Cold Case s05e08 Episode Script
It Takes a Village
Ma-Two, can I go to Record City? What for? To buy some more of that hippity-hop mess? They got this new CD I want.
Dinner's almost ready.
And you're spending too much time listenin' to that nonsense as it is.
It ain't nonsense.
And I already ate.
On my way home from school.
Good, then you can keep me company.
- I eat with you every day.
- That's a blessing, not a curse.
My home cooking and good company Something to be envied.
Yeah, I know.
If you want to go somewhere, why don't you go down to the church youth center and try to make some friends? Nobody ever says nothin' to me there.
Take them headphones off and maybe they will next time.
You gotta learn how to speak up, baby.
You really not gonna let me go? But we're talkin' about my future, Ma-Two.
If I start my own label, I can get you a phat crib.
Give you the kind of life you deserve.
Go set the table, Shemar.
Storage company called this morning, Lil.
Management got a complaint about a foul odor, strange leak in one of the units.
Freezer shorted.
Started leaking fluids.
Unis found this inside.
Shemar Reynolds.
Missing since August.
Last seen on his way home from school.
Family's probably still hoping for a safe return.
Don't they always.
ID'd him pretty fast.
Kid's earring helped.
We matched it to Missing Persons.
Slashing his face - wasn't enough? - Took off his finger.
- A souvenir maybe? - Takes a lot of rage to do that to a kid.
Doer soundproofed this place.
- Muffled the noise.
- Lieutenant.
Tracking the name on the unit.
Rented to a Theo Gamble.
What is it? Three other storage units in North Philly were rented under that same name.
We got a serial.
He killed four kids that we know of.
Victim number one.
Damont Henderson.
- Age 12.
- Last seen at Northland Mall.
October '99.
Next, Kendrick Malone.
Nine years old.
Left his house to meet friends.
July 2001.
Never seen again.
Number three: Marcus Hollister.
- 14.
- He went missing from his block, March 27, 2003.
And Shemar Reynolds.
The most recent, Disappeared three months ago.
And Missing Persons never raised an eyebrow.
- Great.
- Cause of death: he slit their throats.
Slashed their faces.
Personal-- doing that.
So maybe he knew them.
All different ages, different parts of North Philly.
Nothing in common.
They all come from tough neighborhoods.
No way our guy just waltzed in there.
Had to be familiar.
Took off their left index fingers.
Postmortem.
'Cause not just any finger would do for this crackjob.
The victims sustained shin splints, abrasions under their feet.
They were alive.
Their stomachs were empty.
Initial stages of starvation.
No signs of sexual assault.
Meaning he didn't kill them right away.
So what was he doing with them? We got a print off the lock on the freezer in Shemar's unit.
Running it now.
All the other units were wiped clean.
Every inch.
The bodies, too.
Not one hair or fiber on 'em.
Takes a lot of discipline, care, not leave a trace like that.
What about the name on the units? - Theo Gamble.
- Ran it through DMV.
Guy doesn't exist.
Great.
Families are here.
Lil, you and Scotty talk to the storage managers.
Yeah.
The rest of us talk to them? Before the media catches hold, plasters it all over the news.
Yeah.
Waiting ain't gonna make it any easier.
You and Damont were at the mall when he went missing? He didn't want to be seen with his moms anymore.
So he went off on his own.
Do you know where exactly? I waited for him at the usual spot.
Damont never showed.
I spoke to detectives.
Over the years.
Didn't nobody mention to me that there were other boys missing.
Why? They had to know that monster was out there.
Didn't they? Says here your son Marcus got caught up - with a gang.
- My son had his troubles, but he wasn't no banger.
The night he went missing he told you he was going to the store? To get what? Popsicles.
Boys and Girls Club was hosting a science fair.
Marcus needed sticks for a bridge he was building.
- Could he have stopped somewhere else? - No.
Marcus knew I'd worry and he was anxious to get that bridge done.
I asked this one cop about putting out one of them, uh.
.
what'd ya call it? - Amber Alerts.
- Told me no.
Said Marcus probably ran away.
Runaway, banger.
All code for one thing.
"We don't give a damn.
" Mall security found my son's jacket near the food court.
It's his favorite.
Damont had that toy in his pocket.
Someone give it to him? I think he bought it.
From one of the toy stores? I don't know.
He was sweet on this girl at school.
His first crush.
It was probably for her.
Sounds like a nice kid.
I told him I told him he'd have plenty of time to worry about girls when he got older.
Some folks on the block helped look for Marcus.
Found this in a garbage can.
Marcus had it with him that day? Yeah.
Looks like it's been picked through.
Nothin' much in it.
Just some magazines, tickets.
Kids get these at carnivals or those kiddie pizza places.
No carnivals in our neighborhood.
And Marcus would never go anywhere like that without tellin' me.
Shemar disappeared three months ago! And now you care.
Now you wanna ask me questions about my grandson.
- Now that he's dead.
- The more information - we have - I came down to Missing Persons every single day.
And all I got was some nonsense about how kids run off with their friends to get high.
"Oh, he'll come home," they said.
I'm sure that's what they believed at the time.
If you people had given a damn about just one of those boys that disappeared, my grandson would still be alive.
Now, wouldn't he? Yeah, Theo Gamble.
Rented that unit in my facility starting back in '03.
Pretty memorable this guy? Paid in cash.
One year up front.
That don't happen every day.
What'd he look like? He was black.
Mid-30s maybe.
Look, I run the kind of place where you don't pay too much mind, you know what I mean? Was he a big guy? Average size, what? Anything'll help.
All I remember is he was kinda touched.
As in crazy? He got all bent out of shape over nothing Aw, man.
They always lose.
It's a good thing I don't gamble, huh? All right, unit 3079.
It's at the end.
You, you promised me unit 1925.
They're both the same size.
Who cares about the damn number? You promised me that number! Take it.
It's yours.
Most folks want a unit that's convenient, at the end of the row or something.
But he cared about the number.
You're damn right he did.
Like I said, touched.
Look, we're going to need you to talk with a sketch artist.
I told you I didn't see nothing 'cept those ratty gloves.
