The Glades s02e08 Episode Script
Second Skin
So I said, "darlin', you're just gonna have to trust me.
How many times I got to tell her? You talking about your wife or your girlfriend? I'm talking about your sister, you smart aleck.
All right, rookie.
What's going on with this call? Dispatch wasn't really clear.
A citizen complaint, disturbing the peace.
I'm not really sure what that means.
Well, besides a whole lot of paperwork for you, it could mean anything with these folks.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Where is everybody? Oh Yes, he's right there.
Okay.
You talked to them? Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
This is my kind of church.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't even think about it.
That food is part of the crime scene.
Well, isn't the victim supposed to be part of a crime scene, too? Really? What? I'm Catholic.
I don't even want to know what you are.
Well, hungry.
Aaron Matthews, 35-year-old assistant minister of the Holiness Pentecostal Charismatic Church.
He was killed on the altar.
What, by a bolt of lightning? That would be ironic.
Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor, huh? There are signs of a struggle.
Looks like he was attacked.
Knocked over the pulpit, and then broke through a plastic lid that covered the snake pit.
I'm sorry.
Did you just say "Snake pit"? Cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes.
Oh, crap! You see? He was bitten, most notably on his hand.
That's a hand? Yeah.
Swollen to four times its normal size.
My best guess -- cause of death -- a snake bite.
You haven't examined the body? What part of "Cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes" don't you understand? The part that has you peeing yourself like a scared little girl.
I kind of need you to examine the body, Carlos.
No, no, no.
You kind of want me to get bitten, right? As much as it pains me to say it, I can't do my job till you do yours.
Yeah, d as much as I love hearing that, there's absolutely no way that I'm gonna touch that body until Fish and Wildlife removes those snakes.
Well, then, I guess there's nothing left to do, except leave you to it.
Good news, huh? Hey, stranger.
Hey.
How you doing? Oh, not good as you, obviously.
Yeah.
Wow.
Just cashing in on that forensic-nurse big bucks, huh? Yeah.
That's a lot of Longneck beers and Littleneck clams.
You buying? Oh, uh, more like medical textbooks from the bookstore at the University, so You know you can buy those used, right? That is used.
Wow.
Uh, soHow is Sam? Uh, you know still in Chicago.
So you're good? Yeah.
Great.
Okay.
You? Yeah, good.
Okay.
The victim was bitten six times, but he also had a convulsion.
The abrasions and contusions on his hands, arms, and legs are consistent with knocking over the pulpit.
Then he dropped to his knees, broke the plastic cover around the snake pit with his thrashing, and fell in.
That's why it looked like there had been a struggle at the crime scene.
Are you saying Aaron wasn't murdered? Oh, no, no.
He was definitely murdered.
Snake bites release a neurotoxin that affect the cardiovascular system and stop the heart.
But Aaron's cause of death was circulatory collapse.
Which means the snake bite didn't kill him.
Mm-hmm.
He was poisoned by something else.
Oh, great.
Poison.
Easiest way to kill.
So simply anyone can do it.
Well, my pool of suspects just got deeper.
Oh, what a blessedness oh, what a peace is mine leaning on the everlasting -- Hi.
Sorry.
Uh, Detective Jim Longworth.
You must be Reverend Trent Staley.
Indeed I am, Brother James.
Sorry about your assistant minister.
Well he's gone on to a better place.
Well, apart from the snakes, this place isn't too bad.
Unless, uh, Aaron had problems here.
Oh, no.
Brother Aaron got along just fine.
In fact, everybody here loved him, even though he'd only been with us for six months.
He ran all the ministries I didn't have time to attend to -- the bowling ministry and the youth ministry.
What about the suspects-and-murder ministry? I'm gonna need a full list of your congregation.
I don't keep track of my flock th way, Brother James.
They'll all be here later.
We worship every evening.
But I promise you no one in this congregation had anything to do with it.
Here in this sanctuary, Brother Ron was among friends.
What about out there? Godless non-believers.
Satan's children.
Also known as the rest of the county.
Well, this morning, before we found Aaron's body, one of those godless non-believers phoned 911 anonymously to complain about what goes on here.
Now, we're tracking that person down, but Any ideas who that might be? No.
People don't understand the way we worship.
Quite frankly, Brother James, I think they're just too afraid to know.
Yeah well, poisonous snakes tend to have that effect on people.
Where were you this morning? You're funny, Brother James.
I can see I'm gonna have my work cut out for me with you.
Yeah.
No, seriously.
Where were you, Reverend? Bible study.
I was teaching my favorite book -- Thessalonians.
"God is just.
"He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
" Huh.
Daniel? Really? Send me the address.
I'm on my way.
We traced the anonymous call to the church back to you.
No, that call wasn't from me.
The number you traced the call back to belongs to my ex.
I pay his cellphone bill and his car insurance.
Thank you.
Uh, it's what we agreed to in the divorce.
He's unemployed.
I can't believe he's still making complaint calls.
"Still"? Has he done this before? A few times since the divorce.
Well, he's upset about the divorce, so I can understand why he'd want to lash out at you, but any reason why he'd be angry at Aaron? He thinks the church is dangerous, but he doesn't understand our beliefs.
Yeah.
Actually, I'm having a hard time with that.
UmWhat's with the snakes? Well, they're the incarnations of the devil.
When we handle snakes, we're proving our power over evil.
The Bible says we are to take up serpents.
And you take that literally? Well, it's the way we prove our faith in the Lord.
It's the same as passing our hand through fire or taking poison.
You take poison? Strychnine.
Pentecostals have been doing it for a hundred years, and we're still very much here.
And, uh, your ex? Is he still here? He's in Georgia looking for work.
He had to move in with his folks.
He didn't kill Aaron.
But he still felt compelled to make a complaint.
Just sounds like there's a lot more going on to this breakup than religious beliefs, Frannie.
He blamed Aaron for our marriage falling apart.
Why? What did Aaron do? Nothing except show me the way, praise the Lord.
He just showed me what was really important in this life.
And the next.
My ex wanted me to choose between my faith and my marriage.
And you chose Aaron.
I chose faith.
It sounds like you got feelings, there, for Aaron.
And maybe you couldn't have Aaron, so you me sure no one else could, either? Now you're accusing me.
That's justridiculous.
Where were you this morning? I was here, going over the menu.
Then I went and took inventory at my shop.
I have small butcher shop.
We sell exotic meats and specialty cuts.
Anybody here with you? No.
I was alone.
Is that problem? I'll let you know.
The alibi from Frannie's ex checks out.
He's back in Georgia with his parents.
Working hard or hardly working? Sitting on their couch, playing video games, trying to cheer himself up.
Apparently, yesterday morning, he got notice that his divorce from Frannie was final.
So, the ex puts in a last phone call to complain about the church, and then he picks up a joystick and moves on with his so-called life? How do we know his mom and dad aren't covering for him? They might be, but so is DeKalb County in Georgia.
The ex has been on jury duty the last three days.
So it's a good thing he didn't ignore that summons.
Hey.
Have you figured out what poison killed Aaron yet? No, but I did figure out which poison didn't.
Strychnine.
See, the thing with poison is you almost have to know what you're looking for to run the tests.
Or what you're looking at.
I know what I'm looking at.
Intense cyanosis of the mucus membrane.
Irritation of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, which indicates it was something he ingested, not inhaled or injected.
And, since it was something he ingested, there's a good chance that the substance was colorless and probably odorless.
That all you got? I'm telling you, I'm running tests.
It fee like you're walking them.
Crawling them, even.
And what is all this disgusting-looking stuff? That's stomach content.
I had to separate it first, then test it.
That's sausage.
Ostrich, if you can believe it.
The rest is green beans, um, sweet potatoes, chicken and mushrooms, and, uh, your favorite -- Mac and cheese.
Casseroles.
There were casseroles at the church this morning.
They're probably still there.
If the casseroles are poison, the congregation could be eating them right now.
Go.
We'll meet you there.
Yeah.
Hallelujah and praise the lord! You have to believe to be healed, brother! In thy name shall they speak with new tongues.
In thy name shall they take up serpents.
In thy name shall they lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.
When I lay my hands upon you, you will be healed.
In the name of Jesus -- say, "Thank you, Lord.
" Thank you, Lord! Oh! Sorry, Reverend.
Everyone, everyone.
Can I have your attention? Everyone.
People.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
UmBrothers and sisters! If anyone's eaten some food from the back, you may be poisoned! No, you -- they don't understand.
Oh, they understand.
They understand perfectly.
They have faith that God will take care of them.
Yeah, and they might die from poisoning, same as Aaron did.
Oh, that was the hand of God.
Do you believe in the hand of God? This isn't about me! Yes, sir.
