CSI: NY (2004–2013): Season 7, Episode 15 - Vigilante - full transcript

♪♪ [heavy rock]

♪ She was made ♪

♪ To blow you away ♪

♪ She don't care ♪

♪ What any man say ♪

♪ You can watch her strut ♪

♪ But keep your mouth shut ♪

♪ Or it's ruination day ♪

♪ Well, now she's long ♪

♪ Long gone ♪

♪ Oh, now she's long ♪



♪ Yeah, now she's long gone ♪

♪ Like Moses through the corn ♪

- [grunting]
♪ Her eyes are rubies and pearls ♪

♪ And she's not made
like those other girls ♪

♪ Well, her lashes flap ♪

♪ And they smack me back ♪

♪ Like springs bouncing
off of her curls... ♪

[horns honking]

[cell phone rings]

[Operator]
911. What's your emergency?

[Man]
I need to report a murder.

[Operator]
May I have your name, please?

Where are you calling from?

[Man] The body's beaten,
bound, and gagged.



Shot three times.
You'll find it in the alley

behind the old Mirado Beer
warehouse,

near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

[Operator]
And when did it happen?

[Man]
It's about to.

[woman screams]

[sirens wailing]

[police radio chatter]

[Flack]
911 call came in at 11 p.m.

Unidentified male.

Patrol unit arrived 15 minutes later
to find the body.

No sign of the caller.

- Witnesses?
- None.

Every victim
of the Prospect Park Rapist

was dumped within a mile of this location.

I don't think it's a coincidence.

This one's got all the markings.

Mouth gag, body beat to a pulp.

Wrists bound with purple duct tape.

All made to look like
our rapist's signature.

[Taylor]
Only this time, the victim is a man.

♪ Out here in the fields ♪

♪ I fight for my meals ♪

♪ I get my back into my living ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. ♪

[camera shutter clicks]

Mac, I got a hit on the fingerprints.

This is definitely
the Prospect Park Rapist.

They match prints recovered
from some of his victims.

[Taylor] Now we need
a name to go with the title.

- Still a John Doe.
- Well, someone knew who he was.

They used his signature
against him.

This looks like revenge.

Two gunshots to the groin,

one to the head.

Killer's sending a message.

Yeah. Got a blood pool.
No high-velocity spatter.

This was a dump job.

♪ Downtown living ♪

♪ Everyone's great ♪

♪ He plays the guitar ♪

♪ She's getting rich ♪

♪ It's New York ♪

♪ All over again ♪

♪ How're we supposed to feel ♪

♪ With no one around? ♪

♪ It's New York... ♪

Whatever this man's sins were in life,
he paid for them in death.

Multiple skull fractures,

four broken ribs,

collarbone.

Both ankles.

We've got three bullet wounds,

two to the groin area,

one of which hit
the lower abdomen.

And the other lodged
itself in the femur.

Head wounds
are through and through.

Close range,
judging from the stippling.

Mm-hmm.
The tongue is fascinating.

Results of the biopsy
and histological exam

confirm that it's not caused
by any kind of disease

or medical condition.

I'll send the sample
up to the lab.

We'll run it through GCMS.

I noticed the swelling
and irritation around the eyes.

Originally, I thought it was
caused by the physical beating.

However, under an ALS,

we get a different story.

Some kind of UV marker.

Also found high levels
of oleoresin capsicum.

Pepper spray.

Thinking the rapist
came upon a victim

who decided to fight back.

Sprayed him, gave him
a taste of his own medicine.

It's a good theory,

only we have a call
that was made before the murder,

and the caller was a man.

Hmm.

NYPD spent a lot of time
looking for this rapist.

Never could identify him.

Well, someone did.

Whoever it was

wanted to take care
of the problem themselves.

We have a vigilante
on our hands.

[Reporter] Spokesmen
for the police department

confirmed that the body of a man

believed to be the Prospect Park Rapist

was found
near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

He singled out
solitary women at night,

and attacked with brutal force.

[screams]

He beat and gagged his victims.

[screams]

Once they were bound,

he would transport them to his van

where he sexually assaulted them,

often for hours.

Though there's been
no official statement,

unnamed sources have reported

the Prospect Park Rapist's body

was found bound and gagged
in the same warehouse area

where he dumped his victims.

