Criminal Minds (2005–…): Season 3, Episode 15 - A Higher Power - full transcript

Well, they said that storm was coming,
and they weren't kidding.

How are we? Well, you know, it's hard.
Just one foot in front of the other.

Thanks. It would have been
Amy's birthday tomorrow.

Paul? He's been a rock.

But you know how he is.
His glass is always full.

I think he's home.

Well, the kids are with Grandma
tonight. We have a night off.

Yeah. God, we need it.

Thank you.
I appreciate the call, Kate.

You know, I should go.

Yeah, okay. Bye.



Paul? Paul, I think the lightning
blew out the house.

Paul?

Honey? Paul?

What...

Paul? Paul?

Honey?

Paul, open the door. Honey?

Unlock the door! Paul!

Oh, my God!

Agent Jennifer Jareau?

A friend of mine gave me your number.
Said you might be able to help.

Ronnie Baleman. Pittsburgh P.D.

There's something going on
in my town. Something's not right.

We've got a case.



So, you've either decided
we're taking the case

or this bag is headed
for another destination?

- I need a favor.
- Of course.

I need some personal time.
No more than a day.

Take all the time you need.

I need to talk to Jack.

I've lost her,
but I'm not going to lose him.

I need to try to tell him what's going on.

I don't know how much he's going
to understand, but...

All he needs to understand
is that you love him.

I'll join you when I can.

Three months ago,
a fire in the Shadyside Rec Center

- killed 14 children.
- I remember that.

What does that have to do with us?

Well, over the past three months,
there's been five suicides.

All of them lost a child in the fire.

The last one was Paul Baleman.

He was found electrocuted
in his bathtub yesterday.

I received a request for our help.

Why do they need our help?
They're suicides.

All of the suicides were
within two weeks of each other.

It could be some kind of pattern.

Detective Ronnie Baleman, Pittsburgh P.D.,

thinks that something's going on.

- Well, of course he does.
- Why do you say that?

He's related to that man, right?

His brother.

A cop who doesn't believe
his brother committed suicide.

Come on, next case.

Well, now wait a second.

Five suicides in the same
neighborhood within months?

That's a serious spike.

Suicides don't spike after a tragedy.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Following World War I and II,
right after Kennedy was shot,

and following 9/11, suicides plummeted.

Within a society, external threats
usually create group integrations.

People come together.

So, if there's reason for doubt,
which there obviously is,

don't those families left behind
have a right to know?

Yes, they do.

Okay, sure they deserve to know,
but let somebody else tell them.

Like Social Services.

Contact Detective Baleman.
Let him know we're coming.

"There is no refuge
from confession but suicide,

"and suicide is confession."

Daniel Webster.

Hotch would never
have taken this case.

And I say "case" in the loosest sense.

Profile the facts as they are,
without bias. Isn't that what we do?

What facts, Rossi?
Look at us, we don't have a single file.

Okay, let me help you out.

Jump right in, anytime. Fact one.

There are no files, so it seems no case.

- But what if there is?
- One fire.

Fourteen deaths. Five suicides.

All the suicides are connected
to the original fire.

And all exactly two weeks apart.

Come on, Derek, you can't tell me
that doesn't feel a lot like a pattern.

- And a timeline.
- Right?

A lot of people
lost their kids in that fire.

That's a whole world of grief, and for
a few, suicide's their only way out.

- Or someone decided it was.
- And made it look this way?

What if they have?

Then we're looking for
one very smart UnSub.

- Who targets people in grief.
- And that would make them what?

Someone who thinks
they're putting them out of their misery.

An angel of death.

Agent Jareau?
Hi, I'm Detective Ronnie Baleman.

Hi, this is SSA Rossi.

SSAs Morgan, Prentiss and Dr. Reid.

Thank you. All of you. For coming.

Well, your colleagues don't look
all that happy to see us.

They didn't just lose a brother.

I'd like to get started on all the files.

We're going to build what we call
psychological autopsies

to determine whether
the victims killed themselves.

