Original subtitles

The story you're about to see was inspired by actual events.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

*

It was Tuesday, it was hot in Los Angeles.

Oppressive.

A thick layer of smog, blanketing the city.

McCarron and I were working the day shift

out of robbery/homicide when the call came in at 1:30 PM.

Caucasian male picked up on a shoplifting charge.

Routine except the suspect's car was registered

to a woman who'd been reported missing nine months ago.

My name's Friday.

I'm a cop.

Plates were cold.

Ran the VIN number, came up priority.

Missing Persons for a Cheryl Onaka.

City councilman's daughter.

Guy offered me a hundred bucks to let him go.

Bike he stole was only 29.

Store manager saw him put in the trunk.

Alright, get a tow.

- Impound the car. - Alright.

You got me alright, I know it was stupid.

I don't know what I was thinking.

It's-- I've been under a lot of stress lately.

My mom's been sick with Alzheimer's.

Cheryl Onaka.

You know her?

Yeah.

She in some kind of trouble?

We were hoping you could tell us.

She's been missing for the last nine months.

Geez.

I wish I could help.

It's been over a year since I saw Cheryl.

Yeah, does she know you're driving her car?

She sold it to me.

I got the pink slip,

should be in the glove compartment.

Got a problem here, Mr. Hersh.

Date says she signed this two months ago.

Yeah, I can explain that.

She forgot to date it and so--

I mean, when I noticed it,

Cheryl forgot to date the pink slip

then I filled it in myself.

Which is great, now I'm in trouble with the DMV.

You got bigger problems than that.

We got a live one.

Prints came back.

John Wesley Fuller's his real name.

He was arrested in '95 for stealing a .357 magnum

from a pawn shop in Tarzana.

He jumped bail.

Check the alias he goes by Dennis Hersh.

We did, missing.

Last seen in front of an apartment building

in Van Nuys, May 26.

Anything on the guns?

Serial numbers were filed off, but the lab raised 'em.

Registered to a Marina Wells.

Let me guess.

Also missing.

Cheryl Onaka.

Dennis Hersh.

Marina Wells.

Anyone else you wanna tell us about Mr. Fuller?

We know that's your name.

Can I get a glass of water?

Sure.

If it'll help you talk.

Joe.

You got a minute?

SID pulled up the seat covers.

Found blood stains.

There's a duffel bag in the trunk.

Rope, handcuffs, credit cards for half a dozen people.

Troopers running the names now.

What's he doing?

What's he doing?

*

What'd you just take?

Come here.

Get paramedics up here, Code Three.

*

*

Think he's dead.

*

*

*

There was residue from the capsule

he kept taped under his collar.

For just such an occasion.

He wouldn't be taken alive.

What else do we know about him?

Calluses on the hands.

Possibly worked construction.

Concrete granules under his nails.

Drug use?

Positive for Olanzapine.

An antipsychotic, but aside from that,

strong heart, decent shape.

Yeah, his problem wasn't physical.

*

Pulled Fuller's military records.

Medical discharge based on psych evaluation.

Impending psychosis.

It's no longer impending.

Got an address?

Not for Fuller, but SID found an address

for a Lorraine Watson in Oanda, Sunland area.

Well, what're you waiting for?

Lorraine Watson?

Yeah, can I help you?

Yeah, I'm Detective McCarron, LAPD.

This is Detective Duran.

Do you know this man?

I used to be married to him.

What kind of trouble is he in now?

He's dead, Miss Watson.

- How? - Suicide.

We need to know where he lived.

So the house is in your name,

but John lived here.

Yeah, my father died and left me the house.

John needed a place.

He sorta just took it over.

It's kind of remote.

Yeah, John liked that.

People got on his nerves.

Out here, he could do his own thing.

He lived like a pig.

How long you been separated?

Eight years.

I was young, dumb, bad combo.

Neither of us had a clue

what we were getting into.

You see him much after he split?

No, well-- just to talk about the house.

He promised he'd fix it up

and help me rent it out.

But, lot of talk.

Lot of tapes.

Yeah.

John was a big movie fan.

Handcuffs?

John liked his toys.

If you excuse me, nature calls.

Bullet hole.

Blood spatter.

*

*

What happened here?

I don't know.

I haven't been here since John moved in.

*

Uh...

I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

You mind if I get some air?

*

Keep an eye on her.

*

Fool didn't even feed his dog.

*

Jimmy!

*

Femur.

