Interrogation (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - L.A. County Psychologist Marjorie Thompson vs. Eric Fisher 1984 - full transcript
I need an ambulance. Hurry.
My mom--
she's fucking dying, okay?
Just get over here.
Mr. Fisher, how do you plead
to the charge
of second-degree murder
of your mother Mary Fisher?
Mr. Fisher?
Guilty, Your Honor.
Very well.
In order to determine
if you can be rehabilitated
by the California
Youth Authority,
I order the L.A. County
Probation Department
to perform
a psychological evaluation
for a period to last
no longer than 90 days.
Bullshit deal,
counselor.
When the evaluation is complete,
we will reconvene
for sentencing.
Court is adjourned.
Seriously?
No adult trial?
A fucking youth sentence.
He look like a kid to you?
You got a problem,
talk to probation.
It's gonna be okay, son.
Big hairy spider.
Need a break?
Not if those help you
figure out
that I'm not
a hard-core criminal.
That the CYA can fix me.
Hey, I'm not a fan, either.
But it's required.
Did she always
push you?
Nothing I did
was enough.
It was contentious,
your relationship?
It was like a war zone.
How old were you
when that started?
Around the time
you started using drugs?
And before that.
You know, I told you, it was
the bicycle thing, it was
the-the swimming thing.
What about later,
after the drugs started--
you were around 12 years old?
Eight.
She put me
on that crazy
kid speed.
So, when you started using drugs
on your own,
did the fighting get worse then?
I mean, she didn't hit me
as much.
You know,
but that could also just be
because I was... I was bigger.
Do you think maybe that's why...
she sent me away?
Did you love her?
I mean, she was...
she was... my mother.
Of course I did.
Do you think she loved you?
We went to Mexico,
just the three of us.
I was...
about five?
Okay.
And you remember that trip?
Yeah.
It's, it's me and my mom
on the beach.
Um...
I found this big-ass starfish,
and I'm-I'm showing it
to her, and we both
look, um...
...happy.
Lookhappy?
Yeah. My...
my dad-- he used
to take all these home movies.
All those,
family movies,
and-and he's, um...
He's not in 'em.
Well, that's it
for today.
You sure?
We just have one more thing
we need to talk about.
What happened that morning.
March 10, 1983.
The shrink, man.
I got to fucking
walk her through it.
Through what?
Everything, step by step.
How I did it, exactly.
I'm-I'm just supposed to
fucking make up a story?
Like, that story?
But, Eric,
you-you already pleaded guilty.
Now I have to do this.
I can't.
I can't do it.
You have to.
You have to.
The youth sentence
gets you out when you're 25.
I don't fucking care.
I fucking do.
You get tried as an adult--
that's state prison
for God knows
how long.
If I lose, yeah.
This woman sees
right through me.
She's gonna
know I'm lying.
What about Chris?
Jesus. Chris Keller?
But even if we knew
where he was,
we're way past that now, Eric.
I'm talking to her, too.
And then you-you can be damn
sure that I am gonna tell her
everything she needs to know
to make this deal happen.
And so will you.
And then,
for the rest of my life,
I'm just the kid
who murdered his mom.
No, you are my kid, my son.
You can do this.
You have to.
I hear you got
something for me?
Yeah, for your
probation package.
Paperwork
on that unfiled assault.
So, Fisher filed
the original complaint,
but I looked into it,
and the victim, his girlfriend,
Kimberly Decker...
I can read,
Detective.
Good.
Do that.
Tell me you want that punk
out in the world.
Make sure his
CYA headshrinker sees it.
I'll add it
to the package.
What?
You want him out at 25?
I didn't do it,
you know.
I didn't kill her.
Whatever, man.
Nobody care
about your shit.
They just want
to get inside your melon.
What are you
worried about?
No witnesses.
Your mama can't talk.
Okay, I didn't do it.
Shit, man, you're easy.
Yo, don't let no one
inside, all right?
Got some help for that.
Ten bucks,
new-kid special.
Well, I don't know,
what more I can tell you.
Bottom line--
Eric is a good kid, you know?
Mary just had a way of pushing
his buttons,
and...
And, you know,
I was a... an older dad and all.
You know,
is there anything else,
in your opinion,
that could have precipitated
this current offense?
Well, as I said, he was
going through a lot at the time.
And there was a girl.Yeah.
There was a girl. His...
It was his girlfriend.
Well, actually,
his-his first girlfriend.
And, around that time,
they... they broke up.
And Eric is...
Well, you know, he was...
he was a wreck.
And that was,
Kimberly Decker?
Kimberly?
Yeah, could be.
Yeah, we-we never actually met.
But my-my point is
that it-it was an extremely
rough time for Eric, and...
Any do you have any
idea why they broke up?
Well, it was
usual reasons, I suppose,
you know?
Um, teenagers and...
teenage, heartbreak.
That can be pretty hard
on a kid. Um...
You mind if I smoke?
Please.
I quit a year ago.
I still love the smell.Yeah. Thank you.
So, um, how was
Eric as a baby?
Well, he-he was a baby.
You know? He was a...
he was a real cute kid.
Were there any
difficulties?
You adopted him
just after birth, right?
How did that go?
Well, like I said,
my wife didn't exactly take
to motherhood.
I'm asking about Eric,
Mr. Fisher.
Um...
well, he-he didn't sleep
very much or very well
when he was little.
Um, and when
he started school,
he just couldn't stop moving.
He was...
hyperkinetic,
the doctor said, so...
And then Mary put him
on those pills, and...
And how would you describe
your relationship with your son?
Is that a difficult question?No.
No. No, he's, um...
Well, he-he's my son.
When I ask you to describe
your relationship with your son,
what's the first word
that comes to your mind?
Well, I'd say, um...
solid.
Yeah, solid, yeah.
Eric and I, we're solid.
Solid.
That's a good word,
and a good place to end.
That's it?
You-you don't need
anything else?
We're good.
You know,
can I ask you a question?
Off the record.