Rush.
Got a hit on the print off Shemar's unit.
Whose is it? Akon Dupree.
Multiple assault charges.
Weapon of choice: a knife.
Get down! Get down! Get on the ground! Get on the ground! What the hell? What the hell is this, man? There a reason for all the fanfare, dawg? Four dead kids reason enough? I don't know jack about no dead kids.
Well, we found one in a storage house not too far from here.
Heard it on the news.
So what? Ain't got nothin' to do with me.
I been in rehab.
You can ask 'em yourself.
You might want to explain what your fingerprint's doing on that lock.
What? Hold up.
I went in there to steal stuff.
That's it, all right? Tell it to your lawyer.
Oh, ease up, dawg.
Maybe we could work out a trade or something.
Oh, I don't think so, dawg.
Listen, I got this video camera.
I lifted it from the storage unit last week.
And trust me, there's something on it you're gonna want to see.
Explains the tape on the floor.
He's making the kid stand there.
Check out the date stamp.
August 27, 2007.
Four days after Shemar disappeared.
Fast-forward.
Made them stand there hours on end.
Explains the shin splints, the bruising.
Same thing happened to him as a kid? You know, he's reliving it maybe? Making others go through the pain.
Sick bastard, do that to some kid.
Made 'em stand until they couldn't anymore.
Wait.
Take it back.
Think the kid said something.
Defector Three.
Defector Three.
What the hell is Defector Three? Some kind of code? Kid hasn't eaten in four days.
Could be rambling.
Nonsense.
Or a cry for help.
To who? Only one who's going to see it is the doer.
Nah, he's at the end of his rope.
He's desperate.
- Yeah.
So? - Nothin' to lose.
Hoping someone else gets this tape besides the doer.
Could be he's leaving us a message.
You been up all night with Nick, trying to figure out the numbers on the storage units.
Why he's fixated on 'em.
Tried military code, Morse Code.
No luck.
It can't be the killing our doer's getting off on.
Yeah? Why's that? Murder's not on the tape.
It's not what excites him.
The standing does.
Akon's story checked out.
He was in rehab when two of the victims disappeared.
Look at his eyes.
He knows.
Knows what? He's going to die alone.
Loneliest thing in the world, that.
Defector Three.
Figured it out.
It's an arcade game.
Uh, why did Shemar leave a message about some game? That's where he met his killer.
Toy's made exclusively for those FunFare Grabber games.
Right.
The game with the big claw thing.
See 'em at carnivals.
And arcades.
Ditto with the tickets.
There's an arcade on Shemar's road home from school.
Also in the Northland Mall where Damont disappeared.
And two blocks from Marcus's apartment.
All of them had one of those Defector Three games.
Arcade.
Perfect place to troll for kids.
Let's canvas 'em.
Station some unis there, too.
Someone might have seen our doer.
No suspicious dudes getting past me.
I got zero tolerance when it comes to safety.
Take it seriously.
Got to.
This is the only place where a kid from around here can be a kid.
You remember seeing Shemar Reynolds here? Few months back? Sure.
High scorer.
Always had an audience, too.
Any of 'em stand out? New kid.
Never seen him before.
Watched your boy Shemar like a hawk.
Right over there.
This kid and Shemar exchange words? You could say that.
He eventually got his nerve up to play homeboy.
Ah, don't try that roundhouse kick! - Yeah, boy! - Ah! You got lucky.
Somebody had to fall in the pit.
I'm just glad it wasn't me.
Uh, you talk now, but ain't nobody ever beat me at home.
Nobody, and I only play the best.
Chumps, all of 'em.
Oh, well, let's see how long you can stand.
What's up? Let's go.
My grams gets all panicked when I don't show on time.
It's just a few blocks down.
Uh, if you're scared, just say so.
You crazy? Five bucks says you're about to get another whoopin'.
This kid have a name? But they both made the board.
The board? What's that? High score screen.
Players' names get put on.
The new kid-- he was #2.
"Theseus.
" Never saw Shemar and that kid again after that.
Checked out all the Defector Three games at the arcades our victims went missing from.
Name Theseus shows up on every one of them.
- All our victims played him.
- Yeah.
Kids were pros at that game.
Nobody topped their scores for years.
Storage unit was rented by an adult, so the kid must be a lure.
Got to admit.
It's smart-- our doer using a kid as bait.
So what's the significance of this game he plays? Defector Three? It was a typical RPG.
Players force their opponents into The Pit.
RPG? Uh, role-playing game.
Toni's kid plays 'em.
Nothing special about this one.
Standard fight to the death stuff.
He's picking that game for a reason.
If it has a significance, I'm not seeing it.
The moniker fits, though, with the lure part, at least.
Well, how so? Looked up the name Theseus.
It's from Greek mythology.
Theseus is a young man who's sent by his father to do to bad guys what they did to others.
It's a father and son thing.
Kid's doing his father's bidding? Twisted.
Well, some might believe his dad's righting a wrong.
So the son finds a victim, he convinces them to come and play video games.
Dad takes over from there.
The name Theseus showed up on a game in an arcade in Brewerytown.
There's another victim out there? Nope.
This opponent's alive.
Corey Middleton, 11.
Well, bring him in for a talk.
Maybe he can give us an ID.
Any luck with those storage numbers? Working on it.
You know, Toni's kid, Andre, ain't much older than these kids.
I used to go to the arcade when I was little.
You played against someone named Theseus.
You remember anything about him? What he looked like? He had a PlayStation.
Wanted me to come over and check it out.
And did you, Corey? Did you go to his house? You can tell the truth.
You won't get in trouble.
Is Theseus the guy that hurt those boys they're talking about on TV? We don't know.
That's why we need your help.
I just wanted to play the game.
After this, you come to my spot, hit up my PlayStation.
Which games you got? All of 'em, but the dopest stick to the basics.
- Old school.
- Word.
Just like when we were little kids, right? - Look out! Look out! - About time for your secret sidearm.
How'd you know about my move? Been watching you.
Long time.
Watching me play? For real? Got to.
I don't play just anybody.
