Criminal Minds s08e20 Episode Script
Alchemy
Help me! Hello? Help me.
Please help me.
Can anyone hear me? I can't breathe.
Help me.
I can't breathe.
Aah! I need a doctor.
You I'm really sick.
There's a doctor in room 209.
Good boy.
There's one more.
What do you got? Hold it.
We found something.
I mean, losing someone's bad enough, but imagine not having any answers.
You're right, that's terrible.
But we haven't been invited, and it isn't serial.
That's just the thing, see? I think-- I think it's connected to this other case.
How many small-town newspapers do you subscribe to? but a lot of them disappeared.
Same thing.
You mean gone digital.
See, that was 6 weeks ago and it wasn't in ViCAP.
You haven't been sleeping, have you? I can't.
There's too much work to do.
I agree with Reid.
We've got a serial on our hands.
a 33-year-old logger, was found just outside Rapid City, South Dakota.
To be exact, the dismembered body parts of Joseph Purl were found in the woods outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Local P.
D.
believes his body had been there about a week before a hiker found them, but he's not the first victim.
The first victim-- Oh--squeeze it.
It gets stuck sometimes.
Do you want me to take over? No, I got it.
Ok.
Yeah, maybe you better.
I have it memorized, so I don't have to look at the gross.
The first victim is Raymond Nava, He was a seasonal truck driver for a logging company.
His dismembered body was found within the border of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is 60 miles south of Rapid City.
So nobody else was able to make the connection between the two victims? Nava's under tribal and local FBI jurisdiction, and Purl's Rapid City, P.
D.
The two agencies never spoke.
They're speaking now, thanks to the good doctor.
But P.
D.
says that the Bureau investigation of Nava has been lacking.
Would you call that a slam or a bitch slap? Is this still blowback of Leonard Peltier? The government's been accused of ignoring crimes on the reservation since '75.
Well, Peltier did kill two FBI agents who were searching for a robbery suspect.
It's hard to forget.
So, what do we know about these cases.
Well, we know that two bodies were found within a hour's drive of each other.
We know there's no evidence of robbery or sexual assault.
And according to the decomp reports, Nava was killed two weeks before his body was found.
So, the disposal sites are remote, and/or the unsub is very good at hiding the parts.
Oh, the, uh, parts were dispersed within a quarter-mile radius, and it's unclear whether the unsub did that or it was scattered by animals.
Then the bites and scratches on Purl could be scavenger activity.
Yeah, but if animals had access, why aren't we just looking at bones? Eew.
Good question.
My guess is that there was a toxin in the flesh that probably repelled them.
These circles on his back are definitely manmade.
It reminds me of the marks you get from cupping in holistic therapy, except the diameter's too wide.
Are they lividity marks? It's TBD on the prelim M.
E.
report.
There's really not a lot here on either case.
Which is why we need to start from the beginning.
Let's head to South Dakota.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
I'll pick you up 0900.
Be ready.
Excuse me.
I know this is weird, but would you mind walking me to my car? I'm probably being paranoid, but there's someone I'm scared of running into alone.
Sure.
This is me.
Well, I think you're safe.
My ex has a real bad temper.
I'll probably never stop looking over my shoulder.
Anyway, thank you.
No worries.
You're not from around here, are you? How'd you know? Well, first there's your haircut and your weird clothes, and then there's your funny accent.
I'm kidding.
It's the rental car keychain.
Good one.
Where are you staying? The Gantry Motel.
That place is a dump.
I'm the manager of the Red Creek Lodge.
It's real nice.
I'll give you a room, no charge.
You don't have to do that.
I want to, as a thank-you for being so gallant.
All right.
Thanks.
I'm Tess.
Chad.
Thermostat is there.
There's extra pillows in the closets.
Ok.
Hey, uh, are you sure that you can give me this room? I told you, I'm the manager.
I can do what I want.
And right now I don't want to be alone.
"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams".
Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Both if them were close in age, both tall, around 180 pounds, fair complexions.
They had to be surrogates for someone.
Except, given the physical demands of logging, that description could apply to a majority of men in the area.
So, was someone trying to get back at the industry? Hacking them apart means the anger ran deep.
Reid, you ok? Yeah.
There's no shortage of enemies to the logging industry, from climate change environmentalists to animal rights activists.
Native Americans with longstanding territory disputes.
Maybe this is all to create a hostile working environment for the logging companies.
It looks like both men disappeared overnight.
They left work one day, didn't show up the next.
Garcia, did anyone interview family members? No.
The families didn't know anything 'cause they were all back at home.
Raymond Nava was in Texas, and Joseph Purl's from Wyoming.
Are a lot of the workers seasonal or itinerant like the two victims? Yeah.
They either live in work camps provided by the companies or they rent rooms.
JJ, you and Blake go to the morgue.
Morgan and I will go to the crime scene.
And, Reid, since you've already made contact, you and Dave talk to the local FBI and find out what's holding up the investigation.
Dr.
Reid.
I'm Agent Stern.
Actually, this is Dr.
Reid.
I'm SSA Rossi.
Are you the SRA for the Pine reservation? Yep.
I've been working with Detective Landry, who's out at the Purl crime scene right now.
Let me show you what we got.
Is this it? No offense, but are you like incredibly busy here in Rapid City, South Dakota? 'Cause the last I checked, you guys had like the fifth lowest crime rate in the country.
I just--I feel like the victims' families deserve more.
Let me explain something.
When I go out on the reservation asking questions about a homicide, I'm not exactly greeted with open arms.
You add a non-resident victim to the mix and they close ranks, thinking I'm trying to find a native to pin it on.
I think we understand.
And the body was found on reservation land, but it may not be tribal related.
The area where we found Nava, that's easy to access from the highway.
It's possible the unsub knew it was a different jurisdiction and took advantage of it.
