Whoa! Ooh! Oh, Mommy.
We're all going to die. Joey, put your seat belt on.
Oh, my goodness!
Whoa! ( screaming )
Okay, guys, come on. That was so fun. All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Pharaoh's Fever. Buckle up. Get ready to scream.
That was so awesome. Um, we'll ride it in a minute. Um, four King Tut burgers, uh, two Nile River ice teas and two milks. Milk is nasty. Yeah. ( screaming )
So, Dr. Thrillseeker, you ever been on this roller coaster? GRISSOM: Pharaoh's Fever, yeah... but my ride ended at the platform.
What do you know?
BRASS: Six dead. Park full of eyewitnesses saw the train fly off the tracks. 401B. Accident with injury. BRASS: Uh-huh. GRISSOM: It's also a 418B. A runaway?
A runaway train. Captioning sponsored by CBS, C.S.I. PRODUCTIONS ♪ Who... are you? ♪ ♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪ ♪ Who... are you? ♪ ♪ Who, who, who, who? ♪ ♪ I really wanna know ♪ ♪ Who... are you? ♪ ♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Who... ♪ ♪ Oh-oh-oh ♪ ♪ Who... ♪ ♪ Come on, tell me who are you, you, you ♪ ♪ Oh, you! ♪
Hey. Sorry we're late. There was a news van blocking the entrance. This is the first time a roller coaster has derailed in Clark County. Huge criminal and civil liabilities issues, so keep it quiet. Photograph the scene. Bag and tag all the detritus. Forklift anything bigger than Greg. We're going to put up a tent on the other side of the parking lot for accident reconstruction. Questions? Yeah. What's that guy doing so far away from the others?
Curious, isn't it? So, when he asks if anybody has any questions, he's not really asking? Well, I don't know much about roller coaster accidents, but in auto collisions, the victims found furthest away from the car usually weren't wearing a seat belt. That'd be my bet. ( screaming )
STOKES: Okay, let's go to work. What should I do? Photo-evidence log-- just record everything we collect, okay?
Couple of mountain bikers called in the body. Coroner just arrived.
WILLOWS: Hi, David. Hey. Tessa Press. School I.D. was in her pocket. She's 13. I hate these cases. Now... the body position is inconsistent with her lividity. After she died, blood settled to her anterior and lividity fixed. So she had been facedown. Yeah. And someone dumped her face up. How long has she been here? I'll defer that question to the insects.
WILLOWS: Instar maggots. Given the ambient temperature and last night's rain, I'd estimate she's been out here 24 hours. Takes that long for blowfly eggs to hatch. I guess the rain would've washed away any trace evidence: tire prints, shoe impressions. Let's just hope there's some evidence on her body. If you're going to drive all the way out here to dump a body, why not take another ten minutes and bury her? Guess it wasn't worth the killer's time.
So, how long you been operating the roller coaster? Couple of months. I got a promotion. I used to work the merry-go-round. That's a promotion, huh? Yeah. Only little kids go on the merry-go-round. Oh, I see. So you get to meet girls your own age on Pharaoh's Fever. Yeah, something like that. What kind of training do you get to be an operator? Training? I release the brake. I press a button. It's green and marked "start". I get the picture. All right, look, there are six victims. It'd be helpful to know where each of them was sitting. Um... front bench was a girl. She was blond. Yeah? Cute.
Uh, followed by a punk, old folks and some other dude.
That's only five. That's all I remember.
BRASS: "See yourself scream"? What's this about? We got a digital camera. It's mounted right over there.
BRASS: How does that work? Camera's on a trigger. Train passes by, automatically snaps a picture and stores it in the computer's hard drive. The train was airborne. Never even got close to the camera. I'm still going to want to take that computer.
I'm the park's chief engineer. Been working on coasters since before I was tall enough to ride 'em. GRISSOM: You responsible for maintaining this roller coaster? I keep all the rides up to code. You have any idea what would cause this train to go off the track? Well, in theory, I didn't think it was possible. There's never been an accident like this anywhere.