Did you think Eric was capable
of something like this?
What?
No, of-of course not. He...
I'm-I'm-I'm sorry.
I- I take that back.
That was a completely
unfair question.
There's someone else
here tonight.
She lives in the inner city,
where she cares for infants
born of mothers
who are heroin addicts.
The children,
born in withdrawal,
are sometimes even dropped
on her doorstep.
She helps them with love.
Go to her house some night, and
maybe you'll see her silhouette
against the window
as she walks the floor,
talking softly,
soothing a child...
Here's a condo.
Two bedrooms, so Eric can stay
with us when he gets out.
Nice big pool.
No upkeep.
I'm not sure I helped him today.
Of course you did.
I don't know.
Jean, Mother Hale,
your lives tell us
that the oldest American saying
is new again.
You are his rock.
It's hard to remember, okay?
That whole...
day, it's just...
...it's all blurred up.
Then you need
to un-blur it for me. Now.
It's the only way
I can help you.
Look, I can't, okay?
I don't...
You went to the house
that morning.
About what time?
Why did you go there?
You went there because...?Because I needed money.
I needed a couple of bucks...
to fix my shocks,
and I knew she had it.
The money your dad
had given her the day before.
Were you high
when you got there?
If you were altered
in any way, I need to know.
I was on speed.
Okay? But...
I'm sober now.
What happened
once you got there?
What do you want?
So,
my rear shocks broke.
I can fix them, but I need,
um, um...
Money?Yeah.
I can't do that.I need, like,
ten, 15 bucks for car parts.
Okay? I can't get a job
if I don't have a car.
can I come in?
Can I come in and just have,
like, a glass of water?
I'll be quick.
Goddamn it.
Put it back, Eric.Stop.
Give it to me. Eric.Stop.
Give that to me. Come on!
Give that back!
Give it back!
Give it...
Mom, stop!
Get off!
You need to leave now!What, are you
gonna hit me?
Fuck!
Stop!
What were you thinking
when you hit her?I wasn't thinking.
I was too fucking
angry to think.
15 bucks, you know?
And what, she-she-she...
she hits me.
And then you hit her?It was all just
happening...
on its own.
Without me.
How did you feel
when you knew you'd hurt her?
She started it.
I mean, she didn't...
she... she already
didn't want me
in her life--
she-she wanted...
she wanted nothing to...
nothing to do with me.
And then what happened next?
There was s-s-s...
so...
much...
blood.
: Shit.
The exercise bar.
That's what you used.
I just wanted it to stop.
Yeah.
Yeah, the, QuadroBow.
That's when...
I got the knives.
Why?Because I wanted...
to make it look like
a maniac did it.
Like the Manson murders.
And the story you told
Detective Russell?
That you found her that way.
Just a story.
And the living room window.
That's how I always got in.
I made it look like a robbery.
I hid the money in my closet.
Hurry! Hurry! My mom...
my mom, she's been stabbed.
She's been stabbed.
She's-she's-she's bleeding.
I need somebody
to come help her.
Please!
She told me to get some towels
to staunch the bleeding.
I took the knives out.
I took the cord
off her neck.
Did you try
to stop the bleeding?
I tried, but...
...she was too far gone.
You must have
done something.
When the paramedics got there,
she was still alive.
Look, I didn't know
what I was doing, okay?
I was high.
I was... in shock.
It just happened.
And so the letters you wrote
Detective Russell...
claiming that the real killer
was your friend Chris Keller.
Chris knew my mom.
Okay? He was violent.
He loved knives.
Chris fit.
He made sense.
But you did it.
Not Chris Keller.
Did you hear my question?
Yes.
I did it.
I killed her.
Okay.
I need to ask you
one more question,
for the record.
Eric Fisher,
did you fabricate
your confession
in order to receive
the youthful offender sentence?
No.
I know none of this was easy.
I want to thank you
for your hard work, Eric.
All rise. Department F
of the Superior Court
of Los Angeles County
is now in session,
the Honorable
Edward Walsh presiding.
The gallery may be seated.
Mr. Fisher, I ordered
the County Probation Department
to determine your eligibility
for sentencing
under the Youth Authority,
where, upon
successful completion
of a program
of rehabilitation,
you would be released at age 25.
Yes, Your Honor.
I have
carefully reviewed
your probation report,
the results
and conclusions
of the psychiatric
testing and evaluation,
and I find
they are all in agreement.
Unfortunately,
Mr. Fisher,
due to the circumstances
of the crime
and your subsequent failure
to show sufficient remorse
or empathy
for your victim...
N- No, that's-that's...
that's not true,
that's not true...the court finds
that you are not eligible
for commitment to
the California Youth Authority.
Judge, my client
has cooperated fully...
I hereby order your client
to stand trial as an adult
on the charge
of second-degree murder.
Mr. Fisher...
do you choose to withdraw
your guilty plea
at this time?Yes, Your Honor.
What is he talking about?The trial is set
for September 23.
Court is adjourned.We made a deal.
Eric.
Eric, just...
don't worry about it.
I'm-I'm gonna fix this.
You're gonna
fix this? Yeah?Yeah.
How the fuck are
you gonna fix this?
This was your idea!
Come, Faith.
Second degree.
The fucking D.A.
sold you out from the jump.
The less you let them know,
the better.
Ellen called.
She said there's
a part-time opening coming up
in Labor and Delivery--
she says it's mine if I want it.
You having money trouble?
The wife has to work?
It's just a couple shifts
a week, so it would be...
Here's an idea for you.
Why don't you clean
the goddamn house?
Hey, honey, why don't you
get her ready for bed.
That's a great idea.
Let's go to bed, hon?
But I ain't sleepy.
I know you ain't sleepy.
Good night, sweetheart.
Why don't you go with her?
If you ask her nicely,
maybe she'll give
you back your balls.
You don't talk to me like that
in my fucking house.
Look at you?
Big-time homicide detective
standing up to his old man.That's right.
Big-time murder cop,
not some fucking pogue.