We found a torso here.
A leg about 100 yards that way.
The rest of the parts strewn about a quarter-mile past that.
We found a foot not far from a known wolf den.
You think the wolves moved the parts? Well, they've staked out this territory.
It's not an easy hike from the road.
The strength it would take to dismember a body and carry the pieces suggests that the unsub is a physically fit male or it was a team.
You say it's a known wolf den? How many people might know about it? Well, it's not common public knowledge.
Local rangers and law enforcement, plus the biologists who are out here studying them.
What about animal activists, people who think that logging might be infringing on the wolf habitat? Yeah, we have a few.
I suppose they would have known about it.
It's not we're hiding the information.
Here you go, Mr.
Dumont.
Thank you.
So, uh, where's Tess? She works nights.
But she left word you're a VIP.
So what brings you to Rapid City? Just hiking, sightseeing.
Great.
We have brochures in the lobby for Mt.
Rushmore, Deadwood, Devil's Tower.
Hey, if you don't mind my asking, are you famous? We don't get many VIPs.
I'm just a friend of Tess'.
Oh.
Well, enjoy your breakfast.
Thanks.
A wise man would avoid the Badlands today.
Storm's rolling in.
Right.
Jeez.
You're a little jumpy.
That guy was just giving me the creeps.
Sometimes this whole place gives me the creeps.
You've only been here a month.
You'll learn to ignore it.
By the way, the VIP isn't famous.
He's just a friend of Tess'.
I told you.
I thought she was married to some invalid.
She is.
I wonder if her hot friend is just a friend? What? I'm just sayin'.
Follow my lead.
As long as the checks clear, just ignore everything around here.
C.
O.
D.
was solanine poisoning.
It was used to control the victims while they were being held captive.
Solanine is a potent toxin and hallucinogen.
It comes from a black nightshade plant.
The unripe berries were used in the middle ages for torture.
The effect it has is like a bad acid trip.
That's not fun.
Trust me.
More recently it's been used in small doses for asthma.
Are we looking for someone in the medical community? More like an herbalist or a shaman versus a traditional M.
D.
The M.
E.
said the circular marks were premortem and the victims were held around 48 hours.
This could be about torture.
If it is, the unsub's a sadist, or he wanted something from the victims.
Joseph Purl's body parts were left near a wolf's den.
Petitions to protect the wolf habitat have been circulating recently.
Garcia's reviewing those names.
It may be an animal activist who's taken his beliefs to the extreme.
It could be native American, given the first disposal site.
The circular marks on Joseph Purl seem almost ritualistic.
Any chance this is part of a tribal tradition? Lakota shamans are well known for their extended rituals in healing, as well as herbal remedies.
One thing doesn't make sense.
It took a while to find these victims.
If the unsub wanted to send a message to the logging industry, why hide them? Why not leave them out in the open for the world to see? Did you miss me? What do you think? Come in.
Oh Whoo.
Sorry, uh Man, I must be coming down with something.
I've been kind of feeling woozy all day.
Oh, no.
Well, lucky for you, I'm a naturopathic healer.
I know just the thing for you.
Hey.
Good morning.
How are you feeling? Better.
That treatment you gave me, it worked wonders.
And what we did afterwards wasn't too bad either.
Here, drink this.
It'll help get all the toxins out.
Your ex-boyfriend do that? You know, if you're so scared of him, then why don't you just move away? My little boy is buried here.
I can't leave him.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I gotta get moving today.
I'm meeting a friend of mine.
Don't! I have sensitivity to light.
Please close the curtains.
I have an autoimmune disorder.
My own body is attacking my eyes.
Well, uhare you getting treatment for it, or Herbal remedies help, but I deserve the pain.
Why do you say that? It started after Adam, my little boy, died.
We should have saved him.
You know it was our fault.
The company hasn't had any direct threats recently.
A coworker of Raymond Nava said the guys usually partied at a different work camp every night, depending on who had the moonshine.
Were there outsiders at these parties? They had an open-door policy.
Apparently things got pretty wild.
Hey, mama.
Tell me something I don't know.
Oh, hot chocolate, the things I could spill to you Hey, hey, you're on speaker.
That would help you solve this case.
I have scoured all of my Lakota shaman sources and there isn't a single healing ritual that would cause those circular marks to appear.
What about the petitions the animal activists were circulating? Yes, I checked and double-checked and cross-checked all the names and all the checks cleared.
What about that list of herbalists and naturopaths in the area? Yeah, and give me a raise, 'cause I found the one guy who was charged with solanine poisoning, and it was 7 years ago.
I'm sending you his name and address now.
There it is.
All right, Blake and I will check it out.
Thanks, Garcia.
We have a missing man who fits the same physical description as the other two victims.
Chad Dumont's 33.
He's an Air Force captain from Ohio, here on leave.
Well, he's not a logger.
That changes things.
This can't be about animal activists and territory.
And there's probably no connection to the native American community, though someone wants us to believe that there is.
His voicemail message to his best friend was his last known contact.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
And I'll pick you up 0900.
Better be ready.
His friend said he never showed.
Since he was military, Dumont always punctual.
Do we know where he was staying? Gantry Motel, according to his friend, but the thing is, he checked out the same night he left that message.
Can you play the message again? Yeah.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
Is that a bell? better be ready.
It sounds like they're in a bar.
Dooley's on Fifth rings a bell whenever somebody leaves a big tip.
Yeah, I talked to him.
He wasn't interested then.
What can I say? Some guys have bad taste.
Undoubtedly.
Did you happen to see where he went after you spoke to him? I assume he left.
How long are you in town for? Uh not long enough, I'm afraid.
Too bad.
We could have had some fun.
Who was that? That was the fourth Mrs.
Rossi if I'm not careful.
