The Rookie (2018–…): Season 4, Episode 16 - Real Crime - full transcript
Thorsen's documentary crew does another update with the squad.
Previously on
"The Rookie"...
That's Aaron Thorsen.
Rich kid.
TikTok famous
before he got arrested for
murdering his roommate in Paris.
I was locked in a cell
for 541 days.
The person who murdered Patrick,
he's still out there,
and no one is looking for him
because they still think
that I did it.
I don't want to be a part of
this reality TV show.
Sweetie, it's only
gonna help you.
I'm Morris Mackey. I'm
the reality TV producer here.
I just want to say,
this has been so fascinating.
I love true crime,
and to be in a documentary,
it's just --
it's a dream come true.
Thank you.
Thank you.
♪♪
Do I just...?
You're back.
Another crazy story --
how could I stay away?
Thank you.
You good to go?
Um, yeah.
Where should I, uh --
where should I start?
Why don't you, uh, tell me
about Aaron Thorsen?
Well, Aaron came
to the F.T.O. program
with the deck stacked
against him.
He had to sue the LAPD
even to get into the Academy.
I mean, you have to respect
just how hard he fought
just to be here.
Uh, but what happened in Paris
never left him,
no matter how hard he tried
to move on.
People would argue that doing
a reality show
is the opposite
of moving on.
Well, those people
haven't experienced
what it's like
to be infamous.
I mean, Aaron was desperate to
reset the way the world saw him.
And it all blew up
in his face.
Yeah.
Yeah, it really did.
♪♪
I can't believe this
is happening to me again.
It's nice
to see you again.
Mm-hmm.
And congratulations
on the baby.
Thank you.
Did being pregnant
make what you went through
with Aaron
more stressful?
Not here to talk about me.
Fair enough. Uh,
let's talk about
the reality show.
Okay.
It was his mom's idea.
It was a way to rebrand
his image.
And what did you think
of the title?
No comment.
Seriously, though.
You have to have
had an opinion --Listen, you're not
gonna get me
to say that dumbass title,
so let's just move on.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Yeah, so back there
is my parents' room
and the family room.
Um... Oh, right here,
this is my favorite photo.
I was 6.
And you might recognize
my dad.
He was part of a '90s rap duo,
Flex n' Flow.
That's them right here.
♪ Party's never stoppin'
♪ Who the boys
that make the noise? ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
Yeah, man, when I was a kid,
I used to love
riding my tricycle up and down
this hallway.
Until he knocked over my Music
Industry Achievement Award
and broke it.
Aaron tried to put it back
together with Play-Doh,
thinking we wouldn't notice.
But that's my son, always trying
to get away with something.
Not anymore.
I mean, now he's...
very responsible.
♪♪
Over here, we got
my childhood bedroom.
What the hell?
Hey, I never had
this picture of Patrick.
Did you put this here?
We just thought it'd be
a nice surprise.
Man, Morris, what the hell
did I tell you, man,
about faking stuff like this?
Relax.
Uh, not a big deal.
We just wanted to do it
for a take.
Yeah, man,
that's not cool.
You know what?
You're right.
My bad.
We'll -- We'll do it again,
but without the photo.
Okay.
Yeah, okay.
Got that?
Morris was white-hot
from doing
several award-winning
documentaries in a row.
The king of those
"30 Under 30" lists.
He had a real gift
for earning people's trust,
convincing them
that he was on their side,
that they have a say
on the final cut.
Then -- surprise --
they didn't.
Hey.
Sorry. I, uh, totally forgot
this was happening today.
We just started.
Uh, don't forget to tell him
about the, uh,
forensics expert.
I know.
And the, uh --
the French prosecutor.
I sent you that interview,
right?
He was biased against Aaron
from the jump.
I'm a decade older,
but Aaron and I
had similar upbringings --
rich parents,
private schools.
I'm just lucky social media
didn't exist.
Look, if I was
in Aaron's generation,
I would have just as much
embarrassing footage as he did.
Of what?
You studying tort reform at 15?
I got into trouble.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
The point is, when you grow up
in this world,
you don't hear "no" a lot,
which can make you a real ass--
can make you
a very selfish person.
♪ Another day
Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Yo, they only got,
like, five pairs of these
in the whole world,
and I got a pair.
You don't have a pair,
but I do.
What's up, what's up?!
Hey, yo, what up,
everybody?
It's your boy, AT!
My guy Patty P right here.
We got a pool party tonight.
Everybody come through.
Got the matching,
you know?
Got the matching.
And the shoes.
Hey.
Have fun.
You know what it is.
Hey! Whoa!
You know the vibes.
You know the vibes!
♪♪
$30,000 a bottle,
and he didn't drink a sip.
That boy lost his mind.
I had to get him out
of his comfort zone.
I mean, I-I thought, you know,
a semester abroad
would've helped him mature,
so I sent him to Paris.
♪♪
I was on scholarship.
University of Michigan.
Go Wolverines.
I don't know why I said that.
Can I please start over?
You're doing fine.
Uh, when did you first meet
Aaron and Patrick?
The program held a mixer
when we first arrived.
It was mostly just a bunch of
awkward college students
butchering French,
but Aaron and Patrick were from
this whole other world.
First impressions?
I mean, honestly, they seemed
like entitled douchebags.
But then I got to know them.
You know,
it was like another planet --
Planet Rich.
Patrick was the funniest.
All that stuff you saw
on Instagram,
no, that's not who they were.
Yeah, I mean, we went from
the Two Musketeers to Four,
you know, just like that.
Me, Patrick,
Rowan, and Everest,
we were, uh, inseparable.
And uh...
Man, that feels like
so long ago.
Are you nervous about
the reunion?
A little.
Or a lot.
Yeah, I mean, um, I haven't seen
them since the trial.
And they all went home,
graduated from college,
got jobs, and...
I went to prison.
Do they believe
in your innocence?
Yeah, 100%.
They've both said that.
You know, there can be
a big difference
between what people say
and what they believe.
♪♪
Sorry. Let's --
Hold on.
Let me reset that.
Sorry.
Ro, Ro,
good to see you, man!
Yeah, you too, man.
Yeah.
You look so different.
Yeah, I'm a little older.
No, it's not that.
I don't know.
You're like
a different guy.
Something like that.
I think I'm gonna cry.
Hey.
No, no, no crying.
You're gonna mess up my makeup.
Oh!
Oh, I'm sorry
I didn't come sooner.
No, d-- don't worry about it,
really.
I'm just glad
to see you guys.
Alright, so let's,
uh, get inside.
I got food, drinks...
cameras, and, uh...
I'm sorry.
This is so weird.
Hey, it's fine. We're just happy
to see you, bro.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah.
Yeah. Alright.
Guys, I got to swap out
my battery.
Give me a second?
Okay.
What the hell?
Holy --
Morris Mackey's throat
had been cut.
By the time
his body was found,
he'd been dead approximately
four hours.
And who were
your initial suspects?
Everyone who stepped foot
in the house that day.
Including Aaron.
Everyone.
Good morning.
Good morning.
It's nice to see you again.
Nice to see you!
I heard you were happy
with how
the last documentary
came out.
Oh, my God.
It was so good, and -- and --
And I got so many compliments.
Oh, that's great.
How about you?
Didn't see it.
Can we get started?
Uh, yeah.
So, tell me what happened when
you arrived at the scene.
We were
the first responders.
Whoa.
Okay.
It was a...frenetic day.
So many people -- so --
so many personalities.
But when you're talking
a star-studded crime scene
with a witness list comprised
mostly of influencers,
I guess that's
no surprise.
Alright, look,
even with all those cameras
and phones rolling in the house,
none of them caught anything
even remotely helpful
to our investigation.
Yeah. Luck?
It just wasn't in our cards
that day.
What?
Why are you so happy?
I am being colorful.
They will use more
of our coverage
if we give them evocative
sound bites.
I'm right, right?
Can we get back
to the murder?
I followed protocols.
You know, I -- I called it in,
cleared the house,
did everything right.
Mm-hmm.
You believe me, right?
O-Of course.
I mean, but we have to
follow protocol, too.
It's gonna be okay.
I can't believe this
is happening to me again.
I know.
A-Are you okay?
I think I'm having, like,
a panic attack.
Oh, okay.
Uh, just sit down,
and I'm gonna grab you
some water, okay?
I'll be right back.
Show's over.
Time to go.
What? Uh, no, no, no.
No, it's not.
This is my house,
my production.
The show goes on.
Connor, keep filming.
Yeah, that's not
how this works.
This is
my crime scene.
Shut it off now.
Shut it off!
There was nothing
we could do.
Well, thanks for coming out.
Yeah.
Our paramedic crew was
short-staffed,
and since we're all EMT-trained,
I was subbing in.
Oh, I don't understand.
Why were you called in
at all?
He was clearly dead,
right?
You have no idea how many people
I see look that way
and then spring back to life.
Oh. Interesting.
And what did you think
at the time?
Did it seem to you
like Aaron did it?
