JAG (1995–2005): Season 5, Episode 24 - Body Talk - full transcript
While reviewing old criminal convictions, Harm finds a murder case in which the convicted man did not receive effective representation at trial; he obtains a new trial; the prisoner is both a former Navy captain and the father of LCdr. Teresa Coulter; the victim was Teresa's mother, and Teresa believes her father to be guilty. Harm's involvement places serious stress on his friendship with Teresa. In the new trial Mac prosecutes, and Harm and Bud defend. After pursuing several leads and theories, Harm and Bud eventually figure out what killed Teresa's mother. Meanwhile the admiral makes another date, and he helps a woman lieutenant who is the daughter of a dead long-time Navy buddy.
♪ When you're alone... ♪
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Mom?
♪ ...alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
Mom?
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're... ♪
Mom?
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
Mom, wake up.
Oh, God.
Harm?
Hey.
What brings you to town?
I'd guess reserve duty
but you're in civilian attire.
Personal business.
You want to talk
about it over lunch?
I have time.
I'll make a call...
Is there a problem?
You know my father
murdered my mother?
Yeah, he's doing
a life sentence.
In Leavenworth.
Leavenworth?
He was a Navy captain.
I just found out a
certain JAG attorney
convinced an appellant
court to grant him a new trial.
Teresa, I didn't know
that Captain Chaddock
was your father.
I found my mother's body.
I'm all over the transcripts.
But you're listed as
"daughter of the victim."
You don't even have the
same last name as your father.
That was ten years ago.
Why are you doing this?
Your father's defense
attorney was 26 years old.
It was his first murder trial.
H-he conducted ineffective
cross-examination.
He failed to interview
key witnesses.
It doesn't matter, Harm.
He was guilty then,
and he's guilty now.
You weren't there, Teresa.
Well, neither were you.
I have written her so many times
in the past ten years,
I've... lost count.
She never wrote back.
She never called.
I'm dead to her.
Not anymore, Captain.
Uh, Teresa is aware
of the retrial, sir,
and she's asked
me to drop the case.
She thinks I'm guilty.
Has she convinced you?
Sir, I'm convinced that
you didn't get a fair trial
the first time.
Well, I can't blame her.
Letting the stress of my
command eat me alive,
trading my family for a bottle.
And my two biggest regrets...
Abusing my wife and
forcing Teresa to hate me.
Captain, your daughter's
a forensic pathologist.
Uh, she's worked on a
couple cases with me.
Uh, we have become
quite close, sir.
What are you
trying to say to me?
That you two are...?
Captain, we're just friends.
But...
Oh, worried about
a conflict of interests.
Well, aren't you, sir?
No.
You're a principled man.
If anything, you'd
overcompensate.
You've given me hope, Commander.
Don't jump ship on me now.
He's playing you.
I've known this
man for 33 years.
Well, you've known
him for 23 years, actually.
You haven't seen
him in the past ten.
Have you, uh, considered
paying him a visit?
No.
Why not?
Look, there was a time
that I loved my father.
I won't let him trade on that.
I understand how you feel.
And do you understand
how he feels?
He needs my support.
I'm the prosecution's
chief witness.
I'm going to defend him, Teresa.
What?
I can't just walk away.
I brought him this far.
What about me?
I've been there for you.
I'm sorry.
Irene!
Come in. What a
pleasant surprise.
Nice to see you.
Please, have a seat.
You look great.
Oh, thank you, Admiral.
Are you all right?
Oh, God, this isn't
easy for me, um...
But at my father's
funeral, you did say
that if I ever needed any help
I shouldn't hesitate to ask.
And I meant it.
Your father said
the same thing to me
when I transferred
into the JAG corps.
And did you ever
take him up on it, sir?
More times than I care to count.
What can I do for you?
There's an empty plot
next to my mom and dad
in Arlington, and I'd like
to reserve it for myself.
Okay.
Um... have you,
um, talked to anyone
in the Arlington administration?
Oh, yes, sir.
They told me that
uh, sites can't be reserved.
And since my family
plot is already filled,
my only options are
an assigned site or cremation.
And you thought I
could talk to someone?
Oh, this is presumptuous
of me, sir. I'm sorry.
No, no. Let me...
let me think. Let me think.
Um, I hope
this doesn't sound
insincere on my part,
but, Irene, you are
still a young woman.
Why deal with this now?
Why not concentrate
on the life ahead of you?
That would be three months, sir.
I've been diagnosed
with, uh, pancreatic cancer.
Mac, haven't seen
you all morning.
Reading.
I, uh... I heard
your retrial involves
Commander Coulter's father.
Yeah. One of those moments
where two lives intersect
and there's not a
traffic light in sight.
How's she taking it?
Well, about as you'd expect.
Bud's been assigned
second chair.
Good. I can use the help.
You really think you
can turn this one around?
Yeah, it's all
circumstantial, Mac.
Yeah, but the
circumstances lay out.
How would you know?
Just finished scanning
the trial summary.
Why?
I've been assigned prosecution.
Welcome to Arlington
National Cemetery.
We're open 365 days of the year.
A menu of options follows.
Press one to schedule
and interment or inurnment.
Press two for
grave site locations.
Press three...
Press one to
schedule an inurnment.
Press two to schedule
a ground burial.
Interment processing.
Please provide the
following information.
Speak slowly and clearly.
What are the last four digits
of your social security number?
Nine, eight, five, two.
What is your height?
Six foot, three inches.
How deep would
you like your plot?
What?
When will you be
expecting to need it?
Good God.
That's it there. 42.
Captain French, in the
transcripts to the first trial,
you testified that you
heard an argument
coming from the Chaddock quarters
the day that Ellen Chaddock died?
Yes, we were billeted
across the way.
Now, I realize it was
ten years ago, sir,
but can you recall anything
other than the argument?
Anything that might have
suggested a struggle?
Um, a week earlier,
but not on that day.
Captain, was this
typical behavior
for the Chaddocks?
Actually, Captain Chaddock
did most of the shouting.
In fact, that was the only time
I ever heard Ellen
raise her voice
except when she
yelled at her son-in-law.
Something happen
with the son-in-law, sir?
Yes. I saw them
screaming at each other
right in front of
her door there.
Do you remember
when that was, Captain?
That was the day before.
The murder?
Yes.
I wasn't the only one
who witnessed it either.
A repairman from public works
was in their house at the time.
Captain, why didn't you
reveal this before, sir?
I did.
I informed the Naval
Investigative Service
when they first interviewed me.
They didn't seem interested.
Why do want to talk
to my ex-husband?
Did he call you?
For the first time
in nine years.
He was seen arguing
with your mother
the day before she was murdered.
You're not going to
try to pin this on Rory?
Look, Commander, I'm
just digging a little deeper.
It's something your
father's first attorney
didn't do.
No. You're not digging.
You're building.
You're really going to try
to make something out of this?
The N.I.S. sat on it the
first time around, ma'am.
We assume it was because
they figured they
had their suspect
and didn't want
to clutter the field.
Look, it was nothing.
I told my mother that
I might be moving...
Rory might be taking
a job out of town.
She was upset. She thought
she'd never see me again.
