission. He had recently been disinherited by his rich uncle, Thomas Katterskill. Not wanting to take that lying down, he forged a new will to let him inherit everything. However, his uncle's attorney knew that Tod had been sliced out of the will. So for this plan to work, Lou would need to be permanently adjourned. Tod is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Other Woman".

Chekhov's Gunman: For first time viewers, he and his uncle just seem to be two random people in San Francisco who get bothered by Monk (the latter even dying soon after), when in reality, they are in their own ways the key to the episode's mystery.
For Want Of A Nail: If he had used the name of a notary who wasn't on vacation at the time of his will forgery, and had followed Lou Pratt's filing organization, he might not have been caught
Forging the Will: The crux of Todd's scheme was to replace his uncle's will with one that made him the sole inheritor.
Frame-Up: Todd took one of Lou's files at random and burnt it to pin the blame on whichever sap he pulled. It just so happened to be Lawrence Grayson, a man who was angry at Lou for losing a case against his neighbor, Monica Waters. When he overheard Monk express doubt that Grayson was the killer, Tod killed him and tried to pin the blame on Monica to keep the cops off his scent.
Inheritance Murder: A variation. Rather than kill his uncle, he planned to fake his uncle's will so that he would be the sole inheritor. The murder aspect comes from killing Lou Pratt, who would have known the contents of Thomas' actual will and would have easily known the new will was a fake.
Leave No Witnesses: He murders Lou's secretary Regina when she returns to the office after forgetting something.
Oh, Crap!: His reaction to seeing Grayson's dog (who he'd used as bait for his Frame-Up of Monica) waiting for him as he tried to run away.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When the cops confront him, he tries to run, only to be stopped when the cops bring Lawrence Grayson's dog with them.

The Maids

The Maids (Gabriel, Maria, Mitzi, and Mrs. Garcia)

Played by: Irene Lopez Kuchilan (Gabriel), Rosario Rivadeneira (Maria), Rosalba Martinni (Mitzi), and Beatriz Pizano (Mrs. Garcia)

A set of unobtrusive hotel workers, Gabriel, Maria, Mitzi, and Mrs. Garcia had a dark secret: they were secretly stealing information from the guests to play the stock market. At some point, they had a falling out with one of their own that escalated to murder. Unfortunately for them, this happened the week Sharona Fleming dragged her boss to the hotel for some time off. They are the villains of "Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation."

Milkman Conspiracy: A secret ring of chambermaids are using confidential information left lying around in hotel rooms to engage in insider trading. When one of their number wants out (or wants more money), they kill her and use their position and near-invisibility to disappear the body and cover up the crime to the point where Monk looks like (more of) a lunatic for even trying to investigate.
Near-Villain Victory: Monk can't figure out what they did with the body until the last moment.
No Honor Among Thieves: Though they seem to have gotten along with one another quite well for some time, eventually one of them upset the others (even Monk doesn't know whether she had an attack of conscience or got greedy). They murdered her and used their position to hide the body and clean up the crime scene.
Playing the Victim Card: When Monk tells the (Latina) maids of his suspicions, one of them accuses him of thinking he can accuse "anyone of anything" because he's white. The Literal-Minded Monk says he's not accusing "anyone of anything"; he's accusing them of murder.

Wendy Mass

Played by: Jackie Richardson

Wendy Mass, just another African-American woman in San Francisco, crosses paths with Monk when she serves as the only witness to a murder, a murder she claims was committed by Trudy's favorite singer, Willie Nelson. Unwilling to accept the explanation, Monk digs deeper and finds evidence that Mrs. Mass hasn't told the truth. She is the killer of "Mr. Monk and Red-Headed Stranger."

Everybody Has Standards: Mrs. Mass may despise her victim, but even she thought it was wrong for Willie Nelson to be framed for the murder, to the point she felt guilty and was relieved when Monk solved the case.
Graceful Loser: Mrs. Mass is the only killer on the show who thanked Mr. Monk for solving the case. She said that she was feeling guilty about framing Willie Nelson, who was innocent. When everyone offers her a consolation for turning herself in peacefully, Mrs. Mass's only has one humble request: that her jail cell will have a window, so she can always appreciate her newly-restored sight.
Obfuscating Disability: Monk realizes Mrs. Mass isn't blind because she was able to offer the correct hand to shake the Captain's uninjured hand on instinct. It turns out she regained part of her vision and kept it secret so she could kill Sonny Cross for the drunk driving incident and escape punishment.
Unluckily Lucky: According to a clerk, she slipped and suffered a concussion while shopping not long ago. That would ordinarily count as bad luck, but somehow it partially restored her sight.

Season 2

Natasha Lovara

Played by: Lolita Davidovich

A skilled acrobat known as "the Queen of the Sky", Natasha was married to the ringmaster, Sergei, until they broke up. Unwilling to see her ex-husband carry on with his life, Natasha hatched a cunning murder plot. She is the killer in Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus.

Attack Animal: Manipulates Edgar Heinz' elephant to stomp his head to paste while they're doing their act for Adrian and Sharona.
Complexity Addiction: Natasha might have gotten away with the murder if she hadn't done the acrobatic stunts to craft an alibi.
Crime After Crime: Natasha Lovara, a high-flying acrobat, fakes breaking her leg, then shoots and kills her ex-husband with an animal wrangler's revolver, doing some acrobatic stunts so that witnesses confirm the killer was an active acrobat. Then she goes back to the circus, where she has Dede, an elephant, crush her left leg, so that the police will confirm her left leg is useless when they request an x-ray. But Natasha is seen by Dede's trainer, who mentions having seen her, so she tapes a walkie-talkie behind one of Dede's ears, then from hiding, orders the elephant to crush her trainer's head while he is showing off some tricks to Monk and Sharona. Which means adding in an extra murder to get rid of a witness — a witness who explicitly told her he understood what she did and wasn't going to report it.
Driven by Envy: From what the other circus performers can tell, Natasha can't stand anyone being happier than her, especially not the victim, her ex-husband.
Handicapped Badass: After Monk proves that they can charge her with the murder, Natasha manages to hoist herself into a jeep, despite her broken leg, and nearly makes a getaway.
Obfuscating Disability: To murder her ex-husband, acrobat Natasha Lovara stages a fall at a circus to make it seem like she's broken her left foot. She claims to have a fear of hospitals, being Romani, so she sets her own plaster cast, and for two weeks, until the circus reaches San Francisco, she pretends that her left foot is broken. One night, she slips out of the cast, grabs the circus panther wrangler's revolver, and trails her ex-husband to a restaurant, wearing a ski mask to hide her face. Natasha then shoots her ex-husband there, but to make sure no one suspects her (since she supposedly had a "broken" foot at the time), she does several dramatic acrobatic moves for the witnesses' benefit before escaping. Since she's aware the police will consider her a primary suspect and want an x-ray, Natasha then returns to the circus and commands one of the elephants to crush her left leg, breaking it for real. Unfortunately, the elephant's trainer happens to wake up and see her, so she kills him by commanding the elephant to crush his head in the same way via radio while he's demonstrating for Monk and Sharona.

Dennis Gammill

Deputy Mayor Dennis Gammill

Played by: Kurt Fuller

Politician Dennis Gammill added a dark document to a time capsule — a confession that he'd killed teenager Darren Leveroni while driving drunk. When it looked as though the time capsule would be dug up early as part of a bet between the mayor and world's oldest man Miles Holling, he panicked and smothered Holling. That might have been the end of it...except that Karen Stottlemeyer, Captain Stottlemeyer's wife who had made a documentary on Holling, got suspicious and set her husband and Monk on the trail. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man."