So, you're an expert? On roller coasters? Hell yeah. Ten years of service on Six Flags' American Eagle before moving to Vegas. Do you know what that is? That's a nut. It, uh... secures the wheel to the screw. Well, one loose screw... couldn't cause a train to derail, could it? No, no, there's, uh... eight wheels per train. They-they'd all have to be loose, and, uh... that just doesn't happen.
"There are three things in human life "that are important. "The first is to be kind; "the second one is to be kind; and the third one is to be kind." Henry James. Very good. Author of one of the greatest horror stories ever written: Turn of the Screw. And I'm looking for one. SIDLE: A screw? Yes. SIDLE: A screw? Yes. Oh, well... technically, these are eccentric shafts, not screws. Well, as long as you can screw a nut on it, it's a screw. Turn of the Screw isn't really a horror story. It's more of a mystery. Did the governess kill the little boy, or did the ghost do it? Well, it's only a mystery if you believe in ghosts.
End threads are stripped. Means the nuts were loose. Excessive play on the screws would've worn down the threads. And the nuts would've popped off.
Nuts don't just pop off by themselves.
GRISSOM: We got tool marks. Vertical striations, evenly spaced. Could've been a pipe wrench. Maybe whoever maintains the roller coaster uses a pipe wrench to tighten the nuts. Or whoever loosened the nuts screwed up.
It's Tessa. I don't understand.
How could this...?
My baby.
I'm very sorry.
She's beautiful, isn't she?
Ma'am, the coroner believes that Tessa died over 24 hours ago. Had you reported her missing?
Couple nights a week, she'd sleep at her friend Carrie's. There's just the two of us. I'm a waitress. Work nights. That way I can... make her breakfast and be there when she gets home from school.
When was the last time that you saw her? Yesterday morning. I got home around 6:00. We made pancakes. I packed her lunch and kissed her good-bye.
When she didn't come home from school, I just figured she was at Carrie's.
I should have called, but I didn't want to be a nag.
I want to see her.
Officer, could you please escort Ms. Press... to the morgue.
When's the last time you went 24 hours without talking to Lindsey? A single mother, working nights. I'm just saying, she didn't check on her own kid, you know? Ah, you do the best you can. Introductions.
Shelly Hoffman, 25. Cause of death-- lacerated ventricle. Noah Nuland, 15. C.O.D.-- head contusion. The swelling of the brain killed him within minutes. Now, Gary Clodfelter died of shock. His wife, May, exsanguinated. And their son, Cameron-- another head contusion. What about this guy? Jim Nevins, 20. Park employee. Died from a temporal herniation. Impact to the head caused the brain to swell, which, in turn, put pressure on the brain stem. According to the ride operator, there were only five passengers on the roller coaster, and no employees. Right. So... maybe Nevins was just an unfortunate bystander. Hit in the head by a falling roller coaster. The Chicken Little theory? But here's the hitch. The others died roughly ten hours ago. Mr. Nevins' rigor mortis is fixed. Body temp puts the time of his death approximately 16 hours before the others-- right around 1:00 A.M. ( sighing ) Albert... dead men don't ride roller coasters.
We're going to need to see the underside of the loading platform. Oh, follow me. Rumor has it the park's going to shut down Pharaoh's Fever for good. You know anything about that? GRISSOM: No. Newspaper called it "a death trap." An accident waiting to happen. You disagree with that? Well, she's old and wrinkled, but I took good care of her.
Uh, Woody?
We'd like to be alone.
Holler if you need anything.
Well, easy access. Wheels are in reach. Anyone could have loosened the nuts from down here. Check this out. Is that lubricant, maybe? It's a funny place for lubricant. It's not even on the track. I'll swab it.
( flapping ) Hey, look at that.
That's worse than just a wrinkle. It's got a support beam under it. It's just a cosmetic problem. Sir, you need to step away. We need some time. This is an active investigation. Were you aware that that support beam was detached? Well, hell, yeah. Fixed it a half dozen times this year. It's in my maintenance log. But like I said, that cross bar is supported by the metal beam. But since my hours were cut back last November, I've had to prioritize my "fix-ums." Hmm. Woody, we'd like to requisition your pipe wrench. It's, uh, not technically mine. Are you the only one that uses it? Yeah, but it's the property of the park. Well, I promise we'll get it back to you.