Oh, God.

Is that human?

*

Take Lorraine out to the car.

Don't let her out of your sight.

I'll call Joe.

*

Hey, it's Jimmy.

We got possible human remains at the Fuller residence.

Couple acres of ground to cover.

Get the coroners, bone guys, SID,

just send all you got, alright?

Alright.

*

And so it turned into a dig.

Same techniques employed in the ruins of Troy.

Valley of the Kings.

Cave of the Dead Sea.

Search for history.

In this case, a terrible history.

*

Hey Joe.

CI's working on what appears

to be at least two bodies.

Their remains were found in an incinerator

toward the back of the property.

*

Any chance of getting an ID?

It will take a while.

Teeth knocked out.

Body's treated with lyme to speed the decomp.

Guy knew what he was doing.

Push the crime scene perimeter

past the edge of the property.

When this breaks, I want to keep the media

as far away as possible.

Right.

Joe.

Need you inside.

What's down there?

Um, crawl space, I think.

Why was it locked?

I don't know, I've never been down there.

Alright, we're gonna take a look.

Jimmy.

*

*

Dry blood on the handle.

Power saw.

More blood.

He wasn't doing carpentry.

Joe.

Two point restraints bolted to the wall.

*

Enough for two prisoners.

Video tape recorder.

Tapes.

Bucket for human waste, handcuffs, leg irons.

Gynecological equipment.

*

Nursing bra.

Get the techs down here.

*

Gloria.

I'm okay.

*

How bad is it?

Bad.

Alright.

The ex-wife's been here for three hours.

- Should we let her go? - What's your gut?

She's telling the truth.

Seems totally blown away.

Put surveillance on her.

Get the canvas going.

See if anyone in the area knew anything

about what was going on around here.

Looks like they're on vacation.

LAPD, anyone home?

*

Still think they're on vacation?

Not without this.

*

What have you done with my baby?

Why are you doing this?

Where's my husband?

You don't ask questions.

You do as I say.

My baby needs me.

Please let me see her.

Do what I say or you'll never see your baby again.

Okay, I'll do whatever you want.

I'll do whatever you want.

Please, don't hurt my baby.

*

Son of a bitch.

Suicide's too easy.

At least it's over.

Maybe not.

Rewind the tape.

Alright, stop, right there.

Play back.

Okay, I'll do whatever you want.

I'll do whatever you want, please--

The camera moved.

Someone else was operating the camera.

An accomplice.

Still out there.

Updates, what do we got?

SID pulled partial prints from the basement.

They're Fuller's.

That whole place and all we got is a partial.

What about the tools?

Video camera?

- Nothing. - Remember the cyanide?

These guys came prepared.

How about video tapes?

I've watched 14 tapes, 183 to go.

Still no signs of the accomplice.

He said something once, but it was garbled.

Have electronics enhance it.

Where are we with missing persons?

Pins indicate our three missing persons plus the neighbors.

Where they lived, dates they disappeared.

It's an area that spans from San Gabriel valley to the Yucaipa.

There is one connection to Fuller.

Marina Wells, used to work for Lorraine Watson, the ex-wife.

She's under surveillance.

Should we bring her in?

I think if she's the accomplice

we'll learn more by watching.

How'd you like to handle the media?

Let me rephrase that.

I've prepared a statement for the media.

What do you want me to do with it?

Nothing, Fuller's accomplice

doesn't know we're on to him.

I don't want to kick an exit strategy into action.

Won't be long before the stringers get this.

No way to prevent that.

Let's get moving.

Pelvic bone.

Infant.

Not more than six months.

So what are we looking at in terms of time frame?

Connecting, identifying.

Oh, could be months.

We don't have months.

Stagger your shifts, bring in more people.

Something here will link to the accomplice.

We just have to find it.

What I want is an off-the-shelf sex partner.

This our accomplice?

We think.

SID found the tapes in Fuller's garage.

Not tired or satiated or bored.

I simply want to put her away.

On a shelf.

So I can use her when I want.

Organized, controlling narcissistic.

It's textbook power control killer.

Gratification from complete dominance over his victims.

I can just...

get rid of her.

Think we might have something.

Video tape 63.

Had the lab enhance the audio.

Bitch bit me.

Here.

Wipe it off with this.

Fuller rips off the woman's blouse.

I figured we get the guy's blood off the woman's blouse.

Possible DNA.

So I had the lab enhance the photo.

It's um-- let's get it to Cooper.

