Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 14, Episode 24 - Her Negotiation - full transcript

Male announcer:
In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses

are considered
especially heinous.

In New York City,
the dedicated detectives

who investigate
these vicious felonies

are members
of an elite squad

known as
the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

[Angus Stone's Monsters]

♪ Billy was
a train-driving man ♪

♪ he went from one side



♪ to the other side
of town ♪

[Camera clicks]
♪ he went to bed

♪ with the light on

Hey, bri, there's an exhibit

of the plein air painters
at the Whitney.

What do you say we head uptown
and grab some brunch?

Sound good?

A museum?

Talking to me?

I'll take that
as a no.

So another Sunday watching
roller bladers in the park.

I thought
we might change it up.

We will. Next Sunday.

Yo, shearling, your turn.



♪ With the wind

Don't call me that.

♪ Something we never

Aah, dang!

That water is hot.
It don't bother you?

Seriously?

That's not hot.

♪ Even when
there was someone ♪

♪ he felt apart,
alone ♪

[Sizzling]
♪ alone

♪

- This is hot.
- ♪ Alone

It's mind over matter.

You're crazy, man.
You'll burn your fingers off.

[Laughs]

[Inhales]

Ooh. Ooh!

Burnt flesh.
You smell that?

♪ They're waiting

Where you going?
We got kitchen cleanup.

Both of us.
We can't leave till it's done.

No! No!

Aah! Aah!
[Sizzling]

You can't leave.

Unless you got
a problem with that.

No, it's good!
[Whimpers]

♪

♪ He made his way
to the liquor store ♪

Yo!

Fin, what are you doing here?
Where's Munch?

Good to see you too,
Captain.

He sent me in
to pinch hit for him.

He says our tickets
are right behind first base.

Wait, I got stood up
by Munch?

- What, is he feeling okay?
- Oh, no, he's good.

His date went a little over
last night.

It's noon.
Never mind, come on.

I don't want to miss
batting practice.

Remember, you have to always
be ready, all right?

- Keep your eye on the ball.
- Hit it to me, dad.

All right, heads up.
Here we go.

- Oh.
- I got it! I got it!

[Laughs]

Here you go.

Thanks.

I catched it!
I catched it!

Uh, you caught it.
Not "catched," "caught."

Nick, let her be.

♪ For you to come along

Good girl, Fran!

Good girl!
[Clapping]

Good girl.
Come here.

- Help!
- Stop that man!

- Help!
- Stop him!

- Stop that man!
- Help!

Frannie, go get him!

Hey, police! Stop!
[Dog barking]

Hey! Police!

[Dog barking]

♪ Billy was
a train-driving man ♪

♪

♪ he got lost

Good girl.
Oh, good girl, yeah!

- ♪ Someplace in the wind
- Frannie, come.

- Good girl.
- ♪ He got lost

is there a problem,
officer?

♪ Someplace in the wind

[Dramatic music]

♪

You can throw him
into holding

while I sort out
these witness statements.

Officer, I didn't flash
those girls.

This is
such a misunderstanding.

Shut up!
Astrid, Tilde, if--

- How long will this take?
- We have tickets to Mamma Mia!

Girls, you need to tell
the police what happened,

- so that man can be prosecuted.
- Exactly.

Go ahead, please,
and Ms. Parker,

um, you can wait in here,
okay?

- Wherever you need me, dear.
- Thank you.

Detective...

We may have a problem.

You burned off
your fingerprints?

An accident.
Hot griddle.

We can try running them again,

but I don't think
it's gonna do any good.

And you've got no ID
at all?

Not on me, sweetheart.

I told you, I left it
at the halfway house.

And you've got nobody

that can verify
who you say you are?

I ride alone.

How about we call
this disorderly conduct,

everybody goes home?

So Rollins does know
that it's the weekend, right?

Now, what did you do, tie
Cassidy to a "no parking" sign?

He can come in.

Uh, yeah, I think
that he's happy.

I left him at a sports bar
watching the Mets game.

Matt Harvey working
on a perfect game.

Wow, she called you all in?
Rollins is out of control.