( phone ringing ) Thank you.
Yeah? I'm processing the dead park employee's clothing. The shirt and the pants are covered in red fibers. GRISSOM: Anything distinctive? Well, they're trilobal. Very good. Thanks, Nick. Well, we need to find a car with a red interior. SARA: Hi.
The roller coaster broke into 106 parts. I just logged the final piece. Good work. I found something a little unusual, for a roller coaster.
Not a sailor, but a... Semen? Sex on the roller coaster? Or some kid shaking hands with Shorty.
The release of epinephrine and adrenaline while riding a roller coaster can produce a stimulatory effect. It enhances ejaculation. Right. But is it probative to our investigation? Well, um, why don't you swab a sample, and you can tell us. Greg, do we know who the R.O. of this T-Bird is? Uh... Jim Nevins. The dead employee. I didn't realize the cars were relevant to our investigation. Everything's relevant Greg, until it's not.
Grissom.
Take a look at this. A pipe wrench.
Blood. Greg, may I?
Blood pool. Camouflaged by the red carpet. That explains the autopsy findings. Nevins may have never been in the roller coaster. Possibly killed by that wrench and stuffed in his own trunk. And, uh, then what? A renegade roller coaster comes along 16 hours later, and propels Nevin's body from the trunk to the blacktop? I'm just following the evidence. I'll call Brass, see if he can find an eyewitness that can place the car in the parking lot at the time of Nevin's death.
Uh, so, Woody said that I might be able to help you with your investigation. Zack, you close up shop at the Sphinx at night. Yeah, Monday to Friday. Uh, class till 3:00. Tutor kids in math till 5:00, and then I head over to the park. We close at 10:00. Did you notice any cars in the parking lot after closing on Thursday night? Jimmy Nevins. His red T-Bird was out there. Oh, you know Jimmy? Yeah, sure; pretty cool guy. Worked the bumper cars. I still can't believe what happened, you know? I mean, I must have rode that coaster, like, 100 times, maybe more. Anyway, sometimes Jimmy stayed after closing. Why? Look, I'm not trying to get anybody in trouble, but occasionally, Jimmy would take his... dates for rides on The Fever, you know? Everybody knew about it. It was really no big deal. Do you happen to know the name of his date on Thursday night? No, sorry. How did Jimmy get access to the park? I mean, all the power is shut down at night. The same key that opens up the men's room door opens up all the power boxes at the park. No kidding. It's just hanging outside Woody's office. What about security? Nope. Night guy got laid off. Budget cuts last winter. It's not like anybody's going break into an amusement park and steal a coaster, you know? DAVID PHILLIPS: X-rayed Tessa's neck. Blade appears to have perforated her fifth cervical intervertebral disc, lacerating the spinal cord.
Type of trauma suggests we're looking at asphyxia due to diaphragmatic paralysis.
It looks like there's soil inside of her wound. Well, we did find her outside. Right. Should be soil around the wound. And on the wound, but not inside of it.
♪ ♪
Oh, I am the man. Are you? I microsilled the pipe wrenches you and Sara turned into evidence. I excluded Woody's wrench. Take a look at the tool marks from the wrench found in the T-bird. On the left, the sabotaged nut. On the right, the test marks. Perfect match. I have a theory. Maybe Jim Nevins sabotaged the roller coaster.
When he left the park, someone attacked him, grabbed his wrench and hit him over the head with it.
Did you any prints off the wrench? I got a partial. And I had a tech print the T-Bird. Found two sets of prints on the trunk's lid. One belonged to the vic, the other unknown, but it did match the partial.
That semen from the coaster's cab was just processed in my lab. All I can say is, Nevins was a cad.
Semen match the dead guy's? Yup. And Sara spoke to Brass, who says Nevins was known for taking girls on private rides. Pharaoh's Fever was his Spanish fly. Well, there goes my theory. No one tampers with their sex machine.
