Criminal Minds s07e15 Episode Script
A Thin Line
Matt.
- Matt.
- What? What? Shh! It's me.
Where's your cell phone? My backpack.
Daddy, what are you doing? Someone's in the house.
- Who? - Baby, I don't know, but the power's out and my cell phone's downstairs.
Where is it, Kenz? Where's Mom? Hiding in the bathroom with your sister.
Now, I got to go check on them.
- Daddy.
- You hide under the bed and call 911, okay? - Daddy! - Come here.
Kenz, I'm going to need you to be brave right now, okay? Can you do that for me? You hide under there and call 911.
I love you so much.
I'll be back.
Don't come out.
Someone broke into our house.
Please send help.
What's your address? San Bernardino.
What's your name? Mackenzie.
Mackenzie Lewis.
My dad told me to call.
Where's your dad now? I don't know.
He had his gun.
Mackenzie, listen to me.
Stay calm.
The police are on their way.
Please hurry.
Is there someplace you can hide? I'm under my bed.
No.
- Mommy.
- Mackenzie Mackenzie, listen to me.
Just listen to the sound of my voice.
Stay calm.
Just breathe.
Mackenzie.
Mackenzie, stay with me.
Come on, now, breathe.
That a girl.
There you go.
Nice and deep.
Mackenzie? Is there someone in your room? Yes.
Just stay quiet.
I'm right here.
I'm right here.
Shh.
Mackenzie.
Nice job, Valdez.
You just got your whole team killed.
Sorry.
You're damn right you're sorry.
Franklin's wife is pregnant.
Maxwell over there just got engaged.
Wedding's in May, right? It's too bad you won't make it.
I thought I cleared the room.
You didn't check the door.
You missed the hidden threat.
- I I should have covered him.
- No, Prentiss.
You're on point.
It's his job to cover you.
And when you don't do your job, Valdez, people die.
Now, if you're not ready to shoulder that responsibility, then maybe you need to reconsider joining the Bureau.
I said I was sorry, all right? I heard you, but out in the field, "sorry" doesn't bring people back.
We're done today.
Morgan, is everything all right? Yeah.
Why? You were a little hard on Valdez.
He's just a new agent trainee.
Who made a fatal mistake.
He looks up to you.
I'm just saying maybe you could build his confidence, not break it.
Imagine how he'd feel if that had been real.
Okay, yeah, I understand that, but that course is designed to force failure.
- That's how we learn.
- And my job is to train the trainees, not to be their friend.
Look, I know you're doing a tough love thing, but they don't know you like I do.
We got a heater.
Going back to Cali, crime fighters.
San Bernardino, California.
Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart.
Exact same M.
O.
Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window.
In each case, the entire family was shot and killed? Yes, that is right.
I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis families.
ROSSl: They took out the power and phones to isolate them.
Their alarm systems wouldn't work, and they can't call for help.
Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company.
Yeah, but the Mitchells had an older system and the Lewises were behind on their account, so it was inactive.
An assailant was killed in each case? Affirmative, but the sheriff hasn't I.
D.
'd them yet.
So both these families were armed and fought back and shot one of their attackers.
Was that a coincidence or a connection? What concerns me is the frequency of the kills.
Only four days apart.
All right, it's a long flight.
We better get going.
Wheels up in 30.
"Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.
" Honoré de Balzac.
Brian Mitchell was an avid hunter.
Matt Lewis was an Iraq war vet.
Not surprising they both owned guns.
Last year, Southern California's Inland Empire ranked fourth in the nation in foreclosure rates.
Typically, as the economy falls, crime rates rise.
ROSSl: Times are tough.
Desperate people do desperate things.
Greetings, all.
- Your herald bears tidings.
What you got, mama? The sheriff I.
D.
'd both the dead home invaders.
First up is Alex Collison, 20.
Made an impressive list of bad life decisions before he croaked including, but not limited to possession, a couple of drug charges, a card carrying member of the Verdugo Heights Boys.
They're gang members? Oh, he was, but slow your roll, homegirl, 'cause next up is Ronald Underwood, unless you want to count some volunteer work.
Straight-A student, putting himself through school.
Not exactly the home invasion type.
Both from a poor area of town.
Grew up a mile apart.
Hard to tell from the crime scene photos how many assailants there were.
Well, if it was gang-related, - there could be a lot of them.
The homes that got invaded were on the other side of town- predominantly white area - full of middle class families.
Hey, guys.
The M.
E.
report just came in.
Both of them had high levels of oxycodone - in their systems.
- That's strange.
Violent crimes like these are normally associated with stimulant drugs like methamphetamines.
Underwood's as straight as an arrow.
Collison's a garden-variety gangbanger.
I grew up with knuckleheads like that.
High-risk break-ins and oxy? That's not their M.
O.
Regardless, we need to get ahead of it.
The press has got the community on verge of panic.
JJ and I will coordinate with the sheriff's office.
I want the rest of you at the crime scenes.
ROSSl: If you remember anything at all, give us a call.
Neighbors said they've been trying to sell that house for almost a year.
Apparently, Matt Lewis was laid off, and they were upside down on their mortgage.
Nothing about that house says, "Rob me.
" Beat-up, eight-year-old minivan in the driveway.
There's nothing fancy inside, either.
Violent, hardcore burglars don't pick random targets.
So why these homes? Look at these people- they're terrified.
Can you blame 'em? Well, half of 'em are moving.
The other half are joining the neighborhood watch.
This whole community's going to be on edge until we catch these guys.
Let me go! Someone broke into our house.
Please send help.
Mackenzie Lewis was the fourth and final victim.
She made the 911 call from under her bed.
The M.
E.
didn't see any signs of a struggle, so he obviously dealt with her rather quickly.
Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the exact same.
357.
So, if it was a gang, there was only one shooter.
The, uh, second and third victims were Trisha Lewis and six-month-old Blake.
The, uh, injury patterns suggest that Mrs.
Lewis tried to shield the baby with her own body.
Matt Lewis was found right here, Ronald Underwood just over there.
Underwood was shot 11 times in the head and abdomen.
But Lewis himself only had a single gunshot wound to the head at almost point-blank range? How did someone get that close? He could have been subdued first.