- Well, she's your partner.
- Oh, it's fine.

Only six innings
into a perfect game.

Uh, eight.

- Even better.
- [Laughs]

You called us all in on
a Sunday for a lewdness mis-D?

But there's more, okay?

The perp, William Lewis--
if that's his real name--

he's got no ID,
he's unemployed,

he says he lives
at a halfway house in Brooklyn.

- I've got a call in--
- So he has a record.

Yeah, he should,
but I can't find anything,

- because I can't run his prints.
- What are you talking about?

They're burned off.
Both hands, fresh.

He claims
it's a kitchen accident.

So he deliberately burns
his fingers,

and goes into the park to...
flash?

He was just getting started.

I think he was gonna go
and assault those girls.

I think he would have
if Frannie hadn't cornered him.

- Frannie?
- Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, she knew.

- She chased him down.
- Okay.

But who is that
in my office?

That's Alice Parker.

She's an eyewitness.
She caught him on her camera.

She says
she's seen him there before.

And look, guys,
I know we were

all supposed to have
the day off,

but I just want to get
the witness statements ASAP.

- You know, I'll take the perp.
- Just slow down.

Slow down, Rollins.

Captain, I've got a feeling
about this guy.

I get that.

Benson, Amaro, you go.
I want fresh eyes.

You had a run-in with him.
You and Fin talk to the girls.

And since you've made her
comfortable in my office,

- I'll talk to the photographer.
- Okay.

I, um, photograph bridges,
arches, architectural detail.

In all of that nature,
I'm drawn to what's man-made.

Well, you do know that
the entire park is man-made.

Yes, Frederick Law Olmstead,

the founder
of landscape architecture.

So Detective Rollins
tells me

you've seen this man before?

I've watched him.

He is as much a predator
as any animal in the park.

I knew something like this
would happen.

And what exactly did happen?

I heard the girls scream.

He had his privates out.
I snapped a picture.

- He took off.
- Mm-hmm, okay.

Is it possible
you misconstrued?

Absolutely not.
I heard him.

- He--he said something to them.
- Yes.

And what was it?

I'm not comfortable
repeating it.

Okay, um...

Do you think
you could write it down?

That old lady, she's got
some kind of problem with me.

But honestly,
I have no idea why.

I mean, I've never spoken
two words to her.

Yeah, but you do know her,
right?

I-I run
along the pond.

She's always out
with the camera.

Uh, well, maybe I accidentally
ran through one of her photos.

Oh, is that
what happened today?

You ran through a photo
with your fly open?

You know, there are kids
playing in that park.

I explained this
to the blonde detective.

This--this is
such a misunderstanding.

I was out running.

I got, uh, chafed,
and so I had to stop to--

to make a little adjustment.

- An adjustment.
- Have you tried powder?

You know, these girls say

you approached them,
exposed yourself,

and made sexually
suggestive comments.

Do they even speak English?

They're young.
They're from, what, Finland?

This is just bad timing.

I mean, really, I--
Hey, what do you say I--

I apologize to them,
and we all go home.

No, not just yet.

Now, you said
that you went running, yeah?

Yeah, sound body,
sound mind.

You always go running
in jeans and work boots?

I'm between jobs
right now.

I don't have a lot of money
to spend on running gear.

I don't think I deserve this
kind of attitude, Detective.

Guys.

Hey, I got in touch
with the halfway house.

It's Brooklyn Beginnings.

Some kind of shady operation
they've got going over there.

They faxed me
his New York state ID.

William Lewis,
DOB 8-23-78.

- How long has he been there?
- Three months.

They say he came from
an inpatient addiction facility

- on Long Island.
- Mm-hmm.

Where was he before that?

So you're staying
at a halfway house.

Yeah, I'm trying
to turn things around.

I had some problems with pills
after a work site accident.

Back pain.
It's the worst.

But, uh,
my record was clean,

so the judge said that
if I did rehab and then went

to the halfway that, um,
the charges would be...

Uh, come on,
what do you call it?

- Expunged.
- Yeah.

Listen, I-I feel awful

about what these girls
think happened.

Do you?

