Criminal Minds (2005–…): Season 10, Episode 15 - Scream - full transcript

Previously
on "Criminal Minds"...

My sister and brother-in-law
died in 9/11.

They had a baby girl, Meg.

I took her in. Actually, Chris and I
moved into their house.

She's 13,
and the light of my life.

Make sure you're
home on time,

otherwise the search party's
coming for you.

Make sure you
text me when you land

or I'll send one
for you.

I love you.
Love you, too.

See you in the morning.



OMG,
he messaged us back.

He is so hot.

Could you imagine if
he was your boyfriend?

He's asking
for a picture.

You're not actually
sending one, are you?

Well, he's a senior.
What's the big deal?

♪ I've got a great big
bundle of love ♪

♪ and I have seen this... ♪

How the hell do you think
it makes me feel, huh?

I said I'm sorry.

I bust my butt
at work all day

and all I ask for
is a hot meal.

Honey, I'm sorry,
please.

I know this is
my fault.



You think I want
to do this?

Look, I know you had
a hard day at work.

No!

I had a rough day.

Rough day at work.
Say it right.

I'm sorry.

You had a rough day.

So why do you have to
make it worse?

I'll do better.
I promise.

I'm tired of giving you
second chances.

...Released a study today

that shows that
supplemental oxygen...

Damn.

You look like you could
use this more than me.

Oh, my hero.

Hey, Meg, let's go!

You're gonna be late
for school.

Coming.

Thank you.
I saw that.

Good morning
to you, too.

Hey, can I go to the mall
with Markayla

and a couple of other
friends this weekend?

Do these couple of
other friends have names?

Bobby and Tyler.

Ok, those are weird
names for girls.

They're in my biology class.

Ok, well, do these friends know
that Kate has a gun?

You're right.
Hey, stop that.

Technically,
she's got two guns.

It's true.

I'm kidding.
Yes, of course you can go.

Thanks, Chris. I need to text Markayla
and let her know.

Ok, what was that?

What?
It's not a date.

She's going to the mall,
it's a public place.

With two boys
that we've never met.

I don't think it's
such a big deal.

We had a plan
for her dating.

This is not a date.

I have 3 guns,
by the way.

Come on, sweetheart.

Over the last 3 weeks,

the bodies of Myia Collins
and Lauren White

have been found in Diamond Bar,
California,

a suburb 25 miles
east of Los Angeles.

Both victims were found
in alley dumpster.

Each had her throat slashed and
had been brutally beaten.

This guy literally
dumped his victims like trash.

Classic misogynist sadist.

Definitely looks like
the torture escalates with each attack.

These women weren't just cut,
they were beaten to a pulp.

That feels personal.

It's possible the unsub
knew both victims,

or at the very least used them as
surrogates for the true object of his anger.

He abducts, offends,
and disposes of each victim

before anyone notices
they're gone.

He may be preying
on loner types.

It looks like they both have
ligature marks

on their wrists
and ankles.

Which means he has
a secure secondary location

where he holds them captive.

So he could be testing
how much torture his victims can take.

And then when he's done with his fun,
if things don't go as planned,

he silences them permanently
by slitting their throats.

The preliminary M.E. report
shows that neither of the victims

were sexually assaulted.

Maybe he's impotent.

Or the abuse is what
really turns him on.

Either way, he's
enjoying their pain.

And he's gonna want to
experience that again.

Wheels up in 30.

♪ Criminal Minds 10x15 ♪
Scream
Original Air Date on February 11, 2015

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man

♪ ♪

William R. Alger
once said,

"Men often make up in wrath
what they want in reason."

This creep definitely
has a type.

Both women were roughly
the same age, same look.

Cute brunettes
are his thing.

Myia Collins was single.
She grew up in the area

and worked at the local
elementary school as a substitute teacher.

Lauren White recently
moved back to Diamond Bar

after she and her
husband split.

It says here Lauren recently
started working part-time as a nurse.

So both women had jobs
in which it wouldn't necessarily be noticed

if they were gone for
a few days.

What about friends
and family?

Lauren has a sister,
Heather.