The M.
E.
didn't see any signs of blitz attack or struggle.
Well, it had to be an ambush of some kind.
Probably when he was confronting Underwood.
But that's almost impossible based on where the body was found.
It was right in the middle of the room.
It's too out in the open to surprise somebody.
ROSSl: Matt Lewis - wasn't shot here.
- No, but somebody moved the body to make it look like he was.
Forensic countermeasure designed to make us think these guys died in a gunfight that never occurred.
ROSSl: Bullets and blood everywhere, too messy for an accurate reconstruction.
Mr.
Phillips, were you aware of Alex's gang affiliation? Wasn't a secret.
Boy was wild.
Been that way since his mother passed.
Too much of his daddy in him.
So, he was always in trouble? Not FBl trouble.
He ain't got the brains, nor the work ethic.
Well, kids have a way of hiding things.
Agent Hotchner, the boy smoked reefer, ran with the wrong crowd.
Most of his time was spent on a stoop or in front of a TV.
I'm telling you, ain't no way on God's green earth he did what they say he did.
When was the last time you saw Ronald? Night before last.
He came home from work, and he was running late for class.
I left him a plate.
When I found it there the next morning, I knew something was wrong.
Does he look familiar? No.
Never seen him.
Were you aware of any gang affiliation your son may have had? Gang? No.
It-it could have been just a friend in the neighborhood I said no.
Okay.
Have you ever known him to do drugs? Excuse me? Ma'am, look, I'm I'm very sorry.
I- I know this is very So you think, because he was black and had tattoos, that he was in a gang and doing drugs? The medical examiner found opiates in his system.
The other dead assailant was a known gang member.
Ma'am, I am just trying to gain insight into who your son was.
Well, here's some insight.
My son worked two jobs so he could put himself through school.
He was no thug on the corner.
My baby- he would never have done these things.
Do you understand me? You find out who did this to him.
Okay, so the UnSub gets the drop on Matt Lewis, kills the rest of the family, and then leaves a drugged-up patsy behind to cover his tracks? This wasn't a burglary at all.
There was a higher purpose here.
They're staging the crime scene to send some kind of message.
This guy's trying to make it look like black kids from the hood are killing white families in white neighborhoods.
Pretty powerful message.
Homes are being invaded.
Entire families are being slaughtered by common criminals.
I ask you, Mayor Wennington, what are you doing about it? 'Cause, frankly sir, from where I'm standing, it doesn't seem like enough.
I'd like to respond to that.
I should hope so.
- Oh, please.
Because crime rates have been on the rise ever since you took office.
And so have property taxes, I might add.
And how about you, Ms.
Ross? If you take office, do you have a plan to curb the violence in our streets? I do.
I will be happy to discuss it.
The victims of these heinous crimes fought back.
Why? Because no one would fight back for them.
But if you elect me, I will.
I won't let this become another Los Angeles where the cancer of black and Latino gangs is taking over.
Or Salt Lake, where 80% of drug-related felonies is committed by illegals.
This is our city.
It's time we take it back.
Same exact M.
O.
Power and phone lines were cut and he snuck in through the back window.
He's accelerating.
Less than two days since the last break-in.
He was Pedro Mendez.
He had a Mexican driver's license on him.
Garcia checked him out.
Wife, three kids.
No criminal record.
Six gunshot wounds to the chest and head.
Looks like they were all from a.
38 snub nose.
And then, over here Charles Nelson.
.
38 was registered in his name.
He unloaded the entire cylinder on that guy.
Or we're supposed to think.
Where's the other body? Upstairs.
Karen Nelson.
She was due in a month.
Well, he took the time to pull the sheet up and tuck her in.
Remorse.
Well, that would be a first.
Why now? The home owners in each case were killed humanely.
He didn't want them to suffer.
But the fall guys he left behind were all shot multiple times.
Overkill, like it was personal.
But he modified his M.
O.
This time, he wanted it to look like an undocumented immigrant was responsible.
These are hate crimes, and the point is to incite racial tension and fear.
We believe we're looking for a white male in his late 20s to early 30s.
Wait, wait, wait.
I-I'm sorry.
I thought we were looking at black gangbangers.
The UnSub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible.
Why would anyone do that? We think he's trying to create some sort of racial conflict.
In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-La Bianca murders in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as Helter Skelter.
A name he stole from a Beatles song.
Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the Black Panther Party was responsible.
Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable, but necessary.
Our UnSub may be a member of one of these groups.
Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex-con, or even possibly related to a convict.
ROSSl: We think he may also be some kind of zealot.
He believes his war is already being fought, and these murders are a mission to him.
And, like a soldier, he is willing to put himself in harm's way.
The UnSub may also be vulnerable, somehow weak-minded or even lonely.
His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging.
He's physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he's probably young.
ROSSl: But not so young as to be impulsive.
These attacks took planning and focus, so he's disciplined.
He uses oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners.
But he does so without killing them, which means he's knowledgeable about dosages.
And oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers.
Anyone with access to prescription drugs.
This UnSub is dedicated and driven.
Makes him especially dangerous.
Surrender is not likely part of his strategy.
Morning, sunshine.
Beautiful day.
You sleep okay? Yeah, me, too.
I think I need a new mattress.
Fixed your favorite oatmeal, put in brown sugar.
I know how you like it.
WOMAN Here's a quick look at what we can expect the five-day forecast to look like.
As you can see, we'll be slightly on the cooler side of average with temps in the mid to upper 50s with partly cloudy skies Eggs? Mama, you want eggs? Sun sets at 5:39 Hmm? Yeah? So don't pack away those winter jackets just yet.
Back to you guys at the studio.
- Here you go.
-MAN And with the mayoral race heating up, Clark Preston took time to walk the neighborhood recently hit by two brutal home invasions.
I'm here to support my community.
These people need to know that they're not alone.
Mr.
Preston, what do you plan to do about it if elected? What do I plan to do? These people ask the dumbest questions.
I plan to cut these gangs out like a tumor.
We won't be terrorized in our own homes.
- No, sir.
-If I need to go door-to-door to personally send every one of them back to where they came from.
