For 23 days in October 2002 a sniper terrorizes the Washington DC area, shooting thirteen people and killing ten. The victims are ordinary people doing routine activities. Nothing links them; they are chosen at random. Police mount one of the largest investigations in American history to catch a ruthless and elusive killer. In the end, their most productive clue comes from the sniper himself.

A retired fireman on a morning bike ride notices a burning bundle in a farmer's field...and recognizes the smell of burning human flesh. Investigators at the scene find an unrecognizable body, a distinctive lighter, 2 pairs of latex gloves and the box they came in, paper towels and torn scraps of an office memo.