In 2001 Mackenzie Phillips was in Crossing Jordan "The Dawn of a New Day" with the same "Strangers on a Train" story line as this episode of Criminal Minds. Her character, Elaine Stahler, makes a deal with another woman, a stranger named Sandra Babcock, in which they would kill each others husband. Elaine's husband was abusing her and Sandra claimed her husband was abusing their children. Sandra lied about the CA because her husband had a 2.2 million dollar life insurance policy.

The paragraphs in the newspaper article in Ellen's scrapbook (shown after the photo of the child who died in the auto accident) repeat at least three times.

References Strangers on a Train (1951)