Criminal Minds s12e10 Episode Script
Seek and Destroy
1 [Loud music playing.]
Transported, transported, transported, transported anything you need, I thank the lord, I thank the lord you're talkin' green, green, transported transported, transported, transported, transported anything you need, need thank the lord, thank the lord yeah, you want me transported [Cheering.]
All right, ladies, let's do this.
[Whooping, shouting, laughing.]
Whoo! [Cheering.]
[Heavy metal playing.]
Aah! The jail looks so fine when the girls are in prison you've got those dyslexic nylons with those bowlegged women [Song continues indistinct.]
[Crying.]
[Cell phone ringing.]
It's a little early out on the West Coast, isn't it? Man: Yeah, well, you know, something weird is happening out here.
Now that you're in the BAU, you might want to check it out.
I know it's not Scratch-related, but my buddy at Miramar Air Force Base says it's worth a look.
Home invasion murders in upscale neighborhoods.
Each victim shot once.
The coordination needed to pull this off says gang.
They really did a number on these houses.
Well, to be honest, this reminds me a little of a terrorist cell, only all nihilism and no ideology.
Ok, let's see what the rest of the team thinks.
Rick and Lenore Purcell are the latest victims of burglary-homicides in wealthy San Diego neighborhoods.
Last week the same happened to Janelle Klecker while her husband was out of town on business.
Janelle Klecker lived in Del Mar.
That's 7 miles away.
The Purcells were in Rancho Santa Fe.
Well, quite the party.
Narcotics, booze, vandalism.
Seems there was a fashion show.
Yeah, those are all women's clothing.
It looks like our gang's both male and female.
Girls are just as susceptible as boys to gang recruitment.
According to the National Youth Gang Center, about 20% are females.
Often people join gangs for the sense of belonging, and if they're socially isolated, it provides them with a sense of family for the first time.
Yeah, gangs also tend to follow a hierarchy.
Alpha on top, then muscle, devout right hand, and then the soldiers.
So it looks like both times they grabbed cash and electronics but avoided jewels and art.
Well, that could be 'cause they know what's easy to sell and hard to track.
That makes them criminally-experienced.
Which is likely considering they moved in and out without witnesses or triggering alarms.
But it is hard to maintain that level or organization when you're high.
An M.
O.
mismatch like that could have been caused by group dynamics.
Too many cooks in the kitchen.
They should have waited until the house was empty but didn't.
The gang could be thrill-seekers.
Could have been why the residents were there when it happened.
Once is an accident, twice a trend.
Garcia, see if any of the victims have secrets.
Skeletons in the closet, my specialty.
They could be targeting random victims or working off a list.
It's difficult to tell which from the files.
Look, I know I'm new here, but to me it seems like they won't stop.
I'd rather fly out there and find nothing than stay here and see more bodies drop.
Wheels up in 20.
[Doorbell rings.]
Hello, ma'am.
Can I have a moment of your time? My little brother has bone marrow cancer, and our family can't afford the costly treatments.
I'm gathering donations to help pay for his radiation, chemotherapy, and recovery.
It's gonna be a long road for him, but with support like yours, my brother has a chance to fight this disease.
Everybody's affected by cancer.
Mom, Dad, brother, sister, friend, husband, wife.
I know times are tough, but every bit counts.
Would you like to help? Would you like to help? I wish I could.
Would you like to help? Why don't you come inside while I get my checkbook.
Have a seat.
I'll only be a second.
You have a lovely home.
Oh, thank you, dear.
[Whooping and shouting.]
Walker: "Now, we'll start this band of robbers" "and call it Tom Sawyer's gang.
"Everybody that wants to join has to take an oath and write his name in blood.
" Mark Twain.
Rick Purcell was a financial planner.
His wife Lenore ran a high-end boutique.
It says here they have no kids, no extended family either.
Janelle Klecker, our first victim, she was the CFO of a major accounting firm.
Her husband Dan owned strip malls along the West Coast.
They also don't have kids, but plenty of nieces and nephews.
Childless couples could be part of their victim selection criteria.
Ok, I have looked inside and out of these people's lives and their closets are void of skeletons.
Aside from geography and class, there's zero overlap.
What do we think is motivating this gang? Murder? Theft? Maybe it's both.
We have evidence of cocaine, marijuana, speed, alcohol.
That level of drug use must affect their focus.
But to pull off a coordinated attack like this, at least one of them is sober.
Well, it could be the Alpha.
Maybe he's using the drugs to control the others.
Well, if the shooter's the same for each one, my money's on the Alpha.
It depends.
Some gang leaders are willing to get their hands dirty, others aren't.
Ok, when we land, Luke, Rossi, head to the M.
E.
Walker, set up with the local P.
D.
, and JJ and I will go to the Purcell crime scene.
Thank you for the donation, Mrs.
Vendl.
Of course.
And your brother will be in our prayers.
They're perfect.
Good work, babe.
All right, get ready, boys and girls, we found our next score.
Yeah! Whoo! C.
O.
D.
's a single gunshot wound to the forehead.
Ballistics confirms a suppressed compact 9-millimeter was used both times.
A relatively common firearm.
Any sexual assault? None.
Home invasion victims are often blitz attacked.
But not here.
No defensive wounds, no blunt-force trauma.
Then the unsubs likely used the gun to control them.
Rossi: Ligature marks on the wrists, not overly abrasive.
What was used? Household items.
Janelle Klecker, a man's tie.
Probably her husband's.
The Purcells, a woman's belt and a phone charger cord.
Alvez: You see this? The contact wounds look the same.