Only those who know how to dominate.
Wait till you see me on the PlayStation.
No, man! Come on.
Get up.
Get up.
Get up! No! I thought you were a winner, man.
I usually am.
Not today you ain't.
You lost.
You wasted my time.
He got real mad.
Are you sure the kid you were playing was wearing ripped gloves? Yeah.
Like those ones you use at baseball practice.
Same gloves the guy at the storage facility described.
The ones the doer was wearing.
He was pretending, though.
- That guy.
- What do you mean? Pretending? He had gray hair on his face like you.
Gray hair? Our doer isn't using a kid as a lure.
Got unis stationed at arcades, malls, rec centers.
Any place with video games.
Community knows we're looking for a guy that passes himself off as a kid.
Meaning size ain't one of his strong points.
That's why he has to lure them with the video games.
Talk to the families again.
- Ask them if a kid was hanging around the victims.
- Hey, boss.
These families want answers.
- We keep coming back with more questions.
- Well, we know Theseus played video games as a kid.
Yeah, 'cause of that "when we were little kids" slip he made with Corey.
Maybe Defector Three was one of them.
That game didn't come out till '99.
Got to be a reason he chooses kids - who play that game.
- Not just any kids either.
- Winners.
- It's all about domination with this guy.
Maybe he's putting them in their place.
Could be what those storage units are about.
He's creating his own Pit.
I figured it out.
The numbers on the units.
The numbers he rented, insisted on I'm thinking they had to be some complicated code.
It isn't.
It's simple arithmetic.
They all add up to 17.
"Stick to the basics.
" Like he told Corey.
He's latching onto these names, numbers and places - like he's trying to make sense of something.
- What though? And what's the significance of 17? Theseus is all about righting the wrongs.
from his past.
Where things went bad.
Building, room number, street address.
Like I said nothing but questions.
You're full of them now.
Shame you wasn't around when it might've helped.
Ms.
Johnson, did Shemar make any new friends before he disappeared? Come to his funeral and you'll find out.
We need your help to stop this guy before he hurts someone else's son.
Shemar was shy.
Kept to himself.
Been like that since his mama left.
No friends at all? Certainly none that came around here.
What about at the arcade? Yeah, Shemar met a boy there a couple of weeks before he disappeared.
A Theseus, maybe, or Theo? Yeah, a strange sort of name.
He put all kinds of notions in my grandson's head.
Forgetting something? Ma-Two, can I ask yo a question? Of course, baby.
What would happen to me if you died? You listening to one of those hippity-dippity shoot-'em-up songs again? I told you all that violence and murder ain't good.
This song ain't like that.
Yeah, sure, it ain't.
It's about the stuff you talk about.
Like hope, survival.
You'd like it.
Thinking about your mom? Nah.
You miss her, don't ya? I was only three when she left.
The only one I remember being there is you.
So why the long face? This kid I met at the arcade said that boys with no family like him get sent to this hard place that they never get out of ever.
??? It's called "The Pit.
" And if you die, then I'm going to go there, too.
Shemar, baby I ain't going nowhere.
But what if you did? Your mama left, don't mean I will.
I will always be here to protect you.
I promise.
Let's say our prayers.
Theseus didn't have a family? Shemar said he didn't have nobody.
I didn't keep my promise to him, now, did I? You went to the police every day, asking about Shemar.
You tried.
Shemar started calling me "mama" after my daughter Belinda left.
You were all he had.
They say, "It takes a village.
" But Belinda was always gonna be Shemar's mama.
I never wanted to take that from her.
I was just second in line.
That's why he calls you "Ma-Two.
" Thank you for your time, Ms.
Johnson.
Find him.
The man that did this to those babies.
Make him pay, you hear? Theseus warned Shemar about losing family 'cause he didn't have one.
Could've come from an orphanage, foster home, juvenile facility.
A lot of foster care facilities were breeding grounds for delinquents.
But there was one in North Philly, notoriously bad.
It was called Prichard House, but the residents had a different name for it.
The Pit.
That's why Defector Three.
He was stuck in "The Pit" once.
Now, he's killing kids who were able to put him there again.
Gets better.
Prichard got written up for everything from professional misconduct to health hazards.
But in '86, six kids were treated repeatedly for posterior tibial syndrome, also known as shin splints.
Same injuries as our victims.
Patients were treated by a Dr.
Ben Breslyn.
Is he still practicing? At a clinic in Chestnut Hill.
The Pit, yes.
I treated the kids there and at seven other facilities around the city.
Back in '86, six kids came in with these foot injuries: bruising, shin splints.
Detective, that was over 20 years ago.
You don't really expect me to remember it, do you? Six kids? 12 visits in two weeks with the same injuries? Yeah, I do.
Look, I was fresh out of medical school and hell-bent on making a difference.
Then it would seem like the kind of thing you'd notice.
You're trained not to.
Just get them in and out as quickly as possible.
- And I'd been warned.
- About what? They told us these kids would do anything for attention.
So you thought they were faking it? No one wanted them and they knew it.
They didn't have anything to lose by telling a few tall tales.
Still you didn't think it was ??? I might have if I had more than five minutes with them.
So you were too busy.
There was one kid.
Couldn't have been more than nine or ten, but that look in his eye.
It always stuck with me.
How'd this happen, Malik? A lot of you boys coming in with these same injuries.
You guys goofin' around jumping off the stairs? Don't want to tell me? Fine.
Give this to your counselor.
It'll help the pain.
He made us stand in the square.
- Like that.
- Who? Mr.
Grimes.
Grimes, the counselor? Must've been standing there an awfully long time.
A few days.
Days? He says when one of us does something bad, we all got to pay the price.
Send the next kid in, all right? Don't forget to give that prescription to your counselor.
So Grimes was the counselor to all the boys with those injuries? Yes, night counselor.
Former resident, too.
A lot of them came back to work there.
- Any idea where he is now? - He left in '91.
Bounced around to a few other facilities till about '99.
That's the last I heard of him.
'99, that's when the killing started.
I'm sorry I didn't do more.
Thanks for your time.
