Criminal Minds s05e23 Episode Script
Our Darkest Hour
A heat advisory has been issued For Los Angeles and orange counties.
Temperatures reached 110 in the inland valleys, Creating increased power demands.
City and county officials have declared shifting blackouts On a rotating basis.
L.
A.
DWP spokeswoman Karen Cramer announced What if it doesn't come back on? It's only going to be off from 12:00 to 3:00.
Yeah, that's what they say, but what if they mess it up? Stop.
But, honey, it's so-- seriously.
Ohhit can't get any hotter.
What are you doing? It's 102 degrees.
Besides, we're on the second floor.
What was that? You stay here.
You see anyone? I'm sorry.
All right.
Be quiet.
Don't open it.
I'm not going to.
Huh.
There's no one here.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Come on, it's the wind.
Come on.
Come on.
Damn it! - Yeah, real funny.
- I'm sorry.
Maybe a garbage can blew over.
Maybe a possum or something.
Yeah.
Honey.
Huh? Did you shut the window? What? Oh, my God! Hey, what did Strauss want? She needs us in Los Angeles.
Home invasion homicide last night.
Officers found Gregory Everson, 56, Beaten, with a gsw to the head.
His wife Colleen was equally beaten And raped repeatedly.
Repeatedly? That's what she reported.
Wait, she survived this? He chose to keep her alive.
An intentional witness.
Everything but that points to an organized offender, An experienced one.
Was she able to identify him? She said he was white, with mean eyes and repulsive breath.
Rotten inside and out.
Did he rape her in front of the husband? Yeah.
One home invasion rarely warrants Strauss Personally sending us out.
No, there's more.
Ballistics match a double homicide Downtown L.
A.
, 48 miles away.
Where 3 days ago, those 2 women were raped and killed.
But last night was in the suburbs.
They're afraid of another night stalker.
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, "And out of the darkness "Came the hands that reached through nature, Molding men.
" This guy's way too good at this to have just started.
He pulled off hours of torture and a homicide Without disturbing the neighbors.
And robbed the house.
That could be a habit.
You think he started as a burglar? If it was just about the killing, He wouldn't bother robbing them.
Wait, how did he get in last night? Mrs.
Everson said there was a noise outside their door.
They were outside of their room a few minutes, When they came back, he was there.
He distracted them.
So he could climb through their bedroom window.
I'll have Garcia, see if that m.
O.
Was used in any other home invasions.
Well, victimology's all over the map.
to kill men, women, Old, young, black, white, Hispanic.
That's about as random as it gets.
Randomness implies a lack of predictability.
I think that's the point.
All the varying people in his message.
He wants them all to fear him.
Oh, and they will.
Press got ahold of last night's home invasion.
JJ and I will set up at the station.
Dave, you and Reid go visit Mrs.
Everson at the hospital.
Morgan and Prentiss, the LAPD detectives Are waiting for you at the everson house.
You hear that? What? Exactly.
What's wrong with us that we're at peace at a crime scene? Hotter than hell.
Techs must have turned off the a/c.
Huh.
See? Oh, yeah.
At peace.
What's the matter, more hot flashes, ma'am? Surprised a hotshot like you doesn't need to cool down.
When are the big guns coming? What's wrong? You afraid that they'll get all the front pages now? Hey.
I never asked for that.
Detectives.
Quite a crowd out there.
Matt Spicer.
Adam Kurzbard.
Hi.
Emily Prentiss.
This is Derek Morgan.
Hey, thanks for flying out.
So, what have you got? Got our hands full.
Guy's been across the city in a week.
Seems completely random.
You don't think it is? We're robbery-homicide in Newton division.
The first 2 vics were right in the middle of it.
The only thing that brought us all the way out here - Were the bullets.
- And the assault.
All the victims were raped.
DNA match? He covers up.
The, uh, Eversons were in their bedroom Upstairs when the electricity went out.
So the unsub cut the power.
No.
They've got rolling blackouts scheduled.
Trying to get through this heat wave Without the whole city going dark.
So, is that why he came out here? Well, people are afraid of the dark.
He probably preyed on that.
Ok, so the lights go out and this guy starts banging on the door.
Why give them the heads-up like that? Why not just break in? He probably likes getting their adrenaline going.
Makes for a fun fight.
Sounds like he got one.
Wife's real shook up.
I don't think she's gonna be much help.
Why is she in restraints? She tried to kill herself.
Twice.
Mrs.
Everson? We're with the FBI.
We know you talked to the detectives this morning.
But if you're up for a few more questions, It could help.
Why didn't he kill me? It--it wasn't about you.
This man only thinks about power And control.
Leaving you behind gives him that.
Now Did he ever speak to you directly? Did you talk to you? No, he really didn't.
I'm sorry.
It's OK.
Take your time.
Greg looked at me The way he always did.
I We didn't need words.
We He just Looked at me and we would know.
I tried to be strong, but I--I Shut my eyes When the gun went off, and That's the last thing Greg saw.
Now every time I shut my eyes I see him.
How long will that last? You rest now.
Uh-huh, yeah.
We'll have him on the 11:00.
Thanks.
Hey.
Where's Rossi? He's talking with Hotch and Morgan.
It's incredibly detailed.
Yeah.
Detective Matt Spicer and his partner are the go-to guys For robbery-homicide, central bureau, Newton division, The busiest in L.
A.
It's Garcia.
Hey, Garcia, I got JJ here.
Praise the gods.
Los Angeles Has a weirdly low rate of home invasion burglaries.
I snagged a case in Westchester Where a guy violently knocked down the front door, Kicked the dog, and took off with the TV.
Breaking down the front door sends a message.
He's trying to intimidate the victims.
Yeah, and as horrible as this dog-kicking burglar sounds, I think the guy we're looking for is even more horrible.
Garcia, this unsub's had practice, a lot of it.
Maybe not in L.
A.
, but he's definitely done this before.
