Mystery solved: Fishburne to join C.S.I.

"CBS asked us, `Who's at the top of your dream list?'" "CSI" executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said in a joint statement. "Without hesitation, we said Laurence Fishburne. He is a powerful and intense actor, with an incredible range."

Fishburne, an Emmy and Tony winner, will be introduced in the ninth episode of the upcoming 10th season, the network told The Associated Press on Monday. He'll play a forensics scientist with a secret.

"I am elated and delighted to be joining the cast of `CSI,'" Fishburne said in a statement, adding that he looked forward to a "wonderful collaboration" with those involved in the series.

Fishburne plays a college lecturer and former pathologist who is focused on why people commit acts of violence.

The air date for Petersen's final episode has yet to be determined but will be early next year. Petersen has been with the series since it debuted in fall 2000 and will remain a "CSI" executive producer, the network said.

Fishburne's character has a deep connection to his work: His genetic profile has been identified in serial killers, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said before Fishburne's casting was announced but as rumors swirled.

"This gentleman knows this about himself and is ... in this journey to discover who his true character will ultimately become," Tassler said last month — but he's keeping the crucial information to himself.

The character meets members of the "CSI" team during a murder investigation and ends up joining them.

Though the network has remained tight-lipped on the new character, it is thought that Fishburne's role will be that of a scientist with an identical genetic profile to a serial killer who has yet to act on any murderous impulses.