Criminal Minds (2005–…): Season 13, Episode 8 - Neon Terror - full transcript

3, 2...

[Show theme music]

Here with us today is
supervisory special agent

David Rossi, renowned
author and co-founder

of the FBI's famed
Behavioral Analysis Unit.

His latest book, "Understanding Evil,"

is an in-depth portrait of
the serial killer Tommy Yates.

Thanks for joining us, Agent Rossi.

My pleasure, Brian.

Of the hundreds of murderers

that you've encountered,



why did you choose to write about Yates?

With him it was personal.

Well, every year on your birthday,

you would visit Yates in prison,

and he'd give you the location of a body

of one of his victims.

Why is that?

Tommy Yates was in
an 8-by-6-foot cell.

Every second of his life was dictated.

So it was a game to him.

It was. And I played along

in order to provide closure

to those families.

It can't be easy to find common ground



with a sadistic murderer.

How did you do that?

Oh, good! We didn't miss it.

Garcia: Nope, just started.

Rossi: You have to show respect to...

We're up to our eyeballs in cases.

The guy never takes a vacation.

I want to know when he'd find the time

to write another book.

Someone must have put his
mandatory 6 weeks off to good use.

Anybody heard from Tara?

Oh, she's finishing
up with Floyd Ferell.

She'll be back in D.C. soon.

I'm DVRing this for her and Reid.

They didn't want to miss it either.

Oh, I hope his first
night teaching goes well.

He was a little nervous about it.

Brian: This book feels
like it's part memoir,

more so than your others.
Is that only because of Yates?

Not necessarily. Some
of it was necessity.

How so?

Well, I've spent my entire career

exploring other people's minds,

but very little time exploring my own.

And what did you find?

That obsession is not necessarily

a path traveled only by serial killers.

How come?

Well, profilers and serial killers

overlap in more ways than
I would have imagined.

We're both mission-oriented

and driven by need-based desires.

And the key difference
is that while they

take lives, we do our
best to preserve them.

Sorry to interrupt, but
we have breaking news.

Earlier tonight was a
third in what Miami police

are calling a string of robbery-murders.

It started last week near
Coral Gables university.

But I should warn you is,
what you're about to see

could be considered graphic.

[Indistinct chatter, sirens]

Officer: Keep it blocked
off. Please, ma'am.

Brian: Agent Rossi,
would you care to comment?

I would like to talk to
Miami police before doing so.

I understand. Again, the book is

- [cell phone vibrates]
- "Understanding Evil."

She was parked when the
unsub came up and shot her.

She might not have even seen him coming.

Locals just sent over the details.

They believe it's a series
of robbery-homicides,

but he only robbed the first victim.

Robbery could be a
forensic countermeasure

to try and keep the cops
from tying the cases together.

A big city like Miami, how do
we even know they're related?

Ballistics match. He used a .44-caliber.

Bold choice. That's a big gun.

Then there's the
victims... Maggie Swanson,

Katherine Shelton, and
now Jeannette Clauson.

Each shot once in the
heart, they died instantly.

He's got a type. And the
unsub could be a scorned lover.

We're going to meet Dave
in Miami. Wheels up in 10.

That place was cool, right?

Yeah.

I took my sister there once.

She was visiting from Seattle.

We had a really good time.

You took me to the same
place you took your sister?

Well, uh, yeah, but,

I mean... I know how that sounds.

Look, I know this great pub

not too far from here.

Maybe next time instead of just dinner?

Um, I should go.

Uh, it's only 9:30.

Yeah, I'm sorry. I just
have an early morning.

I'm sure you do, too.

Yeah. Do you need a ride?

Thanks. I would, but my
car is just down the street.

Well, why don't you text
me, then, when you get home.

So I know you're safe.

Ok?

Yeah, ok.

Uh... it was nice to meet you, Steven.

Good night.

_

[Line ringing]

Woman: Hello.

Hey, it's me.

How'd it go?

Yeah, I mean, it started off ok,

but, I don't know, it just got weird.

I got this vibe from him.

[Taps on window]

You think you can just blow me off?

Woman on phone: Who is that?

Steven, it's not like that.

