History JerksAreWorseThanVillains / ColdCase

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe, and despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. [[DomesticAbuser Jamaal]] from the same episode beats both his girlfriend and one of the victims who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her'', and shows no sympathy for the murder victims.

* The elder daughter, Natalie, from "A Dollar, A Dream". She wasn't the one who killed Marlene, but she nonetheless constantly berates and blames her struggling, widowed mother for their homelessness and acts like a SpoiledBrat throughout the episode, even though at least one of their hardships (getting the car towed with her younger sister sleeping inside) was her own fault. After Marlene's disappearance, Natalie is convinced that her mother abandoned her and her sister (even though they had just made amends after a fight), and even when she learns years later of her body being found, she still feels no empathy, believing that her mother took her own life to escape from taking care of her daughters.

* The elder daughter, Natalie, from "A Dollar, A Dream". She wasn't the one who killed Marlene, but she nonetheless constantly berates and blames her struggling, widowed mother for their homelessness and acts like a SpoiledBrat throughout the episode, even though at least one of their hardships (getting the car towed with her younger sister sleeping inside) was her own fault. After Marlene's murder, Natalie is convinced that her mother abandoned her and her sister (even though they had just made amends after a fight), and even when she learns years later of her body being found, she still feels no empathy, believing that her mother took her own life to escape from taking care of her daughters.

* "The Goodbye Room" is full of suspects who, despite certain flaws, tend to have both remorse and understandable motives for their worst actions. But Bill West treats his wife more like a slave than a partner, forces his daughter to go to a miserable home for unwed mothers when she gets pregnant, [[ParentalHypocrisy despite getting his own wife pregnant out of wedlock]], and obstructs the investigation into her death, all to protect his reputation. According to his wife (who also compares her treatment at his hands to that of a slave), he also does all of this without any apparent remorse or sympathy, before or after his daughter's death.

* The teacher, Miss Boyd, from "8:03 AM". She regularly embarrasses one of the victims, Skill, by having him read above his grade level, humiliating him in front of his classmates, and undermining his intelligence. When Skill finally has enough of her viciousness and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaves her class]], she just yells at him further, saying how he'll never amount to anything other than a drug dealer.

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. [[DomesticAbuser Jamaal]] from the same episode beats both his girlfriend and one of the victims who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her'', and shows no sympathy for the murder victims.

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. [[DomesticAbuser Jamaal]], from the same episode, beats both his girlfriend and one of the victims who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her'', and shows NoSympathy for the murder victims.

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. [[DomesticAbuser Jamaal]], from the same episode, beats both his girlfriend and one of the victims who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her''.

Regardless of whether an episode has a SympatheticMurderer or a less likable character who did the killing, many episodes have other characters who are prominent {{jerkass}}es who deserves more hatred, especially since it's rarer for them to receive any comeuppance:

* In "Wishing", Leah's father is a SmugSnake with zero empathy seeing a dying woman left unable to care for her son after he gets the boy expelled. Also, Colin's father abandoned him for being neurodivergent, never paid child support, refused to take in his son while his mother was dying (which would likely leave him as a ward of the state) and, even long after Colin's death, coldly admits that his son never meant a thing to him alive or dead.

* The doer from "The War at Home" feels genuine remorse about [[spoiler:accidentally killing his best friend and fellow soldier Dana, and confesses to his crime]]. Another soldier who was featured in an assembly at Dana's daughter's school, Charles Kozlowski, on the other hand is a nasty DomesticAbuser who couldn't care less about Dana's missing arm or her obvious PTSD, feels that [[StayInTheKitchen women have no place in the service]], and [[LackOfEmpathy doesn't have the least bit of sympathy when he learns of her death]].

* The elder daughter, Natalie, from "A Dollar, A Dream". She wasn't the one who killed her mother, but she nonetheless constantly berates and blames her struggling, widowed mother for their homelessness and acts like a SpoiledBrat throughout the episode, even though at least one of their hardships (getting the car towed with her younger sister sleeping inside) was her own fault. After their mother's murder, Natalie is convinced that Marlene abandoned them, but when she learns years later of her body being found, she still feels no empathy, believing that her mother took her own life to escape from taking care of her daughters.