He came over to
borrow the lawnmower
and she just laid into him.
Commander... Do you
know why he left me?
My grief was too much for him.
This is why your
theory doesn't work.
He could never have done it.
He was weak.
Rory doesn't
confront his problems.
He runs from them.
Word of warning, Commander.
I would not divulge
unsolicited information
to the defense.
Oh, that's very clever.
Refer to yourselves
in the third person
so you don't have
to make it personal.
This isn't personal.
It's professional.
The two are not
mutually exclusive.
Well, in this case,
they have to be.
Harm, if you value
our friendship,
you'll drop Rory
as a suspect.
Get his address, Bud.
Her mother was upset
because of this
job I wanted to take.
What was it?
The assistant head of security
for a computer
company in California.
A big step up for me.
And what did she say to you?
That there was no way
she was going to let me
take her daughter that far away.
Well, how did she plan
to stop you, Mr. Coulter?
She said she had ways.
Did you believe her?
Not really.
Then why didn't
you take the job?
They changed their mind,
offered it to someone else.
You have a criminal record?
I stole a car when I was 18.
Did you put that
on the application?
What is this?
I just think it would be of
interest to somebody in the
position of hiring a member
of a security team, that's all.
I made up for my
mistakes by working hard.
I had three letters
of recommendation.
Did Mrs. Chaddock
know about the record?
I guess.
Maybe that's what she meant
by she had ways to stop you.
She was threatening to call
the company and tell them.
She did call the
company and tell them,
didn't she, Mr. Coulter?
That's why they
withdrew the job offer.
I don't know what happened.
Mr. Coulter, where were you
on the day that your
mother-in-law was murdered?
Am I a suspect here?
Just answer the
question, Mr. Coulter.
I think I need a lawyer.
This stinks.
Well, that shook him up, huh?
He is a credible suspect, sir.
Motive, no alibi.
And no jacket.
Mr. Coulter...
Bud, if he wants it,
he'll come back for it.
Commander.
Sir, your seat is here.
You haven't aged a day.
It's your mother's genes.
She always looked
younger than she was.
Sir.
Is this it?
You're never going
to speak to me again?
Say something...
Even if it's to damn me to hell.
One, Captain Chaddock
had a documented history
of drunkenness.
Two, when he was drinking
he threatened his
wife with violence.
Three, Ellen Chaddock
kicked him out of their house
one week prior to her death
for physically assaulting her.
Four, Captain Chaddock
returned, he and Ellen fought
and an eyewitness saw him
leaving his house
one hour before
she was found dead
of massive head trauma.
In short, Captain
Thomas Chaddock
was a troubled,
out of control officer
who murdered his
wife in a drunken rage.
The government's
case is based purely
on circumstantial evidence.
There is no proof
that Captain Chaddock
had been drinking on the day
of Ellen Chaddock's murder.
There is no eyewitness
to a murder...
Not even to an assault.
It's all inference.
There is no case.
Captain Chaddock is
not the man responsible
for his wife's murder.
There was a general ruckus.
Him yelling, her yelling back.
I heard nothing
for a minute or two
and then I saw the
captain exit the house.
At approximately what time, sir?
It was about 1545.
What condition
was he in, Captain?
He was drunk.
Did he say anything
at this point, sir?
Yes. He yelled, "You happy now?"
and then he got in
his car and drove off.
And what did you
assume he meant by that?
Objection. Calls
for speculation.
Sustained.
I'll rephrase.
Sir, what was the tone of
Captain Chaddock's voice
at the time he
yelled this remark?
Angry, self-satisfied.
Like he'd made his point, sir?
Yes.
Thank you. Your witness.
Sir, how close were
you to Captain Chaddock
when he left his house?
I was about 50 feet or so.
Could you smell his breath?
Of course not.
Then how did you know
he was drunk, Captain?
He usually was.
Move to strike, Your Honor.
The members will ignore
the witnesses last comment.
Captain, you stated
that Captain Chaddock
seemed angry and self-satisfied
when he yelled, "You happy now?"
That's right.
Now, sir, couldn't he
have been indicating
in a petulant way
that in accordance
with his wife's wishes,
he would stop bothering
her and be out of her life?
I don't know.
I suppose.
What did you do after you
saw Captain Chaddock drive off?
Well, I was building
a train set in the den.
I went inside to work on it.
So you saw and heard nothing
from this point on?
That's correct.
Captain, did you witness
an argument the day before
between Ellen Chaddock
and her son-in-law
Rory Coulter? Yes.
Do you know what that argument
was about, sir?
I was... pulling up
in my car at the time.
I didn't hear what
was being said.
But they were
upset at each other.
How would you describe
the son-in-law's attitude, sir?
Angry.
Hostile?
Very.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
The House and
Senate are deadlocked
over eligibility
criteria at Arlington.
Until they can agree,
everything's up in the air.
And in the meantime?
The person can file a
special written request
after the death of the
person in question.
Well, the individual in this
case is the person in question.
Well, the family can do it.
Her family, namely the mother
and father, are both dead.
They are the ones next to
whom she'd like to be buried.
I'm afraid those are the rules.
They don't work.
Apparently not in this case.
Apparently not in any case
where the individual has to
file a request posthumously.
Admiral, I'm failing to see...
Where's the site?
What's the name?
Admiral Leslie Charlton.
Charlton...
Okay.
You want to come with me?
Admiral Charlton lies there.
Well, it's the one next to it,
the one in red...
That's the one she wants.
That site's occupied.
No, it's not.
She's been there.
There's no marker.
I can only tell you
what the chart says.
You can tell me the truth
or I'll walk out
there with a spade
and check it out myself.
It's been reserved.
Isn't there a
no-reservation policy?
Yes, there is.
So, who's the lucky stiff?
Admiral, I'm not in the
position to reveal that.
Exactly what position will
make you change your mind?
Lieutenant Commander Coulter,
are you related to the
victim and the accused?
The victim was my mother.
The accused is my father.
Would you tell us about
your mother's relationship
with your father?
My father started drinking
when I was in junior high.
At first, he would
just come home
and crash.
But by the time I turned 18,
he was berating my
mother on a daily basis.
The day that I
graduated from college,
he spent the whole
day insulting her.
And that night, she
told him to shut up.
And he pointed
his finger in her face
and said that if she
ever said that again,
he'd kill her.
What happened
the week before
your mother died?
She called me to tell me
that my father had assaulted her
and she'd kicked
him out of the house.
Were you afraid for her?
Yes. I went to see her every
day after that to check up.
Is that why you were there
the day you found her body?
Yes.
Thank you.
No more questions.
Lieutenant Commander Coulter,
you were married to Rory Coulter
at the time of your
mother's death?
Yes.
And prior to that,
did you tell her
that Mr. Coulter
had accepted a job in California
and that you'd be leaving town?
Commander?
Yes.
How would you
characterize the relationship
between your mother and
your husband at that time?
They didn't get along.
Thank you.
Mac, we need to talk.
Not about desperate theories.
It's the real thing, ma'am.
It's misdirection, gentlemen.
May I remind you, Colonel,
there was an unidentified hair
found on Ellen Chaddock's body.
The operative word
being "unidentified."
Bud.
