A shy, lonely man becomes the focus of a police investigation when a stripper is found murdered -- with part of her calf missing -- and Detectives Goren and Eames zero in when another woman escapes his clutches, leading them to believe the suspect wants a "mindless" female to keep him company. However, as the noose is tightened, a sympathetic Goren clashes with his superiors over how to prosecute the pathetic killer.

When a prominent atheist leader is kidnapped, ransomed and murdered, Detectives Goren and Eames interview the victim's granddaughter who was also kidnapped but survived and the suspects include more family members, including the dead woman's son - now a reverend with a prison ministry. However, when two of the kidnappers turn up dead, the investigators look for a double-crossing mastermind who pulled the strings but left no trail to follow.