- Woman: Natalie?
- What the hell are you doing?

- Woman: Natalie?
- Stop it, Steven!

- No.
- Woman: Oh, my god. Who is that?

No.

Woman: Natalie, what's happening?

- Stop it!
- No! You don't get to tell me...

[Gunshot]

Woman: Oh, my god! Natalie! Natalie!

[Natalie screaming]

[Gunshot]

Prentiss: "The spectacle is capital",

accumulated to the point
where it becomes image."

Guy Debord.

All 3 victims lived in the same area

and led low-risk lifestyles.

The physical type is what attracts him.

There doesn't seem to be any
other obvious link on paper.

Alvez: Yeah, there were no red flags

on any of their backgrounds.

They were just living their lives.

Which is mostly just work
and hanging out with friends.

Maggie loved cats,
Katherine was a hiker,

and Jeannette loved the Ramones.

Better get in line there,
brother. Who doesn't love them?

Sorry to startle you. We
just got buzzed by Miami PD.

Crime-fighters,
there's a ballistic match

on two more victims
that were shot tonight.

And check it out... the girl.

She looks just like the
others, in their 20s, brunette.

Garcia: Yeah, Natalie
Corbis was a nurse,

Steven O'Malley was
a mechanical engineer.

Both were very well-liked,
and according to friends

on social media, they
were on a first date.

Well, there's a couple
other firsts here.

Two bodies at the same
time and one of them's male.

So was he collateral damage or a target?

5 victims in one week,
3 in the last 12 hours.

It feels like our unsub's on a spree.

Prentiss: Dave's already
on his way to the M.E.

Matt, you and I will
set up at the station.

JJ, Luke, go to the latest crime scene.

So Steven's standing here,
Natalie's inside the car,

bang and bang.

It feels like they
were saying good night,

but we know Steven wasn't
going home with her.

The unsub wouldn't know that.

If he's a jilted lover, he'd
see Steven as a surrogate,

the guy who stole his girl.

If he had his heart broken recently,

that could be the reason for the spree.

Maybe his ex got engaged.

Or pregnant. And that's
why he's lashing out.

So time of death was

just before they were found.

It was like, what, 5 minutes?

No, two.

Jeez, this guy's cutting it close.

Well, a .44 Magnum has got a big bang.

Maybe that's the point.

He wants the attention.

Loud gun. Attracts a big crowd.

Right? Adds to his thrill.

Yeah. So would sticking
around to watch his work.

Don't think of him as a spree killer,

think of him as a fire-starter.

That's why no one sees
him flee the scene.

Could be a first responder.

But police, paramedics, witnesses,

they'd have to give a statement.

Yeah, if he was on more
than one police report,

he'd be on our radar.

Well, maybe he sticks around to watch

and just doesn't draw
attention to himself.

This guy hides in plain sight.

_

[Indistinct chatter]

Man: Excuse me. Over here, please.

[Overlapping conversations]

Woman: When will you be releasing...

Second woman: Why did the
police call in the FBI?

Second man: What can you tell
us about the latest victims?

Hey, is it safe to go out at night?

We appreciate your interest and concern,

but the FBI has no comment at this time.

No comment?

Wallenberg: Sorry about
the vultures outside.

We're doing everything we
can to keep them at bay.

It's ok. They've got
a job to do. So do we.

We did some initial
interviews with the families

and found something interesting.

This guy might be...

What?

Again? Excuse me.

I'll be right back.

Hair clips.

What about them?

No, all the victims are wearing them.

They're generic.

But they're all placed in the same spot

right here behind the left ear.

Oh, that must be what
detective Wallenberg

found out from the family interviews.

The vics didn't wear these,
so the unsub placed them.

Ritual aspect would keep
him at the scene longer,

escalate his risk,
which he may get off on.

And going with Luke's theory,

the woman he pines for may
wear something like this.

Um, they're pretty dated.

I'm not sure we should
limit it to romance.

These feel more like something
a mother or a teacher would wear.

It's also strange how
private he made it.

I mean, the placement of these clips

makes it really difficult to see.

Everything he does is to be seen.

So why is the unsub hiding this?

Well, let's check with the
manufacturer of those clips,

see where they're sold.