What are we,
in fucking sixth grade?
: Okay.Yeah, sixth grade.
I hate to eat and run.
Got a big morning.
Those audits don't audit
themselves, you know.
Yeah. Workingman.
Take care, kid.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
You know, it's never a few
shifts a week, by the way.
You go back, it's gonna be
full time before you know it.
She wants you to read.
You do it.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Hey, I'll do it. I'll do it!
I'm going to bed.
You coming?
No, I...
You really need to get
some sleep, honey.
And you need to stop
reading that.
Listen to this.
"Narcissistic."
"Callous, violent."
"Psychosexual immaturity"?
I mean, come on.
"Dangerous person."
"Borderline personality."
That woman doesn't know
a damn thing.
I was there.
He's right.
You know, I made
him take this deal.
It's all on me now.
And how do you even show remorse
for something you didn't do?
You really, really need
to get some rest.
No, you go to bed.
I'll be in in a minute.
Hey, come on.
Hey, yourself.
We withdrew your guilty plea.
They can't use anything
you told that shrink.
Your dad's right. We need
to look at what's ahead of us.
I'll cross Russell
with everything he ignored,
point the finger at Keller
in my closing,
which could get us
reasonable doubt.
- Fucking Chris, man.
- He's got a bunch of cash on him.
He's got a bullshit alibi.
Detective Russell still doesn't
think he's a fucking suspect.
Well, you-you were
a much easier target
than Chris Keller.
Right now we have
a bigger problem.
Russell also spoke
to a guy named Paul Manning.
Okay. So what?
I mean, Paulie's on...
Paulie's on my side.
Eric told me straight up
he killed his mother.
Jesus. Fuck, no.
This guy's fucking lying.
He bashed her head in
with his baseball trophy.
Look, I didn't... I didn't...
I didn't tell him anything.
That's a lie.
That's not true.
They sent me to County.
All right?
And this guy played me.
A fucking snitch.
And I was stupid. I...
I thought he was my friend.
How'd he get all this?
I told him I was 17,
that I didn't belong in County.
He called bullshit,
and so I gave him
my face sheet to prove it.
But I didn't say anything.
You didn't have to.
Your face sheet,
stapled to the LAPD
follow-up report.
All the facts he needed.
Manning got a sweet deal
with your confession.
Traded it
for an early release.
Fuck.
Okay. I'm gonna do a deep dive
on one Paul Manning.
I'll let you know
what I find.
Look, I didn't tell him a thing.
Okay?
I didn't. You got to believe me.
Dad, he can't testify.
Well,
even if he does,
Sullivan will...
He'll tear him apart.Yeah.
And what if he doesn't?
Look, you need to find him.
You need to talk to him.
You have to keep him away
from my trial.Eric,
that's what's called
tampering with a witness.
Is it?
Detective Russell did
the same thing to Chris Keller.
I'm a lawyer.
And I need your help.
Angelenos can breathe
a little easier
following the capture
of 25-year-old Richard Ramirez,
identified yesterday
as the Night Stalker.
For the last seven months,
the Stalker
has terrorized California
from Orange County...
Just regular...
Yeah.Thanks.
Yo, you got your ticket?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Hey.
Did you find Manning?
Did you find Manning?
I tried.
I tried real hard, but...
I'm sorry.
Me, too.
Any preliminaries
before we begin?
Yes, Your Honor.
After his arrest,
the defendant
blamed the murder
on Chris Keller,
his former roommate.
Detective Russell
investigated this claim.
He interviewed Mr. Keller
and eliminated him
as a possible suspect.
The people move that the
defense be prohibited
from suggesting
to the jury
that Chris Keller in any way
Judge,
this is the first I'm hearing
of this motion in limine.
I'd like a chance
to respond in writing.
It's the empty chair defense.
Chris Keller was in
the Los Angeles area
immediately prior
to the crime...
By that standard,
we could've all done it.
Judge, if you just listen
to Detective Russell's
interview...
Mr. Sullivan,
is there any evidence
connecting Mr. Keller
to the murder of Mary Fisher?
No direct evidence.
The defense is to make
no mention of Chris Keller.
Judge, please...That's the end of the matter.
The prosecution
calls Henry Fisher.
Yes.
I gave my wife $150
every Wednesday.
Was Eric aware of this practice?
- Objection.
- Yes.
Sustained.
The jury will disregard.
Mr. Fisher, I'm holding
People's Exhibit 2.
Do you recognize it?
Mr. Fisher?
Yes, it's...
It's my son's baseball trophy.
And where in the house
was it kept?
On a shelf in his bedroom.
He was very proud of it.
We all were.
He's good for us.
Sympathetic as hell.
- Is that an accurate
diagram, Detective? - Yes, sir.
Did you attempt to verify
the defendant's claim
that he saw his mother's body
on the floor through
the living room window?
Yes, I looked through
the window myself.
What did you see?RUSSELL: Nothing.
There was too much sun.
So, with the planter bed
and the broken awning,
I couldn't get close enough
to the window
to see past the glare.
All I could see was
my own reflection.
Did you check all
the other windows, Detective?
Mrs. Fisher was here,
behind a four-foot
concrete planter,
blocking the view
of the body
from all the windows
except this one.
So, because of the glare,
she couldn't be seen
from here, either?
No, she could not.
Straight up fucking lie.
There are three
bloody shoe prints here,
here and here.
Did you do a visual comparison
on those footprints
to the shoes that Eric Fisher
was wearing on March 10?
Yes, and I determined
that the bloody shoe prints
inside the house
closely resembled the pattern
on the soles
of Eric Fisher's shoes.
Did you find any shoe prints
in the house that did not
closely resemble
the defendant's shoes?
No, I did not.
He said he discovered the money
was missing
after he found his mother.
So, while she was dying...
he took the time
to look through her purse.
This is the $150
in grocery money?Yes, sir.
Did the defendant suggest
who might have
taken the money?
He said he thought an intruder
must have broken in
and stolen it.