Or you're just worried that
it's gonna screw up your parole?

Well, that's my point.

I mean, why would I risk
my recovery

just to spook
some tourists?

And my mother raised me
to respect women.

Right.
What about your fingers?

Man, they hurt.

KP duty.
It was a hot stove.

Well, the thing is, with
your fingers burnt like that,

we're having a rough time
checking your prints, so...

Would you mind telling us
where you're from?

I'm from--from all over.

Texas, Florida, Delaware.

A military family.

But I've been in New York
for the last couple of years.

And before the halfway house,
you live alone?

- With roommates?
- With a girlfriend.

But we didn't exactly part
on the best terms.

So how exactly did you part?

You know something, Detective?

I'm not getting a real sense
of a benefit of the doubt here.

I'm entitled to an attorney,
if I ask for one.

Isn't that right?

[Pen clicks]

[Door opens]

This guy's a piece of work.

- Good call, Amanda.
- Thanks.

Where's the fire, Rollins?

Where were you,
on your yacht?

Not my yacht.
What are we looking at?

William Lewis,
unemployed drifter.

We have three witnesses
who saw him

- expose himself in Central Park.
- Really?

And you called me in here for
a class "B" misdemeanor

because you wanted to use up all
your favors in one fell swoop?

It's not like that, okay?
This guy is hard-core.

- How bad is his record?
- We don't know.

We can't run his prints because
his fingers are burned,

and if you ask me,
he did it deliberately.

And if you ask him,
what's his story?

Everything happens
to him.

His fingers were burned
in a kitchen accident.

He wasn't flashing,
he was chafed.

Yeah, and we've got
two victims,

two teenaged tourists.

And we know
he wasn't just chafed.

Look, we have an elegant
witness who heard him

verbally attack the girls.

I had her write down
everything he said.

"Get down on your knees...

Open your mouth
and take communion."

I suppose he thinks
that's spiritual.

It's probative of lewdness.

Even so, we get him
in front of a judge,

- he'll get time served.
- Fine.

I just want him to take the plea
so we can get his DNA.

He's hiding something.
I want to know what.

People vs. William Lewis.

Public lewdness, CPL 245.

Mr. Barba, I'm surprised
to see you slumming.

I miss arraignment court,
Your Honor.

It keeps me humble.

I doubt that.

Mr. Lewis, how do you plead?

We'd like to make an offer,
Your Honor.

If the defendant pleads guilty,
the people will agree to

time served and two days'
community service.

Defense, Ms... Ms.--

Vanessa Mayer, Your Honor.

Ms. Mayer, ball is
in your court.

Yes, I think
we can live with that.

Let me confer with my client.

[Indistinct whispering]

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

My client respectfully declines
the DA's offer.

But that's the best
he's gonna get, 24 hours served.

We could waive
community service.

I'm sorry,
I can't plead guilty

to something I didn't do.

So you're pleading
"not guilty"?

Yes.
I'm not guilty.

Very well, the case is set
over for trial, pending motions.

We waive motions, Your Honor.
We're ready to proceed to trial.

- People on bail?
- Remand, Your Honor.

The defendant has no ties

to the community, no job.
He's a flight risk.

Two minutes ago
you were willing

to let him walk out of here.

I agree.
Defendant is released

on his own recognizance.

Case to be set over for trial.
[Gavel bangs]

Bailiff, next case.

He won't take time served.

He doesn't want us
to find out who he is,

- get his DNA into CODIS.
- Or maybe he's just innocent.

Look, we have three
reliable witnesses.

Two of whom are tourists.

His attorney may be legal aid,
but she's smart.

She knows that if they leave
the country,

the judge will throw
the case out.

We have Alice Parker
and her photo.

She came on the scene
after the fact,

the photo is not definitive.

Look, this case was a dog
from the start.

It just got fleas.
You think he's dirty?

Keep digging.

[Doorbell buzzes]

[Doorbell buzzes]

Captain Cragen?

I'm sorry to bother you,
Ms. Parker,

but you didn't answer
your phone.

Was it ringing?
I didn't--

No, no, no.
It's all right.

It's all right.
I just wanted

to make sure you got
your camera back.