All for Nothing: Before, Dennis could have faced a charge of manslaughter for Darren Leveroni's death. Now, he's facing not only that, but a first degree murder charge for the killing of Miles and at least a second degree murder charge for killing George Rowe.
Dirty Coward: Dennis could have eased the grief for Darren's family by actually admitting to the death, but he instead hid said confession in a time capsule, where it would only be seen long after he was dead.
Drunk Driver: Dennis Gammill drove drunk one night and ended up killing a 17-year-old boy.
Improperly Paranoid: Gammill kills a teenager and leaves a record in a time capsule out of a desire to confess. However, the mayor makes a bet with Miles Holling that if he lives another five years, the mayor will have the capsule dug up so he can add another chapter to the autobiography he added to it. As the time nears, Gammill grows panicked and kills Holling so the secret will stay buried. He goes down after Monk investigates Holling's death; had he done nothing, presumably no one would have looked at his confession.
Mugged for Disguise: In order to get into the elder care home, Dennis broke into the house of security guard George Rowe in order to steal his uniform and his pass. He killed Rowe in the process.
My God, What Have I Done?: Dennis does clearly regret having killed Darren Leveroni, seeing as how he joined Alcoholic's Anonymous shortly after killing Darren. However, this remorse was not enough for him to confess to Darren's killing, and it clearly wasn't enough to keep him from murdering two more people to cover it up.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: The cops were able to determine that the hit-and-run case from five years ago was caused by a driver in a sky-blue Oldsmobile, and requested a list of all of the drivers who owned cars that matched that description. Deputy Mayor Dennis Gammill's office personally oversaw this request...largely so Gammill could leave his own car off the list and protect himself from being found out.
Villain with Good Publicity: Until Monk started working on the case, no one suspected him.
Would Harm a Senior: He tried to scare the 114-year-old Holling to death with threatening phone calls. When that didn't work, he snuck into the nursing home and smothered him with a pillow on the victim's 115th birthday.

Dexter Larson

Played by: Gary Cole

A technology nerd turned playboy, Dex found his decadent lifestyle threatened when Elliot D'Souza, one of the producers of Sapphire magazine, told him the magazine would have to be shut down. He appears in the episode "Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy."

Closet Geek: Dex excised his nerdiness and nerdy interests from his public personality when he turned Popular Computing into Sapphire Magazine and became a Hugh Hefner-style ladies' man.
Hate Sink: Dex doesn't exactly make himself well-liked. It's one thing for him to treat his models like toys to play with and discard when they grow old. But he crosses the line when he blackmails Monk by proxy using Sharona's pictures. He's notably the only man who could tie Monk's hands from doing the right thing. Later, he tells Sharona that he used to be nerdy, "the kind of guy girls wouldn't date". But given his blackmail, Sharona isn't too far off when she coldly quips "You still are..."
The Unfettered: Nothing, whether bribery, blackmail, or murder, is off the table when he wants something.

Stewart Babcock

Played by: Ed Marinaro

Stewart Babcock, a relatively well-off suburbanite, killed his own wife and thought that was the end of it...until a juror, who had been on the premises while deciding about a different case, began blackmailing him. Though Babcock paid the blackmail, the juror persisted, and Babcock decided to take matters into his own hands. He is the villain of the episode "Mr. Monk and the Twelfth Man."

Bloodier and Gorier: Not so much in how his kills were done (aside from the one mentioned in What a Drag), Stewart more has this trope for having the highest body count in a single episode.^note
High-Voltage Death: It's mentioned that one of his victims was killed by an electrocution.
Irony: Out of all the jurors Stewart managed to kill, the only one he missed was the blackmailer.
Murder the Hypotenuse: The implication seems to be that Stewart murdered his first wife to be with his second one.
Serial Killings, Specific Target: A variation. Unlike most uses of this trope, he wasn't trying to cover up one murder with a few others. He knew his blackmailer was one of the jurors on his trial, but he didn't know which one specifically, so he was getting rid of them all to be safe. He deliberately varied the locations and details of the murders in order to throw the police off his track, but Monk noted that the $10 bills used to pay at two of the crime scenes had consecutive serial numbers, which suggested to him that a serial killer was at work.
Til Murder Do Us Part: His first victim was his own wife. The events that set off his murder spree began when a juror investigating the premises during another case saw the body and blackmailed him.
What a Drag: Possibly the cruelest way he killed one of his victims. To kill toll booth operator Frank Pulaski, he drove up to his booth and gave the man a $10 bill. When Pulaski handed him his change, Babcock quickly snapped a handcuff onto Frank's wrist with the other end attached to a rope and floored the gas. Before Frank or his partner Tommy Zimm could figure out what was going on, Frank was dragged at high speeds nearly a mile down the road. According to Stottlemeyer, the results are not pleasant.

Pat van Ranken

Played by: Holt McCallany

In the California neighborhood of Tewkesbury, Pat Van Ranken lived with his wife, Rita. Somewhere along the way, he met another woman and started seeing her on the side. Soon enough, Rita confronted him about it, ending things with him shooting her four times. In the process of cleaning up the crime scene, he noticed he had a major problem: he only found three shell casings during the cleanup, quickly thinking the remaining shell must be in one of the three pies Rita had just finished baking for the town's centennial celebration before her death... pies he had just given to a town representative to keep up appearances. Now, he needed to get those pies back. They were sure to damn him, unaware that his agoraphobic neighbor Ambrose heard the shots, and called his brother to look into things. That brother is Adrian Monk. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies".

All for Nothing: All the crap Pat pulled to get the pies, including killing another woman to steal her pie, were utterly pointless, as the shell was actually in a bag of flour Rita had borrowed from Ambrose to make the pies all along.
Bad Liar: Van Ranken clearly has trouble making up an alibi on the spot when put in a position where he has to. When trying to get the flour that the missing gun shell landed in back from Ambrose, van Ranken claims that he needs the flour for a chili recipe. Ambrose immediately sees through this since you don't typically need flour to make chili. Later, when caught by Stottlemeyer and Randy behind Ambrose's now-burning house with a gas can, van Ranken tries to claim that he had just come from across the street to try to help Ambrose after seeing the house on fire. Stottlemeyer and Randy don't buy it for one minute and arrest him on the spot.
Dead Person Impersonation: He got his mistress to pretend to be Rita to make people think she was still alive.
Fiery Cover Up: He sets Ambrose's house on fire, hoping to either destroy the final bullet shell or smoke him out to kill him.
From Camouflage to Criminal: He doesn't make it a career like most with this trope, but he's a former Army Sergeant who murdered his own wife.
Strange Minds Think Alike: He and Adrian both get the idea to try and re-enact the murder to figure out where the bullet shell went, apparently at the same time. Pat even used actual bullet shells for his.
Til Murder Do Us Part: He shot his own wife during a domestic fight.
Would Hit a Girl: He killed his wife and murdered one of the fairgoers, Gladys Dohan, who won one of Rita's pies in a raffle. (He thought it might contain a missing shell casing.)
Would Hurt a Child: Pat was willing to push over a little kid to help gain an advantage in the potato sack race where one of the pies was Second Prize.

Brad Terry

Played by: Billy Burke

A TV actor for hit show Crime Lab: SF, Brad Terry was about to enjoy the rewards of the show going into syndication. However, his obligation to pay half of that to his ex, Susan Malloy, irked him...so much that he resorted to deception and murder. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the TV Star."

The Alibi: Brad used a recording of Susan's screams from an old slasher film she was in to make it look like she was being attacked while Brad was talking to reporters at his gate, then was killed by the time Brad got into the house.
Amicable Exes: Subverted. Brad and Susan seem to be on relatively good terms despite their divorce. But, as it turns out, Brad's show Crime Lab SF is about to go into syndication and since he was still married to Susan when the show first began airing, she's entitled to half of the syndication money. Since Brad doesn't like that, he stabs her while she's doing her yoga workout and makes it seem like she was stabbed by a deranged fan while he was outside talking to paparazzi.
Playing Drunk: Brad Terry picks a fight while pretending to be drunk so as to attract paparazzi attention, which then gives him an alibi so he can stab and kill his ex-wife Susan Malloy and make it seem like the murder happened seconds before it really did. Monk is suspicious, and his suspicions increase when he sees the check Terry wrote to the bartender — it was neatly written and exactly on the lines, not something a drunk person would typically be able to do.
Two First Names: "Brad" and "Terry" are both given names.
The Sociopath: Monk gets a red flag when he notices Terry lying about how great someone's script is whilst his steady heart rate is measured on a treadmill, then admits to someone else how he hates the script. He's also able to act the part of the protective (and later, grieving) ex when he murdered Susan himself.

