You ok?
Yeah, I'm ok.
No, you're not.
Ah, it's Savannah.
She wants to meet for dinner tonight
because we need to talk.
Oh, ma'don.
Yeah, trust me.
I've gotten this text enough times in the past
to know it ain't good.
Hey, look. All I know is Savannah is a wonderful woman
and you two love each other.
You're gonna be fine.
Yeah?
No. You're probably completely screwed,
but good luck anyway.
Good luck with what?
Nothing. Nothing.
Savannah says they need to talk.
Uh-oh.
Ok, you know what? Both of you, thank you.
You guys are so helpful.
Ok, ok. Here's me being helpful.
Uh, the good news is that your "we need to talk" talk
with your fabulous lady love is gonna have to wait, but...
Let me guess. The bad news is we got ourselves a case.
Yeah, and it's real bad. So, saddle up, cowboys,
'cause Hotch says you need to get leaving ASAP.
So, you have a little reprieve for now,
but take it from me, short of faking a heart attack,
there's no way to avoid the inevitable.
Los Angeles, here we come again.
Earlier this morning, Isabella Jayne was found
in her home in Atwater Village.
This comes on the heels of Gertrude Smiles being discovered
in her house in Eagle Rock 5 miles away.
Both women had been wrapped up and left in their bedrooms,
Gertrude in a rug, Isabella in her own sheets.
Prelim M.E. report says that both victims died of asphyxiation.
Were there any other signs of physical trauma?
None.
So suffocating them gets him off.
We've seen erotic asphyxiation before, but this is different.
I mean, he's completely encapsulating these women.
It sounds like remorse. Maybe the unsub knew his victims.
Both of them are single. It's possible
he's romantically involved with them.
Or they're surrogates for someone he feels guilty about killing.
Whatever the reason, there's something about wrapping them
that's important to him.
There's no sign of burglary of forced entry.
Somehow he's talking his way in.
So they knew him or he used a ruse.
Baby girl, any connection jump up?
Nothing yet, but I'm still digging.
My gut says ruse. Charm and harm.
He smooth talks women to gain their trust,
and then when they let down their guard,
he turns on them.
Well, two victims in two days.
Whatever he's doing works.
It could turn into a spree. Wheels up in 30.
Yes?
Good morning, ma'am. Sorry to bother you,
but we're investigating an incident in the neighborhood.
I'm not sure if you're aware,
but there was a home invasion yesterday about a block over.
Oh, my gosh, is everyone ok?
Well, unfortunately, a woman was killed.
We're hoping with the cooperation of the community,
we can get him before he strikes again.
Of course.
Do you have a few minutes to answer some questions?
I'm not even sure how I can help.
Well, ma'am, it's possible that you saw something,
you don't realize its significance.
But if now's not a good time...
It's fine.
Please come in.
You're not allergic to cats, are you?
No.
I have two.
They're somewhere around here.
A single woman with cats. I sound like a cliche.
No, not at all.
Please have a seat.
Can I get your name?
Patricia Brannon.
B-r-a-n-n-o-n.
Ms. Brannon, over the last few days,
have you noticed anyone in the neighborhood
who looked, uh, like he didn't belong?
Not that I recall.
Maybe a suspicious looking vehicle parked on the street?
Now that you mention it,
there was a van parked down the block for the longest time.
Could that be something?
Did you see a name on the van?
All-City Cable.
I'm sorry, could I get you something?
Water, coffee, lemonade?
Yeah, yeah, water would be great.
Sure.
Uhh!
? Criminal Minds 11x15 ? A Badge and a Gun Original Air Date on February 24, 2016
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
? ?
"The darkness always lies."
Anthony Liccione.
Well, it doesn't appear the unsub has a particular type.
Gertrude was 29 and blond.
Isabella was 40 and brunette.
And Garcia found no personal connection between connection between the victims.
Both led low-risk lifestyles.
Isabella worked from home doing medical billing.
Gertrude was a marketing exec for a toy company.
Both victims were also home alone during the day when they let him in.
Rather than type, it may have been the women's circumstances
that were important to him.
You know, the wrapping of the victims
and the fact that they were both found in the bedroom
could indicate some sort of sexual or power dominance fetish,
like claustrophilia.