TARU downloaded the photos.

Oh.
Well, thank you.

Um, this man,

from the park...

It's going to trial.

We're gonna need you
to testify.

Oh.

Oh, well...

If--if you'll excuse me.

Of course.
Um, good night...

And take care.

You did very well, darling.

Now, take off that robe.

Get back in the bedroom.

When Alice didn't show up
at the lecture series for the "Y,"

I knew something was wrong.

- And you found her?
- I have a key.

It was horrible.

She was tied up,
naked, bleeding.

It was him, Lewis,
the beast!

William Lewis?

He's the one
who did this to you?

Yes, I came home last night
at 6:00.

He was inside.
He had a gun.

He tied me up, burned me.
He--he did things. [Sobs]

Okay, do you have any idea
what time he left?

I don't know.
Noon, maybe.

I heard the church bells.

It's Lewis.

He broke into her apartment,
raped and tortured her

for 18 hours at gunpoint.

- Ms. Parker, I am so sorry.
- Just get him.

I'll go with her.
I'll get her statement.

Damn.

[Indistinct radio chatter]

I got cans of five krazys,
what looks like crystal meth,

cigarette butts.

Bag everything.

He burned her with cigarettes?

They found pans on the stove
with keys and hangers.

He branded her.

She went through hell.

Get the mattress.

She's on a lot of meds.

She's tough, Captain.

She survived this.
She'll be okay.

Find him.

William Lewis!
Where is he?

Easy, you don't need guns
in here.

He's not here.
He's AWOL.

Lewis hasn't been here
in two days.

He skipped out on his chores.

- Yeah, where's his room?
- Downstairs.

You can't just go running
through here!

You got a warrant?

- Watch it.
- Police! Open up!

Hey, open up!

[Muffled moaning]

Did you hear that?

Hey, you!
Get your ass off those coats!

These coats are mine,
I swear.

Yeah, where's Lewis?

I don't know!

Hey, man, I know you, weirdo.

You and him sharing this room?
You mind if we look around?

Fine, but I ain't seen him
since Sunday morning, I swear.

He took my bike.

Yeah?
Anyplace special he'd go?

A girlfriend?

No, no friends.
Nobody likes him.

- Huh.
- He got a habit?

Aside from hurting people?
Look, he burned my hand.

I talk to you,
I don't know what he'll do.

I thought this was
a sober house, huh?

Like Lewis will do anything
anyone tells him to.

They don't sell these
in New York anymore.

Five krazy?
Yeah, they do.

- Here you go.
- Thank you.

So, the bodega owner,
he ID'd Lewis.

[Chuckles]
He hates him.

Says he comes in there and tries
to steal his five krazys,

but he hasn't seen him
since Sunday.

Okay, captain said this guy
did a real number on this woman,

so he wants us to stay here
if it takes all night.

All right.
I got no problem with that.

What's up with you?
How's your shoulder?

Eh, it gets worse at night,

but I'll be fine.

Heads up.

[Siren blares,
tires screeching]

- Police, don't move!
- All right.

Okay, okay!

Keep your hands where
I can see 'em.

Oh, look who it is.
You're back for more, huh?

Get down there.

She can't get enough of me,
can you, sweetheart?

Yeah, you let me know
if that's

- too tight for you, all right?
- Ooh. [Chuckles]

That old lady
said I raped her?

[Laughs]

I told you she was crazy
the first time.

Yeah?
You saying that she made it up?

Mm, I know enough
to stay away from her.

All right, so where were
you yesterday?

Not the halfway house.
No, I'm done with that place.

It's supposed to be
all about recovery?

All they do
is steal taxpayers' money.

There's no services.
There's no security.

It's--the whole thing
is a farce.

Yeah?
So, where were you?

Yeah, thanks for the sympathy.

The sympathy?

What you did to her,
you're lucky

- I didn't kick your teeth in.
- What I did...

You should be so lucky
someone does that to you.

Hey! [Table bangs]
Shut the hell up,

or I'll take you out right here

and wipe that stupid smile
off your face.

It's okay, Nick.

I want to hear this.

