Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14 recap: Ruzek’s father helps in solving a case

The 14th episode of Chicago P.D. season 12, titled Marie, was released on NBC on February 26, 2025. The 21st District team has a high-stake case at hand in the episode as a serial killer is on the loose.

The attacker hunts down single mothers and their children. The police have to race against time when a young girl named Zoe is kidnapped from her foster home and taken away by a serial killer named Thomas Cronin.

Meanwhile, Ruzek takes care of his father, Bob, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. However, even in this condition, Bob comes up with a clue for the team to track down Cronin. Here is the complete Chicago P.D. season 12 episode 14 recap.

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Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14 recap: What happened to Zoe?

Thomas Cronin, a serial killer who is already on the suspect list of the police, kidnaps Zoe from her foster home. Her foster mom, Sandy, notices a suspicious vehicle driving around their house. She is worried about Zoe’s safety and calls Detective Adam Ruzek.

However, the intruder breaks in, kills Sandy, and takes Zoe before Ruzek reaches the scene. A neighbor catches a glimpse of the vehicle and provides the license plate number to the police. Cronin is a dangerous man who has harmed multiple people in the past.

He manipulates single mothers into trusting him and then kills them once he loses interest. Zoe is the only child he keeps, telling her that he is her father, even though there is no blood relation between them. Over time, Zoe realizes he is not a good person and starts fighting back.

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Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14 recap: How does Ruzek’s father help in solving the case?

Ruzek’s father, Bob, used to be a cop in the past. His experience in the field helps in locating Cronin. After Zoe’s foster mom is killed and Zoe is taken, Ruzek works hard to find her. Bob, who has Alzheimer’s, often forgets details of his past.

However, he remembers a crucial thing and tells Ruzek that Cronin, the kidnapper, might go to a Veterans Affairs hospital. Bob forgets why he would go there, but Ruzek finds some notes his dad wrote. In the notes, Bob pointed out Cronin could be using a fake military ID to get into the hospital. Ruzek follows this clue and finds out where Cronin is hiding.

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Chicago P.D. Season 12 Episode 14 recap: How does the team locate Zoe?

Cronin gets injured in Chicago P.D. season 12 episode 14 during a tussle with Sandy while he tries to kidnap Zoe. To get treated, he goes to a Veteran Affairs hospital, as pointed out by Bob. Ruzek and his team then head to the hospital to arrest him.

However, when they reach him, the serial killer refuses to cooperate and does not tell them where he has kept Zoe. Even when the team offers him a deal to avoid the death penalty, Cronin tricks them and sends them to the wrong places.

In his final move against the officers, he kills himself without giving them any leads about the girl. Zoe; however, is a smart child who has left messages along her passage.

The team follows these clues and finds her in an abandoned motel. Once she is rescued, she is unsure of who she is after Cronin’s death. The team eventually learns her real name is Marie, and they find her grandmother, who takes her in.

New episodes of Chicago P.D. season 12 are aired on NBC on Wednesdays.