This begs the question,

did one of his victims seek revenge?

[Danville]
Is this the man who attacked you?

Yes.

[sobbing]
I'm sorry.

No. Take your time.

I've had nightmares for months.

I can't believe he's dead.

Do you have a brother?

Or boyfriend?

Yeah. What about him?

Does he know what
happened to you?

You mean, the rape?

Why would that matter, anyway?

It was a man

who called 911 to report
your rapist's death.

Sorry.

No one I know has the balls
to do something like this.

I don't know if you remember me,

but we met a while ago
at your support group.

I was giving a talk.

Yeah.

Detective Messer.

You can call me Lindsay.

Could you take
a look at this for me?

Is that the man that raped me?

Well, I was hoping
you could tell me.

The other women
identified him, right?

Just take another look, okay?

I really don't know.
I never saw his face.

You know, when you and I spoke,

all those months ago,
you were so scared.

You wanted to protect yourself.

I never got a gun,
if that's what you're asking.

I gave you pepper spray instead.

- Do you still have that?
- Got rid of it.

Is there a guy in your life?

Male friends, relatives?

There's no one.
Why are you asking me these questions?

The man who attacked you
was found beaten and bound

in the same manner
he used on his victims.

Good.

I've talked to a lot
of rape victims, Kate.

Some are scared.
Some are angry.

You're the only one who
ever asked me for a gun.

I don't have a boyfriend.

My father died five years ago.

There are no other relatives nearby.

I was home last night.

Alone.

Don't get out much anymore.
I'm sure you understand why.

- Anything else?
- No.

[Man on phone]
I need to report a murder.

[Operator] May I have your name, please?
Where are you calling from?

[Man]
The body's beaten, bound, and gagged.

Shot three times.

You'll find it in the alley

behind the old
Mirado Beer warehouse,

near the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

[Operator]
And when did it happen?

[Man]
It's about to.

[Operator]
Sir, can you repeat that?

Sir, sir, can you please repeat that?

The operator goes on like that for a bit.
But you get the point.

He obviously wanted us
to know about the murder.

Wanted to be clear
that he had all the details.

The killer wants credit.

Yeah, well, we'd be happy
to give it to him

if he made himself available.

There's no way you can,
uh, trace this call, huh?

It's a disposable phone.

Caller turned it off
after he hung up,

and then probably tossed it.

All right. This caller says
he's about to commit the murder.

15 minutes later,
patrol finds the body.

That's a pretty small window
to beat and kill our victim, huh?

I'm thinking wherever
that call was made,

that might be our crime scene.

Yeah.

Let's analyze the background noise
and the ambient sound.

It could help us pinpoint
where the call came from.

Okay, okay, look.

It's a long shot in
the best of circumstances.

Okay? But this call,

it's got some sort
of background frequency.

It's-- It's nearly impossible.

It's nearly impossible?

Which means it's a little bit possible,

so go forth and conquer.

Hey. GCMS results

on our John Doe's black tongue

came back with high levels of pyrethroids.

Like in pesticides.

And the only way you get a reaction
to a pesticide like that

is with frequent
and long-term exposure.

So, either our vic worked
in some kind of chemical factory,

or he was an exterminator.

So you checked out
pest control companies

that worked
the Prospect Park area

where the rapes occurred.

I cross-referenced them
with the companies

that serviced the rapist's
victims' apartments

and came up
with Hudlin Exterminators.

Any of their employees
not show up for work this morning?

Only one, and he matches
the description of our vic.

Mac... I compared
the duct tape we found at the scene

to the duct tape that
the rapist used to bind his vics.

[beeping]

[beeping]

They don't just have
similar class characteristics.

They're from the exact same roll.

- What about the gun?
- .380 ACP, no hits in IBIS.

Our killer is smart.

Figured out the identity of a predator

half the NYPD couldn't track down.

Observed our rapist,
Garland Clarke, stalked him,

waited for him to make his move...

...then informed us about it
before executing his plan.

[yells]

[grunts]

No, no, no!

- And disappears.
- Of course he could be a she.

The 911 call came from a man.

DNA analysis from the hair
we found on the tape

turned out to be female.

[computer chirping]

Did you get a hit in CODIS?

No, but I ran it
against DNA samples

from his victims' rape kits,
got a match.

