"How many of these cases still have a chance to be re-examined?" Rossi asked.
JJ glanced at the files and replied, "At least two cases haven't finished the process. The bodies should still be in the coroner's office... uh, three cases. One couple's bodies haven't been claid by any relatives yet."
"Contact D.B. Russell at the Las Vegas Cri Lab, send them the files, and ask them to intervene and conduct re-examinations. Hopefully, this will help us pinpoint the murder weapon. Most importantly, we need to determine if the female victims were all assaulted before their deaths."
Rossi paused, then continued, "Don't overlook those vehicles either. Although the report says the dashcams were destroyed and the GPS data can't be recovered."
"But I've been looking at these cri lab reports lately. Current trace evidence analysis can roughly pinpoint the location of the cri scene, which is extrely useful to us."
Jack looked up with so surprise at the 60-sothing-year-old profiler. He hadn't expected him to be so diligent in learning and understanding new technologies.
[A/n: Not everyone has a system shitlock. There is an old guy learning new skills, and here you are doesn't even know the basics of coding, much less hacking.]
"These accident sites are scattered along highways around Carson City, Lake Tahoe, and Reno. These nearby cities are popular with tourists, and it's ski season now, so there are also seasonal workers mixed in."
As a local, Jack analyzed the information he knew. He had lived in California for several years and was familiar with this tourist hotspot between two states.
"That ans there are a lot of potential victims to choose from," Hotchner added. "Judging from the victims' experiences, whether it's beatings or assaults, it requires a private space and a considerable amount of ti."
"This suggests the perpetrator is a local, or owns property there, or has a long-term residence," Emily added.
Everyone chid in, and although it was just simple deduction based on the information on paper, they quickly established a general frawork: a psychopathic predator targeting couples or lovers passing by, then staging accidents on highways at night to cover up the cri.
"How much does the local dia know?" After listening to everyone's analysis, Rossi suddenly looked up and asked JJ.
JJ shrugged. "The dia is unaware of this. As usual, they reported it as a traffic accident."
Emily imdiately understood. "This is our advantage. The perpetrator doesn't know he's been exposed, so he's less vigilant."
"Yes, JJ, contact him later." Hotchner glanced at the docunts in his hand. "...Sheriff Bruner, explain the importance of secrecy to him. If the suspect realizes he's being investigated or monitored, he might change his thods or choose victims elsewhere."
The case briefing wasn't long, as the information was still very limited. The final deploynt was decided by Hotchner.
"Everyone, go back and rest early today. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. The departnt has assigned us two cars; Jack and I will each drive one. Rember to bring enough warm clothing."
Since Nevada is right next to California, there was no need to use the Gulfstream business jet this ti; it's only a four-hour drive from Los Angeles.
The next morning, two brand-new Suburbans left Los Angeles one after the other, heading north.
Reno, located near Lake Tahoe, is one of the most famous ski resorts in the United States. The eastern section of the Sierra Nevada Mountains extends right here, and dozens of ski resorts of varying sizes are scattered around.
It's currently ski season, the peak tourist season of the year, and the roads are filled with all sorts of RVs and minivans traveling in the sa direction, so even with skis or canoes attached to their roofs.
Many people know Las Vegas, but may not know that Reno is the second largest gambling city in the United States, after Las Vegas. It was once known as the "Divorce Capital."
In the early 20th century, from the 1920s to the 1950s, divorce was still a shaful thing for Aricans. This might be hard to imagine today, but it was certainly true then.
To revitalize the economy, Reno anded its laws in 1931, allowing couples to divorce without cause after living there for six weeks. Suddenly, thousands of Aricans flocked to this small western city.
At its peak, hotels, guesthouses, and even local farms were packed with people divorcing. So couldn't find accommodation and simply pitched tents, willing to endure weeks of hardship for the freedom of being single.
Reno also has a famous Virginia Street Bridge, a well-known tourist attraction. In those days, newly divorced won would stand on the bridge and throw their wedding rings into the river, earning the river the nickna "Divorce River."
The above information all cos from Dr. Reid's rambling explanations along the way. Since they set off early, no one needed to catch up on sleep in the car; everyone was mostly chatting idly.
Around noon, the two Suburbans pulled into the local police station, where a middle-aged sheriff with graying hair greeted them.
"I'm Bruner, welco."
"Hello, Sheriff Bruner, we spoke on the phone before; these are my colleagues."
Lake Tahoe is a typical high-altitude lake, with an average elevation of nearly 2,000 ters. It was winter, and the average temperature was close to -10 degrees Celsius. Coming from the warm California coast, everyone imdiately bundled up in thick down jackets upon arrival.
As the BAU team's "diplomat," JJ introduced the two sides.
"This place isn't big, but it should be just about enough."
Sheriff Bruner, short and lean, giving off a very capable first impression, proactively shook hands with the two obviously oldest mbers of the group, Rossi and Hotchner.
This was a small local police station, slightly larger than the one in the small town of Margrave, but far more shabby than a precinct in a developed city like Wilshire.
"We only need a table and an evidence board," Hotchner said, unconcerned. Without his prompting, Reid had already pushed over an evidence board and ticulously arranged the reorganized photos, writing nas and relationships on it with a whiteboard marker.
"Sheriff, if you don't mind, my team mbers would like to go to the scene," Rossi said directly, cutting to the chase.
Sheriff Bruner seed to appreciate the BAU's efficient work style, nodding repeatedly.
"I'll arrange for the deputy to take you there imdiately."
"Oh, by the way, the CSI Cri Labs from Las Vegas arrived early this morning. They're performing a second autopsy on the body, and another team is examining the vehicle wreckage. They've preliminarily ruled out two cases, confirming it was indeed a traffic accident."
"That ans we now have four cases linked together."
Reid, busy at work, nodded, took the docunts from Sheriff Bruner, removed a few photos from the evidence board, and then hung a map of the surrounding area in the blank space.
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