Yeah, boss, what is it? My brother was standing right here - the whole time and now he's gone.
- ??? I'll call your sergeant.
Tyrell Hobbs, Sister went around the corner to use the ATM.
When she came back, Tyrell was gone.
How'd the hell this happen? We got all the arcades, everything covered.
Why is he snatching kids from a pizza joint? Because we missed one, Scotty.
He knows we're onto him.
Must've seen the unis when he was trolling the arcades.
So he finds the one game we weren't watching.
- Luck of the devil.
- He knows time's running out.
Probably got a mission to complete.
- And he's succeeding.
- Maybe not, boss.
We got a hit on a storage unit near the pizzeria where Tyrell went missing.
Unit numbers adds up to 17.
Guy with ripped gloves paid cash upfront a few days ago.
Didn't go by Theo Gamble.
Fits the description of our doer.
We got to get down there pronto.
Shemar held on for days.
Tyrell may not have that long.
We got the counselor.
He's in Interview.
No way you're pinning the murders of those North Philly boys on me.
You had a nice long run.
Eight years.
Doesn't take a genius to beat a murder rap, if cops aren't looking.
Oh, you think it's funny? Little boys with their faces sliced open.
You cops act all concerned now that you got some bad press.
Need to lock somebody up quick.
And any old brother will do.
- The jig is up, Grimes.
- You got nothing connecting me to those murders and you know it.
We found your storage unit.
We need to open up unit 359 now.
I don't know nothing about no storage unit.
What about The Pit? You should know a lot about that.
The foster care home? That place shut down in '95.
That's where you first tried out your techniques.
Making kids stand for hours on end till they couldn't anymore.
Maybe I used some tactics that weren't popular.
Popular? That's an understatement, Grimes.
There were 34 of those Billy Badasses and only one of me.
I did what I had to keep them in line.
You hated those boys, didn't you? Taught them all a lesson.
I didn't hate them.
I disciplined them.
Your brand of discipline was torture.
We talked to Dr.
Breslyn.
He didn't leave me a choice.
Who? Malik.
I was at my wit's end with him.
He was your first.
I made him stand in the square.
The others, too.
But the runt just wouldn't learn.
You gotta be real tired of standing here, huh, Malik? If you learned to sit still, you wouldn't be breaking things all the time.
I told you what I'd do if it happened again, didn't I? Now all the boys in your ward have to suffer.
Because when one person does something wrong, we all got to pay! Not you.
Was I talking to you? Was I talking to you? Now, if you boys want this to be your last night of standing here like this you need to make sure Malik learns his lesson.
Clear? Malik learned.
He didn't get in trouble again.
What did they do to him? What did they do to Malik? They cut off his finger.
The boys in that bathroom were different ages, just like our victims.
How many boys were in there with Malik? Five.
Tyrell's the fifth victim.
It's endgame.
What was the room number on that bathroom? How you know it had a number? What was the number? Don't come near me.
Hmm.
Drop the guns now.
Only if you let Tyrell go.
I know why you're here, Malik.
What happened, in this room, to you.
I know.
You got no idea about this room.
About me.
Right.
You're just some psycho on a power trip.
You ain't better than that.
Oh, you think you know? A loser who takes it out on little kids, big man like you.
I am not.
No.
Now you call the shots.
You searched for those five boys, all winners, who demeaned you for months, years.
Before, you were powerless to stop them, but not now.
Not ever again.
Everybody stood in the square because I said so.
Because you're Theseus.
Righting the wrongs of things done to you in here.
I was the smallest, the weakest, but they didn't care.
They took everything from you.
And now I take everything from them.
Now if you boys want this to be the last night of standing here like this you need to make sure Malik learns his lesson.
Clear? They were laughing.
Yet Theseus knew his day would come.
That fed him.
It was his source of strength.
It gave purpose to his miserable life.
Made him invincible.
Immortal.
God.
He found them, one by one.
And he did exactly what they had done to him.
Those boys wronged you.
They have to pay.
'Cause you kill the strong, the ones that tormented you in this room.
Don't come near me! You're the strong one, not him.
Look.
Look, Malik.
Tyrell's just a boy.
Like you were.
You hear that? It's over.
Put the knife down, Malik.
Do you know what happened to Theseus in the end? Malik don't! He rose out of the pit a hero.
He did what no else could, and they cheered him on.
Welcomed him home.
Put it down.
It's not over.
KJ52: If you're hurtin', you're strugglin', feel like you can't make it, this song's for you, you, you.
o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Hey, yo, you may feel like you're just starting over o/~ o/~ Mistakes from your past that just want to hold ya o/~ o/~ Down to the ground, it's all on your shoulder o/~ o/~ You'll never make it now, that's what they told ya o/~ o/~ You start to figure out who really cares for ya o/~ o/~ When no one's around, no one is there for ya o/~ o/~ When I was down and out, and life was getting colder o/~ o/~ See I found out that's when God showed up o/~ o/~ You try to make it right, they make it hard for ya o/~ o/~ But God will take a life even if it's broke up o/~ o/~ And give you strength to fight whatever's coming towards ya o/~ o/~ And don't forget that I'm always praying for ya and o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Hey, yo, it's not fair all the things that just had to happen o/~ o/~ Some days you wake up, feel like you've been abandoned o/~ o/~ Life didn't shape up in the way that you planned it o/~ o/~ The life you live is not the one that you imagined o/~ o/~ I know they laugh and pick on you o/~ o/~ I know you've had a lot of junk that you gone through o/~ o/~ But I know who would never, ever wrong you o/~ o/~ Never quit on you and help you get on through o/~ o/~ When you fell, he's the one who caught you o/~ o/~ With every single tear, man, see, he saw you o/~ o/~ He was right there every time he called you o/~ o/~ And I'll be praying for you gonna get on through o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ You try to pray, but you feel too ashamed to o/~ o/~ 'Cause those around you, they just wanna blame you o/~ o/~ But don't listen now just to what they say, dude o/~ o/~ God loves you, he never hates you o/~ o/~ It's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Yeah, yeah, yeah o/~ o/~ Don't you worry, you're gonna make it o/~
Dinner's almost ready.