Besides the living room window,
did you find any evidence
of forced entry?
No.
Find any evidence
of ransacking,
someone trying
to search for valuables?
No.
So, the only thing
missing was the $150
from Mrs. Fisher's purse,
correct?
Yeah, just the money
from the purse.
This missing money,
you never found it in Eric
Fisher's possession, did you?
A couple of hours
went by before he was...
Objection-- unresponsive.
Sustained--
yes or no, Detective?
No.
Well, he was handcuffed
in the back of a patrol car
when you arrived
on the scene, wasn't he?Yes, sir.
Well, then, at the police
station when you booked him,
did you find the money
on his person?
No.
Did you find the money
when you searched the residence
on March 10, 1983?
No, I did not.So...
you have no idea where
this missing money went?
No, sir.
And you have
no evidence whatsoever
that Eric Fisher is the one
who took this money.
No, I do not.
Thank you, Detective Russell.
There he is.
Our new shoe print expert.
Everybody in S.I.D.
is talking about you, bud.
Thanks, Mitch.
You know, I got a
question for you guys.
If that boy
killed his mama
for the money...
where's the money?
That's what the jurors are
gonna be thinking about tonight.
And what am I thinking?
Right now, Dad.
What am I thinking?
Have a good night, boys.
I hate to say anything
bad about your father,
but he is one
jealous cocksucker.
Yeah, those
who can, do.
Those who can't,
administrate.
One more reason
why I never got married.
Mr. Manning,
do you see Eric Fisher
in the courtroom today?
Yes, sir.
He's right over there.
Hey, Eric.
I'm praying
for you, man.
What did the defendant say next?
He said he killed his mother but
he fucked up because he forgot
to get rid of the clothes
he was wearing when he did it.
He said
"fucked up,"
not me.
Did the
defendant say
why he killed his mother?
Yes, sir.
When she wouldn't give him
money for drugs,
she caught him
stealing from her purse.
Did he say
where her purse was?
Yeah,
on-on the sofa.
He said she caught him and she
started slapping him around.
And, um...
that's when he got the knives
from the kitchen drawer.
What did
he say he did
with the two knives?
He said he caught her
in the hall
and he stabbed her
in the back with them.
What did he say
happened next?
Sir,
he said he got paranoid
because she wasn't dead
and he was scared
she'd tell the police.
So he got the trophy,
and he said--
and I'm quoting here--
"I smashed her
head in with it."
And now
I'm thinking
to myself,
"Damn, it's a good thing
"I'm not in the same cell
with this guy,
because he's
a cold-blooded murderer."I-I can't listen to this.
Objection!Yes, that will be stricken.
And what
did he say next?
That she was still
alive even with the knives
in her, so he got this,
um, metal exercise bar.
a QuadroBow, he called it.
Sir, he said he whaled on her
with that
till she stopped moving.
Okay, you fucking liar!
Mr. Fisher!Why the fuck are you lying?!
You will sit down, or I will
have you shackled to your chair.
Mr. Manning,
you've been convicted
of felony burglary,
felony receiving stolen property
and felony attempted robbery--
is that correct?
Yes, sir.
Is that before
or after you found God?
Objection.Withdrawn.
Mr. Manning, when you met Eric,
you were testifying
against another inmate
who had confessed to you,
were you not?
Isn't it true
that you've received
detailed confessions
in two other
L.A. County homicides?
Yes, sir.
It's amazing how inmates
just seem to open up to you.
Objection!Withdrawn.
In fact, you're what's
called a jailhouse snitch,
isn't that right?
Look, sir,
I don't know what people
call me, all right?
Someone who testifies
against other inmates
in order to receive
a reduction in their sentence.
Yes, sometimes.
And the better story you tell,
the bigger reduction...
Objection-- assumes facts
that are not in evidence.
Sustained.
Mr. Sullivan,
don't make me
admonish you again.
In return for
your testimony
in this case,
the D.A. got nine months
knocked off
your sentence, right?
Yes.
And you say you know
the facts of this murder
because Eric Fisher
confessed to you.
Yes, sir, that's right.
He barely knew you, but he just
had to get it off his chest.
I'm sorry,
is that a question, sir?
Isn't it true,
Mr. Manning,
that you pieced together
this confession
from the police report
that Eric Fisher
gave you in
the 7000 unit?
No, sir, I would not do that.
Really?
No.
Not even to get out of jail
nine months early?
No.
No, I would not.
I have nothing else
for this witness.
Mr. Fisher.
Please rise.
In the matter of The People of the State of California
versus Eric Henry Fisher,
case number 279LA31,
the jury,
in the above-entitled action,
finds the defendant guilty
of the charge of murder
in the second degree.
This court
is adjourned.
This is wrong. This is...
Any... they didn't
prove anything!
It's all circumstantial.
You know it.
This is wrong.
This is wrong.
We're... Eric, we are
going to appeal this.
I promise you. Eric!
Don't worry.
I've got this.
We'll make this right.
Eric!
Sorry.
Hey, we're almost
finished here, Mr. F.
Well, looks clean to me.
That's good.
Don't want to leave a mess
for the new owners.
No.
So, the movers and Trey
can finish this up,
and, we can get
on the road, okay?
Our new life.
That's the last of it.
Thank you, Trey.
Thanks a lot.
I got a call from
a buddy of mine up north.
He said he saw
Chris Keller
walking out of
a flophouse in the Haight.
Is that right?
I was thinking
of going up there,
track him down,
get him to tell me
what happened on tape.
What do
you mean?
S- Some kind of
admission?
Eric didn't do it.
I wouldn't mind getting him out.
Any way you could
front me a little cash?
I can crash with friends
when I get up there, but...
Bus fare.
Whatever.
Yeah.
I don't know.
Why don't...
Why don't you just
take his car?
The pony?
Nah.
I... I couldn't.
No, it... it's all right.
You sure?
Here you go.
I'll take good care of her.
You're his
friend, and...
he'd want you
to have it.