But don't most claustrophiliacs
want to experience it for themselves?
Well, if the unsub was into that,
he could be projecting his own fetish onto his victims.
Sir, the L.A. division just reached out.
There's been another woman found dead,
wrapped head to toe in a bedsheet, this time in her kitchen.
3 victims in two days.
As predicted, we officially have a spree killer on our hands.
And officially the LAPD has handed over the investigation.
The motivation for spree killers is typically personal and retaliatory
with an ultimate goal in mind.
Christopher Dorner's motivation was payback
for being fired by the LAPD.
He set out to murder cops and their families.
He killed a police officer and a sheriff's deputy,
after killing two family members of another cop.
So what's driving our unsub? And why now?
The answer's in his behavior.
Garcia, let Agent Colfax know we're on the way.
Yes, sir.
Dave, when we land, you and Morgan
go to the latest crime scene.
Reid, you go the the M.E.,
and JJ and I will get set up at the field office.
Natalie. Aaron Hotchner.
I didn't think you'd be back here so soon.
Neither did we. This is Agent Jareau.
Hey. Welcome.
What do we know about the latest victim?
Patricia Brannon.
48. Lived alone in Silverlake.
She worked nights at an animal hospital as a veterinary tech.
Who found her?
Super in her apartment complex.
Came by to fix a leak.
The first two victims lived in private homes.
Yeah, it's a bold move to kill in an apartment complex.
Easier to be seen or heard by neighbors.
He'll keep taking greater risks.
He needs to surpass the rush of the last kill.
I had my people pull the criminal records
of men in L.A. with M.O.S involving bondage.
Any potential candidates who could be our unsub?
Yeah. 3 had relevant priors.
And where are they?
I picked up two of them but had to let them go.
And the third? Alibis checked out.
William Snyder. History of B&E
and sexual violence against women.
He's still in the wind.
So how did he know which apartment to go to?
He must follow them. Their parking spaces
and mailboxes may be marked.
Well, there's no security guards to announce visitors.
The buzzer panels has names and apartment numbers on it.
Well, let's just hope those work.
He could have just pushed all the buttons, hope somebody let him in.
Or...
He just walked right in.
Thanks again, ma'am, for your time.
Of course.
Well, this complex is pretty small.
And all the front doors face the courtyard,
yet nobody heard or saw anything
when Patricia Brannon was killed.
It means he's organized, criminally sophisticated, no amateur.
He gets in and out without detection.
We should send the camera footage
back to the office so Hotch can review it.
Hey, this might be our lucky day.
When we unwrapped the victim I noted obvious signs of asphyxia.
Petechial hemorrhage, cyanosis in the nail beds.
Pretty clear that's the C.O.D.
She was wrapped in this? Mm-hmm.
Look, bite marks.
She attempted to chew through the material
to get some air, which means she was wrapped premortem.
Yes, like the other victims.
There was also a tear in the upper frenulum.
The skin around her nose and mouth appears white,
so he must have pressed down with his hand to smother her.
Any sign of sexual assault?
None. Same as the first two.
So, smothering is either his M.O. or his ritual.
What kind of ritual?
Right now only he knows.
Hey. Did you track down that sex offender William Snyder yet?
Yeah, it's a dead end.
How so?
Highway patrol locked him up 48 hours ago for DUI.
Case just hit the system.
The security footage on Patricia Brannon's apartment complex is up.
That must be him.
He's dressed like a professional.
We put a height scale overlay on the image,
but because of the angle, it's not exact.
He's between 5'7' and 5'10', weighs around 160.
It's clear he knew where all the security cameras were.
He's covering the left side of his neck.
Maybe he's hiding a scar or injury?
He looks confident, like he belongs there.
He's hiding in plain sight.
This confirms he uses a ruse.
Yeah, but we don't know what it is yet.
You see that? Her demeanor changed.
She's deferring to him like he's a cop.
That's why she didn't hesitate to let him in.
Can you back that up, please?
Ok.
Right there, he reaches in his jacket.
Can you blow that up?
Sure.
He's showing her credentials.
The LAPD detectives are incredibly proud of their badges.
They wear them clipped to their belt or jacket or on a chain.