Myia, not so much.
All her family is in Ohio.

We know this guy's good
at being invisible.

Both women were last seen leaving work
and never made it back home.

He has to be abducting them
in public.

Both were technically
single.

They could have been
looking to meet new people.

Maybe that was his in.

Raymond Fernandez used to place
personal ads in the newspaper.

He would seduce and rob
the women who answered them.

The unsub could be
a lonely hearts killer.

Maybe he hunts his victims at places
where singles hang out.

You know, bars, night clubs,
chess tournaments.

If the women turned
down his advances,

it could have
emasculated him.

You rejected me. I'm literally going to
make you feel my pain.

But he's not breaking
their hearts,

he's breaking their bodies.

All right, when we land, JJ, you
and Kate go to the M.E.

Morgan, reach out
to the families.

The rest of us will
set up at the precinct.

Agent Hotchner,
thanks for coming out.

Detective Davenport.
This is Agent Rossi, Dr. Reid.

Welcome.
Right this way.

Thank you.

To be honest, this kind of thing
doesn't happen around here.

This guy has
the entire city on edge.

A serial killer
will do that.

Your team can set up in here.
Thank you.

Have any witnesses
come forward?

I have my guys out
interviewing local merchants,

but so far we're
coming up empty.

Have you noticed any variations
in traffic patterns

near where the bodies
were found?

That road's a commuter
nightmare. Why?

The unsub had to know
the traffic in order to escape detection.

Grand Avenue's
18 miles long

and runs through
4 other cities.

He could have spread out
the dump sites but chose not to.

Both victims were found
within a mile of one another.

That's a huge risk
the unsub didn't have to take.

The area must be
important to him.

Or convenient.
What are you willing to bet

the unsub either lives
or works nearby?

The tox screens came back
negative,

however, C.O.D. on both wasn't
the lacerations to their necks

like I initially thought.

So what was it?

Blunt force trauma
to the back of the head.

In fact, the lacerations
were done postmortem.

The slicing of throats
is a symbolic way

of silencing his victims.

Maybe he feels he doesn't have
a voice himself.

Looks like he might
have hesitated.

Yeah. But the incision
across Lauren's throat

was much more precise.

His confidence
in the way he kills

could be building
with each victim.

With Myia he literally
beat her with his bare hands.

You can tell
from the bruising here.

She suffered multiple fractures
in her arms and torso.

Lauren had the same type
of bruising,

but her injuries
were much more brutal.

He introduced
a blunt object.

Brutality could be
important to his fantasy.

Maybe he's trying to perfect
his method of torture.

Or he's devolving.

Maybe the torture
isn't enough.

There could be something
else he wants from his victims.

Your sister moved
back here 3 months ago.

Was that to be closer
to you?

We had a falling out
about a year ago.

It had only been in
the last couple of months

we started patching things up.

If you don't mind
me asking,

what caused the rift
in your relationship?

When our folks split,
she took it the hardest.

She felt like
our dad just left.

She turned to partying.

There were times I would go days
without hearing from her.

Lauren recently
filed for divorce.

Can you tell me
about her husband?

I never even met him.

They hooked up
at some bar.

She'd only known him
like a week

before I got a text saying they
had gotten married in Vegas.

And when things didn't work out for
the two of them, she came back here.

Did the divorce change her?

She was the same Lauren.

Still looking for a man
to validate her.

Thanks, Garcia.

Well, Lauren's ex-husband
Doug checked out.

He's been in Seattle touring with
his band the past few weeks.

According to her sister,
she was promiscuous.

Said she would fall
head over heels for any man

who showed her the slightest
amount of attention.

That may rule out
the lonely hearts theory.

That type of unsub typically
thrives off of challenge.

Lauren wouldn't have
given him that.

You know what? There might be another
connection we haven't considered.

Myia was never promoted to full-time
because supervisors described her

as quiet and submissive.

Heather said Lauren struggled with
needing a man to validate her worth.

It speaks to both
their levels of confidence.

This unsub could be targeting
women with self-image issues.

Greta Thomas?

Yes, that's me.

Honey, I need you
to stay here.