Well...
thank you.
I'm gonna find
Chris Keller.
Swear to God.
My mom--
she's fucking dying, okay?
Just get over here.
Mr. Fisher, how do you plead
to the charge
of second-degree murder
of your mother Mary Fisher?
Mr. Fisher?
Guilty, Your Honor.
Very well.
In order to determine
if you can be rehabilitated
by the California
Youth Authority,
I order the L.A. County
Probation Department
to perform
a psychological evaluation
for a period to last
no longer than 90 days.
Bullshit deal,
counselor.
When the evaluation is complete,
we will reconvene
for sentencing.
Court is adjourned.
Seriously?
No adult trial?
A fucking youth sentence.
He look like a kid to you?
You got a problem,
talk to probation.
It's gonna be okay, son.
Big hairy spider.
Need a break?
Not if those help you
figure out
that I'm not
a hard-core criminal.
That the CYA can fix me.
Hey, I'm not a fan, either.
But it's required.
Did she always
push you?
Nothing I did
was enough.
It was contentious,
your relationship?
It was like a war zone.
How old were you
when that started?
Around the time
you started using drugs?
And before that.
You know, I told you, it was
the bicycle thing, it was
the-the swimming thing.
What about later,
after the drugs started--
you were around 12 years old?
Eight.
She put me
on that crazy
kid speed.
So, when you started using drugs
on your own,
did the fighting get worse then?
I mean, she didn't hit me
as much.
You know,
but that could also just be
because I was... I was bigger.
Do you think maybe that's why...
she sent me away?
Did you love her?
I mean, she was...
she was... my mother.
Of course I did.
Do you think she loved you?
We went to Mexico,
just the three of us.
I was...
about five?
Okay.
And you remember that trip?
Yeah.
It's, it's me and my mom
on the beach.
Um...
I found this big-ass starfish,
and I'm-I'm showing it
to her, and we both
look, um...
...happy.
Lookhappy?
Yeah. My...
my dad-- he used
to take all these home movies.
All those,
family movies,
and-and he's, um...
He's not in 'em.
Well, that's it
for today.
You sure?
We just have one more thing
we need to talk about.
What happened that morning.
March 10, 1983.
The shrink, man.
I got to fucking
walk her through it.
Through what?
Everything, step by step.
How I did it, exactly.
I'm-I'm just supposed to
fucking make up a story?
Like, that story?
But, Eric,
you-you already pleaded guilty.
Now I have to do this.
I can't.
I can't do it.
You have to.
You have to.
The youth sentence
gets you out when you're 25.
I don't fucking care.
I fucking do.
You get tried as an adult--
that's state prison
for God knows
how long.
If I lose, yeah.
This woman sees
right through me.
She's gonna
know I'm lying.
What about Chris?
Jesus. Chris Keller?
But even if we knew
where he was,
we're way past that now, Eric.
I'm talking to her, too.
And then you-you can be damn
sure that I am gonna tell her
everything she needs to know
to make this deal happen.
And so will you.
And then,
for the rest of my life,
I'm just the kid
who murdered his mom.
No, you are my kid, my son.
You can do this.
You have to.
I hear you got
something for me?
Yeah, for your
probation package.
Paperwork
on that unfiled assault.
So, Fisher filed
the original complaint,
but I looked into it,
and the victim, his girlfriend,
Kimberly Decker...
I can read,
Detective.
Good.
Do that.
Tell me you want that punk
out in the world.
Make sure his
CYA headshrinker sees it.
I'll add it
to the package.
What?
You want him out at 25?
I didn't do it,
you know.
I didn't kill her.
Whatever, man.
Nobody care
about your shit.
They just want
to get inside your melon.
What are you
worried about?
No witnesses.
Your mama can't talk.
Okay, I didn't do it.
Shit, man, you're easy.
Yo, don't let no one
inside, all right?
Got some help for that.
Ten bucks,
new-kid special.
Well, I don't know,
what more I can tell you.
Bottom line--
Eric is a good kid, you know?
Mary just had a way of pushing
his buttons,
and...
And, you know,
I was a... an older dad and all.
You know,
is there anything else,
in your opinion,
that could have precipitated
this current offense?
Well, as I said, he was
going through a lot at the time.
And there was a girl.Yeah.
There was a girl. His...
It was his girlfriend.
Well, actually,
his-his first girlfriend.
And, around that time,
they... they broke up.
And Eric is...
Well, you know, he was...
he was a wreck.
And that was,
Kimberly Decker?
Kimberly?
Yeah, could be.
Yeah, we-we never actually met.
But my-my point is
that it-it was an extremely
rough time for Eric, and...
Any do you have any
idea why they broke up?
Well, it was
usual reasons, I suppose,
you know?
Um, teenagers and...
teenage, heartbreak.
That can be pretty hard
on a kid. Um...
You mind if I smoke?
Please.
I quit a year ago.
I still love the smell.Yeah. Thank you.
So, um, how was
Eric as a baby?
Well, he-he was a baby.
You know? He was a...
he was a real cute kid.
Were there any
difficulties?
You adopted him
just after birth, right?
How did that go?
Well, like I said,
my wife didn't exactly take
to motherhood.
I'm asking about Eric,
Mr. Fisher.
Um...
well, he-he didn't sleep
very much or very well
when he was little.
Um, and when
he started school,
he just couldn't stop moving.
He was...
hyperkinetic,
the doctor said, so...
And then Mary put him
on those pills, and...
And how would you describe
your relationship with your son?
Is that a difficult question?No.
No. No, he's, um...
Well, he-he's my son.
When I ask you to describe
your relationship with your son,
what's the first word
that comes to your mind?
Well, I'd say, um...
solid.
Yeah, solid, yeah.
Eric and I, we're solid.
Solid.
That's a good word,
and a good place to end.
That's it?
You-you don't need
anything else?
We're good.
You know,
can I ask you a question?
Off the record.
Did you think Eric was capable
of something like this?
What?
No, of-of course not. He...