Of course not. He would never do
anything like that.
Really? And you're confident
saying that --
considering
your ex-husband?
Wow. Okay.
Ah, clearly,
you come prepared.
Yeah, um, I --
I married a sociopath once.
So maybe I'm not
the best judge of character.
It's not about being
a good judge of character.
We judge by the facts.
And what did the facts say?
At first?
Not much.
How long you been here
filming today?
About three
or four hours.
After rehearsal
this morning,
they had Everest and me
in the kitchen,
getting our hair
and makeup done
while they filmed
other stuff.
So you were in the kitchen
the whole time?
Uh, well, I did sneak off
to crafty once or...
four times.
I heard they had ice cream,
and I've been dieting
like crazy
'cause I was gonna be
on television,
and I heard the camera
adds like 10 pounds.
Is that true?
So when was the last time
you saw Morris?
Honestly, I ain't seen him
all day.
I was dealing with work stuff
right up
until we started filming.
And where were you
when Morris's body was found?
In my office.
And how would
you characterize
Aaron's relationship
with Morris?
It's important
you tell the truth.
They didn't always agree about
the direction of the show.
But my son,
he would never hurt anyone.
Hey, do we really have
to do this in here?
Yes, we do, son.
Per government code 3300
and per Lybarger,
I am required to advise
that you do nothave
the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can
and will be used against you.
Refusal to fully
and completely answer
all of Detective Lopez's
questions
will result
in immediate termination.
Do you understand?
Yes, sir.
And I'm here
to protect you
as your union representative.
This is your choice.
But like
Sergeant Grey said,
if you choose not to cooperate,
you will lose your job.
Of course I'll cooperate.
Good man.
Alright.
I'll leave you to it.
I didn't kill Morris.
When I saw him lying there,
like Patrick...
I understand.
But it was common knowledge
that you and Morris
weren't on
the best of terms.
Who are you with? TMZ?
You still feeding off my grief, you vultures?!
Come on, guys.
Morris,
what are you doing, man?
Get 'em out of here, man!
Get out of here now!
Go!
Yeah, what he did
to Patrick's dad
was callous and exploitative,
but I wouldn't kill him
for it.
Yeah, that was bad.
Aaron pulled over Patrick's dad
in a routine car stop.
It was a total random reunion,
but Morris and his cameraman
were there filming,
and that just made
everything worse.
Dexter Hayes, he was a --
a grieving father, you know?
And he -- he took a swing
at Officer Thorsen,
so we had to book him,
but we let him go
as soon as we could.
And, you know, I thought
that would be the end of it.
But you suspected
that Patrick's dad
could have killed Morris?
We did.
He was furious
about "Every Rose Has A --"
about the reality show.
And after years of the press
feeding off of his grief,
yeah, it was believable
that he could've snapped.
This is absurd.
You do know that?
Alright, sir,
can you tell me where you were
yesterday afternoon?
I was in the office,
morning to midnight.
Ask any one
of my employees.
I didn't do this.
Any idea who did?
I can tell you that
whoever killed that man,
his last name is Thorsen.
I blame myself for ever letting
them into Patrick's life.
They're a sick family.
And Aaron is not
the only killer among them.
What did he mean by that?
You know
what he meant by that.
And we knew
from the reality show
that Morris gave
Aaron's father a clear motive.
And that's what I was thinking
for the opening theme.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I like it.
You do?
Almost as much
as I like you.
Mm.
You're so sweet.
Oh.
Hey!
You hooking up
with my wife, man?!
Linc,
it's not what you think.
Boy, you better get
the hell up out of here!
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this
to me again?!
In my own house!
There's footage
of Lincoln catching
Morris and Yvonne
in an intimate moment.
That had to factor
into your investigation.
Jealousy is
a primal motive.
And some believe
that Lincoln had killed
for jealousy
once before.
He was a suspect in
a 20-year-old murder, wasn't he?
Yes, he was.
What can you
tell me about your father's
hip-hop duo, Flex n' Flow?
I mean, I was, like, a baby,
you know,
when they were
at their height.
And, uh, that was the year
"Make Da Noise" went platinum.
Flex n' Flow
had one of the most
iconic singles
of the late '90s.
Oh, my God.
"Make Da Noise"?
That's like one
of my go-to karaoke jams.
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ The party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ Who da boyz that
make da noise? ♪
♪ Flex 'n Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
Can I be interviewed
alone?
Yeah, we comin' for you.
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz
who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz
who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow
♪♪
Oh, yes, that's me.
I was a Flow Girl.
Wait. What?
There was a scout who saw me
cheering in high school,
and he asked me to audition.
At first, I thought he was
just trying to get in my pants.
But it turned out to be legit,
and it was for Flex n' Flow.
I was the biggest fan.
What are you
wearing, by the way?
Oh, I teach capoeira
on Thursdays and Sundays.
Oh.
Did you ever see
Flex n' Flow argue
while you were working
with them?
Mm, I mean...well, sure,
but nothing serious.
They were like brothers,
and brothers fight.
What do you say to the people
who are convinced
that your husband
killed his late partner?
Oh, honey, this alleged "feud"
between Linc and Calvin
has gotten blown way out
of proportion over the years.
But what about the night
of Calvin's murder?
The infamous pre-release party
for "2 Hype Homies"?
Did the party
get a little wild? Sure.
Did the police come
and break it up? Mm-hmm.
And did Linc and Calvin argue?
You bet.
But they were just
passionate people.
And nobody
ever threatened nobody.
Yeah, they, uh --
they threatened each other.
I was there.
I was a rookie officer then.
And my T.O. and I had got
a 415 call
for an out-of-control party.
It was a record release event
for Flex n' Flow.
But anyway,
as we were breaking things up,
I saw Flex n' Flow
in each other's faces.
Could you hear
what they were fighting about?
No. Um, as I approached,
their limousine was pulling up.
But Flex -- um --
um, I'm sorry, Lincoln --
was still very hot.
He refused to get into the limo
with Flow, and, um...
Yeah, he said
that he'd rather walk
than to deal
with Flow's nonsense.
Um...
It was a good thing, too.
A devastating loss
for the music industry today,
as Calvin Yard, one half
of the popular duo Flex n' Flow,
was gunned down in Los Angeles
last night
after leaving
his record launch party.
It couldn't have been
more than five minutes later
that we got
a shots-fired call.
As Flow's limo was making
the turn on La Cienega,
a car pulled alongside it
and unloaded 20 rounds
at the rear of the vehicle.
Um, Flow was shot
seven times.
Yeah.
That was my first homicide.
I'll never forget it.
It changes you.
I did not have anything to do
with Calvin's death.
But at the time of
his murder, all the talk was --
That was garbage, man.
All garbage.
I loved Calvin
like a brother.
You know, this --
this is
straight-up exploitive.
Calvin's murder was solved
decades ago, and you know it.
A man named Gary Brown
was convicted of Flow's murder.
It turns out Flow
was sleeping with Gary's wife.
So as far as the LAPD
was concerned, case closed.
Yeah, but the aura of guilt
haunted Lincoln's reputation
like a dark shroud.
I'm sorry.
That was really good.
Thanks.
And with Lincoln alibi'd out,
you know,
the investigation
focused on Yvonne.
Mrs. Thorsen, how long
had you been having an affair
with Morris Mackey?
Please.
I was not sleeping
with him.
But the footage -- from
"Every Rose Has A Thorsen" --
we saw it.That was for the show.
What, are you saying
you staged it?
It's a reality show.
Of course we staged it.
I can prove it.
I have the rest of the footage.
Boy, you better get
the hell up out of here!
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this
to me again?!
In my own house!
You got some nerve!
L-Let's talk about all the women
you slept with
when you were F-Flex?
Cut!
Cut, cut, cut, cut.
Linc, buddy,
you're going off-script.
"I can't believe
you're seriously
doing this to me again"?
That's not the line.
Yeah, man,
I was improv'ing a little.
Yeah, maybe not do that,
okay?
It's a lot more powerful
if this is the first time
Yvonne has stepped out
on you.
Okay.
So, Morris, how did I do?
It was a bit big.
Yeah, maybe, uh,
dial it back a hair.
Let's go again.
Back to one.
Go.
We're making a show,
people.
None of that was in the footage
you turned over to us.
Oops. My bad.
We want everything --
now --
or you'll be arrested
for obstruction.
Ooh, that was good.
Do you think I can get
a copy of that?
That will play really well
in the show.
Mrs. Thorsen,
this is serious.
Morris Mackey was murdered
in your house.
Your son
is still a suspect.
Just like the police
to only focus
on what's
in front of their nose.
Morris Mackey didn't just appear
out of thin air
when he started working
for me.
Honey,
the man had enemies.
They're the crazy ones!
We're the sane ones!
You're the cult!
You're sheep!
Prior to working
with the Thorsen family,
Morris had been hired by a bunch
of QAnon conspiracy theorists.
Apparently, they didn't like
the negative publicity
they were getting,
and they wanted
to show their side.