She hit on Chad when he was here, but he turned her down.
Well, I just got off the phone with Chad's sister.
He was a real stand-up guy.
He took care of his family after their father died.
He got promoted quickly in the Air Force.
Well, we know he checked out of the motel after he left the bar, even though he had the room reserved for two more nights.
Now, that only makes sense if he met someone here.
Hmm.
Well, if that's not his type, who is? A guy? If he was gay, his family and best friend would know about it.
And don't forget about the use of poison.
So, the unsub is a woman.
His ideal would be not too aggressive, less flashy.
Demure.
Given his family history and career choice, he's comfortable in the protective role.
What if someone appealed to those instincts? That means we're looking for a damsel in distress.
It was a mistake.
I made solanine for someone who asked for an organic pesticide.
I had absolutely no idea that he planned to murder his neighbor's dog with it.
And you never made it again? I learned my lesson.
Paid my fine, did my time.
Are there other naturopaths in this area? Only 3 who really knew herbs.
Can you tell us who they are? No problem.
Excuse me.
Yeah.
Could I see one of the cups you use for this therapy? Sure.
You think this is what caused those marks on Joseph Purl's back? The cup's the right diameter.
It's wider than what I've seen before.
You know, the victims have the same coloring and build.
Is this all about fertility? We believe that the unsub that we're looking for is a woman who's trying to get pregnant.
She's experiencing what we call black widow maternal desire.
She has a desperate need for a child, which most likely stems from the recent loss of one.
That child may have died or been taken away in a custody situation.
She's drugging her male victims in order to keep them under her control for 48 hours, and we believe she's using them as breeding partners to help replace the child that she lost.
Her victims are surrogates for a male figure in her life, one she may have already killed.
He could be a boyfriend or husband who most likely fathered the child she lost.
And the signs of torture indicate that she may blame the child's father for this loss and is exacting her revenge on these victims.
After they are dead, she dismembers them for easier disposal.
The strength required to do this and transport body parts, it's likely that she's working with a submissive partner she dominates with her agenda.
Based on the sophistication and patience required for these crimes, we believe this unsub is probably in her 30s and no older than her early 40s if pregnancy is her goal.
And she works at night, luring victims from parties or bars.
She may even have an illness or feign one to gain their sympathy.
Jack Dumont's been missing for almost 30 hours, and if the unsub keeps to her schedule, he may still be alive.
But time is of the essence.
Even though the first two victims are dead, we can certainly step up our game so we can give the victims' families some answers.
Thank you.
Something weird's going on.
I heard sounds in room 209.
So? It's supposed to be empty.
Do you know anything about it? No.
Oh, my God, you do.
Is this place haunted? Don't know and don't care, as long as I'm left alone.
Tess' friend didn't come down for breakfast.
Maybe it's connected to him.
He checked out last night.
Hey.
Come get me.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Sal? He liked to fix up old cars.
When my Aunt Rosie died, he bought a 1947 Buick.
Well, it was a piece of junk, really, but he was obsessed with it.
He'd work on it day and night, forgetting to eat, until it was a thing of beauty.
Then one day, it got stolen.
When the cops found it, it had been completely vandalized.
Uncle Sal was devastated.
Never recovered.
He died about a year later.
I'm sorry about your Uncle.
Iâm sorry about Maeve.
So how long has it been now, 4 months? That's why you're not sleeping.
This can't go on.
I realize that the socially acceptable amount of time to wallow in grief is coming to an end, and-- That's not what I mean.
You wallow as long as you need, but talk to someone.
I feel like there are two types of people in this world, Rossi.
The ones that get over their grief and move on and the ones that descend into some sort off endless misery.
I know how you feel.
Give it time.
How much time? I thought by coming to work every day and helping other people, the pain would lessen, but it hasn't.
Compartmentalization works only so long.
Don't be like Uncle Sal.
You know that I remember every single word we ever said to each other? Finally, the downside to an eidetic memory.
Listen Spencer If you want to feel better, you can't control the process.
You have to let yourself grieve.
I'm not sleeping because when--when I do, I dream of Maeve.
And when I see her, I feel the sweetest relief imaginable.
She always asks me to dance, but I can't because I don't know how to dance, and because I never even got to touch her when she was alive.
I know if I get into that fantasy, I'll be lost forever, so I force myself to wake up.
Is that part of normal healing? Ok, so let's not forget that all of the men, including the latest, were from out of town.
They all lived in temporary spaces, none of which were the Ritz.
If the unsub lured these men away with a promise of sex, they probably went to her place.
But Chad Dumont checked out of his motel.
I mean, how many guys would do that first before a one-night stand? Almost none.
They'd want a place to retreat to.
All right, well, what if she offered them something other than or in addition to sex, like another hotel room? Yeah, this town caters to tourists, so there's no shortage of lodging.
So we may be looking for a woman who owns or works at a hotel.
Aah! No I.
D.
on her yet.
Prints aren't in the system, and no one matching her description has been reported missing.
The body parts are pretty close together this time.
The unsub was in a hurry or didn't make an effort to spread them out like she did before.
Plus the M.
O.
's different.
Female victim without mutilation or circular marks.
Well, it can't be an evolution.
She wouldn't go from large men who are difficult targets to an easier one.
Maybe this victim just got in the way.
That would explain the lack of ritual markings.
She didn't generate the same emotional response in the unsub.
Maybe her partner did this one alone.
Not hiding the body as long means it's someone less detail oriented.
I'd say the partner's a male.
Any chance that this is the unsub? No, no.
She's way too young.
But we're definitely looking for a male/female couple.
Dr.
Reid.
I was going through old tribal enforcement records for the past 20 years, basically minor violations the reservation handled internally without the FBI.
Did you find something? was given permission to stay on the reservation to study medicinal herbs with an old shaman.
