Bosch: Who is Kurt Dockweiler? Why Did He Kidnap Maddie?

In ‘Bosch: Legacy,’ the spin-off of and sequel to the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Bosch’ (2014–2021), the focus is on Bosch’s life after he quits the LAPD, his work as a private investigator, and his relationships with daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) and Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers).

Introduced in the previous season, Kurt Dockweiler (Will Chase in season 1 and David Denman in season 2) is the primary antagonist of the first two episodes of the second season of ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ In the first season finale, a man in a luchador mask abducts Maddie, and that man is revealed to be Dockweiler in season 2. If you are wondering who Dockweiler is and why he kidnapped Maddie, here is what you need to know.

Who is Kurt Dockweiler?

Dockweiler is a building or property inspector. He makes his first appearance in season 1 episode 9. The police look for the serial rapist in a luchador mask nicknamed Screen Cutter but find nothing substantial. They subsequently decide to expand their search area, and Maddie takes the point along with Reina. While asking around the neighborhood if anyone has seen the Screen Cutter, Maddie comes across an inspection notice and leaves a message for Dockweiler. When Dockweiler gets back to her, he claims that he has not heard about break-ins and the attacks, but the viewers see that he has looked Maddie up on social media. In the final sequence of the season, Maddie is abducted, and it is shown one of her screen windows has been cut. As this is the modus operandi of the Screen Cutter, the implication is clear that he is the one who took her.

Maddie’s abduction is depicted in detail in the opening scene of season 2. Maddie gets home after work, turns on the water in her bathtub, and begins to take off her badge, gun, and uniform when she is attacked. She fights back fiercely, employing everything she has learned from her father until the Screen Cutter overpowers and sedates her. It is then confirmed that Dockweiler is indeed the Screen cutter.

After Dockweiler is arrested, he hires James Rafferty as his layer, a choice that surprises Bosch, Chandler, and the others. Rafferty is not a criminal lawyer but someone who works with abused children. Bosch and Chandler realize that they need to learn more about Rafferty, as that can help them in their search for Maddie. As a result, while Chandler confronts Rafferty, putting part of the blame for Maddie’s abduction on him, Harry breaks into the man’s hotel room and searches for any clue that can lead him to his daughter. He discovers Dockweiler’s sealed records, which reveal that he grew up in a cult and suffered sexual abuse at the hands of his members. Rafferty has represented him since then.

Why Did Dockweiler Kidnap Maddie?

Dockweiler realized it was a matter of time before the authorities would come for him, so he decided to strike pre-emptively. He knew that Maddie was involved with the investigation in his case, and even though he generally targeted Asian women, he decided to take her captive because she suited his purpose. Dockweiler kidnapped Maddie because he wanted to use her as leverage against the authorities. He knew when he would be caught, the prosecution would try to put him away for life on the rape charges, and he wanted to avoid that at any cost.

As a result, after seeing Jerry collect a discarded cigarette filter from his property and barely avoiding Bosch when he comes seeking to find his daughter, Dockweiler decides to surrender himself. He declares that he would tell the authorities Maddie’s location if they took the rape charges off the table. A prosecutor tells Rafferty that if they agree to this, every criminal will resort to the same method, and all LAPD officers will become potential targets for kidnapping. Not long after, a livestream is sent to the police and media of Maddie inside a box, underscoring the need to get her out of there as soon as possible.