Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 4, Episode 23 - Grief - full transcript
When a rape victim winds up dead, her father decides to take justice into his own hands.
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.
Can you take
our order?
We've been
waiting forever.
MAN:
Excuse me, miss?
Uh, I'll send your server
right over.
You said that
15 minutes ago.
I'll be right back.
Tanya?
Yeah.
Where's Vanessa?
She was at the bar
with some guy--
a real hottie.
She's got six
tables waiting,
and she's taking
a booty break?
Jake, where's
Vanessa?
With her boyfriend.
I thought she kicked him
to the curb.
He didn't get
the message.
They got so loud,
I told them to take it outside.
Vanessa? I need you.
(bottle clinking)
Girl, what are you doing
back there?
(cat yowling)
Oh, damn, cat.
You scared me
half to death.
(mewing)
You have blood
on you.
(mewing)
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God! Jake! Jake!
GEORGIE:
Victim is Vanessa Bevins, 19.
Waitress here
at Dominique's.
Also has an ID from
Hudson University.
Hudson-- that's...
Maureen's school.
Cause of death?
Shot once, close range,
after being raped and sodomized.
BENSON:
How'd you get that?
Panties torn.
LumaLite showed
semen on her chin.
Do we have a weapon?
Yeah, right over here.
Smith and Wesson Model
36, snub-nosed . 38.
One round fired.
Anything else?
Gunshot residue on her hands.
Looks like she struggled
for the weapon.
Went out fighting.
Who found her?
Another waitress;
uh, Kimmie Robinson.
Kimmie.
I'm Detective Benson.
This is my partner,
Detective Sta...
I already told the
officers what happened.
Okay, we'd just like to ask you
a few more questions.
How long has Vanessa
been working here?
About a month,
part-time.
What else do you know about her?
Not much.
She's a
college girl.
She's always out there
feeding the cats
and arguing with
her boyfriend.
Like tonight.
Well, does the boyfriend
have a name?
Vanessa calls him Dee.
I-I don't know what
his real name is.
STABLER:
What do you know
about him?
Maybe he's
her connection.
Vanessa got high?
I don't know; I
never saw her using,
but you know, one
night she was in here,
and she'd be flying
like a kite, and
the next night...
You can't cross
the line, buddy.
My daughter works there.
The nightclub called me.
Excuse me;
we'll handle it.
Sir? Sir?
How are you?
What's your name?
Ray Bevins;
I'm Vanessa's father.
Now, they said
there was an accident.
Uh, is she okay?
Mr. Bevins... I'm sorry
to have to tell you,
but your daughter...
Oh, my God, not my baby.
Oh, my God.
(siren blaring)
Mr. Bevins, you've
been up all night.
We don't have to
do this now if
you don't want to.
No, I, uh, I want to help.
Well, we're looking
for Vanessa's boyfriend.
You know him?
Um...
I didn't know she had one.
Would her mother know
who she was dating?
No, Vanessa's mother died
when she was three.
It's just been the two of us
all these years.
How was she doing
in school?
She always used
to get straight A's,
and then
her grades fell
to C and D's,
uh, last semester.
BENSON:
Did you talk to
anyone about it?
The dean called me.
Said that she was trying
to take out
a personal loan for $5,000.
I confronted her
about it
yesterday,
and she wouldn't tell me
why she needed the money.
Did your daughter
ever have a problem with drugs?
(sighing)
She's been having
violent outbursts.
She accused me
of treating her like a child
when I told her
to stop working at that club.
Last thing I said to her...
"Don't come to me for help
when you ruin your life."
I didn't mean it.
We know that.
Look, I have three
daughters myself.
When I'm angry, I say
things I don't mean.
You can take it back;
I can't.
Erratic behavior, keeping
secrets, grubbing for money--
all classic signs
of a drug problem.
If she owed five
grand to her dealer,
maybe he decided
to make an example of her.
The sexual assault's
just an extra humiliation.
We finished canvassing
Dominique's.
A lot of people
saw her boyfriend
getting loud with her,
but nobody knows his full name.
Young guy, 5'10".
The only thing
everyone agrees on
is he's cute.
Did you get
a timeline together?
Vanessa put her last order in
at 1:15.
The bartender said that's
about the time Dee showed up.
About 2:00 A. M.,
Kimmie finds her body.
That doesn't allow
a lot of time
for another player
to walk onto the set.
So, the boyfriend's
looking good for this.
Well, then,
let's find out who he is.
Munch, Fin, see if Ballistics
got any prints off that gun.
Elliot, you and Olivia follow up
with Vanessa's roommate.
Maybe Dee is supplying
more than romance.
His real name's Donovan Alvarez.
He go to school here?
Yeah, he's a pre-law like me.
But Vanessa dumped
him last semester.
Why?
I don't know.
Donovan's a great catch.
All the girls were after him.
After him, or his drugs?
Drugs?
Mm-hmm.
Donovan's
a total straight arrow.
Like Vanessa used to be.
So, what changed?
She started
blowing off class,
acting wild.
Short skirts, tight tops.
She flirted with everyone.
Must have pissed Donovan off.
He was cool
about it.
Said he liked
that Vanessa was a free spirit.
One day, she dumped him.
Is this Donovan?
Yeah.
Where can we find him?
Uh... when he's not in class,
he's in the park
playing speed chess.
You think you can take me,
you patzer?
Shut up and move.
Oh, aren't
we tense today?
Hey, we're in the
middle of a game.
Not anymore. Move.
You're here
about Vanessa.
Yeah, I can see
you're upset about it.
What, you grieve by hustling
some fish at $5 blitz?
Chess takes my
mind off her.
I loved Vanessa.
So, why were you
arguing with her
last night?
If you're trying to say
that I killed her, you're wrong.
When I left Dominique's
last night,
Vanessa was fine.
What happened to your neck?
Oh, I see where this is going.
I'm not answering any more
questions without a lawyer.
So, give us
a DNA swab,
and you won't need one.
I'm not going to
give you a sample
so you can frame me
with my own cells.
Why would we
do that?
I don't know.
Why would you stick a plunger
up Abner Louima's ass?
If you want
anything from me,
come back with a warrant.
I believe
that's check
and mate.
It sure is, smartass.
Couldn't get a DNA
sample from our suspect,
but I think
we got prints.
Index finger
and thumb.
I'll see if I can lift a print
off the body.
Meanwhile,
I've got lots to work with.
There's evidence
of vaginal trauma,
I've got the perp's fluids,
and I got skin cells
from underneath
her acrylic nails.
Great for trapping evidence.
Could explain
the Band-Aid
on Donovan's neck.
Vanessa clawed
the son of a bitch.
She wasn't
the only one.
The blood on the cat's fur
was Vanessa's,
but the blood on its claws
was a match to the perp.
We got to get
Donovan's DNA.
I'll get the prints
off the chess piece
and send them over to Ballistics
to compare with the gun.
I dusted the gun.
Wooden grip's too textured
to raise prints,
and only your victim's
are on the barrel.
Like Vanessa
tried to grab it.
Also found a greasy substance
on the weapon.
Gun cleaning fluid?
No, I'd recognize that
in my sleep.
I'll run some tests
on it.
So, that's it?
Would I waste
your time?
I got the gun owner.
You mean we have a legal,
registered piece?
Mm-hmm. Carry permit
comes back to Marvin Kligman,
address
on Park Avenue.
Sure, Marvin
had a gun.
My late husband,
may he rest in peace,
was in the diamond trade.
Dangerous business.
Where's the gun
now, Mrs. Kligman?
In my lock box.
May we see it?
Of course.
Does anyone else have
access to the gun?
Only my son.
He lives in the dorms
at Hudson University.
It's gone.
I didn't take
my father's gun.
How did it get used
to kill your classmate?
I don't know anything
about Vanessa's murder.
But you do know her.
Yeah.
You sleeping with her?
Yeah, I wish.
BENSON:
Where were you
last night?
Uh, at an all-night cram session
with my study group.
You can go check.
Oh, we will.
But right now, you're the one
who's looking good
for this murder.
Okay.
I got a little overextended
on the Super Bowl.
