Criminal Minds Episode 19: Life Imitates Art

LIFE

IMITATES
ART

THE THIRD COPYCAT MURDER LIFE IMITATES ART The on-line fanfiction stories had continued unabated. The game of death worsened with the encouragement of an unseen hand. When another fanfiction story was uploaded, it played on the imagination of the NCI profilers. The story was beyond being a reckless death threat; they clearly understood that it would definitely be carried out with dire consequences. Reality: Jeongbalsan Station Exit 1. A young man, wearing a cap, walked towards his destination with downcast eyes. He seemed to be stalking a middle-aged man who was heading towards the Daewang Church. The Third Fanfiction Story. ‘The middle-aged man, who is wearing a cap, goes inside the church. He dips his fingertips in holy water and bows his head. Then, the killer’s knife heads towards the man’s neck.’ Kim Hyun Joon looked at Team Leader Kang. The story translated into reality but the murder plan did not go as smoothly as anticipated. The middle-aged man sat quietly in the pew. Lunging from behind the long bench, the young killer held the older man in a head lock with his arm. They struggled for a while and the middle-aged man escaped from the clutches of the would-be murderer, not before being slashed several times. Although injured, the Christian worshipper could have escaped had his path not been blocked by a stranger who had detached himself from the shadows. It was unfortunate that he had pleaded with the wrong man who had no intention whatsoever to help him. The accomplice grabbed hold of the victim and held him until the first killer caught up with them and slit his throat. The accomplice stabbed the victim.  Kim Hyun Joon finished reading the fanfiction story from the computer. ‘The man blindfolds the dead man with a black cloth. After the evil deed, the man leaves the scene like a shadow.’ When Kim Hyun Joon and Ha Sun Woo discussed the story, they harboured no doubts that the story filled with chilling details would be acted out. Kim Hyun Joon was in deep thought. What were the clues? Stained glass. In front of a cross. A middle-aged man who bows his head. It hit home that the murder site was a church. He shared his suspicions with Team Leader Kang, comparing it with Jung Do II’s case. Yoo Min Young rushed in at that moment and breathlessly announced that the unsub had committed another murder. But, the difference was, this time, the murder and the uploading of the fanfiction story were being carried out at the same time. Reality mirrored art simultaneously and they were unable to apprehend the murderers. When Kim Hyun Joon and Team Leader Kang arrived at the crime scene, the press hounded them. They wanted to know whether it was related to the previous cases that the NCI had handled. Was it a copycat crime? Rumours were circulating that The Reaper was behind it. Team Leader Kang refused to respond to any questions. The murdered man lay in a pool of blood. Kim Hyun Joon confirmed that the murderer had imitated Jung Do II’s case but the pattern was different. Team Leader Kang also felt that something did not add up. Strangely, it was a little different. Unlike the previous murders, it was not carried out in a calm and relaxed manner. The spot where the victim died was also not the place that was mentioned in the story. Kim Hyun Joon analysed the wounds on the bloodied corpse and suggested that the unsub had hastily stabbed the victim’s body, probably in his bid to get away as quickly as possible. The victim had fled from the church building to the place where his life expired. Team Leader Kang guessed that since the murder did not go according to plan, something unexpected must have happened. It dawned on the younger profiler that the time between one murder and another was getting shorter. The murderers probably wanted to prove to the world that the NCI profilers were not as capable as before and the government authorities would fail to solve the murders. Kim Hyun Joon's question was, 'Why didn’t they leave the previous victim’s belongings as a signature?' Kim Hyun Joon did not have to wait long for the answer. The homicide detective who was there rushed over to explain that a pair of glasses was left next to the body. But, he informed them that the glasses did not belong to the victim. Kim Hyun Joon suddenly remembered that the glasses resembled the pair that the reporter-turned-author, Son Suk Ju wore in the photo for his book. ‘It’s Son Suk Ju’s glasses!’   It made sense. It was the Reaper’s signature. The implication would fester in the viewer’s mind that Son Suk Ju was already dead.

ADVERTISEMENTS AND MURDERS Nana Wang and Ha Sun Woo were analysing the contents of the website. It was puzzling that a mysterious symbol had repeatedly appeared in the three fanfiction stories. Ha Sun Woo asked, ‘What is the ‘MW99’ that’s right beside the comment? Could it be the administrator’s nickname? It looks like an abbreviation of some sort.’ Nana Wang had not a clue as to what it symbolised; she wondered whether it was a secret code that only the members knew. If it was their code, then MW must refer to the something. Nana Wang realised that it stood for ‘Mystery World’, a tabloid newspaper which catered to the needs of the mystery novel enthusiasts and the students who majored in Criminal Psychology. She was certain that the NCI team would be able to find some clues from the Mystery World site. Ha Sun Woo and Lee Han paid a visit to the premises of the chain newspaper, Mystery World. The Editor clarified that the Detective Club members were usually the main readers of chain newspapers like theirs. Writers sent them stories but it was difficult for them to select which stories to publish. Ha Sun Woo asked, ‘Do you know where these newspapers are distributed? The answer was universities and mystery club rooms. They were made aware that if the newspaper was not an online one, their business would have gone broke. The paper managed to survive on advertisement revenue. Ha Sun Woo was surprised at the mention of advertisements. Lee Han drew her attention to two startling advertisements.  What struck them most was the nature of the advertisements. One showed the same location and time of Ko Joon Hee’s murder. Another one had details that matched Jang Ae Ran’s shooting case. The chilling information almost sent them reeling. When Ha Sun Woo requested for information about the advertisers, it proved to be a dead end. The anonymous advertisers had only started sending the money the previous month. The crucial piece of information that the criminals used newspaper advertisements to announce the time and location of the murders in advance was conveyed to Team Leader Kang.

CRIMINALLY INSANE THE REAPER CONNECTION Team Leader Kang made a phone call and instructed Nana Wang to check the CCTV footage on the day of the lecture and also that of the church murder site. A comparative analysis was to be done to pick out any familiar faces that had shown up in the CCTV footage from the various locations. Kim Hyun Joon and Team Leader Kang’s discussion on the church murder was interrupted by a call from Kim Yong Chul AKA The Reaper. It somewhat appeared that he was trying to wear them down.  ‘Do you like my presents this time?’ The Reaper queried sarcastically in his low creepy tone. It was his confession to the crime; it was concrete evidence that he was involved, but was he the murderer? Kang Ki Hyeong was not interested in making a deal with him and told him bluntly. He was determined to catch him. Was Kim Yong Chul's intimidating call part of his personal vendetta? If Kang Ki Hyeong, his nemesis, was the one that he was targeting, then, he was warned not to victimise innocent people. It seemed that although The Reaper was getting on in years, he showed no signs of flagging in his vengeful criminal activities. Unbeknownst to Team Leader Kang, The Reaper was observing the daughter of NCI Chief Director, Baek San. He divulged to Team Leader Kang that he was going to have some fun. What was The Reaper planning next? When the conversation ended, the daughter of the NCI Chief Director was kidnapped after being ambushed from behind by The Reaper. On analysing the CCTV footage of the NCI lecture as instructed, Nana Wang discovered an interesting fact. Three of the young men who looked similar were members of the mystery club. They, together with Ko Joon Hee, were at the NCI lecture. Team Leader Kang wanted to know if they had any connection with the other victims. ‘Check for criminal records or anything that is out of the ordinary.’