He was kicked out when they suspected he was trying to poison another student with solanine.
What was his name? Roger Whitcomb.
There's no listings for him anymore for him in the area.
Thank you.
Garcia, there's a name I need you to check out.
Why are you doing this to me? Because I I have no choice.
Do you know what real pain is? That hollow ache, that gaping hole that comes from senseless tragedy.
No, you don't.
You live in blissful ignorance, like all the happy-go-lucky people who have no idea that darkness is a whisper away.
You remind me of Steven, my ex-boyfriend, with that stupid smirk on your face.
No.
You should have been looking out for Adam instead of lying your cheating ass off.
I'm not your ex.
I'm not Steven.
Please Please, I need a doctor.
Please, I beg of you.
You said the unsub's partner is probably a boyfriend or husband.
So is he catching her sleeping with other men and tortures and kills them out of jealousy? I buy that happening once, but anything beyond that, she's complicit.
If her child died, this could be pathological grief at work.
What have you got, Garcia? I got a whole lot of nothing on Roger Whitcomb.
It's like he must have left the area, 'cause there's zilch after aught-1.
Secondly, there are 82 hotels, motels, inns, and B&Bs in the area that are female managed or owned.
Any of those who've lost children? Yeah, there's two of them, but there's nothing hinky.
There is, however, one woman with a deceased child whose husband owns a hotel.
Her name is Tess Mynock, and she does fit our profile.
She's 38.
Her 5-year-old son Adam died 3 years ago.
And our first victim was killed the very same week at the anniversary of her son's death.
She could be our unsub.
The death of the child the stressor, the recent anniversary the trigger.
Her husband owns the Red Creek Lodge on Farmington Road.
Let's go.
Hang on.
We're almost there.
Calm down.
Calm down.
It's all gonna be fine.
It's all gonna be fine.
Garcia, what else do we know about Tess? We know that the father of her dead son is Steven Colson.
He's an ex-boyfriend, an abusive one at that, based on a police report.
He left her after their son died and he moved to Florida.
According to an article, he and Tess were having a lakeside picnic with their son, they got in an argument, they didn't notice that the boy had wandered off, and he drowned.
Drink.
It's ok.
I'm a doctor.
It's time to kill Steven now.
This is odd.
The most recent info I can get on Raoul Whalen is from 2002.
Any chance he's actually Roger Whitcomb, the guy who was kicked off the reservation? Well, it's like Raoul didn't exist until 6 months after Whitcomb disappeared.
It's gotta be the same guy.
Disposing of the first victim on the reservation may have been payback.
If he murdered someone there he's not the submissive partner in the relationship.
And he's resourceful enough to run a hotel, which means he can appear to function normally.
A classic sociopath.
He always had a murderous impulse.
He took advantage of Tess' grief and was able to fulfill his homicidal fantasies.
Curious and curiouser.
So, uh, Raoul was a naturopath, and then 10 years ago, he bought the inn with money he got from an inheritance.
He still has a website that he sells his natural remedies on, and according to his bio, he cured himself of prostate cancer.
And there is a testimonial from a Tess M.
, diagnosed with uveitis in 2010.
She can't handle sunlight, and she says that without his remedies, she would be blind.
It could be psychosomatic, a reaction to her son's death if it was sunny the day he died.
Maybe Tess met Raoul when she sought treatment for her disease.
She didn't become homicidal till he entered her life.
They hit it off and became a killing duo.
Let out your anger.
You've wanted to do this for so long.
What happened to Amber? Don't worry.
I took care of her.
You killed her? She saw too much.
But Amber was harmless.
Don't be naive.
She would have turned us in.
You never said we would kill innocent bystanders.
I I want to leave now.
Not until you take care of Steven.
Remember what he did to you.
He's only getting what he deserves.
I can't do this anymore.
Oh, darling, that's not the deal we made.
Don't you remember? You were a wreck when we met.
No home, no money, no food, and a dead son to boot.
You were dying and I saved your life.
I made an honest woman out of you, and I took care of you.
Wasn't I generous? Mm-hmm.
I even allowed you to take lovers so you could get pregnant again.
But you must abide by the rules.
You must kill your lovers to protect the sanctity of our vows.
Didn't you agree to that? Only because you told me this would work.
But I'm still not pregnant.
Shh You don't know that yet.
Look Oh, my God.
Has this all been a lie? You've been manipulating me.
You You turned me into a monster.
My poor baby.
He's never coming back.
Oh! Enough! Kill him.
Now.
FBI.
Drop the knife.
He slept with my wife.
He's still alive.
We need paramedics she's not here.
Where's Tess? A fickle wife blows like a seed in the wind.
There's another exit.
Garcia, where did Tess' son die? Checking now.
Uh He drowned at Deerfield Lake.
That's an hour outside the city.
J.
R.
R.
Tolkien wrote, "I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.
" It's alchemy.
Hmm? Alchemy turns common metals into precious ones.
Dreams work the same way.
Turning something awful into Something better.
I don't know.
I'd like to believe that, but Just think about it.
No.
Better yet, don't think.
Just let it happen, Spencer.
I'm gonna get some shuteye.
You should, too.
May I take your order, sir? Um, I'll have a double espresso.
And I'll have a nonfat latte.
Fancy meeting you here.
Hi.
Hi.
Did you know Sir Arthur Conan Doyle probably sat right here drinking his coffee about 130 years ago? I think he probably drank tea.
You know, given his comment that the tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo.
Spencer And this is Oxford.
Didn't sir Arthur Conan Doyle go to school at the University of Edinburgh? Are you gonna argue with everything I say? No, of course not.
You know, there is such a thing as too much logic.
Dance with me.
Why? I want to hold you once before I'm a ghost of a memory.
Please help me.