I was going to sell the gun,
but someone stole it.
You know Donovan Alvarez?
Yeah, sure.
He lives down my hall.
Could he have
stolen it?
I don't know. I...
(phone ringing)
Stabler.
Did Donovan ever see the gun?
Yeah. I was looking
for a buyer.
I showed it to a lot of people,
including Donovan.
Did he see
where you kept it?
Yeah, yeah, in my desk.
Warner. She wants
to talk to us.
You fumed her.
WARNER:
It's amazing what you
can do with Crazy Glue.
Vaporize it,
and when it hardens,
you can dust a print on skin.
Where's the print?
On the inside
of her right wrist
where there's deep bruising.
STABLER:
Like someone
grabbed her hard.
WARNER:
With the glue,
it's as clear as day.
Donovan Alvarez?
Ten-point match.
...the M.E. ruled that the death
was due to undetermined
homicidal violence.
How did the District Attorney
get a conviction?
Donovan Alvarez,
you're under arrest
for the murder
of Vanessa Bevins.
You can't do this.
Sure we can.
What do you think you're doing?!
Donovan, what's going on?
You have the right
to remain silent.
If you give up that right,
anything you say...
This is your last
chance, Donovan.
Just tell us the truth.
Once there's
a DNA match,
no one will care
what you say.
I am telling the truth,
all right?
I didn't kill Vanessa.
I only went to the club
to talk to her.
'Cause you were pissed off
that she broke up with you?
No. I was pissed
because she stole my credit card
and spent thousands of dollars
on crazy stuff.
That sounds like
a good motive
to drag her out to the
alley and kill her.
We were arguing
because Vanessa said
she had bigger problems
than paying me back.
So then you
pulled the gun
to make her take
you seriously.
No. I didn't have a gun.
Come on, Donovan.
Vanessa was killed
with a gun stolen
from your dorm.
I don't know
anything
about that.
Why don't you believe me?
I could never hurt Vanessa.
You grabbed her so hard,
your prints were bruised
into her flesh.
She was walking away.
I grabbed her arm
so I could stop her.
Is that
when she scratched your neck?
I cut myself
shaving.
See for yourself?
Does this look like a scratch?
Do you believe his story?
I don't know.
Vanessa was on drugs,
desperate for money.
She steals
from her ex-boyfriend.
Sounds like motive to me.
Donovan can't explain
how Vanessa was shot
with the gun
that he had access to...
Something wrong?
Ray. Ray Bevins.
He called five times.
CRAGEN:
DNA's back.
The semen, fingernail scrapings,
and the blood on the cat's claw
all come from the same person.
And it's not Donovan Alvarez.
STABLER:
So Vanessa had sex
with someone else
earlier that night,
and then Donovan shoots her
in the alley.
Possible, but not enough
to hold the kid you arrested
in front
of a criminal law class.
BENSON:
You can't
cut him lose.
And we can't talk
to him anymore.
Why is that?
Professor called
and lawyered up for him.
Ray.
Detective.
It's the middle
of the night.
What are you
doing here?
I called...
I know.
I haven't had
a chance
to get back to
you. I'm sorry.
I... just wanted to know
if you had any leads.
Yeah, we're
making progress.
Um... can't you...
tell me anything?
No. Ray, go home,
get some sleep.
I can't.
I can't.
I mean, I can't sleep.
I just keep
seeing Vanessa's face.
Ray...
In the morgue, I mean...
Ray? Ray? If I
have any news,
I'll call you.
I promise you.
You have my word.
Now go home.
Go home.
Hey.
How's he doing?
He's a mess.
LUDS on Vanessa's phone.
Check out this number.
Dozens of
calls to it.
It's the Rape Crisis Center.
Why was Vanessa calling them
two weeks before she was raped?
WOMAN:
Vanessa must have called me
20 times, but she never
gave a last name.
I was afraid if
I pushed too hard,
she'd stop calling.
I know what she said is
confidential, but...
And any father would
wave confidentiality
to catch his
child's killer.
Let's cut
the red tape.
Good. Why was
Vanessa calling you?
She was in a sexual relationship
she couldn't handle.
So she was raped?
Uh, she wasn't sure.
She needed help understanding
what had happened to her,
but it was rape all right.
She had gotten involved
with this man
that she met...
Donovan Alvarez?
Uh, she never gave his name.
He was a sadist.
He liked to degrade her.
Make her have sex
in public places.
Get rough.
When she refused,
he beat her up.
After that, she was too scared
to say no again.
Why didn't she call the police?
I gave her
your number.
Vanessa just wasn't ready.
She was very depressed.
She kept blaming herself
instead of her boss.
Her boss?
Yeah.
That's who was raping her.
MAN:
Look, I understand the need
for investigation.
I, uh, just don't see
how I can help you.
Well, you were at the club,
weren't you?
I was in
the VIP room.
Told that to
the officers who
interviewed me.
You didn't tell them
you were sleeping
with the victim.
(sighs)
Well, now I see.
Someone's been talking about me
behind me back.
BENSON:
Then let's talk
openly...
in our squad room.
WOMAN:
Baby, I'm going now.
You'll call me later?
You know I will.
Give me a moment
to call my lawyer.
I'll have him
meet me there.
There's no need to.
You're not under arrest.
And I'd like
to keep it that way.
MAN:
My client is more than happy
to assist in the investigation.
He'll answer your questions.
Well, why don't we let
his DNA sample do the talking?
Oh, hey, hey,
take a swab.
It'll match.
I'm sure you'll
find my blood in
the alleyway, too.
Damn cat clawed the
hell out of my ass.
Listen, I had sex with
Vanessa that night.
That's not a crime.
Rape and sodomy are.
(laughs)
Rape?
Detective...
I don't need to
force women to
have sex with me.
BENSON:
Oh. So you expect
us to believe
that Vanessa liked being
half naked down on her knees
in a dirty alley?
Yeah, she grew to like it.
Once you stripped away
that schoolgirl exterior,
underneath lay a very...
adventurous woman.
Why did you go out back?
I don't like
to share my girls.
I saw Vanessa go outside
with her friend.
I wanted to make sure
they weren't having a quickie.
Were they?
No. No. Her tastes
have changed.
She told him
to get the hell out.
BENSON:
So, did you
see him leave?
Yeah, he got into a cab.
Vanessa and I had a little fun,
and then I went back inside.
So she fought
with her boyfriend,
had sex with you, and then,
a third guy came along,
and he killed her.
Is that what you're telling me?
Truth is stranger than fiction.
But you're the only one
with a history
of abusing Vanessa.
Oh, more gossip?
BENSON:
No.
We have witnesses.
Vanessa told people
about your repeated
sexual assault.
I don't recall
anyone watching us
having sex,
so unless you guys communicate
with ghosts... you got nothing.
All right, my client has
answered all of your questions,
so unless you're arresting him,
we're leaving.
(clears throat)
You'll notify me
if you want to speak
to my client any further...
Oh, we'll be
speaking to him
again, yeah.
Come on.
Detective Stabler.
Hi.
Any news about Vanessa?
PERRY:
Are you her father?
Yeah.
Hey, I'm really sorry.
Thanks.
Who are you?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, Perry Williams.
How did you know my daughter?
I was her boss.
Let's talk.
She was really sweet.
What? What?
Why are you here?
Just to answer a few questions.
About what?
My relationship
with your daughter.
Bastard. You murdered
and raped my daughter.
Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, I didn't have
to rape her.
And I sure
didn't kill her.
Let him go.
He's not worth it.
Let him go.
All right.
Come on.
Ray, you've got to
stop coming here.
I've got nothing
else to do.
What about your job?
I don't give a
damn about my
work anymore.
You're never
going to make
an arrest.
It's been three days.
Ray, you got to give me time.
That filth killed
my daughter,
and you're just
going to let him
walk out the door.
We don't have enough evidence
to arrest him for murder yet.
You could at least arrest him
for rape.
He's claiming their relationship
was consensual.
That's crazy.
We need proof.
What do you think?
It doesn't matter
what I think, Ray.
In your heart,
what do you think?
We may never know.
Please...
just tell me.
Did he rape her?