They don't carry creds.
No. But we do.
Can I help you?
Morning, ma'am.
FBI.
What if he's one of us?
Let's have Rossi meet us in the SCIF.
If we all leave now, they'll notice.
I'll stay here and see if anyone's behavior changes.
If he is one of our own, I will take personal pleasure
in bringing the son of a bitch down.
We have 945 active agents in this division.
How many are men?
766.
We'll need personnel files on all of them.
Now, if he is FBI,
would he really want to hunt in his own backyard?
Headquarters tracks every FBI agent 24/7/365,
whether they're working of off duty.
Garcia, we need you to track all the cell phones
for all the male agents in the Bureau over the past week.
Wow. That is a lot of testosterone.
Ok. There are 13,421 special agents.
Around 11,000 of those are male.
Why are you asking?
Oh, come on, really? The good guys are supposed to be good.
Ok, cross-check the locations of those male agents
against our crime scene coordinates.
Cross-checking as we speak,
and not so secretly hoping I do not get a match.
If he does work in this office,
he knows you're here and maybe onto him.
He's going to accelerate.
I've got this, JJ.
Why don't you assist Morgan and Reid.
You have those L.A. files?
Yeah, coming up.
Aah!
Our physical search parameters are too broad.
We've only eliminated a quarter of the L.A. division.
Anyone under disciplinary review?
5. Two for DUIs,
two for misuse of bureau property.
One for sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment. Which one?
Mike Pelman. Last month a co-worker
accused him of making unwanted advances.
Go ahead Garcia.
Sir, no FBI credentials have been reported missing or stolen,
and I checked all cell phone locations of male agents,
including those who traveled to Los Angeles
either on assignment or for personal reasons.
Anyone near the crime scenes?
Yes. There are 3 agents in the L.A. division
whose cell phones pinged near two of the sites.
Was one Mike Pelman?
Mike Pelman. I remember there was a Mike--
No. Mike Belmont, Dennis Giza, and Marcus Levi.
I can rule out Belmont.
He's a stand-out agent, plus he's African-American.
That leaves agents Giza and Levi.
Yes, but Levi's cell phone pinged at the first and second crime scenes,
and Giza's pinged at the first and third.
Thanks.
They only overlap on the first.
Could they have been working as a team?
They're both in Long Beach right now.
Been there all morning working on a smuggling case.
We need to interview them. Can you call them in?
Colfax.
Another victim's been found.
Atwater Village. She was killed within the last hour.
The unsub has limited his kill zone to this area.
Now, knowing L.A. traffic,
it would take either Giza or Levi
3 hours to go from Long Beach to Atwater
and back.
It's not them.
I wasn't even gone for 3 hours.
How could this happen?
I'm sorry for your loss. If you need some time...
No. I want to get the bastard who did this to Mary.
Can you try to tell us everything you remember about this morning?
It was 8:30.
And I was late, so...
I ran out the door.
I didn't even say goodbye to her.
And when did you come back?
Around 11:00.
I had a post-production meeting and forgot my external drive.
So no one knew you'd be coming home this early?
I--I come and go all day.
I mean, I could have been here.
I should have...
Unlike the other victims, Mary Lenahan was married.
The unsub took a serious risk targeting her.
Yeah, spree killers lose their focus over time.
They get caught up in the thrill of going from kill to kill
and become less organized.
Well, she's the neighbor from across the courtyard.
She didn't see or hear anything.
Nobody else seems to be answering their door.
Wait a minute.
Looks like somebody's being a little shy.
Ma'am, we're with the FBI.
We need to talk to you about something important.
We know you're home.
I'm Agent Jareau. These are my colleagues.
And you are?
Susan Groves.
I have a bad heart and I don't want to get involved.
We understand. We'll be quick.
Did you happen to see anyone enter or exit
the Lenahan apartment this morning?
I heard a noise, so I looked out the peephole.
I saw a man come out around 10:30.
Can you describe him?
He was a handsome fellow, all dressed up in a suit.
Have you ever seen him before?
No. But...
But what?
I think Mary might have been cheating on Brian.
What makes you say that?
As the man was leaving, I saw him buttoning up his shirt,
straightening his tie like he was getting re-dressed.
