09E12 - The Black Queen

In 2004, the BAU traveled to San Jose, California for two reasons. One was to recruit Garcia, a hacker at the time, who was known in her circles as the Black Queen and who was given the choice of the job or prison. The second was to investigate the murders of eight prostitutes. Although he didn't fit the profile exactly, a man named Sam Russell then admitted to the eight murders, he who is now on death row at San Quentin, his execution scheduled in two weeks. However, the San Jose Police Department computer system was just hacked, and Russell's files stolen. The anonymous messages the SJPD received from the hackers are that Russell is innocent. Garcia believes the hackers are a vigilante justice group called Star Chamber, Russell who used to be a hacker himself and who Garcia knew online. Russell also now recants his admission of guilt, he stating that he was drug addled at the time, with the lead investigator, now retired Det. Bob Cooper, feeding him drugs to satisfy his habit in return for the confession. The case takes on extra dimensions when more prostitutes end up dead, which may be a red herring by Star Chamber who now have his case file and thus can mimic those previous murders, and when messages from Star Chamber go specifically to Garcia, which she recognizes as coming from her old hacking mentor and boyfriend, Shane Wyeth. Garcia's encounters with Shane about this case end up being uncomfortable for her, especially in light of the sensitivity and sexual harassment training the department went through highlighting what are deemed the inappropriate comments especially between her and Morgan.