Mommy
will be right back.

My name is Peter.

I'm going to be
your caseworker.

Right this way.

Have a seat.

Can I get you
something to drink?

No, thank you.

I just need to verify
a few things before we get started.

There you go.

Thank you.

Is this the first time
you've been here?

My son saw it happen
this time.

I never wanted him
to see me like this.

How old is he?

7.

You two have the option
of staying here,

or if you have someplace else you'd
rather stay the night...

Uh, I have a friend
we could stay with.

Good.

Now, I need you
to tell me

exactly what your
husband did to you.

Why target women
with low self-esteem?

What does it get him?

Well, it makes him
easier to control.

He prolongs the torture
because the more he does,

the more powerful
he feels.

Which could mean he doesn't
feel very important in his everyday life.

Maybe he has low self-worth.
Like attracts like.

And his only chance
of dominance

is to target
other submissives.

If this is about
power and control,

maybe the stressor occurred when
the unsub didn't have any?

Ok.

Thank you.

These women could be
surrogates for the person

he holds responsible
for his pain.

Something could have
happened to him when he was a child.

If he felt powerless
in is childhood,

then having a taste of power now
would be like a drug.

Exactly.

And he'll be looking
for his next fix.

I appreciate you letting us
spend the night.

I couldn't bring myself to let Conner
sleep at that place.

No, I'm fine. I just--
I just need to get out of here.

He could come back
at any minute.

Text you when
we're on our way.

Conner?

Did you pack
your toothbrush?

Conner!

Conner?

Didn't you hear me
calling you?

And how many times
have I told you

not to go to the cabinet
and get candy?

I didn't, Mom.
The man gave it to me.

What man?

That one.

Her name is Greta Thomas.

According to the neighbor,
her son Conner

knocked on their door
saying a man took his mom.

She looks like
the other two victims.

Any word on her husband?

Garcia's trying
to locate him.

Apparently he travels
a lot for work.

Did Conner see anything?

He was able to give
a description,

but not much to go on.

Well, we might get more
if we gave him a cognitive,

but we're gonna need to wait and
get a guardian's permission first.

This is the first time that the unsub
broke into someone's house

and left a witness. Usually he just
does it out in the open.

Maybe he's getting closer
to his ideal surrogate.

If that's the case, what makes
Greta different from the others?

She's a mother.

Tell me you found
the husband.

Affirmative, sir, but you're never
gonna believe where.

We believe we're looking
for a white male

in his mid- to late 30s
who has a history

of physical
and psychological abuse.

This unsub is
a projecting punisher,

which means he's victimizing
women he believes

in one way or another
haven't stood up for themselves.

With the first two victims,
he caused injuries

that are consistent
with domestic abuse.

With his latest victim,
Greta Thomas,

not only is she a mother,
but she's an actual victim of abuse.

At her husband
was jailed last night

after an altercation
at the family home.

Which is why we believe
the unsub's mother

was the one that actually
suffered physical abuse.

It's likely he blamed her
for allowing the violence

to enter and continue
in the home.

Rather than viewing
his mother as a victim,

he holds resentment
towards her

because of the upheaval
and fear he lived with.

You're pathetic!

I want some respect
around this house!

This house is a mess!
You're a mess!

This man doesn't
hate is mother.

He hates the idea
of that she represented.

Hesitation marks
on the earlier victims

indicate that the unsub
feels conflicted by his actions.

It's possible he does not want to hurt
the women he abducts,

but somehow
he feels he has to.

Given his warped
sense of justice,

he may see himself as
a protector of these women.

He may even want them
to fight back.

He lost control
at an early age,

and he's desperate
to regain it.

We should look at domestic abuse
cases going back 25 to 30 years.

Take a look at locations
battered women frequent--

group homes, women's
shelters, legal hearings.

For now our primary goal is to bring
Greta Thomas home alive and safe.

Thank you.

You were supposed
to help us.

I told you everything
he did to me.

Oh, my God!

Where's Conner?
What did you do to him?!

He's fine, now that he's no longer
in that toxic environment.

What are you talking about?