Is there anything else that you noticed about him?
Well, he didn't seem to be the kind of man to have a scary tattoo.
Tattoo? Can you describe it?
It was a spider web, right here.
I saw it just before he buttoned his collar.
The whereabouts of every male agent in the Bureau have been verified.
And the prison tat on the unsub's neck
confirms that he isn't one of us.
He's criminally sophisticated because he's done serious time.
But somehow he figured out how to copy us,
how we show our creds, how we talk to civilians.
It's time to deliver the profile.
We believe we're looking for a white male in his early 40s
who's posing as one of us.
He's using fake or stolen FBI credentials as a ruse
to gain entry into the homes of vulnerable women.
The cobweb tattoo on his neck symbolizes a very long prison term,
most likely for violent crimes.
That's where he picked up his criminal sophistication.
Now, he was probably forced to develop his verbal skills
just to survive on the inside.
This means he's articulate,
socially adept, and appears non-threatening.
These are some of the same qualities
that made Ted Bundy such an effective predator.
Like Ted Bundy, the unsub most likely has anti-social personality disorder
and may also suffer from claustrophilia.
What's that?
An extreme form of bondage. Sexual arousal
is connected to the anxiety of feeling confined,
usually by total encasement in tight spaces.
It's typically practiced by consenting partners,
but the unsub's anti-social nature
turned it into his method of killing.
It's possible he suffered from claustrophilia while in prison
and is now revisiting that trauma onto his victims.
Or it happened before prison--
an event in his teenage years
antagonized his already latent deviance.
This guy gets off on the power of impersonating law enforcement
and the respect and access credentials command.
This affirmation seeking behavior is what motivates him.
It means he's driven by more than wanting to hear yes.
He needs his victims to let their guard down,
allow him into their homes, cooperate.
The ruse gives him that.
How's he choosing his victims?
Well, his selection criteria is simply availability and vulnerability.
He's a highly organized thinker and planner,
and he executes his ruse with confidence,
but he is on a spree and he will devolve.
LAPD should increase patrols in targeted neighborhoods,
and my team will visit and assess the earlier crime scenes.
Thank you.
This is it, huh?
Yeah. The second victim, Isabella Jayne, lived here.
The neighborhood is supposed to be up and coming.
Yeah, I saw the yoga studio next to the SRO.
There's bound to be some sketchy elements
when you live in a transitional neighborhood.
So someone in law enforcement showing up to the front door
might be a welcome sight instead of seen as a threat.
Rossi.
What do you think that's about?
Hold up.
Let's check it out.
FBI. We're investigating a homicide up the street.
What happened here?
Home invasion homicide 3 days ago.
Some coincidence, huh?
Two violent crimes on one block?
It might not be such a coincidence.
Hey, baby girl, listen,
I need you to check the neighborhoods around our crime scenes,
see if any unrelated crimes went down before ours.
Whatever you what, my caramel mocha surprise.
Oh, by the by, I have been searching
for inmates with a spider web tattoo.
I'm currently up to 17,000 paroled prisoners and counting.
Hey, that's something.
What? What are you seeing?
I just pulled up LAPD crime-mapping data,
and in all 4 of our cases there was a homicide
or a rape of a female within a two-block radius.
When did those other crimes happen?
Like hours before each of our victims were suffocated.
He may have a stolen police radio
or a scanner app on his phone.
So he listens for reports of sexual assault or murder
within his hunting grounds and then trolls those areas
for women he can target.
A lot of violent crime in transitional neighborhoods.
He capitalizes off that, drafting off the fear
created by other criminals operating nearby.
And that fear encourages his victims to let him in
on the pretense of keeping them safe.
Women should be more cautious,
but they would also want to help catch a rapist or killer.
Garcia, I need you to search the LAPD database
for homicides in the hunting zone today.
Already typing, sir, and no others reported in the last 6 hours.
We can't wait for the right crime to happen.
Well, let's give him what he wants.
Let's set a trap using undercover agents and cops.
And grab him before he gets to his next victim.
We need a safe house in the hunting zone.
We've got one right in the middle.
Well, he always strikes within two blocks of the crime scene.
To be safe, we'll need every plainclothes officer and agent you have
to cover a 3-block radius.