God sent you here for a reason.
Yeah! To save your congregation.
To save yourself, Brother James -- take a look.
These people aren't sick with poison.
They are filled with the holy spirit.
Praise the Lord! This is crazy.
This is crazy! Do you believe, Brother James? Whoa.
N-now, what are you doing? Wait a minute.
You have to have faith, Brother James.
No -- wait a minute.
Even t little children have more faith than you do.
No! Wait! Aah! Aah! - Damn! This thing stings.
- All right.
Keep his hand above his heart.
My arm is burning.
Shh! I can feel the venom running through my veins.
Relax.
Jim, I need you to restrict your movements.
How bad is it? Bleeding, swelling, and discoloration is minimal.
Aah! It's getting really cold in here.
Is it cold in here? Carlos.
Shh.
Not quite.
Relax.
I can't move my hand.
I think the venom's paralyzing me.
Relax, relax, relax.
All right, his -- h-his blood pressure is a little high.
I can't breathe.
You can't breathe but you can talk? Ugh! I see a light.
Huh? I see a light.
Mm! Oh! Oh! Oh! A band-aid.
Oh, thatmakes sense.
You don't have any symptoms.
Except for the bitching and the drama.
It's a dry bite, Jim.
The snake didn't inject any poison in you.
No, that impossible.
Actually, it's entirely possible.
Snakes don't always release their venom.
They don't like to waste it if they don't feel threatened.
Somebody could have milked the snake or removed its venom.
I can find out for you.
Yeah, why don't you do that? Do you have another performance tonight, or are we done here? Aaron Matthews? I thought this was Reverend Trent's office.
Looks like Trent and Aaron shared the space.
Two desks, two chairs.
Very Noah's Ark.
And just as old.
He still used a day calendar.
Yeah, it's a small church.
There's not a lot of resources here.
Says here the day before Aaron was killed, he had something called "Righteous Way" with Peyton Robinson.
Righteous Way -- that's a prison ministry.
It's an organization that finds prison chaplains of all faiths to minister to the prisoners.
That must be one of the ministries that Aaron took over when Trent didn't have the time.
Peyton Robinson could have been a Priest, a Rabbi, even the Prison Chaplain.
Well, whoever Peyton Robinson is, it looks like he was the last person to see Aaron alive, which makes him a suspect, so I'll find out.
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
He also had a meeting this morning, two hours before he was killed.
Who's F.
H.
? Frannie Harper.
Well, hallelujah.
Brother James, my prayers have been answered.
Really? 'Cause I'm still here.
Well, I prayed for God to spare you.
You were the reason I got bitten in the first place, Reverend.
But, hey, thanks for thinking of me.
You lied to me.
You weren't opening your restaurant this morning.
You were here, meeting with Aaron.
I didn't lie, Detective.
You didn't specifically ask me about Aaron.
I had to ask him about catering meals for the church.
You make the meals for after the service? Wow.
That's very generous of you.
God has blessed me with a very successful business.
I consider it part of my offering to the church to cater the repasts.
But I know how this must look.
Yeah.
Like you poisoned Aaron.
Look around.
No one else who ate my food died or even got sick.
So maybe you just poisoned the food that Aaron ate.
I didn't poison Aaron.
Now, if you think that, I can't do anything about it.
But I know the truth will prevail.
So do I.
May I go now? Sure.
Mom, you paid 400 bucks for a book? A used textbook? Yeah, that's the best part -- it's already highlighted and underlined.
Sounds like cheating.
I'm still gonna read them.
Uh, you set the table.
I'm gonna get the pizza.
Hi.
Seriously? Yeah, the -- um Can you look at my arm? It's really starting to hurt.
Is it swollen or discolored? No.
Um, I mean, not yet.
But I didn't want it to get to the point where I needed medical attention, so And I only have a band-aid.
Yeah.
I'll take a look.
Come on in.
Thanks.
Hey.
Hey.
What's up? Well, I heard you got bitten by a cottonmouth.
Yeah.
That's pretty badass.
Yeah.
Yeah, mom let me have a mountain kingsnake once.
Oh, yeah, where'd you find a mountain in Florida? What'd you do to it? Me? I didn't do anything.
Yeah, snakes don't bite you unless you're aggressive to them first.
Well, I was aggressively trying not to -- get bit! Um And good timing.
I, uh, been putting off mowing the lawn, so now I guess that's gonna be put off for another few weeks.
I'll do.
Really? Yeah, if you pay me.
I'll let you swim in my pool.
I already swim in your pool.
Oh.
Right.
Um, what's the going rate for mowing lawns these days? I'm not getting in the middle of this.
Wow.
That bad, huh? Hey, don't worry.
I'll work with you.
Right.
And you're all set.
A little ibuprofen, and you should be good.
Already feels so much better.
Thank you.
Just, snakebite's not something I had to deal with in Chicago, you know? Well, you know what they say -- once bitten, twice shy.
Hey, don't look at me, man.
According to the herpetologist at Fish and Wildlife, the cottonmouth that bit you had been milked earlier.
Maybe that's why Aaron was around the snake pit.
So, what's this footage? Here.
The prison Aaron Matthews preached at has closed-circuit television to broadcast religious programming.
This is a prayer session Righteous Way broadcast for its Pentecostal prisoners.
Let the holy spirit speak the word of God through you.
Well, even without all the snakes on him, I can see that that's Aaron.
And that's Peyton Rinson.
He's a prisoner? Apparently serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter.
Well, at least we know where he was when Aaron was poisoned.
Droste dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Bob a la tinte.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte.
What's he saying? He's speaking in tongues.
Do me a favor.
E-mail this footage to my phone.
I tested all the food from the church.
And none of it was poisoned? Killer's too smart to leave a trail like that, huh? Lucky for you, I'm smarter.
I figured out what poison was used to kill Aaron.
Salt? Sodium nitrite.
Looks and tastes just like table salt.
How much sodium nitrite would it take to kill a man? A pinch.
One, maybe two teaspoons would do the trick.
That's it? Mm-hmm.
Tell me it's hard to get ahold of this stuff.
It's not easy, but it's not impossible.
It's a food preservative used to cure meats.
Or kill assistant ministers.
Detective! You're up early.
What are you, checking up on me? Wanted to ask you more about these specialty meats of yours.
Ahh.
Oh, that smells good.
What is that? That's my breakfast.
Pigs in a blanket with antelope meat.
You want a taste?! MmI'm good.
You sure? You got to try something.
I figure you for a Kobe beef man.
Maybe something more exotic, like alligator or buffalo or raccoon.
Let me guess -- it all tastes like chicken? You know, that is one thing that I do not sell.
Well, what about sausages? Do you make your own cured meats here? No, I don't do that.
Then what's this? That's the second time you've lied to my face.
No, those aren't mine.
And that's a third.
Frannie, you want to go for four? What I mean is, is that I don't make them here.
All right? I don't have the time or the space to process my own meats.
I use an outside vendor.
Local farmers package them for me to sell.
Excuse me.
What? Wait here.
Bob a la tinte.
Bob a la tinte.
Ity drosta dum Bob la tinte.
Peyton Robinson? You're not nervous, are you, Payton? Sir, yes, sir.
Last time I was in a room like this, I got jammed up on a killing I didn't do.
Yeah, Florida prisons are full of innocent men.
You got robbery, assault, manslaughter -- allegedly.
You got quite the record.
So why would the warden allow a prisoner serving 25 years to go over the fence? I earned that, sir.
I'm a cook in the kitchen.
I work in the prison farm, slaughterhouse.
I'm a medical orderly, helped save a man's life in the infirmary.
Got me enough trust and privilege for a little C.
C.
-- community custody.
That's the lowest level of supervision in the prison.
So that's why you're allowed out of the prison walls to serve meat to Frannie's restaurant.
How well do you know Frannie? I know she got a little brother in the joint.
That makes her good people? Means she understands more than most.
Huh.
She seems like a decent, God-fearing woman me.
You also served meat to a church yesterday morning, the same church that Aaron, your spiritual advisor in prison, turned up dead.
Here we go.
I figured this was coming.
Corrections officer was with me the whole time.
You seen him.
Well, it's been my experience that preachers are pretty much hypocrites.
They say one thing and do another.
But not Aaron.
He was a good man.
He was more like my friend than my minister.
We used to confide in one another.
Confide, huh? So, you used to tell him you were innocent.
And he said That he was doubting the church.
Spirit wasn't speaking to him anymore.
Aaron was struggling with his faith? Same as me.
We used to talk about it all the time.
Why would he confide in you? I'm trying to tell you we was friends.
Why would I kill the last good friend I have in this world? Peyton's lying.