We're looking at him for it.
Did he do it?
(sighs)
We're going to get the guy.
Thanks.
Go home.
You sound like me
talking to Ray.
Elliot, there's nothing
we can do tonight.
We'll start fresh
in the morning.
I need to get that bastard.
Plenty of other bastards
out there, Elliot.
Why this one?
You know why.
I'm going to go catch
a few hours of sleep.
See you at 7:00.
Hey, it's Stabler.
I'm sorry to bother you so late.
I need you to do me a big favor.
You got to run the test tonight.
WOMAN:
I burned a sample
of the greasy residue
in the gas chromatograph.
Tell me it nails
Perry Williams.
Hear me out.
The grease on the gun had three
component organic substances.
The first two
are lanolin and talc.
Skin care products?
Exactly. Chemical
composition's identical
to the lotion and face powder
brands Vanessa used.
So the gun touched her skin.
It doesn't explain
the flakes trapped
in the lotion.
Cured tobacco.
Same brand as the cigarettes
we found
in Vanessa's purse.
Vanessa was carrying the gun.
She tried to defend herself,
perp took it away
and shot her.
You'd think so, but...
I decided to take another look
at the residue pattern
on Vanessa's hands.
Here it is.
But that residue pattern is not
consistent
with any defensive posture.
Not like this.
Not like this.
And so on.
So you've no match.
I think there might be.
Like this.
Fire in the hole!
(gunshot)
It's a match.
Vanessa killed herself.
Perry Williams
raped Vanessa
and it drove her
to suicide.
She steals the gun,
brings it down to the alley
to kill him, loses her nerve.
When Perry
rapes her again,
it's the last straw,
so, she kills herself.
This bastard is
going to skate.
We got nothing
on the rape.
You know, maybe Vanessa told
someone in person,
other than
the rape crisis counselor.
We get an outcry witness,
we got ourselves a chance.
Ray didn't know,
none of her friends knew.
Hell, no one even knew
she was suicidal.
They all say
she was a party girl.
This may explain why.
Vanessa's toxicology report.
It says that her blood
was positive for lithium.
What's that used for?
For treating
bipolar disorder.
No wonder she was flying high
one day and crashing the next.
BENSON:
Promiscuous,
going on spending sprees.
Explains why everyone thought
she was on drugs.
It also explains her
inability to break off
from Perry Williams
despite his
treatment of her.
So, why didn't
the lithium help?
Because the amount
found in her blood
wasn't a therapeutic dose.
My guess is she stopped taking
her meds a week ago.
So why didn't anybody tell us
about her diagnosis?
This is a woman who suffered
in silence.
Now we got to tell Ray
his only child killed herself.
BEVINS:
First you tell me
she's on drugs.
Now you tell me
that she's crazy.
And I'm telling you,
I know my daughter
and she was never suicidal.
If you'd like,
you can talk
to our medical examiner.
She can explain how she came
to the finding.
Thank you.
You know what, I will.
Did you know
that she was taking medication
for bipolar disorder?
She was moody.
I mean, she felt things
very intensely.
She was a caring sp...
Look, my daughter
was not sick.
Then Vanessa never mentioned
that she was seeing
a psychiatrist.
Ray, maybe she was ashamed.
No daughter wants
to disappoint her father.
Vanessa's problem was
that bastard Perry Williams.
He murdered her even
if he didn't pull the trigger.
BENSON:
But legally,
Ray...
legally...
he's not responsible
for her death.
Can you give us the name
of her doctor?
BEVINS:
I don't know.
She was using
the, uh, college
healthcare service.
Could you all just please leave?
MAN:
Vanessa wanted help
controlling her behavior.
The, uh, lithium worked
and in combination
with psychotherapy...
well, she was making
excellent progress.
Did she ever mention
a Perry Williams in therapy?
Yes. He was
encouraging
her to drink
and stop taking her meds.
STABLER:
Why?
To make her more vulnerable,
more manic.
He liked being with
a hypersexual party girl.
When she began to stabilize,
he lost his control over her.
That's when she realized
he was abusing her.
Well, why did she keep going out
with him?
Well, he's a handsome,
successful older man.
She was blinded by his charm.
Our tox screen
shows that Vanessa
had stopped
taking the lithium.
Now you know what can happen
to a manic depressive
when they go off their meds.
What did you do about it?
What could I do?
She's an adult, legally free
to make her
own choices.
She was suicidal.
Not last week
when I saw her.
You... should've told her father
what was going on.
The only way I could've
disclosed anything
is if she had been homicidal
or suicidal.
And as I said,
she wasn't.
Did Vanessa ever mention
confiding
in anybody else?
S-She was, um...
keeping a therapy journal.
BENSON:
Vanessa's roommate
had the diary.
I can see why she
kept it hidden from Ray.
It's graphic, sexual stuff.
A catalogue of
Perry's perversions.
He's a sexual sadist.
He doesn't want a partner,
he wants a victim.
I'm not sure
that's enough.
We talked to several
of Perry's ex-girlfriends.
He gets off on pain.
They'll all testify to that.
Were they raped?
No, but...
But then it's
not enough.
Vanessa's body showed signs
of sexual trauma.
Well, Perry
will argue
that it was rough
but consensual sex.
And we've got
her statements
to the psychiatrist
and the rape crisis counselor
that she was forced.
All right, those
I can get admitted
under the outcry exception
to the hearsay rule,
but I would still like
a confession from Perry.
Alex, it's all in here.
Everything that he did to her.
"I'm still bleeding
from last night.
"I should go to the hospital
"but I'm too embarrassed
to tell anyone.
"When I said
I couldn't have sex tonight,
he punched me so hard
I couldn't breathe."
Let's go after him
for the rape.
But just in case,
tell Ray to file a civil suit...
clean Perry out.
STABLER:
At least arresting Perry
might give Ray
some closure.
Maybe you, too.
Elliot, can I talk to you
for a minute?
I'll meet you down
at the corner.
What have you got?
Ray Bevins came by to see me.
Asked questions
about why we ruled
Vanessa's death a suicide.
Mm-hmm.
He accept it?
I walked him through
the evidence
as gently as I could
but I screwed up.
I mentioned the oral sodomy.
I thought
you told him.
No, no. No, I didn't want
to put that image in his head.
His daughter on her knees
in some filthy alley.
I'm sorry
but it's in there now.
He really lost it.
He left mumbling something
about a club.
(sirens wailing) Sector Charlie to Central.
Sorry, Detectives,
it was over when we got here.
Where's Ray Bevins?
The wind.
Dead guy was the
only one here
when we arrived.
We had him.
We had Perry.
Elliot,
Ray's still got the gun.
(sirens wailing)
(siren wailing)(tires screeching)
We boomed the door
and swept the place.
No sign of your guy.
DISPATCHER:
Requesting backup.
Man with a gun.
Where can he be?
This is all
about Vanessa.
He'd want to
be with her.
10-4. Copy that.
Detective Stabler.
Sector car in Central Park
has a man with a gun
to his head.
Description matches your guy.
Secure the perimeter.
Tell Ray we're on our way.
No one talks to him but me.
Ray.
Put the gun down.
Don't do this, Ray.
I have nothing left.
Let's talk.
Let's just sit here and talk.
Vanessa's gone.
I mean... there's no other way
to end the pain.
Vanessa loved you.
She wouldn't want you
to do this.
(voice trembling):
My daughter needed
help...
and she couldn't come to me.
I can't live with that.
Why here?
This was Vanessa's
favorite place
when she was a...
(voice cracking)
when she was a little girl.
Those memories are alive in you,
Ray.
You keep her alive.
Everything that you and Vanessa
had together.
That's what you want.
I want her to know
how much I love her.
(crying)
I want her to know
how sorry I am....
...I couldn't be there for her.
She's here, Ray, in your heart.
She's alive, here.
(crying)
She can only die
when you die, Ray.
(crying)
(crying hysterically)
Elliot...
I want to hear it from you.
Did you actually
lawyer up
for Ray Bevins?
He needed an attorney.
So you called one of the
best defense attorneys in town?
Usually you get a confession
instead of throwing up
road blocks
to protect the perps.