I'll coordinate with LAPD.
I can have 20 undercovers in place within the hour.
Now, let's be clear about this--
we're luring a spree killer
into an unsuspecting neighborhood,
with dozens of potential victims.
We'll need absolute radio silence.
Colfax, if your people see anyone they suspect,
they need to approach with caution, I.D. him,
and be absolutely sure before they call it in.
You got it.
License 7-Mary-David-8...
Report of a possible abduction...
Report of a 187-261 at 4946 Pierce Avenue.
Looks like this started as a home invasion.
Male and female dead at the scene.
7-H290 responding 4946 Pierce Avenue.
13-L22 requesting 7 at the station.
13-L22, stand by.
13-L22, continue your patrol.
13-L22, Roger.
Notify M.E.'s office to respond to the scene.
4946 Pierce Avenue.
LAPD and our people are all in place.
I hope this works.
He's on a spree.
This is our only chance of stopping him.
Hey, buddy.
You live here?
That's ok. Agent Miller, FBI.
Great. Detective Oliver, LAPD.
Can I see your credentials?
Yeah, sure.
Uhh!
Shots fired! Shots fired!
Did you find him yet?
He got away, but we set up roadblocks.
He's probably wounded.
I got a shot off before he drove away.
We'll check with local hospitals.
Tell us exactly what happened when you approached him.
Did you recognize him right away?
No. I mean, he fit the general description,
but he could have been a boyfriend.
So I asked if he lived there.
What did he say?
"It's ok. I'm Agent Miller with the FBI."
So I showed him my badge and I asked for his credentials.
And that's when I saw it.
Spider web tattoo.
He got off two shots before I even cleared my holster.
And then he took off for his car.
What do you remember about his car?
Dark-blue sedan, probably Crown Vic.
There was a baseball cap in the rear window.
I tried to make the plates, but the light above the license was out.
Probably disabled it.
Tell us more about the baseball cap.
Were there any identifying marks or anything?
I think there were two rifles,
a white one and a red one.
Wait a minute. Was one crossed over the other?
Yeah, I think so.
The cap had to be from Camp Russell.
The old firing range at Quantico?
Isn't it shut down?
Yeah, 10 years ago.
Every class that went through there had a unique baseball cap.
So he put it in the back window
to look legit to cops and other agents.
More affirmation seeking behavior.
I check. The only year they used that rifle design was 1988.
Ok, so how did this guy get it?
How did he even know its significance?
He must have stolen it.
Garcia's checking the graduates right now.
Speaking of which...
What do you have, Penelope?
A whole lot of fun in the sun on the redneck riviera.
The Camp Russell alum of 1988 is mostly retired,
and judging from the Facebook photos
of the crystal-blue waters and the mai-tais,
I'm thinking of joining.
And those who aren't retired?
Deceased, unfortunately.
Any retirees still living in the L.A. area?
Yes, two. Agents Larry Guerin and Ed Sulzbach.
I spoke to Agent Guerin. He still has his Camp Russell cap.
No response from Ed yet.
Did you contact the family?
His east coast relatives haven't heard from him.
Agent Guerin missed Agent Sulzbach yesterday
at a alumni barbecue that he threw,
but he didn't think anything of it
because Ed often goes off alone on long fishing trips.
I don't know. A retired guy missing an annual barbecue
with his agent buddies?
Find out everything you can about Agent Sulzbach.
No stone unturned. In the meantime, here's his address.
Agent Sulzbach? FBI.
Found him.
Preliminary C.O.D.'s a gunshot wound to the chest.
Look at all this.
Definitely had a decorated career in the FBI.
So someone went through all of his old case files and mementos.
It had to be the unsub.
He must have stolen Ed's credentials and Camp Russell hat.
Hey, Penelope, what do you have on Sulzbach?
Ed was a really good egg.
After he retired in 2009,
he went on to volunteer at a place called New Start,
which helps recently released inmates transition back into society.
Anyone matching the unsub's profile and description?
Um...
Yes. Spider web tattoo and all.
Andrew Meeks. 39.
He was put on parole last year after serving
15 years for attempted murder.
Sulzbach got him a job as a janitor
at a downtown office building.