"I should be so lucky."

How?

Tell me.

Oh, sure, sweetheart.

What do you want to hear?

Whatever you've got.

You mean, like,
how disturbing it would be...

to make a fine, educated,

cultured woman
like that disrobe?

How humiliating it would be?

How she might try to cover
herself with her hands?

[Chuckles]

Go on.

You want to hear how
I tied her to the bed.

Not too tight, so I could watch
her struggle.

No?

Not your thing, huh?

Oh, what about if I made her
go down on her knees...

And forced myself inside
of her?

Or... or you want to hear
about the pyrotechnics?

How I put out my cigarettes
on her.

Yeah. Gotcha.

How I branded
her private parts with keys

- and hot hangers.
- Okay.

You know, I know you're getting
off on this, but you know what?

I want to know how you got
in that apartment.

Eh, that's by the numbers.

"Men are from Mars,"
right, Detective?

He wants the logistics,
but you--you want the emotion.

- I do.
- Yeah.

So tell me more.

You want to hear how she was
alone with me all night.

A 60-year-old woman.

She did things that...

she never expected to do...

That she never imagined
were possible.

With her fingers.

With her mouth.

Or do you want to hear how,
at the beginning,

she said she would do anything?

I mean, she begged me
for her life.

And by the morning time,

she was begging me to take her
out of her misery.

Which one do you think
I enjoyed more?

[Knock at door,
door opens]

- Detectives.
- Oh, hey, it's my lawyer.

You guys can't talk
to my client.

Yeah, I told them they weren't
allowed to do this.

[Whispering]
It's just hypothetical.

You know better.
He's invoked.

Good.

'Cause I need a shower.

You should have held the lawyer off.
I was so close.

- He was playing you.
- I had him.

He was getting off
on telling me the details.

He wasn't confessing.

Every phrase was couched
in a hypothetical.

Well, it doesn't matter.
I mean, don't we have him?

Her rape kit just came back.

His DNA is all over her,
the bed,

- the stove knobs--
- Stove knobs?

He branded her.

We also found her cameras
and jewelry

at a pawn shop.
The owner ID'd Lewis.

Whoever he is, and whatever
he has done before,

he's going away for life now.

Is the victim up to
a Grand Jury?

Well, the hospital releases
her tonight,

but can't we spare her that?

I'll take a lineup tomorrow.

Liv, I've put this guy
into ViCAP.

I've searched the databases.

You know, I know he has
a record, I just can't find it.

Did you try inverting
his names, different spellings?

Yeah, in all the states
he said he lived in.

In the states that he said
that he lived in.

Let's try
the neighboring states.

Ms. Parker.

Here, let me--let me help you.

We can wait here in my office.

Can I get you anything?
Uh, some tea?

I'm fine, but thank you.

I just wanted to say how very
sorry I am for what happened.

- Mm.
- Are you holding up?

Physically, I'll live.
Emotionally, I, uh--

Well, I was up all night.

You went back
to your apartment?

It's my home.

He's not taking that
away from me.

[Knock at door]

- Captain, a minute?
- Yeah.

If you'll excuse me?

[Sighs]

What do you mean
he can't do the lineup?

They were getting him ready
for transport

when he choked himself with
a daisy chain.

They had to tase him
before he'd stop.

Where is he now?

Suicide watch at Bellevue.

I mean, this guy,
he knows every trick.

Well, that's okay.
So does Barba.

People vs. William Lewis.

On the charge of rape
in the first degree,

- how does your client plead?
- Not guilty.

Billy--
Not guilty, Your Honor.

- People on bail?
- Remand, Your Honor.

He raped and tortured
a 60-year-old woman

- at gunpoint for 18 hours.
- While he's hospitalized,

I'd like to request
a psychiatric evaluation.

My client is severely depressed,
and he attempted suicide

- this morning.
- It's worth noting he sustained

no injuries,
and this suicide attempt

was judiciously timed
to avoid a lineup.

Ms. Mayer,
are you raising a question

as to whether your client
is competent to stand trial,

or are you pleading "not guilty
by reason of insanity"?