Can anyone hear me? I can't breathe.
Help me.
I can't breathe.
Aah! I need a doctor.
You I'm really sick.
There's a doctor in room 209.
Good boy.
There's one more.
What do you got? Hold it.
We found something.
I mean, losing someone's bad enough, but imagine not having any answers.
You're right, that's terrible.
But we haven't been invited, and it isn't serial.
That's just the thing, see? I think-- I think it's connected to this other case.
How many small-town newspapers do you subscribe to? but a lot of them disappeared.
Same thing.
You mean gone digital.
See, that was 6 weeks ago and it wasn't in ViCAP.
You haven't been sleeping, have you? I can't.
There's too much work to do.
I agree with Reid.
We've got a serial on our hands.
a 33-year-old logger, was found just outside Rapid City, South Dakota.
To be exact, the dismembered body parts of Joseph Purl were found in the woods outside of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Local P.
D.
believes his body had been there about a week before a hiker found them, but he's not the first victim.
The first victim-- Oh--squeeze it.
It gets stuck sometimes.
Do you want me to take over? No, I got it.
Ok.
Yeah, maybe you better.
I have it memorized, so I don't have to look at the gross.
The first victim is Raymond Nava, He was a seasonal truck driver for a logging company.
His dismembered body was found within the border of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is 60 miles south of Rapid City.
So nobody else was able to make the connection between the two victims? Nava's under tribal and local FBI jurisdiction, and Purl's Rapid City, P.
D.
The two agencies never spoke.
They're speaking now, thanks to the good doctor.
But P.
D.
says that the Bureau investigation of Nava has been lacking.
Would you call that a slam or a bitch slap? Is this still blowback of Leonard Peltier? The government's been accused of ignoring crimes on the reservation since '75.
Well, Peltier did kill two FBI agents who were searching for a robbery suspect.
It's hard to forget.
So, what do we know about these cases.
Well, we know that two bodies were found within a hour's drive of each other.
We know there's no evidence of robbery or sexual assault.
And according to the decomp reports, Nava was killed two weeks before his body was found.
So, the disposal sites are remote, and/or the unsub is very good at hiding the parts.
Oh, the, uh, parts were dispersed within a quarter-mile radius, and it's unclear whether the unsub did that or it was scattered by animals.
Then the bites and scratches on Purl could be scavenger activity.
Yeah, but if animals had access, why aren't we just looking at bones? Eew.
Good question.
My guess is that there was a toxin in the flesh that probably repelled them.
These circles on his back are definitely manmade.
It reminds me of the marks you get from cupping in holistic therapy, except the diameter's too wide.
Are they lividity marks? It's TBD on the prelim M.
E.
report.
There's really not a lot here on either case.
Which is why we need to start from the beginning.
Let's head to South Dakota.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
I'll pick you up 0900.
Be ready.
Excuse me.
I know this is weird, but would you mind walking me to my car? I'm probably being paranoid, but there's someone I'm scared of running into alone.
Sure.
This is me.
Well, I think you're safe.
My ex has a real bad temper.
I'll probably never stop looking over my shoulder.
Anyway, thank you.
No worries.
You're not from around here, are you? How'd you know? Well, first there's your haircut and your weird clothes, and then there's your funny accent.
I'm kidding.
It's the rental car keychain.
Good one.
Where are you staying? The Gantry Motel.
That place is a dump.
I'm the manager of the Red Creek Lodge.
It's real nice.
I'll give you a room, no charge.
You don't have to do that.
I want to, as a thank-you for being so gallant.
All right.
Thanks.
I'm Tess.
Chad.
Thermostat is there.
There's extra pillows in the closets.
Ok.
Hey, uh, are you sure that you can give me this room? I told you, I'm the manager.
I can do what I want.
And right now I don't want to be alone.
"Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams".
Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Both if them were close in age, both tall, around 180 pounds, fair complexions.
They had to be surrogates for someone.
Except, given the physical demands of logging, that description could apply to a majority of men in the area.
So, was someone trying to get back at the industry? Hacking them apart means the anger ran deep.
Reid, you ok? Yeah.
There's no shortage of enemies to the logging industry, from climate change environmentalists to animal rights activists.
Native Americans with longstanding territory disputes.
Maybe this is all to create a hostile working environment for the logging companies.
It looks like both men disappeared overnight.
They left work one day, didn't show up the next.
Garcia, did anyone interview family members? No.
The families didn't know anything 'cause they were all back at home.
Raymond Nava was in Texas, and Joseph Purl's from Wyoming.
Are a lot of the workers seasonal or itinerant like the two victims? Yeah.
They either live in work camps provided by the companies or they rent rooms.
JJ, you and Blake go to the morgue.
Morgan and I will go to the crime scene.
And, Reid, since you've already made contact, you and Dave talk to the local FBI and find out what's holding up the investigation.
Dr.
Reid.
I'm Agent Stern.
Actually, this is Dr.
Reid.
I'm SSA Rossi.
Are you the SRA for the Pine reservation? Yep.
I've been working with Detective Landry, who's out at the Purl crime scene right now.
Let me show you what we got.
Is this it? No offense, but are you like incredibly busy here in Rapid City, South Dakota? 'Cause the last I checked, you guys had like the fifth lowest crime rate in the country.
I just--I feel like the victims' families deserve more.
Let me explain something.
When I go out on the reservation asking questions about a homicide, I'm not exactly greeted with open arms.
You add a non-resident victim to the mix and they close ranks, thinking I'm trying to find a native to pin it on.
I think we understand.
And the body was found on reservation land, but it may not be tribal related.
The area where we found Nava, that's easy to access from the highway.
It's possible the unsub knew it was a different jurisdiction and took advantage of it.
We found a torso here.
A leg about 100 yards that way.