You think this was the first time
he saw that monster hit you?

The screaming, the fighting,
the arguments.

You think he's stupid?

I can't imagine what
that must do to a child.

But I made a mistake.

Which you let it happen
over and over again.

Which is partly why
I think you're perfect.

Final M.E. report
just came through.

Take a look at
the stomach contents.

Saltwater, honey,
ginger, and tea.

She also found multiple ulcerations
of the vocal chords of both victims,

most likely
from all the screaming.

Spill it, kid. I can see
you got a theory.

The saltwater could serve
another purpose.

Honey, ginger tea, and saltwater
are often used to treat sore throats.

Maybe something about
their voices is what's driving him.

But a sadist wouldn't
go to such lengths to heal his victims.

Especially when his final act of rage
is slicing their throats.

This guy's destroying the very thing
he's trying to preserve.

All the torture could simply
be a means to an end.

If it's not about the
violence, what's it about?

Their screams.

Please!

We can't stop.

Not until you give me
what I want.

♪ I've got a great big
bundle of love ♪

♪ and I have... ♪

How the hell do you think that
makes me feel, huh?

I said I'm sorry.

I bust my butt
at work all day,

and all I ask
is for a hot meal.

Honey, I'm sorry.

Please, I know
this is all my fault.

You think I want
to do this?

Look, I know
you had a rough day.

So why do you
have to make it worse?

I'll do better.
I promise.

I'm tired of giving you
second chances.

You're on speaker,
Garcia.

You guys, I have searched every
shelter up and down the West Coast.

I can't find Greta's name
anywhere.

Could she have
registered anonymously?

Records are kept confidential,
but trust me,

if she was listed
in any of them,

your nearsighted wonder girl
would have found her.

Maybe that's the answer
to where this guy finds his victims.

What if he works
in the system?

Women go to him for help
and end up as victims.

Hey, Garcia--

Already on it.
Give me a minute.

If I find anything,
I'll hit you right back.

All right, so the physical
abuse he witnessed in the household

imprinted on him.
That's why he's conflicted.

He sees himself
as protector and abuser.

And now he's taking on
the role of the abuser

re-enacting what
happened to his mother.

Typically, unsubs with
this type of nostalgia

keep some kind of a trophy.

We haven't seen any evidence
of that here.

We've profiled that what he wants
most from them are their screams.

Ok, but how is
a scream a trophy?

It's not.
Unless he's recording them.

I know
this is all my fault.

You think
I want to do this?

Look, I know you had
a rough night.

Why did you have to
make it worse?

I'll do better.
I promise.

I'm tired of giving you
second chances.

Hey, talk to us,
hot stuff.

I feel like I don't
deserve to talk to you,

because I have terrible news.
I'm hitting the hardest wall

in domestic abuse cases
of yesteryear.

To say there are a plethora

is a severe injustice
to the word plethora.

I can't narrow it down alone.
I need help.

Based on the current victim pool,
the mother would have been

In her 20s back then.
Thank you, thank you.

Keep talking.

The unsub most likely
grew up nearby, Garcia.

Check recurring abuse cases
within the comfort zone.

Look for women who made
frequent trips to the E.R.

But not for abuse.
More like a freak accident,

like falling down the stairs
or extensive clumsiness.

Uh-huh. Now we're
getting somewhere.

And the occupation
might match as well,

so look for teachers
or nurses.

Hello, promising candidate.
Karen Holden,

third-grade
teacher at the time.

She went to the E.R.
multiple times,

courtesy of her icky,
icky abusive husband Frank Holden.

Where's Frank
and Karen now?

Dead. Like in a tragic story
of Shakespearean proportions

kind of way. They died in
a murder-suicide 25 years ago.

What happened?

Uh, Frank had
a drinking problem.

He got punchy with Karen,
like literally,

an argument ensued and ended up
with Karen having her throat slashed

and Frank with a bullet
in his head.

I am guessing
they had a child?

They did, indeed.

Little Peter Holden.
He was 7 at the time.

He saw the whole thing.

Do we know where
Peter is now?