Word.
This is not his first crime party.
I seriously can't find a single case in L.
A.
That equals this level of emotional destruction.
We need to expand the search to all of Southern California.
He can be in other cities with a quick ride on the freeways.
Yeah.
Will do.
Thanks, Garcia.
We're going live on the 11:00 news.
You think he'll be watching? It's late.
He could already be hunting.
Do you ever look at why this victim, why this day, Why this crime? - Always.
- Hmm.
Do you ever think they were just in the wrong place At the wrong time? Sometimes.
Well, I don't believe in coincidences.
How come? Don't get me wrong.
It's not like I talk To the universe or anything.
I've just always believed that things happen for a reason.
It's hard to find the reason for this, though.
Utterly meaningless crimes, No obvious motivation.
Pure evil.
Evil can't be scientifically defined.
It's an illusory moral concept that doesn't exist in nature.
Its origins and connotations have been inextricably linked To religion and mythology.
This offender has shown no signs of any belief.
I'm, uh, I'm Spencer Reid.
Matt Spicer.
Jennifer Jareau.
The media's been asking for you.
Yeah, well, nobody else around here wants to talk to them.
I figure it hasn't hurt me yet.
Uh, they'd like to interview you for the 11:00 news.
Can we go over a few points? Absolutely.
The first 2 victims earlier this week? Downtown.
Killed about 2 A.
M.
We found them when the sun came up.
Not at noon? Right.
Vice were over there about 6 A.
M.
Both these clocks are stopped at 12:00.
Was there a blackout? They started last night.
So then he cut their power.
But he let the city do it last night.
Where's the next rolling blackout? If you're driving through the San Fernando valley, Beware--the power in Glendale has just gone out, Thanks to the rolling blackouts.
Stay tuned for further details.
Now let's take a look at the weather.
Well, the heat is not gonna break anytime soon, With temperatures still hovering at 97 degrees.
Look for overnight lows to be about 90.
Same situation for tomorrow Oh, come on.
Ok, sweetie, we're home.
Officers arrived at the home of Annie Danzi Just after 11:00 this morning This time a young child was left behind.
LAPD investigator Matt Spicer is the lead on this case HELD BY THE FBI's BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS UNIT LATER THIS MORNING.
The profilers arrived in Los Angeles last night.
We're going live now to Annie Danzi's home.
We've been told the FBI has just arrived.
Agent Jareau.
Agent Jareau.
This is the second home invasion homicide That started since the blackouts.
Will you confirm that they're connected? How are you going to keep the residents safe in these areas? We're working close with city officials and LAPD To determine what steps we need to take to ensure everyone's safety.
Will they call off the blackouts? Not at this time.
Annie Danzi.
Was her child home? Spicer's with him now.
So the power was out 10:00 to 1:00? All the same tricks.
Forced entry?-No.
Were there rolling blackouts last summer? Oh, just about every year.
Anything like this happen? Well, crime always goes up when it's hot and dark, But this? No way.
Hunting in the dark is definitely a part of his signature.
Garcia.
Yes, sir.
I need you to check if there were any clusters Of home invasions in previous summers During rolling blackouts in California.
Look statewide.
He left a message this time.
*** A first time for everything.
You think he's welcoming us? Who knows? At least he's telling us more with each crime scene.
Uneducated.
Made the kid watch.
Sadistic.
Trashes the place even though there's not that much to steal.
Angry.
Chooses to hunt and kill in the dark.
Doesn't want to be seen.
Why? Maybe he's ashamed of something.
Well, he didn't have to knock those over.
He doesn't want any eyes on him.
Except the kid.
Didn't want him to miss a thing.
What you got there? Is that a robot? It's a monster.
Monster, huh? What's it doing? It's protecting you, right? It's gonna make the man stay away.
Did you happen to get a look at that man? Or was it too dark under the bed? He moved me to the closet.
And my mom told me to close my eyes.
Would you mind showing me how you did that? That's good, kid.
That's really, really good.
So you didn't see him at all? Once that man left, what did you do? Did you get back under the bed? I didn't want to leave her.
But you were scared.
Hey, Carter, Do you, um, do you have like a really cool backpack You could throw some things in to take over to your cousin's house? It's in my room.
Will you come with me? You bet.
Hey.
Look, I'm really glad the kid didn't see anything, But it could have been helpful.
But covering his eyes like that, That means he couldn't cover his ears.
Forcing a child to witness this is clearly sadistic.
He destroyed the boy's innocence and took away his childhood.
This probably mirrors the unsub's own experience.
That's an excuse for what he's doing? There's no excuse for what he's doing.
We're not justifying anything.
Everything he says, everything he does Tell us what makes him tick, that's all.
The message that he left us was misspelled, Which says that he was not well-educated.
Why did he leave one now? That we don't know--yet.
Just because his recent attacks are in Los Angeles Doesn't mean he's from here.
Killing in the dark is a must for him.
We believe that's why he's come to L.
A.
That and his willingness to kill random people Tells us that he's an opportunistic offender, And these types are incredibly difficult to predict.
And as you all know, the rolling blackouts have been announced So residents can prepare for the few hours they'll be in darkness.
Unfortunately, that also tells the killer Whose windows will be open, whose alarms will be disarmed.
The dark is his signature.
It's a habit, and we'll find That he's always killed this way.
'cause he's a coward.
To some degree, yes.
He also has intimacy issues.
He even turns photographs away from himself.
It's unlikely that a man like this Has been in any kind of relationship.
There's also a good chance that he has some type of shortcoming.
Whether real or perceived, He's obviously self-conscious about something.
Like what? It could be like a physical deformity.
It might be something really small to us, But it means everything to him.
People just want to fit in.
Having one thing that sets him apart from the norm Could be what led him into the extreme solitude Of a violent schizoid personality.
He takes his victims' power away, Literally and figuratively.
And he feeds off of making them powerless.