I'm-I'm-I'm sorry.
I- I take that back.
That was a completely
unfair question.
There's someone else
here tonight.
She lives in the inner city,
where she cares for infants
born of mothers
who are heroin addicts.
The children,
born in withdrawal,
are sometimes even dropped
on her doorstep.
She helps them with love.
Go to her house some night, and
maybe you'll see her silhouette
against the window
as she walks the floor,
talking softly,
soothing a child...
Here's a condo.
Two bedrooms, so Eric can stay
with us when he gets out.
Nice big pool.
No upkeep.
I'm not sure I helped him today.
Of course you did.
I don't know.
Jean, Mother Hale,
your lives tell us
that the oldest American saying
is new again.
You are his rock.
It's hard to remember, okay?
That whole...
day, it's just...
...it's all blurred up.
Then you need
to un-blur it for me. Now.
It's the only way
I can help you.
Look, I can't, okay?
I don't...
You went to the house
that morning.
About what time?
Why did you go there?
You went there because...?Because I needed money.
I needed a couple of bucks...
to fix my shocks,
and I knew she had it.
The money your dad
had given her the day before.
Were you high
when you got there?
If you were altered
in any way, I need to know.
I was on speed.
Okay? But...
I'm sober now.
What happened
once you got there?
What do you want?
So,
my rear shocks broke.
I can fix them, but I need,
um, um...
Money?Yeah.
I can't do that.I need, like,
ten, 15 bucks for car parts.
Okay? I can't get a job
if I don't have a car.
can I come in?
Can I come in and just have,
like, a glass of water?
I'll be quick.
Goddamn it.
Put it back, Eric.Stop.
Give it to me. Eric.Stop.
Give that to me. Come on!
Give that back!
Give it back!
Give it...
Mom, stop!
Get off!
You need to leave now!What, are you
gonna hit me?
Fuck!
Stop!
What were you thinking
when you hit her?I wasn't thinking.
I was too fucking
angry to think.
15 bucks, you know?
And what, she-she-she...
she hits me.
And then you hit her?It was all just
happening...
on its own.
Without me.
How did you feel
when you knew you'd hurt her?
She started it.
I mean, she didn't...
she... she already
didn't want me
in her life--
she-she wanted...
she wanted nothing to...
nothing to do with me.
And then what happened next?
There was s-s-s...
so...
much...
blood.
: Shit.
The exercise bar.
That's what you used.
I just wanted it to stop.
Yeah.
Yeah, the, QuadroBow.
That's when...
I got the knives.
Why?Because I wanted...
to make it look like
a maniac did it.
Like the Manson murders.
And the story you told
Detective Russell?
That you found her that way.
Just a story.
And the living room window.
That's how I always got in.
I made it look like a robbery.
I hid the money in my closet.
Hurry! Hurry! My mom...
my mom, she's been stabbed.
She's been stabbed.
She's-she's-she's bleeding.
I need somebody
to come help her.
Please!
She told me to get some towels
to staunch the bleeding.
I took the knives out.
I took the cord
off her neck.
Did you try
to stop the bleeding?
I tried, but...
...she was too far gone.
You must have
done something.
When the paramedics got there,
she was still alive.
Look, I didn't know
what I was doing, okay?
I was high.
I was... in shock.
It just happened.
And so the letters you wrote
Detective Russell...
claiming that the real killer
was your friend Chris Keller.
Chris knew my mom.
Okay? He was violent.
He loved knives.
Chris fit.
He made sense.
But you did it.
Not Chris Keller.
Did you hear my question?
Yes.
I did it.
I killed her.
Okay.
I need to ask you
one more question,
for the record.
Eric Fisher,
did you fabricate
your confession
in order to receive
the youthful offender sentence?
No.
I know none of this was easy.
I want to thank you
for your hard work, Eric.
All rise. Department F
of the Superior Court
of Los Angeles County
is now in session,
the Honorable
Edward Walsh presiding.
The gallery may be seated.
Mr. Fisher, I ordered
the County Probation Department
to determine your eligibility
for sentencing
under the Youth Authority,
where, upon
successful completion
of a program
of rehabilitation,
you would be released at age 25.
Yes, Your Honor.
I have
carefully reviewed
your probation report,
the results
and conclusions
of the psychiatric
testing and evaluation,
and I find
they are all in agreement.
Unfortunately,
Mr. Fisher,
due to the circumstances
of the crime
and your subsequent failure
to show sufficient remorse
or empathy
for your victim...
N- No, that's-that's...
that's not true,
that's not true...the court finds
that you are not eligible
for commitment to
the California Youth Authority.
Judge, my client
has cooperated fully...
I hereby order your client
to stand trial as an adult
on the charge
of second-degree murder.
Mr. Fisher...
do you choose to withdraw
your guilty plea
at this time?Yes, Your Honor.
What is he talking about?The trial is set
for September 23.
Court is adjourned.We made a deal.
Eric.
Eric, just...
don't worry about it.
I'm-I'm gonna fix this.
You're gonna
fix this? Yeah?Yeah.
How the fuck are
you gonna fix this?
This was your idea!
Come, Faith.
Second degree.
The fucking D.A.
sold you out from the jump.
The less you let them know,
the better.
Ellen called.
She said there's
a part-time opening coming up
in Labor and Delivery--
she says it's mine if I want it.
You having money trouble?
The wife has to work?
It's just a couple shifts
a week, so it would be...
Here's an idea for you.
Why don't you clean
the goddamn house?
Hey, honey, why don't you
get her ready for bed.
That's a great idea.
Let's go to bed, hon?
But I ain't sleepy.
I know you ain't sleepy.
Good night, sweetheart.
Why don't you go with her?
If you ask her nicely,
maybe she'll give
you back your balls.
You don't talk to me like that
in my fucking house.
Look at you?
Big-time homicide detective
standing up to his old man.That's right.
Big-time murder cop,
not some fucking pogue.
What are we,
in fucking sixth grade?
: Okay.Yeah, sixth grade.