The rest of the parts strewn about a quarter-mile past that.
We found a foot not far from a known wolf den.
You think the wolves moved the parts? Well, they've staked out this territory.
It's not an easy hike from the road.
The strength it would take to dismember a body and carry the pieces suggests that the unsub is a physically fit male or it was a team.
You say it's a known wolf den? How many people might know about it? Well, it's not common public knowledge.
Local rangers and law enforcement, plus the biologists who are out here studying them.
What about animal activists, people who think that logging might be infringing on the wolf habitat? Yeah, we have a few.
I suppose they would have known about it.
It's not we're hiding the information.
Here you go, Mr.
Dumont.
Thank you.
So, uh, where's Tess? She works nights.
But she left word you're a VIP.
So what brings you to Rapid City? Just hiking, sightseeing.
Great.
We have brochures in the lobby for Mt.
Rushmore, Deadwood, Devil's Tower.
Hey, if you don't mind my asking, are you famous? We don't get many VIPs.
I'm just a friend of Tess'.
Oh.
Well, enjoy your breakfast.
Thanks.
A wise man would avoid the Badlands today.
Storm's rolling in.
Right.
Jeez.
You're a little jumpy.
That guy was just giving me the creeps.
Sometimes this whole place gives me the creeps.
You've only been here a month.
You'll learn to ignore it.
By the way, the VIP isn't famous.
He's just a friend of Tess'.
I told you.
I thought she was married to some invalid.
She is.
I wonder if her hot friend is just a friend? What? I'm just sayin'.
Follow my lead.
As long as the checks clear, just ignore everything around here.
C.
O.
D.
was solanine poisoning.
It was used to control the victims while they were being held captive.
Solanine is a potent toxin and hallucinogen.
It comes from a black nightshade plant.
The unripe berries were used in the middle ages for torture.
The effect it has is like a bad acid trip.
That's not fun.
Trust me.
More recently it's been used in small doses for asthma.
Are we looking for someone in the medical community? More like an herbalist or a shaman versus a traditional M.
D.
The M.
E.
said the circular marks were premortem and the victims were held around 48 hours.
This could be about torture.
If it is, the unsub's a sadist, or he wanted something from the victims.
Joseph Purl's body parts were left near a wolf's den.
Petitions to protect the wolf habitat have been circulating recently.
Garcia's reviewing those names.
It may be an animal activist who's taken his beliefs to the extreme.
It could be native American, given the first disposal site.
The circular marks on Joseph Purl seem almost ritualistic.
Any chance this is part of a tribal tradition? Lakota shamans are well known for their extended rituals in healing, as well as herbal remedies.
One thing doesn't make sense.
It took a while to find these victims.
If the unsub wanted to send a message to the logging industry, why hide them? Why not leave them out in the open for the world to see? Did you miss me? What do you think? Come in.
Oh Whoo.
Sorry, uh Man, I must be coming down with something.
I've been kind of feeling woozy all day.
Oh, no.
Well, lucky for you, I'm a naturopathic healer.
I know just the thing for you.
Hey.
Good morning.
How are you feeling? Better.
That treatment you gave me, it worked wonders.
And what we did afterwards wasn't too bad either.
Here, drink this.
It'll help get all the toxins out.
Your ex-boyfriend do that? You know, if you're so scared of him, then why don't you just move away? My little boy is buried here.
I can't leave him.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I gotta get moving today.
I'm meeting a friend of mine.
Don't! I have sensitivity to light.
Please close the curtains.
I have an autoimmune disorder.
My own body is attacking my eyes.
Well, uhare you getting treatment for it, or Herbal remedies help, but I deserve the pain.
Why do you say that? It started after Adam, my little boy, died.
We should have saved him.
You know it was our fault.
The company hasn't had any direct threats recently.
A coworker of Raymond Nava said the guys usually partied at a different work camp every night, depending on who had the moonshine.
Were there outsiders at these parties? They had an open-door policy.
Apparently things got pretty wild.
Hey, mama.
Tell me something I don't know.
Oh, hot chocolate, the things I could spill to you Hey, hey, you're on speaker.
That would help you solve this case.
I have scoured all of my Lakota shaman sources and there isn't a single healing ritual that would cause those circular marks to appear.
What about the petitions the animal activists were circulating? Yes, I checked and double-checked and cross-checked all the names and all the checks cleared.
What about that list of herbalists and naturopaths in the area? Yeah, and give me a raise, 'cause I found the one guy who was charged with solanine poisoning, and it was 7 years ago.
I'm sending you his name and address now.
There it is.
All right, Blake and I will check it out.
Thanks, Garcia.
We have a missing man who fits the same physical description as the other two victims.
Chad Dumont's 33.
He's an Air Force captain from Ohio, here on leave.
Well, he's not a logger.
That changes things.
This can't be about animal activists and territory.
And there's probably no connection to the native American community, though someone wants us to believe that there is.
His voicemail message to his best friend was his last known contact.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
And I'll pick you up 0900.
Better be ready.
His friend said he never showed.
Since he was military, Dumont always punctual.
Do we know where he was staying? Gantry Motel, according to his friend, but the thing is, he checked out the same night he left that message.
Can you play the message again? Yeah.
Hey, man, don't forget, Devil's Tower on Sunday.
Is that a bell? better be ready.
It sounds like they're in a bar.
Dooley's on Fifth rings a bell whenever somebody leaves a big tip.
Yeah, I talked to him.
He wasn't interested then.
What can I say? Some guys have bad taste.
Undoubtedly.
Did you happen to see where he went after you spoke to him? I assume he left.
How long are you in town for? Uh not long enough, I'm afraid.
Too bad.
We could have had some fun.
Who was that? That was the fourth Mrs.
Rossi if I'm not careful.
She hit on Chad when he was here, but he turned her down.