That could be a good starting point.

My guess is online and in
every drugstore across Miami.

Well, the good news is, they're
only visible in official CSPs.

They can't be seen
anywhere in media coverage.

Great. That'll buy us some time

before the public finds out.

What the...

_

How does Channel 3 know?

Let's find out.

This is exactly the kind
of thing that we needed.

Great work, Kal.

Mm-hmm.

So now we have to name him...

Something evocative, like Son of Sam

or BTK or Zodiac.

Anyone?

The Miami mauler?

What is he, an escaped
lion from the zoo?

[Laughter]

What do you see?

Shot-out window.

A neon light.

The neon terror

strikes again.

Naming the unsub is a grave mistake.

It romanticizes him in the public's mind

and in turn gives him a
sense of power and control

he desperately craves.

Agents, I'm Sandra Madsen.

I'm the news director here.

What can I do for you?

Is there some place we can talk?

Sure. Follow me.

Back to work, everyone.

We can talk over here.

I've never had a visit
from the FBI before.

It must be important.

How can I help you, Agents?

Well, we saw your report
on the matching clips

found in the female victims' hair.

That was great work.

See, we actually just made

that same connection ourselves.

How did you do it?

Well, we here at Channel 3

are able to make deductions

based on the footage, same as the FBI.

Rossi: Of course. But the thing is,

you can't see the clips
in the media footage,

only in the official crime scene photos.

JJ: The killer must have reached out

to one of your reporters?

No, if he did, I'd know.

We got those photos
from a protected source.

Meaning someone on the police force.

Ok, I'm not answering any more questions

until there's a lawyer
on my side of the room

and a warrant on yours.

Ma'am, people are dying.

Yes, I know. And it's my job

to keep the public informed.

It's your job to keep them safe.

But when you need me to compromise

my journalistic integrity,

I have to draw the line.

Well, um, if you change your mind,

we'd really appreciate a call.

Sure.

Rossi: Thank you.

Now we have a serial
killer and a narcissist.

Did you see that wall of fame?

Uh, yeah. Every inch was covered

with photos of her on camera.

And she has covered everything,

from hurricanes, the
Versace murders, cartel wars,

suburban homicides to gang violence.

Sandra loves being on the front lines.

But from what I saw, the
awards stopped coming.

Then becoming a news director

would be a demotion
for someone like her.

No doubt. She's
probably using this story

to goose Channel 3's profile.

Well, once that name goes public,

he's going to get all
the attention he wants.

And that's only going to make
the unsub take bigger risks,

and bigger risks means more victims.

Woman, reporting: Last
night, Natalie Corbis

and Steven O'Malley
were both shot and killed

in a trendy enclave of Miami

filled with clubs and bars.

Corbis was inside her car,

and O'Malley was outside Natalie's car

and were both shot once
with a .44-caliber handgun.

Reporter: Over here! Over here!

Second reporter: Hey, right here, kid!

[Cameras flashing]

Woman, reporting:
This is the fourth time

in recent days that Miami
residents have been shot

with this caliber firearm.

It is unknown at this time
what the offender's motive is.

Corbis, a nurse,

and O'Malley, a mechanical engineer,

had just left a local establishment.

TV anchor: Thank you, Debra.

Stay tuned for more details
on this late-breaking story

as Debra and our news team, Channel 3,

will be on scene to
bring you all the details

as it happens...

[Continues, indistinct]

♪ Pull up ♪

♪ she's the center of attention ♪

♪ she got everybody in this club wishing ♪

♪ I can't wait to see you ♪

♪ show up ♪

♪ and she's always cool ♪

♪ love breaking out everywhere ♪

♪ I mean, I never seen
your face here before ♪

♪ oh, my god ♪

♪ I mean, I never seen
a style like yours... ♪

♪ Oh, my god... ♪

♪ Off the hook... ♪

♪ I know, certainly... ♪

♪ But now we hear
they're livin' so large ♪

- [Radio shuts off]
- ♪ oh, my god... ♪

Who the hell...

Oh, my gosh! Please
take whatever you want.

Just... don't hurt me.

[Breathing hard]

Well, he likes his new nickname enough

to bring his own neon.