Yellow blouse, possible DNA of our accomplice.

No, nothing like that yet.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's not here.

You okay?

Yeah, I just twisted my ankle.

Want me to take a look at it?

Paramedics said he was gonna bring me an ice pack.

Course that was 20 minutes ago.

Paramedic?

Nothing but corpses out here.

I don't know, he was wearing an EMT uniform.

What'd this guy look like?

*

Uh, late 20's.

Short, red hair.

Yeah, that's him, right over there.

*

Hey.

*

Hold on, hey.

Hey!

*

Spread your legs.

Spread 'em.

Don't move.

What's this?

You got some kind of fascination with dead bodies?

I'm a freelance videographer.

Impersonating a paramedic

carries a six month sentence.

A thousand dollar fine.

Come on, man, give me a break.

You don't know what it's like out there.

You don't take chances, you don't get squat.

Yeah, why should I believe you?

Ask Unseen Video, Access, Extra.

They all know me.

This your only tape?

Where are they?

Sold, man.

To the highest bidder.

The prime suspect committed suicide while in custody.

At this point there are no other suspects.

We're working closely with missing persons--

Press conferences.

Laced with carefully composed euphemisms

to conceal the fact that we had nothing.

That oughta hold 'em for awhile.

Not for long.

The coroner confirms 12 identified victims.

Area's spread from San Bernardino to Imperial Valley.

Men, women, children.

Crosses racial and socio-economic lines.

No obvious correlation between the victims.

Maybe the randomness is the point.

Tabloid just faxed over a list of leads

they got off their tip line.

One of 'em sounds a little strange.

Strange how?

Someone called their tip line in like a whispered voice

asking if they found gynecological equipment

at the compound.

That information wasn't released to the media.

- I know. - They get a name?

The guy wouldn't give it,

but they got a number off the caller ID.

Checked it with the phone company,

the guy's name's Alex Lang, lives in Los Feliz.

Get out there.

Take backup.

Who's there?

Detective McCarron, LAPD.

ID.

How do I know you're not some sicko posing as a cop?

Cause I got two uniformed officers out here

who'll vouch for me.

We're looking for Alex Lang.

That's me.

You called the tip line asking

some very specific questions.

I changed my mind, okay.

I don't want to get involved.

Miss Lang, you asked about gynecological equipment.

Things that were found at the crime scene.

Do you know something or what?

I think I may have been held captive there.

When?

*

Six months ago.

I was on my way back from Lake Tahoe.

Middle of the night, I get a flat tire

and I pulled over to the side of the road.

*

I looked up and there was a tow truck driver there.

Fuller.

*

I bent down to show him the puncture and um...

And uh, the next thing I know I wake up

and they had me in a cage underground.

*

They?

*

Fuller and some other guy.

Do you remember what the other guy looked like?

Not really.

*

I was so doped up,

it's just kind of a blur.

But you got out?

*

Yeah.

There was two of us,

me and this other girl.

Fuller untied us for a three-way.

And um...

She's doing her thing

and she bites down hard

and I just ran.

What happened to the other girl?

I don't know.

I got out, I ran.

I don't know how far I--

I made it to--

A gas station and I called the police and...

They came out and drove me around, but...

You know I was groggy, I couldn't show them

where I'd been held.

I don't think they even believed me.

*

You mentioned a cage.

We didn't find a cage on the property.

*

It exists.

Believe me.

Could you show us where?

What like on a map?

No, in person.

*

*

It's okay, we're right here.

Try and focus on why we're here, okay?

You remember anything about the cage?

I was blindfolded.

It was away from the house.

I remember walking uphill.

- You know how far? - Not far.

*

It was underground.

We had to climb straight down.

It was cold and wet.

*

I remember, I stumbled over a tree stump.

*

It's there, it's right there.

Okay, alright.

You did good, okay?

*

*

Here, someone give me a flashlight.

*

*

We got a body down here.

*

Yellow blouse.

Yeah, what's left of it.

Pupils just dilated.

What?

*

We got a pulse.

I need some paramedics and an AIRVAC unit.

Come on, let's go.

Can you hear me?

We're gonna get you some help, okay?

What is it?

You wanna say something?

*

He's got my daughter.

*

How you doing?

I'm okay.

Any word on the DNA sample from the blouse?

Cooper ran it through the DOJ database.

Came back negative.

How's she feeling?

They just took her off the ventilator.

She's been restless all night.