Well, I just got off the phone with Chad's sister.
He was a real stand-up guy.
He took care of his family after their father died.
He got promoted quickly in the Air Force.
Well, we know he checked out of the motel after he left the bar, even though he had the room reserved for two more nights.
Now, that only makes sense if he met someone here.
Hmm.
Well, if that's not his type, who is? A guy? If he was gay, his family and best friend would know about it.
And don't forget about the use of poison.
So, the unsub is a woman.
His ideal would be not too aggressive, less flashy.
Demure.
Given his family history and career choice, he's comfortable in the protective role.
What if someone appealed to those instincts? That means we're looking for a damsel in distress.
It was a mistake.
I made solanine for someone who asked for an organic pesticide.
I had absolutely no idea that he planned to murder his neighbor's dog with it.
And you never made it again? I learned my lesson.
Paid my fine, did my time.
Are there other naturopaths in this area? Only 3 who really knew herbs.
Can you tell us who they are? No problem.
Excuse me.
Yeah.
Could I see one of the cups you use for this therapy? Sure.
You think this is what caused those marks on Joseph Purl's back? The cup's the right diameter.
It's wider than what I've seen before.
You know, the victims have the same coloring and build.
Is this all about fertility? We believe that the unsub that we're looking for is a woman who's trying to get pregnant.
She's experiencing what we call black widow maternal desire.
She has a desperate need for a child, which most likely stems from the recent loss of one.
That child may have died or been taken away in a custody situation.
She's drugging her male victims in order to keep them under her control for 48 hours, and we believe she's using them as breeding partners to help replace the child that she lost.
Her victims are surrogates for a male figure in her life, one she may have already killed.
He could be a boyfriend or husband who most likely fathered the child she lost.
And the signs of torture indicate that she may blame the child's father for this loss and is exacting her revenge on these victims.
After they are dead, she dismembers them for easier disposal.
The strength required to do this and transport body parts, it's likely that she's working with a submissive partner she dominates with her agenda.
Based on the sophistication and patience required for these crimes, we believe this unsub is probably in her 30s and no older than her early 40s if pregnancy is her goal.
And she works at night, luring victims from parties or bars.
She may even have an illness or feign one to gain their sympathy.
Jack Dumont's been missing for almost 30 hours, and if the unsub keeps to her schedule, he may still be alive.
But time is of the essence.
Even though the first two victims are dead, we can certainly step up our game so we can give the victims' families some answers.
Thank you.
Something weird's going on.
I heard sounds in room 209.
So? It's supposed to be empty.
Do you know anything about it? No.
Oh, my God, you do.
Is this place haunted? Don't know and don't care, as long as I'm left alone.
Tess' friend didn't come down for breakfast.
Maybe it's connected to him.
He checked out last night.
Hey.
Come get me.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Sal? He liked to fix up old cars.
When my Aunt Rosie died, he bought a 1947 Buick.
Well, it was a piece of junk, really, but he was obsessed with it.
He'd work on it day and night, forgetting to eat, until it was a thing of beauty.
Then one day, it got stolen.
When the cops found it, it had been completely vandalized.
Uncle Sal was devastated.
Never recovered.
He died about a year later.
I'm sorry about your Uncle.
Iâm sorry about Maeve.
So how long has it been now, 4 months? That's why you're not sleeping.
This can't go on.
I realize that the socially acceptable amount of time to wallow in grief is coming to an end, and-- That's not what I mean.
You wallow as long as you need, but talk to someone.
I feel like there are two types of people in this world, Rossi.
The ones that get over their grief and move on and the ones that descend into some sort off endless misery.
I know how you feel.
Give it time.
How much time? I thought by coming to work every day and helping other people, the pain would lessen, but it hasn't.
Compartmentalization works only so long.
Don't be like Uncle Sal.
You know that I remember every single word we ever said to each other? Finally, the downside to an eidetic memory.
Listen Spencer If you want to feel better, you can't control the process.
You have to let yourself grieve.
I'm not sleeping because when--when I do, I dream of Maeve.
And when I see her, I feel the sweetest relief imaginable.
She always asks me to dance, but I can't because I don't know how to dance, and because I never even got to touch her when she was alive.
I know if I get into that fantasy, I'll be lost forever, so I force myself to wake up.
Is that part of normal healing? Ok, so let's not forget that all of the men, including the latest, were from out of town.
They all lived in temporary spaces, none of which were the Ritz.
If the unsub lured these men away with a promise of sex, they probably went to her place.
But Chad Dumont checked out of his motel.
I mean, how many guys would do that first before a one-night stand? Almost none.
They'd want a place to retreat to.
All right, well, what if she offered them something other than or in addition to sex, like another hotel room? Yeah, this town caters to tourists, so there's no shortage of lodging.
So we may be looking for a woman who owns or works at a hotel.
Aah! No I.
D.
on her yet.
Prints aren't in the system, and no one matching her description has been reported missing.
The body parts are pretty close together this time.
The unsub was in a hurry or didn't make an effort to spread them out like she did before.
Plus the M.
O.
's different.
Female victim without mutilation or circular marks.
Well, it can't be an evolution.
She wouldn't go from large men who are difficult targets to an easier one.
Maybe this victim just got in the way.
That would explain the lack of ritual markings.
She didn't generate the same emotional response in the unsub.
Maybe her partner did this one alone.
Not hiding the body as long means it's someone less detail oriented.
I'd say the partner's a male.
Any chance that this is the unsub? No, no.
She's way too young.
But we're definitely looking for a male/female couple.
Dr.
Reid.
I was going through old tribal enforcement records for the past 20 years, basically minor violations the reservation handled internally without the FBI.
Did you find something? was given permission to stay on the reservation to study medicinal herbs with an old shaman.