Everything's in those boxes.

We'd also like to take a look
at your brother's house.

- I'll take you there.
- I think it's better if you stay here.

It's my case. I brought you here.

Technically, there is no case.
And if there was, you wouldn't be on it.

We need to profile the scene without bias.

I could use your help with these files.
It looks like there's quite a few.

My brother kept a journal.

I found this on the desk in his bedroom.

Read the last page.

They're not the words of a suicidal man.

You seem pretty sure that an UnSub exists.

So are you. You're here, aren't you?

He wasn't on anti-depressants.
He wasn't depressed.

Do you mind if my colleagues
take a look upstairs?

Ronnie kept it exactly as it was
until you got here.

Tell me about the fire.

It's the annual fall dance,
for the kids.

And it's really popular.
It's hard to get tickets.

But the kids love it.

Do you personally know
any of the other families?

Who lost children?

And who recently committed suicide
as a result?

Just questions, okay?

He knew.

- Paul wouldn't do this.
- What?

Paul wouldn't do this.

Not after all we've been through.
He would not leave us.

Not like that.

Go ahead. Put it up.

This is a physical representation
of the five equivocal deaths.

Together with a profile of each case,

we'll build psychological autopsies
of each person.

And this will tell us
if it was suicide or murder?

Suicide, yes. Murder, no.

And you think
it's a pretty good indicator?

Since its inception in 1958,

it's proven to carry a 92% accuracy
rate in cases that have gone to trial.

Okay, so the door was locked from the
inside. The wife broke the door in,

but he could have gotten out that window.

Well, that's a good 20-foot drop.
It would hurt, but you could do it.

So a toaster was thrown in the tub, right?

- Space heater.
- Toaster. Space heater. Did the job.

Hey, it's a 110 outlet with no GFI.

Go on.

Well, it's a 1930s house,
but it's been remodeled

with no ground fault installation.

Yet there was a GFI unit
installed in the kitchen.

I put them in all my properties.

Especially the bathroom and the kitchen.

Any surge of electrical current,
it'll shut the power down at the source.

Properties?

Yeah.

- How many properties?
- Four.

Whoever threw the space heater
in this tub knew that there was no GFI.

Come on.

Mrs. Baleman,
what did your husband do for a living?

He was a contractor.

Well, if these autopsies
prove they weren't suicides,

then I need to inform
the media right away.

I would err on the side of caution.

What? People need to know.

And they will.
As soon as we have absolute proof.

I think the town's been through
enough already, don't you?

Also keep in mind that
if these cases are related,

then this UnSub's probably
already aware that we're on to him.

But the community needs to know
if there's a serial killer in its midst.

And they will, as soon as we have proof.

Even if the proof means another body?

He's right, you know.

He's also personally motivated, though,

which means he's likely
to react irrationally.

If this turns out to be the work of
a serial killer, the whole town will, too.

You know what I think, Jakey? Quarterback.

Yeah. Maybe that's a little too dangerous.

How about a kicker?

Yeah. A kicker.

Looks like we have a visitor.

Just a second. Mommy will be right back.

- Hey, there. Come on in.
- Thank you very much.

Say hi, Jake. Can you do that for Mommy?

Say hi.

I've got your bag in the other room.

- You got it now?
- Yeah.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm good. Let's do this.

All right, you've got a kid.
There's a bad guy in the house,

what do you do to protect your child?

Fight.

Not a single defensive wound on her body.

Well, I don't suppose she climbed
up there of her own free will.

Unless she committed suicide.

She's got a baby
crying for her in the other room.

Father found him in the highchair.
Not a scratch.

Remember, the UnSub believes
he's on some kind of a mission.

The child is of no importance to him.
They find a suicide note?

- Haven't found one yet.
- So what are you thinking?

In every case,
there is no evidence of a struggle.

Or breaking and entering.

I'm going to need you and Emily
to contact all of the families

affected by that fire and inform them
of what's going on.

They need to be warned immediately.

