NCIS Season 22 Episode 16 recap: Who killed Petty Officer Jennifer Garcia?

NCIS is one of the longest-running police procedural dramas of all time, currently in its 22nd season. Despite its long run, NCIS Season 22 has kept viewers hooked with each new thrilling episode. The show is known for interesting characters, who solve complicated cases and somehow manage to find humor and camaraderie around it.

The season's 16th episode, titled, Ladies Night was released on CBS on March 31, 2025. It dealt with the MCRT team investigating the murder of Petty Officer First Class Jennifer Garcia. Here's the official synopsis of the episode:

"A girls’ night out takes an unexpected turn when NCIS is called to investigate the motive of a possible arsonist. Also, Torres struggles to find work/life balance."

The cast of the show includes Rocky Carroll, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, Gary Cole, and Sean Murray.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the latest episode of NCIS Season 22. Reader's discretion is advised.

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Petty Officer Jennifer Garcia died in a building fire

NCIS Season 22 Episode 16 began with a young couple spending some romantic moments in their car. They were soon interrupted by Dan, who pointed towards an antiques store consumed in a massive fire, and asked them to call 911. He also said that his girlfriend was still inside. The firemen and the MCRT team soon reached the place, as the victim was Petty Officer First Class Jennifer Garcia.

The officer had been helping the antiques store owner by posting items online. Her boyfriend, Dan, said in his statement that before the fire, Jennifer was at the place with him. He fell asleep, waking up to smoke. After trying to seek help outside, he was stopped by the firefighters from entering the building. Torres applauded him for his bravery and tried to console him.

It was soon revealed that even if Dan had entered the building, he wouldn't have been able to save Jennifer, as she had died before the fire. The autopsy report revealed that she was strangled to death. Kasie got access to Jennifer's phone and found that the victim and Dan had been arguing before the fire, making him a suspect in her murder.

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Robin joined the murder investigation in NCIS Season 22 Episode 16

Dan was brought in for questioning, but after realizing that he was now a suspect, he refused to talk without a lawyer. Kasie and Jess went to a ladies' night out with Robin at a pottery place. However, they couldn't pay attention to the pot and clay, and their minds were hovering around the case. But saying that out loud would have meant disappointing Robin, who had been planning the outing for a long time.

Jennifer was wearing a necklace given by Dan when she died. Jess and Kasie were occupied with the thought of why Jennifer would wear Dan's necklace if they had broken up. It was pointing towards Dan's innocence, which meant that the real killer was free. They explained everything to Robin while apologizing for their behavior. The case intrigued Robin, and she began putting her own thoughts and theories into it, joining the investigation.

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Officer Garcia was killed by a fireman in NCIS Season 22 Episode 16

On the other side, Torres and McGee heard a ping on Kasie's computer and read the new developments in the case. They shared the information with Parker, and the guys began investigating the developments. They found that Dan was telling the truth about not being there when the fire started as he was meeting up with someone who's been like a brother to him. But because his friend was on probation, he couldn't reveal the truth.

The guys and the girls unexpectedly met at the crime scene and shared each other's findings. They found that a chest, which was hiding a safe in the office had been moved, deducing that Jennifer's murder wasn't a crime of passion, but a heist. The killer was a firefighter called Mr. December, who had earlier hit on Jess. His big hands matched the size of the hands that strangulated Jennifer. NCIS Season 22 Episode 16 ended with Robin and Torres realizing that they need to have an honest conversation with each other about their relationship.

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Stay tuned for more updates and information about NCIS Season 22 and other such police procedural shows on CBS.