What are you two doing? Uh -- Daniel and I are -- It's all Carlos.
You know, you know, just helping you.
Uh -- w-why do you say that Peyton's lying? Just because he's -- The prison farm just sent me their delivery schedule.
It says that Peyton was at the church an hour before Aaron was killed.
And being at the prison farm also gave him access to sodium nitrite.
- But he doesn't have motive.
- Oh, he has motive.
- I just haven't found it yet.
- That's because you don't have any evidence against him, but maybe this will help.
Turns out, the church records all their services and posts them online.
So we have incriminating video.
Better than that.
Well, great.
For a second there, I was afraid it was gonna be that honey badger thing.
Oh -- okay.
I just want you to know that Carlos made me.
You heard the man.
Let him see it.
Thank you, lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Ity drosta dum Bob a lainte danta.
Do you believe, Brother James? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you doing? You have to have faith! Hey, hey.
Wait a minute.
Oh, why, even the little children have more faith than you.
No, wait! Aah! Aah! You know that hurt, right? You have no idea.
The look on your face -- What? Then or now? Can we please get back to work? No, no, no.
Please.
Let's see it one more time.
I -- I promise you it doesn't get old.
Hey, you know what? Fine.
I don't care.
Stop.
Take it back.
Jes.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
That gibberish sounds awfully familiar.
Stop.
Daniel, get me all of Peyton's prison files.
- You have his criminal record.
- No, I mean all his files.
His intake records, his medical records, timesheets from all the jobs he's done at the prison, and especially the files from his prison chaplain.
¿Que pasa? Anything you got, send it to my cell.
You're right.
This is better.
Much.
Ity drosta d Bob a la tinte danta.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Thank you, Jesus.
I was in the spirit when I said that.
Speaking in tongues.
When people speak in tongues, the words are different.
They change each time, each person, right? Well, I don't expect a nonbeliever to understand.
Well, maybe you can explain to me why Peyton Robinson, a man in prison, used the exact same phrase you did when he was speaking in tongues.
Kind of says to me that he wasn't really speaking in tongues.
He was just reciting a phrase he'd already heard From you.
Well, I suppose it's possible.
We've prayed together before.
You pray with the man who delivers your meat? My baby brother is in prison in Texas, so I understand how important it is for these men to have contact with the outside world.
I met Peyton when I volunteered for Aaron's prison ministry.
Oh, yeah.
And you volunteered to be his wife, right? You're engaged to Peyton? Peyton had to submit an application to get permission to marry you.
But then Aaron wrote a letter of objection, stopped the whole thing.
That's why he was poisoned.
Aaron stopped the wedding, yes, but I wasn't mad at him.
He was right.
I was marrying Peyton for all the wrong reasons.
Iwas lonely and scared after my divorce.
So you hooked up with a guy in prison? At least I knew where he was every night.
Look -- I know that Peyton has done some horrible things, but he's a good Christian man now.
The time just wasn't right for us.
Aaron helped me see that.
I'm surprised Aaron could help you see anything, considering his own Crisis of faith.
I guess he's good at doling out advice to everyone but himself, huh? Not true.
Aaron knew exactly what he was gonna do next.
What do you mean, "next"? He wanted to leave reverend Trent's church, strike out on his own.
And I had faith in him, so I agreed to co-sign on a mortgage for Aaron.
For a house? Mm-hmm.
that he could convert into a church of his own.
Why would I poison him and risk taking on such a huge financial burden? Did Reverend Trent know this? Not from me.
I felt it was Aaron's job to tell him himself.
But I know Reverend Trent would have been upset to see him go.
Yeah.
Kill Sister Frannie for her kind and generous heart? That doesn't sound like motive to me.
Even when you found out she was setting up a new church with Aaron? What did you say, Brother James? Well, Frannie is by far the wealthiest member of your congregation.
Losing her would be a huge financial blow.
You need to leave.
You had to stop Aaron from stealing Frannie away for his new church.
Lies.
Get thee behind me, Satan.
Oh, really? You kill Aaron, and I'm the devil? No, I know the devil when I see him.
The devil comes disguised as a servant of righteousness.
Yeah.
Back at you, Reverend.
Oh, let me tell you about the battle between the righteous and the damned.
Oh, yeah? What about the innocent versus the guilty? What about a suspect who used to be a witness? Hate is the fist that would lay his brother low! But love is the hand that would raise him on high.
Only love is the hand of God.
Okay, you must be speaking in tongues, because I have no idea what you're talking about.
Okay, I guess this means you're not coming down to the station to answer some questions? I don't answer to you, beelzebub.
Brother James, I know you can hear me.
I won't let you be corrupted by the devil's murderous accusations or his cloven-hoofed trickery.
Let me lay hands on you now.
No, no.
You really don't want to do this, Reverend.
The Bible says that God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
Say yes, Lord! Thank you, Jesus! Ow! Trent Staley, you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer.
Arresting a preacher's a new low, even for you.
The man was possessed.
He called me beelzebub.
There's an inscription in Aaron's ring -- "T.
S.
16"? T.
S.
Is there a chapter in this book that starts with a T, ends with an S? "Chapter"? They're called books.
Give me that.
When I first met him, he said something like "Thistle.
" It's from the second book of Thessalonia, Chapter 1, Verse 6.
"God is just.
"He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us, as well.
" That's what Trent quoted me before he hit me upside the head.
I believe the correct term is "Laying on of hands.
" Why is Thessalonians 1:6 so important to Aaron and Trent? It makes sense for Aaron.
It's comforting, especially if he's struggling with his faith.
And his finances.
I have Trent's bank statements, last couple of tax returns, and W-2's.
The average pastor's salary is around $60,000.
Trent makes less than half of that.
Because he displays the snakes publicly, he's required to have a $10,000 bond.
How does he pay for that? Frannie.
Without her, he wouldn't be able to keep running the church.
That's why he's so against Aaron leaving and potentially taking Frannie with him.
Trent doesn't make a lot of money, but he sure has a lot of jobs.
Look at all these W-2's -- from Christian magazines, revival meetings at other churches.
He even presided over a Halloween hell house.
He's cobbling together a living, one sermon at a time.
Two years ago, he got a W-2 from Starke for $150.
Starke Prison? Yeah.
It says that he was a volunteer, but they paid him.
There's only one volunteer job at Starke that pays $150.
Death row.
Trent was an executioner.
Thought you might want this.
No burning.
Not even hot.
Still think I'm the devil? The devil is crafty and smart.
You, Detective Longworth, have no idea what you're doing.
But you do? As God is my witness, I did not kill Aaron.
Well, too bad that's not an alibi I can confirm.
I'm not talking about Aaron, anyway.
Two years ago, you helped kill Leon Earl Montrose by lethal injection at Starke Prison.
Not very Pentecostal of you.
Oh! Lying is a sin, Reverend.
Be very careful what you say next.
The warden promised me that I would be anonymous.
How did you know? I didn't.
But you just confirmed it, so So much for "Thou shalt not kill," huh? That was God's will.
Says you.
I'm thinking you got a taste for murder.
Figured next time someone crossed you, you'd just play God again.
I don't have to play God.
I got the indwelling of the spirit when I was 16 years old.
Besides, Leon Earl Montrose raped and strangled a 10-year-old girl.
That he was convicted of.
Even the warden said Leon Earl was railroaded.
The guy had an I.
Q.
of 50.
He asked for a coloring book and crayons with his last meal.
That's why I had to be there.
If Leon Earl was meant to be spared, then the hand of God would have stopped that execution.
Through you.
I'm at peace with what was done.
God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
Thessalonians -- Chapter 1, Verse 6.
"T.
S.
16," right? Wait.
Those are your initials.
T.
S.
Trent Staley.
You took that quote as your own personal mantra when you were 16, didn't you? It's served me well.
Where's your ring, Reverend? You have it.
In evidence.
I gave it to Aaron.
Yeah, 'cause he was losing his faith.
That's why he's milking the snakes before every service.
- He didn't believe.
- Aaron was afraid of getting bit.
You were afraid of him leaving your church.
I was afraid for his eternal soul.
I gave him my ring to remind him not to get lost.
But it was you who had the most to lose.
All poisonings are tracked by the state medical examiner's board.
When Aaron's case was entered into the system, the database found another death by sodium nitrite.
A homicide? It was listed as an accident, so it was never investigated.
- May I? - Oh.
Sure.
This is our victim, Marcus Jordan.
Any connection to Aaron? Yes.
Starke Prison.
Marcus Jordan was an inmate? No.
Marcus Jordan was a volunteer.
He got paid $150 for one day of work on the same day as Trent.
Lethal injections in Florida require two executioners.