The hair was a direct DNA match
to a hair that we found
on Rory Coulter's jacket.
Drop the charges, Colonel.
They won't stick.
Rory Coulter's hair on Ellen
Chaddock's body proves nothing.
If we assume
that Ellen Chaddock
had a shower that morning
it indicates that Coulter
was at the house that day.
Only if he'd never
been there before.
He was their son-in-law.
There was a bathroom
near the bedroom.
I'm sure he used
it more than once.
The hair could've been
there for days, weeks...
on a cushion or a towel.
But, ma'am, you have to admit
we have as much, if not
more, circumstantial evidence
to support our theory as you do.
If you're that confident,
prove it in court.
Commander, Lieutenant...
I have that information you
requested on that repairman.
Uh, Petty Officer Ramon
Arguento was assigned
at Chaddock residence
on August 25, 1989.
Problem is he was
discharged in 1994.
I do, however, have a
fax on the work order
from that day.
We need the man,
not the paper, Gunny.
I have three addresses
since then, sir.
Last known...
Fairbanks, Alaska, 1998,
and the landlord
said he headed north.
Let me see that.
Yes, sir.
Work order to replace
a propane heating unit.
You don't suppose
there's a note in there
about him witnessing
an argument, do you?
Excuse me, Admiral.
I wasn't able
to get General Piper's
phone number, sir,
but this is his address.
Thank you, Tiner.
Civilian on deck.
Hi. Hi.
Come in. Come in.
Doctor Sydney Walden,
this is my yeoman, uh,
Petty Officer Jason Tiner.
We've talked, ma'am.
If there's anything you want...
Coffee, water, soft
drinks, just let me know.
I'm fine for now.
Why don't I get
all three, ma'am,
in case you change your mind?
Sir.
You look luminous.
And you look vigorous.
Are you free for lunch?
Bigger question...
Dinner, Saturday night...
new restaurant
in, uh, Fairfax...
Tuscan cuisine.
Now, I know we...
officially... don't
have a date, but...
We do now.
Admiral, did we...
Oh, excuse me,
sir... This can wait.
No, no, no.
Uh, dr. Sydney Walden, uh,
this is Commander Harmon Rabb.
I've heard so much
about you, Commander.
You must be the...
Doctor.
Hasn't that been established?
Yeah, I'm sorry, ma'am.
Just a little preoccupied.
It's a pleasure to meet you
and, uh... well, I trust
this won't be the last time.
Well, let's make sure of that.
I understand you're
seeing someone.
Maybe the four of us can
socialize at some point.
Oh, well, I'll look
forward to that.
Sir.
Uh, ma'am.
Mr. Coulter...
I'm Lieutenant Colonel
Sarah MacKenzie.
I'm prosecuting Captain
Chaddock's murder trial.
I can't talk to you.
For just a few minutes.
I have an attorney now.
These are his rules.
It's in both our interests.
Your story helps me
counter the defense theory.
You're a prosecutor.
You can file charges on me.
It's a military
trial, Mr. Coulter.
What's to stop a civilian trial?
It's in all the papers.
The district attorney's office
would have to get involved.
I haven't heard a
peep from them.
Sorry.
Will you talk to someone else?
Take as much time as you need.
Here.
Oh, no, it's all right.
It's okay.
How are you?
Did you kill my mother?
No, Teresa.
Then, why are you
acting like you did?
I'm just trying
to protect myself.
Things are getting out of hand.
I remember that job
meant a lot to you.
Enough to kill someone?
I know you didn't
like her, Rory.
Because she didn't like me.
All I know is, once she
was gone, so were you.
Hey, who's been talking to you?
Your dad killed your mother.
You know it, I know it
and with God's help,
the members of
that jury will know it.
When did you find God?
Right after I found
out I was a suspect.
You look tired.
So do you.
Sounds familiar, huh?
I didn't know a
party was going on.
Look, please tell the general...
Admiral...
Welcome.
What, you didn't bring the wife?
I'm not married.
Oh, that's right.
You're...
someone I've never met.
Bad timing, General.
Maybe I should contact you...
No, no, no.
Not until you wish me
a happy retirement
and I get you a glass
of 18-year-old scotch.
Two fingers of Lochleary.
Right away, sir.
General...
I turn my back for one second...
Marjorie... uh...
meet Admiral, uh...
A.J. Chegwidden.
Oh, nice to meet you, Admiral.
The general promised me a dance
but, apparently, he's forgotten.
I'm just greeting
my guests, Marjorie.
Say, would it be an
imposition if I asked you
to prepare a plate of
food for the admiral?
It'll cost.
I'll be right back.
She's been on the hunt
ever since her husband died.
What can I do for you, Admiral?
Well, General, this is
incredibly awkward, uh,
but, um, the daughter
of an old friend of mine
has a... terminal illness.
Both he and his wife
are buried at Arlington
and she's requested the
plot next to her parents.
Understandable.
That plot has been
promised to you.
Well, I'm old enough to predate
the no-reservation
policy, Admiral.
Has a view of the
sunset, you know?
Well, it seemed like a
good idea at the time.
Frankly... I can't
think of anything
less interesting
right now than dying.
Well, General, I don't want you
to think I'm applying
pressure to you in any way.
Of course I do.
I'll relinquish my rights
to the superintendent...
Thank you, sir.
..if you'll do me one favor.
By all means.
Mac...
If this is about
Commander Coulter...
It's about Rory Coulter.
Well, I don't want
to discuss him.
He's your suspect, not mine.
He's everybody's
suspect now, Colonel.
His lawyer just called.
He skipped town.
I know Rory, Colonel.
Running away is just
part of his character.
It's not that he's guilty.
He just doesn't know
how to handle the pressure.
I have to be honest
with you, Commander.
It's not looking good.
Well, then, we just have to find
more evidence against my father.
Could I see the autopsy report?
Maybe I can find something.
Teresa, what will you
do if he's acquitted?
I can't even think about that.
Think about it,
because if you
can't forgive him,
you will continue to hate him
and that can be a
very painful way to live.
And just what would you
know about that, Colonel?
My father was an
abusive alcoholic.
Well, then, you,
more than anyone
should understand exactly
where I'm coming from.
So, what do we have, Bud?
Rory Coulter finds out
the morning after the
argument with his mother-in-law
that the job offer
has been withdrawn.
Suspecting that it's she
that called the company
and told them about
his arrest record,
he decides to confront her.
He goes over there.
He sees the captain's
car, waits for him to leave...
Then, he encounters
an edgy Ellen Chaddock
and they argue.
Let's go inside.
What evidence do we
have in the bedroom?
Ellen Chaddock on the bed...
The record skipping
on the turntable...
door and window closed
and the dead fish in the tank.
So, Rory could've
closed the window
to muffle the
sound of the assault.
The record might've
been scratched
in the scuffle.
Or it could've been
scratched before.
The dead fish...
I don't know what
to do with that one.
And neither did the
original investigator, sir.
They just wrote
it off as neglect.
What if...
Rory Coulter was so
mad at Ellen Chaddock
that he murdered her
and... killed her
fish out of spite?
Bud.
Did you find something?
This says my mother died
of massive brain trauma
due to a fracture
of the parietal bone
caused by a blunt object.
