Serial killer Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts) will return to shake things up in the police department in the upcoming season of NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

Star Entertainment reports that in the premiere episode of the long-running procedural drama, SVU will be called to work on a familiar crime scene and a familiar suspect. Gregory Yates is a murderer who has a penchant for burying his victims in a beach. The detectives have encountered his grisly work before and they believe they will be able to nail him this time around.

When another body washes ashore, Officer Rollins (Kelli Giddish) knows they have to get a clear confession from Yates before he takes a new victim. But when she interrogates him, the serial killer gives information that nobody in SVU is expecting to hear. The tip is so incredible that for a time, they are rendered speechless. Soon, gossip infiltrates the department and the operatives begin fearing they have a traitor in their midst.

In court, Barba (Raúl Esparza) is not faring well against two hotshot defense lawyers intent on undermining his arguments. Trouble escalates and the trial goes out of hand, leading to blackmail and an incriminating confession. A new victim is soon found, while a suspect turns fugitive.

Meanwhile, E! News reports that another award-winning actress is set to guest star in one of the episodes of season 17. Whoopi Goldberg will reportedly play Janette Grayson, "a department of Child Services supervisor who is put on trial when the agency comes under fire for their internal policies."

When a starving kid is discovered wandering the streets alone, the team traces it to the home of Manuela Ozuna (Jessica Pimental). There the detectives find another toddler who is in bad condition. Caseworker Keith Musio (John Magaro) is then implicated in the case, but he admits that Grayson is actually the mastermind behind everything. Soon, she is facing a manslaughter charge after her neglect results to a deadly incident.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" season 17 will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 9 p.m. on NBC.