Ray Bevins is not a perp.
He killed a man
in cold blood.
He killed a sexual predator
that you said we couldn't
convict.
I will not condone vigilantism.
I am not going to let
my compassion for Ray
prevent me from doing my job.
Well, I did my job.
I arrested him.
He's all yours.
(door opening, closing)
I want manslaughter
and probation--
Extreme Emotional Disturbance.
Ray snapped when he found out
his daughter's rapist would go
unpunished for his crime.
For someone who "snapped,"
your client was thinking clearly
enough to obtain a weapon,
locate the defendant
and execute him.
That's not temporary insanity.
You know the EED statute
was designed to downgrade
murder charges
when they are mitigated
by the defendant's severe
psychological trauma.
Only when the
defendant's
mental state creates a loss
of self control.
Ray's actions appear deliberate
and rational.
Don't take our word for it.
Have your shrink evaluate Ray.
BEVINS:
Perry Williams...
...killed my daughter.
He took her to such a...
a dark place that she couldn't
find a way out.
So what did you do?
Guy I know at the work site
gave me the gun.
I went to the club,
said I had an appointment
with Perry
and waited in his office.
And what happened
after that?
Perry walked in.
I confronted him
with Vanessa's... rape.
He denied it and then...
...then he said that she liked
what he did to her.
Ray, how did Perry end up
in the alley?
(sighs)
I took him there.
I forced him to his knees
the way he forced Vanessa
to her knees.
He begged for his life.
H-He swore that he would tell
the truth to the cops.
I said, enough.
You know, enough lies.
So I put the gun in his mouth...
and I pulled the trigger.
HUANG:
Ray's emotional
pain is genuine,
and the cause for
his mental trauma
is legitimate,
but I don't buy his
affirmative defense.
Why the hell not?
This is a man who's
lost his daughter.
Well, despite
his emotional distress,
he had the presence of mind
to carefully plan this murder.
He knew right from wrong.
He knew nothing!
This is a guy
drowning in grief!
HUANG:
Ray made clear, logical
and deliberate choices.
He forced Perry out
into that alley
and symbolically reenacted
his daughter's rape and murder.
He didn't shoot Perry
in the chest.
He put the gun
in Perry's mouth,
imitating the oral sodomy.
CABOT:
I'll notify Ray's attorney
that we're going to fight it.
She'll probably try
for jury nullification,
get them to acquit
out of sympathy.
They should.
Look... I'm not mourning
for Perry Williams,
but I'm not rolling over
for Ray, either.
I need that report
as soon as you can get it.
I could've stopped him.
I should've known
what Ray was going to do.
How?
I would've done
the same thing.
No, you wouldn't.
Well, wait till
you're a parent.
Don't throw that crap at me,
Elliot.
You made a mistake.
What?
You let Ray in.
You're right, I did.
He got to me.
And now I'm responsible.
I-I don't remember
leaving the nightclub.
EMMETT:
What's the next thing
you do remember?
Sitting in the park
by the lake.
V-Vanessa and I
went there since...
she was a little girl.
I mean, she-she
would feed the ducks,
um, her sandwiches
when she thought
I wasn't looking.
But you still had the gun?
Yes.
What were you going
to do next?
Shoot myself so that
I could be with my daughter.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You blamed Perry Williams
for your daughter's death?
Yeah. He raped Vanessa,
and that's why
she killed herself.
You sound very certain
of that.
But Vanessa
was emotionally
unstable, wasn't she?
He made her that way.
Mr. Bevins,
she was under psychiatric care
and had been prescribed lithium
for a bipolar disorder.
Are you suggesting
that Perry Williams
was responsible
for that?
Yeah. He lowered
her self-esteem
and told her not to
take her medication.
My daughter was
happy and healthy
before she worked
at that club.
As far as you knew.
There was quite a bit
about her life
that Vanessa did not tell you.
Did she tell you that
she had been sexually assaulted?
So her relationship
with Perry Williams
could have been consensual
as he claimed?
You call the deceased
a rapist,
but you have no evidence other
than your personal beliefs.
That's not true.
Detective Stabler told me
that Perry Williams
raped my daughter.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
(knocking)
You're calling me to the stand?
CABOT:
No.
The defense is.
You've just become
their star witness.
Excuse me?
Elliot, did you tell Ray
that you knew Perry Williams
had raped Vanessa?
He says you did.
I told him
Perry was a suspect.
Now they're going
to use you to justify
Ray murdering Perry.
Ah, well, the hell with him.
He got what he deserved.
Well, now
it's your turn.
You gave premature information
to an unstable man.
You sure as hell
better be ready
when I cross-examine you.
EMMETT:
Detective Stabler,
did you have a conversation
with Ray Bevins
about Perry Williams?
Yes.
Do you remember
the content
of that conversation?
Not word for word, no.
Do you remember
telling Ray Bevins
that you believed Perry Williams
raped his daughter?
I said we were looking at him.
Did you say, quote,
"We're gonna get the guy"?
Yes, I said that.
Who did "the guy"
refer to?
The killer.
It didn't
necessarily mean
that I was looking
at Perry Williams.
But it's reasonable
to assume
that Ray believed
you meant Mr. Williams.
Now, did you tell Ray
that you were powerless
to arrest Mr. Williams?
At the time, we didn't have
enough evidence...
Yes or no,
Detective?
At the time of the murder,
did my client believe
you would ever be able
to arrest Mr. Williams?
Thank you.
"We're gonna get the guy."
Detective Stabler, when you made
that remark to the defendant,
was it based
on any official determination
from the NYPD?
Official determination? No.
Was it based
on any forensic evidence?
Yes. We had Perry Williams' DNA
on Vanessa's body.
DNA proves
that sex took place, not rape.
We had her diary.
A person, Detective,
not her writings.
We had
the rape crisis counselor...
An eyewitness, Detective?
So, your statement
to the defendant
that Perry Williams
raped Vanessa
was based purely on
your individual opinion.
Yes.
And why did
you say that?
Because he needed something
to hold onto.
So your sympathy
for the defendant
led you to give Ray Bevins
unsubstantiated information?
Yes.
Detective Stabler,
do you condone
Ray Bevins' murder
of Perry Williams?
Detective?
It was wrong.
Nothing further.
EMMETT:
The law is supposed
to provide us
with safety and justice,
but the law failed to get
justice for Vanessa Bevins.
And in his time of grief,
Ray Bevins learned that the man
who had abused, humiliated
and raped his daughter
was going to walk free.
Now, if it wereyourdaughter,
yourwife, yourmother
who had been raped,
and the police were unable
to arrest their attacker,
how would you feel?
Ray Bevins suffered
every parent's nightmare.
He did what every parent knows
in their heart they would do.
He acted from a place
of profound grief,
of overwhelming loss.
He did not have control
of his actions.
He tried to get justice
for his daughter
in the only way he knew how.
And now you must make justice
for Ray Bevins
and return a verdict
of not guilty.
Some of you may believe
that Perry Williams
raped Vanessa Bevins
in that alley,
but Perry Williams
is not on trial here.
In fact, he never got
his day in court at all.
So in the eyes of the law,
he is innocent
until proven guilty.
Even if his guilt
had been established
beyond a reasonable doubt,
he could not have been executed
for his crime.
Ray Bevins executed
Perry Williams.
He shot a man who was on his
knees, begging for his life.
Now some of you may think
that he deserved to die,
but you have to ask yourselves
if you would execute a man
whose guilt had not been proven.
We have all felt
the need for revenge
at some point in our lives.
We have all lashed out
in pain and anger.
And we have all thought
that justice means
an eye for an eye.
But is that justice?
Does Perry Williams' family
now have the right
to kill Ray Bevins?
Does Ray Bevins' family
then have the right
to retaliate
against Perry Williams?
When would it stop?
An eye for an eye leaves
the whole world blind.
JUDGE:
Has the jury reached
its verdict?
Yes, we have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please rise.
On the count of murder
in the second degree,
how does the jury find?
We find the defendant,
Raymond Bevins...
guilty.
JUDGE:
Thank you for your service.
You're excused.