Harold and Carol Maloney

Played by: Currie Graham (Harold) and Eden Rountree (Carol)

Harold and Carol Maloney thought they'd hit the jackpot when they discovered that Julie Parlo's grandmother unwittingly owned an antique chair that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson. To mislead investigators, they kidnapped Granny Parlo while she was sitting in the chair and demanded a ransom in the name of a defunct group, and then let her go unharmed, hoping Julie's relief would distract her. They did not account for Monk, however.

Affably Evil: They treat Granny Parlo well and even give her pizza during her brief imprisonment. Justified in that they're not interested in her, but the chair she's sitting on. They have no reason to harm her and hope that her unexpected safe return will distract her granddaughter from pursuing the case.

Evan Coker

Played by: Daniel Goddard

Suburbanite Evan Coker robbed a bank, killing a teller in the process, but was cleared by the police for lack of evidence. He thought that was the end of it... until the car where he kept the fatal gun was repossessed. In desperation to keep the gun from reaching the impound lot, Coker shot the driver towing the car in ice-cold blood. Unfortunately for him, this murder severely injured Karen Stottlemeyer as collateral damage, bringing the SFPD and their secret weapon Adrian Monk down on his head. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife."

Heroes Love Dogs: Inverted; he's a remorseless killer who owns a dog (which is shown sleeping with him in the summation flashback, so they must have a fairly good relationship).
Lack of Empathy: Evan Coker shoots a tow truck driver with a hunting rifle in order to retrieve a pistol from his repossessed car. The driver's truck then promptly swerves in front of Stottlemeyer's wife Karen, causing her to crash and get knocked into a temporary coma. In the ending, while being arrested by the police, Coker is shown chuckling and smiling after Stottlemeyer almost goes ballistic and beats him down because of this.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: Coker looks like a normal suburbanite, but he murdered a 22-year-old clerk in a robbery and shot the tow truck driver so he could retrieve the gun tying him to the first murder, then shot another scab truck driver to throw the cops off his trail.

Joshua Skinner

Played by: William Sanderson

"Funny thing about gold: the metal itself don't change much. Heat it up, melt it down, bury it in the ground, the gold itself never changes. But it sure changes people though."

California, 1849. Two men, Joshua Skinner and his partner Gully Watson headed into the mountains. Skinner returned with a fortune in gold while Gully died of a bee sting. Skinner built a house with some of his fortune, spent the remaining years of his life writing in hundreds of journals, and died, the location of the rest of his fortune dying with him.

Of course, there's more to the story. In reality, Gully's death came not from a bee sting, but rather Joshua's greed taking hold of him and killing him to avoid splitting the take. His fortune would later drive antique dealer Dalton Padron to seek it out, killing his own partner in the process.

Cloud Cuckoolander: Subverted; his rambling journal entries suggest he was eccentric... until Monk finds out that he turned the gold into ink; he was just trying to preserve as much as he could.
Gold Fever: He really wanted that gold all to himself.
Greater-Scope Villain: His murder of Gully Watson and confessing in a journal page ultimately led to Dalton Padron killing his partner and marrying Randy's mom in order to find it.
Karma Houdini: Skinner was obviously never arrested for his murder of Gully Watson.
Posthumous Character: He's been dead for over a century.
The Scrooge: The man had the equivalent of $6,000,000 in gold^noteAs of 2004, but according to his confession, he only spent as much of it as it cost to build his house.

Dalton Padron

Played by: Nestor Carbonell

An antiques dealer turned thief after some gold hidden at a marriage counseling center, Padron had a simple plan — marry an older woman and honeymoon at the location to gain entrance. The flaw? He picked Randy Disher's mother. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk Gets Married".

Ambiguously Gay: Disher strongly hints that his main reason for believing the marriage to be a sham is that he thinks Dalton is a homosexual. While it's made clear several times that Dalton feels no attraction to Mrs. Disher, it's never clarified whether this is because he isn't attracted to women full stop, or because of her age and/or him not even bothering to put the effort into faking attraction seeing how he intends to kill her off/abandon her as soon as is convenient.
Gold Fever: He bludgeoned his partner Raymond Tolliver to death so that he wouldn't have to split the gold when he found it.
Hoist by His Own Petard: He picks Mrs. Disher as his cover to gain entrance, which attracts her son's suspicions. Her son is a cop and has ready access to the world's best detective.
Kick the Dog: When Randy's mother tries to rekindle her relationship with Dalton by suggesting sex, he coldly rebuffs her, saying she's just "embarrassing herself". Poor thing cries her eyes out in the bathroom.

Sylvia Fairborn

Sylvia Fairborn/DeMornay

Played by: Kathy Baker

Sylvia Fairborn, a teacher/librarian at a prison, looks like the most innocent person there, but she's hiding a dark secret — she took the position to kill inmate Ray Kaspo and render his organs useless, ensuring the death of billionaire Lambert Lawson. She is the villain of "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail."

Cool Teacher: Sylvia is portrayed as a caring teacher who is liked and respected by the vast majority of the inmates. As anyone who's been watching Monk for this long can probably guess, she turns out to be the killer.
Mama Bear: Sylvia Fairborn killed Kaspo because her son James wrote a book that criticized billionaire businessman Lambert Lawson. Lawson, who was terminally ill and desperately needed an organ transplant to live, promptly sued James for every penny he had; Sylvia reasoned that if Lawson died, the suit would be thrown out, and thus killed the one person who had the same rare blood type as Lawson and could have saved his life.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Sylvia tries to have Monk killed by convincing him that notorious inmate Spyder is a person of interest in the case. Monk goes undercover as Spyder's cellmate, and the two become friends instead. In the end when Sylvia tries to have Monk killed again (this time with some Neo-Nazi skinheads) Spyder comes to Monk's rescue.
Pragmatic Villainy: Sylvia Fairborn is terrifyingly efficient when she needs to be. After her scheme to have Monk get on Spyder's bad side fails, she simply hires the Aryan Brotherhood members to kill the detective instead. She also uses simple but impossible-to-prove lies to lure people into traps.

Season 3

Steven Leight

Played by: Jeffery Dean Morgan

New Yorker Steven Leight, tired of his wife, decided to stage her death in a mugging. Unfortunately, the fallout led to him also killing the Latvian ambassador and his bodyguards to keep them from seeing evidence of the murder. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan."

A Deadly Affair: Given that Monk determines that Leight is seeing another woman, the episode implies he killed his wife to be with this other woman without a divorce.
Murder Is the Best Solution: As with seemingly all adulterers in the Monk universe, Leight decided that it'd be easier to just kill his wife than either admit his infidelity, or have it exposed. He then jumps straight to murdering the ambassador instead of just asking for his coat back, although this at least can be explained away as panic combined with the influence of alcohol. Now instead of facing the New York justice system for his wife's murder, God only knows what kind of international court is going to come crashing down on his head.
Would Hit a Girl: He murdered his wife in a calculating way designed to make the police blame a random mugger (though it still shook him up enough that he needed alcohol afterwards).

Gene Edelson

Gene Edelson (AKA Winston Brenner)

Played by: Todd Stashwick

Anti-military terrorist Winston Brenner, scheduled for trial, pretended to blow himself up and went into hiding as electric engineer Gene Edelson. However, one night on a date, a jumbotron close-up on him made him fear someone would penetrate his disguise. To keep anyone from seeing the close-up, he blacked out San Francisco twice to prevent the concert he had attended from airing on TV. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Blackout."

Accidental Murder: Brenner ends up causing the death of three hospital patients during the first blackout.
Did Not Think This Through: Brenner cuts the lights to Monk's house, ready to kill him and whoever else was inside...but he didn't have any means to see in the dark (while Monk could). The police burst in and the power gets back on, leaving Brenner's attempt All for Nothing.
Faking the Dead: Ten years prior, Winston Brenner pretended to blow himself up before his trial, and assumed the identity of Gene Edelson.
Improperly Paranoid: Edelson blacked out the city twice out of fear someone would see him on the jumbotron and recognize him as Winston Brenner. He hid successfully for years before this incident (and him murdering his Secret-Keeper) drew the attention of Monk and the San Francisco police.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Monk only figured out a connection between the Willie Nelson special and the blackouts because Brenner pulled his second blackout during a re-airing of the special.
No Honor Among Thieves: Brenner murders his old friend Alby Drake, who knew his secret and was contemplating telling the police after learning that the first blackout killed some patients.
Retired Monster: Brenner, a terrorist who had used bombs to protest, went underground after faking his death, and before the events of the episode, he seemingly hadn't put a toe out of line for years. That doesn't make him the slightest bit less ruthless; he murders his college roommate when the latter has an attack of conscience and tries to kill Monk and Sharona to keep his secret from getting out.
Would Hit a Girl: He was perfectly willing to murder Sharona to eliminate any witnesses to his killing Monk.