She tried to pull it out.

She's very weak, keep it short.

And only one of you.

Hi Dana.

You're safe now.

Spoke to your mother, she's coming from Indiana,

she'll be here in a couple hours.

I need to ask you some questions

that will help us find your daughter, okay?

We know she's six years old.

Blonde hair, brown eyes.

Her name is Talia.

Are there any distinguishing characteristics

that might help us?

She was wearing a dress

with flowers on it.

And she has a dimple...

on her left cheek...

when she smiles.

*

Is there anything you know about the man who took her?

*

Asian.

*

Thin.

In his late 20's.

He drove this dirty van.

Do you have any indication

of where he might have taken her?

*

Why...

did this happen?

Why?

*

Five more positive ID's.

Coop, notify next of kin.

Bring a chaplain, crisis counselor

so we can get started on those follow-up interviews.

How about leads on the missing girl?

Averaging 20 tips an hour.

I've got divisional guys volunteering

helping with the overflow.

Anything?

A nurse from UCLA's bone marrow clinic

saw the composite on the news.

Says he might be a donor.

She even agreed to give tissue samples for comparison.

Humanitarian serial killer.

I'm just going down the list.

What are you reading?

Department of Child Services files from the 70's.

Think our guy was a product of severe childhood trauma.

And he might be in here.

Half the kids I grew up with are victims of childhood trauma.

They didn't grow up and hack people up though.

It's our job to understand him.

Our job's to catch him and put him away.

I don't want to understand him.

We've got a match off the bone marrow donor.

Man's name's Ben Lee.

Perfect DNA match off the sample taken from the yellow blouse.

He lives in Korea Town.

*

Drop the knife.

Drop the knife!

Put your hands on your head.

What's going on?

- Where's the girl? - What girl?

I live here alone.

Can someone tell me what's going on?

You're under arrest for murder.

For murder?

Hey, please, would you be careful with that?

Oh, why? Is Talia Miller in here?

Who?

Get him out of here.

We need to search every square inch of this place.

Get SID in here, have them check the drains.

Find out if there's a storage unit.

Check the dumpsters in the surrounding area

within a two-mile radius.

We need to find the girl.

*

Marisa Sorenson identified you

from the bone marrow lab at UCLA.

Yes, I know Marisa.

And we typed in the bone marrow they had in storage.

It matched the blood we found on the blouse.

What blouse?

The one worn by one of your victims.

What are you talking about?

How'd your blood wind up on our crime scene?

I don't know what to say.

I've been overseas for two years on a Peace Corps mission.

Where were you stationed?

Rahbib.

It's a rural village in northern Cambodia.

Three years, that's a long time.

I wasn't there for three, two.

What'd you do while you were there?

Helped the village link up to the internet.

So, doctors at the mayo clinic could diagnose the sick.

Right, tell us something

we couldn't find out off the internet.

There's a picture in my wallet of a boy I saved.

He was dying of TB.

It's in the back compartment, there's a hidden fold.

It's Ingpen.

He's ten.

Very bright.

He's gonna be a computer engineer.

Plane tickets, documentation, visa.

Everything puts him in Cambodia.

Spoke to the field officer, vouches big time.

DNA doesn't lie.

We're talking a one in ten million chance for error.

No way he could be two places at once.

Have the lab retype the sample.

In the meantime, check into Lee's background.

Hi.

I'm Detective Duran, this is Detective McCarron, LAPD.

We're looking for Kenneth Lee.

I'm Kenneth Lee.

Father of Benjamin Lee, Peace Corps volunteer?

Yes, Ben's my son.

What's this about?

Has-- has something happened to Ben?

No, we just need some information.

I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused.

The Benjamin Lee we know is Asian.

Yes, he was adopted.

Through what agency?

So, Ben's okay?

Through what agency, Mr. Lee?

Uh, Brightworld.

They specialize in Cambodian refugees.

Thank you, we'll get back to you.

*

That's right, Benjamin Lee adopted 1972.

There was a brother?

A twin.

Yes, thank you.

Ben Lee had a twin.

Adopted into the US by different families.

Explains the DNA match.

Better call Friday, have him release Ben Lee.

Tell me about the twin.

Adopted name is Greg Tomlinson.

Last address has him downtown Boyle Heights.

*

Clear.

*

Smell like almonds.

Could be cyanide.

Coward.

Dying's too good for him.

I'll notify the coroner.

Oh my God.