Did the first victim have one in roughly the same spot? Yes, almost exactly.
Hmm.
Same weapon, same barrel placement, same downward angle.
You add it up, it's a single shooter.
Whoever it was had to be sober to maintain this level of self-control.
So, there's one shooter, clearheaded, controlled, mature, on the hunt, while the others go along on a drug-fueled party binge.
Alvez and Rossi figure the shooter was sober enough to maintain self-control throughout.
Which means he's likely our Alpha.
It seems our Alpha has a muscle, because whoever did this is strong.
Given this physicality, it's likely a male, whose rage is easy to set off but also manage.
Anger created by an event in childhood, maybe.
It's hard to see evidence of it, but based on group dynamics, we know this leader has a devout right hand.
That person is an unwavering extension of the Alpha, providing him with unconditional support.
But the level of immaturity right here is a 180 from the Alpha.
That's the problem with group dynamics.
Different personalities, different agendas.
JJ: This vandalism is likely courtesy of the gang's soldiers.
Prentiss: Impressionable and eager, they're probably the youngest members.
Could have escaped a negative home life, too, with the leader acting as the father figure they crave.
And if the Alpha supplied them with drugs and alcohol, it would make them easier to control.
Police said the music was cranked up when they arrived.
With the distance between the houses, I doubt the neighbors heard anything, even gunshots.
So the shooter could have killed them out here, but instead He kept them isolated, in here.
Maybe one of them can't stomach the violence.
Yeah, but still, the shooter wouldn't need a suppressor.
True.
Unless he didn't want someone in the house to hear.
[Whimpering.]
[Muffled cries.]
[Two gunshots.]
What if the other members don't know about the killings? [Indistinct police radio.]
Nothing here says these victims were targeted.
So far they appear random.
In an area like this, a ruse would work best.
A fake injury, claim to be looking for a lost pet.
Well, whatever it was, they would need to quietly see the most potential victims in the shortest time.
I've seen houses in the area with the "no soliciting" signs.
Suggests it happens.
Maybe that's the ruse.
Around here, residents wouldn't hesitate to call the police about a peddler.
Unless maybe they're young and innocent-looking.
They could be selling magazines or candy for a cause.
That would definitely tug at the heartstrings.
It would also allow them time to canvass thoroughly.
Ok, the local P.
D.
needs to re-interview both areas on the lookout for that ruse.
Locals re-canvassed the area like we asked.
And numerous people reported 3 different women asking for donations to help with a brother's cancer treatment.
That's how they determine victim vulnerability.
Get inside, case the people in their home, report back to the Alpha.
I was with Dan Klecker, Janelleâs widower.
They were on vacation for two weeks.
Came home the day before her murder.
And apparently the unsubs waited for someone to be home.
They could have targeted her then.
In addition to looking at the victim and the house, they build a rapport.
Which they'd have to visit multiple times to do.
That way, when they return, the victim opens the door willingly, and with security disarmed, the gang can easily overwhelm the victims.
I'm gonna go to evidence and take a look at the checkbooks, see if anyone made a donation.
Maybe the unsubs were arrogant or desperate enough to cash a check.
Plenty of kind, trusting people out there to fall for a scam like this.
Who is it? Hey, it's me.
We met yesterday, remember? I think I left my scarf.
Why, yes, you did.
[Screaming.]
Get down! Get down! Get down! Aah! [Taunting, shouting.]
Ha ha ha ha! Whoo! Claire? What's going on? Hey, what [Shouting.]
Hey! Uhh! Uhh! Oh, hello.
Mmm Ugh! Aah! What do you think, babe, huh? Time to have some fun? Sure is.
[Squealing.]
Yay! [Laughter.]
I got too wasted last time.
Come on, it's one little drink.
[Groans.]
Hey, Zeke.
This place is toast, man.
You want to bail? No.
We've been rude.
We'll let our hosts join us first.
Zeke, man, come on.
Come on.
Hurry.
- Let's go.
- Hey.
Hey! Please don't hurt our family.
What the hell, man? They saw my face! Get down here.
Please.
Please.
Please! Zeke, you can't! [Fires twice.]
Now we can go.
We gotta split.
All 3 of us.
And go where? I don't know.
Who cares? We'll figure it out.
Without Zeke? I don't know.
I mean, I owe him my life.
Zeke's lost it.
After what he did, we have no choice.
Ok.
I mean, if you think so.
Well, I ain't goin'.
No way.
Quit being babies.
Zeke always knows exactly what he's doing.
I'm sure he had his reasons.
He murdered those people, Viv.
He's out of his mind.
We steal.
We party.
We are not killers.
We'll wait a couple nights.
After that, when they're off doing You want to leave Bea? She's been like a sister to us.
Did you see her face? She liked it.
No mayo, right, Kay? Something wrong? Let's go.
Ok.
Victims are Claire and Joe Vendl, with two adult children.
Neither live at home.
And no pets.
Who called it in? A private security patrol saw their front door open, lights on.
Gang was long gone.
Whether or not they're getting bolder or sloppy, the party's over.
The wounds match the previous victims.
It looks like the same shooter.
The geography of the victims, the way they fell, means the shooter was likely here.
And based on this blood spatter pattern shadow, a gang member could have been in this spot.
[Gunshots.]
Janelle Klecker and the Purcells were murdered in private, away from the party.
This time the Alpha made a choice to kill in front of the gang.
But why the change? Is the shooter devolving? Could be part of it? A shift like this demands the others' attention and respect.
The Alpha could be losing control.
So this could be a last-ditch effort to reassert his dominance.