That's Kate Price.
That's his first victim.

[yelling]

[Kate]
I've never seen him.

Is there someone who can
vouch for you last night?

Like I said,
I was home alone, watching TV.

- What show?
- David Letterman.

Would you like me
to list the guests?

Look, there's something
you need to understand.

We found your hair
on this man's dead body.

That's serious.
So let's start again.

Where were you last night?

[sighs]

Okay.

These are photos
of Garland Clarke

on his rounds as an exterminator.

On his stoop,
leaving his apartment.

Having a beer.

You searched my apartment?

[Lindsay] Yes.
We thought you were telling the truth

until we opened a desk drawer.

So tell me again how you
don't know who this is.

This is the man
who raped you, Kate.

The man you swore to me
you'd never seen before.

You've been following him.

Do you understand
how serious this is?

I think I need some air or something.

No. What you need
is to listen to me.

If you want to avoid spending
the rest of your life behind bars,

you have to tell me everything.

[door opening]

Don't say another word.

My client is done talking.

You called a lawyer?

I consult with the City
Victims' Network.

They informed me that Kate
was being held for questioning.

Okay, I don't know
what kind of law you practice,

but Kate is in a lot of trouble here.

I used to be a public defender,

so let's just forgo
the back and forth, Detective,

and let me speak to my client.

Uh, thanks.

Traffic boys found Clarke's van
parked in a loading zone.

They towed it over this morning.

Keys are in the front seat.

Hey, Doc.

Think we found
our crime scene, gentlemen.

So, the killer subdued Clarke
and brought him back

to his own van to finish the job.

Dumped the body at the Navy Yard

and abandoned the van.

See what we got here.

I'll take the cab.

I've got biologicals...

semen, vaginal fluids.

Anyone want
to go grab a bite after?

This is more
than Clarke's work van.

This is his lair.

Yeah.

[screaming]

Check this out.

Purple duct tape for binding.

Gloves.

Scissors.

What did he use the scissors for?

Souvenirs.

He cut off locks of their hair
to keep for later.

[Hawkes]
None of Clarke's victims

mentioned that
as part of his MO.

[Flack]
They probably didn't know

it was happening.

Hey, how many vics did you say
came forward anyway?

Five. Why?

That's a lot more than five.

♪ So why you staying at home? ♪

♪ Stay ♪

♪ Staying at home? ♪

[computer chiming]

Hey.

Five of the hair samples

from Clarke's van
match his victims.

[Lindsay]
So I'm guessing the other five

were from women
who never came forward?

Five more suspects.

Anything that links Kate
to the murder?

Well, her DNA was
all over the carpet.

Probably from when
she was raped.

Might also explain why
we found her hair on the tape.

Clarke kept all of his
supplies in the same bag in his van--

gloves, tape, scissors.

After he raped Kate,
he took some of her hair.

A strand of hair

could have transferred
to the roll of tape.

And the hair didn't come off
until a year later

when he was bound
using the same roll of tape?

It's possible.

It still doesn't explain
why Kate was tracking Clarke

and lying to us about it.

Yeah. We're wasting
a whole lot of man hours

hunting a killer
that should get a medal

for doing the community a service.

There's a body
on a slab in Autopsy, Hawkes.

Yeah, and he beat and raped
at least ten women.

I'm surprised
to hear you defending him.

Why? Because I'm a woman,
I should cheer his death?

I'm a cop first.

As much as I despise what he did,

I don't advocate vigilante justice.

Come on, Hawkes.
You're a doctor.

What would you do
if Clarke came into your ER?

- He didn't. He's dead.
- That's a convenient answer.

My girlfriend was raped, Lindsay,

and after that,
our relationship changed.

Hell, it ended.
And I won't lie to you.

The thought of killing the guy
that did that to her...

definitely crossed my mind.

I mean, come on.
You know this girl, Kate.

You don't feel for her?

Of course I feel for her.

But I don't know her, Hawkes.

I had a conversation with her
one time a year ago,

and she asked me for a gun.

I'm not her counselor,
I'm not her priest.

If she's guilty of murder,
I'm going to put her away.

[cell phone rings]

[Operator]
911. What is your emergency?

[Man]
I need to report a murder.

A man's been beaten and shot

at a parking garage
on West 55th Street.

[Operator]
When did this happen?