Anonymous executioner.
Besides the warden, no one's supposed to know they're there.
- Looks like somebody found out.
- Yeah, but how? Marcus and Trent would've had their faces concealed.
What about their hands? Maybe the killer s the ring that was on Trent.
And then later met Aaron? The killer might think Aaron was the executioner.
Aaron was poisoned.
Maybe the killer was trying to poison Trent.
Well, obviously, Trent's not the killer.
This changes everything.
Yeah.
Someone's executing the executioners.
Dr.
Spieser to Radiology.
Dr.
Spieser to Radiology.
Trent Staley is who the killer was trying to poison.
So, the killer confused Aaron Matthews with Trent Staley? Yeah.
Two years ago, Trent helped execute a death-row inmate from Starke Prison named Leon Earl Montrose.
I remember that.
Ray was at Starke before he got transferred over to Raiford.
Right.
But Leon Earl Montrose was intellectually disabled, so everyone thought that he was innocent.
I'm thinking that someone wanted to avenge Leon Earl's death -- someone who was actually at the execution and saw the executioners there at the prison that day.
- Well, that could be anyone.
- I know.
Anyone can apply to be a witness in an execution -- the victim's family members, reporters, protestors.
But executioners are shrouded in secrecy, and the whole prison goes into lockdown.
So, if I can figure out when the killer actually saw the executioners or where, then maybe I can figure out who.
Does the killer know that he poisoned the wrong person? That, I don't know.
Does Reverend Trent know that someone wants to kill him? - I haven't told him that yet.
- Maybe you should.
I mean, he's the only one who knows exactly where he was on the day of the execution.
- Callie? I need you.
- Maybe you can get him to retrace his steps.
That way, maybe I can see who saw him.
Huh.
Thank you.
Yeah, no problem.
In your name, I pray over this room, o Lord, to bless it and keep it safe.
Uh, no one's getting executed here today, Reverend.
I hope.
I take comfort in prayer, Brother James.
Well, then, you should pray that I find that killer, huh? I can't believe someone would want to kill me.
Is this what you wore? Executioner's robe.
It's not very subtle.
They had to conceal our identity.
By dressing you up as the Grim Reaper and bringing attention to you? It's important that we were covered from head to toe.
That's probably why they got you to wear the gloves.
Except at some point, you saw fit to take them off.
That's when the killer saw your ring.
I -- I don't remember.
Well, that's why we're here.
Maybe wearing this will jog your memory.
Put that on.
This, too.
All of it.
Wow.
Okay.
Walk me through it? We had on these robes the whole time.
No one could see us, not even Leon Earl Montrose, who was laid out on that gurney right there.
And this is how you administer the lethal injections? You injected the chemicals from all three syringes into the I.
V.
, right? The first two paralyzed his muscles, put Leon Earl to sleep.
The third was potassium chloride.
It stopped his heart.
He took a little breath.
His lips went blue.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and then Leon Earl went to his final resting place.
It's -- it's a terrible thing to watch a man die.
I d-- I don't think I'll ever forget that.
So, you did more than watch, Reverend.
- Did you get sick then, too? - I felt nauseous.
Did you throw up? No.
Guard! What happened after you executed Leon Earl Montrose, Reverend? - Nothing.
- No, you're not telling me something.
I'll interview the warden.
I'll interview every prison guard in this place if I have to.
I already walked you through it.
I want to get out of here.
Guard! Really? Huh.
Thank you, warden.
Mm.
Don't forget to put that ring back into evidence.
- Yeah, yeah.
- How's Trent? Sick as a dog.
And not just the first time.
He was sick after the execution, too.
Happens a lot.
Sometime the guards get so traumatized about being part of an execution, they can't go back to work in the prison.
What'd the warden tell you? Before Leon Earl Montrose was executed, the prison hosted a reception just for the witnesses in one of the meeting rooms.
Oof.
Sounds appetizing.
Yeah, nothing like a snack before you kill a man, right? So, when Trent got sick at the execution, the warden brought him into that meeting room and gave him a can of soda just to calm his stomach.
Trent takes off his gloves to open the can Revealing the ring.
Who was in the room with him? Just the warden.
Oh, and the caterer.
Frannie.
Please don't do that.
Ah, you're right.
Probably ruin my appetite anyway.
I'm talking about Frannie.
You can't arrest her.
I don't believe she could kill anyone.
No, you don't want to believe it.
You need the money.
But she's damaged, Reverend.
She's troubled.
She's got a brother in prison.
I know she's hurt, and she's angry about that.
But that doesn't prove that she killed anybody.
I believe God's will was done.
Well, that's easy for you to say 'cause "God's will" is not being done to you.
I'm sure Aaron might have a different opinion, but he's six feet under, so The wages of sin is death.
Aaron knew that.
He didn't have faith.
That's why he died.
No, he was poisoned because you couldn't go back to the prison after you executed Leon Earl.
I mean, you preach the Ten Commandments, but you broke "Thou shalt not kill.
" So, you gave Aaron your ring.
You let him take over the prison ministry.
I mean, you might as well have killed him yourself.
I've begged God to forgive me every day since.
I didn't mean to put Aaron in harm's way.
Well, so much for the hand of God.
Now the long arm of the law is about to make an arrest.
You can't go against God's will, Brother James.
Why even when Leon Earl Montrose was shanked and almost died in the prison infirmary, God sent an orderly to nurse him back to health.
Yeah, I know.
I read the file.
That orderly saved Leon Earl's life.
But then you executed him, so I guess I can see why someone would be upset about that.
You can't arrest Frannie.
Who said anything about arresting Frannie? Reverend? Brought you a little something extra for the service.
Even made you a sandwich in case you're hungry.
- What are you doing here? - Waiting for you, Peyton.
Actually, did you know that Peyton was one of the inmates in Aaron's prison ministry? - No, I didn't.
- Huh.
Oh, before you chow down on that sandwich, you should probably also know that Peyton was the one that poisoned Aaron.
Yeah, he was working in the prison kitchen the night that Leon Earl Montrose was executed.
No, sir.
Prison goes into lockdown during an execution.
For the general population, but not for someone with as high a clearance as you.
You were there, helping Frannie with the reception, where one of the executioners stupidly gave his number to the warden.
And the other one took his gloves off to, uh, have a can of soda, where you saw this.
Reverend Trent's ring.
You're the executioner? And you're the orderly that nursed Leon Earl Montrose back to health.
You spent time with him, got to know him.
You thought he was wrongly accused, just like you.
Leon was innocent.
He had the mind of a child.
He didn't even know what was going on.
- But they killed him anyway.
- And that was wrong! Someone should've stopped it.
Someone could've.
Ho! If you was a half a Christian, you'd have yanked them tubes out of Leon's arm instead of killing him! You thought you poisoned the executioner? You poisoned Aaron by mistake.
It's no big loss.
Aaron was a hypocrite, just like the rest.
Used to stand up in the pulpit and preach his righteous ways, but he didn't even believe them himself.
And neither did I.
I played those fools like a fiddle.
I even got old money bags Frannie wanting to take my last name.
Why would you do that? Because they sentenced me to 25 years! What the hell else am I supposed to do?! Yeah, well, now you're gonna serve 25 more for the murder of Aaron Matthews and Marcus Jordan.
You can take him.
Probably just put me in solitary.
Take away my privileges, which I'll have back in two years.
At least I'll be out for the trial.
I'll see you in court, Reverend.
Pack a lunch.
Let's go.
- You okay, Reverend? - No! Don't! Oh.
It's okay.
I have faith.
Hey, great job on the lawn, by the way.
Uh, well, figured I'd better do a good job, since you're, uh, seriously overpaying me.
Wait.
I'm seriously overpaying you? Not if he wants to go to college.
Hey.
Uh, let's go, buddy.
Get you a beer? Uh, no.
Can't.
I'm studying.
Right.
Yeah, of course.
You know, it's okay to be bummed about Sam.
No, I'm not bummed about Sam.
'Cause you're acting a little bummed, so Has she planned a visit or booked a flight, maybe? No, she just, um -- she needs a couple of weeks to set upShop, uh, acclimate up there.
Yeah, I mean, she's, um She's got big shoes to fill.
It's a big job.
And it's hard enough for women in law enforcement, anyway.
I mean, if I was her, I'd be doing exactly the same thing.
You know Prioritizing.
Okay, buddy, let's hit it.
All right.
Great job on the lawn.
Yeah, you said that already.
Uh, but thanks.
So, uh, next week? Yeah, if it's cool with your mom.
Hey, it's 20 bucks less i have to give him.
Cool.
Later.
Yeah.
Later.
You know, sometimes things work out the way they're supposed to.