I want my city back.
That's right.
I got you, Mom.
I got you.
Hang on.
Hang on.
Hang on.
There you go.
Hey, Hotch, check this out.
There's a mayoral race in town, and there's a guy named Clark Preston all over the news.
Looks like he's running a close second.
These vicious home invasions are a sign of the times.
As demographics change, so do crime rates.
Now, we may not be able to slow the browning of America, but we can sure as hell take our city back, and if you elect me, I'll lead that charge.
The browning of America? That's damn near hate speech.
He's using the murders to further his campaign, and I guess people are rallying behind it.
So, what if our UnSub is nothing like Manson? Manson never got his hands dirty.
What if our UnSub is more like his followers? You think he's being manipulated? Maybe even unintentionally, but either way, rhetoric like this could fuel his fire.
We should talk to Preston.
I already sent a car.
Good.
I can't tell you how happy I am you're here, gentlemen.
Maybe now someone will stop these savages.
What can I do to help? We were hoping to talk to you about some of your rhetoric.
My rhetoric? We believe the recent murders may be hate crimes.
Some of the things you say- well, they may be construed as inflammatory.
Agent Morgan's referring to some of your recent campaign speeches and the references to the murders.
We believe that whoever's responsible for these crimes is impressionable and may be responding to the vitriol.
You think I'm responsible? Nobody said that.
If this person is motivated by racist sentiments, then what you are saying publicly may be affecting him.
You're profilers, right? Right.
You study behavior, not actual facts, and then you come up with theories.
It's not quite as simple as that.
I'll bet you had to work extra hard to get into the Bureau, didn't you? Probably still have to prove yourself on a regular basis.
I respect that.
I wish there were more like you.
I'll cut back on my media appearances for now.
But I suggest you start proving some of those theories of yours.
You two enjoy your day.
We should check out his list of contributors and his staff.
It might be somebody in his camp.
We need to check him out, too.
I'll send it first thing Monday.
Yes, yes, yes.
Now, please stop calling.
Hey, Trev, how you doing, buddy? Clark.
Ah, good to see you, man.
- You, too.
-Hey, those debates the other day- - you were great.
- Hey, um, thanks.
I'm sorry I couldn't swing by after like we planned.
Oh, no, no, no.
I get it.
I mean, it's not like you're running for mayor or anything, right? Brought these for your mom.
It's her birthday next week, right? You always remember.
Hey, uh, you hungry? I'm fixing lunch.
You could come in and say hi.
- She'd love to see you.
- I wish I had the time.
Listen, I'm just in the neighborhood.
But you give her my love.
You bet.
Hey, listen, about the campaigning.
I'm thinking maybe we downshift a little bit.
Have you seen the polls? We're losing.
I know.
Still a lot of work to do.
Yeah, but we're changing minds, just like you said.
And we'll keep changing them.
But it's a chess game, Trev.
We got to time our moves.
Trust me.
Trust me.
Hey, talk to me, doll face.
I got some dirt on your mayoral candidate, - Clark Preston.
-ROSSl: He's a politician.
That shouldn't - be hard.
-GARCIA: Yeah, he's a real estate lawyer who ran for city council last year and lost, and he's rich.
As in, if money was dirt, he's filthy.
Uh, he quadrupled his net worth in the last ten years, - mostly from real estate.
So, he managed to thrive despite the area's economic downturn.
What do you mean by "mostly"? Well, he is on the board of several shadow financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds.
Oh, he likes to shuffle his money around.
Even found some offshore accounts - of his, I did.
You only do that if - you're trying to hide it.
What about his staff - and contributors? -GARCIA: Uh-uh.
No, they're all clean.
Well, thanks, Garcia.
Yeah.
Preston's a part of this.
I know he is.
You should have seen him in there.
Well, he's a racist and a little shady, maybe, but a murderer? It may be just a feeling, but I know he's in this.
We just need to figure out how.
No! Shot execution-style, just like all the others.
ROSSl: Why put him in there? There must be something symbolically important.
There's something inconsistent about the staging.
It's not remorse, and it's not a forensic countermeasure, either.
Each of these families were registered gun owners.
That must be how he's selecting his victims.
He wants them to fight back.
It's propaganda for his race war.
He's turning the families into martyrs.
And the fall guy takes the blame.
But now he's lost control, because his fall guy got away, and he's devolving.
His name's Ramon Gomez.
He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico City, and he's pretty freaked out.
Well, that's - understandable.
- Was he able to give - a description of the UnSub? - Uh, just of the vehicle.
His English is not good.
We put an APB out.
Preston campaign headquarters.
Campaign headquarters.
And please tell everybody that I appreciate all their help.
I mean, sometimes I don't get a chance to do it personally, so it's really great if you do it for me.
Hey, uh, Clark, you got a second? Becky, give me a minute, will you? Trevor, you know better than to come here.
- Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry.
- We talked about this.
Yeah, I know, Clark, but please.
- I really have to talk to you.
- Not here, not now.
But it's important.
I'll come by as soon as I can, but get the hell out of here, and don't ever come back.
Oh, yeah, yeah, okay, that's much better.
That's much better.
Now you have to turn these both around.
This signature, and then bring it into my office tomorrow.
Bring Jim.
Get everyone in there.
There were approximately two hours between Ramon's abduction here and his escape here.
He crossed the train tracks here.
Now, given the time and distance parameters, there's no way the UnSub could have ventured outside - this radius.
Okay.
He said the train was close, and he heard laughter and loud music.
I looked up points of interest next to the train tracks, and there really isn't much.
There's a warehouse, a taco stand that would have been closed and a bar called the Drunken Dog.
Why stop there? He needed a drink? He doesn't seem like the drinking type.
He's not impulsive or sloppy enough.
I live to serve you, sir.
Garcia, what can you tell us about a bar called - the Drunken Dog? - Ooh, I like it already.
Let's see.
Uh, it's been around 30 years.
It was opened by a warehouse worker named Manny Gresham.
Upon his death six years ago, it was bought by a hedge fund company called First Advantage.
Why would a hedge fund company - want a bar? Let's see.