- Possibly both, Your Honor.
- Are you kidding me?

He is competent enough
to hide his identity,

to frame his confession
as a hypothetical,

he is more than competent enough
to stand trial.

That's for this court
to decide, not you, Mr. Barba.

We'll proceed with
the psych eval,

- and then I'll make my ruling.
- Thank you.

[Phone vibrates]

[Sighs]

Is there any way that
he can get away with this?

Are you asking
if he can fake incompetency?

Oh, sure.
This is his MO.

- Another delaying tactic.
- It's not his first time.

Finally caught up with him.

Lewis Williams.

Okay, I tracked down
his birth certificate.

He was born in Harland County,
Kentucky.

15 years ago, he abducted
and raped

the mother of his girlfriend
when she tried to break them up.

- Charged? Convicted?
- Oh, no, he got lucky.

The mother, uh, the vic,
was also a junkie,

so the DA didn't want
to put her on the stand.

- No charges.
- So, he leaves the state.

Yeah, I mean, he wasn't lying
about that.

He did move around
quite a bit.

You mean he wore out
his welcome.

- Then, Alabama?
- It gets worse.

He was the suspect
in a kidnap/rape/torture

of a pair of roommates.

He was charged, but the
victims were too traumatized

to testify,
and his lawyer got him off.

And paperwork completely
misspelled his name as

L-o-u-i-s Williams,
so it didn't hit before.

This guy--if there's a break,
he catches it.

- And what about Maryland?
- Three years ago.

This time, his name
is completely misspelled

on the paperwork.

"William Lucas" goes to trial
for the murder/rape

of his then-girlfriend,

who was his former defense
attorney from Alabama.

So, she defends him,
she sleeps with him,

and when she tries
to break it off...

He kills her.

How did "Houdini" get out
of that one?

Eh, they had him dead
to rights--

DNA, witnesses--

his new lawyer gets them
to offer a plea

of second-degree murder,
he turns it down--

So the new attorney does
her due diligence.

Uh, she finds another boyfriend
of the victim,

creates reasonable doubt.

Lewis walks, and the DNA,
expunged again.

Well, not this time.
The buck stops here.

Your Honor, as you can see
from his record,

Lewis Williams,
or William Lucas,

or whoever he's calling
himself today

is not crazy,
he is crazy like a fox.

Your Honor, my client
has never been convicted.

What he has been is maligned,
targeted, and falsely accused.

- Five times.
- Mr. Barba, you do know

that prior accusations
are inadmissible?

Yes, yes, I do, Your Honor,

but they speak to his ability

to do and say anything
to avoid conviction.

It speaks to his innocence.

Then why did he burn
his fingertips?

Use an alias?

He obviously understands
the parameters

- of the judicial system.
- Your Honor, the state's

relentless harassment
has taken a toll on my client.

He's had a complete
psychotic break.

If he's not competent
to stand trial,

he will remain incarcerated

in Bellevue, on medication,

- until he is competent.
- I understand.

Do you also understand that
if he is found

"not guilty by reason
of insanity,"

he will be sentenced
to a criminal

psychiatric facility
indefinitely.

Your Honor...

I've been through
a very dark time

[chuckles]
since my arrest

and subsequent persecution,
but...

I think there may be some light
at the end of the tunnel.

No, Billy--

It's okay.

I have faith in the jury's
ability to see the truth.

So be it.

The defendant
is ruled competent,

and is remanded until trial.

- This gives us a win, right?
- For now.

But I'm gonna need
to start prepping

Ms. Parker for trial ASAP.

We'll let her know.

[Indistinct muttering]

You said you talked
to her a few hours ago?

She seems to be doing okay,
considering everything.

Still, she's not answering
her phone.

When is the last time
you saw her?

- Ms. Parker?
- Alice?

Oh, she's napping.

[Whispering]
Ms. Parker?

She's gone.

I'm ruling straight up
myocardial infarction.

In other words,

she had a heart attack.

Okay, but, it could
be stress-related.

If you want me to speculate,

sure, stress could have been
a factor.

Could have been?

She was raped.
Tortured.

Three days prior.

Detectives...
Let it go.