Try to control
the narrative.
Mm.
So what happened?
Morris was allowed
into the inner sanctum.
Conducted dozens of interviews
with founders and followers.
But he didn't make
a propaganda film,
he told the truth.
We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared
to start killing
for our freedom.
Morris may have won
an Emmy,
but he also pissed off
a lot of unhinged
and hyper-violent people.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
I've heard rumors
that you have insight into
the QAnon angle on this case.
Have you ever tried to put
toothpaste back in the tube?
Look, I know
it's an expression,
but have you actually tried
to do it?
I have.
It's basically impossible.
And what do you think Q
is trying to tell people
with his Q-Drops,
these cryptic messages?
I really wasn't trying
to say anything.
I was just typing, and maybe
I got a little carried away.
Wait.
What did you say?
Well, I guess now is as good
a time as any to reveal it.
I'm Q.
Smitty is Q?
I'm sorry. What?
Lord, give me strength.
What?
A lot of writers
use pseudonyms.
Q is my first initial,
so...
Hey, is my name down there?
But it was an accident?
He -- He didn't start it
on purpose?
That's what he said.
Yeah,
sounds like Smitty.
I was trying to start
the fan-fiction club
for "This Is Us,"
and things just got out of hand.
What the hell
does "This is Us" fanfic
have to do with a cult?
I mistakenly mixed cough syrup
with diet pills
when I was writing
this satanic, alien story line
for Jack and Rebecca.
I woke up the next morning
and read it --
none of it made sense.
But, overnight,
I'd gotten so many followers,
I just went with it.
You can't put the toothpaste
back in the tube.
Morris had received threats from
hundreds of QAnon followers,
but when we started
investigating them,
one immediately stood out.
Tell me
about Connor Hart.
What about him
got your attention?
Well, he was working as a
cameraman on the reality show,
so -- that.
Connor,
thanks for coming down.
I'm not in trouble, am I?
No. We just need to clear
a few things up.
I told you
everything I know.
I was getting a battery,
and he was just lying there.
I'm not sure
if you're aware,
but it's common to run
background checks on witnesses.
And when we looked into you,
we discovered
that you're a member
of QAnon.
No, no, no, I --
I may have gone
to a political rally or two,
but I'm really
not into that.
I swear.
We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared to
start killing for our freedom.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
So, clearly,
you are a follower of Q.
Why would you work
for Morris?
Honestly?
I realized
Morris was the best thing
that could have happened
to the movement.
That makes no sense.
But it does.
Morris's documentary exposed
who was a true believer.
And who wasn't.
He never admitted it,
but I think Morris
was working for Q.
That's why I followed him
to the next gig.
Do you still consider yourself
a believer of Q?
Well, some stuff
didn't come true.
The London bombing,
the Pope's arrest,
Zuckerberg still has a job.
January 20th
came and went,
March 4th came and went.
I'm starting to think Kennedy
is still dead.
Both of them.
Mm.
So you don't believe
in Q anymore?
Oh, I believe every word.
Connor was, um --
Deranged?
Let's say...
reality-challenged,
which doesn't make him
a killer.
No. And the fact that he had
a camera on his shoulder
for the entire
murder window
means that he couldn't
have killed Morris,
so we were back
to square one.
When the QAnon lead
didn't pan out,
how did you pick up
the pieces of the case?
We rolled up our sleeves
and put in the hours.
We took on
the painstaking process
of reviewing
every piece of video Morris shot
in the weeks
before he died,
including the footage
Yvonne "forgot" to give us.
Until I found something
that changed everything.
♪♪
Lopez!
Come look at this!
So I immediately informed
Detective Lopez
of what I discovered.
Look what I just found.
Wow.
What?
Look.
Okay.
I thought I knew everything
about Patrick's murder.
I had done my homework.
But the truth was hiding right
in front of me all this time.
I know
who killed Patrick Hayes.
And I can prove it. I --
Uh, someone's here.
More to follow.
That video
was recorded
minutes before
Morris was murdered.
I mean, Morris
claiming that he knew
who the killer was
must've been energizing for you.
Finally. A break
in your roommate's murder --
No, he --
He wasn't my roommate.
And I -- I hate when people
call him that --
you know, like we found
each other
on some French Craigslist
or something like that.
Patrick was my best friend,
from the time
that we were little kids.
I mean, I was at his house
so often,
his dad bought us
two of everything,
you know, like siblings.
Yeah,
Patrick was my brother.
How did it feel to hear
that Morris thought
he'd discovered
who killed Patrick?
I mean, there had been
so many theories over the years.
And so many people think
that they had it figured out.
I -- I just never really
got my hopes up about it.
This was different, though.
I mean, he made a break
in the case
and died minutes later.
You have to see
the connection.
Well, uh, in the words
of Detective Harper --
We look for facts,
not stories.
Yeah, sure, but, I mean,
the timing --
I mean, these murders
had to be related.
Whoever killed Patrick
also killed Morris.
Is it possible
Morris found out
that Aaron was the killer
all along?
Not a chance.
The Paris police
never had a shred of evidence
against Aaron.
They fumbled
the entire case.
Right off the bat,
the paparazzi
completely contaminated
the crime scene.
But Aaron's DNA
was all over the murder weapon.
You mean the knife
the killer pulled
from the kitchen block
on Aaron and Patrick's counter?
What -- What do you want to bet
that if we went to your house,
we'd find your DNA
all over your stuff, too?
I mean --
Was that too mean?
No, that actually
felt good.
It was a dumb question.
From the beginning,
the French police's case
against Aaron
seemed flawed --
Oh, yeah.
Their case was a mess --
and their forensics
were compromised.
I mean, the theory
that Aaron killed Patrick
because he didn't do his share
of the chores never made sense.
For one thing,
they had a housekeeper.
For another,
Aaron is not a psychopath,
which you would have to be
to stab your roommate
for leaving dirty dishes
in the sink.
I mean, I've come close to
stabbing him over dirty dishes,
but that's different --
we're married.
Mm.
What do you say
to the theory
that Aaron had a falling out
with his roommate?
Aaron and Patrick
were out partying that night.
Does that sound like
a broken friendship
careening towards murder?
By his own admission, Aaron was
taking prescription drugs.
Yeah. For a football injury
he got in high school.
They impair your ability
to operate heavy machinery,
not -- not turn you
into a hardened killer.
♪♪
Aaron passed out early.
Woke up in the middle
of the night.
Went to pee
and found Patrick's body.
♪♪
The French police took one look
at a young Black man,
and decided he was the killer.
I mean, they didn't even pursue
any other suspects.
Bonjour, I appreciate you
speaking with me.
Your accent
is terrible.
Um, Detective,
you've been accused
of leading an incredibly biased
investigation --
Mais non.
We followed the facts.
Mm. And the fact
that Patrick picked up
a woman at the club
that night?
Collette Lavinge?
She was seen leaving
the apartment
before the time of death.
Understand?
What about her jealous,
controlling boyfriend?
Did you interview him?
No. We did not.
Mm.
But the thing that
ultimately got you released
from prison was the
identification of this man.
Yeah.
Collette's boyfriend, Julien.
Handsome. French.
And, you know,
let's just say it --
he's super white.
You know?
Uh, what is --
What is "Finance Bro"
in French?
Shouldn't you know that?
You spent years in France.
Yeah, but I didn't --
I didn't retain it.
It was actually a group
of Internet sleuths
who found
Collette's boyfriend.
They spent countless hours
investigating Aaron's case.
They also pointed
the finger at dozens
of innocent people,
ruining their lives.
Yes. Some members of the group
took it a little too far.
We've been looking at the
Internet sleuths, actually.
Any chance you post under
the title "truecrimejunkie"?
I...
That -- That --
That doesn't s--
I might have logged on once --
once or twice, yeah.
Seriously?
I mean, can you not see
how people would take that
as a clear sign of bias?
I categorically deny any
preferential treatment, okay?
How can you say
that with a straight face,
when it was revealed that Julien
was the son
of the French
Finance Minister?
Are you telling me you didn't
get a phone call asking you --
Merci beaucoup.
C'est terminé.
Merci.
Oh, come on. Don't do that.
Come back.
So, it must've been
so frustrating to learn
that the French police
knew his identity
before your first trial
and didn't say anything.
I mean, yeah.
The -- The good news
was that the fact
that they ignored Julien --
uh, it got me my retrial.
But the bad news was the
unidentified DNA on the knife --
it -- it didn't belong
to Julien.
So he --
You know, he had an alibi.
As horrible
as the experience was,
is there anything that you
actually miss from that time?
I miss?
God, no.
W--
Well, Carlos.
Carlos?
Yeah.
Uh, Carlos the Jackal.
He -- He was my cellmate.
And, uh, man, pbht,
he has some stories.
So you're saying the Jackal
got you through
your year and a half
of incarceration?
No.
My mom did.
Yeah, I don't --
I don't think I would have got
through it without her.
Um...