We had rolling blackouts all last summer, And this guy wasn't around.
Well, he is now.
And based on the vicious nature of his crimes, The press has named him the prince of darkness.
Prince.
That'll fuel his ego.
Yeah.
He's gonna be all over the news.
Once we unravel his need for darkness, we'll find him.
What if he comes back? He won't.
He can't hurt you again, OK? How do you know? You didn't find him.
You're right.
But I will.
She should have known better.
Who? Your mom? She tried to fight him, But he had a gun.
Why did she do that? Well, She needed to protect you, Carter.
The man who did this, he's very bad, OK? I'm going to find him.
I promise.
Ok? All right.
Thank you.
Yeah, Prentiss.
What's the plan? Rolling blackouts are still scheduled for tonight.
How's LAPD gonna patrol it? With the number of calls they've been getting, They're stretched thin already.
Well, then they gotta cancel it.
That's the battle.
If they do that, The whole city could go dark if the power grid gets overwhelmed.
Yeah, you're right.
That's not gonna work.
LAPD's outnumbered 10,000 to 1.
All right, keep me posted.
Did you tell her that we're gonna need to talk to Carter Again tomorrow? He won't remember anything.
We have psychological markers, things that could help him out.
You want to make him relive it? If it will help us catch this guy, yes.
I mean, you saw him.
He feels helpless, weak.
There's nothing he could have done about it, But he's gonna keep blaming himself.
You know, Carter didn't reveal that much.
How come you know all this? Because when I was a kid, I lost my parents.
How? Drunk driver.
And you were in the car? No.
You seem to have some insight, as if you witnessed it.
Maybe because I pictured it a thousand times.
My parents They, uh, They were racing home 'cause I was sick.
You know, if they hadn't left right then, They would have missed that intersection, And there wouldn't have been a red light.
I lost my father When I was 9 years old.
He was shot and killed right in front of me.
There was nothing I could do.
So I choose to look at it like this-- We all have people in our lives.
Some of them are good.
Some of them are bad.
But they shape us, Detective.
That's why you have that badge.
That's why the two of us are sitting in this car right now.
*** *** How's the boy? He's quiet.
Too soon for an interview? Yeah, I want to find this guy before we have to put the kid through it.
Guys, Garcia has something.
Ok, everybody needs to sit down 'cause I'm about to rock your world And not in a way I like to do it.
I have scoured and searched and you were totally right.
This unsub has been doing it forever.
There is nowhere he hasn't been in the last 26 years.
Honestly.
Every single state.
Well, 48 continental.
My point-- He is the worst I've ever seen, And we have all seen some things.
How did you connect him? Everything you said.
He's drawn to the dark.
He shows up during a blackout, He robs, he kills, he leaves a witness.
How's he getting away with this? He never hits the same city twice.
Except Los Angeles.
I'm sending everything your way And you better load up that printer, 'cause it looks like he started in Southern California Way back in the summer of 1984.
Thank God the press hasn't connected this.
The summer Olympics were in Los Angeles that year.
So was Richard Ramirez.
That's the year he started.
Well, he never left.
Stayed in L.
A.
For a few years.
Fine.
I'll look into it.
It appears our unsub started that summer During a blackout in San Diego.
From there he went to orange county.
After that he ended up in Los Angeles And then worked his way up the coast.
Why did he come back? And why now? It's gonna be hot again tonight.
You might be better off sleeping in your car Or just getting the hell out of L.
A.
Anything to get away from the darkness and what happens in it.
All right, we're about to lose Arcadia.
They've got that 9:00 to midnight shift.
Chatsworth, you're gone from 10:00 to 1:00.
Check us out online for a full list.
We'll be here until midnight or I guess until the lights go out.
Hey, look at that.
It's a cool 99 degrees here At 99.
6.
Get here about 10:15? Listen, I want you to check the neighborhood, See if there are any surveillance cameras.
They may not be working-- Kurz.
Thanks.
Did he leave a message? The son of a bitch left a baby in there.
Alive? Yeah.
A baby? Yes, sir.
Thank you very much.
Hey, what's up? Everyone will have power tonight.
They called off the blackouts? After what happened earlier, we can't give them that again.
Thanks.
Great, I'll tell the press.
We're talking over 200 houses in 26 years.
When he started in San Diego, it was all about the robberies.
By the time he got to orange county, He robbed and assaulted his victims.
First murder was in long beach and he left a witness.
He got away with it for 26 years.
Why did he come back? Good news, everybody.
The lights are back on.
That's right.
The prince of darkness Is gonna have to take the night off.
Still no suspects in the blackout murders.
But investigators believe there's a reason why he's stayed in Los Angeles Despite the publicized investigation.
Thanks.
Well, the media coverage actually helped.
Neighbors were hypervigilant.
As soon as they heard the gunfire they called the police.
Did he leave a message this time? He actually left a baby in the closet.
There's got to be some kind of message in that.
He's taunting us.
He's leaving behind witnesses That are too little to help.
Ok.
Why them? Why now? He killed these two women before the rolling blackouts.
What is it about them? He killed them in a busy, well-lit area.
It was nothing like the others.
It's, uh, shootin' Newton.
People hear gunfire down there all the time.
He probably fit right in.
It was in your division.
Hey, he had to start somewhere.
So you think it's just a coincidence? All right, let's say it's not.
What does that mean, he wanted our attention? Well, he certainly has it.
You're sure you never working anything like this before? Trust me, this guy makes an impression.
He started his career 26 years ago.
Same as me.
You think this is because of me? That all these people are dead because of that? Two women killed in your division, no survivors.
Then a couple, leaving the wife as a witness.
Then a mother, leaving the son.
Now two parents, but a baby survives.
If there's some kind of pattern, I've never seen it before.
He circled back to L.
A.
for a reason.
The first two murders here in L.
A.
county were close by.
Long beach is on the cusp of L.
A.
and orange counties.