Ray...
...I'm sorry.
I'm not.
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.
Can you take
our order?
We've been
waiting forever.
MAN:
Excuse me, miss?
Uh, I'll send your server
right over.
You said that
15 minutes ago.
I'll be right back.
Tanya?
Yeah.
Where's Vanessa?
She was at the bar
with some guy--
a real hottie.
She's got six
tables waiting,
and she's taking
a booty break?
Jake, where's
Vanessa?
With her boyfriend.
I thought she kicked him
to the curb.
He didn't get
the message.
They got so loud,
I told them to take it outside.
Vanessa? I need you.
(bottle clinking)
Girl, what are you doing
back there?
(cat yowling)
Oh, damn, cat.
You scared me
half to death.
(mewing)
You have blood
on you.
(mewing)
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God! Jake! Jake!
GEORGIE:
Victim is Vanessa Bevins, 19.
Waitress here
at Dominique's.
Also has an ID from
Hudson University.
Hudson-- that's...
Maureen's school.
Cause of death?
Shot once, close range,
after being raped and sodomized.
BENSON:
How'd you get that?
Panties torn.
LumaLite showed
semen on her chin.
Do we have a weapon?
Yeah, right over here.
Smith and Wesson Model
36, snub-nosed . 38.
One round fired.
Anything else?
Gunshot residue on her hands.
Looks like she struggled
for the weapon.
Went out fighting.
Who found her?
Another waitress;
uh, Kimmie Robinson.
Kimmie.
I'm Detective Benson.
This is my partner,
Detective Sta...
I already told the
officers what happened.
Okay, we'd just like to ask you
a few more questions.
How long has Vanessa
been working here?
About a month,
part-time.
What else do you know about her?
Not much.
She's a
college girl.
She's always out there
feeding the cats
and arguing with
her boyfriend.
Like tonight.
Well, does the boyfriend
have a name?
Vanessa calls him Dee.
I-I don't know what
his real name is.
STABLER:
What do you know
about him?
Maybe he's
her connection.
Vanessa got high?
I don't know; I
never saw her using,
but you know, one
night she was in here,
and she'd be flying
like a kite, and
the next night...
You can't cross
the line, buddy.
My daughter works there.
The nightclub called me.
Excuse me;
we'll handle it.
Sir? Sir?
How are you?
What's your name?
Ray Bevins;
I'm Vanessa's father.
Now, they said
there was an accident.
Uh, is she okay?
Mr. Bevins... I'm sorry
to have to tell you,
but your daughter...
Oh, my God, not my baby.
Oh, my God.
(siren blaring)
Mr. Bevins, you've
been up all night.
We don't have to
do this now if
you don't want to.
No, I, uh, I want to help.
Well, we're looking
for Vanessa's boyfriend.
You know him?
Um...
I didn't know she had one.
Would her mother know
who she was dating?
No, Vanessa's mother died
when she was three.
It's just been the two of us
all these years.
How was she doing
in school?
She always used
to get straight A's,
and then
her grades fell
to C and D's,
uh, last semester.
BENSON:
Did you talk to
anyone about it?
The dean called me.
Said that she was trying
to take out
a personal loan for $5,000.
I confronted her
about it
yesterday,
and she wouldn't tell me
why she needed the money.
Did your daughter
ever have a problem with drugs?
(sighing)
She's been having
violent outbursts.
She accused me
of treating her like a child
when I told her
to stop working at that club.
Last thing I said to her...
"Don't come to me for help
when you ruin your life."
I didn't mean it.
We know that.
Look, I have three
daughters myself.
When I'm angry, I say
things I don't mean.
You can take it back;
I can't.
Erratic behavior, keeping
secrets, grubbing for money--
all classic signs
of a drug problem.
If she owed five
grand to her dealer,
maybe he decided
to make an example of her.
The sexual assault's
just an extra humiliation.
We finished canvassing
Dominique's.
A lot of people
saw her boyfriend
getting loud with her,
but nobody knows his full name.
Young guy, 5'10".
The only thing
everyone agrees on
is he's cute.
Did you get
a timeline together?
Vanessa put her last order in
at 1:15.
The bartender said that's
about the time Dee showed up.
About 2:00 A. M.,
Kimmie finds her body.
That doesn't allow
a lot of time
for another player
to walk onto the set.
So, the boyfriend's
looking good for this.
Well, then,
let's find out who he is.
Munch, Fin, see if Ballistics
got any prints off that gun.
Elliot, you and Olivia follow up
with Vanessa's roommate.
Maybe Dee is supplying
more than romance.
His real name's Donovan Alvarez.
He go to school here?
Yeah, he's a pre-law like me.
But Vanessa dumped
him last semester.
Why?
I don't know.
Donovan's a great catch.
All the girls were after him.
After him, or his drugs?
Drugs?
Mm-hmm.
Donovan's
a total straight arrow.
Like Vanessa used to be.
So, what changed?
She started
blowing off class,
acting wild.
Short skirts, tight tops.
She flirted with everyone.
Must have pissed Donovan off.
He was cool
about it.
Said he liked
that Vanessa was a free spirit.
One day, she dumped him.
Is this Donovan?
Yeah.
Where can we find him?
Uh... when he's not in class,
he's in the park
playing speed chess.
You think you can take me,
you patzer?
Shut up and move.
Oh, aren't
we tense today?
Hey, we're in the
middle of a game.
Not anymore. Move.
You're here
about Vanessa.
Yeah, I can see
you're upset about it.
What, you grieve by hustling
some fish at $5 blitz?
Chess takes my
mind off her.
I loved Vanessa.
So, why were you
arguing with her
last night?
If you're trying to say
that I killed her, you're wrong.
When I left Dominique's
last night,
Vanessa was fine.
What happened to your neck?
Oh, I see where this is going.
I'm not answering any more
questions without a lawyer.
So, give us
a DNA swab,
and you won't need one.
I'm not going to
give you a sample
so you can frame me
with my own cells.
Why would we
do that?
I don't know.
Why would you stick a plunger
up Abner Louima's ass?
If you want
anything from me,
come back with a warrant.
I believe
that's check
and mate.
It sure is, smartass.
Couldn't get a DNA
sample from our suspect,
but I think
we got prints.
Index finger
and thumb.
I'll see if I can lift a print
off the body.
Meanwhile,
I've got lots to work with.
There's evidence
of vaginal trauma,
I've got the perp's fluids,
and I got skin cells
from underneath
her acrylic nails.
Great for trapping evidence.
Could explain
the Band-Aid
on Donovan's neck.
Vanessa clawed
the son of a bitch.
She wasn't
the only one.
The blood on the cat's fur
was Vanessa's,
but the blood on its claws
was a match to the perp.
We got to get
Donovan's DNA.
I'll get the prints
off the chess piece
and send them over to Ballistics
to compare with the gun.
I dusted the gun.
Wooden grip's too textured
to raise prints,
and only your victim's
are on the barrel.
Like Vanessa
tried to grab it.
Also found a greasy substance
on the weapon.
Gun cleaning fluid?
No, I'd recognize that
in my sleep.
I'll run some tests
on it.
So, that's it?
Would I waste
your time?
I got the gun owner.
You mean we have a legal,
registered piece?
Mm-hmm. Carry permit
comes back to Marvin Kligman,
address
on Park Avenue.
Sure, Marvin
had a gun.
My late husband,
may he rest in peace,
was in the diamond trade.
Dangerous business.
Where's the gun
now, Mrs. Kligman?
In my lock box.
May we see it?
Of course.
Does anyone else have
access to the gun?
Only my son.
He lives in the dorms
at Hudson University.
It's gone.
I didn't take
my father's gun.
How did it get used
to kill your classmate?
I don't know anything
about Vanessa's murder.
But you do know her.
Yeah.
You sleeping with her?
Yeah, I wish.
BENSON:
Where were you
last night?
Uh, at an all-night cram session
with my study group.
You can go check.
Oh, we will.
But right now, you're the one
who's looking good
for this murder.
Okay.
I got a little overextended
on the Super Bowl.
I was going to sell the gun,
but someone stole it.
You know Donovan Alvarez?
