Criminal Minds Episode 12: The Beginning Is The End Is the Beginning

THE BEGINNING

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THE END

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THE BEGINNING

THE BEGINNING IS THE END IS THE BEGINNING (The audience is reminded that capital punishment is not part of South Korea’s policy. In actual fact, a moratorium has been enacted on executions.) It is interesting to note that this Episode 12 story on capital punishment begins with the cello performance of Richard Anh, ‘The Cello Prodigy,’  in a music hall.  The story also ends with the same image of ‘The Cello-Prodigy’ in Episode 13. The idea that ‘The beginning is the end is the beginning’ springs to mind. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Team Leader Kang was packing his things to go for his long-due leave to recover from the death of his wife but the NCI Chief Director, Baek San, had received an order from the Justice Department to investigate a pair of notorious murderers who had killed at least 12 young women.  Some quarters have proposed that capital punishment or the death penalty should be revived. There had been a lapse of 20 years since the last execution. Team Leader Kang had been briefed by the NCI Chief Director on the serious crime situation during the past ten years. There had been a significant increase in the number of bizarre and brutal crimes.  The police had not been effective in solving the cases so a decision had been made to resume capital punishment. There was a sense of urgency as the powers-that-be seem to think that 2 days was enough for them to conduct their investigation on the heinous crimes committed by the murderers and to come up with clear-cut answers. Capital punishment was a serious matter. Involving NCI was necessary to prevent possible opposition from certain sections of the public whose desire was to battle for human rights. The Justice Department expected domestic and international opposition to the death penalty. It seemed that NCI’s reputation as upholder of justice had preceded them. The public seem to have respect for their honesty and integrity. The government wanted reasonable justification for the death penalty that they intended to revive. What was of utmost urgency was to solve the special criminal case that the NCI had been tasked to investigate. Crime and punishment. The punishment must fit the crime. The savage case, in which 12 women in their 20s had been callously murdered by a conscienceless couple, Jo Young Ho and Ahn Yeo Jin, had seized the imagination of the nation and stirred public anger.  Did the infamous couple deserve the death penalty? It had been three days since the finalization of the punishment for them. The last execution was carried out on 31 December 1997 when 23 hardened criminals were executed. The death penalty drew the ire of some people and there had been heated debates among the citizens over it. There was less than 48 hours left before the execution. The NCI was thrown into the spotlight as it had been assigned to investigate the case. The media and the public were interested in whether the NCI would be able to unearth more crime evidence or additional crimes committed by the couple. The NCI team were clued in about the case that happened fifteen years before.  In 2002, 12 unidentified bodies were discovered in the compound of the house at 870 Ohsan-dong, Youngsan-gu in Seoul.  When it was revealed that the remains belonged to women in their 20s and that they had been missing since the early 2000s, the nation was shell-shocked. Kim Hyun Joon wanted more specific details about ‘additional crimes’. The murderers had already confessed to killing 12 females. Were there any more victims? He was made aware of the discovery of the remains of a missing young girl, Yoon Joo Hee, two days before. She had been missing for 15 years. The remains were found in a construction site which was inside the residential premises of the serial killer, Jo Young Hoon, an architect. The report revealed forensic analysis of the unique murder pattern which was deemed to be similar to that of the young women who were murdered by the couple 15 years before. Jo Young Hoon’s psychopathic murder signature was dismemberment and the particular way the body was buried. He felt no remorse, regret or guilt for the horrific cutting of the body into eight parts. What was significant was that the period Yoon Joo Hee went missing matched the time of the deaths of the other victims. As the death penalty has already been meted out before the recent discovery of the young girl’s remains, the Justice Department wanted the NCI to solve the new case as soon as possible, that is within two days. Their findings would be critical to the case. Would the proposed capital punishment be suspended? Team Leader Kang swiftly delegated work to the various members of the team. Kim Hyun Joon and Yoo Min Young were instructed to visit the residence of the murderers. After that, they were to assemble with the others in the prison. The rest of the team were to accompany him to visit the Seohyun prison. Team Leader Kang, Ha Sun Woo, Lee Han and Nana Wang discussed the murderous couple in the NCI bus. The wife, it seemed, had confessed to murdering only their son, Jo Si On and claimed that she had nothing to do with the other 12 murders. Her testimony, however, was filled with ambiguity.  It was puzzling that later she changed her confession and revealed that she was also involved in the other murders. The case swirled with mystery. Was she sending all the investigators on a wild goose chase? Lee Han wondered if Yoon Joo Hee, the thirteenth victim, was the last casualty of the couple.