And you're spending too much time listenin' to that nonsense as it is.
It ain't nonsense.
And I already ate.
On my way home from school.
Good, then you can keep me company.
- I eat with you every day.
- That's a blessing, not a curse.
My home cooking and good company Something to be envied.
Yeah, I know.
If you want to go somewhere, why don't you go down to the church youth center and try to make some friends? Nobody ever says nothin' to me there.
Take them headphones off and maybe they will next time.
You gotta learn how to speak up, baby.
You really not gonna let me go? But we're talkin' about my future, Ma-Two.
If I start my own label, I can get you a phat crib.
Give you the kind of life you deserve.
Go set the table, Shemar.
Storage company called this morning, Lil.
Management got a complaint about a foul odor, strange leak in one of the units.
Freezer shorted.
Started leaking fluids.
Unis found this inside.
Shemar Reynolds.
Missing since August.
Last seen on his way home from school.
Family's probably still hoping for a safe return.
Don't they always.
ID'd him pretty fast.
Kid's earring helped.
We matched it to Missing Persons.
Slashing his face - wasn't enough? - Took off his finger.
- A souvenir maybe? - Takes a lot of rage to do that to a kid.
Doer soundproofed this place.
- Muffled the noise.
- Lieutenant.
Tracking the name on the unit.
Rented to a Theo Gamble.
What is it? Three other storage units in North Philly were rented under that same name.
We got a serial.
He killed four kids that we know of.
Victim number one.
Damont Henderson.
- Age 12.
- Last seen at Northland Mall.
October '99.
Next, Kendrick Malone.
Nine years old.
Left his house to meet friends.
July 2001.
Never seen again.
Number three: Marcus Hollister.
- 14.
- He went missing from his block, March 27, 2003.
And Shemar Reynolds.
The most recent, Disappeared three months ago.
And Missing Persons never raised an eyebrow.
- Great.
- Cause of death: he slit their throats.
Slashed their faces.
Personal-- doing that.
So maybe he knew them.
All different ages, different parts of North Philly.
Nothing in common.
They all come from tough neighborhoods.
No way our guy just waltzed in there.
Had to be familiar.
Took off their left index fingers.
Postmortem.
'Cause not just any finger would do for this crackjob.
The victims sustained shin splints, abrasions under their feet.
They were alive.
Their stomachs were empty.
Initial stages of starvation.
No signs of sexual assault.
Meaning he didn't kill them right away.
So what was he doing with them? We got a print off the lock on the freezer in Shemar's unit.
Running it now.
All the other units were wiped clean.
Every inch.
The bodies, too.
Not one hair or fiber on 'em.
Takes a lot of discipline, care, not leave a trace like that.
What about the name on the units? - Theo Gamble.
- Ran it through DMV.
Guy doesn't exist.
Great.
Families are here.
Lil, you and Scotty talk to the storage managers.
Yeah.
The rest of us talk to them? Before the media catches hold, plasters it all over the news.
Yeah.
Waiting ain't gonna make it any easier.
You and Damont were at the mall when he went missing? He didn't want to be seen with his moms anymore.
So he went off on his own.
Do you know where exactly? I waited for him at the usual spot.
Damont never showed.
I spoke to detectives.
Over the years.
Didn't nobody mention to me that there were other boys missing.
Why? They had to know that monster was out there.
Didn't they? Says here your son Marcus got caught up - with a gang.
- My son had his troubles, but he wasn't no banger.
The night he went missing he told you he was going to the store? To get what? Popsicles.
Boys and Girls Club was hosting a science fair.
Marcus needed sticks for a bridge he was building.
- Could he have stopped somewhere else? - No.
Marcus knew I'd worry and he was anxious to get that bridge done.
I asked this one cop about putting out one of them, uh.
.
what'd ya call it? - Amber Alerts.
- Told me no.
Said Marcus probably ran away.
Runaway, banger.
All code for one thing.
"We don't give a damn.
" Mall security found my son's jacket near the food court.
It's his favorite.
Damont had that toy in his pocket.
Someone give it to him? I think he bought it.
From one of the toy stores? I don't know.
He was sweet on this girl at school.
His first crush.
It was probably for her.
Sounds like a nice kid.
I told him I told him he'd have plenty of time to worry about girls when he got older.
Some folks on the block helped look for Marcus.
Found this in a garbage can.
Marcus had it with him that day? Yeah.
Looks like it's been picked through.
Nothin' much in it.
Just some magazines, tickets.
Kids get these at carnivals or those kiddie pizza places.
No carnivals in our neighborhood.
And Marcus would never go anywhere like that without tellin' me.
Shemar disappeared three months ago! And now you care.
Now you wanna ask me questions about my grandson.
- Now that he's dead.
- The more information - we have - I came down to Missing Persons every single day.
And all I got was some nonsense about how kids run off with their friends to get high.
"Oh, he'll come home," they said.
I'm sure that's what they believed at the time.
If you people had given a damn about just one of those boys that disappeared, my grandson would still be alive.
Now, wouldn't he? Yeah, Theo Gamble.
Rented that unit in my facility starting back in '03.
Pretty memorable this guy? Paid in cash.
One year up front.
That don't happen every day.
What'd he look like? He was black.
Mid-30s maybe.
Look, I run the kind of place where you don't pay too much mind, you know what I mean? Was he a big guy? Average size, what? Anything'll help.
All I remember is he was kinda touched.
As in crazy? He got all bent out of shape over nothing Aw, man.
They always lose.
It's a good thing I don't gamble, huh? All right, unit 3079.
It's at the end.
You, you promised me unit 1925.
They're both the same size.
Who cares about the damn number? You promised me that number! Take it.
It's yours.
Most folks want a unit that's convenient, at the end of the row or something.
But he cared about the number.
You're damn right he did.
Like I said, touched.
Look, we're going to need you to talk with a sketch artist.
I told you I didn't see nothing 'cept those ratty gloves.
Rush.
Got a hit on the print off Shemar's unit.
Whose is it? Akon Dupree.
Multiple assault charges.
Weapon of choice: a knife.