( typing, computer beeping ) Multitrack digital camera snaps photos of all the passengers. The park finally sent over their computer, so I'm scanning through the day of the accident. Can you go back in time, to the night before? Yeah. Why? Jim Nevins may have been on that coaster. I want to see if anyone was with him. ( typing ) ( computer beeps )
Oh. So much for safe sex. Who's the girl? Reverse one more pic. ( typing ) Now, that picture's worth five bucks. Last time stamp of the night was 12:45 a.m. Coroner placed Nevins' T.O.D at 1:00 a.m. We need to find that girl.
WILLOWS: Hey. BROWN: Hey. Got your page. What's up? Tessa Press took the bus to and from school, not far from here. Mm-hmm. I showed her picture to the mini-mart manager. She remembers seeing her the day that she was killed. Wow. This place is crawling with kids. She remembers her? She says she came in every afternoon and bought a Little Debbie and a soda. Have we tracked down her friend, Carrie? Officer Ray did speak with Carrie and her parents, and they confirmed that Tessa spent at least two nights a week over their place. And was she supposed to sleep over the day that she was killed? I don't think they had any kind of a schedule. She would just show up, and when she didn't, they'd assumed that she was at home.
Warrick. I've already secured the footage.
Oh, roller coaster wacko at 12:00.
I heard you were looking for someone. Sir, do you recognize this young woman?
Oh, sure, it's Cleopatra.
She works in food services. Second pyramid on the left. Thank you, Woody.
MAN: Hey, can I help you? Actually, we're looking for Cleopatra. She's on break. But can I get you anything?
No, thanks.
Quadratic equations? That's not easy. Glad you think so. I have a "D" average. If I fail the final, my family's going to Hawaii without me. We're with the crime lab.
We have some questions.
I had no idea those cameras worked at night. Is your name really Cleopatra? Lisa. Lisa Hunt. Lisa, you know your friend in this photograph is dead, right? Right. You don't seem too upset about that. D.L. on Jimmy Nevins: Four years ago, when I was a frosh and he was a senior, he was my Jordan Catalano. Know what I mean? But he didn't know my name. So four years later, when I started working here, he's still working here-- total loser, but still really hot-- so when he asked me out, there was only one answer: "When and where?" After hours at the roller coaster. I know, I thought the same thing-- Cheez Whiz. But, I mean, what the hell? I'd never done it on a roller coaster. It was your first date. You sound like my mother. Oh, God, you're not going to tell her, are you? I just turned 18. There is nothing statutory about it, I swear. Lisa, we need to know what the two of you did when you got off the ride. We talked. I mean, not that he had much to say.
He offered to drive me home, but I only live a few blocks from here, so I told him I'd huff it. Mm, we kissed-- way too much slobber. And that was it. Was there anyone else around? I-I didn't see anybody, but I wasn't really looking.
I found Tessa. WILLOW: Yeah, you're not the only one. Yeah. Can you enlarge it? ( typing ) ( machine whirring )
Yeah, that's me. And who's that with you? Tessa Press. You two were friends? We sat next to each other on the bus. She was 13. How old are you? What's that supposed to mean? No, Mom, it's okay. I-I'm 15. I felt sorry for her. The girls picked on her. Made fun of her frizzy hair, her old clothes. Stuff like that. She'd sit next to me, and they'd leave her alone. In the photo, you're grabbing her arm. It wasn't like that. I just got my learner's permit. My mom was waiting in the car. We were just going to get slushies. I saw Tessa in the parking lot. Hey, Tessa. Hey. Henry. You want a ride, just door to door? No, that's okay. Oh, come on. You're not scared to drive with me, are you? No, it's okay. I got it. She said she was getting a ride from someone else. Did she say who? No. But when we pulled away, I saw her getting into a truck. I didn't see the driver.
I've got a question for you. What substance contains the following ingredients: Sorbitol, cetyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, glyceryl, stearate, PEG-100 stearate, petrolatum, benzylalcohol, titanium dioxide and purified water? Okay, I assume that you've identified the substance we found on the roller coaster track? Correct. It's doxepin ointment. ( chuckles ): Sounds Klingon, huh?