THE SVENGALI AND THE COLD WITCH Kim Hyun Joon and Yoo Min Young discussed the case in the profiler's blue Hyundai SUV. They were comparing the husband and the wife. Jo Young Hoon, the Svengali character who dominated and manipulated his wife, loved to show off.  He seemed to like an audience or have attention, while Ahn Yeo Jin was apparently low-key - the silent type who was uncooperative with the media. Ahn Yeo Jin was stereotyped as a ‘Cold Witch’ by the media.  Kim Hyun Joon was convinced that she had been demonised by the media. He felt that the media had exaggerated their description of her. The evil label was perpetuated by the media due to their extreme prejudice against her. She had probably presented a stone-cold image in the court trials. Yoo Min Young revealed that Ahn Yeo Jin had not only admitted murdering her two-year old son but also burying 12 innocent women who were in their 20s. Kim Hyun Joon, being focussed, pointed out that there was something else which was more important than the number of women killed. There could be other victims. If, within 38 hours, the NCI were not able to unearth the bodies of other victims, it would mean that the victims would have vanished without a trace and buried with the two murderers for good when the duo end up in the death chamber. Precious evidence would be lost forever. The story then shifted to the Seohyun prison. The audience are given a view of the grim and sombre prison premises, a frightening place. The interior was foreboding and cold with many prison guards in every part of the prison premises.   In the middle of all the murderous tension, there is a gentle reminder probably for all prisoners to behave properly. Prison etiquette requires a submissive attitude. ‘Gentle words are more powerful than threatening words’ ‘One should yield and be considerate to others to create a better personality.’ In the remaining 36 hours, two guards would constantly be on standby. Ahn Yeo Jin, a maximum-security prisoner would be in solitary confinement in a restricted area until the time of her execution.  The Prison Director kindly informed her that they would deliver her request for her last meal the next day. However, she requested to see the full moon, which was against the rules.  The request spoke volumes about her character. Many would have requested for a feast in their final hours. Meanwhile, the evil monster, Jo Young Hoon, was also sent to his new cell and left in solitary confinement before his execution. The NCI had less than 2 days to find out the truth about the couple. They had to profile the couple before their execution. The case was getting more complicated. Yoon Joo Hee might not be their last victim. What was their possible motivation for snuffing out the life of so many young females? Was the wife a vicious murderer as well?