So, she couldn't cope. She snapped.
It happens. It happens every day.

No, not here it didn't.

Emily, right now that's exactly
what happened.

Paul Baleman's house,
that's what you'd expect from someone

who was deeply depressed,
deeply traumatized.

Yeah, I know. I saw it.

Everything past, orderly.
Everything present, disorderly.

The bookshelf, the glass cabinet,

all had order when their lives
had order, had meaning.

Everything about Beth's home
says she moved on.

Then how did she
get up there without a fight?

She's already dead.

Dead weight is a lot heavier than alive.

Um...

Okay, well, she can't believe
he's going to spare the baby

if she does what she's told.

The question is, how did he get in?

Beth must have let him in.
I mean, she had to.

They all let him in.

So, she fixes them drinks, he drugs her.

That's got to be it.

It's Emily the Strange and Great.
What can I do you for?

Hey. I'm looking for a drug

that would temporarily paralyze
or subdue someone.

Not kill them, but give full control.

Well, I always use alcohol.
It's less fuss, way cheaper.

Look for something that wouldn't
show up in a toxicology report.

- Okay, got it.
- Thank you.

Anything to tell us whether
these are suicides or not?

These are some samples
from Diedra Nollard, the jumper.

See, we have an insurance form,

a letter she wrote
to her neighbor a month ago,

a birthday card she wrote
to her husband a week ago,

and her suicide note found on her body.

Suicide note matches, right?

It's definitely by her own hand,
but she's professing regret. Look.

"I'm sorry. I let you down.

"Please forgive me.
I've disappointed you." And so on.

But the handwriting,
the forensic analysis,

- is saying the exact opposite.
- What do you mean?

Well, you see how the handwriting
slants uphill?

It's a clear sign of optimism.

The same with how the spacing
is so consistent.

And these long t-bars?
Those indicate an enthusiastic person.

Not someone who would take
a swan dive off a five-story walk-up.

Look, even if we had alerted the media...

Now we'll never know.
Like I said, that's on me.

But, hey, now we have the proof
that these aren't suicides.

Those notes, were they coerced?

If you were to force someone
to write their own suicide note,

these are words
you generally wouldn't use...

I'll take that as a no.
And my brother's journal?

I haven't even... It's extensive.

- I haven't even...
- Another no.

Can we inform the media now?

I have.

I need you all outside.

This is SSA Aaron Hotchner.
He's just arrived.

- What have we got?
- Including extended families,

over 100 individuals
within the Pittsburgh area

were affected by that fire.

So this UnSub is targeting grief, right?

- Grief?
- An event.

A single event in this UnSub's life

led him to end the life of someone
he believes had to die.

From that moment on,
he created his own sense of morality,

of what is right and what is wrong.
And he rationalizes what he did,

that first kill, over and over again,

by targeting people that he believes

can't be saved
by anyone other than himself.

He decides who lives and who dies,

and this gives him
an all-consuming sense of power.

So they're not going to stop
any time soon?

Well, that's assuming there's
someone to actually stop.

And if there is, he's convinced
he's on a mission of mercy.

And even after he's caught,
he'll maintain he did nothing wrong.

- He?
- White male. Mid-to-late 30s.

He's polite, forthcoming,
doesn't stand out.

And we believe his victims,
these families,

are all letting him in.

My brother, his wife,
weren't letting anyone in.

If anything,
they were closing themselves off.

Well, this UnSub has found the way in.
One that's very hard to trace.

In every case, there was no evidence
of a struggle, no attempted escapes.

He finds a personal connection
and uses it to buy time.

My officers need to know this.

We've found that angels of mercy

are often people
in the medical profession,

- as well as law enforcement.
- Cops.

Which is why
we're meeting out here.

Now we're only fishing.
We don't want to point a finger...

Point it. I don't give a damn.

If that's what it's about,
let us figure out where to point it.

I asked Garcia to check
into emergency responders

who were on scene at the fire.

- Good. Prentiss?
- He's smart.

He knows all about these people's
schedules, their routines.