And...?
Well, those determinations
are out of line.
I mean, the brain
swelling indicated here
couldn't have been
sufficient to cause her death.
We need to order an exhumation.
I won't allow it.
Teresa, your mother
didn't die of a skull fracture.
Doesn't that make
you at least curious?
You're jumping
to conclusions.
All I said was there
was a discrepancy
between the coroner's findings
and the official cause of death.
Well, the only
way to investigate it
is to exhume her body.
I'm sorry.
Ma'am, if you
won't let us exhume,
why are you here?
MacKENZIE:
Because she has to be.
The commander can be
considered an expert witness,
which makes her opinion
potentially exculpatory.
Teresa, just think
about it for a while.
You're denying us something
that you, as a
forensic pathologist
have asked people...
What? 50, 100 times.
All we're looking for
is the truth, ma'am.
Here's the truth,
Lieutenant.
My mother lies in peace
something she rarely
experienced in her life.
No one can touch her now.
I intend to keep it that way.
Enter.
Ah, Lieutenant,
please have a seat.
I'm glad you're here.
I was going
to call you.
Admiral, I just came
from the doctor's office.
I jumped the gun, sir.
After we talked, I went
I got a second opinion, and...
my first biopsy was misread.
I don't have a tumor.
I'm not going to die...
I mean, well, just, not
anytime soon, anyway.
I'm so excited, I
can barely breathe.
Well... that's... uh, wonderful.
Yeah, and I'm sorry
I made you go through
this drama with me, sir.
I know you must have just
twisted yourself into knots
trying to figure
out how to help me
with my request.
And even if you could
have pulled it off, I mean,
I would have
felt really terrible
holding onto a plot that long.
You were right, Admiral.
It is much better
to concentrate on where I am now
than where I'm going to end up.
Well, um...
Irene, you have a good life.
I intend to, sir.
What kind of a drunk
were you, Captain?
An angry one.
Did you ever direct this
anger at your wife, sir?
Quite often.
Why?
Because she wasn't perfect.
That's what I
expected from people.
That's what I asked of my men.
Do you think that
this was fair, sir?
No.
It was twisted.
My wife deserved better from me.
I was... not up... to
being her husband.
I was weak... and
full of self-loathing.
You ever consider
leaving her, sir?
No... because, then
I would have no one to
blame for my unhappiness.
Did your wife ever try
to leave you, Captain?
Ellen would never
go out on her own.
She was too dependent,
though she did throw
me out of the house once.
Tell us about that, sir.
It was the week before she died.
We were arguing and I lost
control and... pushed her.
When she fell, she whacked
her head on the bedpost.
I had threatened her often,
but it was
the first time...
I'd... hurt her.
It... it shook me up.
How did you react?
I took a room in a motel.
Did you return
a week later, Captain?
Yes...
And we argued again.
I... threw stuff around,
but she stood fast
and stared me down.
I was furious, but...
I knew it was over.
All I could do was
stomp out of there.
Captain, why did you
yell, "Are you happy now?"
I was trying to make the point
that she was going to be alone
from now on, and it was
going to be hard for her.
Sir...
she'd just been
alone for a week.
She called me at
the motel every day.
Captain, what did you do
when you found out
your wife was dead?
I cried.
Maybe that sounds like a
pathetic plea for sympathy,
but... it's the truth.
Commander...
you can exhume the body.
You believe him?
Let's just take this
one step at a time.
What do you think?
It's... very nice.
It's available.
Is this something you're
going to be needing
in the next 12 hours?
I'm sorry.
I'm being morbid, and
the restaurant was close
and I was curious.
I don't know what the
general was thinking about.
The sun sets in
the other direction.
This tree, now this
tree's a problem.
It's deciduous.
It's going to lose all
its leaves in the fall.
It's going to be a damn mess.
And this grass, I'm
not crazy about it.
What is it, well, it's a fescue.
Let's go eat.
Harm: the radiologist
noted callous formation
around the area of Ellen
Chaddock's skull fracture.
Meaning the fracture had
begun to heal before she died.
And this signifies...
that she died as a result
of other circumstances.
And those circumstances are...
what's hanging us up.
Sir, it's getting late
and we've gone over
this a dozen times.
Seemingly unrelated clues:
closed window,
skipping record, dead fish.
And don't forget
about the repairman.
Yeah, the unfinished
repair in the heating unit.
Where's that work order, Bud?
Is there a blood sample
from Ellen Chaddock's
original autopsy?
Yes, sir.
We need to order
a new test, Bud.
Commander, you testified
that when you entered
your mother's bedroom
the door and the
window were closed
and that it was
hot and stifling.
Is this because the heat was on?
Yes, I turned off
the thermostat.
Do you know what the
temperature outside at that time was?
No, I don't.
78 degrees.
Defense exhibit
seven, Your Honor.
Verification from the
U.S. weather service.
The police report notes
that your mother's
fish were also dead.
Did you take notice of this?
Yes, briefly.
Defense exhibit
eight, Your Honor.
Copy of a work order
to replace a
propane heating unit
at the Chaddock household
Friday, August 25, 1989,
the day before Ellen
Chaddock's death.
Is this an excursion, Counselor?
I'm about to make my point, sir.
I'm waiting.
Well, sir...
according to handwritten
instructions on the work order
the repairman, Petty
Officer Ramon Arguento,
states that he's run
out of metal vent pipe.
He then instructs Ellen
Chaddock not to turn the heat on
until he finishes the repair
because it would
circulate carbon monoxide
throughout the house.
Commander, how would we know
if an individual had succumbed
to carbon monoxide poisoning?
Other than evidence
at the scene,
the best way is blood analysis.
And when would
one test for this?
When indicated.
But on this day, Commander
all indications pointed
to a skull fracture
as the cause of
death, didn't they?
Yes.
And the carbon
monoxide in the room
would have dissipated
when you opened the
door and the window.
Is that correct? Yes.
Defense exhibit
nine, Your Honor.
A recent visual spectroscopy
of a blood sample collected
during Ellen Chaddock's
original autopsy
indicating traces
of carbon monoxide
which irreversibly
binds with hemoglobin...
Any hemoglobin...
Even that of fish.
It's admittedly difficult
assessing what was on
Ellen Chaddock's mind
on the day of her death,
but I ask you to consider
the circumstances.
Her son-in-law was
trying to move out-of-state
with her only daughter,
she'd just suffered
a skull fracture
and she was alone, really alone
for the first time in 25 years.
You happy, now?!
♪ When you're alone ♪
♪ Who cares for
star-lit skies? ♪
♪ When you're alone ♪
♪ The magic moonlight dies... ♪
Captain Thomas Chaddock
on the charge and
specification of murder,
this court finds you not guilty.
This court-martial is adjourned.
Thank you, Commander.
Congratulations.
Thank you, very, very much.
Congratulations, sir.
The Navy sent me
to medical school.
I thought I was
going to be a doctor,
but I found myself
attracted to crime scenes.
My whole life has been defined
by what happened to my mother.
Is that how you
want it to remain?
I want to remember her
as a person, not a victim.
You okay?
I'm sorry.