Get down! Get down! Get on the ground! Get on the ground! What the hell? What the hell is this, man? There a reason for all the fanfare, dawg? Four dead kids reason enough? I don't know jack about no dead kids.
Well, we found one in a storage house not too far from here.
Heard it on the news.
So what? Ain't got nothin' to do with me.
I been in rehab.
You can ask 'em yourself.
You might want to explain what your fingerprint's doing on that lock.
What? Hold up.
I went in there to steal stuff.
That's it, all right? Tell it to your lawyer.
Oh, ease up, dawg.
Maybe we could work out a trade or something.
Oh, I don't think so, dawg.
Listen, I got this video camera.
I lifted it from the storage unit last week.
And trust me, there's something on it you're gonna want to see.
Explains the tape on the floor.
He's making the kid stand there.
Check out the date stamp.
August 27, 2007.
Four days after Shemar disappeared.
Fast-forward.
Made them stand there hours on end.
Explains the shin splints, the bruising.
Same thing happened to him as a kid? You know, he's reliving it maybe? Making others go through the pain.
Sick bastard, do that to some kid.
Made 'em stand until they couldn't anymore.
Wait.
Take it back.
Think the kid said something.
Defector Three.
Defector Three.
What the hell is Defector Three? Some kind of code? Kid hasn't eaten in four days.
Could be rambling.
Nonsense.
Or a cry for help.
To who? Only one who's going to see it is the doer.
Nah, he's at the end of his rope.
He's desperate.
- Yeah.
So? - Nothin' to lose.
Hoping someone else gets this tape besides the doer.
Could be he's leaving us a message.
You been up all night with Nick, trying to figure out the numbers on the storage units.
Why he's fixated on 'em.
Tried military code, Morse Code.
No luck.
It can't be the killing our doer's getting off on.
Yeah? Why's that? Murder's not on the tape.
It's not what excites him.
The standing does.
Akon's story checked out.
He was in rehab when two of the victims disappeared.
Look at his eyes.
He knows.
Knows what? He's going to die alone.
Loneliest thing in the world, that.
Defector Three.
Figured it out.
It's an arcade game.
Uh, why did Shemar leave a message about some game? That's where he met his killer.
Toy's made exclusively for those FunFare Grabber games.
Right.
The game with the big claw thing.
See 'em at carnivals.
And arcades.
Ditto with the tickets.
There's an arcade on Shemar's road home from school.
Also in the Northland Mall where Damont disappeared.
And two blocks from Marcus's apartment.
All of them had one of those Defector Three games.
Arcade.
Perfect place to troll for kids.
Let's canvas 'em.
Station some unis there, too.
Someone might have seen our doer.
No suspicious dudes getting past me.
I got zero tolerance when it comes to safety.
Take it seriously.
Got to.
This is the only place where a kid from around here can be a kid.
You remember seeing Shemar Reynolds here? Few months back? Sure.
High scorer.
Always had an audience, too.
Any of 'em stand out? New kid.
Never seen him before.
Watched your boy Shemar like a hawk.
Right over there.
This kid and Shemar exchange words? You could say that.
He eventually got his nerve up to play homeboy.
Ah, don't try that roundhouse kick! - Yeah, boy! - Ah! You got lucky.
Somebody had to fall in the pit.
I'm just glad it wasn't me.
Uh, you talk now, but ain't nobody ever beat me at home.
Nobody, and I only play the best.
Chumps, all of 'em.
Oh, well, let's see how long you can stand.
What's up? Let's go.
My grams gets all panicked when I don't show on time.
It's just a few blocks down.
Uh, if you're scared, just say so.
You crazy? Five bucks says you're about to get another whoopin'.
This kid have a name? But they both made the board.
The board? What's that? High score screen.
Players' names get put on.
The new kid-- he was #2.
"Theseus.
" Never saw Shemar and that kid again after that.
Checked out all the Defector Three games at the arcades our victims went missing from.
Name Theseus shows up on every one of them.
- All our victims played him.
- Yeah.
Kids were pros at that game.
Nobody topped their scores for years.
Storage unit was rented by an adult, so the kid must be a lure.
Got to admit.
It's smart-- our doer using a kid as bait.
So what's the significance of this game he plays? Defector Three? It was a typical RPG.
Players force their opponents into The Pit.
RPG? Uh, role-playing game.
Toni's kid plays 'em.
Nothing special about this one.
Standard fight to the death stuff.
He's picking that game for a reason.
If it has a significance, I'm not seeing it.
The moniker fits, though, with the lure part, at least.
Well, how so? Looked up the name Theseus.
It's from Greek mythology.
Theseus is a young man who's sent by his father to do to bad guys what they did to others.
It's a father and son thing.
Kid's doing his father's bidding? Twisted.
Well, some might believe his dad's righting a wrong.
So the son finds a victim, he convinces them to come and play video games.
Dad takes over from there.
The name Theseus showed up on a game in an arcade in Brewerytown.
There's another victim out there? Nope.
This opponent's alive.
Corey Middleton, 11.
Well, bring him in for a talk.
Maybe he can give us an ID.
Any luck with those storage numbers? Working on it.
You know, Toni's kid, Andre, ain't much older than these kids.
I used to go to the arcade when I was little.
You played against someone named Theseus.
You remember anything about him? What he looked like? He had a PlayStation.
Wanted me to come over and check it out.
And did you, Corey? Did you go to his house? You can tell the truth.
You won't get in trouble.
Is Theseus the guy that hurt those boys they're talking about on TV? We don't know.
That's why we need your help.
I just wanted to play the game.
After this, you come to my spot, hit up my PlayStation.
Which games you got? All of 'em, but the dopest stick to the basics.
- Old school.
- Word.
Just like when we were little kids, right? - Look out! Look out! - About time for your secret sidearm.
How'd you know about my move? Been watching you.
Long time.
Watching me play? For real? Got to.
I don't play just anybody.
Only those who know how to dominate.
Wait till you see me on the PlayStation.
No, man! Come on.
Get up.
Get up.
Get up! No! I thought you were a winner, man.
I usually am.