How many times I got to tell her? You talking about your wife or your girlfriend? I'm talking about your sister, you smart aleck.
All right, rookie.
What's going on with this call? Dispatch wasn't really clear.
A citizen complaint, disturbing the peace.
I'm not really sure what that means.
Well, besides a whole lot of paperwork for you, it could mean anything with these folks.
Keep your eyes and ears open.
Where is everybody? Oh Yes, he's right there.
Okay.
You talked to them? Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
This is my kind of church.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't even think about it.
That food is part of the crime scene.
Well, isn't the victim supposed to be part of a crime scene, too? Really? What? I'm Catholic.
I don't even want to know what you are.
Well, hungry.
Aaron Matthews, 35-year-old assistant minister of the Holiness Pentecostal Charismatic Church.
He was killed on the altar.
What, by a bolt of lightning? That would be ironic.
Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor, huh? There are signs of a struggle.
Looks like he was attacked.
Knocked over the pulpit, and then broke through a plastic lid that covered the snake pit.
I'm sorry.
Did you just say "Snake pit"? Cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes.
Oh, crap! You see? He was bitten, most notably on his hand.
That's a hand? Yeah.
Swollen to four times its normal size.
My best guess -- cause of death -- a snake bite.
You haven't examined the body? What part of "Cottonmouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes" don't you understand? The part that has you peeing yourself like a scared little girl.
I kind of need you to examine the body, Carlos.
No, no, no.
You kind of want me to get bitten, right? As much as it pains me to say it, I can't do my job till you do yours.
Yeah, d as much as I love hearing that, there's absolutely no way that I'm gonna touch that body until Fish and Wildlife removes those snakes.
Well, then, I guess there's nothing left to do, except leave you to it.
Good news, huh? Hey, stranger.
Hey.
How you doing? Oh, not good as you, obviously.
Yeah.
Wow.
Just cashing in on that forensic-nurse big bucks, huh? Yeah.
That's a lot of Longneck beers and Littleneck clams.
You buying? Oh, uh, more like medical textbooks from the bookstore at the University, so You know you can buy those used, right? That is used.
Wow.
Uh, soHow is Sam? Uh, you know still in Chicago.
So you're good? Yeah.
Great.
Okay.
You? Yeah, good.
Okay.
The victim was bitten six times, but he also had a convulsion.
The abrasions and contusions on his hands, arms, and legs are consistent with knocking over the pulpit.
Then he dropped to his knees, broke the plastic cover around the snake pit with his thrashing, and fell in.
That's why it looked like there had been a struggle at the crime scene.
Are you saying Aaron wasn't murdered? Oh, no, no.
He was definitely murdered.
Snake bites release a neurotoxin that affect the cardiovascular system and stop the heart.
But Aaron's cause of death was circulatory collapse.
Which means the snake bite didn't kill him.
Mm-hmm.
He was poisoned by something else.
Oh, great.
Poison.
Easiest way to kill.
So simply anyone can do it.
Well, my pool of suspects just got deeper.
Oh, what a blessedness oh, what a peace is mine leaning on the everlasting -- Hi.
Sorry.
Uh, Detective Jim Longworth.
You must be Reverend Trent Staley.
Indeed I am, Brother James.
Sorry about your assistant minister.
Well he's gone on to a better place.
Well, apart from the snakes, this place isn't too bad.
Unless, uh, Aaron had problems here.
Oh, no.
Brother Aaron got along just fine.
In fact, everybody here loved him, even though he'd only been with us for six months.
He ran all the ministries I didn't have time to attend to -- the bowling ministry and the youth ministry.
What about the suspects-and-murder ministry? I'm gonna need a full list of your congregation.
I don't keep track of my flock th way, Brother James.
They'll all be here later.
We worship every evening.
But I promise you no one in this congregation had anything to do with it.
Here in this sanctuary, Brother Ron was among friends.
What about out there? Godless non-believers.
Satan's children.
Also known as the rest of the county.
Well, this morning, before we found Aaron's body, one of those godless non-believers phoned 911 anonymously to complain about what goes on here.
Now, we're tracking that person down, but Any ideas who that might be? No.
People don't understand the way we worship.
Quite frankly, Brother James, I think they're just too afraid to know.
Yeah well, poisonous snakes tend to have that effect on people.
Where were you this morning? You're funny, Brother James.
I can see I'm gonna have my work cut out for me with you.
Yeah.
No, seriously.
Where were you, Reverend? Bible study.
I was teaching my favorite book -- Thessalonians.
"God is just.
"He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
" Huh.
Daniel? Really? Send me the address.
I'm on my way.
We traced the anonymous call to the church back to you.
No, that call wasn't from me.
The number you traced the call back to belongs to my ex.
I pay his cellphone bill and his car insurance.
Thank you.
Uh, it's what we agreed to in the divorce.
He's unemployed.
I can't believe he's still making complaint calls.
"Still"? Has he done this before? A few times since the divorce.
Well, he's upset about the divorce, so I can understand why he'd want to lash out at you, but any reason why he'd be angry at Aaron? He thinks the church is dangerous, but he doesn't understand our beliefs.
Yeah.
Actually, I'm having a hard time with that.
UmWhat's with the snakes? Well, they're the incarnations of the devil.
When we handle snakes, we're proving our power over evil.
The Bible says we are to take up serpents.
And you take that literally? Well, it's the way we prove our faith in the Lord.
It's the same as passing our hand through fire or taking poison.
You take poison? Strychnine.
Pentecostals have been doing it for a hundred years, and we're still very much here.
And, uh, your ex? Is he still here? He's in Georgia looking for work.
He had to move in with his folks.
He didn't kill Aaron.
But he still felt compelled to make a complaint.
Just sounds like there's a lot more going on to this breakup than religious beliefs, Frannie.
He blamed Aaron for our marriage falling apart.
Why? What did Aaron do? Nothing except show me the way, praise the Lord.
He just showed me what was really important in this life.
And the next.
My ex wanted me to choose between my faith and my marriage.
And you chose Aaron.
I chose faith.
It sounds like you got feelings, there, for Aaron.
And maybe you couldn't have Aaron, so you me sure no one else could, either? Now you're accusing me.
That's justridiculous.
Where were you this morning? I was here, going over the menu.
Then I went and took inventory at my shop.
I have small butcher shop.
We sell exotic meats and specialty cuts.
Anybody here with you? No.
I was alone.
Is that problem? I'll let you know.
The alibi from Frannie's ex checks out.
He's back in Georgia with his parents.
Working hard or hardly working? Sitting on their couch, playing video games, trying to cheer himself up.
Apparently, yesterday morning, he got notice that his divorce from Frannie was final.
So, the ex puts in a last phone call to complain about the church, and then he picks up a joystick and moves on with his so-called life? How do we know his mom and dad aren't covering for him? They might be, but so is DeKalb County in Georgia.
The ex has been on jury duty the last three days.
So it's a good thing he didn't ignore that summons.
Hey.
Have you figured out what poison killed Aaron yet? No, but I did figure out which poison didn't.
Strychnine.
See, the thing with poison is you almost have to know what you're looking for to run the tests.
Or what you're looking at.
I know what I'm looking at.
Intense cyanosis of the mucus membrane.
Irritation of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, which indicates it was something he ingested, not inhaled or injected.
And, since it was something he ingested, there's a good chance that the substance was colorless and probably odorless.
That all you got? I'm telling you, I'm running tests.
It fee like you're walking them.
Crawling them, even.
And what is all this disgusting-looking stuff? That's stomach content.
I had to separate it first, then test it.
That's sausage.
Ostrich, if you can believe it.
The rest is green beans, um, sweet potatoes, chicken and mushrooms, and, uh, your favorite -- Mac and cheese.
Casseroles.
There were casseroles at the church this morning.
They're probably still there.
If the casseroles are poison, the congregation could be eating them right now.
Go.
We'll meet you there.
Yeah.
Hallelujah and praise the lord! You have to believe to be healed, brother! In thy name shall they speak with new tongues.
In thy name shall they take up serpents.
In thy name shall they lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.
When I lay my hands upon you, you will be healed.
In the name of Jesus -- say, "Thank you, Lord.
" Thank you, Lord! Oh! Sorry, Reverend.
Everyone, everyone.
Can I have your attention? Everyone.
People.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
UmBrothers and sisters! If anyone's eaten some food from the back, you may be poisoned! No, you -- they don't understand.
Oh, they understand.
They understand perfectly.
They have faith that God will take care of them.
Yeah, and they might die from poisoning, same as Aaron did.
Oh, that was the hand of God.
Do you believe in the hand of God? This isn't about me! Yes, sir.
God sent you here for a reason.
Yeah! To save your congregation.