Season 4

Paul Gilstrap

Played by: David Weisenberg

Lab technician Paul Gilstrap wanted to get rid of his wife, but he didn't want a divorce or punishment for murder, so he set things up to make her death look like the work of an anonymous poisoner. His plan began to unravel when one of his coworkers caught him returning the toxin to its cupboard, forcing him to retrieve all the poisoned items. Unfortunately for him, one ended up in the Halloween order for Monk's brother Ambrose.

Chekhov's Gunman: The Frankenstein's monster who attacked Ambrose and stole candy from trick-or-treaters was Mr. Gilstrap, trying to get back the last poisoned Neptune bar.
Crime After Crime: Paul Gilstrap poisoned a bunch of Neptune bars to kill his wife without drawing suspicion on himself, but got caught returning the poison to the lab, so then he had to retrieve the poisoned candy. When an armored car driver ate one of the poisoned Neptune bars, Paul shot him in order to cover up the fact that he was poisoned. Then he disguises himself as Frankenstein's monster and attacks Ambrose to steal the remaining bar, which Ambrose had bought. He goes down for murder, attempted murder, and who knows what else.
Pragmatic Villainy: Due to being caught putting the poison back in the lap, Gilstrap attempts to take the candy bars he poisoned out of circulation, backing out of his intended mass murder since he knew that if people died of poisoning, he'd be the prime suspect.
Serial Killings, Specific Target: Paul Gilstrap plotted to kill his wife with a poisoned candy bar. He poisoned several other bars in the grocery store to obscure the intended target, but had to abandon the plot after he was caught sneaking the poison back into the lab he stole it from. While trying to recover all the poisoned bars, he saw that the armored car driver had already bought one and was eating it. Gilstrap knew that if the driver simply collapsed and died in the parking lot, the police would order an autopsy that would reveal the poison in his system. Once the driver began to succumb to the poison, Gilstrap grabbed his pistol and shot him, expecting that the police wouldn't look for poison in an autopsy on a gunshot victim.
They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: A short, mousy-looking man who looks like he wouldn't hurt a fly comes up with a plan to poison multiple people.
Til Murder Do Us Part: Gilstrap intended to poison his wife with a chemical that has no known antidote.

Reggie Dennison

Reginald Dennison, Esq.

Played by: David Valcin

Lawyer Reginald Dennison was having an affair with Judge Jillian Garr, and all seemed to be going smoothly until they got into a vicious argument that escalated to murder. After killing the judge and Julio Alvarez, the pizza delivery guy who tried to intervene, Dennison was left with a major problem: if the pizza guy didn't continue his route, it would attract the police's attention to him. He posed as Julio to shift the attention to someone else... which happened to be Monk's assistant, Natalie. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk Stays in Bed."

Amoral Attorney: He was willing to beat his lover and an innocent bystander to death. When apprehended he plans to turn the whole case on its head literally with him as the victim and Natalie and Monk the transgressors. Fortunately, Monk is able to prove him guilty on the spot.
Batter Up!: He murdered both Judge Garr and Julio with a baseball bat.
Dead Person Impersonation: He pretended to be Julio after murdering him so that it would appear Julio was killed later than he actually was.
Would Hit a Girl: He murdered his girlfriend and takes Natalie hostage.

Theresa Scott

Theresa Scott (AKA Phyllis Gaffney, Darlene Coolidge)

Played by: Ashley Williams

Seemingly just a cute, friendly rich girl, Theresa Scott hides a dark secret — she's a serial husband-killer with at least three murders to her name and no scruples about adding more. However, her luck runs out when she chooses Natalie's brother as her latest victim. She is the villain of "Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding."

Black Widow: She's married and killed at least three other men for their money.
Gold Digger: Her MO involves marrying a rich man and then killing him.
I Have Many Names: She's gone by multiple names over her years as a black widow. Randy lists a few of them after being brought in to identify her.
Villain with Good Publicity: Natalie's parents adore her and dismiss Monk as delusional and Natalie as trying to make trouble when they accuse her of being a murderess.

Alice Westergren

Corporal Alice Westergren

Played by: Rachael Harris

Simply another cop in the SFPD, Alice Westergren's life was going smoothly until her boyfriend, Detective Terry Chasen, broke off their relationship and decided to return to his ex-wife. In fury, she put together a cunning plan to kill him and misdirect the police. She is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa.

Graceful Loser: When Stottlemeyer, Monk, and a few others confront Corporal Westergren about killing Terry Chasen, she doesn't attempt to run or put up a fight and calmly confesses.
Hypocrite: When she's discovered as Chasen's murderer, Westergren says "I just couldn't live without him". It feels rather hollow, as she did kill the man she "couldn't live without".
If I Can't Have You…: Chasen broke up with Westergren, intending to return to his wife. Furious at the decision, she decided that if she wouldn't be spending Christmas with her ex-boyfriend, no one else would.
Killer Cop: When Chasen decides to break off his affair with Alice and return to his wife, she becomes furious and devises a plan to kill him with a poisoned bottle of port and cast Stottlemeyer as the intended victim. First, she suggests a Secret Santa gift exchange for the department Christmas party, then rigs the drawing so that Stottlemeyer gets Chasen's name. Next, she poisons the bottle, addresses it to Stottlemeyer, and anonymously drops it off at the station. During the party, she sneaks into his office and steals the gift he had bought for Chasen. Knowing that Stottlemeyer hates port, she suggests that he give it to Chasen instead — and the stage is set.
Villainous Breakdown: When she's found out over a simple mistake (mixing up the Christmas cards) Westergren maintains composure at first, calmly removing cookies from the oven. But gradually she spirals into a fit of disbelief and frustration at her mistake.
Woman Scorned: She became murderously furious with her boyfriend after he broke up with her.

Julian Hodge

Played by: Malcolm McDowell

A fashion designer with more skill with clothes than people, Julian Hodge finds himself under investigation when Monk reopens an old case at the request of his favorite clothing inspector. Hodge turns out not only to be guilty, but to be willing to kill again to make sure his skeletons stay in the closet. He appears in "Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show."

Berserk Button: Julian Hodge launches into a tirade when the buttons on his designs are worn even the slightest bit crooked, making him a kind of neat freak with a very short fuse. It leads to Monk discovering that one time, his rage was so strong he beat a model to death for showing up at a show drunk.
Evil Brit: He's the killer of the episode and played by British actor Malcolm McDowell.
Evil Counterpart: Like Monk, he's got a great eye for detail and is a Control Freak, but unlike Monk, Hodge's default reaction to anything that isn't to his liking is anger rather than misery or exasperation. He's also willing to kill for things as small as unprofessional conduct.
Graceful Loser: Julian Hodge—surprisingly given how big of an asshole he is throughout the episode. (Maybe it's because he's happy his blackmailer is finally getting his comeuppance.) He accepts the news calmly, doesn't try to run or resist arrest, and pays Monk what coming from him has to count as a grudging compliment: "So it's true what they say? You can never judge a person by how they dress."
Neat Freak: Julian Hodge could match Monk himself in his compulsion towards keeping things straight. When he flies into a temper at Julie for messing up the collar on one of her outfits, it gives Monk a "Eureka!" Moment about the case.
Villain with Good Publicity: Before Monk arrived on the scene, he had a reputation as a brilliant if temperamental fashion designer who every model and aspiring model wanted to impress.
Would Hit a Girl: Not only did he beat model Clea Vance to death in a rage when she arrived at the show drunk, but he's also willing to kill Natasia Zorelle in cold blood to cover up loose ends.

Mrs. Hammond

A cellist married to a fellow classical musician six months prior. She claimed she returned to her house from rehearsal to find her husband stabbed to death. Monk ultimately determined she was the killer and lying about her alibi, as she is wearing a long skirt and thus would not have been able to play her cello. While Monk does solve this case, his head wasn't fully in the game due to the recent drop in quality of the woman who inspects his shirts. Hammond is a minor antagonist in "Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show" and is not to be confused with one of the victims of the week in "Mr. Monk Goes to a Ball Game."