She actually leased an apartment
in Paris
until I was released.
And, uh, she visited me
every week.
And I'll tell you what.
If they would have let her,
she would have been over there
every day.
Of course I moved to Paris.
I'm his mother.
I would have served the prison
time for him if I could.
You're a close family.
We are.
We've been tested.
Were you close
with Patrick?
Yes.
I adored him.
He was a wonderful boy.
According
to your friends,
you thought Patrick
was a troublemaker,
and a bad influence
on Aaron.
Anyone who said that
was lying.
Yvonne -- were you in Paris
the day Patrick was murdered?
Of course not.
I was here in LA.
How do you explain
this footage,
taken the day
of Patrick's murder?
♪♪
Oh, hell, no.
This interview is over.
Yvonne.
No. No.
We did not okay
this question.
Who do you think you are?
Fired!
I actually don't work
for you.
You need to kiss my ass.
Did you know
that your mother was in Paris
the day that
Patrick was killed?
What?
No, she was --
she was home in LA.
Mm. We have footage
of her shopping
on the Champs-Elysées
the night of the murder.
Okay, well, that --
That's impossible.
Isn't this her?
♪♪
Okay.
Officer Thorsen,
come back.
Come on.
Let's finish this interview.
Hey, there he is.
You lied to me.
Jimmy, get down.
You lied to everyone.
I didn't want all
my private business out there
for all the world
to see.
Mom, you are literally
producing
a reality show
about our lives.
That's different.
I was on trial for murder,
fighting for my life.
Exactly.
The fact that I was even
in Paris on that night --
how does that help you?
And what was
your reaction
to the revelation
that Aaron's mother
was in Paris at the time
of the murder?
Like, bombshell.
Game changer.
I mean, none of this stuff came
out at the time of the trial.
This is --
It's so exciting,
what it means for the case --
Not for Aaron.
His mom lied to him.
Y-Yes, that --
Well, that is true.
Thanks for coming back in.
We just need
to clear something up
about the night Patrick
was killed.
Patrick? I thought this was
about Morris's murder.
Oh, it's about both.
See, you felt Patrick
was a bad influence on your son.
So you flew Aaron to Paris
to separate them.
Only Patrick
followed Aaron there,
so you took matters
into your own hands.
You flew to Paris,
you killed Patrick.
But somehow Morris
found out,
so to keep
your deadly secret,
you killed him too.
Yeah,
that's a fun theory --
a good story --
but you're wrong.
Then explain
why you went to Paris
and why you kept it
a secret.
Because I was
with Jean-Pierre Darby.
Who?
The footballer?
Yes, we met a month before,
at a fashion show in Milan.
I'm -- I'm sorry.
You went to Paris for an
international bootie call?
Yes.
And we were in bed
all night.
Ask him.
Hell, ask the neighbors.
They were determined
to convict you.
Had it come out
that I was in town,
they would've used it
against you,
said that we were conspiring
to kill Patrick.
Coming clean would've only hurt
your case, made it worse.
Yeah, you know what? I forgot
how good you are at that.
At what?
At justifying yourself.
You lied in a murder trial,
you cheated on your husband,
and now you're the hero,
right?
Yeah. Sure, Mom.
We'll go with that.
You accused Aaron's
mother of the murder.
With almost no evidence
to back it up.
I -- I did.
And, uh, in my defense,
I'd been scrubbing
reality show footage
for over 200 hours
at that point.
So who broke the case?
Oh, that was
Detective Lopez.
My wife is a badass.
We knew the murders
were connected.
And we knew that
Patrick's murder in Paris
was never
properly investigated.
So I dug
back into that case.
Right now I'm just trying
to build a timeline,
getting to know more
about Patrick's life.
What did the four of you do
that last month?
No detail is too small.
Um...
Let's ask my brain.
I can tell you one thing
that we definitely didn't do.
Go to class.
I mean, Aaron's parents
let him borrow their private jet
anytime he wanted,
so we went all around Europe.
I mean, Italy.
Greece.
French Riviera.
Can I see?
Yeah.
I thought --
screw school,
when am I ever gonna get to
visit planet rich again, right?
So, Santorini
for the weekend?
Yes, please.
These photos of you guys
on the tarmac,
you always have
so much luggage.
I know.
Rowan always acted like
it was the Oregon Trail.
Why?
Every time I've seen him,
he was wearing a golf tee
and jeans.
Not exactly
a clotheshorse.
Oh, uh...
True.
I wonder
what was in there.
Did you ever see Rowan
with drugs back then?
I mean -- yeah.
He was always kind of
"the life of the party,"
if you know what I mean.
Why?
Before Paris,
Rowan's family in Iowa
was in financial trouble.
He almost dropped
out of school.
Now he lives in Brentwood
and drives a Porsche.
I guess?
I -- I see
you're very excited,
and I love that --
I -- I'm not really following.
I...
Hey, Nolan.
Where's Rowan?
Uh, he just left.
Why? I thought
you were done with him?
I was -- until I realized
he's the one who killed Patrick.
Alright. Here we go.
Here we go.
Nice, nice.
Bro, it's been crazy.
I've added like
half a million followers
from all the publicity.
What? You think, uh --
You think, uh, Aaron did it?
Pbht. Of course he did.
The guy's a total psycho.
Okay, watch this --
Aw. Fudge.
Hold on,
I'm gonna do it again --
Okay, okay.
Rowan.
What the hell?
We got a warrant
for your arrest.
What?
For what?
For the murders of
Patrick Hayes and Morris Mackey.
Oh, snap.
That's crazy.
And wrong.
I didn't --
why would you even think that?
Because Patrick found out
you were smuggling drugs
in Aaron's private jet, and
threatened to tell the police.
Somehow Morris found out
that you killed Patrick
to protect your secret,
so you killed him too.
Come on.
That's -- I mean --
That's so -- so wrong --
- Hey! Rowan!
- Rowan!
Okay.
Bro, wait.
- Oh.
- Oh, snap.
You okay?
Alright, you're fine.
Stand up.
Put it down.
You're under arrest.
Rowan always had
these crazy plans.
You know,
"Let's go to Morocco,"
or, "Dude, I heard about
this sick party in Ibiza..."
And I -- I --
I never thought about it,
but he was the one who decided
where we were flying to always.
And, you know,
now, looking back at it,
with "cop eyes," I mean,
it is so obvious
that Rowan
was up to something.
I just could never see it.
I mean,
Patrick did, though.
But, like, why -- why --
why didn't he tell me, you know?
We talked about everything --
you know, why wouldn't he --
why wouldn't he tell me
about this?
You know, if he had...
♪♪
everything --
everything
would've been so different.
♪♪
Aaron.
Is it true?
Yes, sir.
Rowan Clauson confessed
to murdering Patrick.
I'm so sorry
I didn't believe you.
Can you ever forgive me?
Of course.
♪ Say you'll be there for me
After all this time, the case
of who killed Patrick Hayes
was finally solved.
But the question
that lingers is --
is whether the emotional wounds
will heal --
♪ When I need you
Feels gross, right?
Yeah.
♪ I need you
♪ Say you'll be there
Two people were dead.
♪ ...for an answer that I...
Even after you catch the guy,
it's still just awful.
♪ Look down and see the body
I can barely breathe in ♪
I'm just glad
the truth finally came out.
Aaron's innocence is now proven
without a doubt.
He deserves to move on
with the rest of his life.
And we'll be here
to help him do that.
And now that it's over,
what's your view
of Aaron Thorsen?
Ah.
I will admit, it took a minute
for Aaron to win me over.
But once he did,
I knew he'd be a good cop.
♪ I need your help
Alright, I'm done.
Uh, wait.
This is not gonna air before
his training is done, right?
'Cause I gotta --
I gotta keep him hungry.
I never once stopped
believing in my boy.
Has he forgiven you
for the lie?
He will.
There's nothing our family
can't get through.
It looks like Aaron
will finally be able
to put all this behind him.
That's -- That's not really
how it works.
I mean, as someone
who has had friends killed,
you never really
get closure.
All you can hope for
is that the memories of them --
the -- the good times
you had together --
are what you see
when you think of them.
How does it feel,
having the truth come out
after all these years?
♪ ...when I need you to
I-I-- I don't know.
It's --
It's still sinking in.
This is obviously gonna make
compelling episodes
of your reality show.
Oh, no. That --
"Every Rose Has A Thorsen"
is not moving forward.
I mean, it was --
it was a mistake to do
in the first place, yeah.
I mean, the only reason
why I did agree to it
was to rehabilitate
my image.
Um, but ironically it ended up
doing something even better --
which was uncover the truth.
So what
are you gonna do now?
♪ You reach out and say
what I need to hear ♪
♪ Might be dark right now
but the light is near ♪
Live.
♪ And I know that you...
For myself.
♪ ...will always be here
And for Patrick.
Mm-hmm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
"The Rookie"...
That's Aaron Thorsen.
Rich kid.
TikTok famous
before he got arrested for
murdering his roommate in Paris.