Hey, agents.
You might want to see this.
Zeke: Thanks, babe.
Yeah.
Something wrong? Had too man fries, I guess.
Eat up.
You need your strength.
Heard y'all want to leave.
Forget about the plan? Kay! You would have died on the streets without Zeke.
And what about you, Germ, huh? Broken, nowhere to go, no direction.
Zeke gave you a purpose.
And, Viv, turning tricks for cash.
Now you don't have to.
All 'cause of Zeke.
He's your savior.
You should be worshipping him, but instead you want to go? Zeke brought us together and made us a family.
Don't you give a damn about family? Bea.
Look, we hit enough of these houses.
You ain't gotta live like animals no more.
But if you give up now, you are exactly what they say you are Nothing.
Nobody.
And they win.
You really want them to win? But you stay the course, I'll give you a future.
Ok.
Yeah.
I'm bored.
Mmm.
[Giggling.]
Their faces were burnt out.
Vandalism is normal, but this is the first time we've seen this kind of rage.
We said the party's over.
Maybe this is the next step.
The destruction of this photo is more emotional than the actual murders.
And for one of the gang members, this picture's personal.
This type of anger is usually directed toward a person.
This is an entire group, and not just any group.
A nuclear family.
So one of them has an issue with theirs even more so than the rest.
If the Alpha did this, it's likely his family lives in the area.
Why not go after them first? Hanging around is dangerous.
The family could be out of town.
Maybe the gang's waiting for them.
That's not the only change here.
The unsubs usually take liquid assets Cash, electronics.
But here, they took nothing.
It seems our gang's becoming unglued faster than we predicted.
Ok.
Get the good beer.
And no menthols this time.
Yeah, sure thing.
You, too, girls.
I need a minute alone with my boy.
Sorry about before.
My head just got all messed up.
You know? I mean, look at this shirt.
Ruined.
Yeah, that's a good shirt.
It's my favorite.
I don't know, man.
Like we have fun.
We take stuff.
And that's cool, 'cause, whatever, they're rich.
They can always buy more.
This murder.
It ain't the plan.
Plans change.
Like I said, we gotta stick together.
All right, I mean, think about Kay.
She sees that you're strong, she's gonna stay strong, too.
Yeah.
There, that's my boy.
Come here.
I could use another taste.
How about you? For sure, man.
For sure.
[Sniffs.]
All right, you first.
You've gone soft.
That ain't good for the others.
Come on, on your knees.
Now.
Forgot my [Gunshot.]
Yeah, it's the same caliber gun.
And with this motel centrally located to the crime scenes, he must be one of ours.
As predicted, they finally turned on their own.
Guy's big.
Could have been the muscle.
That blood on his shirt could be from the Vendls.
Ok, I've got a Texas driver's license.
Kevin Jones.
Germ.
Interesting nickname.
Well, it's a recent photo.
Likely our gang.
It's too bad their faces aren't clearer.
Desk clerk says a guy paid cash for the room, but it wasn't the victim.
The others must have hid.
She said she saw a green van peel out of here around 1 a.
m.
Did the clerk get a make and model? Unfortunately not.
She thought maybe mid-'70s, but she just didn't think much of it at the time.
Garcia.
What's cracking, crime-fighters? We found a Texas driver's license of our latest victim, Kevin Jones, date of birth December 18, 1991.
I texted it to you, but it they wanted to keep low, it could be a fake.
The word "Germ" is branded on his wallet.
It could be a nickname.
Naughty, naughty.
That I.
D.
's a fake.
Commencing facial recognition software for a definitive match.
[Loud heavy metal playing.]
We're almost there.
You want to cool it.
Whoo! Yeah! Ha ha ha! Germ's real name is Michael Sale.
He is the second of 3 boys.
He grew up in a small farming town outside of Dubuque.
Really poor.
His dad died when he was 16, then his mother drank herself to death soon after.
Those boys raised themselves.
Oh, that's so hard.
So of course they each got in their own kind of trouble.
Michael just barely graduated high school, and then he went to work in a local fast food joint.
For how long? 8 months.
No job history after that.
He did a brief stint in Texas for misdemeanor drug possession.
Ex-con.
Explains their carefulness with their prints.
Does he own a green van? Mm, no he does not.
Search Michael's associates.
Cross-check that with green van owners in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, California, Texas, and New Mexico.
Uh, make, model, and year, please and thank you.
Wishful thinking Van is roughly 40 years old.
Then this is not gonna take a shovel, this is gonna take a backhoe.
Give me a steaming hot second.
I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you I've gotta have you, I've gotta have you I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you Where's Germ? I told you.
He bolted.
He didn't say where.
He wouldn't leave and not tell me.
Next house is yours, Kay.
No screw-ups this time, you hear? Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma all coming up zilch regarding Michael/Germ and a green van.
All right, try, uh, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Look at you, newbie McNewberson, with another good call.
The aged green van belongs to Ezekiel Reginald Daniels, 28, born in Arkansas, never had a dad, mom was an addict, only child who was raised by variously abusive family members.
Alvez, set up a city and statewide APB on that van.
Where'd they meet? Oh, you know, where people meet people in jail.
Ok, Garcia, this may be a long throw, but are there any similar robberies nearby dating back to immediately after their release? Oh That's not a long throw at all, lovey.
That's a very short and accurate toss.
Good arm.
I have them pegged for a similar burglary late last year in Lawton, Oklahoma.
And then another in Beaumont, Texas.
And one after that in Newnan, Georgia.
That's a suburb of Atlanta.
But that one was two weeks ago.
They're experienced, like we thought.
