13x08 - Neon Terror

[bunniefuu]

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 k*ller 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 m*rder*r.

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 K*llers.

How come?

Well, profilers and serial K*llers 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 sh*t 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 g*n.

Then there's the victims...

Maggie Swanson, Katherine Shelton, and now Jeannette Clauson.

Each sh*t once in the heart, they d*ed 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...

[g*nsh*t]

Woman: Oh, my god!

Natalie!

Natalie!

[Natalie screaming]

[g*nsh*t]

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 sh*t 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 g*n.

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 k*ller, 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?

sh*t-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 k*ller 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 k*ller 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 g*ng v*olence.

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 sh*t and k*lled 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 sh*t 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 sh*t 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.

sh*t 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 g*nshots.

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 k*lling.

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 m*rder 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 sh**t 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 k*lled 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 m*rder 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?

[g*nsh*t]

Thank you for coming so fast.

We didn't expect you to call.

Well, now that I know that Kal's source is the k*ller, 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 k*lled.

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, m*rder*d with...

Oh, my.

A .44.

Yeah.

She was sh*t 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 d*ed 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 att*ck 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.

[g*nshots]

Man: Get down!

Get down!

g*n!

g*n!

[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 k*lling people.

We were finally getting the attention we deserved, but then you screwed it up by not airing the last m*rder.

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 g*n 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 k*ll 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 m*rder*d.

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 k*lled...

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 w*apon.

Put the g*n 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 g*n 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 k*lled 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 m*rder.

A young woman had been sh*t and k*lled...

Rossi: "I never travel without my diary." "One should always have something sensational to read in the train." Oscar Wilde.