Well, they bought it for a song, and poor Manny's medical expenses bankrupted him.
I guess that's why.
Shut the front door.
Clark Preston is on the board of First Advantage, which explains why the bar is on a short list of local businesses that support Preston for mayor.
Uh, hey, Clark.
Uh, it's me again.
I did everything like you said just like we planned it, but something something went wrong.
I don't know what to do.
Would you call me back? Please? Okay, we missed something.
We need to go back over his staff and contributors again.
They all came up clean.
Garcia, look up DMV records and find every registration in the area that matches the description of the UnSub's vehicle.
Okay, 79 names, and I'm way ahead of you.
None of them match anyone on Preston's team.
What the what? Oh, I'm good at my job.
Uh, Pamela Mills donates monthly to Preston's campaign.
Her son, Trevor- his car matches the description, and it's registered in his name.
Got a photo and an address? Yes, I do.
I also have a place of work for Trevor.
He is a part-time messenger.
I'm sending it now.
All right, JJ, Morgan, Prentiss- take the workplace.
We'll take the house.
And now in political news, with the mayoral race heating up, we caught up with candidate Hillary Ross to get her comments on the recent home invasion I know.
I miss him, too.
Ms.
Ross? Ms.
Ross? What can you tell us about the recent rash of home invasion murders? Well, our community has healing to do.
It's going to take hard work and time to You stupid bitch.
Healing? I know, right? She doesn't have what it takes.
We are under siege here, and what is she going to do? What have you got, Garcia? Sir, I-I found the connection between the Mills family and Clark Preston.
Ten years ago, the Mills were victims of a home invasion.
Robert Mills, the father, and ten-year-old Julie were killed.
Pamela was raped, and now she has a lot of brain damage that's left her in a near-vegetative state.
What about Trevor? He hid in a closet, and when it was over, he called 911.
That's why he stuffed that boy in the closet.
He was reliving his own victimization.
ROSSl: He didn't do that to the other children he murdered because he didn't relate to them.
Garcia, was anybody convicted of the crime? Yes, a, uh, Ronny Green and Carlos Jackson.
Both African-American, both serving life in Folsom.
And then, after the murders, uh, Preston, he financially supported the family almost entirely.
So, they're close.
He's known the family for years.
That must be how they're paying Pamela's medical expenses.
It's be awfully hard to cover that on a part-time messenger's salary.
Yeah, I mean, it's a topflight policy.
ROSSl: So, Preston is playing the savior.
And it looks like that monthly donation that Pamela makes to Preston's campaign is her disability check.
ROSSl: My guess is Trevor authorized that because he feels beholden to Preston.
He probably idolizes him.
So, Preston is manipulating the Mills family to further his own agenda.
He's behind everything.
ROSSl: He took advantage of Trevor when he was weak and vulnerable.
He gains his trust, then he brainwashes him.
- Turned him into a killer.
Uh, guys, there's something else.
FBl.
Pamela Mills? House is empty.
He's not here, but I found this in his bedroom.
It's addressed to her.
"The price of peace is sacrifice.
"And I'm prepared to pay that price no matter how high.
I hope you'll still love me.
" This is a good-bye letter.
Or a suicide note.
He doesn't profile as suicidal.
No, but he knows this could be his final mission.
And he may want to go out in a blaze of glory.
If it's all about the election, he's only got one move left.
We need to secure Mayor Wennington.
I'll have the rest of the team find Hillary Ross.
You've reached Hillary Ross.
Please leave detailed message She's still not answering.
Yeah, Morgan.
We're on our way to Hillary Ross's house now.
She's still not answering her phone.
All right, call local police.
He's not going to go quietly.
Do you have Mayor Wennington? Yeah.
Keep me posted.
You got it.
Hello.
You've reached Hillary Ross.
- I'm still getting nothing.
- That's her car.
All right, you two go around back.
I'll draw his fire while you flank him.
You sure you want to split up? We got to cover the back and the front in case he runs.
Let's go.
FBl.
You're hit.
I'm good.
Go, go.
He's upstairs.
Trevor Mills! FBl! Drop the weapon! It's over! Get away from me! Trevor, you don't want to do this.
- Let me help you, or you're gonna die.
-Yeah, you help me? Yeah, right! I know about Preston.
I know that he put you up to all of this.
You damn half-breed! You don't know anything.
Trevor, we pulled your phone records.
You called Preston So what?! We pulled his voice mail messages, too.
He's using you, kid.
That's why he won't call you back.
- Get out of here, or I'll kill this bitch! -Listen to me.
Just listen.
When those men broke in your house, you know who ended up buying it? It was your man, Preston, and he got it for nothing.
You're a liar.
All you people do is lie! The men convicted of killing your family- they both said somebody paid 'em off to do that job.
They just couldn't prove it, so now they're doing life.
Yeah, well, they should have gotten the chair.
Come on, Trevor, wake up.
Preston set that up.
Crime waves hit, property value drops.
Then Preston moves in and buys it all up for cheap.
Shut up! Trevor, listen to me.
He doesn't give a damn about black or white.
The only color that son of a bitch cares about is green.
Come on, kid, you got to believe me.
Drop the gun.
You let her go, we can work it out.
He told me you would try to turn me.
But I'm no traitor! Voice mail messages? That's ludicrous.
That boy is mentally unstable.
- He always has been.
- Clark Preston, you have - the right to remain silent.
- I'm innocent.
- Please feel free to exercise that right.
-Misunderstanding.
- Call Jim.
Get my lawyer on the phone.
-Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one, then an attorney will be appointed for you.
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it.
I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against.
" Malcolm X.
How you doing? I'm all right.
Emily I'm so sorry.
Out there in the field, "sorry" doesn't bring people back.
Oh, come on, I'm messing with you.
It's nothing, really.
I'm okay.
This isn't your fault.
Actually, it is.
You're a team leader.
You made a tactical decision.
And you got hurt again.
You did what you thought was right, and that's all you can do.
The rest of it- that's not up to us.
That's the job.
This is nothing, really.
I mean, the thing with Doyle- that I'm kidding.
I'm
- Matt.
- What? What? Shh! It's me.