To save yourself, Brother James -- take a look.
These people aren't sick with poison.
They are filled with the holy spirit.
Praise the Lord! This is crazy.
This is crazy! Do you believe, Brother James? Whoa.
N-now, what are you doing? Wait a minute.
You have to have faith, Brother James.
No -- wait a minute.
Even t little children have more faith than you do.
No! Wait! Aah! Aah! - Damn! This thing stings.
- All right.
Keep his hand above his heart.
My arm is burning.
Shh! I can feel the venom running through my veins.
Relax.
Jim, I need you to restrict your movements.
How bad is it? Bleeding, swelling, and discoloration is minimal.
Aah! It's getting really cold in here.
Is it cold in here? Carlos.
Shh.
Not quite.
Relax.
I can't move my hand.
I think the venom's paralyzing me.
Relax, relax, relax.
All right, his -- h-his blood pressure is a little high.
I can't breathe.
You can't breathe but you can talk? Ugh! I see a light.
Huh? I see a light.
Mm! Oh! Oh! Oh! A band-aid.
Oh, thatmakes sense.
You don't have any symptoms.
Except for the bitching and the drama.
It's a dry bite, Jim.
The snake didn't inject any poison in you.
No, that impossible.
Actually, it's entirely possible.
Snakes don't always release their venom.
They don't like to waste it if they don't feel threatened.
Somebody could have milked the snake or removed its venom.
I can find out for you.
Yeah, why don't you do that? Do you have another performance tonight, or are we done here? Aaron Matthews? I thought this was Reverend Trent's office.
Looks like Trent and Aaron shared the space.
Two desks, two chairs.
Very Noah's Ark.
And just as old.
He still used a day calendar.
Yeah, it's a small church.
There's not a lot of resources here.
Says here the day before Aaron was killed, he had something called "Righteous Way" with Peyton Robinson.
Righteous Way -- that's a prison ministry.
It's an organization that finds prison chaplains of all faiths to minister to the prisoners.
That must be one of the ministries that Aaron took over when Trent didn't have the time.
Peyton Robinson could have been a Priest, a Rabbi, even the Prison Chaplain.
Well, whoever Peyton Robinson is, it looks like he was the last person to see Aaron alive, which makes him a suspect, so I'll find out.
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
He also had a meeting this morning, two hours before he was killed.
Who's F.
H.
? Frannie Harper.
Well, hallelujah.
Brother James, my prayers have been answered.
Really? 'Cause I'm still here.
Well, I prayed for God to spare you.
You were the reason I got bitten in the first place, Reverend.
But, hey, thanks for thinking of me.
You lied to me.
You weren't opening your restaurant this morning.
You were here, meeting with Aaron.
I didn't lie, Detective.
You didn't specifically ask me about Aaron.
I had to ask him about catering meals for the church.
You make the meals for after the service? Wow.
That's very generous of you.
God has blessed me with a very successful business.
I consider it part of my offering to the church to cater the repasts.
But I know how this must look.
Yeah.
Like you poisoned Aaron.
Look around.
No one else who ate my food died or even got sick.
So maybe you just poisoned the food that Aaron ate.
I didn't poison Aaron.
Now, if you think that, I can't do anything about it.
But I know the truth will prevail.
So do I.
May I go now? Sure.
Mom, you paid 400 bucks for a book? A used textbook? Yeah, that's the best part -- it's already highlighted and underlined.
Sounds like cheating.
I'm still gonna read them.
Uh, you set the table.
I'm gonna get the pizza.
Hi.
Seriously? Yeah, the -- um Can you look at my arm? It's really starting to hurt.
Is it swollen or discolored? No.
Um, I mean, not yet.
But I didn't want it to get to the point where I needed medical attention, so And I only have a band-aid.
Yeah.
I'll take a look.
Come on in.
Thanks.
Hey.
Hey.
What's up? Well, I heard you got bitten by a cottonmouth.
Yeah.
That's pretty badass.
Yeah.
Yeah, mom let me have a mountain kingsnake once.
Oh, yeah, where'd you find a mountain in Florida? What'd you do to it? Me? I didn't do anything.
Yeah, snakes don't bite you unless you're aggressive to them first.
Well, I was aggressively trying not to -- get bit! Um And good timing.
I, uh, been putting off mowing the lawn, so now I guess that's gonna be put off for another few weeks.
I'll do.
Really? Yeah, if you pay me.
I'll let you swim in my pool.
I already swim in your pool.
Oh.
Right.
Um, what's the going rate for mowing lawns these days? I'm not getting in the middle of this.
Wow.
That bad, huh? Hey, don't worry.
I'll work with you.
Right.
And you're all set.
A little ibuprofen, and you should be good.
Already feels so much better.
Thank you.
Just, snakebite's not something I had to deal with in Chicago, you know? Well, you know what they say -- once bitten, twice shy.
Hey, don't look at me, man.
According to the herpetologist at Fish and Wildlife, the cottonmouth that bit you had been milked earlier.
Maybe that's why Aaron was around the snake pit.
So, what's this footage? Here.
The prison Aaron Matthews preached at has closed-circuit television to broadcast religious programming.
This is a prayer session Righteous Way broadcast for its Pentecostal prisoners.
Let the holy spirit speak the word of God through you.
Well, even without all the snakes on him, I can see that that's Aaron.
And that's Peyton Rinson.
He's a prisoner? Apparently serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter.
Well, at least we know where he was when Aaron was poisoned.
Droste dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Bob a la tinte.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte.
What's he saying? He's speaking in tongues.
Do me a favor.
E-mail this footage to my phone.
I tested all the food from the church.
And none of it was poisoned? Killer's too smart to leave a trail like that, huh? Lucky for you, I'm smarter.
I figured out what poison was used to kill Aaron.
Salt? Sodium nitrite.
Looks and tastes just like table salt.
How much sodium nitrite would it take to kill a man? A pinch.
One, maybe two teaspoons would do the trick.
That's it? Mm-hmm.
Tell me it's hard to get ahold of this stuff.
It's not easy, but it's not impossible.
It's a food preservative used to cure meats.
Or kill assistant ministers.
Detective! You're up early.
What are you, checking up on me? Wanted to ask you more about these specialty meats of yours.
Ahh.
Oh, that smells good.
What is that? That's my breakfast.
Pigs in a blanket with antelope meat.
You want a taste?! MmI'm good.
You sure? You got to try something.
I figure you for a Kobe beef man.
Maybe something more exotic, like alligator or buffalo or raccoon.
Let me guess -- it all tastes like chicken? You know, that is one thing that I do not sell.
Well, what about sausages? Do you make your own cured meats here? No, I don't do that.
Then what's this? That's the second time you've lied to my face.
No, those aren't mine.
And that's a third.
Frannie, you want to go for four? What I mean is, is that I don't make them here.
All right? I don't have the time or the space to process my own meats.
I use an outside vendor.
Local farmers package them for me to sell.
Excuse me.
What? Wait here.
Bob a la tinte.
Bob a la tinte.
Ity drosta dum Bob la tinte.
Peyton Robinson? You're not nervous, are you, Payton? Sir, yes, sir.
Last time I was in a room like this, I got jammed up on a killing I didn't do.
Yeah, Florida prisons are full of innocent men.
You got robbery, assault, manslaughter -- allegedly.
You got quite the record.
So why would the warden allow a prisoner serving 25 years to go over the fence? I earned that, sir.
I'm a cook in the kitchen.
I work in the prison farm, slaughterhouse.
I'm a medical orderly, helped save a man's life in the infirmary.
Got me enough trust and privilege for a little C.
C.
-- community custody.
That's the lowest level of supervision in the prison.
So that's why you're allowed out of the prison walls to serve meat to Frannie's restaurant.
How well do you know Frannie? I know she got a little brother in the joint.
That makes her good people? Means she understands more than most.
Huh.
She seems like a decent, God-fearing woman me.
You also served meat to a church yesterday morning, the same church that Aaron, your spiritual advisor in prison, turned up dead.
Here we go.
I figured this was coming.
Corrections officer was with me the whole time.
You seen him.
Well, it's been my experience that preachers are pretty much hypocrites.
They say one thing and do another.
But not Aaron.
He was a good man.
He was more like my friend than my minister.
We used to confide in one another.
Confide, huh? So, you used to tell him you were innocent.
And he said That he was doubting the church.
Spirit wasn't speaking to him anymore.
Aaron was struggling with his faith? Same as me.
We used to talk about it all the time.
Why would he confide in you? I'm trying to tell you we was friends.
Why would I kill the last good friend I have in this world? Peyton's lying.
What are you two doing? Uh -- Daniel and I are -- It's all Carlos.
