When April Perez reports that her thirteen-year-old Alicia Perez has been kidnapped by an Afro-American man driving an old Buick, the CSI team investigate the scene and an Amber Alert is issued. Capt. Brass interviews the parents Sybil and Carlos and he learns that April had drug problem. Meanwhile, Grissom and Sara look through Alicia's room and Sara learns from Alicia's brother Daniel that his sister was in love with her schoolmate Jimmy Jones. When they meet Jimmy, the boy tells them that Alicia was upset since she would have to donate her kidney to Daniel and she liked to play soccer. When they find the body of Alicia dumped on the road, they make news discoveries about the case.

When a group of fraternity members find a spot covered by maggots, Grissom investigates the scene and believes a student is providing the flesh to the maggots. Based on the uniform size of the bones and woods, Nick and Grissom believe a mulching machine was used to discard the body, and soon they find evidence in the machine. Based on a fingernail found in a garbage bag, Catherine concludes that the Blue Painter Killer is back. Now the entire team is working on the case.

A UFO cult commits mass suicide in an underground complex shortly after apparently dumping a body in a garden. When the CSI team discover their bodies, they suspect two members are still alive and go looking for them.

A pedophile arsonist maintains his innocence in the disappearance of two young boys, but he is also willing to help the investigation by giving Grissom insight on the potential kidnapper's mindset.