Crossing state lines made their serial crimes appear as one-offs.
Were any of them home invasions? No.
They cleared the place up before the owners arrived back home.
I'll stay behind, wait for the coroner to arrive.
Thanks, Garcia.
[Dog barking.]
I just don't feel right, not without Germ.
He made his choice.
[Knocking.]
Sorry to bother you, Mrs.
Adams.
Did I leave my sweater here last week? I don't believe so, but if you'd like to come in and Aah! Uhh! [Gasping.]
[Sobbing.]
Thanks, Prentiss.
The unsubs were headed east across Georgia two weeks ago but something triggered them to change directions, heading west.
Whatever the reason, that likely affected the Alpha most.
Problem is, our presumed Alpha has no ties here.
Nothing in his history suggests he could lead a gang.
And based on his precursor crime, it would have been difficult to predict a sharp escalation to this level of violence.
Then he was manipulated into it.
In fact, he may not even realize it.
And if he's not the Alpha, the next likely option is the muscle, but he's our latest victim, so it has to be one of the women.
The question now is, which one? Uhh! Uhh! Stop it! [Mrs.
Adams sobbing.]
Uhh! Ohh Honey? Get over here.
[Mrs.
Adams sobbing.]
Come on! On your knees.
Damn it.
I'm in charge.
You don't have the guts.
Let's find out.
Put it down.
Now.
No! You.
Sorry.
Things got out of control.
[Gunshot.]
Ohh! Girl's gotta know when to cut bait.
[Fires.]
Ohh! Mom Dad.
I'm home.
[Sobbing.]
Garcia, the real Alpha is one of the women.
She's from the area.
Probably comes from money.
She's likely a user, which means she might have had and accidental overdose or been injured.
Prentiss: So start with hospital records, then.
Last month, Ezekiel Daniels was the emergency contact for a Bethany Elise Adams, 21, from Escondido, which is another wealthy San Diego suburb.
Ok, so she spent the night in a Jackson, Mississippi, hospital due to an accidental oxy overdose.
And just 'cause a girl's not been arrested don't mean she's never gotten in trouble.
This Bethany chick, she has pinballed all over the San Diego prep school scene.
I mean, from kindergarten until 12th grade she was in 5 different schools.
Expelled from each one of them, I presume? Uh-huh.
But each time she got expelled, she would consistently get admitted into a new school because her parents would make a hefty financial contribution to the new school.
What are they like? They're maddeningly, maddeningly normal.
And according all things Michelle and Paul Adams, they're loving, indulgent parents.
She has a younger sister Kendra, who works at the family's real estate firm.
Oh, sweet Christmas.
Ok, the dad just recently updated his Facebook family picture.
It's him, his wife, and the daughter Kendra.
No sign of Bethany, not even a shoutout.
So Bethany's been cut out of the perfect family.
It explains why she attacked that photo.
By and by, little sister was promoted to junior assistant two weeks ago.
Right before the first kill.
So if this was all about the parents, why not go after them right away? Oh, I know.
Because Mom and Dad have been away at a work conference.
They arrived home early this morning.
If Bethany knew that, then she's already there.
Ok, guys, you head over there, I'll coordinate from here.
We can still get out of this.
You killed Zeke in self-defense.
- It wasn't your fault.
- Bethany - Shut up! - Bea, sweetie Shut up! You're done talking.
Run.
Aah! Drop it.
[Sobbing.]
You will not screw this up for me.
Bea, stop! Shut up! Stop moving.
Stop moving.
Stop moving.
Stop! Drop it.
Oh, you little Let her go.
You will not screw this up! [Siren.]
Police radio: All right, copy that.
We'll take the side door.
Have your men posted near the front and go on our command.
[Gunfire.]
Go! Go, go, go, go! You get the front! We'll move around back! All right, go on up.
Mrs.
Adams: Bea, sweetheart Bea: Shut up! Don't do it.
Don't.
Please don't.
Mrs.
Adams: Please! Bea: What did my dad say? Mrs.
Adams: Please don't.
Stop! You will not screw this up! Please let me go.
Please.
Mr.
Adams: Bethany, please.
Shut up! - Sweetie - Shut up! - Sweetie - Shut up! Drop the gun! [Groaning.]
[Indistinct police radio.]
On your back.
On your back.
[Moans.]
All right, we need a medic now! Alvez: Another one over here.
Got a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
We need two medics inside.
Down the street the dogs are barking Aah ha ha ha ha ha! Where some hearts will get broken and some are called to love on and on and on we ride this way till we all get settled down Aaahhhh! Aaahhh! While that house is burning down Prentiss: "A gang is where a coward goes to hide.
" Mickey Mantle.
You did great in San Diego.
I'm glad you trusted your gut.
Thank you for listening.
I've been on teams where opinions, especially new ones, aren't always valued.
That's the nice thing about this group.
Everybody has a voice.
Anything new on Mr.
Scratch? I got eyes and ears everywhere, but it's been quiet.
That's not surprising, considering what he's put us through recently.
He waited over 20 years to attack his first victims and another year-plus to go after the team.
The guy is patient.
Smarter men than Scratch have tried to take down this team before and they're all in prison.
We're pretty good at this.
I've noticed.
Look, the fundamentals here are similar to B.
A.
P.
Recognize the patterns, find the mark, take 'em down, move on to the next one.
And there's always a next one.
Still, the BAU is a nice change of pace.
But you don't miss all that international travel.
No, I don't.
It's like in music.
Sometimes you don't pick the instrument, the instrument picks you.
Ok.