You know, you know, just helping you.
Uh -- w-why do you say that Peyton's lying? Just because he's -- The prison farm just sent me their delivery schedule.
It says that Peyton was at the church an hour before Aaron was killed.
And being at the prison farm also gave him access to sodium nitrite.
- But he doesn't have motive.
- Oh, he has motive.
- I just haven't found it yet.
- That's because you don't have any evidence against him, but maybe this will help.
Turns out, the church records all their services and posts them online.
So we have incriminating video.
Better than that.
Well, great.
For a second there, I was afraid it was gonna be that honey badger thing.
Oh -- okay.
I just want you to know that Carlos made me.
You heard the man.
Let him see it.
Thank you, lord.
Thank you, Jesus.
Ity drosta dum Bob a lainte danta.
Do you believe, Brother James? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you doing? You have to have faith! Hey, hey.
Wait a minute.
Oh, why, even the little children have more faith than you.
No, wait! Aah! Aah! You know that hurt, right? You have no idea.
The look on your face -- What? Then or now? Can we please get back to work? No, no, no.
Please.
Let's see it one more time.
I -- I promise you it doesn't get old.
Hey, you know what? Fine.
I don't care.
Stop.
Take it back.
Jes.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
That gibberish sounds awfully familiar.
Stop.
Daniel, get me all of Peyton's prison files.
- You have his criminal record.
- No, I mean all his files.
His intake records, his medical records, timesheets from all the jobs he's done at the prison, and especially the files from his prison chaplain.
¿Que pasa? Anything you got, send it to my cell.
You're right.
This is better.
Much.
Ity drosta d Bob a la tinte danta.
Ity drosta dum Bob a la tinte danta.
Thank you, Jesus.
I was in the spirit when I said that.
Speaking in tongues.
When people speak in tongues, the words are different.
They change each time, each person, right? Well, I don't expect a nonbeliever to understand.
Well, maybe you can explain to me why Peyton Robinson, a man in prison, used the exact same phrase you did when he was speaking in tongues.
Kind of says to me that he wasn't really speaking in tongues.
He was just reciting a phrase he'd already heard From you.
Well, I suppose it's possible.
We've prayed together before.
You pray with the man who delivers your meat? My baby brother is in prison in Texas, so I understand how important it is for these men to have contact with the outside world.
I met Peyton when I volunteered for Aaron's prison ministry.
Oh, yeah.
And you volunteered to be his wife, right? You're engaged to Peyton? Peyton had to submit an application to get permission to marry you.
But then Aaron wrote a letter of objection, stopped the whole thing.
That's why he was poisoned.
Aaron stopped the wedding, yes, but I wasn't mad at him.
He was right.
I was marrying Peyton for all the wrong reasons.
Iwas lonely and scared after my divorce.
So you hooked up with a guy in prison? At least I knew where he was every night.
Look -- I know that Peyton has done some horrible things, but he's a good Christian man now.
The time just wasn't right for us.
Aaron helped me see that.
I'm surprised Aaron could help you see anything, considering his own Crisis of faith.
I guess he's good at doling out advice to everyone but himself, huh? Not true.
Aaron knew exactly what he was gonna do next.
What do you mean, "next"? He wanted to leave reverend Trent's church, strike out on his own.
And I had faith in him, so I agreed to co-sign on a mortgage for Aaron.
For a house? Mm-hmm.
that he could convert into a church of his own.
Why would I poison him and risk taking on such a huge financial burden? Did Reverend Trent know this? Not from me.
I felt it was Aaron's job to tell him himself.
But I know Reverend Trent would have been upset to see him go.
Yeah.
Kill Sister Frannie for her kind and generous heart? That doesn't sound like motive to me.
Even when you found out she was setting up a new church with Aaron? What did you say, Brother James? Well, Frannie is by far the wealthiest member of your congregation.
Losing her would be a huge financial blow.
You need to leave.
You had to stop Aaron from stealing Frannie away for his new church.
Lies.
Get thee behind me, Satan.
Oh, really? You kill Aaron, and I'm the devil? No, I know the devil when I see him.
The devil comes disguised as a servant of righteousness.
Yeah.
Back at you, Reverend.
Oh, let me tell you about the battle between the righteous and the damned.
Oh, yeah? What about the innocent versus the guilty? What about a suspect who used to be a witness? Hate is the fist that would lay his brother low! But love is the hand that would raise him on high.
Only love is the hand of God.
Okay, you must be speaking in tongues, because I have no idea what you're talking about.
Okay, I guess this means you're not coming down to the station to answer some questions? I don't answer to you, beelzebub.
Brother James, I know you can hear me.
I won't let you be corrupted by the devil's murderous accusations or his cloven-hoofed trickery.
Let me lay hands on you now.
No, no.
You really don't want to do this, Reverend.
The Bible says that God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
Say yes, Lord! Thank you, Jesus! Ow! Trent Staley, you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer.
Arresting a preacher's a new low, even for you.
The man was possessed.
He called me beelzebub.
There's an inscription in Aaron's ring -- "T.
S.
16"? T.
S.
Is there a chapter in this book that starts with a T, ends with an S? "Chapter"? They're called books.
Give me that.
When I first met him, he said something like "Thistle.
" It's from the second book of Thessalonia, Chapter 1, Verse 6.
"God is just.
"He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us, as well.
" That's what Trent quoted me before he hit me upside the head.
I believe the correct term is "Laying on of hands.
" Why is Thessalonians 1:6 so important to Aaron and Trent? It makes sense for Aaron.
It's comforting, especially if he's struggling with his faith.
And his finances.
I have Trent's bank statements, last couple of tax returns, and W-2's.
The average pastor's salary is around $60,000.
Trent makes less than half of that.
Because he displays the snakes publicly, he's required to have a $10,000 bond.
How does he pay for that? Frannie.
Without her, he wouldn't be able to keep running the church.
That's why he's so against Aaron leaving and potentially taking Frannie with him.
Trent doesn't make a lot of money, but he sure has a lot of jobs.
Look at all these W-2's -- from Christian magazines, revival meetings at other churches.
He even presided over a Halloween hell house.
He's cobbling together a living, one sermon at a time.
Two years ago, he got a W-2 from Starke for $150.
Starke Prison? Yeah.
It says that he was a volunteer, but they paid him.
There's only one volunteer job at Starke that pays $150.
Death row.
Trent was an executioner.
Thought you might want this.
No burning.
Not even hot.
Still think I'm the devil? The devil is crafty and smart.
You, Detective Longworth, have no idea what you're doing.
But you do? As God is my witness, I did not kill Aaron.
Well, too bad that's not an alibi I can confirm.
I'm not talking about Aaron, anyway.
Two years ago, you helped kill Leon Earl Montrose by lethal injection at Starke Prison.
Not very Pentecostal of you.
Oh! Lying is a sin, Reverend.
Be very careful what you say next.
The warden promised me that I would be anonymous.
How did you know? I didn't.
But you just confirmed it, so So much for "Thou shalt not kill," huh? That was God's will.
Says you.
I'm thinking you got a taste for murder.
Figured next time someone crossed you, you'd just play God again.
I don't have to play God.
I got the indwelling of the spirit when I was 16 years old.
Besides, Leon Earl Montrose raped and strangled a 10-year-old girl.
That he was convicted of.
Even the warden said Leon Earl was railroaded.
The guy had an I.
Q.
of 50.
He asked for a coloring book and crayons with his last meal.
That's why I had to be there.
If Leon Earl was meant to be spared, then the hand of God would have stopped that execution.
Through you.
I'm at peace with what was done.
God is just.
He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled.
Thessalonians -- Chapter 1, Verse 6.
"T.
S.
16," right? Wait.
Those are your initials.
T.
S.
Trent Staley.
You took that quote as your own personal mantra when you were 16, didn't you? It's served me well.
Where's your ring, Reverend? You have it.
In evidence.
I gave it to Aaron.
Yeah, 'cause he was losing his faith.
That's why he's milking the snakes before every service.
- He didn't believe.
- Aaron was afraid of getting bit.
You were afraid of him leaving your church.
I was afraid for his eternal soul.
I gave him my ring to remind him not to get lost.
But it was you who had the most to lose.
All poisonings are tracked by the state medical examiner's board.
When Aaron's case was entered into the system, the database found another death by sodium nitrite.
A homicide? It was listed as an accident, so it was never investigated.
- May I? - Oh.
Sure.
This is our victim, Marcus Jordan.
Any connection to Aaron? Yes.
Starke Prison.
Marcus Jordan was an inmate? No.
Marcus Jordan was a volunteer.
He got paid $150 for one day of work on the same day as Trent.
Lethal injections in Florida require two executioners.