He was kicked out when they suspected he was trying to poison another student with solanine.
What was his name? Roger Whitcomb.
There's no listings for him anymore for him in the area.
Thank you.
Garcia, there's a name I need you to check out.
Why are you doing this to me? Because I I have no choice.
Do you know what real pain is? That hollow ache, that gaping hole that comes from senseless tragedy.
No, you don't.
You live in blissful ignorance, like all the happy-go-lucky people who have no idea that darkness is a whisper away.
You remind me of Steven, my ex-boyfriend, with that stupid smirk on your face.
No.
You should have been looking out for Adam instead of lying your cheating ass off.
I'm not your ex.
I'm not Steven.
Please Please, I need a doctor.
Please, I beg of you.
You said the unsub's partner is probably a boyfriend or husband.
So is he catching her sleeping with other men and tortures and kills them out of jealousy? I buy that happening once, but anything beyond that, she's complicit.
If her child died, this could be pathological grief at work.
What have you got, Garcia? I got a whole lot of nothing on Roger Whitcomb.
It's like he must have left the area, 'cause there's zilch after aught-1.
Secondly, there are 82 hotels, motels, inns, and B&Bs in the area that are female managed or owned.
Any of those who've lost children? Yeah, there's two of them, but there's nothing hinky.
There is, however, one woman with a deceased child whose husband owns a hotel.
Her name is Tess Mynock, and she does fit our profile.
She's 38.
Her 5-year-old son Adam died 3 years ago.
And our first victim was killed the very same week at the anniversary of her son's death.
She could be our unsub.
The death of the child the stressor, the recent anniversary the trigger.
Her husband owns the Red Creek Lodge on Farmington Road.
Let's go.
Hang on.
We're almost there.
Calm down.
Calm down.
It's all gonna be fine.
It's all gonna be fine.
Garcia, what else do we know about Tess? We know that the father of her dead son is Steven Colson.
He's an ex-boyfriend, an abusive one at that, based on a police report.
He left her after their son died and he moved to Florida.
According to an article, he and Tess were having a lakeside picnic with their son, they got in an argument, they didn't notice that the boy had wandered off, and he drowned.
Drink.
It's ok.
I'm a doctor.
It's time to kill Steven now.
This is odd.
The most recent info I can get on Raoul Whalen is from 2002.
Any chance he's actually Roger Whitcomb, the guy who was kicked off the reservation? Well, it's like Raoul didn't exist until 6 months after Whitcomb disappeared.
It's gotta be the same guy.
Disposing of the first victim on the reservation may have been payback.
If he murdered someone there he's not the submissive partner in the relationship.
And he's resourceful enough to run a hotel, which means he can appear to function normally.
A classic sociopath.
He always had a murderous impulse.
He took advantage of Tess' grief and was able to fulfill his homicidal fantasies.
Curious and curiouser.
So, uh, Raoul was a naturopath, and then 10 years ago, he bought the inn with money he got from an inheritance.
He still has a website that he sells his natural remedies on, and according to his bio, he cured himself of prostate cancer.
And there is a testimonial from a Tess M.
, diagnosed with uveitis in 2010.
She can't handle sunlight, and she says that without his remedies, she would be blind.
It could be psychosomatic, a reaction to her son's death if it was sunny the day he died.
Maybe Tess met Raoul when she sought treatment for her disease.
She didn't become homicidal till he entered her life.
They hit it off and became a killing duo.
Let out your anger.
You've wanted to do this for so long.
What happened to Amber? Don't worry.
I took care of her.
You killed her? She saw too much.
But Amber was harmless.
Don't be naive.
She would have turned us in.
You never said we would kill innocent bystanders.
I I want to leave now.
Not until you take care of Steven.
Remember what he did to you.
He's only getting what he deserves.
I can't do this anymore.
Oh, darling, that's not the deal we made.
Don't you remember? You were a wreck when we met.
No home, no money, no food, and a dead son to boot.
You were dying and I saved your life.
I made an honest woman out of you, and I took care of you.
Wasn't I generous? Mm-hmm.
I even allowed you to take lovers so you could get pregnant again.
But you must abide by the rules.
You must kill your lovers to protect the sanctity of our vows.
Didn't you agree to that? Only because you told me this would work.
But I'm still not pregnant.
Shh You don't know that yet.
Look Oh, my God.
Has this all been a lie? You've been manipulating me.
You You turned me into a monster.
My poor baby.
He's never coming back.
Oh! Enough! Kill him.
Now.
FBI.
Drop the knife.
He slept with my wife.
He's still alive.
We need paramedics she's not here.
Where's Tess? A fickle wife blows like a seed in the wind.
There's another exit.
Garcia, where did Tess' son die? Checking now.
Uh He drowned at Deerfield Lake.
That's an hour outside the city.
J.
R.
R.
Tolkien wrote, "I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.
" It's alchemy.
Hmm? Alchemy turns common metals into precious ones.
Dreams work the same way.
Turning something awful into Something better.
I don't know.
I'd like to believe that, but Just think about it.
No.
Better yet, don't think.
Just let it happen, Spencer.
I'm gonna get some shuteye.
You should, too.
May I take your order, sir? Um, I'll have a double espresso.
And I'll have a nonfat latte.
Fancy meeting you here.
Hi.
Hi.
Did you know Sir Arthur Conan Doyle probably sat right here drinking his coffee about 130 years ago? I think he probably drank tea.
You know, given his comment that the tea fields of Ceylon are as true a monument to courage as is the lion at Waterloo.
Spencer And this is Oxford.
Didn't sir Arthur Conan Doyle go to school at the University of Edinburgh? Are you gonna argue with everything I say? No, of course not.
You know, there is such a thing as too much logic.
Dance with me.
Why? I want to hold you once before I'm a ghost of a memory.