Where's your cell phone? My backpack.
Daddy, what are you doing? Someone's in the house.
- Who? - Baby, I don't know, but the power's out and my cell phone's downstairs.
Where is it, Kenz? Where's Mom? Hiding in the bathroom with your sister.
Now, I got to go check on them.
- Daddy.
- You hide under the bed and call 911, okay? - Daddy! - Come here.
Kenz, I'm going to need you to be brave right now, okay? Can you do that for me? You hide under there and call 911.
I love you so much.
I'll be back.
Don't come out.
Someone broke into our house.
Please send help.
What's your address? San Bernardino.
What's your name? Mackenzie.
Mackenzie Lewis.
My dad told me to call.
Where's your dad now? I don't know.
He had his gun.
Mackenzie, listen to me.
Stay calm.
The police are on their way.
Please hurry.
Is there someplace you can hide? I'm under my bed.
No.
- Mommy.
- Mackenzie Mackenzie, listen to me.
Just listen to the sound of my voice.
Stay calm.
Just breathe.
Mackenzie.
Mackenzie, stay with me.
Come on, now, breathe.
That a girl.
There you go.
Nice and deep.
Mackenzie? Is there someone in your room? Yes.
Just stay quiet.
I'm right here.
I'm right here.
Shh.
Mackenzie.
Nice job, Valdez.
You just got your whole team killed.
Sorry.
You're damn right you're sorry.
Franklin's wife is pregnant.
Maxwell over there just got engaged.
Wedding's in May, right? It's too bad you won't make it.
I thought I cleared the room.
You didn't check the door.
You missed the hidden threat.
- I I should have covered him.
- No, Prentiss.
You're on point.
It's his job to cover you.
And when you don't do your job, Valdez, people die.
Now, if you're not ready to shoulder that responsibility, then maybe you need to reconsider joining the Bureau.
I said I was sorry, all right? I heard you, but out in the field, "sorry" doesn't bring people back.
We're done today.
Morgan, is everything all right? Yeah.
Why? You were a little hard on Valdez.
He's just a new agent trainee.
Who made a fatal mistake.
He looks up to you.
I'm just saying maybe you could build his confidence, not break it.
Imagine how he'd feel if that had been real.
Okay, yeah, I understand that, but that course is designed to force failure.
- That's how we learn.
- And my job is to train the trainees, not to be their friend.
Look, I know you're doing a tough love thing, but they don't know you like I do.
We got a heater.
Going back to Cali, crime fighters.
San Bernardino, California.
Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart.
Exact same M.
O.
Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window.
In each case, the entire family was shot and killed? Yes, that is right.
I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis families.
ROSSl: They took out the power and phones to isolate them.
Their alarm systems wouldn't work, and they can't call for help.
Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company.
Yeah, but the Mitchells had an older system and the Lewises were behind on their account, so it was inactive.
An assailant was killed in each case? Affirmative, but the sheriff hasn't I.
D.
'd them yet.
So both these families were armed and fought back and shot one of their attackers.
Was that a coincidence or a connection? What concerns me is the frequency of the kills.
Only four days apart.
All right, it's a long flight.
We better get going.
Wheels up in 30.
"Equality may perhaps be a right, but no power on earth can ever turn it into a fact.
" Honoré de Balzac.
Brian Mitchell was an avid hunter.
Matt Lewis was an Iraq war vet.
Not surprising they both owned guns.
Last year, Southern California's Inland Empire ranked fourth in the nation in foreclosure rates.
Typically, as the economy falls, crime rates rise.
ROSSl: Times are tough.
Desperate people do desperate things.
Greetings, all.
- Your herald bears tidings.
What you got, mama? The sheriff I.
D.
'd both the dead home invaders.
First up is Alex Collison, 20.
Made an impressive list of bad life decisions before he croaked including, but not limited to possession, a couple of drug charges, a card carrying member of the Verdugo Heights Boys.
They're gang members? Oh, he was, but slow your roll, homegirl, 'cause next up is Ronald Underwood, unless you want to count some volunteer work.
Straight-A student, putting himself through school.
Not exactly the home invasion type.
Both from a poor area of town.
Grew up a mile apart.
Hard to tell from the crime scene photos how many assailants there were.
Well, if it was gang-related, - there could be a lot of them.
The homes that got invaded were on the other side of town- predominantly white area - full of middle class families.
Hey, guys.
The M.
E.
report just came in.
Both of them had high levels of oxycodone - in their systems.
- That's strange.
Violent crimes like these are normally associated with stimulant drugs like methamphetamines.
Underwood's as straight as an arrow.
Collison's a garden-variety gangbanger.
I grew up with knuckleheads like that.
High-risk break-ins and oxy? That's not their M.
O.
Regardless, we need to get ahead of it.
The press has got the community on verge of panic.
JJ and I will coordinate with the sheriff's office.
I want the rest of you at the crime scenes.
ROSSl: If you remember anything at all, give us a call.
Neighbors said they've been trying to sell that house for almost a year.
Apparently, Matt Lewis was laid off, and they were upside down on their mortgage.
Nothing about that house says, "Rob me.
" Beat-up, eight-year-old minivan in the driveway.
There's nothing fancy inside, either.
Violent, hardcore burglars don't pick random targets.
So why these homes? Look at these people- they're terrified.
Can you blame 'em? Well, half of 'em are moving.
The other half are joining the neighborhood watch.
This whole community's going to be on edge until we catch these guys.
Let me go! Someone broke into our house.
Please send help.
Mackenzie Lewis was the fourth and final victim.
She made the 911 call from under her bed.
The M.
E.
didn't see any signs of a struggle, so he obviously dealt with her rather quickly.
Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the exact same.
357.
So, if it was a gang, there was only one shooter.
The, uh, second and third victims were Trisha Lewis and six-month-old Blake.
The, uh, injury patterns suggest that Mrs.
Lewis tried to shield the baby with her own body.
Matt Lewis was found right here, Ronald Underwood just over there.
Underwood was shot 11 times in the head and abdomen.
But Lewis himself only had a single gunshot wound to the head at almost point-blank range? How did someone get that close? He could have been subdued first.