Played by: Dale Waddington

Noodle Incident: We never learn why she murdered her husband.
Til Murder Do Us Part: She murdered her husband for...reasons.
Wicked Cultured: Mrs. Hammond is a classical cello player. Her husband/victim was also a classical musician.

Steve Wagner

Played by: Jefferey Donovan

An astronaut looked up to by all, Steve Wagner had every reason to believe his bid for office would succeed, until his ex-girlfriend, former showgirl Joanne Raphelson, told him she planned to write a tell-all book, including a nameless account of his abusive behavior. Steve hatched a complex scheme to frame Joanne's murder as suicide. He was the villain of the episode "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut."

Domestic Abuse: Apparently, during their affair, Steve beat Joanne badly enough that she ended up in the hospital. Naturally, this would destroy his political ambitions if it came out.
Politically Incorrect Villain: He insults both Joanne and Monk for neuroses (he alleged Joanne was depressed and Monk had a breakdown after Trudy's death), claiming that some people can't handle stress.
Villain Ball: Initially, even Stottlemeyer and Natalie are skeptical that Wagner could have killed Joanne, given that he was in orbit when she died. Then Wagner taunts Monk about being unable to solve the case. This convinces Natalie that he had something to do with the murder. Monk eventually proves it, spurred by the taunting.
Villain Respect: When Monk has a breakdown on Career Day, Steve taunts him about the fact that he's a "flincher." After Monk chases the plane Steve is testing and stands his ground to prevent Steve from leaving (and disposing of vital evidence), Steve gives him an approving nod.
Villain with Good Publicity: Wagner cheated on his wife with Joanne and beat her so badly that she ended up hospitalized with a concussion. When she wrote a chapter about the details, he killed her in cold blood. However, until Monk uncovered all this, he was a local hero.

Denny Jardeen

Played by: Steve Heinze

A former Rabid Cop turned criminal, Denny Jardeen worked with a partner to hijack an armored truck and killed the two guards assigned to the bearer bonds within. However, when one of them knocked out his tooth, he had to go to the dentist and talked about the heist under anesthesia. Afterwards, Jardeen figured out what happened and confronted the dentist and his assistant, only to find that they had no interest in giving up their stolen treasure. He is one of the villains of "Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist."

Asshole Victim: A former cop turned crook who killed two guards (one of whom was engaged) over the bearer bonds they were transporting. Yeah, it's not sad to see him go.
Bludgeoned to Death: He gets killed when Terri smashes him in the back with a large tooth display in Dr. Bloom's office.
Hair-Trigger Temper: He seems to have had a short fuse, given that his partner describes him as going ballistic after one of the guards knocked out his tooth. He killed them both.
Rabid Cop: He got a somewhat dishonorable discharge thanks to his habit of beating people up.

Season 5

Jack Leverett

Played by: Greg Grunberg

Jack Leverett wasn't a big guy in San Francisco He was just a car salesman who was having issues with his wife. This led him to meeting a woman named Michelle Cullman in a restaurant, charming him in a way that led the two to Cullman's bedroom (well, pull-out couch, but same diff). However, before any hanky-panky could commence, Jack discovered Michelle attempting to record their encounter, likely to blackmail him. The struggle for the camera became the start of a horrible string of luck and destruction in his life.

Accidental Murder: He did not at all mean to kill either of the people he killed.
Lack of Empathy: He actually averts this, unlike most killers on Monk. He looks outright horrified whenever he kills someone.
My God, What Have I Done?: Has this reaction to both murders, Orlov's especially.

Dr. Jay Bennett

Doctor Jay Bennett

Played by: Frederick Weller

Young Dr. Jay Bennett took offense when his mistress Anna Pollard told him she had decided to work things out with her husband and killed her. This quickly spiraled into more problems for him when he had a fender bender with Linda Fusco's car while trying to escape, which brought Monk onto the case. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk, Private Eye".

Dr. Jerk: Dr. Bennett is quite an asshole on top of being a double murderer.
Not Good with Rejection: Dr. Bennett's reaction to Anna leaving him to go back to her husband is to kill her.
Villain Ball: If Jay Bennett had just paid for the fender bender damage and not left a threatening note on Linda Fusco's car (or, for that matter, written something like "Sorry!" instead of "Go to hell"), he'd likely not have had to kill Bill Gibbard (a witness who would have confirmed that Bennett killed his girlfriend Anna Pollard) and wouldn't have to try to kill Monk because Linda never would've taken her case to Monk.
Would Hit a Girl: He murders his mistress after she decides to go back to her husband, prompted by her confession that she hadn't mentioned the affair to anyone.

Paul Buchanan

Played by: Sean Astin

A rich young man with recently deceased parents, Paul had a problem: he had just shot his butler for blackmailing him and needed a new one before an important party. His choice, Adrian Monk, wound up increasing his problems when he and his assistant found evidence implicating his new boss in deception and murder. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk is at Your Service."

Abhorrent Admirer: Paul Buchanan has become one for Natalie over the years. Not because of his physical appearance, but because of his entitlement attitude towards and inability to leave her alone. She suspects that he had her prom date beat up in high school and he later confirms it by saying he should have been her date instead. She has been hesitant to go inside his mansion fearing that he may hit on her. Her suspicions are confirmed again as he tries to convince her that he would be happy to have a kid with her when she came over to his mansion with a Pillow Pregnancy.
Entitled to Have You: He’s had feelings for Natalie ever since high school and he has been trying to get her to return his feelings. Natalie, however, knows he doesn’t know how to handle rejection as she rightfully suspects him of hiring some guys to beat up her prom date. And it's certainly not helped by how his wealth gives him the arrogance to believe he can buy off Natalie.
Stalker with a Crush: According to Natalie, Paul constantly pestered her for a date and put her boyfriend out of commission the week before prom. He got away with it. To this day, Natalie doesn't want to go anywhere near him, concerned he'll try to woo her again despite her clear disdain for him.
The Unfettered: Paul resorts to murder to solve multiple problems with no apparent qualms.
Would Hit a Girl: He murdered his stepmother to make sure he would inherit everything (leaving his stepsisters nothing) and nearly shoots Natalie after she gets too close to the truth.

Max Hudson

Played by: Steven Weber

Shock jock Max Hudson is inflammatory on the air and abusive behind closed doors. Then one day, he escalates to matrimonial murder, and his wife's grieving sister enlists Monk to prove his guilt. Monk has never dealt with a radio comedian before, but once Max crosses the line, he finds out that a vengeful Monk is no laughing matter. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk is On the Air."

Domestic Abuse: His sister-in-law claims he abused his wife and has a terrible temper.
Hate Sink: Max is obviously meant to be taken as a loathsome little toad. His sister-in-law says he abused his wife and he eventually killed her in cold blood. He also makes jokes about the murder on his show and goes so far as to make more jokes of the same kind about Trudy when Monk confronts him.
Lack of Empathy: He mocked his wife on his show and had to rehearse his reaction to her death a couple of times before being satisfied that he sounded upset enough. He also makes a series of tasteless jokes about Trudy's murder in front of her grieving husband, something even his co-hosts thought was going too far.
Shock Jock: The jokes Max tells are designed to offend practically everyone. Natalie explicitly says that him being on the radio when she comes into a venue causes her to leave. He even manages to make Monk forget his problem with touching people by insulting Trudy, leading Monk to beat the tar out of him in the recording booth.
Til Murder Do Us Part: Max took "till death do us part" into his own hands by getting his neighbor's dog to turn on the gas while his wife slept, killing her and making it look like an accident.
Would Hit a Girl: He murdered his own wife in a cold, calculating manner designed to let him escape justice.

The Six-Way Killer

Dr. Leven

Played by: Kevin Quigley

A serial killer stalking the streets of San Francisco in Mr. Monk and the Really, Really Dead Guy. He makes his debut by murdering a street musician with six different methods, then leaving a note saying he will kill again in 36 hours if he is not stopped. This brings in the FBI, who stop at nothing to find the twisted killer. However, what they don't know as they run around is that the killer likely doesn't plan to kill again...he just needed a distraction.

