Episode 4 of Season 1 of "Will Trent" kicks off with two podcast hosts, nestled in the serene surroundings of Stone Mountain Park, delving into the eerie local legend of the "howling man." Their microphones capture the intrigue as they discuss this enigmatic figure, said to haunt the forests with wolf-like howls, trapped in a liminal realm between life and death. Just as one host dismisses the other's tale of a cousin's sighting, the tranquil atmosphere is shattered by the distant echoes of gunshots followed by a car crashing.
Driven by curiosity and concern, the hosts rush towards the commotion to discover a vehicle crumpled against a tree. Inside, Judith and Henry, an elderly couple, recount their harrowing ordeal. While navigating the winding roads, a shirtless figure burst from the shadowy depths of the forest, too close for them to react, and was struck by their vehicle. Their astonishment deepens upon realizing that the injured man's eyes are milky white, marking him as blind.
Summoning the authorities, the man is whisked away to the hospital, sparking the podcasters' conviction that they have stumbled upon the legendary howling man. Amanda swiftly apprises Will of the unfolding drama and the Park police's plea for assistance in unraveling a potential kidnapping. Meanwhile, Will and Faith find themselves already at the hospital, with Faith needing medical attention. As doctors prepare for further examinations, Will dashes to the ER, where he encounters Angie and beholds a victim who has endured unspeakable torture and days of captivity. Despite the grim prognosis, the man whispers a single name – Timothy – before succumbing to his injuries.
Ormewood grills the shaken elderly couple, but their arrival is interrupted by their son, Tom, who whisks them away for much-needed rest, shielding them from further distress. Ormewood's displeasure at seeing Will is palpable, likening him to a vulture preying on every case. Angie steps in to smooth over the tension, reminding Ormewood that Will was summoned by the Park Police.
The detectives dive into the investigation, interviewing the podcasters and acquiring their recordings for insights. Will's keen eye uncovers crucial evidence at the scene: a blood-streaked rope, a license belonging to Phineas Lathrop, and the hanging, gunshot-riddled body of none other than Phineas himself. Identifying the deceased alongside Arthur Tealy as former captives who likely escaped before meeting their untimely ends, Will starts piecing together a narrative of abduction, escape, and brutal murder.
As they tried to escape, Arthur met his untimely end in a catastrophic car accident, while the ruthless perpetrator tracked down Phineas and terminated his life with a bullet. Both men, visually impaired, were later revealed by the medical examiner to have been deliberately poisoned by an unidentified individual. Jequirity seeds, a potent toxin derived from a harmful plant, had been rubbed into their eyes and detected within their bodies. This grim discovery hinted that their captor had employed the poison to keep the hostages under control, yet the motive behind their blinding remained an enigma for Will.
The following day, the quartet ventured back into the woods, driven by the determination to uncover the location where the hostages might have been held. After an arduous search, they stumbled upon a concealed underground chamber, meticulously crafted by the murderer. The entrance, camouflaged by a dense covering of foliage and shrubs, deceived even Ormewood, who inadvertently tumbled into it, injuring his ankle in the process.
Upon scrutinizing the room, the detectives uncovered stark signs of biblical punishment meted out upon the victims. A diary, inscribed with the same biblical verse repeatedly in various handwriting styles, suggested the existence of numerous previous victims. A kneeler, embedded with jagged shards of glass designed to inflict pain upon anyone who used it, further added to the grim scene. The label on the kneeler led Will and Faith to a nearby church, where it was revealed that the tool had been stolen.
While Will requested a list of volunteers from the church, Faith came across an enticing job advertisement, seemingly offering a fresh start to men seeking a change in their lives. The advertisement, embedding a verse from the Bible – 1 Timothy 3:8 – became a pivotal clue for the detectives, revealing that the perpetrator had cleverly used it as a bait to lure his unsuspecting victims.
Concurrently, Angie and Ormewood uncover Duke as a potential upcoming victim, who has vanished after venturing out to meet someone regarding a job offer. The police manage to track Duke's final known whereabouts via the GPS embedded in his motorcycle, prompting Will and Faith to rush to the scene. Despite the absence of any overt clues at the site, Will employs his sharp insight to uncover minute AFID discs, which are dispensed whenever a taser is discharged. These discs serve a dual purpose: to deter unlawful usage of the weapon and to document its owner. By tracing the owner of the taser, Will and Faith's investigation leads them back to the local church's pastor. Although the pastor concedes to owning the taser for the church's safety, he declines to divulge any further details.
Meanwhile, the two podcasters, who were eyewitnesses to the incident, inform the detectives about a second green pickup truck that hastily departed from the accident scene shortly thereafter. As Will delves deeper into his investigation, Ormewood insists that their primary focus should be on locating this elusive green pickup truck. Frustrated by the GBI's interference in the case, Ormewood decides to take matters into his own hands. During an interrogation with Paul's partner, who had similarly vanished years ago, Ormewood unearths information about a young man who habitually warned Paul of divine punishment.
The APD detective promptly initiates a search for this young man, which ultimately guides him to an abandoned dairy farm. Here, he stumbles upon the green pickup truck and a rosary hidden in an underground chamber. However, before he can make any further discoveries, the perpetrator tasers Ormewood and takes him hostage.
In parallel, Will and Faith confront the pastor, compelling him to confess that he was acquainted with Judith, one of the witnesses. Prior to her marriage to Henry, Judith had been trapped in an abusive relationship with a man prone to alcohol consumption and physical violence.
The victims, Arthur, Phineas, and Duke, share a common denominator: a troubled past marked by alcohol abuse and domestic strife. Will gradually unearths a chilling truth—Judith and Henry have been abducting and poisoning these souls for quite some time, inflicting blindness upon them before mercilessly ending their lives. Tom, Judith's son, is an unwilling accomplice in this grim saga, seeking justice for the abuses he suffered at the hands of his own father. Tom played an active role in these murders, poisoning and shooting the helpless victims, while Judith and Henry opted for a hit-and-run to dispatch Arthur. The pastor's involvement remains shrouded in mystery, yet his suspicions are palpable.
After seizing Ormewood and Duke, Tom subjects them to horrific torture. Yet, Ormewood, with his formidable physique, manages to outwit Tom and breaks free from his bonds, overcoming the captor despite his restricted status. He liberates Duke and they both attempt to flee the sinister farm.
Meanwhile, Will, Faith, Amanda, and law enforcement officials race to the scene, hot on the trail of the elusive APD detective. A tense game of hide-and-seek ensues, with everyone, including Tom armed with a firearm, striving to pinpoint each other's location. Ultimately, Will, Faith, and Amanda outmaneuver Tom, cornering him and securing his arrest by the authorities. Despite their differences, Will rises to Ormewood's defense in a perilous moment, rescuing him from certain doom.
Following the resolution of the case, Faith informs Will of her test results, though she refrains from elaborating on the issue. She wonders aloud why Will keeps his dyslexia a closely guarded secret. He confides in her that prior to his diagnosis, he was often labeled as slow and stupid. Determined never to relive that humiliation, he taught himself to navigate the world without relying heavily on words.