* Councilman Boone from "Street Money" hasn't done much to improve his struggling district (or at least certain neighborhoods of it) in multiple terms, is willing to use his influence to threaten the livelihoods of hardworking people who support his opponent, and cheated on his wife while she was dying. While he does admit to eventually seeing his opponent as a WorthyOpponent, and the guy told him that they could accomplish more working together, Stillman is highly skeptical about whether Boone would have kept that truce.

* Ronde, the record producer from "Soul", is less sympathetic than the ATragedyOfImpulsiveness killer, even under the most charitable reading of his character. He works his employees a lot harder than he has any right to, considering that he also underpays them, gives them little respect, steals Billy's glory after initially dismissing his ideas (although he has seemingly accomplished a lot on his own since parting ways with Billy), possibly sleeps with his secretaries (although he denies it and that may have been mere gossip), and repeatedly ruins Chandra's chances to work on the record due to feeling that attractiveness matters more than skill for female singers.

* "Stealing Home" and "Frank's Best" both have killers who deeply regret their actions (although the latter one is a lot less creepy in general than the other) and likely inspire less contempt than the guest characters from those episodes who help desperate immigrants into America, but only when they think they can exploit them in one or way or another.

* The elder daughter, Natalie, from "A Dollar, A Dream". She wasn't the one who killed her mother, but she nonetheless constantly berates and blames her struggling, widowed mother for their homelessness and acts like a SpoiledBrat throughout the episode, even though at least one of their hardships (getting the car towed with her younger sister sleeping inside) was her own fault. After their mother's murder, Natalie is convinced that she abandoned them, but when she learns years later of her body being found, she still feels no empathy, believing that her mother took her own life to escape from taking care of her daughters.

* Brie, the one-time babysitter from "Baby Blues", is at one point suspected of fatally poisoning the infant Iris to get her to sleep since she did it previously. Although that didn't kill her, Brie is still an obnoxious, stuck-up, SpoiledBrat and negligent babysitter who neglected Iris and her brother, and even had her boyfriend over for sex. When caught by the previous sitter, Brie threatens her into silence by citing [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney her parents' connections]] and implies that [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain she'll have the woman, who's Hispanic, deported]].

* Brie, the one-time babysitter from "Baby Blues", is at one point suspected of poisoning the baby to get her to sleep since she did it previously. Although that didn't kill her and [[spoiler:her mother of the infant killed her in a fit of postpartum psychosis]], Brie is still a loser and a terrible babysitting who in addition to neglecting the kids, also has her boyfriend over for sex and when caught by the previous sitter, threatens her into silence by citing her [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney parents' connections]] and implies that [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain she'll have the woman, who's Hispanic, deported]].

* The teacher, Miss Boyd, from "8:03 AM". She regularly embarrasses the one victim by having him read above his grade level, humilate him in front of his classmates, and undermine his intelligence. When he's finally had enough of her viciousness and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere leaves her class]], she just yells at him further, saying how he'll never amount to anything other than a drug dealer.

* Gerald Carter from "Wunderkind" is a {{Jerkass}} and a GlorifiedSpermDonor who willingly abandoned his wife and two sons. His abandonment caused his older son to become a drug dealer and wannabe gang member who manipulated his kid brother for his math talents [[spoiler: and then shot him to join said gang, who ended up deserting ''him'' when he's shot and paralyzed]]. When Gerald calls the cops stupid and lazy for not solving his son's murder and [[SmugSnake keeps being such a huge asshole overall to the point of nearly being assaulted by Jeffries, he simply brags that he hopes he hits him so that he can sue.]]

* Gerald Carter from "Wunderkind" is a {{Jerkass}} and a GlorifiedSpermDonor who willingly abandoned his wife and two sons. His abandonment caused his older son to become a drug dealer and wannabe gang member who manipulated his kid brother for his math talents [[spoiler: and then shot him to join said gang, who ended up deserting ''him'' when he's shot and paralyzed]]. When Gerald calls the cops stupid and lazy for not solving his son's murder and [[SmugSnake otherwise being a huge asshole to the point of nearly being assaulted by Jeffries, he simply brags that he hopes he hits him so that he can sue.]]

* The teacher from "8:03 AM". She regularly embarrasses the one victim by having him read above his grade level and undermine his intelligence. When he's finally had enough of her viciousness and leaves her class, she just yells at him further, saying how he'll never amount to anything other than a drug dealer.