Not Good with Rejection: Monk never explicitly states his motive, but the flashback shows him getting frisky with Jean, who then climbs out of the car and runs away. This implies he killed her for rejecting his advances.
Smokescreen Crime: His shtick of being the Six-Way Killer is an elaborate ploy to focus attention off the murder of a woman he went on a date with that evening. He had gotten her a very expensive, fancy dessert, and was afraid her stomach contents would lead the police back to him. However, he knew that they would dissolve within 36 hours, so he'd be home free if he could keep the police from investigating that long.
There's No Kill like Overkill: He murders Cyrus Canning by bludgeoning him on the head, suffocating him with a plastic bag, injecting him with poison, stabbing him four times, shooting him twice, and crushing him with his car, in that order. Ouch.
Would Hit a Girl: He beat his date to death when she refused his advances.

Dr. Scott

Doctor Davis Scott

Played by: Dan Butler

Dr. Davis Scott was of the hospital's rising stars, until a mistake cost a patient their life...said mistake being taking drugs before the operation. One of the older physicians, Dr. Graydon Whitcomb, was slated to testify against him in the ensuing malpractice suit, so Scott took matters into his own hands. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital."

Deadly Doctor: On top of murdering Dr. Whitcomb to prevent him from testifying against Scott in a malpractice lawsuit, when Dr. Scott finds out that Monk is on to him, Dr. Scott beats Monk up with a crutch and then arranges to have the injured "Mr. Butterworth" be accidentally given intravenous tetracycline (which Monk is allergic to), all in the name of preserving his reputation as a miracle doctor.
Small Name, Big Ego: Dr. Scott fancies himself as the hospital's "miracle doctor", and when an error he makes during an operation causes him to lose a patient on the operating table and get pegged with a malpractice lawsuit, he refuses to let his previously squeaky-clean reputation be tarnished and concocts a scheme to get rid of the biggest witness against him, Dr. Whitcomb. His Motive Rant to the incapacitated Monk at the episode's climax makes it even more clear that he is more concerned with being seen as the hospital's best and most beloved doctor than actually helping his patients.

Season 6

Arlene Boras

Played by: Angela Kinsey

X-Ray technician Arlene Boras saw a deadly medical condition on one of tech mogul Peter Magneri's x-rays. However, instead of telling anyone, she planned to use the inside information to make a killing on the stock market...a plan her roommate didn't approve. She is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Naked Man."

Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Upon being confronted, Arlene says she can't understand why Vickie didn't just keep quiet about the test results, as she would have shared the money she made.
Would Hit a Girl: She killed her roommate, Vicki, to keep her from telling Magneri the secret.

"The Realtor"

Linda S. Fusco

Played by: Sharon Lawrence

Realtor and girlfriend to Captain Stottlemeyer. Read about her here.

Jacob Posner

Played by: J.P. Manoux

Jacob Posner, a coin dealer in a not-so-great part of San Francisco, was attempting to buy some drugs when the deal went wrong and an undercover cop got shot...or so he believed. Desperate to avoid the consequences, Posner paid a fortune in valuable coins, only to find out he'd been conned. Posner decided that the "cop" would die again, this time for real. He is the killer of "Mr. Monk is Up All Night".

From Nobody to Nightmare: While he was trying to buy drugs the night of the incident, nothing indicates he had ever done anything violent (except maybe in self-defense). After finding out that he's been conned out of a fortune in old coins, he murders one of the people involved and goes after the others.

Michael Kenworthy and the Heist Crew

Michael Kenway, Thorn, Carl, unnamed accomplices

Played by: Randle Mell (Michael), David Grieco (Thorn), Jeff Bowser (Carl)

A naughty group of heistmen, Michael Kenworthy and his partners decide to grab themselves the ultimate stocking stuffer — the Star of Bethlehem diamond, worth millions. Their attempt goes awry when Kenworthy's distraction draws the attention of Adrian Monk. They are the villains of "Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa Claus."

Bad Santa: Definitely the case with Michael. He wears a Santa suit and throws toys from a roof to distract people from a robbery and slow down the police by blocking traffic. Later, he kills Alice Dubois, an elderly museum employee, with his bell in cold blood. He's also quite willing to take advantage of Monk's Hero with Bad Publicity status.
Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: One of the heistmen cracks a sick joke about the woman they murdered, saying that she won't be at work tomorrow because she had a death in the family. The others chuckle.
Playing the Victim Card: Kenworthy willingly takes advantage of how bad the situation looks, decrying Monk for attacking him when he was just trying to spread a little Christmas cheer...and leaving out the fact that he had a gun, attacked Monk, and was serving as the lookout for a diamond heist.
Villain with Good Publicity: Kenworthy quickly becomes a martyr after Monk shoots him out of self-defense. He later loses his good publicity when he takes out a knife during a stand-off with Monk.
We Need a Distraction: Kenworthy's original plan for the heist was to stand on a roof throwing down toys to the people below, jamming up the streets and preventing the cops from reaching the museum in time to catch the thieves. When it comes time to try it again, they leave a large truck in the streets as if it has broken down.

West Bay Trust Employees

Peter Crawley, Madge, Leon Harrison, Gloria Morlaes, Tiffany Preston, Jasmine Dadlani

Played by: Tim Halligan (Peter), Eve Gordon (Madge), Bill Chott (Leon), Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Gloria), Abby Walker (Tiffany), Susane Lee (Jasmine)

The best way to pull off a bank robbery is to have a man on the inside. The employees of this bank in San Francisco took the idea one step further... working together to rob their own bank. They are the villains of "Mr. Monk Goes to the Bank".

Boom, Headshot!: How Peter is killed.
Inside Job: There wasn't just one employee in on the robbery, it was the whole damn bank.
Stupid Crooks: Sure, Peter, buy a brand new Jaguar with money from selling off some of the loot while the cops are still fresh on the case. Nothing could possibly go wrong there.
Too Dumb to Live: The employees made an agreement to not spend any of the money or sell any of the valuables until the heat died down and it could be divided, but Peter just had to get that damn Jaguar, didn't he?
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: The group decided to have one employee get shot by the robber to make things look convincing. Jasmine drew the short straw (or toothpick, in this case) and got one in the arm.

Matthew Teeger

Played by: John Hawkes

A young man suffering from untreated schizophrenia who keeps his dead mother in the house à la Norman Bates, Matthew Teeger seems a probable suspect for the murder of numerous Julie Teegers in the area. However, once Monk and the police dig deeper, they find that all is not as it seems. He appears in the episode "Mr. Monk and the Three Julies."

Insane Equals Violent: Very much averted. Matthew is mentally ill and the symptoms are creepy, and he once assaulted his stepfather to protect his mother, but he didn't kill the victims of the week.
Loon with a Heart of Gold: Matthew may live in his own little world but he isn't dangerous at all. In fact, he gives Natalie's Julie his treasured Lucky Rabbit's Foot to keep her safe from "bad people."
Mama's Boy: He has a very strong attachment to his mother, to the point that he stuffed her body and continued believing that she was alive after her death.
Virtuous Character Copy: Matthew is a mentally ill Momma's Boy who keeps his mother's taxidermized corpse around and acts as though she's still alive, making him resemble Norman Bates. However, whereas Norman's alternate personality based on his mother makes him a danger to others, Matthew is completely non-violent outside of situations that would also provoke a sane person.

George Teeger

Played by: John Rosenfeld

George Teeger was a San Francisco man with a wife named Julie Teeger, and interestingly enough, a grad student neighbor with the same name. He also had another woman in his wife in the form of his mistress Maria Hamilton. Things were going alright for him until he and Maria got into a fight. In payback, Maria mailed some of his things to his wife Julie to reveal their affair. However, when she tore the mailing slip, it was sent to the student Julie Teeger (who often got her mail mixed up with the housewife's and vice versa). When the student brought the package over like any good neighbor, George got an earful from his rightfully furious wife Julie. She got a steak knife in her chest in return. George wanted to pin the crime on a burglar, but there was that student who witnessed their fight...

A Deadly Affair: Killed his wife after his mistress told his wife about their affair.
Car Fu: He ran Student!Julie over with his SUV to shut her up.
She Knows Too Much: He killed the student Julie Teeger because she was a witness to the fight he had with his wife Julie Teeger.
Til Murder Do Us Part: He stabbed his wife to death.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: He comes bursting through the front door sobbing over his murdered wife when he was the one to do it.

