Infamous serial killer Joe Carroll, convicted for the slayings of 14 female students at the Virginia college where he was a literature professor, manages to break free from death row. The FBI enlists the help of ex-agent Ryan Hardy, who originally apprehended Carroll in 2003, to provide insights on the case. Collaborating with an FBI team that includes Mike Weston and Specialist Debra Parker, Ryan works to unravel the expanding network of murders masterminded by the cunning Carroll.