I'll let you get back to it, then.
Transported, transported, transported, transported anything you need, I thank the lord, I thank the lord you're talkin' green, green, transported transported, transported, transported, transported anything you need, need thank the lord, thank the lord yeah, you want me transported [Cheering.]
All right, ladies, let's do this.
[Whooping, shouting, laughing.]
Whoo! [Cheering.]
[Heavy metal playing.]
Aah! The jail looks so fine when the girls are in prison you've got those dyslexic nylons with those bowlegged women [Song continues indistinct.]
[Crying.]
[Cell phone ringing.]
It's a little early out on the West Coast, isn't it? Man: Yeah, well, you know, something weird is happening out here.
Now that you're in the BAU, you might want to check it out.
I know it's not Scratch-related, but my buddy at Miramar Air Force Base says it's worth a look.
Home invasion murders in upscale neighborhoods.
Each victim shot once.
The coordination needed to pull this off says gang.
They really did a number on these houses.
Well, to be honest, this reminds me a little of a terrorist cell, only all nihilism and no ideology.
Ok, let's see what the rest of the team thinks.
Rick and Lenore Purcell are the latest victims of burglary-homicides in wealthy San Diego neighborhoods.
Last week the same happened to Janelle Klecker while her husband was out of town on business.
Janelle Klecker lived in Del Mar.
That's 7 miles away.
The Purcells were in Rancho Santa Fe.
Well, quite the party.
Narcotics, booze, vandalism.
Seems there was a fashion show.
Yeah, those are all women's clothing.
It looks like our gang's both male and female.
Girls are just as susceptible as boys to gang recruitment.
According to the National Youth Gang Center, about 20% are females.
Often people join gangs for the sense of belonging, and if they're socially isolated, it provides them with a sense of family for the first time.
Yeah, gangs also tend to follow a hierarchy.
Alpha on top, then muscle, devout right hand, and then the soldiers.
So it looks like both times they grabbed cash and electronics but avoided jewels and art.
Well, that could be 'cause they know what's easy to sell and hard to track.
That makes them criminally-experienced.
Which is likely considering they moved in and out without witnesses or triggering alarms.
But it is hard to maintain that level or organization when you're high.
An M.
O.
mismatch like that could have been caused by group dynamics.
Too many cooks in the kitchen.
They should have waited until the house was empty but didn't.
The gang could be thrill-seekers.
Could have been why the residents were there when it happened.
Once is an accident, twice a trend.
Garcia, see if any of the victims have secrets.
Skeletons in the closet, my specialty.
They could be targeting random victims or working off a list.
It's difficult to tell which from the files.
Look, I know I'm new here, but to me it seems like they won't stop.
I'd rather fly out there and find nothing than stay here and see more bodies drop.
Wheels up in 20.
[Doorbell rings.]
Hello, ma'am.
Can I have a moment of your time? My little brother has bone marrow cancer, and our family can't afford the costly treatments.
I'm gathering donations to help pay for his radiation, chemotherapy, and recovery.
It's gonna be a long road for him, but with support like yours, my brother has a chance to fight this disease.
Everybody's affected by cancer.
Mom, Dad, brother, sister, friend, husband, wife.
I know times are tough, but every bit counts.
Would you like to help? Would you like to help? I wish I could.
Would you like to help? Why don't you come inside while I get my checkbook.
Have a seat.
I'll only be a second.
You have a lovely home.
Oh, thank you, dear.
[Whooping and shouting.]
Walker: "Now, we'll start this band of robbers" "and call it Tom Sawyer's gang.
"Everybody that wants to join has to take an oath and write his name in blood.
" Mark Twain.
Rick Purcell was a financial planner.
His wife Lenore ran a high-end boutique.
It says here they have no kids, no extended family either.
Janelle Klecker, our first victim, she was the CFO of a major accounting firm.
Her husband Dan owned strip malls along the West Coast.
They also don't have kids, but plenty of nieces and nephews.
Childless couples could be part of their victim selection criteria.
Ok, I have looked inside and out of these people's lives and their closets are void of skeletons.
Aside from geography and class, there's zero overlap.
What do we think is motivating this gang? Murder? Theft? Maybe it's both.
We have evidence of cocaine, marijuana, speed, alcohol.
That level of drug use must affect their focus.
But to pull off a coordinated attack like this, at least one of them is sober.
Well, it could be the Alpha.
Maybe he's using the drugs to control the others.
Well, if the shooter's the same for each one, my money's on the Alpha.
It depends.
Some gang leaders are willing to get their hands dirty, others aren't.
Ok, when we land, Luke, Rossi, head to the M.
E.
Walker, set up with the local P.
D.
, and JJ and I will go to the Purcell crime scene.
Thank you for the donation, Mrs.
Vendl.
Of course.
And your brother will be in our prayers.
They're perfect.
Good work, babe.
All right, get ready, boys and girls, we found our next score.
Yeah! Whoo! C.
O.
D.
's a single gunshot wound to the forehead.
Ballistics confirms a suppressed compact 9-millimeter was used both times.
A relatively common firearm.
Any sexual assault? None.
Home invasion victims are often blitz attacked.
But not here.
No defensive wounds, no blunt-force trauma.
Then the unsubs likely used the gun to control them.
Rossi: Ligature marks on the wrists, not overly abrasive.
What was used? Household items.
Janelle Klecker, a man's tie.
Probably her husband's.
The Purcells, a woman's belt and a phone charger cord.
Alvez: You see this? The contact wounds look the same.
Did the first victim have one in roughly the same spot? Yes, almost exactly.
Hmm.