%%* The corrupt principal from "Saving Sammy"

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. Jamaal, from the same episode, beats both his girlfriend and one of the victims who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her''.

* The doer from "The War at Home" feels genuine remorse about accidentally killing his best friend and fellow soldier and confesses to his crime. Another soldier who was featured in an assembly at the victim's daughter's school, Charles Kozlowski, on the other hand is a nasty DomesticAbuser who couldn't care less about the victim's injuries or her obvious [=PTSD=], feels that [[StayInTheKitchen women have no place in the service,]] and doesn't have the least bit of sympathy when he learns of her death.

* The teacher from "8:03 AM". She regularly embarrasses the one victim by having him read above his grade level and undermine his intelligence and when he's finally had enough of her viciousness and leaves her class, she yells at him further saying how he'll never amount to anything other than a drug dealer.

* The killer from "The Dealer" may have a nasty ego, but Frank and Mickey spend most of their screentime bullying their subordinates, being disloyal to their employer, expressing blatant racism, sexism, and ageism, and ripping off low-income customers at their used car lot to infuriating degrees. Worst of all, [[KarmaHoudini nothing of consequence has ever happened to them and they still continue their underhanded ways while making comfortable livings.]]

* The killer from "The Dealer" may have a nasty ego, but Frank and Mickey spend most of their screentime bullying their subordinates, being disloyal to their employer, and ripping off low-income customers at their used car lot to infuriating degrees.

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. Jamaal, from the same episode, beats both his girlfriend and another guy who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her''.

* The elder daughter, Natalie, from "A Dollar, A Dream". She wasn't the one who killed her mother, but she nonetheless constantly berates and blames her struggling, widowed mother for their homelessness and acts like a SpoiledBrat throughout the episode, even though at least one of their hardships (getting the car towed with her younger sister sleeping inside) was her own fault. After their mother's murder, she's convinced that she abandoned them, but when she later learns of her body being found, she still feels no empathy, believing that her mother took her own life to escape from taking care of her daughters.

* Ronde, the record producer from "Soul", is less sympathetic than the ATragedyOfImpulsiveness killer, even under the most charitable reading of his character. He works his employees a lot harder than he has any right to, considering that he also underpays them, gives them little respect, steals Billy's glory after initially dismissing his ideas (although he has seemingly accomplished a lot on his own since parting ways with Billy), possibly sleeps with his secretaries (although he denies it and that may have been mere gossip) and repeatedly ruins Chandra's chances to work on the record due to feeling that attractiveness matters more than skill for female singers.

* "Stealing Home" and "Frank's Best" both have killers who are hardly unrepentant (although the latter one is a lot less creepy in general than the other) and likely inspire less contempt than the guest characters from those episodes who help desperate immigrants into America, but only when they think they can exploit them in one or way or another.

* The killer from "The Badlands" has a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds vibe and, despite committing some of the most shocking violence in the show, does it in more of a panicked CrimeAfterCrime way than a sadistic or cold-blooded fashion. Jamaal, from the same episode, beats both his girlfriend and another guy who flirted with her while also having no compunctions about cheating on ''her''.

* In "Wishing", Leah's father is a SmugSnake with zero empathy seeing a dying woman left unable to care for her son after he gets the boy expelled. Also, Colin's father abandoned him for being neurodivergent, never paid child support, refused to take in his son while his mother was dying (which would likely leave him as a ward of the state) and, even long after Colin's death, coldly admits that his son never meant a thing to him alive or dead.

* Ronde, the record producer from "Soul", is less sympathetic than the ATragedyOfImpulsiveness killer, even under the most charitable reading of his character. He works his employees a lot harder than he has any right to, considering that he also underpays them, gives them little respect, steals Billy's glory after initially dismissing his ideas (although he has seemingly accomplished a lot on his own since parting ways with Billy), possibly sleeps with his secretaries (although he denies it and that may have been mere gossip) and repeatedly ruins Chandra's chances to work on the record due to feeling that attractiveness matters more than skill for female singers.
* The RedScare-embodying cops and bigoted principal in "Red Glare" spread pitiless misery with every second they are onscreen, while the killer at least started out with good intentions.