Sir? Sir?

It's about to.

[sirens blaring]

[Flack] Second 911 call had
the same signature as the first.

Murder was reported
before it happened.

Only this time,

the caller didn't turn
the power off the phone.

Signal from the cell
brought us here.

Suspect could still be
in the garage.

Yep.

[beeping]

Signal's coming
from the basement level.

Let's do it.

[Taylor] Flack, single
male behind the pickup

on the south end.

Got him.

NYPD!

Put your hands
where I can see 'em. Now!

He's dead.

[cell phone beeps]

The cell phone signal is still
definitely coming from here.

No phone.

Boom.

It's right here.

We're too late.

[police radio chatter]

Our vic's name is Craig Tomlin.

He's an ex-con.

Did five years
for sexual assault.

Just got out a couple weeks ago.

So our suspect has
a thing for predators.

[Taylor] His throat is flush
against the trailer hitch.

It was like he was being choked.

So our killer calls 911,
chokes this guy,

and then shoots him from behind?

Doesn't add up.

Whatever happened here,
I don't think it went as planned.

Blood spatter pattern is inconsistent

with the head wound.

And there's a void.

Someone was underneath
him when he was shot.

[grunting]

We're looking
for at least two suspects.

Two male victims,
both sexual predators,

and near identical 911 calls.

In the first murder,
the suspects mimicked Clarke's MO,

leaving the body where
he dumped his victims.

[Danville]
Our second vic, Craig Tomlin,

served time for grabbing
a woman in a parking lot,

forcing her to drive
to another location before attacking her.

None of that was mimicked here.

[Taylor] The killers never
had the opportunity.

Their plan went wrong.

We found UV markers

and traces of pepper spray
on Tomlin's face.

But look at the autopsy photo.

No irritation. No inflammation.

A small percentage
of the population

is immune to the
effects of capsicum.

Tomlin must have
been one of them.

Caught our suspects
by surprise.

He started to fight.
Plan went south.

They cut and run.

Whatever connection,

these killers have taken out
two predators in hours.

It's safe to assume
they'll strike again.

[phone rings]

Taylor.

[Deep Voice]
Mac Taylor? I have information

on the vigilante case
you're investigating.

- Who is this?
- It's Lindsay.

Look up.

It's a voice distorter.

30 bucks online.
Pretty cool, huh?

Well, what would be cool
is if you were working

on the 911 calls like
you're supposed to.

I am. I mean, I was.
I mean, this connects.

It's possibly
the same kind of device

that our suspects used
to make those 911 calls.

That means you'll be able
to reverse the distortion on the calls,

uncover the caller's voice.

That's exactly what
it means, boss.

All right, yeah.

[Male Voice]
I need to report a murder.

A man's been beaten and shot

at a parking garage
on West 55th Street.

[audio modulating]
I need to report a murder.

A man's been beaten and shot

[voice becoming feminine]
At a parking garage on West 55th....

It's a woman.

Voice patterns
are as distinct as fingerprints.

But we have a database
for fingerprints, not for voices.

We don't, but 911 does.

They store every call made
within a five-year period.

Yeah, but what good
will that do us?

What if our suspect
was a victim of sexual assault?

Called 911 in the past
for their own attack?

Anybody could have called 911.

We can't be sure that the victim did.

But we won't know they didn't

until Adam checks
the database for a voice match.

[Ross] Yo, boss, there's over tens
of thousands of calls a day and--

Narrow your search to rape victims
in Brooklyn in the last three years.

Do it fast.

Hey.

Pop quiz.

What do petrolatum,
Brazilian Carnauba wax,

and titanium dioxide
combine to make?

I'm guessing some kind
of incendiary device

or perhaps a new facial cream?

Sweat enhancer.
Got it off of Craig Tomlin's collar.

That some kind of sex thing?

[laughing]
No.

It's an ointment that athletes
use before they work out.

Accelerates heat production,
stimulates sweat glands.

So it must have come off
one of our suspects during the struggle.

You know what the great thing
about this stuff?

It preserves sweat.

Meaning we have
our suspect's DNA?

Yup, but all we know is,

it is a female.

Confirmed what Adam found out
on the calls.

Wow. All right. I got to say,

whoever these women are,
I respect their determination.

You think they did the right thing?

