COLD CASES
Detectives Ryan and Esposito exit the elevator and start walking to the bull pin. Each one is carrying a box representing a cold case that they brought back to try to solve. They see several officers both detectives and uniforms standing around the floor in groups taking in whispers. Kevin Ryan walks to the nearest group and is immediately bombarded with questions
Sergeant Juan Lopez turns to the two detectives "Guys, what is going on? What do you know?"
Ryan answers "No Sarg. Going on where? What are you talking about?"
"Beckett! She got sent home. IAD was here and took her computer. They talked to Gates for a few minutes then left"
"Did they talk to Beckett?"
"No! She was downtown with Castle. They went to personnel to change her records then, we hear she had to go to medical and give another DNA sample. This time they asked for blood"
Esposito and Ryan tell the group that they will try to find out something and will let everyone know. They drop the boxes they are carrying and head straight to the captain's office. When they get to the door, Gates sees then. She indicated for them to come inside.
"Close the door, detectives and have a seat"
"Sir, what is this we hear that Beckett is under investigation?"
"Gentlemen, this conversation does not leave this room. In fact this conversation did not even happen. Understand?"
"Yes sir" comes from both men
"I don't have a lot of information. I contacted one of my friends downtown to try to get whatever I could and this is what I know right now There is a case outside of our jurisdiction where there is at least a partial DNA match with detective Beckett. The thinking downtown at IAD that the evidence samples are contaminated or Beckett's DNA that we have on file is contaminated. No one is sure. That is why they asked her for an updated sample"
"Outside our jurisdiction? Where outside and when did this happen?" Esposito asks
"I am trying to get that right now and as soon as I do I will let you two know." The captain is looking out the windows of her office at the officers on the floor. They are all gathered together looking toward the three in the office. They are all asking questions. Just not out loud, but the captain sees the looks on everyone's face. They want her to do something to help Beckett. After working with this group for almost two years she now has come to realize how a group of officers or an entire station feels when an accusation is leveled at one of their own. Gates knows in her heart that Beckett has not been involved with any crime. Let alone what was only described to her as an extremely violent crime. And to top off her feeling of desperation, the case is outside the jurisdiction of the NYPD and none of her people can be involved in the investigation.
"Detectives, for now, let's go do our jobs. I will stay on top of this and will let you know so you can keep the rest of the precinct informed and please let them know where I stand. As far as I am concerned Kate Beckett is innocent of any wrongdoing!"
"Yes Sir! Thank you Sir?" both men say almost in unison
"Now, back to work. I understand that before she left Beckett had you pull some cold cases?"
"Yes, sir. Ryan and I went to the cold case locker and grabbed two cases that look interesting. On is a 30 year old murder of a veteran who was found beside his car at the VA cemetery. Family said he had gone there to pay respects for a fallen fellow soldier."
"And I picked up one from about 20 years ago. It is a murdered doctor and his nurse. They were found dead in his office. They were not reported missing since they were both single and lived alone. They were found by the staff the next morning. They had both been shot execution style"
"All right gentlemen. Those both sound interesting. Downtown loves it when we clear a cold case. Good luck to both of you."
"Thank you, sir. We were hoping that Beckett and Castle's crazy thinking were going to be in on this, but we will do what we can without them"
"OK dismissed"
The two detectives stand up and walk out to the crowd waiting outside. Gates watches as the two detectives fill in the information to the waiting officers. She can see that the crowd is pleased by what they are being told. She also knows that by supporting Beckett, she has gained an amount of respect from the members of the precinct.
After giving the information to the group, Ryan and Esposito return to their desks. They each sit down blankly for a moment, then reach into the boxes they brought and begin taking out reports and evidence.
Ryan has opened the box for the 30 year old murder case. A veteran who was found murdered beside his car at the VA cemetery. The original detectives suspected a robbery gone bad. His wallet was taken. The credit cards were used a couple of times then probably dumped. No one at any of the stores remembered the suspect that used them. The driver's license was found on the ground next to the body. The wallet was just a few feet away.
Ryan is looking to see if there were fingerprints found. Yes there were, but there were no matches at the time. Looking at the follow up he turns to his partner "Javi, when did we start using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System"
"I think about 15 to 20 years ago. Why?"
"I think that just might be a help here. These prints were never scanned into AFIS. I'm going to go do that and be right back" Ryan gets up and heads to tech to get the prints into the master data base and see if the suspect has a record.
Before the AFIS system, all fingerprints had to be reviewed by hand. Each technician was trained to look at the ridges, valleys, loops and curves. Each print was classified using these ridge details. Then based upon the tech's experience they would look at the evidence print then go look in the paper card records and try to find 6 to 10 points that match exactly. If the suspect prints had not been put in the system, the evidence prints might never be matched unless they re-looked at old cases. This might not happen for a along period of time or in some cases ever due to the heavy load of new crimes constantly coming into the fingerprint section.
In some cases, the suspects committed a crime in one state or city and the prints never made it to another jurisdiction for comparison. Many crimes went unsolved until AFIS
With modern technology today the computers never rest. AFIS is constantly scanning evidence prints and comparing them to fingerprints on file from suspects and even government employees. Everyone who has been fingerprinted is scanned and placed into the master database. This database knows no city, county or even state boundaries.
After entering the prints, Ryan returns to his partner who is now going over the other case they brought in.
"Javi, see anything yet?"
"No, just getting started. I find this case a little odd. He was an OB/GYN had a medium sized practice .This doctor was well respected by his patients and their families. No high profile patients. The initial assessment from the detectives is that it probably was a drug theft. But I have a problem with that. This type practice usually never has any narcotics in the office. They just don't need to keep controlled substances in the cabinets. So that does not explain the execution style killing"
Ryan's computer dings with an automated message from AFIS "Match Found"
"Javi, my case got a hit on the fingerprint. The suspect is currently serving a life sentence in New Jersey for guess what? Murder!"
"Bro, that's a good start. We might just be able to help a family get closure on a loved one"
Esposito looks over to Gate's office. "I hope she has as much luck clearing Beckett so WE can get closure on our loved one"
The desk phone rings and she picks it up "Captain Gates" she listens for a moment "So there is no chance of an error? No contamination in the sample? It is definitely a match? Is this is from the latest test? It's a partial match? What do you mean a partial match? Is it Beckett's DNA or not? Female sibling or daughter? Beckett's file shows she is an only child. She has never mentioned siblings or children."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CHILDREN?"