Negatory. After his parents
died, he was put

in the foster care system
until he was 18,

and that's where
the paper trail ends.

Diamond Bar's a small town.
Probably changed his name

to escape the notoriety
of his parents' deaths.

I'll check court records
and see if I can find a breadcrumb.

All right, thanks,
baby girl.

Wait, wait, there's a name that keeps
coming up in the old hospital records.

John Folkmore.
He was an officer who responded

to a majority of the calls
from the Holden residence.

Johnny. He retired a few years back,
but he still lives in town.

You think he might know
what happened to the kid?

It'd be good
to talk to him.

You didn't do it right.

I shouldn't have to do this.

What are you talking about?

You know what
I'm talking about.

I don't.
Just let me go.

I promise I won't
tell any--

Why are you holding back?

I did what you wanted.

No, you didn't!

Do you think I want
to do this?

Then don't.

Please, just let me go.

I can't.

Why won't you do what I ask?!

I have.

No! It's not right!

It's not the way it was!

Do it the way I said!

It has to happen the way
I explained it to you!

Do it the right way!

Do it!

Do you remember
that little guy?

Peter Holden.

Never forgot that face.

Back in the day
you responded to a number

of domestic abuse calls
at the Holden residence.

At least once a week.

You knew how violent Frank Holden was
and you never arrested him.

Why?

Karen covered for him.

She wrote the book
on excuses.

If she wasn't telling me
she fell down stairs,

she was bumping into
cabinets.

You don't know
how many times

I wanted her
to come forward.

Part of me blames myself
for what happened that night.

Will you tell me
about Peter?

He was a good kid.

He loved baseball.

He didn't deserve to grow up
in a house like that.

When was the last
time you saw him?

A few nights before.

I stopped by the house
to drop off a gift.

I bought him
a cassette recorder.

That's an odd gift
to give a 7-year-old, don't you think?

It wasn't a gift, was it?

You wanted him to capture
his mother's abuse.

I--I don't know
what I was thinking.

I was so frustrated
with that whole situation.

I made a promise
to the kid,

if he could get me
the recording...

I could finally put
that son of a bitch in jail.

You were the only positive
male role model he ever had.

Someone had to be.

I think Peter changed
his last name to Folkmore.

The officer's last name?

Yeah. Think about it.
Whenever Peter and his mother

were in trouble,
who did they call?

Folkmore. He became
a surrogate father.

You are pathetic!

I cannot take this anymore!

I am so sick of you!

The house is a mess!

You are a mess!

When I come home,

I want to be treated
with some respect.

I can't even stand
to look at your face anymore!

How the hell do you think
it makes me feel, huh?

I said I'm sorry.

I bust my butt at work
all day

and all I ask for
is a hot meal.

Honey, I know
this is my fault.

You think I want
to do this?

I know you had
a rough day at work.

So why do you
have to make it worse?

I'll do better.
I promise.

I am tired of giving you
second chances.

Stop! Frank, please,
put the knife down.

He can hear.
He's in the other room.

Stop! No, Frank--

♪ you have the whole world
wrapped up in your hand ♪

Mommy!

♪ One little hand ♪

Mom?
♪ my great big ♪

♪ bundle of love ♪

♪ and you're gonna see ♪

Dad?

No!

♪ little man--little man--

little man... ♪

According to child services,
Peter was in and out of foster homes.

Says he carried a tape recorder
with him wherever he went.

In his statement of the night
when his parents died,

he said they were arguing.
Maybe he recorded it.

John never mentioned
Peter giving him a tape.

Maybe Folkmore didn't know. Karen died
before Peter cold give him the tape.

You think he would hold on
to it for all those years?

Well, it's possible.
The tape would have been

his last memory of his mother,
so he kept it for himself.

Something must have
happened to the original recording.

There's our trigger.

He's not going to stop
until he replaces what he lost.

Hey, sweetness,
give it to me good.

I will. Peter Folkmore
has only existed in the system

for the last 16 years.

He works at the Angel
Network for Women

for the last 8 years.

Working there allowed him to do
for other women

what he couldn't do
for his mother.

Karen wasn't the only one
making distress calls.