Despite the slight shift in M.O.,

he kept the same ritual aspect.

Who's the victim?

Lindsey Krukowski. She's
the marketing manager

at an apparel company and lived alone.

Shot with the same .44?

Looks that way.

He must have been in
hiding here somewhere,

waiting to ambush her.

Who called it in?

Neighbor on a walk heard the gunshots.

He found Lindsey's body and called 911.

Did he see any strangers
around the neighborhood?

No. And we canvassed the
rest of the block, too.

Nobody saw him.

So like the nighttime crime scenes,

this guy easily blends in.

Wallenberg: But isn't
this way less risky?

He had all the time in the world

and little chance of witnesses.

He's betting that a home invasion

is his best way to stay relevant.

[Vehicles arriving]

He bet right.

[Indistinct chatter]

JJ: They must have heard
about it on the police scanner.

You can get it as an app

for your phone now.

Yeah, I miss the days
when that kind of equipment

wasn't just a click away.

We've ruled out that he's
a first responder, right?

What if he's another kind of responder?

The media.

Alvez: Yeah.

Officer: You're gonna
have to wait, ok, sir?

When we thought the media
might be stoking our unsub,

we never considered he
might be one of them.

It checks some of the boxes.

Risk-taking, ability to blend in.

It explains why no one
questions him at the scene.

He's supposed to be here.

If he is part of the media,

do you think he's also filming it?

I don't know. We'd have to
go through all of the footage.

Every station is covering this.

It's gonna take a lot of time.

We got all hands on deck.

Whatever you need, we're here.

Great. Thank you.

Let's deliver this profile.

Prentiss: We believe the unsub
may be a member of the media.

It's these credentials
that likely allow him

to easily blend in at the crime
scenes, no questions asked.

We're currently sifting
through all local TV, print,

and digital journalists in
order to build a suspect pool.

Alvez: But as you know,
Miami's a big market,

lots of media outlets,
so it'll take some time.

Now, we aren't sure if
he films the crime scenes

immediately after the murders

or is responding with other news crews.

Now, we have to think of
this unsub in two parts.

Ok, the first part, the part
he's probably not aware of,

is who he's killing.

Ok. We believe the victims
represent a personal loss.

It's most likely a maternal
figure or a caregiver.

The hair clip is his symbolic way

of remaking his victims into that woman.

But the second part, the part
that he's very aware of...

Prentiss: This unsub is obsessed
with the media's representation

of his murders.

His dopamine levels rise

when he's on the crime scene

watching other people
respond to what he's done.

Right. Then they spike
later, when he's at home

watching his footage
on the evening news.

Sounds like an addict.

Very much so. He's masking the pain

of a childhood trauma
by escalating his risks,

but that only adds to his
power of control and excitement.

That's why the nickname is a problem.

The media is feeding his ego directly,

and he will respond in kind.

Right now he's planning for
the biggest bang possible.

Ratings, likes, shares on social media

probably all matter to him,

so he could be tracking them.

Prentiss: And because he's no longer
focused on public crime scenes,

we are asking all of you to
cover as much ground as possible

inside his hunting zone.

It's very important that the information

shared in this profile
is not posted online

or leaked to the media.

Doing so could further embolden him

and cause him to escalate.

Thank you, all.

It feels like we've been
through every media member

in the city, and we still got nothing.

Even those Channel 3
jag-offs checked out.

Well, maybe he's not a journalist.

What is he, then?

He could just be a digital loner.

You see lots of guys and
girls like that these days.

They have the impulse
to catalog their lives

no matter how mundane it
is to the rest of the world.

He could be cataloging these
crime scene photos right now.

That's an interesting idea,

but how does he get in and out

of the crime scene unnoticed?

Well, that's kind of why
I'm hitting the wall, too.

I was hoping you might
have a way around it.

JJ: Hey, guys, look at this.

Ok, so this was taken from
just inside Lindsey's garage.

What's missing?

The cops. They're not there yet.

But they responded within minutes.

So whoever filmed this

had to be there when it happened.

Well, this was filmed
by a Kal Montgomery

at Channel 3.

I checked their site.
He's on their I.T. staff.