Same weapon, same barrel placement, same downward angle.
You add it up, it's a single shooter.
Whoever it was had to be sober to maintain this level of self-control.
So, there's one shooter, clearheaded, controlled, mature, on the hunt, while the others go along on a drug-fueled party binge.
Alvez and Rossi figure the shooter was sober enough to maintain self-control throughout.
Which means he's likely our Alpha.
It seems our Alpha has a muscle, because whoever did this is strong.
Given this physicality, it's likely a male, whose rage is easy to set off but also manage.
Anger created by an event in childhood, maybe.
It's hard to see evidence of it, but based on group dynamics, we know this leader has a devout right hand.
That person is an unwavering extension of the Alpha, providing him with unconditional support.
But the level of immaturity right here is a 180 from the Alpha.
That's the problem with group dynamics.
Different personalities, different agendas.
JJ: This vandalism is likely courtesy of the gang's soldiers.
Prentiss: Impressionable and eager, they're probably the youngest members.
Could have escaped a negative home life, too, with the leader acting as the father figure they crave.
And if the Alpha supplied them with drugs and alcohol, it would make them easier to control.
Police said the music was cranked up when they arrived.
With the distance between the houses, I doubt the neighbors heard anything, even gunshots.
So the shooter could have killed them out here, but instead He kept them isolated, in here.
Maybe one of them can't stomach the violence.
Yeah, but still, the shooter wouldn't need a suppressor.
True.
Unless he didn't want someone in the house to hear.
[Whimpering.]
[Muffled cries.]
[Two gunshots.]
What if the other members don't know about the killings? [Indistinct police radio.]
Nothing here says these victims were targeted.
So far they appear random.
In an area like this, a ruse would work best.
A fake injury, claim to be looking for a lost pet.
Well, whatever it was, they would need to quietly see the most potential victims in the shortest time.
I've seen houses in the area with the "no soliciting" signs.
Suggests it happens.
Maybe that's the ruse.
Around here, residents wouldn't hesitate to call the police about a peddler.
Unless maybe they're young and innocent-looking.
They could be selling magazines or candy for a cause.
That would definitely tug at the heartstrings.
It would also allow them time to canvass thoroughly.
Ok, the local P.
D.
needs to re-interview both areas on the lookout for that ruse.
Locals re-canvassed the area like we asked.
And numerous people reported 3 different women asking for donations to help with a brother's cancer treatment.
That's how they determine victim vulnerability.
Get inside, case the people in their home, report back to the Alpha.
I was with Dan Klecker, Janelleâs widower.
They were on vacation for two weeks.
Came home the day before her murder.
And apparently the unsubs waited for someone to be home.
They could have targeted her then.
In addition to looking at the victim and the house, they build a rapport.
Which they'd have to visit multiple times to do.
That way, when they return, the victim opens the door willingly, and with security disarmed, the gang can easily overwhelm the victims.
I'm gonna go to evidence and take a look at the checkbooks, see if anyone made a donation.
Maybe the unsubs were arrogant or desperate enough to cash a check.
Plenty of kind, trusting people out there to fall for a scam like this.
Who is it? Hey, it's me.
We met yesterday, remember? I think I left my scarf.
Why, yes, you did.
[Screaming.]
Get down! Get down! Get down! Aah! [Taunting, shouting.]
Ha ha ha ha! Whoo! Claire? What's going on? Hey, what [Shouting.]
Hey! Uhh! Uhh! Oh, hello.
Mmm Ugh! Aah! What do you think, babe, huh? Time to have some fun? Sure is.
[Squealing.]
Yay! [Laughter.]
I got too wasted last time.
Come on, it's one little drink.
[Groans.]
Hey, Zeke.
This place is toast, man.
You want to bail? No.
We've been rude.
We'll let our hosts join us first.
Zeke, man, come on.
Come on.
Hurry.
- Let's go.
- Hey.
Hey! Please don't hurt our family.
What the hell, man? They saw my face! Get down here.
Please.
Please.
Please! Zeke, you can't! [Fires twice.]
Now we can go.
We gotta split.
All 3 of us.
And go where? I don't know.
Who cares? We'll figure it out.
Without Zeke? I don't know.
I mean, I owe him my life.
Zeke's lost it.
After what he did, we have no choice.
Ok.
I mean, if you think so.
Well, I ain't goin'.
No way.
Quit being babies.
Zeke always knows exactly what he's doing.
I'm sure he had his reasons.
He murdered those people, Viv.
He's out of his mind.
We steal.
We party.
We are not killers.
We'll wait a couple nights.
After that, when they're off doing You want to leave Bea? She's been like a sister to us.
Did you see her face? She liked it.
No mayo, right, Kay? Something wrong? Let's go.
Ok.
Victims are Claire and Joe Vendl, with two adult children.
Neither live at home.
And no pets.
Who called it in? A private security patrol saw their front door open, lights on.
Gang was long gone.
Whether or not they're getting bolder or sloppy, the party's over.
The wounds match the previous victims.
It looks like the same shooter.
The geography of the victims, the way they fell, means the shooter was likely here.
And based on this blood spatter pattern shadow, a gang member could have been in this spot.
[Gunshots.]
Janelle Klecker and the Purcells were murdered in private, away from the party.
This time the Alpha made a choice to kill in front of the gang.
But why the change? Is the shooter devolving? Could be part of it? A shift like this demands the others' attention and respect.
The Alpha could be losing control.
So this could be a last-ditch effort to reassert his dominance.
Hey, agents.
You might want to see this.
Zeke: Thanks, babe.
Yeah.