Look, if this UnSub does exist,
this is a guy who's all about control.

He chooses how they die, when they die.

He even positions them
exactly how he wants them to die.

That makes him hyper-vigilant.

A guy who's always on the lookout,
risk averse, unseen.

The only way to stop him is to find out

how he's managed to get
into all of his victims' lives.

We find that out, we've got our killer.

Let's start bringing people in.
Find the connection.

I haven't had a drink.

It's been three weeks, four days.

Some of you know I lost my son, Ben,
in the fire.

A few of you have pushed me
to go see his Little League games.

His old team. He used to pitch.

But I've got to be honest,
I just haven't been up for that.

I drive by, every day.

You know, maybe today. Maybe not.

I don't know.

Thank you for coming.

We're so sorry about
the loss of your son.

I'm sure you know about the suicides

that have occurred in Shadyside
over the past two months.

We believe there's a serial killer
who is making it appear

as though his victims
are committing suicide.

Oh, my God.

And he's targeting people
that were affected by the fire.

What do you mean?
I mean, why would someone do that?

He believes he's an angel of mercy,

that he's actually helping
his victims move on.

Do you believe we may know this person?

Yes, we do.

We just buried our daughter.

Yes, we know.

Whatever his motivations are,

it's crucial we look
into every part of your life.

Like he's done or is doing, right?

Can you think of anyone
who might want to...

Might want to kill us?

They're just doing their job.

He's a white male. Mid-30s.

He comes across as very concerned.
Friendly. Charming.

No. I'm sorry.

If you need our help for anything.

Thank you.

- Did you see her with her son?
- What?

She couldn't hold him.
She couldn't look at him.

Nice throw, Jim.

Mind if I sit here?

Help yourself.

- So you made it?
- Yeah, I did.

"Face what you fear the most."

Step 10,
continue to take personal inventory.

Go ahead, hot stuff, talk to me.

Hey. So,

Prentiss was looking for
some narcotics, my burning love hunk.

And I scored humongously!

I ran every toxicological panel
known to man on the victims

and came up with zilch, which means
he must be knocking them out

with a neuromuscular agent.

- With a what?
- A paralytic.

Yeah, yeah, something
like Succinylcholine or Vecuronium.

One of those ones
that would metabolize in the body

so quickly it wouldn't be detectable.

Plus, plus, also,
and I called me up Mr. Coroner

and said, "How would you do this?"
And he says, "By injection."

So I say, "Hey, guy,
wouldn't that leave a mark?"

And he's all, "Hold up."

And then he goes
and looks at Beth Smoler's body

and finds the mark.

A hole, right in her hairline.

Okay, so you'd have to be
in the medical profession

to get a hold of those drugs, right?

Not necessarily. You can get
almost anything online these days.

- This drug leaves no trace?
- None.

Even if a coroner was looking
for something, the evidence was gone.

And Beth Smoler
didn't see anything coming.

No, sir, she completely saw it coming,
they all saw it coming.

Neuromuscular blockers paralyze
the muscles temporarily

while you remain very much awake.

He sedates them,
then quickly engineers their suicide.

Well, if that's true,
it means this UnSub's

not looking for the glory of the kill.

No, but unfortunately for his victims,
they're wide awake

when he decides
it's time for them to move on.

I know that feeling.
When is it ever going to end?

The sadness, it just goes on and on
every breathing moment.

And the pain, it overwhelms you.

And if you could end it, you would.

That's why when you looked at me, Curtis,

I knew, in that moment,
what you wanted of me.

What you wanted me to do.

I'm only sorry it took me this long.

But I'm here now. You can let go, Curtis.

I think we're ready now.
Yeah, you're ready.

The barrel was placed
right there, under the chin. He shoots.

And the bullet went up through
the small and hard pallet of his mouth.

And then it exited out through his...

Cranium. Check the back of his head.
His hairline.

There. See it?

A puncture wound. Made by a...

A needle.

Did he leave a note?