I was locked in a cell
for 541 days.
The person who murdered Patrick,
he's still out there,
and no one is looking for him
because they still think
that I did it.
I don't want to be a part of
this reality TV show.
Sweetie, it's only
gonna help you.
I'm Morris Mackey. I'm
the reality TV producer here.
I just want to say,
this has been so fascinating.
I love true crime,
and to be in a documentary,
it's just --
it's a dream come true.
Thank you.
Thank you.
♪♪
Do I just...?
You're back.
Another crazy story --
how could I stay away?
Thank you.
You good to go?
Um, yeah.
Where should I, uh --
where should I start?
Why don't you, uh, tell me
about Aaron Thorsen?
Well, Aaron came
to the F.T.O. program
with the deck stacked
against him.
He had to sue the LAPD
even to get into the Academy.
I mean, you have to respect
just how hard he fought
just to be here.
Uh, but what happened in Paris
never left him,
no matter how hard he tried
to move on.
People would argue that doing
a reality show
is the opposite
of moving on.
Well, those people
haven't experienced
what it's like
to be infamous.
I mean, Aaron was desperate to
reset the way the world saw him.
And it all blew up
in his face.
Yeah.
Yeah, it really did.
♪♪
I can't believe this
is happening to me again.
It's nice
to see you again.
Mm-hmm.
And congratulations
on the baby.
Thank you.
Did being pregnant
make what you went through
with Aaron
more stressful?
Not here to talk about me.
Fair enough. Uh,
let's talk about
the reality show.
Okay.
It was his mom's idea.
It was a way to rebrand
his image.
And what did you think
of the title?
No comment.
Seriously, though.
You have to have
had an opinion --Listen, you're not
gonna get me
to say that dumbass title,
so let's just move on.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Yeah, so back there
is my parents' room
and the family room.
Um... Oh, right here,
this is my favorite photo.
I was 6.
And you might recognize
my dad.
He was part of a '90s rap duo,
Flex n' Flow.
That's them right here.
♪ Party's never stoppin'
♪ Who the boys
that make the noise? ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
Yeah, man, when I was a kid,
I used to love
riding my tricycle up and down
this hallway.
Until he knocked over my Music
Industry Achievement Award
and broke it.
Aaron tried to put it back
together with Play-Doh,
thinking we wouldn't notice.
But that's my son, always trying
to get away with something.
Not anymore.
I mean, now he's...
very responsible.
♪♪
Over here, we got
my childhood bedroom.
What the hell?
Hey, I never had
this picture of Patrick.
Did you put this here?
We just thought it'd be
a nice surprise.
Man, Morris, what the hell
did I tell you, man,
about faking stuff like this?
Relax.
Uh, not a big deal.
We just wanted to do it
for a take.
Yeah, man,
that's not cool.
You know what?
You're right.
My bad.
We'll -- We'll do it again,
but without the photo.
Okay.
Yeah, okay.
Got that?
Morris was white-hot
from doing
several award-winning
documentaries in a row.
The king of those
"30 Under 30" lists.
He had a real gift
for earning people's trust,
convincing them
that he was on their side,
that they have a say
on the final cut.
Then -- surprise --
they didn't.
Hey.
Sorry. I, uh, totally forgot
this was happening today.
We just started.
Uh, don't forget to tell him
about the, uh,
forensics expert.
I know.
And the, uh --
the French prosecutor.
I sent you that interview,
right?
He was biased against Aaron
from the jump.
I'm a decade older,
but Aaron and I
had similar upbringings --
rich parents,
private schools.
I'm just lucky social media
didn't exist.
Look, if I was
in Aaron's generation,
I would have just as much
embarrassing footage as he did.
Of what?
You studying tort reform at 15?
I got into trouble.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
The point is, when you grow up
in this world,
you don't hear "no" a lot,
which can make you a real ass--
can make you
a very selfish person.
♪ Another day
Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Yo, they only got,
like, five pairs of these
in the whole world,
and I got a pair.
You don't have a pair,
but I do.
What's up, what's up?!
Hey, yo, what up,
everybody?
It's your boy, AT!
My guy Patty P right here.
We got a pool party tonight.
Everybody come through.
Got the matching,
you know?
Got the matching.
And the shoes.
Hey.
Have fun.
You know what it is.
Hey! Whoa!
You know the vibes.
You know the vibes!
♪♪
$30,000 a bottle,
and he didn't drink a sip.
That boy lost his mind.
I had to get him out
of his comfort zone.
I mean, I-I thought, you know,
a semester abroad
would've helped him mature,
so I sent him to Paris.
♪♪
I was on scholarship.
University of Michigan.
Go Wolverines.
I don't know why I said that.
Can I please start over?
You're doing fine.
Uh, when did you first meet
Aaron and Patrick?
The program held a mixer
when we first arrived.
It was mostly just a bunch of
awkward college students
butchering French,
but Aaron and Patrick were from
this whole other world.
First impressions?
I mean, honestly, they seemed
like entitled douchebags.
But then I got to know them.
You know,
it was like another planet --
Planet Rich.
Patrick was the funniest.
All that stuff you saw
on Instagram,
no, that's not who they were.
Yeah, I mean, we went from
the Two Musketeers to Four,
you know, just like that.
Me, Patrick,
Rowan, and Everest,
we were, uh, inseparable.
And uh...
Man, that feels like
so long ago.
Are you nervous about
the reunion?
A little.
Or a lot.
Yeah, I mean, um, I haven't seen
them since the trial.
And they all went home,
graduated from college,
got jobs, and...
I went to prison.
Do they believe
in your innocence?
Yeah, 100%.
They've both said that.
You know, there can be
a big difference
between what people say
and what they believe.
♪♪
Sorry. Let's --
Hold on.
Let me reset that.
Sorry.
Ro, Ro,
good to see you, man!
Yeah, you too, man.
Yeah.
You look so different.
Yeah, I'm a little older.
No, it's not that.
I don't know.
You're like
a different guy.
Something like that.
I think I'm gonna cry.
Hey.
No, no, no crying.
You're gonna mess up my makeup.
Oh!
Oh, I'm sorry
I didn't come sooner.
No, d-- don't worry about it,
really.
I'm just glad
to see you guys.
Alright, so let's,
uh, get inside.
I got food, drinks...
cameras, and, uh...
I'm sorry.
This is so weird.
Hey, it's fine. We're just happy
to see you, bro.
Yeah, me too.
Yeah.
Yeah. Alright.
Guys, I got to swap out
my battery.
Give me a second?
Okay.
What the hell?
Holy --
Morris Mackey's throat
had been cut.
By the time
his body was found,
he'd been dead approximately
four hours.
And who were
your initial suspects?
Everyone who stepped foot
in the house that day.
Including Aaron.
Everyone.
Good morning.
Good morning.
It's nice to see you again.
Nice to see you!
I heard you were happy
with how
the last documentary
came out.
Oh, my God.
It was so good, and -- and --
And I got so many compliments.
Oh, that's great.
How about you?
Didn't see it.
Can we get started?
Uh, yeah.
So, tell me what happened when
you arrived at the scene.
We were
the first responders.
Whoa.
Okay.
It was a...frenetic day.
So many people -- so --
so many personalities.
But when you're talking
a star-studded crime scene
with a witness list comprised
mostly of influencers,
I guess that's
no surprise.
Alright, look,
even with all those cameras
and phones rolling in the house,
none of them caught anything
even remotely helpful
to our investigation.
Yeah. Luck?
It just wasn't in our cards
that day.
What?
Why are you so happy?
I am being colorful.
They will use more
of our coverage
if we give them evocative
sound bites.
I'm right, right?
Can we get back
to the murder?
I followed protocols.
You know, I -- I called it in,
cleared the house,
did everything right.
Mm-hmm.
You believe me, right?
O-Of course.
I mean, but we have to
follow protocol, too.
It's gonna be okay.
I can't believe this
is happening to me again.
I know.
A-Are you okay?
I think I'm having, like,
a panic attack.
Oh, okay.
Uh, just sit down,
and I'm gonna grab you
some water, okay?
I'll be right back.
Show's over.
Time to go.
What? Uh, no, no, no.
No, it's not.
This is my house,
my production.
The show goes on.
Connor, keep filming.
Yeah, that's not
how this works.
This is
my crime scene.
Shut it off now.
Shut it off!
There was nothing
we could do.
Well, thanks for coming out.
Yeah.
Our paramedic crew was
short-staffed,
and since we're all EMT-trained,
I was subbing in.
Oh, I don't understand.
Why were you called in
at all?
He was clearly dead,
right?
You have no idea how many people
I see look that way
and then spring back to life.
Oh. Interesting.
And what did you think
at the time?
Did it seem to you
like Aaron did it?
Of course not. He would never do
anything like that.
Really? And you're confident
saying that --
considering
your ex-husband?
Wow. Okay.
Ah, clearly,
you come prepared.
Yeah, um, I --
I married a sociopath once.
