Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised.

This episode includes discussions of murder, sexual assault and drug use.

We advise extreme caution for children under 13.

February 21, 2000 was a brutal evening in New York City, so cold that it hurt to breathe.

A firefighter who will call Larry Evans could already feel the chill coming through the

window as he parked beneath the on-ramp to the Williamsburg Bridge.

Bracing himself, he opened the door and jumped onto the ground alongside his colleagues,

squinting through a thick patch of smoke.

It was hard to blame whoever had started the trash fire.

On nights like this, unhoused people beneath the bridge needed some way to stave off the

dangerous cold.

Following the smoke to its source, Larry and his team headed further down into the bowels

of the bridge through a narrow alleyway that led to a deserted area.

Finally, they saw it, a flickering orange blaze spreading outwards from a heavy

metal door.

As the men entered the large storage area and turned their hoses onto the fire, Larry

noticed something strange nearby.

Signs of life further down in the utility room, which is supposed to be secured at all

times.

Once the fire was under control, he headed over to investigate.

As he walked away from the fire, his eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness.

Once they did, he recoiled in horror.

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