You don't have
to apologize to me.
You knew he was innocent.
That was more of
an instinct, I think.
That's why you
wouldn't give him up.
Come by my office
when you're done here.
I am done.
Think about it.
You forgave your father?
Yes.
Was it hard?
It took me a while.
What did you say to him?
Nothing.
He was in a coma by
the time I was ready.
Hi.
Hi.
When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
Mom?
♪ ...alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
Mom?
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're... ♪
Mom?
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
♪ When you're alone... ♪
Mom, wake up.
Oh, God.
Harm?
Hey.
What brings you to town?
I'd guess reserve duty
but you're in civilian attire.
Personal business.
You want to talk
about it over lunch?
I have time.
I'll make a call...
Is there a problem?
You know my father
murdered my mother?
Yeah, he's doing
a life sentence.
In Leavenworth.
Leavenworth?
He was a Navy captain.
I just found out a
certain JAG attorney
convinced an appellant
court to grant him a new trial.
Teresa, I didn't know
that Captain Chaddock
was your father.
I found my mother's body.
I'm all over the transcripts.
But you're listed as
"daughter of the victim."
You don't even have the
same last name as your father.
That was ten years ago.
Why are you doing this?
Your father's defense
attorney was 26 years old.
It was his first murder trial.
H-he conducted ineffective
cross-examination.
He failed to interview
key witnesses.
It doesn't matter, Harm.
He was guilty then,
and he's guilty now.
You weren't there, Teresa.
Well, neither were you.
I have written her so many times
in the past ten years,
I've... lost count.
She never wrote back.
She never called.
I'm dead to her.
Not anymore, Captain.
Uh, Teresa is aware
of the retrial, sir,
and she's asked
me to drop the case.
She thinks I'm guilty.
Has she convinced you?
Sir, I'm convinced that
you didn't get a fair trial
the first time.
Well, I can't blame her.
Letting the stress of my
command eat me alive,
trading my family for a bottle.
And my two biggest regrets...
Abusing my wife and
forcing Teresa to hate me.
Captain, your daughter's
a forensic pathologist.
Uh, she's worked on a
couple cases with me.
Uh, we have become
quite close, sir.
What are you
trying to say to me?
That you two are...?
Captain, we're just friends.
But...
Oh, worried about
a conflict of interests.
Well, aren't you, sir?
No.
You're a principled man.
If anything, you'd
overcompensate.
You've given me hope, Commander.
Don't jump ship on me now.
He's playing you.
I've known this
man for 33 years.
Well, you've known
him for 23 years, actually.
You haven't seen
him in the past ten.
Have you, uh, considered
paying him a visit?
No.
Why not?
Look, there was a time
that I loved my father.
I won't let him trade on that.
I understand how you feel.
And do you understand
how he feels?
He needs my support.
I'm the prosecution's
chief witness.
I'm going to defend him, Teresa.
What?
I can't just walk away.
I brought him this far.
What about me?
I've been there for you.
I'm sorry.
Irene!
Come in. What a
pleasant surprise.
Nice to see you.
Please, have a seat.
You look great.
Oh, thank you, Admiral.
Are you all right?
Oh, God, this isn't
easy for me, um...
But at my father's
funeral, you did say
that if I ever needed any help
I shouldn't hesitate to ask.
And I meant it.
Your father said
the same thing to me
when I transferred
into the JAG corps.
And did you ever
take him up on it, sir?
More times than I care to count.
What can I do for you?
There's an empty plot
next to my mom and dad
in Arlington, and I'd like
to reserve it for myself.
Okay.
Um... have you,
um, talked to anyone
in the Arlington administration?
Oh, yes, sir.
They told me that
uh, sites can't be reserved.
And since my family
plot is already filled,
my only options are
an assigned site or cremation.
And you thought I
could talk to someone?
Oh, this is presumptuous
of me, sir. I'm sorry.
No, no. Let me...
let me think. Let me think.
Um, I hope
this doesn't sound
insincere on my part,
but, Irene, you are
still a young woman.
Why deal with this now?
Why not concentrate
on the life ahead of you?
That would be three months, sir.
I've been diagnosed
with, uh, pancreatic cancer.
Mac, haven't seen
you all morning.
Reading.
I, uh... I heard
your retrial involves
Commander Coulter's father.
Yeah. One of those moments
where two lives intersect
and there's not a
traffic light in sight.
How's she taking it?
Well, about as you'd expect.
Bud's been assigned
second chair.
Good. I can use the help.
You really think you
can turn this one around?
Yeah, it's all
circumstantial, Mac.
Yeah, but the
circumstances lay out.
How would you know?
Just finished scanning
the trial summary.
Why?
I've been assigned prosecution.
Welcome to Arlington
National Cemetery.
We're open 365 days of the year.
A menu of options follows.
Press one to schedule
and interment or inurnment.
Press two for
grave site locations.
Press three...
Press one to
schedule an inurnment.
Press two to schedule
a ground burial.
Interment processing.
Please provide the
following information.
Speak slowly and clearly.
What are the last four digits
of your social security number?
Nine, eight, five, two.
What is your height?
Six foot, three inches.
How deep would
you like your plot?
What?
When will you be
expecting to need it?
Good God.
That's it there. 42.
Captain French, in the
transcripts to the first trial,
you testified that you
heard an argument
coming from the Chaddock quarters
the day that Ellen Chaddock died?
Yes, we were billeted
across the way.
Now, I realize it was
ten years ago, sir,
but can you recall anything
other than the argument?
Anything that might have
suggested a struggle?
Um, a week earlier,
but not on that day.
Captain, was this
typical behavior
for the Chaddocks?
Actually, Captain Chaddock
did most of the shouting.
In fact, that was the only time
I ever heard Ellen
raise her voice
except when she
yelled at her son-in-law.
Something happen
with the son-in-law, sir?
Yes. I saw them
screaming at each other
right in front of
her door there.
Do you remember
when that was, Captain?
That was the day before.
The murder?
Yes.
I wasn't the only one
who witnessed it either.
A repairman from public works
was in their house at the time.
Captain, why didn't you
reveal this before, sir?
I did.
I informed the Naval
Investigative Service
when they first interviewed me.
They didn't seem interested.
Why do want to talk
to my ex-husband?
Did he call you?
For the first time
in nine years.
He was seen arguing
with your mother
the day before she was murdered.
You're not going to
try to pin this on Rory?
Look, Commander, I'm
just digging a little deeper.
It's something your
father's first attorney
didn't do.
No. You're not digging.
You're building.
You're really going to try
to make something out of this?
The N.I.S. sat on it the
first time around, ma'am.
We assume it was because
they figured they
had their suspect
and didn't want
to clutter the field.
Look, it was nothing.
I told my mother that
I might be moving...
Rory might be taking
a job out of town.
She was upset. She thought
she'd never see me again.
He came over to
borrow the lawnmower
and she just laid into him.
Commander... Do you
know why he left me?
My grief was too much for him.
This is why your
theory doesn't work.
He could never have done it.
He was weak.
Rory doesn't
confront his problems.
He runs from them.
Word of warning, Commander.
I would not divulge
unsolicited information
to the defense.
Oh, that's very clever.
