- A suspected serial killer who's been in a coma since 2004 due to an accident when he was arrested wakes up 4 years later, with no memory of his past, not even his name. While he is tried in court, in which Hotch is testifying against him, the rest of the team investigates his past further.
- Four years earlier in Roanoke, Virgina, the BAU were in pursuit of Brian Matloff, alleged to be the Blue Ridge Strangler who killed three women. While Morgan was chasing him, Matloff fell several stories from a building roof. Miraculously, Matloff survived, but fell into a coma, from which he has just awaken. The authorities may have problems now in convicting Matloff since he claims to have amnesia, and their only key witness has since passed away. All remaining evidence is circumstantial. Surprisingly, Matloff agrees to a cognitive memory recognition exercise, since regardless of guilt or innocence he states that he wants to know who he is/was. However, some argue that if Matloff does not regain his memory, he is no longer the person he was and thus no longer a threat to society. So, is this a ruse perpetrated by a cold blooded killer? An unknown woman who was Matloff's sole regular visitor may be able to shed some light on the case. Regardless, the father of one of the Blue Ridge Strangler's victims does whatever he can to ensure justice is served.—Huggo
- In 2004, Hotchner organized a raid in the apartment of suspected serial killer Brian Matloff. While trying to escape, Matloff was severely injured and fell into a coma. Matloff had no known meaningful relationships, and there was nobody who could testify about his activities in the last few years. There was only one eye witness against him, but little to no forensic evidence. The trophies that Matloff kept from his victims were never found. In 2008, Matloff awakes from his coma in a hospital. He is suffering from amnesia and may have brain damage. He is still placed on a murder trial, but the only eye witness has died and there is little evidence against Matloff. The FBI profilers locate and question Matloff's only biological relative, the birth mother who gave him for adoption and who rejected his requests for a reunion. Meanwhile, Matloff is suffering from nightmares about his victims as his memories slowly resurface. He personally locates the previously unknown grave of his first victim. But the original personality of the serial killer has not resurfaced. Matloff is having feelings of intense remorse and sorrow, and the FBI agents have to locate him before he commits suicide.—Dimos I
- ROANOKE, VA., 2004
The FBI move swiftly up a stairwell. Hotch and Derek lead the way. They come to the locked door of Brian Matloff. An agent kicks down the door and team storms the apartment. Derek notices a dream catcher hanging from the ceiling ... and then Matloff heading for the roof. Derek gives chase.
Matloff attempts to leap to the roof of another building, but falls short, hanging by his fingertips. Derek makes the jump, but it is too late. Matloff loses his grip and falls. Miraculously, he is still alive but unconscious.
QUANTICO, VA. PRESENT DAY
Spencer and Garcia make fun of a 1989 photo of a Goth Emily. Hotch enters. Matloff, accused of strangling three women, has just awoken from a four-year coma.
Hotch arrives at the hospital to find Cece, whose plan for Matloff is to "try him and fry him." Hotch warns that the evidence may have degraded in the last four years.
"Time hasn't changed the facts," Cece says. "He killed three people. Maybe more."
The doctor explains that Matloff has "focal retrograde amnesia." The accused killer, who lies awake in a hospital bed, can't even remember his name.
Back at her office, Cece discovers that the main witness in the case against Matloff has died of an overdose. Rossi offers to go back over the case with the BAU team.
FLASHBACK TO 2004
Spencer, introduced as the new guy, joins Detective Jarvis, Hotch and Derek at a murder site. The victim, a young woman, has been buried face down. The murderer takes trophies (like a watch) and uses a belt to strangle women.
Suddenly, the victim's father approaches. Spencer leads the distraught man away.
BACK TO PRESENT DAY
The team huddles around the case file. Derek explains that the killer had an interest in Native American culture. He buries the bodies upside down so that the soul can not escape. Jennifer wonders why Matloff, who grew up Polish-Catholic, identified with Native American culture.
Hotch arrives, explaining that the main witness is dead.
"There might be another way," Spencer says.
In court, Cece proposes brain fingerprinting, a process that will show if the memory of the crimes is present in the brain of the defendant. The defense attorney vehemently objects. Hotch assures the judge that the test is non-evasive; the accused simply looks at images while an EEG monitors brain activity.
To everyone's surprise, Matloff volunteers for the procedure. He, too, wants to know whether he is guilty.