Not today you ain't.
You lost.
You wasted my time.
He got real mad.
Are you sure the kid you were playing was wearing ripped gloves? Yeah.
Like those ones you use at baseball practice.
Same gloves the guy at the storage facility described.
The ones the doer was wearing.
He was pretending, though.
- That guy.
- What do you mean? Pretending? He had gray hair on his face like you.
Gray hair? Our doer isn't using a kid as a lure.
Got unis stationed at arcades, malls, rec centers.
Any place with video games.
Community knows we're looking for a guy that passes himself off as a kid.
Meaning size ain't one of his strong points.
That's why he has to lure them with the video games.
Talk to the families again.
- Ask them if a kid was hanging around the victims.
- Hey, boss.
These families want answers.
- We keep coming back with more questions.
- Well, we know Theseus played video games as a kid.
Yeah, 'cause of that "when we were little kids" slip he made with Corey.
Maybe Defector Three was one of them.
That game didn't come out till '99.
Got to be a reason he chooses kids - who play that game.
- Not just any kids either.
- Winners.
- It's all about domination with this guy.
Maybe he's putting them in their place.
Could be what those storage units are about.
He's creating his own Pit.
I figured it out.
The numbers on the units.
The numbers he rented, insisted on I'm thinking they had to be some complicated code.
It isn't.
It's simple arithmetic.
They all add up to 17.
"Stick to the basics.
" Like he told Corey.
He's latching onto these names, numbers and places - like he's trying to make sense of something.
- What though? And what's the significance of 17? Theseus is all about righting the wrongs.
from his past.
Where things went bad.
Building, room number, street address.
Like I said nothing but questions.
You're full of them now.
Shame you wasn't around when it might've helped.
Ms.
Johnson, did Shemar make any new friends before he disappeared? Come to his funeral and you'll find out.
We need your help to stop this guy before he hurts someone else's son.
Shemar was shy.
Kept to himself.
Been like that since his mama left.
No friends at all? Certainly none that came around here.
What about at the arcade? Yeah, Shemar met a boy there a couple of weeks before he disappeared.
A Theseus, maybe, or Theo? Yeah, a strange sort of name.
He put all kinds of notions in my grandson's head.
Forgetting something? Ma-Two, can I ask yo a question? Of course, baby.
What would happen to me if you died? You listening to one of those hippity-dippity shoot-'em-up songs again? I told you all that violence and murder ain't good.
This song ain't like that.
Yeah, sure, it ain't.
It's about the stuff you talk about.
Like hope, survival.
You'd like it.
Thinking about your mom? Nah.
You miss her, don't ya? I was only three when she left.
The only one I remember being there is you.
So why the long face? This kid I met at the arcade said that boys with no family like him get sent to this hard place that they never get out of ever.
??? It's called "The Pit.
" And if you die, then I'm going to go there, too.
Shemar, baby I ain't going nowhere.
But what if you did? Your mama left, don't mean I will.
I will always be here to protect you.
I promise.
Let's say our prayers.
Theseus didn't have a family? Shemar said he didn't have nobody.
I didn't keep my promise to him, now, did I? You went to the police every day, asking about Shemar.
You tried.
Shemar started calling me "mama" after my daughter Belinda left.
You were all he had.
They say, "It takes a village.
" But Belinda was always gonna be Shemar's mama.
I never wanted to take that from her.
I was just second in line.
That's why he calls you "Ma-Two.
" Thank you for your time, Ms.
Johnson.
Find him.
The man that did this to those babies.
Make him pay, you hear? Theseus warned Shemar about losing family 'cause he didn't have one.
Could've come from an orphanage, foster home, juvenile facility.
A lot of foster care facilities were breeding grounds for delinquents.
But there was one in North Philly, notoriously bad.
It was called Prichard House, but the residents had a different name for it.
The Pit.
That's why Defector Three.
He was stuck in "The Pit" once.
Now, he's killing kids who were able to put him there again.
Gets better.
Prichard got written up for everything from professional misconduct to health hazards.
But in '86, six kids were treated repeatedly for posterior tibial syndrome, also known as shin splints.
Same injuries as our victims.
Patients were treated by a Dr.
Ben Breslyn.
Is he still practicing? At a clinic in Chestnut Hill.
The Pit, yes.
I treated the kids there and at seven other facilities around the city.
Back in '86, six kids came in with these foot injuries: bruising, shin splints.
Detective, that was over 20 years ago.
You don't really expect me to remember it, do you? Six kids? 12 visits in two weeks with the same injuries? Yeah, I do.
Look, I was fresh out of medical school and hell-bent on making a difference.
Then it would seem like the kind of thing you'd notice.
You're trained not to.
Just get them in and out as quickly as possible.
- And I'd been warned.
- About what? They told us these kids would do anything for attention.
So you thought they were faking it? No one wanted them and they knew it.
They didn't have anything to lose by telling a few tall tales.
Still you didn't think it was ??? I might have if I had more than five minutes with them.
So you were too busy.
There was one kid.
Couldn't have been more than nine or ten, but that look in his eye.
It always stuck with me.
How'd this happen, Malik? A lot of you boys coming in with these same injuries.
You guys goofin' around jumping off the stairs? Don't want to tell me? Fine.
Give this to your counselor.
It'll help the pain.
He made us stand in the square.
- Like that.
- Who? Mr.
Grimes.
Grimes, the counselor? Must've been standing there an awfully long time.
A few days.
Days? He says when one of us does something bad, we all got to pay the price.
Send the next kid in, all right? Don't forget to give that prescription to your counselor.
So Grimes was the counselor to all the boys with those injuries? Yes, night counselor.
Former resident, too.
A lot of them came back to work there.
- Any idea where he is now? - He left in '91.
Bounced around to a few other facilities till about '99.
That's the last I heard of him.
'99, that's when the killing started.
I'm sorry I didn't do more.
Thanks for your time.
Yeah, boss, what is it? My brother was standing right here - the whole time and now he's gone.
- ??? I'll call your sergeant.
Tyrell Hobbs, Sister went around the corner to use the ATM.