Let's look into that one.
Home invasion.
A husband was shot.
Wife was left alive.
Sounds familiar.
What's the next one? After long beach, he went to Santa Monica.
Wait a minute.
Spicer, do you have family out there? Yeah, that's where I grew up.
Home invasion robbery, double homicide.
Joe and Sylvia Spicer were killed.
Those are my parents.
It doesn't make any sense.
Let me see that.
They died in a car accident.
A drunk driver.
Who told you that? My grandparents.
I remember my grandfather waking me up.
I was sick the night they died.
I had a fever.
How would I not remember that happening to them? Maybe your grandparents never told you, Matt.
They were trying to protect you.
They lied? You were the first child he left alive.
You've been all over the news.
This guy knows who you are.
This is crazy.
Look, when Carter said that the unsub made him watch from the closet, You flinched.
And you didn't? This guy is taunting you.
He left a young boy alive and now a baby.
He wants you to know it's him.
How could I not know? You did.
Deep down.
But you went through a major trauma as a kid.
You believed the story because it was easier.
And now what? You want to make me remember what really happened? I mean, come on, it was 26 years ago.
What good is that gonna do? It's your call.
Is this, you know, like hypnosis or something? No.
I'm just gonna try and trigger some memories By walking you through what happened that night.
All right.
Should I, uh, close my eyes or If you want.
I just want you to try and relax.
Ok.
Here we go.
It was July.
And it was hot.
Were the windows open? Yeah.
And, uh, there was a breeze.
Good.
Good.
That's really good.
What do you hear? Uh, nothing.
Are you sure? Yeah.
Yeah, my grandfather woke me up And he told me about the accident.
Slow down.
Slow down.
Stay with me.
There was a breeze.
What did you smell? Seriously? Just try.
Ok.
What did you smell? What did I smell? Um I don't know.
Uh I smelled the ocean.
My mother's perfume.
Spicer.
What? Cigarettes? This is weird.
I smell cigarettes.
Did your grandfather smoke? Never.
Come on, think.
Who was it? Hello there.
He said, "Hello there.
" That was his first message.
What's he doing? He'she's dragging me.
I hear my baby sister crying.
I hear my daddy.
He's yelling.
Get out of here! Don't you touch me, you son of a-- He killed my dad.
Please don't hurt my babies.
I can't see his face.
Take me.
It's too dark.
She's begging him.
Please don't hurt them.
I can't-- I couldn't see, man.
I just-- I'm sorry.
I couldn't.
Ok.
Hey.
No, that's enough.
I'm sorry.
You did enough.
You're good.
Ok.
We cool? Ok, why is he doing this? He keeps a survivor so that they'll never forget him, But with you, it goes beyond that, because-- He believes he turned you into the city's hero.
If your parents weren't killed, You might not have become a Detective.
Yeah, but how would he know that? It's not like he stayed in L.
A.
He's been all over the country.
The press has talked about your history.
He's not a part of it.
And he wants that recognition.
He wants everyone to know what he's done to you.
How's he gonna do that? Is that your daughter? Where is she? She's with my sister at my house.
Kristin? Ellie? Ellie? *** As the Mercury soars, so do our power needs.
L.
A.
DWP is warning that critical power levels are being reached and asks that you keep your acus To a minimum so we can keep the lights on in the city.
Ellie's gone.
So is his sister.
Are they on their way to the station? The car's still here and the power's cut, So the unsub was definitely here.
Where are you going? We're gonna try his sister's place.
This guy needs privacy.
He didn't leave them here for us to find, Which means he took them somewhere.
What's her address? Ok, good.
Ok, we'll meet you there.
I don't even know if we're gonna find him there.
What? You know what? We won't.
This is about you.
There's no history at your sister's place.
He probably took them to Santa Monica to your old house.
Reid, we're stuck in traffic.
The lights are out.
Yeah, it's out here, too.
Working off generators.
Pretty sure it's citywide.
That's Morgan on the other line.
We're gonna meet him at Kristin's house.
Let's get over there.
With a population of 8 million people, It's only a matter of time before the cell phone reception goes-- *** Reid? Are you-- Oh, great.
Spicer, we really should be waiting for backup.
We don't have time.
There's a door around back.
I'll check that.
Where is he? Take me.
Take me.
Take me.
Matt.
Daddy, help.
Drop it.
You first.
You first.
Drop the gun! Please, daddy, listen, daddy.
Listen to him.
Don't let him hurt me.
Spicer, don't do it.
He doesn't kill children.
You know that.
He doesn't kill children.
You know that.
You sure about that? Just put it down, Matt.
Put the gun down or she dies.
Don't give in to him, man.
He's not gonna hurt you unless you surrender.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Please.
Daddy, daddy, he's squeezing me.
I can't--I can't breathe.
Breathe, breathe.
Put that gun down, you lose.
He will kill you.
Look at him.
He's nothing but a coward! Daddy, it hurts.
Daddy, daddy, daddy Ok.
Ok! No! No! No, pick it up! Pick it up! Pick it up! On your knees.
Don't do it! Don't do it! That's a good boy.
Hello there.
Matt! Your sister grew up real pretty.
Last time I saw her, she was just an itty-bitty thing.
Not as good as your mom, though.
She squirms too much.
Go to hell.
Come on, man! Get up! Get up! Yeah, OK.
Think they'll remember me now? Daddy.
You've destroyed me.
Is that what you want to hear? Well, it's Better.
Promise me she'll be OK, Morgan.
Go ahead, promise him.
Do it and promise him! Ok.
Promise me, Morgan.
Ok! I promise.
I love you, Ellie.
No! Daddy! No! Spicer! What is wrong with you?! Take me, please.
Please take me instead! Please! No! No! Oh, God, no! No! No! Don't-- I don't usually take much to kids.
This one'sjust Special.
We will find you, you sick son of a bitch.