Refer to yourselves
in the third person
so you don't have
to make it personal.
This isn't personal.
It's professional.
The two are not
mutually exclusive.
Well, in this case,
they have to be.
Harm, if you value
our friendship,
you'll drop Rory
as a suspect.
Get his address, Bud.
Her mother was upset
because of this
job I wanted to take.
What was it?
The assistant head of security
for a computer
company in California.
A big step up for me.
And what did she say to you?
That there was no way
she was going to let me
take her daughter that far away.
Well, how did she plan
to stop you, Mr. Coulter?
She said she had ways.
Did you believe her?
Not really.
Then why didn't
you take the job?
They changed their mind,
offered it to someone else.
You have a criminal record?
I stole a car when I was 18.
Did you put that
on the application?
What is this?
I just think it would be of
interest to somebody in the
position of hiring a member
of a security team, that's all.
I made up for my
mistakes by working hard.
I had three letters
of recommendation.
Did Mrs. Chaddock
know about the record?
I guess.
Maybe that's what she meant
by she had ways to stop you.
She was threatening to call
the company and tell them.
She did call the
company and tell them,
didn't she, Mr. Coulter?
That's why they
withdrew the job offer.
I don't know what happened.
Mr. Coulter, where were you
on the day that your
mother-in-law was murdered?
Am I a suspect here?
Just answer the
question, Mr. Coulter.
I think I need a lawyer.
This stinks.
Well, that shook him up, huh?
He is a credible suspect, sir.
Motive, no alibi.
And no jacket.
Mr. Coulter...
Bud, if he wants it,
he'll come back for it.
Commander.
Sir, your seat is here.
You haven't aged a day.
It's your mother's genes.
She always looked
younger than she was.
Sir.
Is this it?
You're never going
to speak to me again?
Say something...
Even if it's to damn me to hell.
One, Captain Chaddock
had a documented history
of drunkenness.
Two, when he was drinking
he threatened his
wife with violence.
Three, Ellen Chaddock
kicked him out of their house
one week prior to her death
for physically assaulting her.
Four, Captain Chaddock
returned, he and Ellen fought
and an eyewitness saw him
leaving his house
one hour before
she was found dead
of massive head trauma.
In short, Captain
Thomas Chaddock
was a troubled,
out of control officer
who murdered his
wife in a drunken rage.
The government's
case is based purely
on circumstantial evidence.
There is no proof
that Captain Chaddock
had been drinking on the day
of Ellen Chaddock's murder.
There is no eyewitness
to a murder...
Not even to an assault.
It's all inference.
There is no case.
Captain Chaddock is
not the man responsible
for his wife's murder.
There was a general ruckus.
Him yelling, her yelling back.
I heard nothing
for a minute or two
and then I saw the
captain exit the house.
At approximately what time, sir?
It was about 1545.
What condition
was he in, Captain?
He was drunk.
Did he say anything
at this point, sir?
Yes. He yelled, "You happy now?"
and then he got in
his car and drove off.
And what did you
assume he meant by that?
Objection. Calls
for speculation.
Sustained.
I'll rephrase.
Sir, what was the tone of
Captain Chaddock's voice
at the time he
yelled this remark?
Angry, self-satisfied.
Like he'd made his point, sir?
Yes.
Thank you. Your witness.
Sir, how close were
you to Captain Chaddock
when he left his house?
I was about 50 feet or so.
Could you smell his breath?
Of course not.
Then how did you know
he was drunk, Captain?
He usually was.
Move to strike, Your Honor.
The members will ignore
the witnesses last comment.
Captain, you stated
that Captain Chaddock
seemed angry and self-satisfied
when he yelled, "You happy now?"
That's right.
Now, sir, couldn't he
have been indicating
in a petulant way
that in accordance
with his wife's wishes,
he would stop bothering
her and be out of her life?
I don't know.
I suppose.
What did you do after you
saw Captain Chaddock drive off?
Well, I was building
a train set in the den.
I went inside to work on it.
So you saw and heard nothing
from this point on?
That's correct.
Captain, did you witness
an argument the day before
between Ellen Chaddock
and her son-in-law
Rory Coulter? Yes.
Do you know what that argument
was about, sir?
I was... pulling up
in my car at the time.
I didn't hear what
was being said.
But they were
upset at each other.
How would you describe
the son-in-law's attitude, sir?
Angry.
Hostile?
Very.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
The House and
Senate are deadlocked
over eligibility
criteria at Arlington.
Until they can agree,
everything's up in the air.
And in the meantime?
The person can file a
special written request
after the death of the
person in question.
Well, the individual in this
case is the person in question.
Well, the family can do it.
Her family, namely the mother
and father, are both dead.
They are the ones next to
whom she'd like to be buried.
I'm afraid those are the rules.
They don't work.
Apparently not in this case.
Apparently not in any case
where the individual has to
file a request posthumously.
Admiral, I'm failing to see...
Where's the site?
What's the name?
Admiral Leslie Charlton.
Charlton...
Okay.
You want to come with me?
Admiral Charlton lies there.
Well, it's the one next to it,
the one in red...
That's the one she wants.
That site's occupied.
No, it's not.
She's been there.
There's no marker.
I can only tell you
what the chart says.
You can tell me the truth
or I'll walk out
there with a spade
and check it out myself.
It's been reserved.
Isn't there a
no-reservation policy?
Yes, there is.
So, who's the lucky stiff?
Admiral, I'm not in the
position to reveal that.
Exactly what position will
make you change your mind?
Lieutenant Commander Coulter,
are you related to the
victim and the accused?
The victim was my mother.
The accused is my father.
Would you tell us about
your mother's relationship
with your father?
My father started drinking
when I was in junior high.
At first, he would
just come home
and crash.
But by the time I turned 18,
he was berating my
mother on a daily basis.
The day that I
graduated from college,
he spent the whole
day insulting her.
And that night, she
told him to shut up.
And he pointed
his finger in her face
and said that if she
ever said that again,
he'd kill her.
What happened
the week before
your mother died?
She called me to tell me
that my father had assaulted her
and she'd kicked
him out of the house.
Were you afraid for her?
Yes. I went to see her every
day after that to check up.
Is that why you were there
the day you found her body?
Yes.
Thank you.
No more questions.
Lieutenant Commander Coulter,
you were married to Rory Coulter
at the time of your
mother's death?
Yes.
And prior to that,
did you tell her
that Mr. Coulter
had accepted a job in California
and that you'd be leaving town?
Commander?
Yes.
How would you
characterize the relationship
between your mother and
your husband at that time?
They didn't get along.
Thank you.
Mac, we need to talk.
Not about desperate theories.
It's the real thing, ma'am.
It's misdirection, gentlemen.
May I remind you, Colonel,
there was an unidentified hair
found on Ellen Chaddock's body.
The operative word
being "unidentified."
Bud.
The hair was a direct DNA match
to a hair that we found
on Rory Coulter's jacket.
Drop the charges, Colonel.
They won't stick.
Rory Coulter's hair on Ellen
Chaddock's body proves nothing.
If we assume
that Ellen Chaddock
had a shower that morning
it indicates that Coulter
was at the house that day.
Only if he'd never
been there before.