I hate to eat and run.
Got a big morning.
Those audits don't audit
themselves, you know.
Yeah. Workingman.
Take care, kid.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
You know, it's never a few
shifts a week, by the way.
You go back, it's gonna be
full time before you know it.
She wants you to read.
You do it.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Hey, I'll do it. I'll do it!
I'm going to bed.
You coming?
No, I...
You really need to get
some sleep, honey.
And you need to stop
reading that.
Listen to this.
"Narcissistic."
"Callous, violent."
"Psychosexual immaturity"?
I mean, come on.
"Dangerous person."
"Borderline personality."
That woman doesn't know
a damn thing.
I was there.
He's right.
You know, I made
him take this deal.
It's all on me now.
And how do you even show remorse
for something you didn't do?
You really, really need
to get some rest.
No, you go to bed.
I'll be in in a minute.
Hey, come on.
Hey, yourself.
We withdrew your guilty plea.
They can't use anything
you told that shrink.
Your dad's right. We need
to look at what's ahead of us.
I'll cross Russell
with everything he ignored,
point the finger at Keller
in my closing,
which could get us
reasonable doubt.
- Fucking Chris, man.
- He's got a bunch of cash on him.
He's got a bullshit alibi.
Detective Russell still doesn't
think he's a fucking suspect.
Well, you-you were
a much easier target
than Chris Keller.
Right now we have
a bigger problem.
Russell also spoke
to a guy named Paul Manning.
Okay. So what?
I mean, Paulie's on...
Paulie's on my side.
Eric told me straight up
he killed his mother.
Jesus. Fuck, no.
This guy's fucking lying.
He bashed her head in
with his baseball trophy.
Look, I didn't... I didn't...
I didn't tell him anything.
That's a lie.
That's not true.
They sent me to County.
All right?
And this guy played me.
A fucking snitch.
And I was stupid. I...
I thought he was my friend.
How'd he get all this?
I told him I was 17,
that I didn't belong in County.
He called bullshit,
and so I gave him
my face sheet to prove it.
But I didn't say anything.
You didn't have to.
Your face sheet,
stapled to the LAPD
follow-up report.
All the facts he needed.
Manning got a sweet deal
with your confession.
Traded it
for an early release.
Fuck.
Okay. I'm gonna do a deep dive
on one Paul Manning.
I'll let you know
what I find.
Look, I didn't tell him a thing.
Okay?
I didn't. You got to believe me.
Dad, he can't testify.
Well,
even if he does,
Sullivan will...
He'll tear him apart.Yeah.
And what if he doesn't?
Look, you need to find him.
You need to talk to him.
You have to keep him away
from my trial.Eric,
that's what's called
tampering with a witness.
Is it?
Detective Russell did
the same thing to Chris Keller.
I'm a lawyer.
And I need your help.
Angelenos can breathe
a little easier
following the capture
of 25-year-old Richard Ramirez,
identified yesterday
as the Night Stalker.
For the last seven months,
the Stalker
has terrorized California
from Orange County...
Just regular...
Yeah.Thanks.
Yo, you got your ticket?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Hey.
Did you find Manning?
Did you find Manning?
I tried.
I tried real hard, but...
I'm sorry.
Me, too.
Any preliminaries
before we begin?
Yes, Your Honor.
After his arrest,
the defendant
blamed the murder
on Chris Keller,
his former roommate.
Detective Russell
investigated this claim.
He interviewed Mr. Keller
and eliminated him
as a possible suspect.
The people move that the
defense be prohibited
from suggesting
to the jury
that Chris Keller in any way
Judge,
this is the first I'm hearing
of this motion in limine.
I'd like a chance
to respond in writing.
It's the empty chair defense.
Chris Keller was in
the Los Angeles area
immediately prior
to the crime...
By that standard,
we could've all done it.
Judge, if you just listen
to Detective Russell's
interview...
Mr. Sullivan,
is there any evidence
connecting Mr. Keller
to the murder of Mary Fisher?
No direct evidence.
The defense is to make
no mention of Chris Keller.
Judge, please...That's the end of the matter.
The prosecution
calls Henry Fisher.
Yes.
I gave my wife $150
every Wednesday.
Was Eric aware of this practice?
- Objection.
- Yes.
Sustained.
The jury will disregard.
Mr. Fisher, I'm holding
People's Exhibit 2.
Do you recognize it?
Mr. Fisher?
Yes, it's...
It's my son's baseball trophy.
And where in the house
was it kept?
On a shelf in his bedroom.
He was very proud of it.
We all were.
He's good for us.
Sympathetic as hell.
- Is that an accurate
diagram, Detective? - Yes, sir.
Did you attempt to verify
the defendant's claim
that he saw his mother's body
on the floor through
the living room window?
Yes, I looked through
the window myself.
What did you see?RUSSELL: Nothing.
There was too much sun.
So, with the planter bed
and the broken awning,
I couldn't get close enough
to the window
to see past the glare.
All I could see was
my own reflection.
Did you check all
the other windows, Detective?
Mrs. Fisher was here,
behind a four-foot
concrete planter,
blocking the view
of the body
from all the windows
except this one.
So, because of the glare,
she couldn't be seen
from here, either?
No, she could not.
Straight up fucking lie.
There are three
bloody shoe prints here,
here and here.
Did you do a visual comparison
on those footprints
to the shoes that Eric Fisher
was wearing on March 10?
Yes, and I determined
that the bloody shoe prints
inside the house
closely resembled the pattern
on the soles
of Eric Fisher's shoes.
Did you find any shoe prints
in the house that did not
closely resemble
the defendant's shoes?
No, I did not.
He said he discovered the money
was missing
after he found his mother.
So, while she was dying...
he took the time
to look through her purse.
This is the $150
in grocery money?Yes, sir.
Did the defendant suggest
who might have
taken the money?
He said he thought an intruder
must have broken in
and stolen it.
Besides the living room window,
did you find any evidence
of forced entry?
No.