Best I can give you
is "undetermined."

If you laid out the timeline
in front of a jury--

You want to add
a murder charge?

It's gonna be hard enough
to prove rape.

I used to like you.

Ms. Parker was
our lead witness.

She never made a lineup ID.

I took the disclosure.
She ID'd him.

He wasn't a stranger.
She knew him!

We'll argue immediate outcry,
excited utterance.

Defense will argue
that he was denied the right

- to question his accuser.
- He killed her!

Yeah, and you are not
pleading down rape one.

Not after what he's done,
to her, to others.

He's never even
been convicted.

If we can put him away
from four to seven years,

it's a start.
It's a start!

Four to seven?
What, years? [Chuckles]

- No.
- Let's hear them out, Billy.

You will plead guilty
to third-degree sexual assault

- and grand larceny.
- Robbery, right?

She--she gave me the camera.

Shut up, Lewis.
Just stop.

Counselor, does she need
to be here?

No, no, Vanessa.
It's all right.

This goes to trial
and we will charge you

with multiple counts
of first-degree rape.

Sodomy. False imprisonment.
Homicide.

[Scoffs]
She had a heart attack.

My client had nothing
to do with that.

Yeah, I had nothing to do
with her being raped.

No? Your DNA was all over
her body,

and given her injuries
I dare your defense attorney

to argue that it was consensual.

She was obsessed with me.

No deal.
My client is not guilty.

Your client raped and tortured
a cultured 60-year-old woman.

A jury will get one look
at this scumbag.

You're insane if you think
that they will let him go.

You see this, Vanessa?
You see? I told you.

You're right.

Mr. Lewis believes
that Detective Benson and SVU

- have a vendetta against him.
- You're unbelievable.

You've had it for me
from the get.

Don't engage, Billy.

You've been doing sex crimes
for a very long time,

and now you're projecting
your anger at others

onto an innocent man.

Innocent?

Did you see the morgue photos
of his last defense attorney?

Olivia?

The one that he raped
and tortured for 19 hours?

She was also convinced
of her lover's--

of her client's innocence.

Excuse me?

We'll see you in court.

Lover? Client?
Nice freudian slip.

- It wasn't.
- I got that.

It also means she's gonna fight
like hell for him.

I arrested the defendant
two weeks ago

for public lewdness.

Alice Parker was on
the witness list, it--

Those charges were dropped,
weren't they?

When the victims left
the country.

- Yes or no, Detective?
- Yes, but the defendant

knew that Ms. Parker was going

to testify against him.
In retaliation,

he raped and tortured her--

Move to strike,
Your Honor.

This all speaks
to the fact that

Alice Parker and the NYPD had
a vendetta against my client.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

Both of you, I'm instructing
the jury to disregard both

detectives' and
the defense's statements.

I recovered two Nikon cameras
owned by the victim

and a diamond bracelet.

The pawn shop owner ID'd
the defendant, William Lewis,

as the one who brought
the items in.

Thank you, Detective.

The pawn shop owner was in
possession of stolen property,

a punishable offense.

Do you think he took that into
consideration when you asked him

- to make the ID?
- Objection.

Asking the witness
to speculate.

Withdrawn.
Nothing further.

The apartment was
a scene from hell.

Blood, electrical cords,
instruments of torture.

It smelled like
burnt flesh.

No further questions.

That is quite
a vivid description, Detective.

Police also canvassed
the building

and the street, correct?

- Yes, of course.
- And yet, you couldn't

find a single witness

who could put my client
in that apartment building,

let alone in the apartment...

- Did you?
- No, but--

Did you see him
on surveillance video?

No, but we know
he was there.

You mean, you assume
he was there.

Thank you, Detective.
Nothing further.

I entered Alice Parker's
apartment as she was being

treated by first responders,
and as soon as she saw me

she blurted out,
"It was him, Lewis.

He raped me.
That beast."

Thank you, Detective.

Detective Benson,
did Ms. Parker tell you

it had been over four hours
since her attacker left?

- Yes.
- After her ordeal,

is it safe to say she was in
a state of shock?

Disoriented?
Confused, even?