He was their son-in-law.
There was a bathroom
near the bedroom.
I'm sure he used
it more than once.
The hair could've been
there for days, weeks...
on a cushion or a towel.
But, ma'am, you have to admit
we have as much, if not
more, circumstantial evidence
to support our theory as you do.
If you're that confident,
prove it in court.
Commander, Lieutenant...
I have that information you
requested on that repairman.
Uh, Petty Officer Ramon
Arguento was assigned
at Chaddock residence
on August 25, 1989.
Problem is he was
discharged in 1994.
I do, however, have a
fax on the work order
from that day.
We need the man,
not the paper, Gunny.
I have three addresses
since then, sir.
Last known...
Fairbanks, Alaska, 1998,
and the landlord
said he headed north.
Let me see that.
Yes, sir.
Work order to replace
a propane heating unit.
You don't suppose
there's a note in there
about him witnessing
an argument, do you?
Excuse me, Admiral.
I wasn't able
to get General Piper's
phone number, sir,
but this is his address.
Thank you, Tiner.
Civilian on deck.
Hi. Hi.
Come in. Come in.
Doctor Sydney Walden,
this is my yeoman, uh,
Petty Officer Jason Tiner.
We've talked, ma'am.
If there's anything you want...
Coffee, water, soft
drinks, just let me know.
I'm fine for now.
Why don't I get
all three, ma'am,
in case you change your mind?
Sir.
You look luminous.
And you look vigorous.
Are you free for lunch?
Bigger question...
Dinner, Saturday night...
new restaurant
in, uh, Fairfax...
Tuscan cuisine.
Now, I know we...
officially... don't
have a date, but...
We do now.
Admiral, did we...
Oh, excuse me,
sir... This can wait.
No, no, no.
Uh, dr. Sydney Walden, uh,
this is Commander Harmon Rabb.
I've heard so much
about you, Commander.
You must be the...
Doctor.
Hasn't that been established?
Yeah, I'm sorry, ma'am.
Just a little preoccupied.
It's a pleasure to meet you
and, uh... well, I trust
this won't be the last time.
Well, let's make sure of that.
I understand you're
seeing someone.
Maybe the four of us can
socialize at some point.
Oh, well, I'll look
forward to that.
Sir.
Uh, ma'am.
Mr. Coulter...
I'm Lieutenant Colonel
Sarah MacKenzie.
I'm prosecuting Captain
Chaddock's murder trial.
I can't talk to you.
For just a few minutes.
I have an attorney now.
These are his rules.
It's in both our interests.
Your story helps me
counter the defense theory.
You're a prosecutor.
You can file charges on me.
It's a military
trial, Mr. Coulter.
What's to stop a civilian trial?
It's in all the papers.
The district attorney's office
would have to get involved.
I haven't heard a
peep from them.
Sorry.
Will you talk to someone else?
Take as much time as you need.
Here.
Oh, no, it's all right.
It's okay.
How are you?
Did you kill my mother?
No, Teresa.
Then, why are you
acting like you did?
I'm just trying
to protect myself.
Things are getting out of hand.
I remember that job
meant a lot to you.
Enough to kill someone?
I know you didn't
like her, Rory.
Because she didn't like me.
All I know is, once she
was gone, so were you.
Hey, who's been talking to you?
Your dad killed your mother.
You know it, I know it
and with God's help,
the members of
that jury will know it.
When did you find God?
Right after I found
out I was a suspect.
You look tired.
So do you.
Sounds familiar, huh?
I didn't know a
party was going on.
Look, please tell the general...
Admiral...
Welcome.
What, you didn't bring the wife?
I'm not married.
Oh, that's right.
You're...
someone I've never met.
Bad timing, General.
Maybe I should contact you...
No, no, no.
Not until you wish me
a happy retirement
and I get you a glass
of 18-year-old scotch.
Two fingers of Lochleary.
Right away, sir.
General...
I turn my back for one second...
Marjorie... uh...
meet Admiral, uh...
A.J. Chegwidden.
Oh, nice to meet you, Admiral.
The general promised me a dance
but, apparently, he's forgotten.
I'm just greeting
my guests, Marjorie.
Say, would it be an
imposition if I asked you
to prepare a plate of
food for the admiral?
It'll cost.
I'll be right back.
She's been on the hunt
ever since her husband died.
What can I do for you, Admiral?
Well, General, this is
incredibly awkward, uh,
but, um, the daughter
of an old friend of mine
has a... terminal illness.
Both he and his wife
are buried at Arlington
and she's requested the
plot next to her parents.
Understandable.
That plot has been
promised to you.
Well, I'm old enough to predate
the no-reservation
policy, Admiral.
Has a view of the
sunset, you know?
Well, it seemed like a
good idea at the time.
Frankly... I can't
think of anything
less interesting
right now than dying.
Well, General, I don't want you
to think I'm applying
pressure to you in any way.
Of course I do.
I'll relinquish my rights
to the superintendent...
Thank you, sir.
..if you'll do me one favor.
By all means.
Mac...
If this is about
Commander Coulter...
It's about Rory Coulter.
Well, I don't want
to discuss him.
He's your suspect, not mine.
He's everybody's
suspect now, Colonel.
His lawyer just called.
He skipped town.
I know Rory, Colonel.
Running away is just
part of his character.
It's not that he's guilty.
He just doesn't know
how to handle the pressure.
I have to be honest
with you, Commander.
It's not looking good.
Well, then, we just have to find
more evidence against my father.
Could I see the autopsy report?
Maybe I can find something.
Teresa, what will you
do if he's acquitted?
I can't even think about that.
Think about it,
because if you
can't forgive him,
you will continue to hate him
and that can be a
very painful way to live.
And just what would you
know about that, Colonel?
My father was an
abusive alcoholic.
Well, then, you,
more than anyone
should understand exactly
where I'm coming from.
So, what do we have, Bud?
Rory Coulter finds out
the morning after the
argument with his mother-in-law
that the job offer
has been withdrawn.
Suspecting that it's she
that called the company
and told them about
his arrest record,
he decides to confront her.
He goes over there.
He sees the captain's
car, waits for him to leave...
Then, he encounters
an edgy Ellen Chaddock
and they argue.
Let's go inside.
What evidence do we
have in the bedroom?
Ellen Chaddock on the bed...
The record skipping
on the turntable...
door and window closed
and the dead fish in the tank.
So, Rory could've
closed the window
to muffle the
sound of the assault.
The record might've
been scratched
in the scuffle.
Or it could've been
scratched before.
The dead fish...
I don't know what
to do with that one.
And neither did the
original investigator, sir.
They just wrote
it off as neglect.
What if...
Rory Coulter was so
mad at Ellen Chaddock
that he murdered her
and... killed her
fish out of spite?
Bud.
Did you find something?
This says my mother died
of massive brain trauma
due to a fracture
of the parietal bone
caused by a blunt object.
And...?
Well, those determinations
are out of line.
I mean, the brain
swelling indicated here
couldn't have been
sufficient to cause her death.
We need to order an exhumation.
I won't allow it.
Teresa, your mother
didn't die of a skull fracture.
Doesn't that make
you at least curious?
You're jumping
to conclusions.