Is that another promise? Please! Please, help! Ellie! Oh, my God, Ellie, no! I will find you!
Temperatures reached 110 in the inland valleys, Creating increased power demands.
City and county officials have declared shifting blackouts On a rotating basis.
L.
A.
DWP spokeswoman Karen Cramer announced What if it doesn't come back on? It's only going to be off from 12:00 to 3:00.
Yeah, that's what they say, but what if they mess it up? Stop.
But, honey, it's so-- seriously.
Ohhit can't get any hotter.
What are you doing? It's 102 degrees.
Besides, we're on the second floor.
What was that? You stay here.
You see anyone? I'm sorry.
All right.
Be quiet.
Don't open it.
I'm not going to.
Huh.
There's no one here.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Come on, it's the wind.
Come on.
Come on.
Damn it! - Yeah, real funny.
- I'm sorry.
Maybe a garbage can blew over.
Maybe a possum or something.
Yeah.
Honey.
Huh? Did you shut the window? What? Oh, my God! Hey, what did Strauss want? She needs us in Los Angeles.
Home invasion homicide last night.
Officers found Gregory Everson, 56, Beaten, with a gsw to the head.
His wife Colleen was equally beaten And raped repeatedly.
Repeatedly? That's what she reported.
Wait, she survived this? He chose to keep her alive.
An intentional witness.
Everything but that points to an organized offender, An experienced one.
Was she able to identify him? She said he was white, with mean eyes and repulsive breath.
Rotten inside and out.
Did he rape her in front of the husband? Yeah.
One home invasion rarely warrants Strauss Personally sending us out.
No, there's more.
Ballistics match a double homicide Downtown L.
A.
, 48 miles away.
Where 3 days ago, those 2 women were raped and killed.
But last night was in the suburbs.
They're afraid of another night stalker.
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, "And out of the darkness "Came the hands that reached through nature, Molding men.
" This guy's way too good at this to have just started.
He pulled off hours of torture and a homicide Without disturbing the neighbors.
And robbed the house.
That could be a habit.
You think he started as a burglar? If it was just about the killing, He wouldn't bother robbing them.
Wait, how did he get in last night? Mrs.
Everson said there was a noise outside their door.
They were outside of their room a few minutes, When they came back, he was there.
He distracted them.
So he could climb through their bedroom window.
I'll have Garcia, see if that m.
O.
Was used in any other home invasions.
Well, victimology's all over the map.
to kill men, women, Old, young, black, white, Hispanic.
That's about as random as it gets.
Randomness implies a lack of predictability.
I think that's the point.
All the varying people in his message.
He wants them all to fear him.
Oh, and they will.
Press got ahold of last night's home invasion.
JJ and I will set up at the station.
Dave, you and Reid go visit Mrs.
Everson at the hospital.
Morgan and Prentiss, the LAPD detectives Are waiting for you at the everson house.
You hear that? What? Exactly.
What's wrong with us that we're at peace at a crime scene? Hotter than hell.
Techs must have turned off the a/c.
Huh.
See? Oh, yeah.
At peace.
What's the matter, more hot flashes, ma'am? Surprised a hotshot like you doesn't need to cool down.
When are the big guns coming? What's wrong? You afraid that they'll get all the front pages now? Hey.
I never asked for that.
Detectives.
Quite a crowd out there.
Matt Spicer.
Adam Kurzbard.
Hi.
Emily Prentiss.
This is Derek Morgan.
Hey, thanks for flying out.
So, what have you got? Got our hands full.
Guy's been across the city in a week.
Seems completely random.
You don't think it is? We're robbery-homicide in Newton division.
The first 2 vics were right in the middle of it.
The only thing that brought us all the way out here - Were the bullets.
- And the assault.
All the victims were raped.
DNA match? He covers up.
The, uh, Eversons were in their bedroom Upstairs when the electricity went out.
So the unsub cut the power.
No.
They've got rolling blackouts scheduled.
Trying to get through this heat wave Without the whole city going dark.
So, is that why he came out here? Well, people are afraid of the dark.
He probably preyed on that.
Ok, so the lights go out and this guy starts banging on the door.
Why give them the heads-up like that? Why not just break in? He probably likes getting their adrenaline going.
Makes for a fun fight.
Sounds like he got one.
Wife's real shook up.
I don't think she's gonna be much help.
Why is she in restraints? She tried to kill herself.
Twice.
Mrs.
Everson? We're with the FBI.
We know you talked to the detectives this morning.
But if you're up for a few more questions, It could help.
Why didn't he kill me? It--it wasn't about you.
This man only thinks about power And control.
Leaving you behind gives him that.
Now Did he ever speak to you directly? Did you talk to you? No, he really didn't.
I'm sorry.
It's OK.
Take your time.
Greg looked at me The way he always did.
I We didn't need words.
We He just Looked at me and we would know.
I tried to be strong, but I--I Shut my eyes When the gun went off, and That's the last thing Greg saw.
Now every time I shut my eyes I see him.
How long will that last? You rest now.
Uh-huh, yeah.
We'll have him on the 11:00.
Thanks.
Hey.
Where's Rossi? He's talking with Hotch and Morgan.
It's incredibly detailed.
Yeah.
Detective Matt Spicer and his partner are the go-to guys For robbery-homicide, central bureau, Newton division, The busiest in L.
A.
It's Garcia.
Hey, Garcia, I got JJ here.
Praise the gods.
Los Angeles Has a weirdly low rate of home invasion burglaries.
I snagged a case in Westchester Where a guy violently knocked down the front door, Kicked the dog, and took off with the TV.
Breaking down the front door sends a message.
He's trying to intimidate the victims.
Yeah, and as horrible as this dog-kicking burglar sounds, I think the guy we're looking for is even more horrible.
Garcia, this unsub's had practice, a lot of it.
Maybe not in L.
A.
, but he's definitely done this before.
Word.
This is not his first crime party.
I seriously can't find a single case in L.