All right, Rossi, I'm in.
We got ourselves an UnSub.

They all have the same type of tone,
it's uncanny.

And you're saying they
all wrote these willingly?

None of them are forced.
But even here, in Curtis Fackler's,

he never says goodbye.

It's like they're not meant for anybody.
Not for a wife, not for a kid.

- Then who are they writing them to?
- They're amends. To themselves.

And I believe they're written
as part of a program.

- Program?
- The five stages of grief.

In some self-help groups,
they ask you to write down an amends.

To yourself.

Is that right?

And all of these groups
are anonymous, right?

Well, just to give you an idea
of what we're dealing with here,

just for alcoholic support groups
for tonight, Monday,

there are 91 around Pittsburgh proper.

You gotta be kidding me. That many?

They have different meetings
all day and night.

Different locations, different degrees
of participation, of religiousness.

Okay, I've set you a schedule
of meetings for the major grief staples.

Alcohol, drugs, depression, and loss,

all within a two-mile radius
of Shadyside. There are 11.

Can we get a list of names?

- No.
- Why not?

They're anonymous. That's how
he's been getting away with it.

Let's gather the troops. We're going
to need all the people you can spare.

You got it.

Can you think of anybody
who sticks out?

He's confident, earnest.

Mmm-mmm.

Hell, I mean, we're addicts.

Everyone sticks out,
no one sticks out, you know?

We're just checking
all the different groups in the area.

Well, this is a really private group.

Honestly, I don't think I could help you,
and if I could, I wouldn't.

Even if it means
that one of the members of your group

might get killed?

This person has a specific background.
A tragic event.

He would have felt compelled
to tell his story.

And he may have even told it
time and time again.

That's about 90% of the group.

He might've brought up suicide.

There has been a lot
of suicide talk lately.

Anyone come to mind?

You know, there was a guy who talked
about his brother's suicide.

It was pretty intense.

This guy stood up and told
a story about his brother.

His family was so poor they...

They shared the same bedroom
until they were 15.

We heard the same story.

He's moving from group to group.
Repeating it.

He said his name was Peter,
and that his dad was a...

Professor at Brassard.

And we were just kids.
Slept in separate beds.

And my father,
he'd be coming up the stairway.

And we'd hear this creaking sound.

It was awful.

And then he would...

He would get into bed with James and...

Molest him.

The worst part of it is that he pretended
to be asleep when it happened.

If it's true, it could be what started
our UnSub on his mission of mercy.

It certainly didn't end well, at least
not for James, the older brother.

Then one night, I...

I came into our room, and, well,
James had slashed his wrists.

The sheets were covered in his blood.
It was everywhere.

And then he looked me in the eye

and I knew.

In that moment,

I knew that I just had to let him go.

Okay, so we've got two names.
James and Peter.

And a university. Brassard.

Well, that will make
it easier for you, Garcia.

If the UnSub's father really taught
at Brassard, chances are he's local.

Uh...

Reid?

Angels of mercy, they repeat
the same event over and over again.

- What are you getting at?
- Well, if as you said the story's true,

then he's leaving
one key piece of information out.

- The event that started it all.
- His brother didn't kill himself.

Peter did.

The fire caused such grief
and suffering that it became a trigger.

And unable to stop himself, he targets
someone he believes needs his help.

At first, he keeps to some kind
of timeline, a few weeks.

But the last two kills were within days.

- He's devolving.
- I got it.

It's from 1984. It's Brassard College
university newspaper.

- Garcia, they lived on campus?
- Yeah.

It says here James Redding

was the youngest suicide
in Pennsylvanian history.

And his father, Charles Redding,
was a professor. Creep!

Is there any possibility
that while we've been talking,

you've been multitasking?

What, and tracked down
his current address?

- I love you, Penelope Garcia.
- Get in line.

- Clear!
- We're clear!

- Clear!
- Clear!

We need to work fast.

There's meetings taking place
all over the city.

At least with your guys and ours,
his chances are next to zero, right?

He's got away with it this far.