She was traumatized, but
her memory was perfectly clear.

Did she identify my client
in a lineup?

She didn't have a chance to

because your client faked
a suicide attempt.

Objection, Your Honor.

Just answer the questions,
Detective.

Detective, are you aware that
in addition to suffering

from cataracts,
which affected her vision,

Ms. Parker also wore
bifocal contact lenses?

- Yes.
- Do you know if she was

wearing her bifocal
contact lenses

at the time of her attack?

No, I don't.

So, a 60-year-old woman,

with degenerating vision made
a verbal accusation against

a man she had a prior history
of being obsessed with.

A man she had long
been convinced

was guilty of something.

A man you are
also obsessed with.

- Objection.
- Withdrawn, Your Honor.

Nothing further.

You can step down, Detective.

There were ligature marks
on her wrists,

burn marks and crude brands

on her neck, breasts,
and buttocks.

And was there evidence
of sexual assault to Ms. Parker?

There was vaginal, oral,
and anal trauma consistent with

a violent, sustained
sexual assault,

and the rape kit confirmed

presence of semen
in and on her body.

And did the OCME lab run DNA

on the forensic evidence
of the rape kit?

Yes, and the odds of the DNA
coming from someone other

than the suspect
are 100 billion to one.

Your witness.

You just testified,
Dr. Warner,

that DNA found
in Ms. Parker's rape kit

was a match for my client,

- correct?
- Yes.

Is it fair to say that
the police

asked the lab to put a rush

on all DNA associated
with this case?

Yes, it was given
top priority.

Now, in a normal circumstance,
when you have a sample

from a suspect and a victim,

do you test them
at the same time?

Absolutely not.

They would be run
on separate trays,

so there is no possibility
of cross-contamination.

By that, you mean the
suspect's DNA being accidentally

comingled with the DNA
from the rape kit.

- In layman's terms, yes.
- And if the technician

from the DNA lab were
to test them at the same time?

That technician would
be dismissed.

At this time, I would like
to introduce

defense exhibits "A" and "B,"

an independent report on
the OCME DNA lab's processing of

Ms. Parker's rape kit
and my client's sale.

Your Honor, approach?

Counselors.

This is the first I'm hearing
of these exhibits.

I've had no opportunity
to examine their authenticity.

Yes, I just got them,
Your Honor.

I hired
an independent investigator

to examine the lab's processing
of my client's case.

As you can see,
under pressure,

the lab tech compromised
the process by testing

my client's DNA sample
in the same tray

as the forensic sample.

There is a possibility
of cross-contamination.

I need to authenticate
these documents, I--

Yes, of course.
And, Your Honor,

when this report checks out,

I'm sure you will agree that
it would be impossible

to ask a jury to disregard

such falsely damning testimony
against my client.

You allowed that testimony
to come in.

You were deliberately trying
to force a mistrial.

I'm defending my client,
Mr. Barba.

Look, don't tell me
the DNA is inadmissible.

Worse than that.

The judge,
in her infinite wisdom,

- declared a mistrial.
- You've got to be kidding me.

And it gets worse.

He's out on bail.

Bail?

He doesn't have a pot
to piss in.

Vanessa, his legal aid
attorney, posted his bond.

This guy is beyond lucky.

Look, we'll make
a stronger case on retrial.

If they even
let Barba retry it.

There's no DNA.
There's no victim.

Tell you what,

who wants to come with me
and just shoot

- the son of a bitch
- Rollins--

Don't worry, Captain.
I'll take her out

to get something to drink.
[Sighs]

Anybody else,
while my wallet is open?

Actually, I have plans.

- Gil and Cynthia?
- Yeah.

- Good for you.
- Liv?

Oh, rain check.

I've barely been home
at all this week.

Well, go home.
Stay there, two days.

- Captain, that's--
- Liv, that's an order.

You show up for work,
I'll have you arrested.

You all right?

Not really.

You want to talk?

Not really.

Got it.

See you in a few, huh?
Keep your head up.

[Floorboard creaks]

[Creaking continues]

Hello?

Hello--

Welcome home,
Detective Benson.