Anyway, uh, it's prescribed by doctors to treat dermatological inflammations caused by contact with certain types of plants. Maybe whoever messed with the tracks transferred the ointment when they loosened the wheels.
( metallic clanking ) Your killer has a rash. And we need to catch it.
I've been looking for you. What's up? Hodges analyzed the trace from inside Tessa's wound. It seems it was ZooDoo. Come again. Hoof stock. It's a combination of feces from rhinos, zebras, and bison. You're kidding? They say that the smell of wild animal crap keeps the deer away. Who knew? Uh, so can we track the source of...? There is a zoo in Auckland that exports it. And there's only one landscaping company in Clark County that imports it-- ADL. I contacted ADL, and guess what they told me? Couple of months back, they were hired by the victim's mother.
BROWN: Hmm. ADL Landscaping. ( camera shutter clicks ) Must've been a big job-- she hired them months ago.
ZooDoo. ( camera shutter clicking )
Hello. Hi. I just left you a message. Any news?
Honey, these guys are from the crime lab. Justin Mack, my boyfriend.
How you doing? BROWN: Hey. Could I have a word with you outside for a moment? Why? Why not?
May I? How can you be sure it was Justin's truck? At this point, we're just following a lead. How long have you known Justin? Uh... few months. Hired him to lay sod. Now we're in the midst of an outdoor overhaul. And where's Tessa's father? L.A., maybe. I don't know. I haven't heard from him since the divorce. He'll find a way to blame me for this. You see, Raina said it was important for Tessa to take the bus to school. Said it helps build independence. But sometimes I'd pick her up at the bus stop, buy her an ice-cream cone, and drop her off here. Did you pick her up that afternoon? Look, I know there are a lot of whack-jobs in the world, and you're just doing your job, but watch it.
You mind if I take a look in the back of your truck?
Don't you need a warrant? Only if you deny me access. Go ahead. Thanks. Have you ever left Tessa alone with Justin? Sure. He's over here all the time.
He's a good man. He wouldn't hurt anybody, especially not Tessa.
( voice cracks ): Damn, I keep expecting her to walk through that door.
In 1988, your client was arrested for a drunk and disorderly. Your fingerprints were then entered into our database. They match the fingerprints that we found on this shovel.
WILLOWS: The blood on the blade matches your daughter's DNA. My client is landscaping her backyard with her boyfriend. Explains her prints on his shovel. They were the only prints on the shovel. Justin wears work gloves. Which explains the absence of his prints. That's possible. But your client's fingerprints provided a sufficient basis for a warrant to search her vehicle.
The choice of weapon and the manner of disposal suggest that this was not a premeditated murder.
You can help yourself here. You can avoid Murder One by telling us what set you off.
You wouldn't understand. Try me. I bought Tessa a bus pass, and that little slut still gets my guy to pick her up after school. Raina... Shut up! Raina... Shut up!
We all know why. Why don't you tell us? She was trying to steal him from me.
What the hell were you doing with him? Mom, he just gave me a ride home. You think you got him wrapped around your little finger? He's just being nice, okay? Were you nice back? Don't do this again, please! You don't talk to me like that, you little bitch. Mom, you're being ridiculous. Where the hell do you think you're going? I've given you everything.
Justin was the best thing in my life.
No. Your daughter was the best thing in your life.
You didn't know her. ( scoffs ) I know she was 13 years old. A child.
( sighs ) SIDLE: I just got the court order from the pharmaceutical database. Fortunately, Dioxipin isn't widely prescribed. FDA only approved it two years ago, and most dermatologists don't even know what it is. How many names on the list? Well, in Clark County, twelve prescriptions were filled. I cross-referenced them with the employees from the Park, and I got a hit. You want a clue? Her death ended the Ptolemy dynasty's reign in Ancient Egypt, hence making her the last Pharaoh. Ah, the lovely Cleopatra. I had a rash. So what? That's not a crime. I read the court order. Uh, you found trace amounts of some ointment on the roller coaster tracks? Is that the only reason for this conversation? Your client had a prescription for doxepin.