When she came back, Tyrell was gone.
How'd the hell this happen? We got all the arcades, everything covered.
Why is he snatching kids from a pizza joint? Because we missed one, Scotty.
He knows we're onto him.
Must've seen the unis when he was trolling the arcades.
So he finds the one game we weren't watching.
- Luck of the devil.
- He knows time's running out.
Probably got a mission to complete.
- And he's succeeding.
- Maybe not, boss.
We got a hit on a storage unit near the pizzeria where Tyrell went missing.
Unit numbers adds up to 17.
Guy with ripped gloves paid cash upfront a few days ago.
Didn't go by Theo Gamble.
Fits the description of our doer.
We got to get down there pronto.
Shemar held on for days.
Tyrell may not have that long.
We got the counselor.
He's in Interview.
No way you're pinning the murders of those North Philly boys on me.
You had a nice long run.
Eight years.
Doesn't take a genius to beat a murder rap, if cops aren't looking.
Oh, you think it's funny? Little boys with their faces sliced open.
You cops act all concerned now that you got some bad press.
Need to lock somebody up quick.
And any old brother will do.
- The jig is up, Grimes.
- You got nothing connecting me to those murders and you know it.
We found your storage unit.
We need to open up unit 359 now.
I don't know nothing about no storage unit.
What about The Pit? You should know a lot about that.
The foster care home? That place shut down in '95.
That's where you first tried out your techniques.
Making kids stand for hours on end till they couldn't anymore.
Maybe I used some tactics that weren't popular.
Popular? That's an understatement, Grimes.
There were 34 of those Billy Badasses and only one of me.
I did what I had to keep them in line.
You hated those boys, didn't you? Taught them all a lesson.
I didn't hate them.
I disciplined them.
Your brand of discipline was torture.
We talked to Dr.
Breslyn.
He didn't leave me a choice.
Who? Malik.
I was at my wit's end with him.
He was your first.
I made him stand in the square.
The others, too.
But the runt just wouldn't learn.
You gotta be real tired of standing here, huh, Malik? If you learned to sit still, you wouldn't be breaking things all the time.
I told you what I'd do if it happened again, didn't I? Now all the boys in your ward have to suffer.
Because when one person does something wrong, we all got to pay! Not you.
Was I talking to you? Was I talking to you? Now, if you boys want this to be your last night of standing here like this you need to make sure Malik learns his lesson.
Clear? Malik learned.
He didn't get in trouble again.
What did they do to him? What did they do to Malik? They cut off his finger.
The boys in that bathroom were different ages, just like our victims.
How many boys were in there with Malik? Five.
Tyrell's the fifth victim.
It's endgame.
What was the room number on that bathroom? How you know it had a number? What was the number? Don't come near me.
Hmm.
Drop the guns now.
Only if you let Tyrell go.
I know why you're here, Malik.
What happened, in this room, to you.
I know.
You got no idea about this room.
About me.
Right.
You're just some psycho on a power trip.
You ain't better than that.
Oh, you think you know? A loser who takes it out on little kids, big man like you.
I am not.
No.
Now you call the shots.
You searched for those five boys, all winners, who demeaned you for months, years.
Before, you were powerless to stop them, but not now.
Not ever again.
Everybody stood in the square because I said so.
Because you're Theseus.
Righting the wrongs of things done to you in here.
I was the smallest, the weakest, but they didn't care.
They took everything from you.
And now I take everything from them.
Now if you boys want this to be the last night of standing here like this you need to make sure Malik learns his lesson.
Clear? They were laughing.
Yet Theseus knew his day would come.
That fed him.
It was his source of strength.
It gave purpose to his miserable life.
Made him invincible.
Immortal.
God.
He found them, one by one.
And he did exactly what they had done to him.
Those boys wronged you.
They have to pay.
'Cause you kill the strong, the ones that tormented you in this room.
Don't come near me! You're the strong one, not him.
Look.
Look, Malik.
Tyrell's just a boy.
Like you were.
You hear that? It's over.
Put the knife down, Malik.
Do you know what happened to Theseus in the end? Malik don't! He rose out of the pit a hero.
He did what no else could, and they cheered him on.
Welcomed him home.
Put it down.
It's not over.
KJ52: If you're hurtin', you're strugglin', feel like you can't make it, this song's for you, you, you.
o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Hey, yo, you may feel like you're just starting over o/~ o/~ Mistakes from your past that just want to hold ya o/~ o/~ Down to the ground, it's all on your shoulder o/~ o/~ You'll never make it now, that's what they told ya o/~ o/~ You start to figure out who really cares for ya o/~ o/~ When no one's around, no one is there for ya o/~ o/~ When I was down and out, and life was getting colder o/~ o/~ See I found out that's when God showed up o/~ o/~ You try to make it right, they make it hard for ya o/~ o/~ But God will take a life even if it's broke up o/~ o/~ And give you strength to fight whatever's coming towards ya o/~ o/~ And don't forget that I'm always praying for ya and o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Hey, yo, it's not fair all the things that just had to happen o/~ o/~ Some days you wake up, feel like you've been abandoned o/~ o/~ Life didn't shape up in the way that you planned it o/~ o/~ The life you live is not the one that you imagined o/~ o/~ I know they laugh and pick on you o/~ o/~ I know you've had a lot of junk that you gone through o/~ o/~ But I know who would never, ever wrong you o/~ o/~ Never quit on you and help you get on through o/~ o/~ When you fell, he's the one who caught you o/~ o/~ With every single tear, man, see, he saw you o/~ o/~ He was right there every time he called you o/~ o/~ And I'll be praying for you gonna get on through o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing that's happened in your life o/~ o/~ You're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Yes, you're gonna make it o/~ o/~ Don't you worry about a thing, it's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ You try to pray, but you feel too ashamed to o/~ o/~ 'Cause those around you, they just wanna blame you o/~ o/~ But don't listen now just to what they say, dude o/~ o/~ God loves you, he never hates you o/~ o/~ It's gonna be all right o/~ o/~ Yeah, yeah, yeah o/~ o/~ Don't you worry, you're gonna make it o/~