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On March 3, 2025, NCIS aired an exciting episode titled "Close to Home." The story was about Jimmy Palmer's daughter, Victoria, who found a bag with $35,000 near a Navy library dumpster. Instead of telling her dad, who works for NCIS, she talked to Special Agent Nick Torres.
The bag had money from a bank robbery done 15 years ago by a thief called the Saratoga Specter. The NCIS team found out the money was part of the $5 million that was stolen. When they looked closer, they discovered a fingerprint that belonged to Carson Marcone, a local guy who fixes air conditioners. But Marcone had a perfect alibi for the robbery, so he couldn't have done it.
But then, Marcone's body was found. He was tied up and hurt badly. This told the team that the situation was more serious than they thought. Jimmy Palmer, a medical examiner for NCIS, started looking into the case on his own. There was a lot of action, like going undercover and people betraying each other.
The Saratoga Specter is a resurfaced 15-year-old case
The Saratoga Specter's case stayed a mystery for over ten years. They did a perfect bank robbery at Saratoga Springs Bank and then disappeared. People thought the Specter was a pro who had retired with all the stolen money.
But then, some of the stolen cash showed up near a Navy library. This made the cops think the Specter was back. Kasie checked the money and it was definitely from the heist. Then they found Marcone's fingerprints on the bills, which made them suspicious. But when Marcone got killed, it was clear he wasn't the boss. He had just found out who the Specter was.
The NCIS team started looking into it. They figured Marcone had been hanging around Briarwood, where Jimmy and Victoria live. This meant the real thief was probably living right under their noses.
NCIS Season 22 Episode 14 recap: Jimmy Palmer’s undercover operation
The NCIS team discovered that the Saratoga Specter was from Briarwood. They decided to use a unique approach to catch them. Jimmy Palmer, not typically involved in the field, took on a critical role. He threw a neighborhood party and served a popular drink, spicy sangria. While the guests enjoyed themselves, he collected their cups to get their DNA.
Wendy Hill, a recent homeowner, caught the team's eye. Her house purchase was suspicious; she bought it with cash immediately after the crime. When the party finished and she locked the door, trouble was brewing. Fortunately, NCIS agents intervened in the nick of time.
Surprisingly, Wendy was not the Specter. Her father was. He had confessed his crimes to her on his deathbed, leaving her a paid-off house with a hidden history. Jimmy's party trick led the team to the truth without hurting anyone.
NCIS Season 22 Episode 14 recap: The real culprit in Briarwood
Wendy may not have been the brains behind the crime, but the culprit was right under everyone's nose. Rhonda, known for her overzealous approach to security, had been secretly using the neighborhood's surveillance system to spy on residents. She finds out where the hidden fortune is and makes a deal with Marcone to get it. But greed got the best of her, and she removed him from the picture to keep the treasure to herself.
The NCIS agents had to outsmart her. They set a clever trap by posting false info about the money's location on the community app. Rhonda fell for it and led the agents straight to her. She was caught trying to grab the remaining cash, and her crimes of murder and theft were exposed. This put an end to the 15-year-old mystery.
After the case was closed, Victoria and Jimmy had a chance to smooth things over. Despite her earlier dismissal of his job as just being "the ME," she began to see his commitment and smarts. To mark their victory, they decided to share a simple, sweet moment with a father-daughter ice cream treat.
So, the real story was about how a seemingly innocent security guard turned into a sneaky criminal, and how a simple tool like a community app played a crucial role in solving a long-standing case. The resolution brought a newfound appreciation between characters and a well-deserved conclusion to the story.
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NCIS airs Mondays at 9:00 PM ET on CBS and is available on Paramount+.
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