First Channel 3 breaks the story

about the hair clips, and now this.

Well, if he's not a
cameraman or a reporter,

he wouldn't show up on our sweep.

Oh, and I double-checked.

His name is on every
Neon Terror crime scene

Channel 3's put on the news.

Simmons: All right. I got
him. Found him on social media.

It looks like he's posted multiple rants

about an ex-girlfriend

who looks a lot like our victims.

Rossi: Sounds like a
digital loner to me.

Let's go have a chat with Kal.

Great work, people!

Our overnight ratings are up,

and traffic to our site's quadrupled

since the story broke.

We need to talk to Kal Montgomery.

Sandra: I do hope you have that warrant.

He's a person of interest
in a serial murder case.

Uh...

Kal, you're not speaking to anyone

until there's a lawyer present.

It's all right, Sandra.

I'm fine.

Let's go to my office.

So, you've made quite
a name for yourself

on this story, Kal.

Thank you.

Your video from the last crime scene

was taken before the police arrived?

Why is that?

I heard the call on the scanner.

I was in the area, so I went.

Sandra lets me go in the
field and shoot video.

You're a real Johnny-on-the-spot.

JJ: Then how come the police
never took your statement?

Well, that was on me.

We had to break the story
before we got scooped.

Rossi: You know, Kal, there's more to it

than just fleeing the scene.

There's the question about your ex,

the one you're trashing on social media,

the one that looks like the victims.

You see how it adds up, Kal?

JJ: Yeah, it looks to us

like you killed Steven

and all those women.

I... I... I lied.

I didn't film any of it.

Sandra: Wait. What?

Kal: One day, some
stranger sends me a video

of the first crime scene,
tells me it's a gift,

that I should post it
as my own, so I did.

Who did this stranger say he was?

Kal: A Miami cop, which
made even more sense

when he sent close-ups
of the hair clips.

I thought they were
official crime scene photos.

Ok, we're gonna need
all of that raw footage.

I don't have it. He always
sends the videos edited.

I'll show you. Can I?

Yeah, go ahead.

_

JJ: Who is Quasar 22?

That is an excellent question.

I can tell you with 100% certainty

it is not Kal Montgomery.

His story completely checks out.

Aside from being slightly
morally repugnant,

he's clean as a whistle.

If that whistle was
slightly morally repugnant.

Simmons: So that clears him.

But why did the unsub
target Kal to begin with?

Kal's ambitious.

He must have known it and
used it to his benefit.

So he's smart enough
not to expose himself,

which is probably not easy for someone

who's desperate for attention.

Garcia: Also, I have
to say whoever this is

is, like, a tech wizard.

Because I have used all the tools

in my fantastic box,
and he's, like, protected

from the mother on high
of all encryption packages

and a secure server,

plus an IP scrambler,

which is not like the warm,
eggy kind but the computery kind.

So you've got nothing on the
unsub's I.D. and location?

No. I mean, according to my screens,

it's all coming from Jamaica.

Kingston, to be exact.

It does not take a profiler to know

that's completely bogus.

Well, if he reached out to Channel 3,

then he might have to
other news outlets, too.

Garcia, did he send the
videos to anybody else?

Just... just Kal at
Channel 3. That's it.

If the unsub is focused on them,

he must have a personal
connection there.

Garcia, look into former
Channel 3 employees,

see if any of them fit the profile.

Copy, copy.

You know what bothers me about this guy?

Is it the fact that Kal might
win a local news Emmy off him?

Close. It's that with each crime scene,

the window between the murder

and the start of filming, it shrinks.

Right? And at some point,

that's gonna converge.

Ok, we profiled he was
going for a bigger bang.

He's gonna make a snuff film.

Woman: Over here! Over here!

Man: Right here, kid! Look at me!

[Cameras flashing]

[Reporters shouting at once]

Man: Are you ok?

[Tap tap]

What the hell?

[Gunshot]

Thank you for coming so fast.

We didn't expect you to call.

Well, now that I know that Kal's source

is the killer, I had to.

Did you or Kal watch the new video?

I did. It's brutal.

Sandra: Please tell me that
little girl is still alive.

