Ep 18. Rock Creek Park

The Criminal Minds season 10 episode 18 titled "Rock Creek Park" takes place in Washington D.C when the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) becomes involved in a case where a young woman's body is found in Rock Creek Park. The victim is discovered to be an Assistant Director of National Intelligence, which causes a stir in the city because of the high-ranking position of the victim. The team must start working on the case as soon as possible to catch the perpetrator before they strike again.

The investigation leads the team to believe that the death was a targeted killing and not just a random act. With the help of David Rossi's old friend Ray, who is now a Congressman, the team gains access to valuable intelligence which they can use to help solve the case. However, when they receive a lead that the killer may be linked to the intelligence community, the investigation becomes even more complex.

Throughout the episode, there are several suspects; each with their own motive for killing the victim. The team must use their profiling skills to determine which of these suspects is the perpetrator. The episode explores the relationship between politics and the intelligence community, and the team faces obstacles regarding the flow of information.

The team also discovers that the victim had recently been diagnosed with cancer which could lead to the theory that the victim knew her time was running out. Or, it could have been the reason why someone would want her dead, to keep her from taking certain actions or leaking information.

As the investigation continues, the team learns that the victim had received a threatening message on her answering machine before she was murdered. This leads the team to focus on a suspect who has a history of stalking women. The team sets up a trap to catch the suspect, but they realize too late that they may have been mistaken about the perpetrator.

Throughout the episode, the BAU team deals with their own personal struggles. Agent Rossi is dealing with the possibility of losing his friend, who is suffering from dementia. Agent Jennifer Jareau is pregnant and dealing with the stress of balancing her work and motherhood. Agent Kate Callahan is struggling to reconnect with her sister, who she's been estranged from for years.

In the end, the team successfully captures the killer, but not before he causes more chaos in the city. The episode ends on a bittersweet note as the team reflects on the case and their own personal struggles. The episode closes with the team joining Rossi in a belated birthday party, raising a glass to the victim and hoping for a better tomorrow.