WHAT IS A PSYCHOPATH? ASSESSING THE CRIMINALS THE LOLITA COMPLEX The four NCI team members soon arrived at the Seohyun Prison. They conducted a briefing for the prison personnel in the Control Room.  In 2001, female students in their 20’s began to go missing in the northeast of Seoul. The police had received a tip from an anonymous informant who told them that she had seen Jo Young Hoon with the students. The identity of the female informant was not revealed. The police interrogated Jo Young Hoon. Ahn Yeo Jin, his wife and their 2 year old son were also present at the interrogation. The police were suspicious of Jo Young Hoon as they had sensed his abnormal mentality throughout the interrogation. When the police went to the couple’s house three hours later with a search warrant, their son had already disappeared. It seemed that Jo Young Hoon had tried to escape and had ordered his wife, Ahn Yeo Jin, to kill their son. Jo Young Hoon was not just an ordinary paedophile but a savage one. Below his workroom, they found 12 dismembered bodies of the missing female students. In the light of the discoveries, the Justice Department must have thought that the couple were appropriate candidates for the capital punishment. Jo Young Hoon testified that he had lured, abducted and killed 12 young women with the help of Ahn Yeo Jin, his wife. With the recent discovery of the body of the 13th victim, the authorities have realised with a queasy horror that he must have been telling lies. The question is 'Are there any more bodies?'  According to the police, the evidence discovered in his residence included numerous sexually provocative pictures which were proof of Jo Young Hoon’s paedophilic characteristics.  The paedophile took pictures of his victims before he killed them. The sexual predator-cum-murderer had probably forced the young girls to wear clothes usually worn by children  or dressed them in ‘Lolita fashion’ as such images were erotic. Obviously, it was to satisfy his abnormal sexual fantasies.  That is the nature of the predatory beast. Lee Han, the genius, explained that Jo Young Hoon's sordid criminal behaviour was typical of depraved people with the Lolita Complex.  For the uninformed, he clarified that the murders committed by them have eerie but unique characteristics - the victims' arms and legs were usually cut off. The prison personnel, tough though they may be, must have reared back in horror. HYBRISTOPHILIA BONNIE AND CLYDE SYNDROME Unlike Jo Young Hoon who was reported to have a serious sexual disorder, the police could not arrive at a conclusion about Ahn Yeo Jin.   They had puzzled over her personality for quite a while but could not point a finger at any abnormal characteristic. However, Lee Han speculated that Ahn Yeo Jin could have Hybristophilia. The illness is associated with women who are sexually attracted to horrifying, psychopathic criminals.  He discussed the ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ syndrome which affects women who fall for the ‘bad boy’, driven by the belief they could save their beloved. Team Leader Kang added that Jo Young Hoon, a dominant personality, was under the delusion that he has full control over his victims.  Was Jo Young Hoon remorseful, guilty or regretful? Obviously not. He had no iota of regret for all his crimes. Are these not the traits of a psychopath?   He thought of Ahn Yeo Jin as his property, something he owned, and someone whom he could rule over and control. Team Leader Kang instructed Ha Sun Woo to talk to the psychopath. She was warned by the prison officials that she would probably not be able to get anything out of him. Would she be fearful of him?