It's a little girl's dress, her mother described it to me.

Bag it.

We'll get it to SID.

Type it against the mother's to confirm.

Now, until we find the body, we assume she's still alive.

*

Cyanide is expected, but there's something else.

Lymphedema of the scrotum.

I took some tissue samples, have a look.

Worms?

Lymphatic filariasis.

It's one of the souvenirs Vietnam vets

brought home from the war.

Can it be contracted in the states?

We find it in people who travel in third world countries

for extended periods of time.

Sub-Saharan Africa, Vietnam, Laos.

Cambodia?

Hey, did Greg Tomlinson spend any time overseas recently?

Hasn't been out of the country since he was adopted.

No passport, no Visa.

Do we have any prints from Tomlinson's apartment

that we can compare with the corpse?

Place was wiped clean like Fuller's basement.

How long ago did we release Ben Lee?

Two hours ago, is there a problem?

Yeah.

The guy we released wasn't Ben Lee,

he was our killer.

Greg Tomlinson.

The wrong guy.

Feds pulled the prints off the corpse.

Got a match for Ben Lee.

He was in the system because of his Peace Corps stint.

Update the media, inform them that Greg Tomlinson

could be using the alias Ben Lee.

Call the CHP, have them revise the amber alert

for a little girl.

How do you pull this off?

Tomlinson's phone record show

he called a taxi from his apartment at 9:14 PM.

The taxi service confirms the pickup

from Lee's apartment to Tomlinson's.

The night of the 13th.

One way trip.

Lures him over there under the pretext

of reuniting with a long-lost brother

Mixes a little cyanide in a drink,

Tomlinson assumes his twin's identity.

Had an exit strategy, just like Fuller.

What else we know about Tomlinson?

His mother's here.

To see Duran.

Is it true what they're saying?

Is he a murderer?

Have you had any recent contact with your son?

You didn't answer me.

He is a suspect, yes.

I know he's a suspect.

Is he a murderer?

I don't know if he is or isn't.

Well, he isn't.

Is that why you're here?

Look at these.

These pictures.

It's Greg's dad?

What kind of relationship did they have?

Greg respected his father.

Why is that?

Because he gave him discipline.

What do you mean by discipline?

Jeff could be strict when he needed to.

Did he ever beat Greg?

Mrs. Tomlinson, help me understand your son.

It could help save a little girl's life.

When Greg did something wrong,

Jeff would take him into the basement.

*

He told me to take a walk or go shopping.

*

May I borrow these?

*

Please don't let them hurt him.

*

I'll do my best.

*

*

She tell you what made him a monster?

Jimmy, it doesn't help to dehumanize him.

Guy wasn't human in the first place.

Hey, Duran, we got a hit for Tomlinson off the amber alert.

Pursuit's under way.

Driving a van heading east on sixth approaching Broadway.

He's got the girl with him.

*

He ditched the van.

Area unit picked him up inside the tire factory.

Is there an exit?

Fenced in.

Barbed wire, he's not going anywhere.

What about the girl?

He's got her.

Did you call SWAT?

SWAT's on their way.

*

Girl hasn't moved in an hour.

Can we take him without endangering her?

Let me check.

Rollins, how's it look?

He's moving too much.

If he settles, I can take a shot.

What's the degree of risk to our hostage?

At some point, the risk of taking the shot

outweighs the risk of waiting.

Joe, don't go there yet.

Give me a chance to talk to him.

I talked to his mother, I think I might have an angle.

Come on, there's a little girl in there.

Go ahead.

*

Greg?

*

This is Gloria Duran.

I spoke to your mother.

*

I know about you and your father.

*

I know you suffered and it's not your fault.

*

*

Duran, what's going on?

What's going on?

*

Take the shot.

Come again?

I said, take the shot.

*

He's behind the kid.

We don't have a target at this time.

Duran.

Keep him talking, try to draw him out.

*

I tried, he's not responding.

*

How much longer, Joe?

He keeps moving.

Not long, the sniper's trying to get a shot.

*

*

For most police officers, this moment never comes.

But when it does, there's nothing

that can prepare you for it.

The repercussions last a lifetime.

It would be months before all the victims were identified.

Twenty-four people in all.

Men, women, children.

A computer programmer, school teacher.

A student.

The ripples would be felt through these people's lives.

Working a case like this can shake your faith in human kind.

Make you wonder why you became a cop.

But then, you remember.

*

*

Hi.

*