Find any evidence
of ransacking,
someone trying
to search for valuables?
No.
So, the only thing
missing was the $150
from Mrs. Fisher's purse,
correct?
Yeah, just the money
from the purse.
This missing money,
you never found it in Eric
Fisher's possession, did you?
A couple of hours
went by before he was...
Objection-- unresponsive.
Sustained--
yes or no, Detective?
No.
Well, he was handcuffed
in the back of a patrol car
when you arrived
on the scene, wasn't he?Yes, sir.
Well, then, at the police
station when you booked him,
did you find the money
on his person?
No.
Did you find the money
when you searched the residence
on March 10, 1983?
No, I did not.So...
you have no idea where
this missing money went?
No, sir.
And you have
no evidence whatsoever
that Eric Fisher is the one
who took this money.
No, I do not.
Thank you, Detective Russell.
There he is.
Our new shoe print expert.
Everybody in S.I.D.
is talking about you, bud.
Thanks, Mitch.
You know, I got a
question for you guys.
If that boy
killed his mama
for the money...
where's the money?
That's what the jurors are
gonna be thinking about tonight.
And what am I thinking?
Right now, Dad.
What am I thinking?
Have a good night, boys.
I hate to say anything
bad about your father,
but he is one
jealous cocksucker.
Yeah, those
who can, do.
Those who can't,
administrate.
One more reason
why I never got married.
Mr. Manning,
do you see Eric Fisher
in the courtroom today?
Yes, sir.
He's right over there.
Hey, Eric.
I'm praying
for you, man.
What did the defendant say next?
He said he killed his mother but
he fucked up because he forgot
to get rid of the clothes
he was wearing when he did it.
He said
"fucked up,"
not me.
Did the
defendant say
why he killed his mother?
Yes, sir.
When she wouldn't give him
money for drugs,
she caught him
stealing from her purse.
Did he say
where her purse was?
Yeah,
on-on the sofa.
He said she caught him and she
started slapping him around.
And, um...
that's when he got the knives
from the kitchen drawer.
What did
he say he did
with the two knives?
He said he caught her
in the hall
and he stabbed her
in the back with them.
What did he say
happened next?
Sir,
he said he got paranoid
because she wasn't dead
and he was scared
she'd tell the police.
So he got the trophy,
and he said--
and I'm quoting here--
"I smashed her
head in with it."
And now
I'm thinking
to myself,
"Damn, it's a good thing
"I'm not in the same cell
with this guy,
because he's
a cold-blooded murderer."I-I can't listen to this.
Objection!Yes, that will be stricken.
And what
did he say next?
That she was still
alive even with the knives
in her, so he got this,
um, metal exercise bar.
a QuadroBow, he called it.
Sir, he said he whaled on her
with that
till she stopped moving.
Okay, you fucking liar!
Mr. Fisher!Why the fuck are you lying?!
You will sit down, or I will
have you shackled to your chair.
Mr. Manning,
you've been convicted
of felony burglary,
felony receiving stolen property
and felony attempted robbery--
is that correct?
Yes, sir.
Is that before
or after you found God?
Objection.Withdrawn.
Mr. Manning, when you met Eric,
you were testifying
against another inmate
who had confessed to you,
were you not?
Isn't it true
that you've received
detailed confessions
in two other
L.A. County homicides?
Yes, sir.
It's amazing how inmates
just seem to open up to you.
Objection!Withdrawn.
In fact, you're what's
called a jailhouse snitch,
isn't that right?
Look, sir,
I don't know what people
call me, all right?
Someone who testifies
against other inmates
in order to receive
a reduction in their sentence.
Yes, sometimes.
And the better story you tell,
the bigger reduction...
Objection-- assumes facts
that are not in evidence.
Sustained.
Mr. Sullivan,
don't make me
admonish you again.
In return for
your testimony
in this case,
the D.A. got nine months
knocked off
your sentence, right?
Yes.
And you say you know
the facts of this murder
because Eric Fisher
confessed to you.
Yes, sir, that's right.
He barely knew you, but he just
had to get it off his chest.
I'm sorry,
is that a question, sir?
Isn't it true,
Mr. Manning,
that you pieced together
this confession
from the police report
that Eric Fisher
gave you in
the 7000 unit?
No, sir, I would not do that.
Really?
No.
Not even to get out of jail
nine months early?
No.
No, I would not.
I have nothing else
for this witness.
Mr. Fisher.
Please rise.
In the matter of The People of the State of California
versus Eric Henry Fisher,
case number 279LA31,
the jury,
in the above-entitled action,
finds the defendant guilty
of the charge of murder
in the second degree.
This court
is adjourned.
This is wrong. This is...
Any... they didn't
prove anything!
It's all circumstantial.
You know it.
This is wrong.
This is wrong.
We're... Eric, we are
going to appeal this.
I promise you. Eric!
Don't worry.
I've got this.
We'll make this right.
Eric!
Sorry.
Hey, we're almost
finished here, Mr. F.
Well, looks clean to me.
That's good.
Don't want to leave a mess
for the new owners.
No.
So, the movers and Trey
can finish this up,
and, we can get
on the road, okay?
Our new life.
That's the last of it.
Thank you, Trey.
Thanks a lot.
I got a call from
a buddy of mine up north.
He said he saw
Chris Keller
walking out of
a flophouse in the Haight.
Is that right?
I was thinking
of going up there,
track him down,
get him to tell me
what happened on tape.
What do
you mean?
S- Some kind of
admission?
Eric didn't do it.
I wouldn't mind getting him out.
Any way you could
front me a little cash?
I can crash with friends
when I get up there, but...
Bus fare.
Whatever.
Yeah.
I don't know.
Why don't...
Why don't you just
take his car?
The pony?
Nah.
I... I couldn't.
No, it... it's all right.
You sure?
Here you go.
I'll take good care of her.
You're his
friend, and...
he'd want you
to have it.
Well...
thank you.
I'm gonna find
Chris Keller.
Swear to God.