The M.
E.
didn't see any signs of blitz attack or struggle.
Well, it had to be an ambush of some kind.
Probably when he was confronting Underwood.
But that's almost impossible based on where the body was found.
It was right in the middle of the room.
It's too out in the open to surprise somebody.
ROSSl: Matt Lewis - wasn't shot here.
- No, but somebody moved the body to make it look like he was.
Forensic countermeasure designed to make us think these guys died in a gunfight that never occurred.
ROSSl: Bullets and blood everywhere, too messy for an accurate reconstruction.
Mr.
Phillips, were you aware of Alex's gang affiliation? Wasn't a secret.
Boy was wild.
Been that way since his mother passed.
Too much of his daddy in him.
So, he was always in trouble? Not FBl trouble.
He ain't got the brains, nor the work ethic.
Well, kids have a way of hiding things.
Agent Hotchner, the boy smoked reefer, ran with the wrong crowd.
Most of his time was spent on a stoop or in front of a TV.
I'm telling you, ain't no way on God's green earth he did what they say he did.
When was the last time you saw Ronald? Night before last.
He came home from work, and he was running late for class.
I left him a plate.
When I found it there the next morning, I knew something was wrong.
Does he look familiar? No.
Never seen him.
Were you aware of any gang affiliation your son may have had? Gang? No.
It-it could have been just a friend in the neighborhood I said no.
Okay.
Have you ever known him to do drugs? Excuse me? Ma'am, look, I'm I'm very sorry.
I- I know this is very So you think, because he was black and had tattoos, that he was in a gang and doing drugs? The medical examiner found opiates in his system.
The other dead assailant was a known gang member.
Ma'am, I am just trying to gain insight into who your son was.
Well, here's some insight.
My son worked two jobs so he could put himself through school.
He was no thug on the corner.
My baby- he would never have done these things.
Do you understand me? You find out who did this to him.
Okay, so the UnSub gets the drop on Matt Lewis, kills the rest of the family, and then leaves a drugged-up patsy behind to cover his tracks? This wasn't a burglary at all.
There was a higher purpose here.
They're staging the crime scene to send some kind of message.
This guy's trying to make it look like black kids from the hood are killing white families in white neighborhoods.
Pretty powerful message.
Homes are being invaded.
Entire families are being slaughtered by common criminals.
I ask you, Mayor Wennington, what are you doing about it? 'Cause, frankly sir, from where I'm standing, it doesn't seem like enough.
I'd like to respond to that.
I should hope so.
- Oh, please.
Because crime rates have been on the rise ever since you took office.
And so have property taxes, I might add.
And how about you, Ms.
Ross? If you take office, do you have a plan to curb the violence in our streets? I do.
I will be happy to discuss it.
The victims of these heinous crimes fought back.
Why? Because no one would fight back for them.
But if you elect me, I will.
I won't let this become another Los Angeles where the cancer of black and Latino gangs is taking over.
Or Salt Lake, where 80% of drug-related felonies is committed by illegals.
This is our city.
It's time we take it back.
Same exact M.
O.
Power and phone lines were cut and he snuck in through the back window.
He's accelerating.
Less than two days since the last break-in.
He was Pedro Mendez.
He had a Mexican driver's license on him.
Garcia checked him out.
Wife, three kids.
No criminal record.
Six gunshot wounds to the chest and head.
Looks like they were all from a.
38 snub nose.
And then, over here Charles Nelson.
.
38 was registered in his name.
He unloaded the entire cylinder on that guy.
Or we're supposed to think.
Where's the other body? Upstairs.
Karen Nelson.
She was due in a month.
Well, he took the time to pull the sheet up and tuck her in.
Remorse.
Well, that would be a first.
Why now? The home owners in each case were killed humanely.
He didn't want them to suffer.
But the fall guys he left behind were all shot multiple times.
Overkill, like it was personal.
But he modified his M.
O.
This time, he wanted it to look like an undocumented immigrant was responsible.
These are hate crimes, and the point is to incite racial tension and fear.
We believe we're looking for a white male in his late 20s to early 30s.
Wait, wait, wait.
I-I'm sorry.
I thought we were looking at black gangbangers.
The UnSub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible.
Why would anyone do that? We think he's trying to create some sort of racial conflict.
In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-La Bianca murders in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as Helter Skelter.
A name he stole from a Beatles song.
Members of the Manson family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the Black Panther Party was responsible.
Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable, but necessary.
Our UnSub may be a member of one of these groups.
Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex-con, or even possibly related to a convict.
ROSSl: We think he may also be some kind of zealot.
He believes his war is already being fought, and these murders are a mission to him.
And, like a soldier, he is willing to put himself in harm's way.
The UnSub may also be vulnerable, somehow weak-minded or even lonely.
His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging.
He's physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he's probably young.
ROSSl: But not so young as to be impulsive.
These attacks took planning and focus, so he's disciplined.
He uses oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners.
But he does so without killing them, which means he's knowledgeable about dosages.
And oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers.
Anyone with access to prescription drugs.
This UnSub is dedicated and driven.
Makes him especially dangerous.
Surrender is not likely part of his strategy.
Morning, sunshine.
Beautiful day.
You sleep okay? Yeah, me, too.
I think I need a new mattress.
Fixed your favorite oatmeal, put in brown sugar.
I know how you like it.
WOMAN Here's a quick look at what we can expect the five-day forecast to look like.
As you can see, we'll be slightly on the cooler side of average with temps in the mid to upper 50s with partly cloudy skies Eggs? Mama, you want eggs? Sun sets at 5:39 Hmm? Yeah? So don't pack away those winter jackets just yet.
Back to you guys at the studio.
- Here you go.
-MAN And with the mayoral race heating up, Clark Preston took time to walk the neighborhood recently hit by two brutal home invasions.
I'm here to support my community.
These people need to know that they're not alone.
Mr.
Preston, what do you plan to do about it if elected? What do I plan to do? These people ask the dumbest questions.
I plan to cut these gangs out like a tumor.
We won't be terrorized in our own homes.
- No, sir.
-If I need to go door-to-door to personally send every one of them back to where they came from.