Uh...

I mean, no, but I can't say

that I wouldn't do the same
thing in their position.

[cell door buzzing]

[cell door buzzing]

Where's your lawyer?

I wanted to talk to you alone.

I don't think that's such a good idea.

You have an attorney for a reason.

Can I just ask you a question?

What if I confessed?

I could say it was self-defense.

Everyone knows
what a bastard Clarke was.

I could get leniency.

The surveillance photos,
the 911 calls.

Nobody's gonna believe self-defense.

We found another body, Kate.

Another rapist killed

while you were in our custody.

I don't think you killed anyone,

but you're covering for someone.

And while you're in here,

they're out there getting ready
to do it again.

You know, if you spent half
as much time trying to catch these rapists

as you are trying to solve their murders,

maybe they wouldn't have to.

You think I don't care about you?

About all the other victims?

You know why I remember you, Lindsay?

The day that we met at group,

before you and I spoke...

you kept checking your watch.

You just couldn't wait
to get out of there.

But I didn't blame you.

It wasn't like we wanted
to be there either.

Lindsay?

[sighs]

I think Kate blames me

for not catching Garland Clarke.

I didn't work that case.

I hardly knew anything about it.

She's been through a lot.

Don't take it personally.

Still...

she thinks I don't care.

You know what?

When she reached out to me
after I spoke to her support group,

all I did was hand her
some pepper spray

and a pamphlet
on how to deal with trauma.

And now I'm accusing her of murder.

And I certainly don't blame
her for resenting me,

but I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I'm a cop.

You know, the last case I worked
on at the Bureau

was the rape of a young woman,

very high profile.

Senator Matthews' daughter.

Yeah.

We had that suspect dead to rights,

but we mishandled the DNA.

We knew he did it
beyond the shadow of a doubt,

but he was acquitted.

[sighs]

The look on that girl's face

when she was told that the man

who raped her was gonna go free...

I don't think I've ever been
looked at quite like that.

I'll never forget it.

Utter betrayal.

So, how did you handle it?

How do you follow the law
and still be a human being?

That's the hard part.

Because a piece of me,

if that were my daughter,
that would want him dead,

I have to put in a box
in order to go back and do my job.

Even if it doesn't make sense, Lindsay,

even if good people get hurt
and bad people go free,

that's what we do.

And it's hard.

It's hard.

How do I explain that to Kate?

I don't know that you can.

Because we meet these people
on the worst day of their lives.

And all we can really do
for them is listen.

Let 'em rage at us,
if that's what they need.

I don't see how that could
ever be enough.

You'd be surprised.

- [Operator] 911.
- [Woman] I need to report a crime.

Please help me!
I've been attacked!

[Woman #2]
He said he had a delivery.

[Woman #3]
This man came out of nowhere.

[Operator] Ma'am, stay calm
and tell me what happened.

[Woman]
And then he grabbed me.

He had a knife to my throat.

He said he was gonna beat me.

[Operator]
911. What is your emergency?

[Woman #4]
I need help. My boyfriend, he's at the door!

- [beeps]
- [Man] Heather, let me in!

[Heather]
He's coming after me, please!

Please, come now!

[Operator]
I'm sending units right away. Hold on!

[Banging]

♪ We grew up and nothing changed... ♪

Pole-dancing?

[Flack]
It's good cardio.

- I've heard.
- Uh-huh.

♪ And then these people say
we're not the same ♪

♪ Go figure out... ♪

- Heather Marist?
- [grunts]

Police. You need to come with us.

Hey! Look out.
Hey! Stop! Now!

Turn around,
put your hands on your head!

[screams]

- [Flack] Got her?
- I got her.

She hits hard.
You know that?

- What, you mean for a girl?
- No. I mean for anyone.

[Heather on recording]
I need help. My boyfriend, he's--

He's at the door.
He's coming after me. Please.

Please come now!

[beeps]

You made that call
two years ago,

the night Alex Roberts
assaulted you.

It took the cops
a half an hour to arrive.

By then he'd broken
my jaw and both wrists.

Raped me, too.

He's serving ten years upstate.

You want a "thank you"?

I have two more
phone calls you made, Heather,

both to report
the killings of sexual predators

before they occurred.

I have traces of your
sweat enhancer and DNA

all over Craig Tomlin's shirt.