Season 7

Patrick Kloster

Played by: David Strathairn

A revered chess grandmaster, Patrick Kloster was so convinced of his own intelligence that he blatantly told his wife he was going to murder her, believing that no one could pin it on him...and he might have been correct, if she hadn't gone to Monk and set him on the trail. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Genius."

Batman Gambit: His plan to kill Linda was to poison her hidden stash of alcohol, knowing she had relapsed. This would effectively hide the murder weapon for him, and allow him to dispose of it for good before anyone had realized what had happened.
The Bluebeard: Linda Kloster was his second wife, and he also murdered his first the same way.
Crazy People Play Chess: Kloster is a chess Grandmaster and also a sociopathic murderer.
Domestic Abuse: Not only did he murder his wife, but he also taunted her about it repeatedly beforehand.
Faux Affably Evil: Patrick is relatively gentlemanly, giving Monk and Natalie some lemonade while they're on a stakeout and not pressing charges against Monk when he catches the desperate detective Framing the Guilty Party. However, it's less friendliness than it is confidence that they can't touch him and glee at rubbing it in Monk's face.
Lack of Empathy: Patrick feels no grief or guilt about what he did to Linda, seeing the whole incident as a game to flaunt his intelligence. When he continues using chess metaphors after being caught, Monk (who struggles with empathy himself) tells him he's sick of Patrick making light of two women's' deaths.
Smart People Play Chess: Subverted. A big deal is made of how smart Kloster is, since he's an International Chess Grandmaster, and he it does take Monk more effort than usual to pin the blame on him — he almost fails. However, Patrick shows himself to be an arrogant know-it-all who makes mistakes like any other criminal. Monk also gets very tired of his habit of speaking in chess metaphors by the end.
The Sociopath: Patrick Kloster repeatedly told Linda he was going to kill her with confidence he wasn’t going to get caught. Upon arriving back home, he pretends to be saddened by her death with Monk and his friends knowing he wasn’t. He constantly makes chess jokes even when Monk figures out why his first wife’s body didn’t test positive on the toxicology examination.
Til Murder Do Us Part: He poisoned both of his wives with oleander.
Wicked Cultured: Patrick is a chess grandmaster, and upon being informed of Linda's death, he quotes one of Romeo's lines from Shakespeare. When one of the reporters asks him about it, he tells him to look it up, not sounding very impressed that he doesn't know the reference. He's also a cold-blooded killer.

Mrs. Zlatavich

Played by: Rita Zohar

Mama Bear: Upon realizing that her cabbie was "the Butcher of Zemenia", who had killed most of her family, she killed him in fear that he would also take her daughter.
Sympathetic Murderer: Try to say with a straight face that Mrs. Zlatavich deserves to go to jail for murdering the man who killed almost her whole family. Can't do it, can ya? Stottlemeyer even says that the DA will try to show her as much mercy as possible, given the circumstances.
You Killed My Father: Mrs. Zlatavich lost most of her family and in-laws when Karsten Emerik slaughtered them all. She promptly gives him some stabs to the throat when she sees his face.

Daniel Reese

Played by: Titus Welliver

Frame-Up: He planned to do this to Shiv for Lindsey's murder. He ended up having to make do with Jack when he took over Shiv's escape plan.
He Knows Too Much: He kills Shiv to keep him from talking about the stolen escape plan.
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Based on the fact that he's not that far away from Monk, Jack, and Natalie when he's shooting at them and fails to him them even once, it appears Daniel graduated with marks.

Season 8

Harrison Powell

Harrison Powell, Esq.

Played by: Jay Mohr

While not a murderer per se, Harrison Powell is the kind of shyster lawyer who gets off criminals that are absolutely guilty, as is the case with Evan Gildea...and feels absolutely no guilt. He is one of the villains of "Mr. Monk Takes the Stand."

Amoral Attorney: Harrison Powell, in spades. The man outright bullies Monk into a breakdown in order to get Evan Gildea off, despite the man being guilty as sin, and brags about the fancy furnishings his successful lawyering buys when Natalie asks him how he sleeps at night.
Defeating the Undefeatable: Powell has never lost a case at the start of the episode. By the end, Monk has changed that. One reporter even asks if Powell will change the name of his autobiography, Undefeated.
Karma Houdini: Powell unfortunately suffers nothing except being dethroned as an undefeatable lawyer.
Smug Snake: Smarmy attorney Harrison Powell has absolutely no qualms about ripping Monk apart on the witness stand, using his phobias and OCD against him, to defend a stone-cold killer. He doesn't lose a bit of sleep over what he does and takes pride in his undefeated case record...which fortunately winds up tarnished by the end when Monk nails Gildea for the murder of an auto store owner.

John Hannigan

Played by: Dylan Baker

Engaged theatre critic John Hannigan runs into a snag when his mistress begins threatening to destroy his relationship with his fiancee. His solution? Murder. Unfortunately, he makes one big mistake when he chooses to roast actress Julie Teeger. He is the villain of "Mr. Monk and the Critic."

Caustic Critic: After sneaking out and returning to the show, Hannigan - who could have written anything - writes an exceptionally nasty review about the parts he missed, largely Julie's performance. While he could not have known it would come back to haunt him, the sheer pettiness of this makes it even easier for Natalie to accuse him.
Gold Digger: He is engaged to the daughter of the man who owns the paper he works for. This means he had a lot to lose if Callie Esterhaus revealed their affair, so she just had to go...
Kick the Dog: Not only did John throw Callie to her death, he did so after "proposing" to her.
Meaningful Name: A villain in an episode based on musical theater? Wonder if he's Agatha's descendant?
Villainous Breakdown: Hannigan doesn't react well when realizing that he destroyed his own alibi. Logically speaking, he ought to have recognized Julie after lambasting her in a review For the Evulz. He tries to defend himself by saying that she wasn't in the curtain call. Monk and Natalie refute that by revealing that she was wearing a wig and makeup for act two, but in act one she looked remarkably similar with her hair down.

"The Law Professor"

Judge Ethan Rickover

Played by: Craig T. Nelson

The final antagonist of the series. Rickover is a corrupt judge who had impregnated (Monk's future wife) Trudy with a bastard child, way back when he was her law professor in college. Years later, he conspired to have Trudy murdered just so that he could cover up his infidelity. But it's not until the series finale does Monk discover the whole truth about his wife's death.

Amoral Attorney: Well, he's an Amoral Judge who planned a few murders while climbing up his way on the courtroom ladder. He's a terrifyingly extreme example of a trusted authority figure who's actually corrupt as all hell.
Dirty Coward: Rickover murdered two innocent women out of fear that they could tell the public his dirty secrets. He tries to weasel his way out of being held at gunpoint by Monk using Trudy's memory, then he shoots himself in the head because he can't face life as a disgraced murderer.
Driven to Suicide: Knowing the revelation of his own guilt in a murder plot will kill his good reputation and courtroom career, Rickover chooses to shoot himself dead instead of accepting arrest and prosecution for his crimes.
Dying Clue: "You take care of her!", just before he shoots himself with Monk's gun. This leads Monk to discover the illegitimate daughter Rickover had conceived with Trudy was still alive, having been given away for adoption and living totally unaware about the identities of her birth parents.
Final Boss: He's the last murderer whom Monk has to confront, investigate, and expose at the end of the TV series.
Greater-Scope Villain: Although he only appears in the two-part series finale, he's first hinted at well before then. As the one responsible for Trudy's death and Monk's fall into depression, he's ultimately the GSV for the entire series.
He Knows Too Much: Killed Wendy Stroud, and hired a hitman to kill Malcolm Nash, to prevent either of them from revealing his affair with Trudy.
Hidden Villain: He's responsible for the overarching mystery of the show, but he's only introduced in its final episodes.
Karma Houdini Warranty: For most of the series, almost nobody was even aware that this man of justice was really a murderous criminal himself. Monk successfully exposes Rickover for what a scumbag he really is in the series finale, although he commits suicide before the police can even arrest him.
My God, What Have I Done?: When Monk yells at Rickover that he did so many horrible things all for the sake of maintaining his job, the look on his face implies that he's never thought of his crimes in such stark terms before.
Pyrrhic Victory: Rickover's efforts got him a spotless career as a highly respected judge, but also more or less guaranteed it'd eventually all fall apart by ruining Monk's life. Just when he was going to move up in the world again, Monk figures out one of his victim's remains are buried on his property while the police are present.
Teacher/Student Romance: Had one of these with Trudy, although it was likely more loving on Trudy's side.
Villain with Good Publicity: He's a highly successful and respected judge on his way to the California Supreme Court... and a horrifyingly arrogant murderer willing to off anyone standing in the way of his career rising. Heck, if Monk hadn't caught him, it's highly likely he would've eventually ended up on the US Supreme Court!