On the way out of the courtroom, Spencer runs into the victim's father. "You always hear about closure," Mr. Corbett says. "Maybe now I can get over things."
The test begins. Matloff looks at pictures of the victims before and after their bodies were found.
Jennifer calls Hotch. The accused had a frequent visitor while in a coma. Jennifer promises to look into it.
Meanwhile, the results of the brain fingerprinting arrive. Matloff either doesn't remember his victims, or he didn't kill them.
Rossi and Hotch meet with the team. Spencer theorizes that the fall from the roof may have erased the man's mind completely. Emily suggests that perhaps Matloff is a different person and no longer poses a danger to society. Derek says the man deserves to be punished regardless.
Matloff awakes from a nightmare. He asks the guard for paper and something to write with.
The trial begins. Cece gives opening arguments. Called as a witness, Hotch describes the process of linking the three bodies to one killer. In 2004, he recalls, the team theorized that the killer worked for the park, where all the bodies had been found. When employee names were checked against interviews with police witnesses, Matloff was the only match.
Jennifer and Emily, who have been trying to track down the woman who visited Matloff, brief Rossi on their progress. Matloff, it turns out, was adopted and the visitor may be of Native American heritage. "He's trying to get in touch with his roots," Rossi suggests.
Garcia hacks into the adoption center, looking for Matloff's birth mother. The search yields a name: Nina Moore.
Back in court, the defense attorney cross-examines Hotch. The attorney points out past instances in which Hotch's analysis had been wrong. Bad idea. Hotch profiles the attorney on the spot (gambler, financially strapped), embarrassing the man.
Outside court, Spencer comforts Mr. Corbett. Mr. Corbett is sanguine, telling Spencer that he saw a therapist who told him that there are "always going to be things in life that I can't control." The confession gives Spencer pause.
In the parking lot, Mr. Corbett gets into his car and removes a revolver from the glove box.
Rossi and Jenner visit Mrs. Moore. She says she was protecting her family by not coming forward. She says her son called her before being arrested, wondering about his heritage. The mother, however, rejected him.
"Whatever he became, I can't help but feel its my fault," Mrs. Moore says.
Rossi asks if her son ever sent her gifts. He did, as it turns out. The gifts are the trophies from his victims.
Matloff exits a police van in cuffs when Mr. Corbett approaches, gun in waistband. Spencer intercepts the man, convincing him not to do something stupid. Spencer takes the gun.
"How did you know?" Mr. Corbett says.
"You were too calm yesterday," Spencer responds.
Back in the courtroom, Mrs. Moore takes the stand. She confesses to giving Matloff up for adoption. "Turning him away was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," she cries. "I'm sorry, Brian. I'm so sorry."
She then says she got something in the mail with a postmark from Roanoke. Inside was a necklace. Two months later, another necklace. Then a watch. The items match with possessions of the victims.
"I have nothing further," Cece says.
Hotch notices that the accused cried during his mother's testimony. He theorizes that the killer is getting his memory back. Suddenly, alarm bells sound. Hotch runs to the holding room where a guard has been assaulted. Matloff is gone.
"He's got my gun," she says.
Matloff has stolen a car and disappeared. Back in the office, Emily wonders if the brain fingerprinting didn't somehow reawaken the man's memory -- and if the BAU isn't somehow at fault.
Spencer searches Matloff's prison cell. He discovers a drawing of a wooded area and gets on the phone. "I think I know where he's going," Spencer says.
Matloff, meanwhile, wanders through the park. He experiences flashbacks to the killings. A dark-haired jogger passes. She matches the look of the other victims.
Hotch and Spencer arrive at the park. Hotch spots Matloff, who is cradling the jogger in his arms. They are afraid to rush him, fearing that Matloff might kill the jogger. Hotch goes in alone, gun drawn.
As Hotch gets closer, we discover that Matloff is actually holding a rotting corpse. The jogger was a memory.
"She was my first," Matloff cries. He remembers "every tiny detail, but it's still not real ... it's like the memories belong to someone else."
Hotch convinces the man to give up his gun. If Matloff really is a different person now, Hotch says, then he must demonstrate it by doing the right thing. Matloff is arrested.
Spencer visits the home of Mr. Corbett. He explains that Matloff has pled guilty and will be sentenced to life without parole. Spencer hands Mr. Corbett his daughter's watch.
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