RECONSTRUCTING THE CRIME SCENE THE HOUSE OF HORRORS WHAT MAKES A PSYCHOPATH? Kim Hyun Joon and Yoo Min Young arrived at the house of Jo Young Hoon and Ahn Yeo Jin. The premises, scenic yet eerie, seemed isolated. The trees had tall and straight trunks and there was a huge well in the compound. One would have likened it to a wishing well in a children’s fairy tale, an unusual setting for the murder of young female victims. Yoo Min Young stated that according to reports, Ahn Yeo Jin had hunted for the victims from a nearby college.  She had posted advertisements with the purpose of seeking an assistant for her architect husband, Jo Young Hoon. Upon reading the advertisements, the victims had probably gone to their house where they had vanished into the thin air. From the details in the murder report, Yoo Min Young could easily point out the murderer's work room and Kim Hyun Joon led the way to the place. On entering the room, they found a highly disorganised place. It had not been used for 15 years so it had fallen into disrepair. Kim Hyun Joon regarded the place for a moment, assessing what could have happened there. He seemed to possess a rare insightfulness about the killer. Pointing his finger at a particular spot, he speculated that Jo Young Hoon’s work table could have been there. He seemed to be able to see it in his mind’s eye. He peered at the arched door and somehow knew intuitively that it would lead them to Jo Young Hoon’s torture chamber.  He probably could feel the killer’s presence. The victims were entirely at the mercy of the murderers. They could imagine the murder scene. The wounds from the victims’ bodies match the tools that were found in his work room.   What were the murder weapons? Hammers, axes, chains, saws and the other cutting tools came to mind. Kim Hyun Joon's imagination was vivid. He knew it was there that Jo Young Hoon had ripped the life out of the victim’s bodies. He was convinced that the murderer had dismembered the dead bodies in the chamber with his incriminating tools and buried them under the floor.   Yoo Min Young seemed to agree as she had touched the floor. Did she feel the horror closing in around them? Probably not. The murders had happened 15 years before. A sense of dismay must have descended on the audience. The impression of the killers is they weren’t human. Is this assumption correct? The past investigators had dug into Jo Young Hoon’s past. What skeletons in the cupboard did they discover? ‘If you look at his records, there is evidence that he had been abused by his parents,’ Kim Hyun Joon pointed out.  The idea that ‘The abused had become the abuser’ must have leapt into his mind. The cycle of violence had been repeated and he had ended up in his warped reality. But, was his insanity inherited? There was no elaboration on the sins of his parents but Jo Young Hoon seemed to have come from a highly troubled and dysfunctional family. ‘In that case, what was Ahn Yeo Jin’s childhood like? Her mother had never agreed to do an interview during the last 15 years.’ Nobody knew of her dark family history. The thought might have nagged at the back of Kim Hyun Joon’s mind. There was a look of abstraction on his face. It might be different now since Ahn Yeo Jin was on the Death Row. Contrary to the instructions that had been given by Team Leader Kang, the two NCI members decided not to meet up with the rest of the team in the prison right away. Kim Hyun Joon had always thought out of the box. He was proactive and had a lot of initiative. He suggested that they track down Ahn Yeo Jin’s mother who might be a source of critical information to their investigation.

