Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice

After the session with John Edward, Hilland struggles with disbelief but relays the psychic’s messages to his parents. His father is uncharacteristically emotional after hearing from his deceased father, Carl, whose approval he always craved. His mother reveals a long-hidden secret about her brother, Georgie, who died in early childhood, validating another of Edward’s messages and bringing her relief. The experience strengthens Hilland’s resolve to use Edward’s help to find Fran and stop John Smith.

Before the conference, Hilland tracks down Robert Farr, the owner of Smith’s former house in Connecticut. Farr recalls an unknown woman with long dark hair, matching the wallet photo, helping Smith pack. He also reports finding a 12-inch kitchen knife with red-brown spots hidden in the attic insulation. Hilland retrieves the knife for forensic testing.

Later, Hilland assembles a multi-agency conference at Quantico. Investigators review roughly 30 unsolved homicides, noting shared elements like victims found nude with missing clothing, head blows, and manual strangulation. The profilers characterize the crimes as “hybrid assaults” marked by extreme rage. However, they lack both physical evidence and knowledge of Smith’s current location. Assuming that they are able to find Smith, Hilland proposes a synchronized interview plan: interrogate Smith in a wired hotel room while teams simultaneously interview his contacts nationwide and feed real-time intelligence to the interviewers.