Something wrong? Had too man fries, I guess.
Eat up.
You need your strength.
Heard y'all want to leave.
Forget about the plan? Kay! You would have died on the streets without Zeke.
And what about you, Germ, huh? Broken, nowhere to go, no direction.
Zeke gave you a purpose.
And, Viv, turning tricks for cash.
Now you don't have to.
All 'cause of Zeke.
He's your savior.
You should be worshipping him, but instead you want to go? Zeke brought us together and made us a family.
Don't you give a damn about family? Bea.
Look, we hit enough of these houses.
You ain't gotta live like animals no more.
But if you give up now, you are exactly what they say you are Nothing.
Nobody.
And they win.
You really want them to win? But you stay the course, I'll give you a future.
Ok.
Yeah.
I'm bored.
Mmm.
[Giggling.]
Their faces were burnt out.
Vandalism is normal, but this is the first time we've seen this kind of rage.
We said the party's over.
Maybe this is the next step.
The destruction of this photo is more emotional than the actual murders.
And for one of the gang members, this picture's personal.
This type of anger is usually directed toward a person.
This is an entire group, and not just any group.
A nuclear family.
So one of them has an issue with theirs even more so than the rest.
If the Alpha did this, it's likely his family lives in the area.
Why not go after them first? Hanging around is dangerous.
The family could be out of town.
Maybe the gang's waiting for them.
That's not the only change here.
The unsubs usually take liquid assets Cash, electronics.
But here, they took nothing.
It seems our gang's becoming unglued faster than we predicted.
Ok.
Get the good beer.
And no menthols this time.
Yeah, sure thing.
You, too, girls.
I need a minute alone with my boy.
Sorry about before.
My head just got all messed up.
You know? I mean, look at this shirt.
Ruined.
Yeah, that's a good shirt.
It's my favorite.
I don't know, man.
Like we have fun.
We take stuff.
And that's cool, 'cause, whatever, they're rich.
They can always buy more.
This murder.
It ain't the plan.
Plans change.
Like I said, we gotta stick together.
All right, I mean, think about Kay.
She sees that you're strong, she's gonna stay strong, too.
Yeah.
There, that's my boy.
Come here.
I could use another taste.
How about you? For sure, man.
For sure.
[Sniffs.]
All right, you first.
You've gone soft.
That ain't good for the others.
Come on, on your knees.
Now.
Forgot my [Gunshot.]
Yeah, it's the same caliber gun.
And with this motel centrally located to the crime scenes, he must be one of ours.
As predicted, they finally turned on their own.
Guy's big.
Could have been the muscle.
That blood on his shirt could be from the Vendls.
Ok, I've got a Texas driver's license.
Kevin Jones.
Germ.
Interesting nickname.
Well, it's a recent photo.
Likely our gang.
It's too bad their faces aren't clearer.
Desk clerk says a guy paid cash for the room, but it wasn't the victim.
The others must have hid.
She said she saw a green van peel out of here around 1 a.
m.
Did the clerk get a make and model? Unfortunately not.
She thought maybe mid-'70s, but she just didn't think much of it at the time.
Garcia.
What's cracking, crime-fighters? We found a Texas driver's license of our latest victim, Kevin Jones, date of birth December 18, 1991.
I texted it to you, but it they wanted to keep low, it could be a fake.
The word "Germ" is branded on his wallet.
It could be a nickname.
Naughty, naughty.
That I.
D.
's a fake.
Commencing facial recognition software for a definitive match.
[Loud heavy metal playing.]
We're almost there.
You want to cool it.
Whoo! Yeah! Ha ha ha! Germ's real name is Michael Sale.
He is the second of 3 boys.
He grew up in a small farming town outside of Dubuque.
Really poor.
His dad died when he was 16, then his mother drank herself to death soon after.
Those boys raised themselves.
Oh, that's so hard.
So of course they each got in their own kind of trouble.
Michael just barely graduated high school, and then he went to work in a local fast food joint.
For how long? 8 months.
No job history after that.
He did a brief stint in Texas for misdemeanor drug possession.
Ex-con.
Explains their carefulness with their prints.
Does he own a green van? Mm, no he does not.
Search Michael's associates.
Cross-check that with green van owners in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, California, Texas, and New Mexico.
Uh, make, model, and year, please and thank you.
Wishful thinking Van is roughly 40 years old.
Then this is not gonna take a shovel, this is gonna take a backhoe.
Give me a steaming hot second.
I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you I've gotta have you, I've gotta have you I'm gonna get you, gonna get you, get you Where's Germ? I told you.
He bolted.
He didn't say where.
He wouldn't leave and not tell me.
Next house is yours, Kay.
No screw-ups this time, you hear? Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, California, New Mexico, Oklahoma all coming up zilch regarding Michael/Germ and a green van.
All right, try, uh, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Look at you, newbie McNewberson, with another good call.
The aged green van belongs to Ezekiel Reginald Daniels, 28, born in Arkansas, never had a dad, mom was an addict, only child who was raised by variously abusive family members.
Alvez, set up a city and statewide APB on that van.
Where'd they meet? Oh, you know, where people meet people in jail.
Ok, Garcia, this may be a long throw, but are there any similar robberies nearby dating back to immediately after their release? Oh That's not a long throw at all, lovey.
That's a very short and accurate toss.
Good arm.
I have them pegged for a similar burglary late last year in Lawton, Oklahoma.
And then another in Beaumont, Texas.
And one after that in Newnan, Georgia.
That's a suburb of Atlanta.
But that one was two weeks ago.
They're experienced, like we thought.
