Chapter 380: The Beach Mystery (Part 1)

For the first time, everyone sat obediently in the meeting room, waiting for JJ to arrive. Usually, she would gather the team only after she had neatly organized and copied all the case files into individual folders.

Soon, the sound of hurried high heels approached, and JJ walked into the room, wearing an apologetic yet stiff smile. She then shot an annoyed glare at the person responsible for her flustered state.

After handing out the photocopied case files, she turned on the projector, and photos of the crime scene flashed on the screen as she began her briefing.

"Last night at 11 PM, a group of young people gathered for a party on a yet-to-be-opened beach in South Bay. A young couple found three bodies inside a newly constructed lifeguard tower.

"The victims were between 25 and 40 years old, all killed by a gunshot to the head. The time of death ranges from two months to two weeks ago. Notably, two of the bodies were wrapped in plastic."

"Was that for practical reasons or symbolic ones? To prevent blood from getting everywhere?" Emily asked.

Reid chimed in, "It could also be a sign of remorse. Wrapping a body often suggests the killer feels guilty."

"So why wasn't the third body wrapped?" Jack awkwardly twirled a pen in his hand, puzzled by how he could easily spin a kitchen knife but struggled with a simple pen.

"Maybe that victim had special significance to the killer, or something unexpected happened, leaving no time to wrap it," Rossi said thoughtfully.

Hotch flipped through the case file, frowning. "Have the identities of the three victims been determined yet?"

Garcia, who had joined the team in the meeting room for a change, quickly raised her hand. "The Playa Del Rey police department is small. They usually deal with petty theft and drunk tourists. These three bodies have shaken them up, and they're currently sweeping the nearby empty or abandoned lifeguard towers."

"I've already pushed the local coroner to prioritize fingerprint scans, and my computer is running facial recognition as we speak. Hopefully, we'll have results by the time you get there," she added.

"JJ, contact the state police and ask for additional manpower in case this turns out to be the work of a serial killer. They might have their hands full soon," Hotch ordered.

"Oh, one more thing," Reid interjected. "According to the preliminary autopsy report, all three victims were missing their genitalia."

Rossi took the report from Reid, mulling it over. "The killer might have been trying to hide evidence of a sexual crime or could have kept it as a trophy."

"Uh…" Jack's mind raced through countless cases he'd studied before tentatively asking, "Are you suggesting a killer like Jeffrey Dahmer?"

Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as the "Milwaukee Cannibal," was infamous for killing at least 17 young men between 1978 and 1991. His crimes included necrophilia, cannibalism, and drilling holes into his victims' heads while they were still alive.

In terms of sheer horror, Dahmer's confession materials ranked among the top five most disturbing cases Jack had ever read. Collecting body parts was almost the least shocking aspect of his crimes.

"Possibly. The report states the castrations were done post-mortem, which suggests the killer's motive wasn't to torture the victims," Emily noted after reading through the thin file.

"And the cause of death was a single gunshot to the head—very efficient," she added.

"But quick kills lack emotional intensity and excitement, right?" JJ pointed out.

Reid nodded. "But castration is deeply emotional. The killer might have sexual dysfunction and is destroying the bodies out of frustration."

"Or it could be something else. This case reminds me of the 'Bay Harbor Butcher' in Miami last year. I've always had doubts about the FBI's profile of the killer's motive," Rossi said, handing the report to Hotch.

Jack's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Miami and the "Bay Harbor Butcher." Wasn't that Dexter Morgan, the blood spatter analyst turned vigilante serial killer?

Jack remembered looking into Dexter Morgan's background when he first joined the LAPD. At the time, Morgan was just a blood spatter analyst at Miami Metro, and Jack hadn't paid much attention to him since. Could it be that Dexter had finally been exposed?

Jack had even thought about meeting Dexter someday—after all, a serial killer who exclusively targeted other killers was an intriguing character. Though his methods were brutal, Dexter had no innocent blood on his hands, only the worst of society's predators.

Jack had also mused about handing over certain irredeemable criminals to Dexter, people like Marla Grayson, who fed on the lives of the elderly. It would've been like referring business to a partner.

He mentally noted to look into the "Bay Harbor Butcher" case later, as the team wrapped up their discussion and gathered their things to head out.

Due to traffic, it took the two Suburbans nearly two hours to get from Los Angeles to South Bay.

Upon arriving at the small local police station, they found the place in complete chaos. Officers were rushing around, and the few sitting at their desks were bombarded with phone calls.

"Sorry about the mess. We've set up a meeting room for you, but things are pretty hectic right now," said a young police chief who approached them.

"Uh, I'm Quinn Parker, in charge of this case. We just found another body in a lifeguard tower at Manhattan Beach," he added, shaking hands with the BAU team members as they introduced themselves.

The team followed Parker into a well-organized meeting room, where a large screen displayed the latest updates on the case, including photos of the four victims.

Standing in front of the screen, Parker briefed them on the latest findings.

"We've completed a sweep of all the lifeguard towers along South Bay. The body found at Manhattan Beach was the newest. The coroner estimated the time of death at less than ten hours ago."

Hotch nodded. "The killer knows their previous dumping grounds have been exposed, so they've moved to a new location. I'd recommend increasing patrols to once every hour and adjusting the routes slightly.

"The killer is likely a local, familiar with the area. They may be watching our investigation from the shadows, adapting their methods as we go."

Parker's face showed signs of stress, and JJ quickly anticipated his next words. "We've coordinated with the state police, and they'll be sending additional units for backup soon."

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