A.
That equals this level of emotional destruction.
We need to expand the search to all of Southern California.
He can be in other cities with a quick ride on the freeways.
Yeah.
Will do.
Thanks, Garcia.
We're going live on the 11:00 news.
You think he'll be watching? It's late.
He could already be hunting.
Do you ever look at why this victim, why this day, Why this crime? - Always.
- Hmm.
Do you ever think they were just in the wrong place At the wrong time? Sometimes.
Well, I don't believe in coincidences.
How come? Don't get me wrong.
It's not like I talk To the universe or anything.
I've just always believed that things happen for a reason.
It's hard to find the reason for this, though.
Utterly meaningless crimes, No obvious motivation.
Pure evil.
Evil can't be scientifically defined.
It's an illusory moral concept that doesn't exist in nature.
Its origins and connotations have been inextricably linked To religion and mythology.
This offender has shown no signs of any belief.
I'm, uh, I'm Spencer Reid.
Matt Spicer.
Jennifer Jareau.
The media's been asking for you.
Yeah, well, nobody else around here wants to talk to them.
I figure it hasn't hurt me yet.
Uh, they'd like to interview you for the 11:00 news.
Can we go over a few points? Absolutely.
The first 2 victims earlier this week? Downtown.
Killed about 2 A.
M.
We found them when the sun came up.
Not at noon? Right.
Vice were over there about 6 A.
M.
Both these clocks are stopped at 12:00.
Was there a blackout? They started last night.
So then he cut their power.
But he let the city do it last night.
Where's the next rolling blackout? If you're driving through the San Fernando valley, Beware--the power in Glendale has just gone out, Thanks to the rolling blackouts.
Stay tuned for further details.
Now let's take a look at the weather.
Well, the heat is not gonna break anytime soon, With temperatures still hovering at 97 degrees.
Look for overnight lows to be about 90.
Same situation for tomorrow Oh, come on.
Ok, sweetie, we're home.
Officers arrived at the home of Annie Danzi Just after 11:00 this morning This time a young child was left behind.
LAPD investigator Matt Spicer is the lead on this case HELD BY THE FBI's BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS UNIT LATER THIS MORNING.
The profilers arrived in Los Angeles last night.
We're going live now to Annie Danzi's home.
We've been told the FBI has just arrived.
Agent Jareau.
Agent Jareau.
This is the second home invasion homicide That started since the blackouts.
Will you confirm that they're connected? How are you going to keep the residents safe in these areas? We're working close with city officials and LAPD To determine what steps we need to take to ensure everyone's safety.
Will they call off the blackouts? Not at this time.
Annie Danzi.
Was her child home? Spicer's with him now.
So the power was out 10:00 to 1:00? All the same tricks.
Forced entry?-No.
Were there rolling blackouts last summer? Oh, just about every year.
Anything like this happen? Well, crime always goes up when it's hot and dark, But this? No way.
Hunting in the dark is definitely a part of his signature.
Garcia.
Yes, sir.
I need you to check if there were any clusters Of home invasions in previous summers During rolling blackouts in California.
Look statewide.
He left a message this time.
*** A first time for everything.
You think he's welcoming us? Who knows? At least he's telling us more with each crime scene.
Uneducated.
Made the kid watch.
Sadistic.
Trashes the place even though there's not that much to steal.
Angry.
Chooses to hunt and kill in the dark.
Doesn't want to be seen.
Why? Maybe he's ashamed of something.
Well, he didn't have to knock those over.
He doesn't want any eyes on him.
Except the kid.
Didn't want him to miss a thing.
What you got there? Is that a robot? It's a monster.
Monster, huh? What's it doing? It's protecting you, right? It's gonna make the man stay away.
Did you happen to get a look at that man? Or was it too dark under the bed? He moved me to the closet.
And my mom told me to close my eyes.
Would you mind showing me how you did that? That's good, kid.
That's really, really good.
So you didn't see him at all? Once that man left, what did you do? Did you get back under the bed? I didn't want to leave her.
But you were scared.
Hey, Carter, Do you, um, do you have like a really cool backpack You could throw some things in to take over to your cousin's house? It's in my room.
Will you come with me? You bet.
Hey.
Look, I'm really glad the kid didn't see anything, But it could have been helpful.
But covering his eyes like that, That means he couldn't cover his ears.
Forcing a child to witness this is clearly sadistic.
He destroyed the boy's innocence and took away his childhood.
This probably mirrors the unsub's own experience.
That's an excuse for what he's doing? There's no excuse for what he's doing.
We're not justifying anything.
Everything he says, everything he does Tell us what makes him tick, that's all.
The message that he left us was misspelled, Which says that he was not well-educated.
Why did he leave one now? That we don't know--yet.
Just because his recent attacks are in Los Angeles Doesn't mean he's from here.
Killing in the dark is a must for him.
We believe that's why he's come to L.
A.
That and his willingness to kill random people Tells us that he's an opportunistic offender, And these types are incredibly difficult to predict.
And as you all know, the rolling blackouts have been announced So residents can prepare for the few hours they'll be in darkness.
Unfortunately, that also tells the killer Whose windows will be open, whose alarms will be disarmed.
The dark is his signature.
It's a habit, and we'll find That he's always killed this way.
'cause he's a coward.
To some degree, yes.
He also has intimacy issues.
He even turns photographs away from himself.
It's unlikely that a man like this Has been in any kind of relationship.
There's also a good chance that he has some type of shortcoming.
Whether real or perceived, He's obviously self-conscious about something.
Like what? It could be like a physical deformity.
It might be something really small to us, But it means everything to him.
People just want to fit in.
Having one thing that sets him apart from the norm Could be what led him into the extreme solitude Of a violent schizoid personality.
He takes his victims' power away, Literally and figuratively.
And he feeds off of making them powerless.
We had rolling blackouts all last summer, And this guy wasn't around.
