S2·E13 The Meat Puzzle

Episode recap

In the thirteenth episode of the second season of NCIS, titled The Meat Puzzle, the investigative team is confronted with a complex case involving the discovery of human remains. The investigation begins when Ducky identifies the contents of a barrel that had been recovered a few months prior. Upon examination, it is determined that the barrel contains the dismembered pieces of three separate bodies.

As the team processes the evidence, they uncover a connection between the victims and a legal case from the past. The three individuals identified are a judge, a prosecutor, and a jury foreman. These three people had worked together on a rape case approximately ten years before the discovery of their remains. The investigation into the barrel contents forces the team to revisit the details of that decade-old trial as they work to determine who is responsible for the deaths of the three legal professionals. The episode focuses on the forensic identification process and the historical link between the victims and the previous court proceedings.