All I said was there
was a discrepancy
between the coroner's findings
and the official cause of death.
Well, the only
way to investigate it
is to exhume her body.
I'm sorry.
Ma'am, if you
won't let us exhume,
why are you here?
MacKENZIE:
Because she has to be.
The commander can be
considered an expert witness,
which makes her opinion
potentially exculpatory.
Teresa, just think
about it for a while.
You're denying us something
that you, as a
forensic pathologist
have asked people...
What? 50, 100 times.
All we're looking for
is the truth, ma'am.
Here's the truth,
Lieutenant.
My mother lies in peace
something she rarely
experienced in her life.
No one can touch her now.
I intend to keep it that way.
Enter.
Ah, Lieutenant,
please have a seat.
I'm glad you're here.
I was going
to call you.
Admiral, I just came
from the doctor's office.
I jumped the gun, sir.
After we talked, I went
I got a second opinion, and...
my first biopsy was misread.
I don't have a tumor.
I'm not going to die...
I mean, well, just, not
anytime soon, anyway.
I'm so excited, I
can barely breathe.
Well... that's... uh, wonderful.
Yeah, and I'm sorry
I made you go through
this drama with me, sir.
I know you must have just
twisted yourself into knots
trying to figure
out how to help me
with my request.
And even if you could
have pulled it off, I mean,
I would have
felt really terrible
holding onto a plot that long.
You were right, Admiral.
It is much better
to concentrate on where I am now
than where I'm going to end up.
Well, um...
Irene, you have a good life.
I intend to, sir.
What kind of a drunk
were you, Captain?
An angry one.
Did you ever direct this
anger at your wife, sir?
Quite often.
Why?
Because she wasn't perfect.
That's what I
expected from people.
That's what I asked of my men.
Do you think that
this was fair, sir?
No.
It was twisted.
My wife deserved better from me.
I was... not up... to
being her husband.
I was weak... and
full of self-loathing.
You ever consider
leaving her, sir?
No... because, then
I would have no one to
blame for my unhappiness.
Did your wife ever try
to leave you, Captain?
Ellen would never
go out on her own.
She was too dependent,
though she did throw
me out of the house once.
Tell us about that, sir.
It was the week before she died.
We were arguing and I lost
control and... pushed her.
When she fell, she whacked
her head on the bedpost.
I had threatened her often,
but it was
the first time...
I'd... hurt her.
It... it shook me up.
How did you react?
I took a room in a motel.
Did you return
a week later, Captain?
Yes...
And we argued again.
I... threw stuff around,
but she stood fast
and stared me down.
I was furious, but...
I knew it was over.
All I could do was
stomp out of there.
Captain, why did you
yell, "Are you happy now?"
I was trying to make the point
that she was going to be alone
from now on, and it was
going to be hard for her.
Sir...
she'd just been
alone for a week.
She called me at
the motel every day.
Captain, what did you do
when you found out
your wife was dead?
I cried.
Maybe that sounds like a
pathetic plea for sympathy,
but... it's the truth.
Commander...
you can exhume the body.
You believe him?
Let's just take this
one step at a time.
What do you think?
It's... very nice.
It's available.
Is this something you're
going to be needing
in the next 12 hours?
I'm sorry.
I'm being morbid, and
the restaurant was close
and I was curious.
I don't know what the
general was thinking about.
The sun sets in
the other direction.
This tree, now this
tree's a problem.
It's deciduous.
It's going to lose all
its leaves in the fall.
It's going to be a damn mess.
And this grass, I'm
not crazy about it.
What is it, well, it's a fescue.
Let's go eat.
Harm: the radiologist
noted callous formation
around the area of Ellen
Chaddock's skull fracture.
Meaning the fracture had
begun to heal before she died.
And this signifies...
that she died as a result
of other circumstances.
And those circumstances are...
what's hanging us up.
Sir, it's getting late
and we've gone over
this a dozen times.
Seemingly unrelated clues:
closed window,
skipping record, dead fish.
And don't forget
about the repairman.
Yeah, the unfinished
repair in the heating unit.
Where's that work order, Bud?
Is there a blood sample
from Ellen Chaddock's
original autopsy?
Yes, sir.
We need to order
a new test, Bud.
Commander, you testified
that when you entered
your mother's bedroom
the door and the
window were closed
and that it was
hot and stifling.
Is this because the heat was on?
Yes, I turned off
the thermostat.
Do you know what the
temperature outside at that time was?
No, I don't.
78 degrees.
Defense exhibit
seven, Your Honor.
Verification from the
U.S. weather service.
The police report notes
that your mother's
fish were also dead.
Did you take notice of this?
Yes, briefly.
Defense exhibit
eight, Your Honor.
Copy of a work order
to replace a
propane heating unit
at the Chaddock household
Friday, August 25, 1989,
the day before Ellen
Chaddock's death.
Is this an excursion, Counselor?
I'm about to make my point, sir.
I'm waiting.
Well, sir...
according to handwritten
instructions on the work order
the repairman, Petty
Officer Ramon Arguento,
states that he's run
out of metal vent pipe.
He then instructs Ellen
Chaddock not to turn the heat on
until he finishes the repair
because it would
circulate carbon monoxide
throughout the house.
Commander, how would we know
if an individual had succumbed
to carbon monoxide poisoning?
Other than evidence
at the scene,
the best way is blood analysis.
And when would
one test for this?
When indicated.
But on this day, Commander
all indications pointed
to a skull fracture
as the cause of
death, didn't they?
Yes.
And the carbon
monoxide in the room
would have dissipated
when you opened the
door and the window.
Is that correct? Yes.
Defense exhibit
nine, Your Honor.
A recent visual spectroscopy
of a blood sample collected
during Ellen Chaddock's
original autopsy
indicating traces
of carbon monoxide
which irreversibly
binds with hemoglobin...
Any hemoglobin...
Even that of fish.
It's admittedly difficult
assessing what was on
Ellen Chaddock's mind
on the day of her death,
but I ask you to consider
the circumstances.
Her son-in-law was
trying to move out-of-state
with her only daughter,
she'd just suffered
a skull fracture
and she was alone, really alone
for the first time in 25 years.
You happy, now?!
♪ When you're alone ♪
♪ Who cares for
star-lit skies? ♪
♪ When you're alone ♪
♪ The magic moonlight dies... ♪
Captain Thomas Chaddock
on the charge and
specification of murder,
this court finds you not guilty.
This court-martial is adjourned.
Thank you, Commander.
Congratulations.
Thank you, very, very much.
Congratulations, sir.
The Navy sent me
to medical school.
I thought I was
going to be a doctor,
but I found myself
attracted to crime scenes.
My whole life has been defined
by what happened to my mother.
Is that how you
want it to remain?
I want to remember her
as a person, not a victim.
You okay?
I'm sorry.
You don't have
to apologize to me.
You knew he was innocent.
That was more of
an instinct, I think.
That's why you
wouldn't give him up.
Come by my office
when you're done here.
I am done.
Think about it.
You forgave your father?
Yes.
Was it hard?
It took me a while.
What did you say to him?
Nothing.
He was in a coma by
the time I was ready.
Hi.
Hi.