I want my city back.
That's right.
I got you, Mom.
I got you.
Hang on.
Hang on.
Hang on.
There you go.
Hey, Hotch, check this out.
There's a mayoral race in town, and there's a guy named Clark Preston all over the news.
Looks like he's running a close second.
These vicious home invasions are a sign of the times.
As demographics change, so do crime rates.
Now, we may not be able to slow the browning of America, but we can sure as hell take our city back, and if you elect me, I'll lead that charge.
The browning of America? That's damn near hate speech.
He's using the murders to further his campaign, and I guess people are rallying behind it.
So, what if our UnSub is nothing like Manson? Manson never got his hands dirty.
What if our UnSub is more like his followers? You think he's being manipulated? Maybe even unintentionally, but either way, rhetoric like this could fuel his fire.
We should talk to Preston.
I already sent a car.
Good.
I can't tell you how happy I am you're here, gentlemen.
Maybe now someone will stop these savages.
What can I do to help? We were hoping to talk to you about some of your rhetoric.
My rhetoric? We believe the recent murders may be hate crimes.
Some of the things you say- well, they may be construed as inflammatory.
Agent Morgan's referring to some of your recent campaign speeches and the references to the murders.
We believe that whoever's responsible for these crimes is impressionable and may be responding to the vitriol.
You think I'm responsible? Nobody said that.
If this person is motivated by racist sentiments, then what you are saying publicly may be affecting him.
You're profilers, right? Right.
You study behavior, not actual facts, and then you come up with theories.
It's not quite as simple as that.
I'll bet you had to work extra hard to get into the Bureau, didn't you? Probably still have to prove yourself on a regular basis.
I respect that.
I wish there were more like you.
I'll cut back on my media appearances for now.
But I suggest you start proving some of those theories of yours.
You two enjoy your day.
We should check out his list of contributors and his staff.
It might be somebody in his camp.
We need to check him out, too.
I'll send it first thing Monday.
Yes, yes, yes.
Now, please stop calling.
Hey, Trev, how you doing, buddy? Clark.
Ah, good to see you, man.
- You, too.
-Hey, those debates the other day- - you were great.
- Hey, um, thanks.
I'm sorry I couldn't swing by after like we planned.
Oh, no, no, no.
I get it.
I mean, it's not like you're running for mayor or anything, right? Brought these for your mom.
It's her birthday next week, right? You always remember.
Hey, uh, you hungry? I'm fixing lunch.
You could come in and say hi.
- She'd love to see you.
- I wish I had the time.
Listen, I'm just in the neighborhood.
But you give her my love.
You bet.
Hey, listen, about the campaigning.
I'm thinking maybe we downshift a little bit.
Have you seen the polls? We're losing.
I know.
Still a lot of work to do.
Yeah, but we're changing minds, just like you said.
And we'll keep changing them.
But it's a chess game, Trev.
We got to time our moves.
Trust me.
Trust me.
Hey, talk to me, doll face.
I got some dirt on your mayoral candidate, - Clark Preston.
-ROSSl: He's a politician.
That shouldn't - be hard.
-GARCIA: Yeah, he's a real estate lawyer who ran for city council last year and lost, and he's rich.
As in, if money was dirt, he's filthy.
Uh, he quadrupled his net worth in the last ten years, - mostly from real estate.
So, he managed to thrive despite the area's economic downturn.
What do you mean by "mostly"? Well, he is on the board of several shadow financial institutions, hedge funds, pension funds.
Oh, he likes to shuffle his money around.
Even found some offshore accounts - of his, I did.
You only do that if - you're trying to hide it.
What about his staff - and contributors? -GARCIA: Uh-uh.
No, they're all clean.
Well, thanks, Garcia.
Yeah.
Preston's a part of this.
I know he is.
You should have seen him in there.
Well, he's a racist and a little shady, maybe, but a murderer? It may be just a feeling, but I know he's in this.
We just need to figure out how.
No! Shot execution-style, just like all the others.
ROSSl: Why put him in there? There must be something symbolically important.
There's something inconsistent about the staging.
It's not remorse, and it's not a forensic countermeasure, either.
Each of these families were registered gun owners.
That must be how he's selecting his victims.
He wants them to fight back.
It's propaganda for his race war.
He's turning the families into martyrs.
And the fall guy takes the blame.
But now he's lost control, because his fall guy got away, and he's devolving.
His name's Ramon Gomez.
He's an undocumented immigrant from Mexico City, and he's pretty freaked out.
Well, that's - understandable.
- Was he able to give - a description of the UnSub? - Uh, just of the vehicle.
His English is not good.
We put an APB out.
Preston campaign headquarters.
Campaign headquarters.
And please tell everybody that I appreciate all their help.
I mean, sometimes I don't get a chance to do it personally, so it's really great if you do it for me.
Hey, uh, Clark, you got a second? Becky, give me a minute, will you? Trevor, you know better than to come here.
- Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry.
- We talked about this.
Yeah, I know, Clark, but please.
- I really have to talk to you.
- Not here, not now.
But it's important.
I'll come by as soon as I can, but get the hell out of here, and don't ever come back.
Oh, yeah, yeah, okay, that's much better.
That's much better.
Now you have to turn these both around.
This signature, and then bring it into my office tomorrow.
Bring Jim.
Get everyone in there.
There were approximately two hours between Ramon's abduction here and his escape here.
He crossed the train tracks here.
Now, given the time and distance parameters, there's no way the UnSub could have ventured outside - this radius.
Okay.
He said the train was close, and he heard laughter and loud music.
I looked up points of interest next to the train tracks, and there really isn't much.
There's a warehouse, a taco stand that would have been closed and a bar called the Drunken Dog.
Why stop there? He needed a drink? He doesn't seem like the drinking type.
He's not impulsive or sloppy enough.
I live to serve you, sir.
Garcia, what can you tell us about a bar called - the Drunken Dog? - Ooh, I like it already.
Let's see.
Uh, it's been around 30 years.
It was opened by a warehouse worker named Manny Gresham.
Upon his death six years ago, it was bought by a hedge fund company called First Advantage.
Why would a hedge fund company - want a bar? Let's see.