Yeah, sure.
He lives down my hall.
Could he have
stolen it?
I don't know. I...
(phone ringing)
Stabler.
Did Donovan ever see the gun?
Yeah. I was looking
for a buyer.
I showed it to a lot of people,
including Donovan.
Did he see
where you kept it?
Yeah, yeah, in my desk.
Warner. She wants
to talk to us.
You fumed her.
WARNER:
It's amazing what you
can do with Crazy Glue.
Vaporize it,
and when it hardens,
you can dust a print on skin.
Where's the print?
On the inside
of her right wrist
where there's deep bruising.
STABLER:
Like someone
grabbed her hard.
WARNER:
With the glue,
it's as clear as day.
Donovan Alvarez?
Ten-point match.
...the M.E. ruled that the death
was due to undetermined
homicidal violence.
How did the District Attorney
get a conviction?
Donovan Alvarez,
you're under arrest
for the murder
of Vanessa Bevins.
You can't do this.
Sure we can.
What do you think you're doing?!
Donovan, what's going on?
You have the right
to remain silent.
If you give up that right,
anything you say...
This is your last
chance, Donovan.
Just tell us the truth.
Once there's
a DNA match,
no one will care
what you say.
I am telling the truth,
all right?
I didn't kill Vanessa.
I only went to the club
to talk to her.
'Cause you were pissed off
that she broke up with you?
No. I was pissed
because she stole my credit card
and spent thousands of dollars
on crazy stuff.
That sounds like
a good motive
to drag her out to the
alley and kill her.
We were arguing
because Vanessa said
she had bigger problems
than paying me back.
So then you
pulled the gun
to make her take
you seriously.
No. I didn't have a gun.
Come on, Donovan.
Vanessa was killed
with a gun stolen
from your dorm.
I don't know
anything
about that.
Why don't you believe me?
I could never hurt Vanessa.
You grabbed her so hard,
your prints were bruised
into her flesh.
She was walking away.
I grabbed her arm
so I could stop her.
Is that
when she scratched your neck?
I cut myself
shaving.
See for yourself?
Does this look like a scratch?
Do you believe his story?
I don't know.
Vanessa was on drugs,
desperate for money.
She steals
from her ex-boyfriend.
Sounds like motive to me.
Donovan can't explain
how Vanessa was shot
with the gun
that he had access to...
Something wrong?
Ray. Ray Bevins.
He called five times.
CRAGEN:
DNA's back.
The semen, fingernail scrapings,
and the blood on the cat's claw
all come from the same person.
And it's not Donovan Alvarez.
STABLER:
So Vanessa had sex
with someone else
earlier that night,
and then Donovan shoots her
in the alley.
Possible, but not enough
to hold the kid you arrested
in front
of a criminal law class.
BENSON:
You can't
cut him lose.
And we can't talk
to him anymore.
Why is that?
Professor called
and lawyered up for him.
Ray.
Detective.
It's the middle
of the night.
What are you
doing here?
I called...
I know.
I haven't had
a chance
to get back to
you. I'm sorry.
I... just wanted to know
if you had any leads.
Yeah, we're
making progress.
Um... can't you...
tell me anything?
No. Ray, go home,
get some sleep.
I can't.
I can't.
I mean, I can't sleep.
I just keep
seeing Vanessa's face.
Ray...
In the morgue, I mean...
Ray? Ray? If I
have any news,
I'll call you.
I promise you.
You have my word.
Now go home.
Go home.
Hey.
How's he doing?
He's a mess.
LUDS on Vanessa's phone.
Check out this number.
Dozens of
calls to it.
It's the Rape Crisis Center.
Why was Vanessa calling them
two weeks before she was raped?
WOMAN:
Vanessa must have called me
20 times, but she never
gave a last name.
I was afraid if
I pushed too hard,
she'd stop calling.
I know what she said is
confidential, but...
And any father would
wave confidentiality
to catch his
child's killer.
Let's cut
the red tape.
Good. Why was
Vanessa calling you?
She was in a sexual relationship
she couldn't handle.
So she was raped?
Uh, she wasn't sure.
She needed help understanding
what had happened to her,
but it was rape all right.
She had gotten involved
with this man
that she met...
Donovan Alvarez?
Uh, she never gave his name.
He was a sadist.
He liked to degrade her.
Make her have sex
in public places.
Get rough.
When she refused,
he beat her up.
After that, she was too scared
to say no again.
Why didn't she call the police?
I gave her
your number.
Vanessa just wasn't ready.
She was very depressed.
She kept blaming herself
instead of her boss.
Her boss?
Yeah.
That's who was raping her.
MAN:
Look, I understand the need
for investigation.
I, uh, just don't see
how I can help you.
Well, you were at the club,
weren't you?
I was in
the VIP room.
Told that to
the officers who
interviewed me.
You didn't tell them
you were sleeping
with the victim.
(sighs)
Well, now I see.
Someone's been talking about me
behind me back.
BENSON:
Then let's talk
openly...
in our squad room.
WOMAN:
Baby, I'm going now.
You'll call me later?
You know I will.
Give me a moment
to call my lawyer.
I'll have him
meet me there.
There's no need to.
You're not under arrest.
And I'd like
to keep it that way.
MAN:
My client is more than happy
to assist in the investigation.
He'll answer your questions.
Well, why don't we let
his DNA sample do the talking?
Oh, hey, hey,
take a swab.
It'll match.
I'm sure you'll
find my blood in
the alleyway, too.
Damn cat clawed the
hell out of my ass.
Listen, I had sex with
Vanessa that night.
That's not a crime.
Rape and sodomy are.
(laughs)
Rape?
Detective...
I don't need to
force women to
have sex with me.
BENSON:
Oh. So you expect
us to believe
that Vanessa liked being
half naked down on her knees
in a dirty alley?
Yeah, she grew to like it.
Once you stripped away
that schoolgirl exterior,
underneath lay a very...
adventurous woman.
Why did you go out back?
I don't like
to share my girls.
I saw Vanessa go outside
with her friend.
I wanted to make sure
they weren't having a quickie.
Were they?
No. No. Her tastes
have changed.
She told him
to get the hell out.
BENSON:
So, did you
see him leave?
Yeah, he got into a cab.
Vanessa and I had a little fun,
and then I went back inside.
So she fought
with her boyfriend,
had sex with you, and then,
a third guy came along,
and he killed her.
Is that what you're telling me?
Truth is stranger than fiction.
But you're the only one
with a history
of abusing Vanessa.
Oh, more gossip?
BENSON:
No.
We have witnesses.
Vanessa told people
about your repeated
sexual assault.
I don't recall
anyone watching us
having sex,
so unless you guys communicate
with ghosts... you got nothing.
All right, my client has
answered all of your questions,
so unless you're arresting him,
we're leaving.
(clears throat)
You'll notify me
if you want to speak
to my client any further...
Oh, we'll be
speaking to him
again, yeah.
Come on.
Detective Stabler.
Hi.
Any news about Vanessa?
PERRY:
Are you her father?
Yeah.
Hey, I'm really sorry.
Thanks.
Who are you?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, Perry Williams.
How did you know my daughter?
I was her boss.
Let's talk.
She was really sweet.
What? What?
Why are you here?
Just to answer a few questions.
About what?
My relationship
with your daughter.
Bastard. You murdered
and raped my daughter.
Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, I didn't have
to rape her.
And I sure
didn't kill her.
Let him go.
He's not worth it.
Let him go.
All right.
Come on.
Ray, you've got to
stop coming here.
I've got nothing
else to do.
What about your job?
I don't give a
damn about my
work anymore.
You're never
going to make
an arrest.
It's been three days.
Ray, you got to give me time.
That filth killed
my daughter,
and you're just
going to let him
walk out the door.
We don't have enough evidence
to arrest him for murder yet.
You could at least arrest him
for rape.
He's claiming their relationship
was consensual.
That's crazy.
We need proof.
What do you think?
It doesn't matter
what I think, Ray.
In your heart,
what do you think?
We may never know.
Please...
just tell me.
Did he rape her?
We're looking at him for it.
Did he do it?
(sighs)
We're going to get the guy.