May we see your arms, please? Rash was on my legs. Went away days ago. You want to see?
Uh, that's okay. Unless you want to argue that my client stood on her head and held a wrench in her toes, we're done here. Do you know how you contracted the rash, Lisa? Best guess, I was getting some help with my homework. We were studying outside on the grass. Took a break, went for a walk. I think I brushed up against something. Who's we? My math tutor. And what's his name? Zack Lawrence.
Do you know if he contracted the rash, as well? Yeah. Actually, I gave him some of my ointment.
BRASS: Hey, Zack. Oh, hey, guys. We spoke with Lisa. She said she gave you some ointment for some nasty rash you have. Yeah, yeah. SIDLE: You know, it's illegal to use someone else's prescription medications. Is that why you guys are here? Not exactly.
Um, you guys mind if we talk about this somewhere else? Hey, good idea. Why don't we go downtown? We can talk there. Come on. Come on. All right. You coming? You know, I'm going to catch up.
Yeah, it's, uh, just a little bit of a rash. It's really no big deal. Zack, what do you have against roller coasters? What do...? I-I don't understand. This a fingerprint analysis. Zack, I lifted some fingerprints off your broom back at the Park. Turns out, they're a match to prints that we lifted off of Jim Nevins' T-Bird and the wrench that was used to kill him. Circumstantial evidence at best. I also talked to your school principal. You're a straight "A" student, Mathalete. Science Team. You had a full ride to Stanford next year. You don't sound like the kind of kid that would mess with a roller coaster just for kicks.
GRISSOM: You're a smart guy, Zack. So, uh... let's talk this out, logically. According to your previous statement, when you locked up on Thursday night, Jim Nevins' car was the only one in the parking lot, right? Yes, sir, that's correct. And you knew he was staying in the park to ride the roller coaster. I don't care about Jim Nevins. What about Lisa Hunt? You tutor her, right? Did Lisa tell you that she had a date with Jim? No, she didn't say anything. It was all over the park. Jim was going to take Lisa on one of his coaster dates.
I asked her about it. She said it was a rumor. It seems to matter to you that she had a date with Jim. Lady, I make $20 an hour tutoring. Why do you think I'd take minimum wage at The Sphinx? I'm thinking, you want Lisa to see you away from the textbooks.
We started hanging out at breaks. Having dinner.
And then last week, after tutoring, we went for a walk. And she grabbed my hand. Did you think that meant something? Of course. But... you didn't trust her.
No. I wanted to.
You tampered with the screws. If she wasn't lying, she wouldn't be on the roller coaster. No harm, no foul. Oh, but you see, she was lying. Uh-huh.
But you didn't loosen the wheels enough, did you? Don't answer that. So when the roller coaster didn't derail, you took things into your own hands.
Lisa walked home. Jim walked over to his car.
What I don't understand is why you didn't go back and fix the roller coaster.
Guess I just didn't think about it. SIDLE: You'll be thinking about it now.
And for the rest of your life.
( crowd chatter ) I should have caught those loose screws. Used to check 'em every morning, but since management cut back on my hours... You're not to blame for this, Woody. Oh, I just hope they don't blame the coaster. It may not be the Manhattan Express at New York, New York or the Desperado in Primm, but it-it... It still makes grown men scream. My first week in Vegas, I road the Desperado. My first coaster marathon. I rode that monster for a week straight. Hmm. The Steel Phantom, Kennywood Park, Pennsylvania-- I actually hold the marathon record there. Uh, uh. My-My favorite's still the, um, King's Island. The Beast. Mm. I presented a paper at an Entomology convention in Cincinnati just so I could ride Son of Beast. Head over heels on a wooden track. Ah. So, you prefer wood over steel? No. Not really. For me, it's not about the track. It's about the thrill. ( laughs ) Captioning sponsored by CBS, C.S.I. PRODUCTIONS Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org