Well, they bought it for a song, and poor Manny's medical expenses bankrupted him.
I guess that's why.
Shut the front door.
Clark Preston is on the board of First Advantage, which explains why the bar is on a short list of local businesses that support Preston for mayor.
Uh, hey, Clark.
Uh, it's me again.
I did everything like you said just like we planned it, but something something went wrong.
I don't know what to do.
Would you call me back? Please? Okay, we missed something.
We need to go back over his staff and contributors again.
They all came up clean.
Garcia, look up DMV records and find every registration in the area that matches the description of the UnSub's vehicle.
Okay, 79 names, and I'm way ahead of you.
None of them match anyone on Preston's team.
What the what? Oh, I'm good at my job.
Uh, Pamela Mills donates monthly to Preston's campaign.
Her son, Trevor- his car matches the description, and it's registered in his name.
Got a photo and an address? Yes, I do.
I also have a place of work for Trevor.
He is a part-time messenger.
I'm sending it now.
All right, JJ, Morgan, Prentiss- take the workplace.
We'll take the house.
And now in political news, with the mayoral race heating up, we caught up with candidate Hillary Ross to get her comments on the recent home invasion I know.
I miss him, too.
Ms.
Ross? Ms.
Ross? What can you tell us about the recent rash of home invasion murders? Well, our community has healing to do.
It's going to take hard work and time to You stupid bitch.
Healing? I know, right? She doesn't have what it takes.
We are under siege here, and what is she going to do? What have you got, Garcia? Sir, I-I found the connection between the Mills family and Clark Preston.
Ten years ago, the Mills were victims of a home invasion.
Robert Mills, the father, and ten-year-old Julie were killed.
Pamela was raped, and now she has a lot of brain damage that's left her in a near-vegetative state.
What about Trevor? He hid in a closet, and when it was over, he called 911.
That's why he stuffed that boy in the closet.
He was reliving his own victimization.
ROSSl: He didn't do that to the other children he murdered because he didn't relate to them.
Garcia, was anybody convicted of the crime? Yes, a, uh, Ronny Green and Carlos Jackson.
Both African-American, both serving life in Folsom.
And then, after the murders, uh, Preston, he financially supported the family almost entirely.
So, they're close.
He's known the family for years.
That must be how they're paying Pamela's medical expenses.
It's be awfully hard to cover that on a part-time messenger's salary.
Yeah, I mean, it's a topflight policy.
ROSSl: So, Preston is playing the savior.
And it looks like that monthly donation that Pamela makes to Preston's campaign is her disability check.
ROSSl: My guess is Trevor authorized that because he feels beholden to Preston.
He probably idolizes him.
So, Preston is manipulating the Mills family to further his own agenda.
He's behind everything.
ROSSl: He took advantage of Trevor when he was weak and vulnerable.
He gains his trust, then he brainwashes him.
- Turned him into a killer.
Uh, guys, there's something else.
FBl.
Pamela Mills? House is empty.
He's not here, but I found this in his bedroom.
It's addressed to her.
"The price of peace is sacrifice.
"And I'm prepared to pay that price no matter how high.
I hope you'll still love me.
" This is a good-bye letter.
Or a suicide note.
He doesn't profile as suicidal.
No, but he knows this could be his final mission.
And he may want to go out in a blaze of glory.
If it's all about the election, he's only got one move left.
We need to secure Mayor Wennington.
I'll have the rest of the team find Hillary Ross.
You've reached Hillary Ross.
Please leave detailed message She's still not answering.
Yeah, Morgan.
We're on our way to Hillary Ross's house now.
She's still not answering her phone.
All right, call local police.
He's not going to go quietly.
Do you have Mayor Wennington? Yeah.
Keep me posted.
You got it.
Hello.
You've reached Hillary Ross.
- I'm still getting nothing.
- That's her car.
All right, you two go around back.
I'll draw his fire while you flank him.
You sure you want to split up? We got to cover the back and the front in case he runs.
Let's go.
FBl.
You're hit.
I'm good.
Go, go.
He's upstairs.
Trevor Mills! FBl! Drop the weapon! It's over! Get away from me! Trevor, you don't want to do this.
- Let me help you, or you're gonna die.
-Yeah, you help me? Yeah, right! I know about Preston.
I know that he put you up to all of this.
You damn half-breed! You don't know anything.
Trevor, we pulled your phone records.
You called Preston So what?! We pulled his voice mail messages, too.
He's using you, kid.
That's why he won't call you back.
- Get out of here, or I'll kill this bitch! -Listen to me.
Just listen.
When those men broke in your house, you know who ended up buying it? It was your man, Preston, and he got it for nothing.
You're a liar.
All you people do is lie! The men convicted of killing your family- they both said somebody paid 'em off to do that job.
They just couldn't prove it, so now they're doing life.
Yeah, well, they should have gotten the chair.
Come on, Trevor, wake up.
Preston set that up.
Crime waves hit, property value drops.
Then Preston moves in and buys it all up for cheap.
Shut up! Trevor, listen to me.
He doesn't give a damn about black or white.
The only color that son of a bitch cares about is green.
Come on, kid, you got to believe me.
Drop the gun.
You let her go, we can work it out.
He told me you would try to turn me.
But I'm no traitor! Voice mail messages? That's ludicrous.
That boy is mentally unstable.
- He always has been.
- Clark Preston, you have - the right to remain silent.
- I'm innocent.
- Please feel free to exercise that right.
-Misunderstanding.
- Call Jim.
Get my lawyer on the phone.
-Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one, then an attorney will be appointed for you.
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it.
I'm for justice, no matter who it's for or against.
" Malcolm X.
How you doing? I'm all right.
Emily I'm so sorry.
Out there in the field, "sorry" doesn't bring people back.
Oh, come on, I'm messing with you.
It's nothing, really.
I'm okay.
This isn't your fault.
Actually, it is.
You're a team leader.
You made a tactical decision.
And you got hurt again.
You did what you thought was right, and that's all you can do.
The rest of it- that's not up to us.
That's the job.
This is nothing, really.
I mean, the thing with Doyle- that I'm kidding.
I'm