Thirteen years before the present , Robert Fassl ( W. Earl Brown ) sit in his van . He later approach a home and claim to be there to repair the cable . As Fassl hold up a piece of paper to show it to the family who called for the repair , blood spatter splash across the paper . He look up and see the house 's occupants with slit throats in pools of blood . Abruptly , two police officers burst into the house and apprehend Fassl . One of the officers who go to check out the kitchen , turn to reveal he is John Doggett ( Robert Patrick ) as a young NYPD officer .