Thanks.
Go home.
You sound like me
talking to Ray.
Elliot, there's nothing
we can do tonight.
We'll start fresh
in the morning.
I need to get that bastard.
Plenty of other bastards
out there, Elliot.
Why this one?
You know why.
I'm going to go catch
a few hours of sleep.
See you at 7:00.
Hey, it's Stabler.
I'm sorry to bother you so late.
I need you to do me a big favor.
You got to run the test tonight.
WOMAN:
I burned a sample
of the greasy residue
in the gas chromatograph.
Tell me it nails
Perry Williams.
Hear me out.
The grease on the gun had three
component organic substances.
The first two
are lanolin and talc.
Skin care products?
Exactly. Chemical
composition's identical
to the lotion and face powder
brands Vanessa used.
So the gun touched her skin.
It doesn't explain
the flakes trapped
in the lotion.
Cured tobacco.
Same brand as the cigarettes
we found
in Vanessa's purse.
Vanessa was carrying the gun.
She tried to defend herself,
perp took it away
and shot her.
You'd think so, but...
I decided to take another look
at the residue pattern
on Vanessa's hands.
Here it is.
But that residue pattern is not
consistent
with any defensive posture.
Not like this.
Not like this.
And so on.
So you've no match.
I think there might be.
Like this.
Fire in the hole!
(gunshot)
It's a match.
Vanessa killed herself.
Perry Williams
raped Vanessa
and it drove her
to suicide.
She steals the gun,
brings it down to the alley
to kill him, loses her nerve.
When Perry
rapes her again,
it's the last straw,
so, she kills herself.
This bastard is
going to skate.
We got nothing
on the rape.
You know, maybe Vanessa told
someone in person,
other than
the rape crisis counselor.
We get an outcry witness,
we got ourselves a chance.
Ray didn't know,
none of her friends knew.
Hell, no one even knew
she was suicidal.
They all say
she was a party girl.
This may explain why.
Vanessa's toxicology report.
It says that her blood
was positive for lithium.
What's that used for?
For treating
bipolar disorder.
No wonder she was flying high
one day and crashing the next.
BENSON:
Promiscuous,
going on spending sprees.
Explains why everyone thought
she was on drugs.
It also explains her
inability to break off
from Perry Williams
despite his
treatment of her.
So, why didn't
the lithium help?
Because the amount
found in her blood
wasn't a therapeutic dose.
My guess is she stopped taking
her meds a week ago.
So why didn't anybody tell us
about her diagnosis?
This is a woman who suffered
in silence.
Now we got to tell Ray
his only child killed herself.
BEVINS:
First you tell me
she's on drugs.
Now you tell me
that she's crazy.
And I'm telling you,
I know my daughter
and she was never suicidal.
If you'd like,
you can talk
to our medical examiner.
She can explain how she came
to the finding.
Thank you.
You know what, I will.
Did you know
that she was taking medication
for bipolar disorder?
She was moody.
I mean, she felt things
very intensely.
She was a caring sp...
Look, my daughter
was not sick.
Then Vanessa never mentioned
that she was seeing
a psychiatrist.
Ray, maybe she was ashamed.
No daughter wants
to disappoint her father.
Vanessa's problem was
that bastard Perry Williams.
He murdered her even
if he didn't pull the trigger.
BENSON:
But legally,
Ray...
legally...
he's not responsible
for her death.
Can you give us the name
of her doctor?
BEVINS:
I don't know.
She was using
the, uh, college
healthcare service.
Could you all just please leave?
MAN:
Vanessa wanted help
controlling her behavior.
The, uh, lithium worked
and in combination
with psychotherapy...
well, she was making
excellent progress.
Did she ever mention
a Perry Williams in therapy?
Yes. He was
encouraging
her to drink
and stop taking her meds.
STABLER:
Why?
To make her more vulnerable,
more manic.
He liked being with
a hypersexual party girl.
When she began to stabilize,
he lost his control over her.
That's when she realized
he was abusing her.
Well, why did she keep going out
with him?
Well, he's a handsome,
successful older man.
She was blinded by his charm.
Our tox screen
shows that Vanessa
had stopped
taking the lithium.
Now you know what can happen
to a manic depressive
when they go off their meds.
What did you do about it?
What could I do?
She's an adult, legally free
to make her
own choices.
She was suicidal.
Not last week
when I saw her.
You... should've told her father
what was going on.
The only way I could've
disclosed anything
is if she had been homicidal
or suicidal.
And as I said,
she wasn't.
Did Vanessa ever mention
confiding
in anybody else?
S-She was, um...
keeping a therapy journal.
BENSON:
Vanessa's roommate
had the diary.
I can see why she
kept it hidden from Ray.
It's graphic, sexual stuff.
A catalogue of
Perry's perversions.
He's a sexual sadist.
He doesn't want a partner,
he wants a victim.
I'm not sure
that's enough.
We talked to several
of Perry's ex-girlfriends.
He gets off on pain.
They'll all testify to that.
Were they raped?
No, but...
But then it's
not enough.
Vanessa's body showed signs
of sexual trauma.
Well, Perry
will argue
that it was rough
but consensual sex.
And we've got
her statements
to the psychiatrist
and the rape crisis counselor
that she was forced.
All right, those
I can get admitted
under the outcry exception
to the hearsay rule,
but I would still like
a confession from Perry.
Alex, it's all in here.
Everything that he did to her.
"I'm still bleeding
from last night.
"I should go to the hospital
"but I'm too embarrassed
to tell anyone.
"When I said
I couldn't have sex tonight,
he punched me so hard
I couldn't breathe."
Let's go after him
for the rape.
But just in case,
tell Ray to file a civil suit...
clean Perry out.
STABLER:
At least arresting Perry
might give Ray
some closure.
Maybe you, too.
Elliot, can I talk to you
for a minute?
I'll meet you down
at the corner.
What have you got?
Ray Bevins came by to see me.
Asked questions
about why we ruled
Vanessa's death a suicide.
Mm-hmm.
He accept it?
I walked him through
the evidence
as gently as I could
but I screwed up.
I mentioned the oral sodomy.
I thought
you told him.
No, no. No, I didn't want
to put that image in his head.
His daughter on her knees
in some filthy alley.
I'm sorry
but it's in there now.
He really lost it.
He left mumbling something
about a club.
(sirens wailing) Sector Charlie to Central.
Sorry, Detectives,
it was over when we got here.
Where's Ray Bevins?
The wind.
Dead guy was the
only one here
when we arrived.
We had him.
We had Perry.
Elliot,
Ray's still got the gun.
(sirens wailing)
(siren wailing)(tires screeching)
We boomed the door
and swept the place.
No sign of your guy.
DISPATCHER:
Requesting backup.
Man with a gun.
Where can he be?
This is all
about Vanessa.
He'd want to
be with her.
10-4. Copy that.
Detective Stabler.
Sector car in Central Park
has a man with a gun
to his head.
Description matches your guy.
Secure the perimeter.
Tell Ray we're on our way.
No one talks to him but me.
Ray.
Put the gun down.
Don't do this, Ray.
I have nothing left.
Let's talk.
Let's just sit here and talk.
Vanessa's gone.
I mean... there's no other way
to end the pain.
Vanessa loved you.
She wouldn't want you
to do this.
(voice trembling):
My daughter needed
help...
and she couldn't come to me.
I can't live with that.
Why here?
This was Vanessa's
favorite place
when she was a...
(voice cracking)
when she was a little girl.
Those memories are alive in you,
Ray.
You keep her alive.
Everything that you and Vanessa
had together.
That's what you want.
I want her to know
how much I love her.
(crying)
I want her to know
how sorry I am....
...I couldn't be there for her.
She's here, Ray, in your heart.
She's alive, here.
(crying)
She can only die
when you die, Ray.
(crying)
(crying hysterically)
Elliot...
I want to hear it from you.
Did you actually
lawyer up
for Ray Bevins?
He needed an attorney.
So you called one of the
best defense attorneys in town?
Usually you get a confession
instead of throwing up
road blocks
to protect the perps.
Ray Bevins is not a perp.