Anonymous executioner.
Besides the warden, no one's supposed to know they're there.
- Looks like somebody found out.
- Yeah, but how? Marcus and Trent would've had their faces concealed.
What about their hands? Maybe the killer s the ring that was on Trent.
And then later met Aaron? The killer might think Aaron was the executioner.
Aaron was poisoned.
Maybe the killer was trying to poison Trent.
Well, obviously, Trent's not the killer.
This changes everything.
Yeah.
Someone's executing the executioners.
Dr.
Spieser to Radiology.
Dr.
Spieser to Radiology.
Trent Staley is who the killer was trying to poison.
So, the killer confused Aaron Matthews with Trent Staley? Yeah.
Two years ago, Trent helped execute a death-row inmate from Starke Prison named Leon Earl Montrose.
I remember that.
Ray was at Starke before he got transferred over to Raiford.
Right.
But Leon Earl Montrose was intellectually disabled, so everyone thought that he was innocent.
I'm thinking that someone wanted to avenge Leon Earl's death -- someone who was actually at the execution and saw the executioners there at the prison that day.
- Well, that could be anyone.
- I know.
Anyone can apply to be a witness in an execution -- the victim's family members, reporters, protestors.
But executioners are shrouded in secrecy, and the whole prison goes into lockdown.
So, if I can figure out when the killer actually saw the executioners or where, then maybe I can figure out who.
Does the killer know that he poisoned the wrong person? That, I don't know.
Does Reverend Trent know that someone wants to kill him? - I haven't told him that yet.
- Maybe you should.
I mean, he's the only one who knows exactly where he was on the day of the execution.
- Callie? I need you.
- Maybe you can get him to retrace his steps.
That way, maybe I can see who saw him.
Huh.
Thank you.
Yeah, no problem.
In your name, I pray over this room, o Lord, to bless it and keep it safe.
Uh, no one's getting executed here today, Reverend.
I hope.
I take comfort in prayer, Brother James.
Well, then, you should pray that I find that killer, huh? I can't believe someone would want to kill me.
Is this what you wore? Executioner's robe.
It's not very subtle.
They had to conceal our identity.
By dressing you up as the Grim Reaper and bringing attention to you? It's important that we were covered from head to toe.
That's probably why they got you to wear the gloves.
Except at some point, you saw fit to take them off.
That's when the killer saw your ring.
I -- I don't remember.
Well, that's why we're here.
Maybe wearing this will jog your memory.
Put that on.
This, too.
All of it.
Wow.
Okay.
Walk me through it? We had on these robes the whole time.
No one could see us, not even Leon Earl Montrose, who was laid out on that gurney right there.
And this is how you administer the lethal injections? You injected the chemicals from all three syringes into the I.
V.
, right? The first two paralyzed his muscles, put Leon Earl to sleep.
The third was potassium chloride.
It stopped his heart.
He took a little breath.
His lips went blue.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and then Leon Earl went to his final resting place.
It's -- it's a terrible thing to watch a man die.
I d-- I don't think I'll ever forget that.
So, you did more than watch, Reverend.
- Did you get sick then, too? - I felt nauseous.
Did you throw up? No.
Guard! What happened after you executed Leon Earl Montrose, Reverend? - Nothing.
- No, you're not telling me something.
I'll interview the warden.
I'll interview every prison guard in this place if I have to.
I already walked you through it.
I want to get out of here.
Guard! Really? Huh.
Thank you, warden.
Mm.
Don't forget to put that ring back into evidence.
- Yeah, yeah.
- How's Trent? Sick as a dog.
And not just the first time.
He was sick after the execution, too.
Happens a lot.
Sometime the guards get so traumatized about being part of an execution, they can't go back to work in the prison.
What'd the warden tell you? Before Leon Earl Montrose was executed, the prison hosted a reception just for the witnesses in one of the meeting rooms.
Oof.
Sounds appetizing.
Yeah, nothing like a snack before you kill a man, right? So, when Trent got sick at the execution, the warden brought him into that meeting room and gave him a can of soda just to calm his stomach.
Trent takes off his gloves to open the can Revealing the ring.
Who was in the room with him? Just the warden.
Oh, and the caterer.
Frannie.
Please don't do that.
Ah, you're right.
Probably ruin my appetite anyway.
I'm talking about Frannie.
You can't arrest her.
I don't believe she could kill anyone.
No, you don't want to believe it.
You need the money.
But she's damaged, Reverend.
She's troubled.
She's got a brother in prison.
I know she's hurt, and she's angry about that.
But that doesn't prove that she killed anybody.
I believe God's will was done.
Well, that's easy for you to say 'cause "God's will" is not being done to you.
I'm sure Aaron might have a different opinion, but he's six feet under, so The wages of sin is death.
Aaron knew that.
He didn't have faith.
That's why he died.
No, he was poisoned because you couldn't go back to the prison after you executed Leon Earl.
I mean, you preach the Ten Commandments, but you broke "Thou shalt not kill.
" So, you gave Aaron your ring.
You let him take over the prison ministry.
I mean, you might as well have killed him yourself.
I've begged God to forgive me every day since.
I didn't mean to put Aaron in harm's way.
Well, so much for the hand of God.
Now the long arm of the law is about to make an arrest.
You can't go against God's will, Brother James.
Why even when Leon Earl Montrose was shanked and almost died in the prison infirmary, God sent an orderly to nurse him back to health.
Yeah, I know.
I read the file.
That orderly saved Leon Earl's life.
But then you executed him, so I guess I can see why someone would be upset about that.
You can't arrest Frannie.
Who said anything about arresting Frannie? Reverend? Brought you a little something extra for the service.
Even made you a sandwich in case you're hungry.
- What are you doing here? - Waiting for you, Peyton.
Actually, did you know that Peyton was one of the inmates in Aaron's prison ministry? - No, I didn't.
- Huh.
Oh, before you chow down on that sandwich, you should probably also know that Peyton was the one that poisoned Aaron.
Yeah, he was working in the prison kitchen the night that Leon Earl Montrose was executed.
No, sir.
Prison goes into lockdown during an execution.
For the general population, but not for someone with as high a clearance as you.
You were there, helping Frannie with the reception, where one of the executioners stupidly gave his number to the warden.
And the other one took his gloves off to, uh, have a can of soda, where you saw this.
Reverend Trent's ring.
You're the executioner? And you're the orderly that nursed Leon Earl Montrose back to health.
You spent time with him, got to know him.
You thought he was wrongly accused, just like you.
Leon was innocent.
He had the mind of a child.
He didn't even know what was going on.
- But they killed him anyway.
- And that was wrong! Someone should've stopped it.
Someone could've.
Ho! If you was a half a Christian, you'd have yanked them tubes out of Leon's arm instead of killing him! You thought you poisoned the executioner? You poisoned Aaron by mistake.
It's no big loss.
Aaron was a hypocrite, just like the rest.
Used to stand up in the pulpit and preach his righteous ways, but he didn't even believe them himself.
And neither did I.
I played those fools like a fiddle.
I even got old money bags Frannie wanting to take my last name.
Why would you do that? Because they sentenced me to 25 years! What the hell else am I supposed to do?! Yeah, well, now you're gonna serve 25 more for the murder of Aaron Matthews and Marcus Jordan.
You can take him.
Probably just put me in solitary.
Take away my privileges, which I'll have back in two years.
At least I'll be out for the trial.
I'll see you in court, Reverend.
Pack a lunch.
Let's go.
- You okay, Reverend? - No! Don't! Oh.
It's okay.
I have faith.
Hey, great job on the lawn, by the way.
Uh, well, figured I'd better do a good job, since you're, uh, seriously overpaying me.
Wait.
I'm seriously overpaying you? Not if he wants to go to college.
Hey.
Uh, let's go, buddy.
Get you a beer? Uh, no.
Can't.
I'm studying.
Right.
Yeah, of course.
You know, it's okay to be bummed about Sam.
No, I'm not bummed about Sam.
'Cause you're acting a little bummed, so Has she planned a visit or booked a flight, maybe? No, she just, um -- she needs a couple of weeks to set upShop, uh, acclimate up there.
Yeah, I mean, she's, um She's got big shoes to fill.
It's a big job.
And it's hard enough for women in law enforcement, anyway.
I mean, if I was her, I'd be doing exactly the same thing.
You know Prioritizing.
Okay, buddy, let's hit it.
All right.
Great job on the lawn.
Yeah, you said that already.
Uh, but thanks.
So, uh, next week? Yeah, if it's cool with your mom.
Hey, it's 20 bucks less i have to give him.
Cool.
Later.
Yeah.
Later.
You know, sometimes things work out the way they're supposed to.