Novel series

Ernest Pinchuk

A passionate fan of the Beyond Earth series, Ernest Pinchuk, like many Earthers, found the announcement of a Darker and Edgier reboot distasteful. To stop it, he shot the intended producer, Kingston Mills (complete with a Motive Rant in the show's Conlang Dratch). Unfortunately, the proximity of this to the murder of Beyond Earth creator Conrad Stipe nearly got Pinchuk blamed for both killings. He appears in Mr Monk In Outer Space.

Honor Before Reason: Pinchuk vowed to speak only in Dratch until a worthy reboot appeared, and he refuses to break that vow even when the police, who can't understand the Conlang, accuse him of both the murders.
Loony Fan: Pinchuk is an extreme Earther who understands (and speaks only in) one of the show's invented languages. He also kills the reboot's planned producer, Kingston Mills, over the issues with his plans.
"Not So Different" Remark: Monk points this out to the police after they've accused Ernest Pinchuk of both of the murders — both he and Pinchuk act in ways that may seem irrational but to them are the only way of putting the world back to rights. He then points out that Pinchuk wouldn't have killed Conrad Stipe because it goes against his personal code. Natalie is thrilled that Monk has finally had a breakthrough; the police are less impressed.

The Zarkins

Bessie, Gertie, and Mabel Zarkin and their unnamed nephew/son

Seemingly just a trio of friendly, quirky old women on a road trip, Bessie, Gertie, and Mabel Zarkin keep popping up as Monk and Natalie try to give Ambrose a cross-country vacation as a birthday present. Unfortunately, they are yet another in the series of killers Monk continues to encounter, with dozens of murders under their belts. They and their nephew/son are the villains of Mr. Monk on the Road.

Car Fu: Bessie's son contributes to the murders by using his rig for hit-and-runs.
Evil Old Folks: Bessie, Gertie, and Mabel Zarkin are old ladies who have been responsible for the unsolved murders Monk keeps running into throughout the book, as well as dozens more. Bessie even indoctrinated her son into the "game", using him to commit hit-and-run killings.
The Family That Slays Together: The murders that Monk and Natalie have wound up running across all through the book are the work of three aunts and their nephew, who have been "collecting" victims across the country.
Thrill Seeker: A dark variant; the three aunts travel cross-country killing people for kicks.
Serial Killer: They've been killing people across the United States for some time. When they first meet Monk and Natalie, they show them an extensive knickknack collection, which takes on a much darker meaning when it turns out that each of those items belonged to a person they killed.

Derek Thorpe

Special Agent Derek Thorpe

Played by: Chris Williams

A pushy, technology-reliant FBI agent, Derek Thorpe moved in on Monk's territory when "the Six-Way Killer" murdered a street musician and threatened to kill again. Despite Thorpe's assertions that Monk couldn't possibly figure out the crime before their tech caught the criminal, the detective once again solved the case, humiliating Thorpe's team by demonstrating that they'd been led on a wild goose chase. This began a career downslide for Thorpe, who turned to crime and ultimately attempted to frame Monk and Natalie. He appears in "Mr. Monk and the Really, Really Dead Guy" and Mr Monk Is A Mess.

The Bus Came Back: After appearing in the episode, he disappears again for a really long time before reappearing as the villain of one of the novels.
Chekhov's Gunman: Derek Thorpe acts as a major thorn in Monk and Natalie's sides once they're accused, and Natalie talks to the keeper of the FBI evidence room, Agent Nesbo, while trying to clear their names. Thorpe turns out to have committed the theft, and he had an affair with Agent Nesbo to get access to the evidence room.
Face–Heel Turn: Derek Thorpe, the FBI agent from "Mr. Monk and the Really, Really Dead Guy", was merely antagonistic in the episode but returns as one of the main villains in the novel. As it turns out, getting shown up by Monk in that episode was the beginning of a career downslide for him, which led to him stealing money from the FBI evidence locker room—and killing an innocent man named Jeroen Berge, who caught him looking for it.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: In his first appearance, Thorpe was the head of an elite FBI team. While he's still an FBI agent by Mr. Monk is a Mess, the team has been disbanded and his career has suffered.
Jerkass: Agent Thorpe marches onto the scene as a pushy, demanding blowhard that treats everyone who works with him as though they are beneath him, doesn't listen to good advice, and lambastes everyone around him at the drop of a hat - with No Indoor Voice - even for just doing their jobs.
Villain with Good Publicity: Thorpe steals money from the evidence room, kills a man, and tries to frame Monk and Natalie. He's an FBI agent until all this comes to light.

Mr. Monk's Last Case

Rick Eden

Richard J. "Rick" Eden

Played by: James Purefoy

A billionaire who made his fortune in online shopping before diversifying into many other areas, including newspaper publishing and commercial space travel. He is the antagonist of Mr. Monk's Last Case.

Evil Brit: Eden is British, charismatic and suave. He is said to be the wealthiest man on Earth and he will stop at nothing, including murder, to get his way.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He's utterly confounded when Monk rejects his billion-dollar bribe.
Eden: A billion dollars. What were you thinking?
Monk: I was thinking about my wife. Molly was her baby. You broke her baby's heart.
Fictional Counterpart: His online shopping site Eden Express and his spaceflight company Genesis are fairly obvious expies of Amazon and SpaceX. He also owns the fictional San Francisco Dispatch, probably a nod to Jeff Bezos' ownership of the Washington Post.
He Knows Too Much: Eden murders Molly's fiancée Griffin because he was investigating the suspicious death of Eden's business partner. He does the same to hitman Lucas Kubrick to cover his tracks.
Make It Look Like an Accident: This appears to be Rick's style, as he previously murdered his business partner in a trip to Bermuda by ripping his mouthpiece out on a scuba dive. He arranges for Griffin's death to make it look like he had cut his bungee cord too long and hit the ground. Molly is not convinced, and soon enough, Adrian isn't either.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Eden is an unsubtle fusion of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. He got his start with an online shopping website that has expanded into a multinational conglomerate (Bezos). He's now the richest man in the world and has started his own space travel company to fulfill his ambition of being the first civilian to orbit the Earth (Musk).
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Griffin notes that this is Eden's default attitude towards life. He tries to buy Griffin off by offering him the editorship of a prestigious San Francisco newspaper, a job which he notes is worth $600,000 a year. Later, when he finds Monk in his beachfront mansion, he offers him a billion dollars to walk away from the case.
Monk: You think money can buy anything?
Eden: I do, because it can.

Homicide and Crime Victims

The Butcher of Zemenia

Karsten Emerik (AKA Drazen Mirko)

Played by: Unnamed Actor

Asshole Victim: The man was a warlord with countless hundreds dead in his wake, so it'd be hard to cry that he's dead.
Laser-Guided Karma: He was killed by an elderly Zemenian woman whose family he slaughtered, save for her daughter.

Miscellaneous Characters

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper (Born Vincent Damon Furnier)

Played by: Alice Cooper

The legendary Rock musician, Alice Cooper was the man who killed Sanitation Union leader Jimmy Cusack, Jr. Jimmy possessed a fine antique wingback chair in his office, and as a collector of such chairs, Alice was consumed with envy and had to have it. So he broke into Cusack's office, beat the man down, and then shot him in the head. In the process, he put blood and a bullet hole in the chair, which meant he couldn't take it...

Except in reality, Cooper is absolutely not the killer. This theory comes from Monk when he has gone insane from the trash buildup resulting from the episode's titular garbage strike.

Insane Troll Logic: Monk's theory about Cooper being the murderer makes no damn sense, and it shows.

Characters / Monk Minor Characters

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