What do you want from me?

I know you killed those men,
I know you didn't do it alone,

and I want to know
who helped you.

Screw you.

Do you recognize Heather, Kate?

She's one of the women
in your support group.

There are over 500 members
of that group.

Kate.

If you know anything

about Heather's involvement
in these murders,

now is the time to talk.

The only thing we're willing
to talk about is Kate's release.

That's not happening.

I don't see an
assistant D.A. here.

We're trying to give
Kate an opportunity

to save herself.

[Ross]
Check this out.

- [Taylor] What is it?
- A crystal shard.

It was with the broken voice distorter
from the Tomlin crime scene.

Thought maybe it
belonged inside,

but there was no other crystal in there.

And take a look at this.

[Ross]
It has a serial number on it.

That's not a serial number.

We found this at the scene
of Craig Tomlin's murder.

Kate was in your custody
when that man was killed.

Ever heard
of microdot technology?

It's like DNA
for your possessions.

A distinct ID number
that's sprayed on your jewelry

in case it's lost or stolen.

This crystal was part
of a pair of gold earrings

that were purchased a year ago.

- I don't own any gold earrings.
- Not you, Kate.

Your lawyer.

Craig Tomlin was arrested
for sexual assault six years ago.

You were his public defender.

Uh, there was a question of...

procedure when the cops picked him up.

No way the D.A. could win a trial.

So you cut a deal.

My boss called me his
"go-to gal for pervs."

I quit the next day.

You started working
with the City Victim's Network.

I wanted to feel
good about my work.

I wanted to help people
who needed it.

People like Kate.

[Kate]
I was doing better.

Really. I wasn't scared anymore.

And then there he was.

He was the exterminator
in my own apartment building.

Garland Clarke.

I wasn't sure at first.

I thought...

maybe my mind...

was playing tricks.

So you followed him.

[Kate]
I needed to know.

[camera shutter snapping]

I needed to know.

Anybody would have
felt the same way, Kate.

What's important
is what you did next.

She showed us everything
she had on him.

She said that she was sure
he was the Prospect Park Rapist.

You didn't tell her
to go to the police?

For what?

The cops were after
him for a year.

Didn't even have a description.

Annie and I...

we used to fantasize
about what we would do

if we ever had the opportunity

to face one of these
predators ourselves.

Kate gave us that chance.

- Did Kate ask you to kill him?
- No.

We told her to do nothing,
and we'd handle it.

I didn't know what she meant
until I heard the news.

And then I thought,
oh, my God, what have I done?

And then you know what I felt?

Relieved.

So you called the pest control
company that he worked for,

scheduled an appointment...

Left out my gym stuff,
some photos of me training.

And waited.

It didn't take long.

[shouting]

[groaning]

Did that make you feel powerful?

He got his rocks off

beating the crap out of women.

And to give that feeling
back to him?

I never felt better in my life.

Is that why you and Annie
went after Tomlin?

To relive the thrill?

Craig Tomlin kidnapped that girl.

Locked her in
the trunk of her own car.

As he raped her--
[shuddering breath]

...he whispered in her ear

how he was going to come back
for seconds when he was done.

He ruined her life.

And because of me,
he only served five years.

He should've died in prison.

But he didn't.

He got free.

And he was going to do it again.

So you set him up?

Just like Clarke?

Only, the plan didn't work.

- [spraying]
- [groaning]

- [screams]
- [groans]

[Tomlin]
Get off me!

I'm gonna kill you!

[choking]

You want me to apologize?

Hmm?

Rape is an under-prosecuted crime.

There's even a statute of limitations.

But not for the damage
done to the victims.

I got what the system couldn't.

Justice.

What you got was retribution.

Aren't they the same thing?

Not even close.

[sighs]
It doesn't seem fair.

Annie and Heather were just
trying to protect me,

and they're being
punished for it.

I know you're going
through a lot, Kate.

But eventually you're
going to come to see

that what they did
didn't help you.

What they did was wrong.

I spent the last year
of my life in a daze.

I pulled away from my friends.
I gave up on life.

I was consumed by Garland Clarke

and what he did.

And now that he's dead,
I have a second chance.

I owe it to those women.

Listen, Kate...

I just want you to know,

if you ever need anything,
even just to talk...

I'm available.