Must have gotten Ed to tell war stories
about being in the FBI, saw the respect he got,
and wanted it for himself.
We should put out an APB on Sulzbach's car.
It's probably what the unsub's driving.
Garcia, who did Meeks try to murder?
Uh...Fellow high school classmate who as a prank
rolled Meeks in a gym mat.
Some high school girls lured Meeks into the gym.
So all of this is about payback?
Meeks almost suffocated inside that mat.
By smothering those women, he's symbolically
getting revenge on those girls who set him up.
And posing as an FBI agent,
he gets the power and authority he never had before.
Address, please.
Work and home just sent.
Aah!
Andrew Meeks!
Get out. Get out.
Back off...
Or she's dead.
All units be advised,
suspect Meeks located with hostage at 352 Vine.
Officers request immediate backup.
Suspect is armed and dangerous.
JJ, you're closest. We'll be there as soon as we can.
You got it.
Go ahead, Garcia.
I've dug deeper into Meeks' past.
I've got his psych eval. It's really terrible.
How bad is it?
It's not an excuse, but his stepfather was the evil kind.
Meeks had accidents up to the age of 6, which is normal for a kid.
But his stepdad would make him wear
his soiled underwear on his face in public.
So Meeks' humiliation started young.
And it's been building for a long time.
And before he was paroled, Meeks' psychologist said,
"Meeks if full of latent rage, for all intents and purposes,
a ticking time bomb."
He recommended that Meeks go to a psychiatric facility.
How did they parole this guy?
You know, it happens all the time.
Some judge probably ordered a prisoner release due to overcrowding,
and Meeks must have just slipped through the cracks.
Sulzbach may have discovered that he had access to Meeks' file.
According to Sulzbach's cell phone records,
his last call was to the department of corrections psychologist.
It lasted all of 5 seconds.
Well, that's gotta be the trigger.
He was gonna report the error, and Meeks must have killed him
to avoid being locked up again.
Be careful, you guys.
I will kill her,
I swear to God.
Oh, God, please...
Just shut up. Shut up.
He make any demands?
Just shut up. Just shut up.
Lock down the perimeter. He's not getting out of here.
Got it.
Lock it down. No one in or out.
You ready?
Just shut up!
Andrew Meeks, FBI.
Drop the weapon, Andrew!
You drop your weapon!
The only way you're getting out of here
is if you let her go and put the gun down.
No!
No way.
You wanted revenge, but this ends right here, right now.
She's terrified, Andrew.
You hear her breathing?
Do you remember feeling scared like that
when you were being smothered in that gym mat?
So, you did it!
Uhh!
"You see what power is--
"holding someone else's fear in our hand
and showing it to them."
Amy Tan.
Excuse me.
Yeah, my bad.
Hey there.
Well, hey yourself.
Baby, listen--
Don't tell me you have another case.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
I'm on my way home. I swear, I'm coming home.
Good. Me, too.
Look, Savannah, you remember how you texted me earlier and, um...
Um, you know, you said we needed to talk?
Uh-huh.
Come on, now.
What?
Savannah, you gotta tell me what this is about.
At least give me a hint.
Nope.
Look, if I'm coming home to a firing line,
I think I deserve to know that. Uh...
Baby, seriously, look...
Are you unhappy?
Savannah, is it over?
No.
I just want to tell you I'm happy.
And maybe I'll show you how happy when I get home.
Well, ok, ok,
I think I like the sound of that.
You better check yourself. It's not what you think.
Woman, you are driving me crazy, you know that?
Ah!
Gotta watch where you're goin', man.
What? You heard me.
You got a problem?
Yeah.
Maybe you should watch where you're going.
Look, man...
Relax.
Who are you talking to?
It's nothing, baby.
It's...It's nobody.
Don't tell me to relax.
Derek, what's going on?
I don't know.
I don't know. I was...
It's taking too long. You sure you got him?
Baby, I was just-- I was just walking.
Yeah. He must be strong.
Derek, talk to me.
Derek!
Savannah, call Hotch. Call Hotch! Call Hotch!
- Uhh! - Are you there?!
What's wrong?
Derek!
Derek! Derek!
Ooh!
Derek, are you there?
What's wrong?
Uhh!
Derek!
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man