FINDING OUT THE TRUTH PAINTINGS ARE A REVELATION Meanwhile, Team Leader Kang wanted to see Ahn Yeo Jin. He wanted to know whether the woman had met her husband ever since she was transferred to her isolated cell. It seemed that she had refused to meet anyone. She had been separated from the other prisoners for her own safety. Upon entering Ahn Yeo Jin’s cell, the NCI profiler’s attention was drawn to some beautiful paintings. Paintings are self-expressions. They often hold the secrets of the artist.  One painting was that of a child who was freely running in a field, and another showed a slowing moving stream. Time would reveal the secrets behind the paintings. Team Leader Kang praised her artistic skills, ‘They are great works of art.’ She responded that she had a lot of time on her hands and the Prison Director had allowed her to paint. He told her in a low concerned tone that it was time that the victims’ families should be told why the victims had to die.  It was urgent that Ahn Yeo Jin reveal the truth or secrets about the murders. 'Why were the young women killed?'

FINDING OUT THE TRUTH HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF Meanwhile, Kim Hyun Joon and Yoo Min Young had arrived at Ahn Yeo Jin’s family home.   Kim Hyun Joon rang the doorbell twice. When no one answered, they exchanged glances. An old lady finally popped her head out. Kim Hyun Joon flashed his NCI card.  Dressed in his very smart suit, Kim Hyun Joon looked the part of a smart professional. His lean face held a confident aura, and his black eyes were intelligent, compassionate and kind. Yoo Min Young, on the other hand, was beautiful and graceful.  The old lady took kindly to them at once. Ahn Yeo Jin’s mother was not fearful on seeing the pair of good-looking and perfectly groomed NCI profilers.  Ever since the news of her daughter’s involvement in the murders, she must have bolted herself behind closed doors. When Kim Hyun Joon requested to talk to her about her daughter, she did not protest. For some reason, Ahn Yeo Jin's mother did not have any distrust of them despite the fact that they were strangers. Could it be that Kim Hyun Joon not only had a handsome and attractive appearance but also possessed impeccable manners?  ‘It’s true that I gave birth to her. And, it is true that she met the scumbag of her husband who buried those women under their house. What more do you want to know?’  The  pair could feel her thinly veiled anger against her daughter’s psychopathic husband. Kim Hyun Joon looked sympathetic. The bitter old lady was outraged by her daughter's stupidity in marrying the murderer.  Kim Hyun Joon took the opportunity to gain her confidence. Did Kim Hyun Joon lie when he told the old lady that her daughter, Ahn Yeo Jin, had confided that her mother would disclose why she had killed those women? Perhaps, the white lie was an ingenious way to get the old lady to open up about the murders. He had a strong compulsion to learn the truth from the lips of the mother. ‘I know that it is hard for you but please talk to us for your daughter’s sake,’ Kim Hyun Joon pleaded in a kind and coaxing tone. They were allowed to enter her house which must have been very much her sanctuary for the past 15 years. The duo must have felt lucky that the old lady had graciously consented to reveal the secrets about her daughter’s childhood.  It was surprising to learn that Ahn Yeo Jin had a normal childhood like everyone else. ‘If only she had never met that scumbag! She was very gentle,’ the old lady raged. Jo Young Hoon spelled trouble. He had ruined her life.  Sadness flooded her eyes. Kim Hyun Joon's countenance showed that he empathized with her. Fired up by his pleasant manners and empathy, she loosened her tongue. ‘She did pretty well at school. She was always good at drawing.’  Kim Hyun Joon looked around and saw many pieces of art work of the skies, the stars and the moon. ‘How was her relationship with her father?’ queried Yoo Min Young. She, too, was desperate to scour for the dark secrets of the family. ‘Was she abused by her father?’ Kim Hyun Joon was itching to know. It was revealing that the old woman turned her head away and looked down. She looked contemplative. Her stomach must have roiled from the thought of her nightmare life with her husband. ‘Her father was rather strict with her. They used to argue a lot because they never agreed with each other.’  She did not want to dredge up the past. The NCI profilers could feel her marriage had troubled her. Their marital relationship must have disintegrated because of her husband’s physical violence. ‘What’s the point of all this? My husband is dead and my daughter is about to die?’ the old lady lamented. ‘If we get to know her childhood and her relationships, we could find out how she was involved in the murders,’ Kim Hyun Joon explained. The profiler continued, ‘Jo Young Hoon probably kept Ahn Yeo Jin alive because they have something in common. It looks like your daughter tried to share Jo Young Hoon’s pain until the end.’ 'Did your husband physically abuse her?’ Kim Hyun Joon repeated his question.  Normally, good manners would have forbidden him from repeating a question that might be embarrassing to the other person. Moreover, his question was too direct. But, the NCI members were in a hurry to get some answers. ‘Yeo Jin didn’t get beaten as much as I did,’ the mother finally revealed. Her distraught face was turned away when she revealed that her husband was a wife batterer. She must have suffered under her husband’s violent hands.  Did she feel that she was an ineffectual mother? Did she protect her daughter? Family secrets. It was shameful to reveal to outsiders that one had been abused by one’s husband. Theirs was a totally dysfunctional family. It was crystal clear that history had repeated itself. Like her mother, Ahn Yeo Jin had married a violent man. It was telling that she had married a more violent version of her father – a man who not only battered women but murdered them all! Kim Hyun Joon was curious. ‘You could’ve run away with your daughter,’ he suggested.  He must have wondered why the old lady did not challenge her violent husband. Instead, she tolerated him.  As a result, mother and daughter had become victims. ‘I had no place to go with her. I wasn’t confident enough to live on my own. I was worried about getting caught.’  Was she afraid to run away from her husband because he would drag her back and beat her some more? Kim Hyun eyed her sympathetically. ‘Were you the one who reported about Jo Young Hoon’s crimes 15 years ago? questioned Kim Hyun Joon. ‘It wasn’t me, but I know who it was,’ she divulged. She suddenly stood up and reached out for a letter lying on a shelf. ‘The mailman gave me this letter this morning.’ Yoo Min Young read the letter. The letter, an important piece of  evidence, was a revelation.  It was fortunate that they were at the right place and at the right time. And the old lady was in the right frame of mind to share the much-needed and revealing information.