Well, he is now.
And based on the vicious nature of his crimes, The press has named him the prince of darkness.
Prince.
That'll fuel his ego.
Yeah.
He's gonna be all over the news.
Once we unravel his need for darkness, we'll find him.
What if he comes back? He won't.
He can't hurt you again, OK? How do you know? You didn't find him.
You're right.
But I will.
She should have known better.
Who? Your mom? She tried to fight him, But he had a gun.
Why did she do that? Well, She needed to protect you, Carter.
The man who did this, he's very bad, OK? I'm going to find him.
I promise.
Ok? All right.
Thank you.
Yeah, Prentiss.
What's the plan? Rolling blackouts are still scheduled for tonight.
How's LAPD gonna patrol it? With the number of calls they've been getting, They're stretched thin already.
Well, then they gotta cancel it.
That's the battle.
If they do that, The whole city could go dark if the power grid gets overwhelmed.
Yeah, you're right.
That's not gonna work.
LAPD's outnumbered 10,000 to 1.
All right, keep me posted.
Did you tell her that we're gonna need to talk to Carter Again tomorrow? He won't remember anything.
We have psychological markers, things that could help him out.
You want to make him relive it? If it will help us catch this guy, yes.
I mean, you saw him.
He feels helpless, weak.
There's nothing he could have done about it, But he's gonna keep blaming himself.
You know, Carter didn't reveal that much.
How come you know all this? Because when I was a kid, I lost my parents.
How? Drunk driver.
And you were in the car? No.
You seem to have some insight, as if you witnessed it.
Maybe because I pictured it a thousand times.
My parents They, uh, They were racing home 'cause I was sick.
You know, if they hadn't left right then, They would have missed that intersection, And there wouldn't have been a red light.
I lost my father When I was 9 years old.
He was shot and killed right in front of me.
There was nothing I could do.
So I choose to look at it like this-- We all have people in our lives.
Some of them are good.
Some of them are bad.
But they shape us, Detective.
That's why you have that badge.
That's why the two of us are sitting in this car right now.
*** *** How's the boy? He's quiet.
Too soon for an interview? Yeah, I want to find this guy before we have to put the kid through it.
Guys, Garcia has something.
Ok, everybody needs to sit down 'cause I'm about to rock your world And not in a way I like to do it.
I have scoured and searched and you were totally right.
This unsub has been doing it forever.
There is nowhere he hasn't been in the last 26 years.
Honestly.
Every single state.
Well, 48 continental.
My point-- He is the worst I've ever seen, And we have all seen some things.
How did you connect him? Everything you said.
He's drawn to the dark.
He shows up during a blackout, He robs, he kills, he leaves a witness.
How's he getting away with this? He never hits the same city twice.
Except Los Angeles.
I'm sending everything your way And you better load up that printer, 'cause it looks like he started in Southern California Way back in the summer of 1984.
Thank God the press hasn't connected this.
The summer Olympics were in Los Angeles that year.
So was Richard Ramirez.
That's the year he started.
Well, he never left.
Stayed in L.
A.
For a few years.
Fine.
I'll look into it.
It appears our unsub started that summer During a blackout in San Diego.
From there he went to orange county.
After that he ended up in Los Angeles And then worked his way up the coast.
Why did he come back? And why now? It's gonna be hot again tonight.
You might be better off sleeping in your car Or just getting the hell out of L.
A.
Anything to get away from the darkness and what happens in it.
All right, we're about to lose Arcadia.
They've got that 9:00 to midnight shift.
Chatsworth, you're gone from 10:00 to 1:00.
Check us out online for a full list.
We'll be here until midnight or I guess until the lights go out.
Hey, look at that.
It's a cool 99 degrees here At 99.
6.
Get here about 10:15? Listen, I want you to check the neighborhood, See if there are any surveillance cameras.
They may not be working-- Kurz.
Thanks.
Did he leave a message? The son of a bitch left a baby in there.
Alive? Yeah.
A baby? Yes, sir.
Thank you very much.
Hey, what's up? Everyone will have power tonight.
They called off the blackouts? After what happened earlier, we can't give them that again.
Thanks.
Great, I'll tell the press.
We're talking over 200 houses in 26 years.
When he started in San Diego, it was all about the robberies.
By the time he got to orange county, He robbed and assaulted his victims.
First murder was in long beach and he left a witness.
He got away with it for 26 years.
Why did he come back? Good news, everybody.
The lights are back on.
That's right.
The prince of darkness Is gonna have to take the night off.
Still no suspects in the blackout murders.
But investigators believe there's a reason why he's stayed in Los Angeles Despite the publicized investigation.
Thanks.
Well, the media coverage actually helped.
Neighbors were hypervigilant.
As soon as they heard the gunfire they called the police.
Did he leave a message this time? He actually left a baby in the closet.
There's got to be some kind of message in that.
He's taunting us.
He's leaving behind witnesses That are too little to help.
Ok.
Why them? Why now? He killed these two women before the rolling blackouts.
What is it about them? He killed them in a busy, well-lit area.
It was nothing like the others.
It's, uh, shootin' Newton.
People hear gunfire down there all the time.
He probably fit right in.
It was in your division.
Hey, he had to start somewhere.
So you think it's just a coincidence? All right, let's say it's not.
What does that mean, he wanted our attention? Well, he certainly has it.
You're sure you never working anything like this before? Trust me, this guy makes an impression.
He started his career 26 years ago.
Same as me.
You think this is because of me? That all these people are dead because of that? Two women killed in your division, no survivors.
Then a couple, leaving the wife as a witness.
Then a mother, leaving the son.
Now two parents, but a baby survives.
If there's some kind of pattern, I've never seen it before.
He circled back to L.
A.
for a reason.
The first two murders here in L.
A.
county were close by.
Long beach is on the cusp of L.
A.
and orange counties.
Let's look into that one.
Home invasion.
A husband was shot.