A month ago, Peter called
the fire department

regarding a small fire
in his basement.

According to insurance claims,
he lost a slew of, quote,

"priceless belongings."

That's right before
the murders started.

Do you have an address?

Work and home
already sent to you.

JJ and I
will take the house.

We'll grab the others
and go to the shelter.

Oh!

Where are you, Greta?

Come out, come out,
wherever you are.

The sooner we get this right,
the sooner we can end this.

♪ I've got a big,
big bundle of love ♪

Getting warmer?

♪ And I have saved it
all for you ♪

♪ Honey, that your
lovin' is true ♪

♪ you have the whole world
wrapped up in your hands... ♪

No! No! No!

Yeah, you. You.

Uhh!

Unh!

♪ You don't know
how much I love you ♪

I really wish
you hadn't done that.

You ruined it.
We were getting somewhere.

We can try again.
Just please don't do this!

No! Unh!

Help! Help!

Come on!

Uhh!

Scream for me.

You wish.

We need a medic
down here ASAP.

Greta.

Greta, are you ok?

Conner?

He's ok. He's safe.
He's safe. I promise.

You're gonna be ok.
An ambulance is on the way.

Scream for me.

"Nothing can drive one
closer to his own insanity

than a haunting memory
refusing its own death."

Darnella Ford.

How's the head?

Oh, I'll survive.

What about you?

I know that look.

Face of a worried mom.
What's going on?

Meg is going on
her first date tonight.

Really?

At 13?

It's not really--
it's not really a date.

It's with boys.

But when I was 13
and I went to the mall

to meet boys,
it was a date.

Yeah. Times
are a-changin', my friend.

I just keep reminding myself,
it is just the mall.

I don't think parents are ever ready
for their kids to grow up.

It feels like yesterday
she was in diapers.

Teenagers. I don't know how
my mom survived.

Ooh. Mine either.

Well, right now Henry still thinks
girls have cooties. So...

He won't feel that way
a few years from now, so treasure it.

Don't you wish
you could just...

keep them innocent
forever?

Yeah.

Relax. We're early.

As long as we make it back before
curfew, we're good.

Otherwise there'll be
hell to pay for.

What did you tell
your folks?

The truth. Sort of.

I told them we were
meeting two guys in our biology class.

This is the best study
session I've ever had.

They actually believed you?

Why wouldn't they. I couldn't tell them
we were meeting

some cute senior we met online.
They'd freak.

Where is that cute guy?

Speaking of freaking...

Hey, girls.

What are you doing here?

You were supposed
to just drop us off, not follow us in.

It's a mall.
Valentine's Day.

I'm buying Kate a gift.

Ooh, what'd you get her?

Oh, uh, just gloves.

In a pink bag?
Those are not gloves.

So, uh, what's up
with these boys from your class?

They're running late.

Ahh.

Ok, well,

don't miss your curfew.

I won't.
don't you trust me?

Yeah, I trust you.
It's the boys I don't trust.

Ok. Well, I'm gonna
leave you guys to it.

Uh, just remember,
boys that run late

are not worth waiting for.

Bye.
Bye, Chris.

Bye, Mr. Callahan.

Bye, you guys.

I can't believe it.
Your Uncle's a total stalker.

Right? I don't know why
he can't just accept

that I'm not a little
girl anymore. Jeez.

Hey, sweetie, it's me.

I, uh--look, I just want
to clear the air

and let you know
that I'm really sorry.

We definitely should have
discussed Meg dating

before I gave the approval
for her to do that. And...

But if it's any consolation,
I'm at the mall right now,

and I'm planning on sticking around
to keep an eye on them.

But, uh, they're doing great.

Except for the fact they may have just
been stood up for the first time.

But...

I, uh, I love you,
and I do feel bad.

So bad, as a matter of fact, that
I bought you something amazing.

It's like, red, and it's got
black stripes,

and a strap.

It's gonna look
so hot on you.

Uh, I'll show you
when you get home, ok?

Where are they?

I don't know.

Sorry.

Oh, they're not coming.

What? Why not?

I don't want
to talk about it.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man