So maybe I'm not
the best judge of character.
It's not about being
a good judge of character.
We judge by the facts.
And what did the facts say?
At first?
Not much.
How long you been here
filming today?
About three
or four hours.
After rehearsal
this morning,
they had Everest and me
in the kitchen,
getting our hair
and makeup done
while they filmed
other stuff.
So you were in the kitchen
the whole time?
Uh, well, I did sneak off
to crafty once or...
four times.
I heard they had ice cream,
and I've been dieting
like crazy
'cause I was gonna be
on television,
and I heard the camera
adds like 10 pounds.
Is that true?
So when was the last time
you saw Morris?
Honestly, I ain't seen him
all day.
I was dealing with work stuff
right up
until we started filming.
And where were you
when Morris's body was found?
In my office.
And how would
you characterize
Aaron's relationship
with Morris?
It's important
you tell the truth.
They didn't always agree about
the direction of the show.
But my son,
he would never hurt anyone.
Hey, do we really have
to do this in here?
Yes, we do, son.
Per government code 3300
and per Lybarger,
I am required to advise
that you do nothave
the right
to remain silent.
Anything you say can
and will be used against you.
Refusal to fully
and completely answer
all of Detective Lopez's
questions
will result
in immediate termination.
Do you understand?
Yes, sir.
And I'm here
to protect you
as your union representative.
This is your choice.
But like
Sergeant Grey said,
if you choose not to cooperate,
you will lose your job.
Of course I'll cooperate.
Good man.
Alright.
I'll leave you to it.
I didn't kill Morris.
When I saw him lying there,
like Patrick...
I understand.
But it was common knowledge
that you and Morris
weren't on
the best of terms.
Who are you with? TMZ?
You still feeding off my grief, you vultures?!
Come on, guys.
Morris,
what are you doing, man?
Get 'em out of here, man!
Get out of here now!
Go!
Yeah, what he did
to Patrick's dad
was callous and exploitative,
but I wouldn't kill him
for it.
Yeah, that was bad.
Aaron pulled over Patrick's dad
in a routine car stop.
It was a total random reunion,
but Morris and his cameraman
were there filming,
and that just made
everything worse.
Dexter Hayes, he was a --
a grieving father, you know?
And he -- he took a swing
at Officer Thorsen,
so we had to book him,
but we let him go
as soon as we could.
And, you know, I thought
that would be the end of it.
But you suspected
that Patrick's dad
could have killed Morris?
We did.
He was furious
about "Every Rose Has A --"
about the reality show.
And after years of the press
feeding off of his grief,
yeah, it was believable
that he could've snapped.
This is absurd.
You do know that?
Alright, sir,
can you tell me where you were
yesterday afternoon?
I was in the office,
morning to midnight.
Ask any one
of my employees.
I didn't do this.
Any idea who did?
I can tell you that
whoever killed that man,
his last name is Thorsen.
I blame myself for ever letting
them into Patrick's life.
They're a sick family.
And Aaron is not
the only killer among them.
What did he mean by that?
You know
what he meant by that.
And we knew
from the reality show
that Morris gave
Aaron's father a clear motive.
And that's what I was thinking
for the opening theme.
Yeah?
Yeah.
I like it.
You do?
Almost as much
as I like you.
Mm.
You're so sweet.
Oh.
Hey!
You hooking up
with my wife, man?!
Linc,
it's not what you think.
Boy, you better get
the hell up out of here!
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this
to me again?!
In my own house!
There's footage
of Lincoln catching
Morris and Yvonne
in an intimate moment.
That had to factor
into your investigation.
Jealousy is
a primal motive.
And some believe
that Lincoln had killed
for jealousy
once before.
He was a suspect in
a 20-year-old murder, wasn't he?
Yes, he was.
What can you
tell me about your father's
hip-hop duo, Flex n' Flow?
I mean, I was, like, a baby,
you know,
when they were
at their height.
And, uh, that was the year
"Make Da Noise" went platinum.
Flex n' Flow
had one of the most
iconic singles
of the late '90s.
Oh, my God.
"Make Da Noise"?
That's like one
of my go-to karaoke jams.
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ The party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ Who da boyz that
make da noise? ♪
♪ Flex 'n Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
Can I be interviewed
alone?
Yeah, we comin' for you.
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz
who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ My crib,
it's all a-poppin' ♪
♪ This party's
never stoppin' ♪
♪ We're the boyz
who make da noise ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow, yo,
Flex n' Flow ♪
♪ Flex n' Flow
♪♪
Oh, yes, that's me.
I was a Flow Girl.
Wait. What?
There was a scout who saw me
cheering in high school,
and he asked me to audition.
At first, I thought he was
just trying to get in my pants.
But it turned out to be legit,
and it was for Flex n' Flow.
I was the biggest fan.
What are you
wearing, by the way?
Oh, I teach capoeira
on Thursdays and Sundays.
Oh.
Did you ever see
Flex n' Flow argue
while you were working
with them?
Mm, I mean...well, sure,
but nothing serious.
They were like brothers,
and brothers fight.
What do you say to the people
who are convinced
that your husband
killed his late partner?
Oh, honey, this alleged "feud"
between Linc and Calvin
has gotten blown way out
of proportion over the years.
But what about the night
of Calvin's murder?
The infamous pre-release party
for "2 Hype Homies"?
Did the party
get a little wild? Sure.
Did the police come
and break it up? Mm-hmm.
And did Linc and Calvin argue?
You bet.
But they were just
passionate people.
And nobody
ever threatened nobody.
Yeah, they, uh --
they threatened each other.
I was there.
I was a rookie officer then.
And my T.O. and I had got
a 415 call
for an out-of-control party.
It was a record release event
for Flex n' Flow.
But anyway,
as we were breaking things up,
I saw Flex n' Flow
in each other's faces.
Could you hear
what they were fighting about?
No. Um, as I approached,
their limousine was pulling up.
But Flex -- um --
um, I'm sorry, Lincoln --
was still very hot.
He refused to get into the limo
with Flow, and, um...
Yeah, he said
that he'd rather walk
than to deal
with Flow's nonsense.
Um...
It was a good thing, too.
A devastating loss
for the music industry today,
as Calvin Yard, one half
of the popular duo Flex n' Flow,
was gunned down in Los Angeles
last night
after leaving
his record launch party.
It couldn't have been
more than five minutes later
that we got
a shots-fired call.
As Flow's limo was making
the turn on La Cienega,
a car pulled alongside it
and unloaded 20 rounds
at the rear of the vehicle.
Um, Flow was shot
seven times.
Yeah.
That was my first homicide.
I'll never forget it.
It changes you.
I did not have anything to do
with Calvin's death.
But at the time of
his murder, all the talk was --
That was garbage, man.
All garbage.
I loved Calvin
like a brother.
You know, this --
this is
straight-up exploitive.
Calvin's murder was solved
decades ago, and you know it.
A man named Gary Brown
was convicted of Flow's murder.
It turns out Flow
was sleeping with Gary's wife.
So as far as the LAPD
was concerned, case closed.
Yeah, but the aura of guilt
haunted Lincoln's reputation
like a dark shroud.
I'm sorry.
That was really good.
Thanks.
And with Lincoln alibi'd out,
you know,
the investigation
focused on Yvonne.
Mrs. Thorsen, how long
had you been having an affair
with Morris Mackey?
Please.
I was not sleeping
with him.
But the footage -- from
"Every Rose Has A Thorsen" --
we saw it.That was for the show.
What, are you saying
you staged it?
It's a reality show.
Of course we staged it.
I can prove it.
I have the rest of the footage.
Boy, you better get
the hell up out of here!
What the hell was that?!
Are you seriously doing this
to me again?!
In my own house!
You got some nerve!
L-Let's talk about all the women
you slept with
when you were F-Flex?
Cut!
Cut, cut, cut, cut.
Linc, buddy,
you're going off-script.
"I can't believe
you're seriously
doing this to me again"?
That's not the line.
Yeah, man,
I was improv'ing a little.
Yeah, maybe not do that,
okay?
It's a lot more powerful
if this is the first time
Yvonne has stepped out
on you.
Okay.
So, Morris, how did I do?
It was a bit big.
Yeah, maybe, uh,
dial it back a hair.
Let's go again.
Back to one.
Go.
We're making a show,
people.
None of that was in the footage
you turned over to us.
Oops. My bad.
We want everything --
now --
or you'll be arrested
for obstruction.
Ooh, that was good.
Do you think I can get
a copy of that?
That will play really well
in the show.
Mrs. Thorsen,
this is serious.
Morris Mackey was murdered
in your house.
Your son
is still a suspect.
Just like the police
to only focus
on what's
in front of their nose.
Morris Mackey didn't just appear
out of thin air
when he started working
for me.
Honey,
the man had enemies.
They're the crazy ones!
We're the sane ones!
You're the cult!
You're sheep!
Prior to working
with the Thorsen family,
Morris had been hired by a bunch
of QAnon conspiracy theorists.