Alvez: There's not much to go on here.

There's no signage, buildings.

You can't see the plates on the car.

We don't even know their names.

But we do have geography.

You see this?

Well, the cement lamp post in the back.

It's tall, like at a mall parking lot.

But those are all across the city.

They could have been anywhere.

Yeah, but we know the
unsub's comfort zone.

Garcia: What's up?

Garcia, how many
shopping and strip malls

are inside the unsub's hunting grounds?

- 5.
- We need all 5. We'll split up.

[Siren]

Hi, sweetie.

I'm Jennifer.

Is somebody coming to help Nancy?

Yeah. Yeah. Let's get you home.

I want my mom and dad.

Everything's gonna be ok. Don't worry.

[Sirens]

Alvez: How is she doing?

Good, considering.

What's her name?

Alex Grayson.

The latest victim, Nancy Jones,

was her cousin.

She was babysitting while
Alex's parents were out.

It's a little late to
be in a mall parking lot

with a kid in the car.

Yeah, well, when a kid can't sleep,

a car ride's often the
best way to get them down.

Yeah, but if Alex was asleep,

why not drive back home?

She pulled over to answer a text

from a guy she was gonna meet.

There's no way Nancy
was chosen at random.

You know, you're right.

This guy's a planner.

He doesn't do random.
He must have stalked her.

And if he did, then he knew
there was a kid in the car.

The question is... and I hate to ask...

Why is Alex still alive?

I don't know. He's never
shown a moral compass,

so why now?

Maybe the unsub's a dad.

Or maybe something happened
to him when he was little.

This way.

Father: Agent Jareau, thank you so much

for finding our little girl.

Of course.

[Indistinct chatter outside]

[Reporters all talking at once]

Man: This way, please! Alex?

[Chatter continues]

Wait a minute.

_

That's it.

When Rossi and I were at Channel 3,

we saw Sandra's wall of fame.

On it, there was a
little boy and his father

in roughly the same position.

Like recently?

No, it had to have been
20 years ago at least,

but there might be a connection.

Hey, Garcia, I need you to check on

an old case in Miami.

Fingers at the ready.

Ok, uh, 20 years ago,

a boy, roughly 5 or 6,

saw his mom killed.

Uh, nothing is coming
up. This is pre-Internet.

This would have received

a lot of media
attention, even back then.

We said maternal figure
in the profile, Garcia.

Try babysitter.

I mean, all of these women
look more like babysitters,

don't you think?

Ok...

20 years ago this month.

The boy's name was Jeffery Whitfield.

He saw his babysitter, Gina Meadows,

murdered with...

Oh, my.

A .44.

Yeah. She was shot once in the heart.

Just like the victims now.

Jeffery and Gina were found
in a car, weren't they?

Uh-huh. In a strip mall parking lot.

Was it inside the unsub's comfort zone?

Yeah, they were outside
the vet's office.

They were taking
Jeffery’s cat to the vet.

Jeffery was in the backseat.

He saw the whole thing.

He wasn't hurt, but...

The victims bear a striking
resemblance to Gina.

I'm sending the info now.

All right, thanks, Garcia.

That is our unsub...
Jeffery Whitfield at age 6.

Jeffery was in the car that day.

They caught the guy
down the road, but...

Check this out.

Gina was wearing the
same hair clip that day.

The same one he's been
placing in his victims' hair.

JJ: Sandra worked Jeffery’s
story when it broke,

and she got his only on-camera
interview a year later.

That explains his focus on Channel 3.

He probably felt exploited.

Alvez: Or the opposite.

This could have been his shining moment,

the only time he's ever
felt important before.

In a single-event imprint,

people can have polar responses.

Some avoid it entirely.
Others obsess over it.

Both of his parents died last year.

So to him, there's only one
other person who recalls that day.

Sandra Madsen.

Prentiss: He created the story,

hoping to get her attention again,

just like he did 20 years ago.

In his mind, both he and Sandra

benefited from that day.

She got her big story

and Jeffery got his moment in the sun.

He must have figured
they can do it all again.

But if she stops running his footage,

he could see that as a betrayal.

Rossi: And Jeffery might jump off script

and attack her next.