He killed a man
in cold blood.
He killed a sexual predator
that you said we couldn't
convict.
I will not condone vigilantism.
I am not going to let
my compassion for Ray
prevent me from doing my job.
Well, I did my job.
I arrested him.
He's all yours.
(door opening, closing)
I want manslaughter
and probation--
Extreme Emotional Disturbance.
Ray snapped when he found out
his daughter's rapist would go
unpunished for his crime.
For someone who "snapped,"
your client was thinking clearly
enough to obtain a weapon,
locate the defendant
and execute him.
That's not temporary insanity.
You know the EED statute
was designed to downgrade
murder charges
when they are mitigated
by the defendant's severe
psychological trauma.
Only when the
defendant's
mental state creates a loss
of self control.
Ray's actions appear deliberate
and rational.
Don't take our word for it.
Have your shrink evaluate Ray.
BEVINS:
Perry Williams...
...killed my daughter.
He took her to such a...
a dark place that she couldn't
find a way out.
So what did you do?
Guy I know at the work site
gave me the gun.
I went to the club,
said I had an appointment
with Perry
and waited in his office.
And what happened
after that?
Perry walked in.
I confronted him
with Vanessa's... rape.
He denied it and then...
...then he said that she liked
what he did to her.
Ray, how did Perry end up
in the alley?
(sighs)
I took him there.
I forced him to his knees
the way he forced Vanessa
to her knees.
He begged for his life.
H-He swore that he would tell
the truth to the cops.
I said, enough.
You know, enough lies.
So I put the gun in his mouth...
and I pulled the trigger.
HUANG:
Ray's emotional
pain is genuine,
and the cause for
his mental trauma
is legitimate,
but I don't buy his
affirmative defense.
Why the hell not?
This is a man who's
lost his daughter.
Well, despite
his emotional distress,
he had the presence of mind
to carefully plan this murder.
He knew right from wrong.
He knew nothing!
This is a guy
drowning in grief!
HUANG:
Ray made clear, logical
and deliberate choices.
He forced Perry out
into that alley
and symbolically reenacted
his daughter's rape and murder.
He didn't shoot Perry
in the chest.
He put the gun
in Perry's mouth,
imitating the oral sodomy.
CABOT:
I'll notify Ray's attorney
that we're going to fight it.
She'll probably try
for jury nullification,
get them to acquit
out of sympathy.
They should.
Look... I'm not mourning
for Perry Williams,
but I'm not rolling over
for Ray, either.
I need that report
as soon as you can get it.
I could've stopped him.
I should've known
what Ray was going to do.
How?
I would've done
the same thing.
No, you wouldn't.
Well, wait till
you're a parent.
Don't throw that crap at me,
Elliot.
You made a mistake.
What?
You let Ray in.
You're right, I did.
He got to me.
And now I'm responsible.
I-I don't remember
leaving the nightclub.
EMMETT:
What's the next thing
you do remember?
Sitting in the park
by the lake.
V-Vanessa and I
went there since...
she was a little girl.
I mean, she-she
would feed the ducks,
um, her sandwiches
when she thought
I wasn't looking.
But you still had the gun?
Yes.
What were you going
to do next?
Shoot myself so that
I could be with my daughter.
Thank you.
No further questions.
You blamed Perry Williams
for your daughter's death?
Yeah. He raped Vanessa,
and that's why
she killed herself.
You sound very certain
of that.
But Vanessa
was emotionally
unstable, wasn't she?
He made her that way.
Mr. Bevins,
she was under psychiatric care
and had been prescribed lithium
for a bipolar disorder.
Are you suggesting
that Perry Williams
was responsible
for that?
Yeah. He lowered
her self-esteem
and told her not to
take her medication.
My daughter was
happy and healthy
before she worked
at that club.
As far as you knew.
There was quite a bit
about her life
that Vanessa did not tell you.
Did she tell you that
she had been sexually assaulted?
So her relationship
with Perry Williams
could have been consensual
as he claimed?
You call the deceased
a rapist,
but you have no evidence other
than your personal beliefs.
That's not true.
Detective Stabler told me
that Perry Williams
raped my daughter.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
(knocking)
You're calling me to the stand?
CABOT:
No.
The defense is.
You've just become
their star witness.
Excuse me?
Elliot, did you tell Ray
that you knew Perry Williams
had raped Vanessa?
He says you did.
I told him
Perry was a suspect.
Now they're going
to use you to justify
Ray murdering Perry.
Ah, well, the hell with him.
He got what he deserved.
Well, now
it's your turn.
You gave premature information
to an unstable man.
You sure as hell
better be ready
when I cross-examine you.
EMMETT:
Detective Stabler,
did you have a conversation
with Ray Bevins
about Perry Williams?
Yes.
Do you remember
the content
of that conversation?
Not word for word, no.
Do you remember
telling Ray Bevins
that you believed Perry Williams
raped his daughter?
I said we were looking at him.
Did you say, quote,
"We're gonna get the guy"?
Yes, I said that.
Who did "the guy"
refer to?
The killer.
It didn't
necessarily mean
that I was looking
at Perry Williams.
But it's reasonable
to assume
that Ray believed
you meant Mr. Williams.
Now, did you tell Ray
that you were powerless
to arrest Mr. Williams?
At the time, we didn't have
enough evidence...
Yes or no,
Detective?
At the time of the murder,
did my client believe
you would ever be able
to arrest Mr. Williams?
Thank you.
"We're gonna get the guy."
Detective Stabler, when you made
that remark to the defendant,
was it based
on any official determination
from the NYPD?
Official determination? No.
Was it based
on any forensic evidence?
Yes. We had Perry Williams' DNA
on Vanessa's body.
DNA proves
that sex took place, not rape.
We had her diary.
A person, Detective,
not her writings.
We had
the rape crisis counselor...
An eyewitness, Detective?
So, your statement
to the defendant
that Perry Williams
raped Vanessa
was based purely on
your individual opinion.
Yes.
And why did
you say that?
Because he needed something
to hold onto.
So your sympathy
for the defendant
led you to give Ray Bevins
unsubstantiated information?
Yes.
Detective Stabler,
do you condone
Ray Bevins' murder
of Perry Williams?
Detective?
It was wrong.
Nothing further.
EMMETT:
The law is supposed
to provide us
with safety and justice,
but the law failed to get
justice for Vanessa Bevins.
And in his time of grief,
Ray Bevins learned that the man
who had abused, humiliated
and raped his daughter
was going to walk free.
Now, if it wereyourdaughter,
yourwife, yourmother
who had been raped,
and the police were unable
to arrest their attacker,
how would you feel?
Ray Bevins suffered
every parent's nightmare.
He did what every parent knows
in their heart they would do.
He acted from a place
of profound grief,
of overwhelming loss.
He did not have control
of his actions.
He tried to get justice
for his daughter
in the only way he knew how.
And now you must make justice
for Ray Bevins
and return a verdict
of not guilty.
Some of you may believe
that Perry Williams
raped Vanessa Bevins
in that alley,
but Perry Williams
is not on trial here.
In fact, he never got
his day in court at all.
So in the eyes of the law,
he is innocent
until proven guilty.
Even if his guilt
had been established
beyond a reasonable doubt,
he could not have been executed
for his crime.
Ray Bevins executed
Perry Williams.
He shot a man who was on his
knees, begging for his life.
Now some of you may think
that he deserved to die,
but you have to ask yourselves
if you would execute a man
whose guilt had not been proven.
We have all felt
the need for revenge
at some point in our lives.
We have all lashed out
in pain and anger.
And we have all thought
that justice means
an eye for an eye.
But is that justice?
Does Perry Williams' family
now have the right
to kill Ray Bevins?
Does Ray Bevins' family
then have the right
to retaliate
against Perry Williams?
When would it stop?
An eye for an eye leaves
the whole world blind.
JUDGE:
Has the jury reached
its verdict?
Yes, we have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please rise.
On the count of murder
in the second degree,
how does the jury find?
We find the defendant,
Raymond Bevins...
guilty.
JUDGE:
Thank you for your service.
You're excused.
Ray...
...I'm sorry.
I'm not.