Apparently, they didn't like
the negative publicity
they were getting,
and they wanted
to show their side.
Try to control
the narrative.
Mm.
So what happened?
Morris was allowed
into the inner sanctum.
Conducted dozens of interviews
with founders and followers.
But he didn't make
a propaganda film,
he told the truth.
We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared
to start killing
for our freedom.
Morris may have won
an Emmy,
but he also pissed off
a lot of unhinged
and hyper-violent people.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
I've heard rumors
that you have insight into
the QAnon angle on this case.
Have you ever tried to put
toothpaste back in the tube?
Look, I know
it's an expression,
but have you actually tried
to do it?
I have.
It's basically impossible.
And what do you think Q
is trying to tell people
with his Q-Drops,
these cryptic messages?
I really wasn't trying
to say anything.
I was just typing, and maybe
I got a little carried away.
Wait.
What did you say?
Well, I guess now is as good
a time as any to reveal it.
I'm Q.
Smitty is Q?
I'm sorry. What?
Lord, give me strength.
What?
A lot of writers
use pseudonyms.
Q is my first initial,
so...
Hey, is my name down there?
But it was an accident?
He -- He didn't start it
on purpose?
That's what he said.
Yeah,
sounds like Smitty.
I was trying to start
the fan-fiction club
for "This Is Us,"
and things just got out of hand.
What the hell
does "This is Us" fanfic
have to do with a cult?
I mistakenly mixed cough syrup
with diet pills
when I was writing
this satanic, alien story line
for Jack and Rebecca.
I woke up the next morning
and read it --
none of it made sense.
But, overnight,
I'd gotten so many followers,
I just went with it.
You can't put the toothpaste
back in the tube.
Morris had received threats from
hundreds of QAnon followers,
but when we started
investigating them,
one immediately stood out.
Tell me
about Connor Hart.
What about him
got your attention?
Well, he was working as a
cameraman on the reality show,
so -- that.
Connor,
thanks for coming down.
I'm not in trouble, am I?
No. We just need to clear
a few things up.
I told you
everything I know.
I was getting a battery,
and he was just lying there.
I'm not sure
if you're aware,
but it's common to run
background checks on witnesses.
And when we looked into you,
we discovered
that you're a member
of QAnon.
No, no, no, I --
I may have gone
to a political rally or two,
but I'm really
not into that.
I swear.
We're in a war.
Every one of us is prepared to
start killing for our freedom.
The storm is coming.
There will be retribution.
So, clearly,
you are a follower of Q.
Why would you work
for Morris?
Honestly?
I realized
Morris was the best thing
that could have happened
to the movement.
That makes no sense.
But it does.
Morris's documentary exposed
who was a true believer.
And who wasn't.
He never admitted it,
but I think Morris
was working for Q.
That's why I followed him
to the next gig.
Do you still consider yourself
a believer of Q?
Well, some stuff
didn't come true.
The London bombing,
the Pope's arrest,
Zuckerberg still has a job.
January 20th
came and went,
March 4th came and went.
I'm starting to think Kennedy
is still dead.
Both of them.
Mm.
So you don't believe
in Q anymore?
Oh, I believe every word.
Connor was, um --
Deranged?
Let's say...
reality-challenged,
which doesn't make him
a killer.
No. And the fact that he had
a camera on his shoulder
for the entire
murder window
means that he couldn't
have killed Morris,
so we were back
to square one.
When the QAnon lead
didn't pan out,
how did you pick up
the pieces of the case?
We rolled up our sleeves
and put in the hours.
We took on
the painstaking process
of reviewing
every piece of video Morris shot
in the weeks
before he died,
including the footage
Yvonne "forgot" to give us.
Until I found something
that changed everything.
♪♪
Lopez!
Come look at this!
So I immediately informed
Detective Lopez
of what I discovered.
Look what I just found.
Wow.
What?
Look.
Okay.
I thought I knew everything
about Patrick's murder.
I had done my homework.
But the truth was hiding right
in front of me all this time.
I know
who killed Patrick Hayes.
And I can prove it. I --
Uh, someone's here.
More to follow.
That video
was recorded
minutes before
Morris was murdered.
I mean, Morris
claiming that he knew
who the killer was
must've been energizing for you.
Finally. A break
in your roommate's murder --
No, he --
He wasn't my roommate.
And I -- I hate when people
call him that --
you know, like we found
each other
on some French Craigslist
or something like that.
Patrick was my best friend,
from the time
that we were little kids.
I mean, I was at his house
so often,
his dad bought us
two of everything,
you know, like siblings.
Yeah,
Patrick was my brother.
How did it feel to hear
that Morris thought
he'd discovered
who killed Patrick?
I mean, there had been
so many theories over the years.
And so many people think
that they had it figured out.
I -- I just never really
got my hopes up about it.
This was different, though.
I mean, he made a break
in the case
and died minutes later.
You have to see
the connection.
Well, uh, in the words
of Detective Harper --
We look for facts,
not stories.
Yeah, sure, but, I mean,
the timing --
I mean, these murders
had to be related.
Whoever killed Patrick
also killed Morris.
Is it possible
Morris found out
that Aaron was the killer
all along?
Not a chance.
The Paris police
never had a shred of evidence
against Aaron.
They fumbled
the entire case.
Right off the bat,
the paparazzi
completely contaminated
the crime scene.
But Aaron's DNA
was all over the murder weapon.
You mean the knife
the killer pulled
from the kitchen block
on Aaron and Patrick's counter?
What -- What do you want to bet
that if we went to your house,
we'd find your DNA
all over your stuff, too?
I mean --
Was that too mean?
No, that actually
felt good.
It was a dumb question.
From the beginning,
the French police's case
against Aaron
seemed flawed --
Oh, yeah.
Their case was a mess --
and their forensics
were compromised.
I mean, the theory
that Aaron killed Patrick
because he didn't do his share
of the chores never made sense.
For one thing,
they had a housekeeper.
For another,
Aaron is not a psychopath,
which you would have to be
to stab your roommate
for leaving dirty dishes
in the sink.
I mean, I've come close to
stabbing him over dirty dishes,
but that's different --
we're married.
Mm.
What do you say
to the theory
that Aaron had a falling out
with his roommate?
Aaron and Patrick
were out partying that night.
Does that sound like
a broken friendship
careening towards murder?
By his own admission, Aaron was
taking prescription drugs.
Yeah. For a football injury
he got in high school.
They impair your ability
to operate heavy machinery,
not -- not turn you
into a hardened killer.
♪♪
Aaron passed out early.
Woke up in the middle
of the night.
Went to pee
and found Patrick's body.
♪♪
The French police took one look
at a young Black man,
and decided he was the killer.
I mean, they didn't even pursue
any other suspects.
Bonjour, I appreciate you
speaking with me.
Your accent
is terrible.
Um, Detective,
you've been accused
of leading an incredibly biased
investigation --
Mais non.
We followed the facts.
Mm. And the fact
that Patrick picked up
a woman at the club
that night?
Collette Lavinge?
She was seen leaving
the apartment
before the time of death.
Understand?
What about her jealous,
controlling boyfriend?
Did you interview him?
No. We did not.
Mm.
But the thing that
ultimately got you released
from prison was the
identification of this man.
Yeah.
Collette's boyfriend, Julien.
Handsome. French.
And, you know,
let's just say it --
he's super white.
You know?
Uh, what is --
What is "Finance Bro"
in French?
Shouldn't you know that?
You spent years in France.
Yeah, but I didn't --
I didn't retain it.
It was actually a group
of Internet sleuths
who found
Collette's boyfriend.
They spent countless hours
investigating Aaron's case.
They also pointed
the finger at dozens
of innocent people,
ruining their lives.
Yes. Some members of the group
took it a little too far.
We've been looking at the
Internet sleuths, actually.
Any chance you post under
the title "truecrimejunkie"?
I...
That -- That --
That doesn't s--
I might have logged on once --
once or twice, yeah.
Seriously?
I mean, can you not see
how people would take that
as a clear sign of bias?
I categorically deny any
preferential treatment, okay?
How can you say
that with a straight face,
when it was revealed that Julien
was the son
of the French
Finance Minister?
Are you telling me you didn't
get a phone call asking you --
Merci beaucoup.
C'est terminé.
Merci.
Oh, come on. Don't do that.
Come back.
So, it must've been
so frustrating to learn
that the French police
knew his identity
before your first trial
and didn't say anything.
I mean, yeah.
The -- The good news
was that the fact
that they ignored Julien --
uh, it got me my retrial.
But the bad news was the
unidentified DNA on the knife --
it -- it didn't belong
to Julien.
So he --
You know, he had an alibi.
As horrible
as the experience was,
is there anything that you
actually miss from that time?
I miss?
God, no.
W--
Well, Carlos.
Carlos?
Yeah.
Uh, Carlos the Jackal.
He -- He was my cellmate.
And, uh, man, pbht,
he has some stories.
So you're saying the Jackal
got you through
your year and a half
of incarceration?