Guys, you might want to
take a look at this.

He's crossed off the names
of Beth Smoler and Curtis Fackler.

- The last two victims.
- It's a grid of all the support groups.

Times. Dates. He's got a list of names
of all those in the meetings.

They all have a type. Alcoholic.
Narcotic. Depression. Divorce.

Man, this guy kept himself busy.

Hey, Laurie Ann Morris.
We spoke to her and her husband.

Her name's not crossed off
like the others.

Hi. My name is Laurie Ann.

- Hi, Laurie Ann.
- Hi, Laurie Ann.

- She's not answering her cell phone.
- Her husband's already left work.

I'm calling his cell now.

Jonathan? Hello, this is
Agent Emily Prentiss from the FBI.

Is your wife Laurie Ann with you?

Can you tell us where she is right now?

Got it.

Rough day? You don't have to answer that.

Tried to quit. Can't quite seem to do it.

- Maybe now's not the time.
- Right.

You'll know when it is.

You have good intuition. I can see that.

I'm late. It's nice to meet you.

You too.

Excuse me, sir. We're looking
for either one of these people.

Have either of you seen them?
Are you sure?

All right, let's split up and search
the building and the surrounding area.

This way, guys.

Laurie Ann Morris.
Have you seen her?

Please look close. She was here.
Are you sure?

Excuse me, have either of you
seen these people? Okay, thank you.

- Triple-A?
- Expired. I'll figure something out.

- She was here a minute ago.
- Where'd she go?

- Maybe the parking lot.
- Was she alone?

- She was talking to some guy.
- Thank you.

- Parking lot?
- Other side of the building.

- How many exits does it have?
- Three. North, east and west side.

All right, let's split up
and cover each one.

Morgan, come with us.

Where are you going?

- Please, it's no bother.
- Where?

Main Street.
I'm just going to meet a friend.

Hop in the back.

- Do we know what kind of car she has?
- It's a blue Chevy.

Wait, I can help you.

Help me how?

With the pain of not even being able
to hold your son.

- You think you can help me?
- Yes.

You just have to let go.

It's over there.

Is that what you did for all those people?

- Laurie Ann!
- Yes.

Yes, I did what they couldn't do.

- You think you can help me?
- Laurie Ann!

- You think you can help me?
- Yes.

Laurie Ann!

Laurie Ann!

Put your hands where I can see them.
I'm going around.

Show me your hands.

Okay, don't move, we've got help coming.

- Do it now! You got me?
- Yeah.

I don't understand what's going on.

Here.

What's going on is you just
took your last breath as a free man.

- I didn't do nothing wrong.
- Shut up.

- Hey.
- Hi.

You're going to be okay.

Am I?

Laurie Ann, a mother isn't supposed
to outlive her children.

Yeah.

But she's gone. Aly's dead.

Please! I don't care anymore.

But your son does. Don't lose him as well.

I wanted to thank you for all you did.

And for believing me when no one else did.

Ron...

Thank you.

Paul's journal. I read it.

Ronnie, your brother Paul wasn't murdered.

In Peter's apartment,
unlike all the other victims,

Paul's name was nowhere to be found.

I don't understand.

You said the psychological autopsy
was inconclusive.

Further analysis of the journal
concludes it was suicide.

I'm sorry.

You're wrong.
But like I said, thanks for coming.

"The most authentic thing
about us is our capacity to create,

"to overcome, to endure, to transform,

"to love and to be greater
than our suffering." Ben Okri.

How'd it go with Jack?

I just told him that I wasn't
going to be around as much.

How'd he take it?

He gave me a hug and he said that
everything was going to be all right.

Smart kid.

Like his dad.

So tell me.

Back at the house,
when we found Beth Smoler.

I don't know. Sometimes I just wonder
if we're actually changing anything.

Do you know why I have four properties?

Tell me.

If I'm not kicking down doors,
I'm smashing down walls.

At the end of the day, they both make
me feel like I'm changing something.

For the better.

- Good enough?
- Good enough.