OK, So On "The Office," Who Was The Scranton Strangler? Here Are Some Theories

It might have been Toby...or it might not have been Toby.

If you'll remember, the Scranton Strangler was a lurking threat during many seasons of The Office.

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Here's Dwight dressing up as him for Halloween one year.

Eventually, the Strangler was caught after a car chase with police, and Toby served on the jury that eventually sentenced George Howard Skub.

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But Toby expressed doubts that the convicted man was actually the Scranton Strangler...so who else could it have been???

With the help of some fans on Reddit, we have a few theories to present.

1. Robert California

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The case for: This guy was consistently a weirdo, but more damning is the timeline of his involvement in the Scranton branch. Robert California shows up shortly after Toby gets involved with the case, possibly to make sure Toby doesn't find out the truth, and then when Robert leaves, we hear nothing about the Scranton Strangler again. Plus, if George Howard Skub is taking the fall, who other than a wealthy CEO could pay him off?

The case against: Though Robert California is definitely eccentric, he's never really shown any violent tendencies. Plus, he's roaming about as a free man, so wouldn't we have heard of more murders using the Strangler's M.O.?

2. Gabe Lewis

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The case for: Like Robert California, Gabe's arrival and departure from the show coincide strongly with known attacks by the Scranton Strangler. And while Gabe seems like a mild-mannered fellow, he is really into horror movies. Like, really into them.

The case against: Can you really imagine Gabe strangling someone to death? I don't think he could actually do it. He seems like he would have weak hands.

3. Creed Bratton

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The case for: There are too many suspicious Creed moments to count, like the time he showed up to the office with blood on his shirt (lucky for him it was Halloween). He also once asked Jim how long he could hold his breath. ~Shudder~.

The case against: Listen, I have no doubt in my mind that Creed has killed at least one person and/or animal in his lifetime. But it seems to me that Creed would also never kill anyone unless there was some kind of benefit for him, so being a serial killer seems...I dunno, beneath him somehow?

4. Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration

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The case for: I know, I know, how dare I? But listen, Bob Vance is very emphatic about promoting his business, and some theorize that it's because he has some ~side hobbies~ that he tries to divert attention from. Or, maybe Bob Vance isn't his real name, so he says it a lot to really drill it into people. Also, Phyllis mentions that Bob sometimes beats up guys in bars that flirt with her, so he definitely has some violent tendencies. Also, if someone needed to hide or transport a body, wouldn't a refrigeration business be the perfect tool?

The case against: Others theorize that Bob is just trying to plug his business on camera. Also, Bob seems more like he'd be involved with organized crime than being a lone serial killer, ya know?

5. Andy Bernard

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The case for: Hey, remember when Andy punched a wall? The guy has documented anger issues. Of course, that doesn't make him a serial killer, but Redditor Kannabull has a long theory explaining that he — or at least an aspect of his personality — could be.

The case against: He's Andy Bernard. He's a little bit too much of a clumsy goofball to pull off a string of murders.

6. Mose

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The case for: Mose is just a creepy dude. He has a knack for quietly sneaking up on people, and he definitely has some weird personal habits.

The case against: One would assume that a serial killer would need a car to get around, transport bodies, etc. Mose probably doesn't even have a driver's license, as evidenced by how dangerously he drives Toby's car when he valets.

7. Toby Flenderson

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The case for: There's a long list of items that suggest Toby could be the Scranton Strangler, not least of which is his obsession with the case. After his time on the jury, he's wracked with guilt, which could be because he knows the wrong man went to prison. Also, did you see that green Mercury Cougar in the police chase? It turns out that car was once PARKED AT THE OFFICE.

The case against: Toby did go visit the convicted Scranton Strangler in prison, and got strangled as a result.

No but really, the case for: But perhaps that was because Toby confessed to Skub, and Skub attacked him in anger? Here's my theory: Skub and Toby actually acted in tandem, and there were TWO Scranton Stranglers. Skub was driving Toby's car that day, and attacked Toby in prison because he was angry that Toby served on the jury and helped convict him. That explains why Toby seemed to have zero friends...he actually had one very close friend, but he couldn't tell anyone about him!