No.
My mom did.
Yeah, I don't --
I don't think I would have got
through it without her.
Um...
She actually leased an apartment
in Paris
until I was released.
And, uh, she visited me
every week.
And I'll tell you what.
If they would have let her,
she would have been over there
every day.
Of course I moved to Paris.
I'm his mother.
I would have served the prison
time for him if I could.
You're a close family.
We are.
We've been tested.
Were you close
with Patrick?
Yes.
I adored him.
He was a wonderful boy.
According
to your friends,
you thought Patrick
was a troublemaker,
and a bad influence
on Aaron.
Anyone who said that
was lying.
Yvonne -- were you in Paris
the day Patrick was murdered?
Of course not.
I was here in LA.
How do you explain
this footage,
taken the day
of Patrick's murder?
♪♪
Oh, hell, no.
This interview is over.
Yvonne.
No. No.
We did not okay
this question.
Who do you think you are?
Fired!
I actually don't work
for you.
You need to kiss my ass.
Did you know
that your mother was in Paris
the day that
Patrick was killed?
What?
No, she was --
she was home in LA.
Mm. We have footage
of her shopping
on the Champs-Elysées
the night of the murder.
Okay, well, that --
That's impossible.
Isn't this her?
♪♪
Okay.
Officer Thorsen,
come back.
Come on.
Let's finish this interview.
Hey, there he is.
You lied to me.
Jimmy, get down.
You lied to everyone.
I didn't want all
my private business out there
for all the world
to see.
Mom, you are literally
producing
a reality show
about our lives.
That's different.
I was on trial for murder,
fighting for my life.
Exactly.
The fact that I was even
in Paris on that night --
how does that help you?
And what was
your reaction
to the revelation
that Aaron's mother
was in Paris at the time
of the murder?
Like, bombshell.
Game changer.
I mean, none of this stuff came
out at the time of the trial.
This is --
It's so exciting,
what it means for the case --
Not for Aaron.
His mom lied to him.
Y-Yes, that --
Well, that is true.
Thanks for coming back in.
We just need
to clear something up
about the night Patrick
was killed.
Patrick? I thought this was
about Morris's murder.
Oh, it's about both.
See, you felt Patrick
was a bad influence on your son.
So you flew Aaron to Paris
to separate them.
Only Patrick
followed Aaron there,
so you took matters
into your own hands.
You flew to Paris,
you killed Patrick.
But somehow Morris
found out,
so to keep
your deadly secret,
you killed him too.
Yeah,
that's a fun theory --
a good story --
but you're wrong.
Then explain
why you went to Paris
and why you kept it
a secret.
Because I was
with Jean-Pierre Darby.
Who?
The footballer?
Yes, we met a month before,
at a fashion show in Milan.
I'm -- I'm sorry.
You went to Paris for an
international bootie call?
Yes.
And we were in bed
all night.
Ask him.
Hell, ask the neighbors.
They were determined
to convict you.
Had it come out
that I was in town,
they would've used it
against you,
said that we were conspiring
to kill Patrick.
Coming clean would've only hurt
your case, made it worse.
Yeah, you know what? I forgot
how good you are at that.
At what?
At justifying yourself.
You lied in a murder trial,
you cheated on your husband,
and now you're the hero,
right?
Yeah. Sure, Mom.
We'll go with that.
You accused Aaron's
mother of the murder.
With almost no evidence
to back it up.
I -- I did.
And, uh, in my defense,
I'd been scrubbing
reality show footage
for over 200 hours
at that point.
So who broke the case?
Oh, that was
Detective Lopez.
My wife is a badass.
We knew the murders
were connected.
And we knew that
Patrick's murder in Paris
was never
properly investigated.
So I dug
back into that case.
Right now I'm just trying
to build a timeline,
getting to know more
about Patrick's life.
What did the four of you do
that last month?
No detail is too small.
Um...
Let's ask my brain.
I can tell you one thing
that we definitely didn't do.
Go to class.
I mean, Aaron's parents
let him borrow their private jet
anytime he wanted,
so we went all around Europe.
I mean, Italy.
Greece.
French Riviera.
Can I see?
Yeah.
I thought --
screw school,
when am I ever gonna get to
visit planet rich again, right?
So, Santorini
for the weekend?
Yes, please.
These photos of you guys
on the tarmac,
you always have
so much luggage.
I know.
Rowan always acted like
it was the Oregon Trail.
Why?
Every time I've seen him,
he was wearing a golf tee
and jeans.
Not exactly
a clotheshorse.
Oh, uh...
True.
I wonder
what was in there.
Did you ever see Rowan
with drugs back then?
I mean -- yeah.
He was always kind of
"the life of the party,"
if you know what I mean.
Why?
Before Paris,
Rowan's family in Iowa
was in financial trouble.
He almost dropped
out of school.
Now he lives in Brentwood
and drives a Porsche.
I guess?
I -- I see
you're very excited,
and I love that --
I -- I'm not really following.
I...
Hey, Nolan.
Where's Rowan?
Uh, he just left.
Why? I thought
you were done with him?
I was -- until I realized
he's the one who killed Patrick.
Alright. Here we go.
Here we go.
Nice, nice.
Bro, it's been crazy.
I've added like
half a million followers
from all the publicity.
What? You think, uh --
You think, uh, Aaron did it?
Pbht. Of course he did.
The guy's a total psycho.
Okay, watch this --
Aw. Fudge.
Hold on,
I'm gonna do it again --
Okay, okay.
Rowan.
What the hell?
We got a warrant
for your arrest.
What?
For what?
For the murders of
Patrick Hayes and Morris Mackey.
Oh, snap.
That's crazy.
And wrong.
I didn't --
why would you even think that?
Because Patrick found out
you were smuggling drugs
in Aaron's private jet, and
threatened to tell the police.
Somehow Morris found out
that you killed Patrick
to protect your secret,
so you killed him too.
Come on.
That's -- I mean --
That's so -- so wrong --
- Hey! Rowan!
- Rowan!
Okay.
Bro, wait.
- Oh.
- Oh, snap.
You okay?
Alright, you're fine.
Stand up.
Put it down.
You're under arrest.
Rowan always had
these crazy plans.
You know,
"Let's go to Morocco,"
or, "Dude, I heard about
this sick party in Ibiza..."
And I -- I --
I never thought about it,
but he was the one who decided
where we were flying to always.
And, you know,
now, looking back at it,
with "cop eyes," I mean,
it is so obvious
that Rowan
was up to something.
I just could never see it.
I mean,
Patrick did, though.
But, like, why -- why --
why didn't he tell me, you know?
We talked about everything --
you know, why wouldn't he --
why wouldn't he tell me
about this?
You know, if he had...
♪♪
everything --
everything
would've been so different.
♪♪
Aaron.
Is it true?
Yes, sir.
Rowan Clauson confessed
to murdering Patrick.
I'm so sorry
I didn't believe you.
Can you ever forgive me?
Of course.
♪ Say you'll be there for me
After all this time, the case
of who killed Patrick Hayes
was finally solved.
But the question
that lingers is --
is whether the emotional wounds
will heal --
♪ When I need you
Feels gross, right?
Yeah.
♪ I need you
♪ Say you'll be there
Two people were dead.
♪ ...for an answer that I...
Even after you catch the guy,
it's still just awful.
♪ Look down and see the body
I can barely breathe in ♪
I'm just glad
the truth finally came out.
Aaron's innocence is now proven
without a doubt.
He deserves to move on
with the rest of his life.
And we'll be here
to help him do that.
And now that it's over,
what's your view
of Aaron Thorsen?
Ah.
I will admit, it took a minute
for Aaron to win me over.
But once he did,
I knew he'd be a good cop.
♪ I need your help
Alright, I'm done.
Uh, wait.
This is not gonna air before
his training is done, right?
'Cause I gotta --
I gotta keep him hungry.
I never once stopped
believing in my boy.
Has he forgiven you
for the lie?
He will.
There's nothing our family
can't get through.
It looks like Aaron
will finally be able
to put all this behind him.
That's -- That's not really
how it works.
I mean, as someone
who has had friends killed,
you never really
get closure.
All you can hope for
is that the memories of them --
the -- the good times
you had together --
are what you see
when you think of them.
How does it feel,
having the truth come out
after all these years?
♪ ...when I need you to
I-I-- I don't know.
It's --
It's still sinking in.
This is obviously gonna make
compelling episodes
of your reality show.
Oh, no. That --
"Every Rose Has A Thorsen"
is not moving forward.
I mean, it was --
it was a mistake to do
in the first place, yeah.
I mean, the only reason
why I did agree to it
was to rehabilitate
my image.
Um, but ironically it ended up
doing something even better --
which was uncover the truth.
So what
are you gonna do now?
♪ You reach out and say
what I need to hear ♪
♪ Might be dark right now
but the light is near ♪
Live.
♪ And I know that you...
For myself.
♪ ...will always be here
And for Patrick.
Mm-hmm.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