Crossing state lines made their serial crimes appear as one-offs.
Were any of them home invasions? No.
They cleared the place up before the owners arrived back home.
I'll stay behind, wait for the coroner to arrive.
Thanks, Garcia.
[Dog barking.]
I just don't feel right, not without Germ.
He made his choice.
[Knocking.]
Sorry to bother you, Mrs.
Adams.
Did I leave my sweater here last week? I don't believe so, but if you'd like to come in and Aah! Uhh! [Gasping.]
[Sobbing.]
Thanks, Prentiss.
The unsubs were headed east across Georgia two weeks ago but something triggered them to change directions, heading west.
Whatever the reason, that likely affected the Alpha most.
Problem is, our presumed Alpha has no ties here.
Nothing in his history suggests he could lead a gang.
And based on his precursor crime, it would have been difficult to predict a sharp escalation to this level of violence.
Then he was manipulated into it.
In fact, he may not even realize it.
And if he's not the Alpha, the next likely option is the muscle, but he's our latest victim, so it has to be one of the women.
The question now is, which one? Uhh! Uhh! Stop it! [Mrs.
Adams sobbing.]
Uhh! Ohh Honey? Get over here.
[Mrs.
Adams sobbing.]
Come on! On your knees.
Damn it.
I'm in charge.
You don't have the guts.
Let's find out.
Put it down.
Now.
No! You.
Sorry.
Things got out of control.
[Gunshot.]
Ohh! Girl's gotta know when to cut bait.
[Fires.]
Ohh! Mom Dad.
I'm home.
[Sobbing.]
Garcia, the real Alpha is one of the women.
She's from the area.
Probably comes from money.
She's likely a user, which means she might have had and accidental overdose or been injured.
Prentiss: So start with hospital records, then.
Last month, Ezekiel Daniels was the emergency contact for a Bethany Elise Adams, 21, from Escondido, which is another wealthy San Diego suburb.
Ok, so she spent the night in a Jackson, Mississippi, hospital due to an accidental oxy overdose.
And just 'cause a girl's not been arrested don't mean she's never gotten in trouble.
This Bethany chick, she has pinballed all over the San Diego prep school scene.
I mean, from kindergarten until 12th grade she was in 5 different schools.
Expelled from each one of them, I presume? Uh-huh.
But each time she got expelled, she would consistently get admitted into a new school because her parents would make a hefty financial contribution to the new school.
What are they like? They're maddeningly, maddeningly normal.
And according all things Michelle and Paul Adams, they're loving, indulgent parents.
She has a younger sister Kendra, who works at the family's real estate firm.
Oh, sweet Christmas.
Ok, the dad just recently updated his Facebook family picture.
It's him, his wife, and the daughter Kendra.
No sign of Bethany, not even a shoutout.
So Bethany's been cut out of the perfect family.
It explains why she attacked that photo.
By and by, little sister was promoted to junior assistant two weeks ago.
Right before the first kill.
So if this was all about the parents, why not go after them right away? Oh, I know.
Because Mom and Dad have been away at a work conference.
They arrived home early this morning.
If Bethany knew that, then she's already there.
Ok, guys, you head over there, I'll coordinate from here.
We can still get out of this.
You killed Zeke in self-defense.
- It wasn't your fault.
- Bethany - Shut up! - Bea, sweetie Shut up! You're done talking.
Run.
Aah! Drop it.
[Sobbing.]
You will not screw this up for me.
Bea, stop! Shut up! Stop moving.
Stop moving.
Stop moving.
Stop! Drop it.
Oh, you little Let her go.
You will not screw this up! [Siren.]
Police radio: All right, copy that.
We'll take the side door.
Have your men posted near the front and go on our command.
[Gunfire.]
Go! Go, go, go, go! You get the front! We'll move around back! All right, go on up.
Mrs.
Adams: Bea, sweetheart Bea: Shut up! Don't do it.
Don't.
Please don't.
Mrs.
Adams: Please! Bea: What did my dad say? Mrs.
Adams: Please don't.
Stop! You will not screw this up! Please let me go.
Please.
Mr.
Adams: Bethany, please.
Shut up! - Sweetie - Shut up! - Sweetie - Shut up! Drop the gun! [Groaning.]
[Indistinct police radio.]
On your back.
On your back.
[Moans.]
All right, we need a medic now! Alvez: Another one over here.
Got a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
We need two medics inside.
Down the street the dogs are barking Aah ha ha ha ha ha! Where some hearts will get broken and some are called to love on and on and on we ride this way till we all get settled down Aaahhhh! Aaahhh! While that house is burning down Prentiss: "A gang is where a coward goes to hide.
" Mickey Mantle.
You did great in San Diego.
I'm glad you trusted your gut.
Thank you for listening.
I've been on teams where opinions, especially new ones, aren't always valued.
That's the nice thing about this group.
Everybody has a voice.
Anything new on Mr.
Scratch? I got eyes and ears everywhere, but it's been quiet.
That's not surprising, considering what he's put us through recently.
He waited over 20 years to attack his first victims and another year-plus to go after the team.
The guy is patient.
Smarter men than Scratch have tried to take down this team before and they're all in prison.
We're pretty good at this.
I've noticed.
Look, the fundamentals here are similar to B.
A.
P.
Recognize the patterns, find the mark, take 'em down, move on to the next one.
And there's always a next one.
Still, the BAU is a nice change of pace.
But you don't miss all that international travel.
No, I don't.
It's like in music.
Sometimes you don't pick the instrument, the instrument picks you.
Ok.
I'll let you get back to it, then.