Wife was left alive.
Sounds familiar.
What's the next one? After long beach, he went to Santa Monica.
Wait a minute.
Spicer, do you have family out there? Yeah, that's where I grew up.
Home invasion robbery, double homicide.
Joe and Sylvia Spicer were killed.
Those are my parents.
It doesn't make any sense.
Let me see that.
They died in a car accident.
A drunk driver.
Who told you that? My grandparents.
I remember my grandfather waking me up.
I was sick the night they died.
I had a fever.
How would I not remember that happening to them? Maybe your grandparents never told you, Matt.
They were trying to protect you.
They lied? You were the first child he left alive.
You've been all over the news.
This guy knows who you are.
This is crazy.
Look, when Carter said that the unsub made him watch from the closet, You flinched.
And you didn't? This guy is taunting you.
He left a young boy alive and now a baby.
He wants you to know it's him.
How could I not know? You did.
Deep down.
But you went through a major trauma as a kid.
You believed the story because it was easier.
And now what? You want to make me remember what really happened? I mean, come on, it was 26 years ago.
What good is that gonna do? It's your call.
Is this, you know, like hypnosis or something? No.
I'm just gonna try and trigger some memories By walking you through what happened that night.
All right.
Should I, uh, close my eyes or If you want.
I just want you to try and relax.
Ok.
Here we go.
It was July.
And it was hot.
Were the windows open? Yeah.
And, uh, there was a breeze.
Good.
Good.
That's really good.
What do you hear? Uh, nothing.
Are you sure? Yeah.
Yeah, my grandfather woke me up And he told me about the accident.
Slow down.
Slow down.
Stay with me.
There was a breeze.
What did you smell? Seriously? Just try.
Ok.
What did you smell? What did I smell? Um I don't know.
Uh I smelled the ocean.
My mother's perfume.
Spicer.
What? Cigarettes? This is weird.
I smell cigarettes.
Did your grandfather smoke? Never.
Come on, think.
Who was it? Hello there.
He said, "Hello there.
" That was his first message.
What's he doing? He'she's dragging me.
I hear my baby sister crying.
I hear my daddy.
He's yelling.
Get out of here! Don't you touch me, you son of a-- He killed my dad.
Please don't hurt my babies.
I can't see his face.
Take me.
It's too dark.
She's begging him.
Please don't hurt them.
I can't-- I couldn't see, man.
I just-- I'm sorry.
I couldn't.
Ok.
Hey.
No, that's enough.
I'm sorry.
You did enough.
You're good.
Ok.
We cool? Ok, why is he doing this? He keeps a survivor so that they'll never forget him, But with you, it goes beyond that, because-- He believes he turned you into the city's hero.
If your parents weren't killed, You might not have become a Detective.
Yeah, but how would he know that? It's not like he stayed in L.
A.
He's been all over the country.
The press has talked about your history.
He's not a part of it.
And he wants that recognition.
He wants everyone to know what he's done to you.
How's he gonna do that? Is that your daughter? Where is she? She's with my sister at my house.
Kristin? Ellie? Ellie? *** As the Mercury soars, so do our power needs.
L.
A.
DWP is warning that critical power levels are being reached and asks that you keep your acus To a minimum so we can keep the lights on in the city.
Ellie's gone.
So is his sister.
Are they on their way to the station? The car's still here and the power's cut, So the unsub was definitely here.
Where are you going? We're gonna try his sister's place.
This guy needs privacy.
He didn't leave them here for us to find, Which means he took them somewhere.
What's her address? Ok, good.
Ok, we'll meet you there.
I don't even know if we're gonna find him there.
What? You know what? We won't.
This is about you.
There's no history at your sister's place.
He probably took them to Santa Monica to your old house.
Reid, we're stuck in traffic.
The lights are out.
Yeah, it's out here, too.
Working off generators.
Pretty sure it's citywide.
That's Morgan on the other line.
We're gonna meet him at Kristin's house.
Let's get over there.
With a population of 8 million people, It's only a matter of time before the cell phone reception goes-- *** Reid? Are you-- Oh, great.
Spicer, we really should be waiting for backup.
We don't have time.
There's a door around back.
I'll check that.
Where is he? Take me.
Take me.
Take me.
Matt.
Daddy, help.
Drop it.
You first.
You first.
Drop the gun! Please, daddy, listen, daddy.
Listen to him.
Don't let him hurt me.
Spicer, don't do it.
He doesn't kill children.
You know that.
He doesn't kill children.
You know that.
You sure about that? Just put it down, Matt.
Put the gun down or she dies.
Don't give in to him, man.
He's not gonna hurt you unless you surrender.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
Please.
Daddy, daddy, he's squeezing me.
I can't--I can't breathe.
Breathe, breathe.
Put that gun down, you lose.
He will kill you.
Look at him.
He's nothing but a coward! Daddy, it hurts.
Daddy, daddy, daddy Ok.
Ok! No! No! No, pick it up! Pick it up! Pick it up! On your knees.
Don't do it! Don't do it! That's a good boy.
Hello there.
Matt! Your sister grew up real pretty.
Last time I saw her, she was just an itty-bitty thing.
Not as good as your mom, though.
She squirms too much.
Go to hell.
Come on, man! Get up! Get up! Yeah, OK.
Think they'll remember me now? Daddy.
You've destroyed me.
Is that what you want to hear? Well, it's Better.
Promise me she'll be OK, Morgan.
Go ahead, promise him.
Do it and promise him! Ok.
Promise me, Morgan.
Ok! I promise.
I love you, Ellie.
No! Daddy! No! Spicer! What is wrong with you?! Take me, please.
Please take me instead! Please! No! No! Oh, God, no! No! No! Don't-- I don't usually take much to kids.
This one'sjust Special.
We will find you, you sick son of a bitch.
Is that another promise? Please! Please, help! Ellie! Oh, my God, Ellie, no! I will find you!