CSI: CRIME scene investigation

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Who Shot Sherlock?

Written by David Rambo & Richard Catalani
Directed by Ken Fink

Greg’s in the hot seat during what Grissom terms his “final” proficiency test, and murder seems to be the game when the man who played Sherlock Holmes in a club for fans of Conan Doyle’s literary detective is found dead in his study from what looks like a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

At first glance, the death of delivery man Dennis Kingsley looks like suicide until the other club members turn up the scene – including security guard Nelson Oakes, dressed as Dr. Watson; doctoral candidate/short order cook Josh Frost, a.k.a Professor Moriarity; and cocktail waitress Kay Marquette, dressed as Irene Adler. Grissom asks for all their fingerprints to rule them out as suspects at the scene, a meticulous duplication of 221B Baker Street. When they freely admit that Kingsley was about to disband the club, it becomes clear that each member had something to lose, which would give them all a motive for murder.

When Greg finds the weapon, Kingsley’s prints are on the gun, but there are no prints on an antique syringe found near Kingsley’s body, which is filled with a seven percent solution of high-grade morphine. Greg concludes: “Sherlock went from crack to smack,” but the evidence is troubling him. Even though there is gunshot residue on Kingsley’s hand, Greg cannot figure out how he would have had time to undo the works from his injection, put the syringe away, pick up the gun and blow his brains out before the morphine took effect. “Maybe,” Greg concludes, “Sherlock had some help.”

Tobacco evidence on the carpet and blood found on the victim’s shoes matches Watson’s brand, but Sara and Greg soon realize the blood was planted, and someone is trying to frame security guard Oakes. Was it scholar Frost, who coveted the first edition of the “Hound” that Kingsley preferred to sell on an Internet auction site, or did Kay Marquette have an even better reason to shoot Sherlock?

Meanwhile, Warrick and Nick investigate the death of a motorist who careens off the road in his Jeep. The young man was smoking weed with a friend prior to the accident, but other than the fact that his wallet was stripped, the CSIs cannot find an answer as to how he died or why. Since the shift is overtaxed anyway, Ecklie orders the team to close the case, but Catherine countermands his decision – she wants answers, and is willing to take the heat if it means solving the mystery.