Sandra's phone went to voicemail.

He might have already gotten to her.

JJ, Luke, take Jeffery’s apartment.

Matt, get detective Wallenberg
and head to Sandra's.

Dave, you and I will go
to the Channel 3 news room.

[Indistinct news reports]

_

Where is it?

Come on, Sandra. Where is it?!

No, no, no!

[Grunting]

I want to keep the momentum going,

so, yeah, let's lead with that one there

and then go over to this one here.

[Gunshots]

Man: Get down! Get down!

Gun! Gun!

[People screaming]

[Gasping]

Don't do this.

Why did you stop running our story?

[Moaning]

[Gasps]

What do you want?

You don't remember me, do you?

Jeffery Whitfield.

Hi, Sandra.

Jeffery?

We worked well together 20 years ago.

Then time forgot us both.

You're killing people.

We were finally getting
the attention we deserved,

but then you screwed it up

by not airing the last murder.

Jeffery, I couldn't.

Why not?

There was a little girl.

I'd never hurt a child.

I'm not a monster.

The way you cut the footage,

I... I didn't know if she was...

It's called a cliffhanger, Sandra.

_

Oh, god.

Tell everyone your name.

Sandra.

Sandra who?

Sandra Madsen.

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Prentiss: Yeah, Garcia?

Jeffery Whitfield is on... and
he's got a... he's got a gun

to Sandra's head, and he's
posting it all on his social media.

Penelope, can you see where they are?

Uh, in the news room.

Can you cut off his feed?

I don't think he'll kill Sandra

if the world can't watch.

I can try, but it's gonna take a second.

Prentiss: Please work quickly.

I clocked multiple
entrances into the news room.

Ok, you take one, I'll take another.

We'll surround him best we can.

And what's your job, Sandra Madsen?

I'm the news director at Channel 3.

One of your first stories
was about Jeffery Whitfield,

a boy who saw his babysitter murdered.

Do you remember him?

I do. I do, Jeffery.

Tell them about Jeffery’s cat.

Please. I can't.

Tell them about the cat.

After Gina was killed...

Jeffery's cat licked
the blood off of Jeffery.

He didn't speak for almost a year,

till I interviewed him and...

[Sighs]

When he saw himself in
the camera's playback,

it was... like a game.

And it was more fun than real life,

and it got him
communicating again and...

Prentiss: FBI! Drop your weapon.

Put the gun down, now.

Drop it, Jeffery, now! Put it down.

[Sandra gasps]

No.

The world will see this.

And they'll never forget me again.

No. No.

Not today, Satan!

No, no.

It's not right if it doesn't work.

It has to work!

You don't have an audience, Jeffery.

But I have to make them remember.

But if you walk away now,

think about all the
attention you'll get.

That's not enough.

Prentiss: Ratings through the roof.

All those likes, all those shares.

The whole world will
be buzzing about you.

Rossi: It'll be the
trial of the century.

People will forget.

They always do.

They always forget me.

Prentiss: Jeffery, if you
put that gun down right now

and come with us, we'll make sure
no one ever forgets you again.

How?

We will get you a primetime
broadcast network interview.

Ok? One on one.

No distractions. It'll all be about you.

And then everybody will talk about it

forever.

Put your hands behind your back.

Ok.

[Crying]

You're gonna be ok.

Jeffery Whitfield, you may be a wizard,

but I am an oracle of the highest order.

[Sighs]

[Indistinct chatter outside]

Thank you, Agent Rossi.

How you holding up?

I always wonder what
a victim must feel like

in that moment, how
terrifying it must be.

And now you know.

Except it wasn't terrifying.

It was exhilarating.

He almost killed you.

But he didn't.

And now this.

Sandra, that's not real.

Yes, it is.

That's why I am so grateful to Jeffery.

The next time you see him, will you...

Will you thank him for me?

[Reporters all shouting questions]

Sandra: Tragically,

I met Jeffery Whitfield 20 years ago.

I was a field reporter starting out,

and I had been assigned
to the scene of a murder.

A young woman had
been shot and killed...

Rossi: "I never travel
without my diary."

"One should always have
something sensational to read

in the train."

Oscar Wilde.