Burden of Truth (2018) s02e08 Episode Script

1 I know these alleyways too.
Ran from my share of police back in the day.
The hair sample from the Hanley murder.
I think you brought it to Mercer, and he told you to bury it.
I need you to hack into this.
It was my father's.
The security system has a login menu that takes a picture of whoever's trying to access the profile.
The hacker must have been interrupted before they saw that.
- We should split up.
- Noah! Wait! A few in-patient units I've found in Winnipeg.
It's not that simple, you need more than a diagnosis to get in.
Unless he's a danger to himself or a danger to other people.
WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO TO ME, BILLY?! BILLY! You would have done anything for him.
For the movement.
Hello? You haven't returned my calls.
- Where are you? - I'm in the city.
- When can you get back here? - Why? What happened? I think I know who killed my father.
Who? Not over the phone.
I don't know who's listening.
- Can you prove it? - We have to figure out a way - before a jury convicts Luna.
- The trial starts tomorrow.
Then you better hurry back.
Oh, hey, excuse me.
I'm still waiting to get in to see Shane Crawford.
It's not a good time for him to have visitors.
You know, I only have a few minutes, I gotta get back to work.
- We're taking care of him.
- It's just this might be the last time I can get here for a while.
- Another time.
- I just need to explain - I just need two minutes.
- Mr.
Crawford, the truth is, your brother doesn't want to see you.
I made a mistake.
I told you to be better than everyone else, that wasn't fair.
It doesn't matter how hard we try or how good we are.
Stats say half of us are gonna end up in jail.
There's this this young woman on trial.
She's facing a lot of years and and she needs help.
I need you to tell me about the night your father disappeared.
Nothing is gonna change unless we change it.
There's no "we", Officer.
Kip, I grew up in that building.
You're one of them.
Tell me what happened.
Don't walk away from me! You know what happened? He got a new heart medication.
Made him all confused.
The police treat him like he was drunk! My dad never drank.
He was good.
What did the police do? I tell you, then you're gonna do the same thing to me.
No, I won't.
She's mine.
The one on trial, she's my girl.
Luna.
Remember your manners, it'll count.
They're gonna decide on the evidence, not my manners.
When your uncle Terry was on trial, he was really rude to the jury.
Mom, Uncle Terry is rude to everybody.
I'm just saying, be polite.
- Where are you? - By the water.
Where we used to go after getting ice cream.
How does the sky look? Luna Mom, what if I don't get out of here? - You can't think like that.
- An all-white jury.
Physical evidence all points to me.
It's kind of hard not to.
A guilty verdict, and I'm not out of here until I'm 45.
You won't forget about me, will you? I'll "make me a willow cabinet at your gate", and I'll call upon my soul in the house.
" It's from Shakespeare.
They never let us read our own people, just a bunch of dead British guys, but that one always stuck with me.
It means I'm not going anywhere, baby.
Those old British guys, they like to use a lot of words.
Time, Ms.
Spence.
I gotta go.
Kisâkihitin.
This is what we have on Mara Tran.
A hair was removed from the crime scene.
It was not Luna's, but it was a match for Mara.
Match for colour, but without consent, we can't know for sure.
Well, Shane saw a woman leaving the motel.
He could ID Mara from a photo.
That's not possible right now.
The woman had a towel; maybe she cut herself on the broken bottle, which would explain the blood in the bathroom.
An account based solely on the least reliable witness we have.
OK.
Bartender at the Lord Admiral saw a woman with an American ID watching his room.
Mara has a California driver's license.
There's no way to prove that person was watching your father's room.
And how many people have a California license? 25 million? - In Millwood? - Lots of tourists come here to fish.
- Female millennial fishermen? - It's not proof.
I'm not saying this to make you mad.
Evidence needs a contrarian.
OK.
She discovered that my father's firm had a client with a contract with Lovand, the company threatening her boyfriend and their movement.
We don't have proof, irrefutable proof.
Joanna She probably came to Millwood to hack into his computer, and he discovered her.
That means he died because of me.
Even if that is what happened, it's not your fault.
We need to call the judge, tell him what we know and demand a postponement.
We risk making things worse for Luna.
The trial is starting tomorrow.
Never had someone's freedom in my hands.
She wouldn't want it in anyone else's.
We don't have to prove she's innocent.
It's just about reasonable doubt.
Keep poking holes.
Chip away at their witnesses.
Hey we got this.
The eyewitness gave a physical description of a person leaving the motel around the time of the murder.
That description matched the accused.
- It was nighttime? Dark? - Yes.
The person was seen leaving, maybe in a hurry? - Maybe.
- I can't think of worse conditions for an accurate description.
- Objection.
- Careful, Ms.
Chang.
We found the deceased on the bed.
We bagged his hands according to our procedure.
How many murders in Millwood since you joined the police service? - One.
- So this was your first homicide? Handling evidence, maintaining the integrity of the scene was your first time doing all of it.
It'd be safe to say that most of the officers, including you, were not competent to do the job.
Your Honour, really? Ms.
Chang The substance removed from under the fingernails of the victim was human skin, likely due to an altercation with his attacker.
We tested the DNA, it was a match to the accused.
Objection.
Chief is not an expert in DNA.
- He can read a report.
- Overruled.
Go ahead.
When we brought the accused into custody, she had scratch marks on her arms.
But at first, you brought - her mother into custody.
- That is correct.
The accused's mother, Gerrilynn Spence, had been involved in an altercation with the deceased.
- But then she was released? - We were able to confirm - her alibi.
- So what made your focus - change to her daughter? - Simple, she returned to Millwood that day and also confronted the deceased.
In his motel room, - same place as the murder.
- And upon questioning, did the accused deny being in the motel room? She admitted she went into the room - at or around the time of death.
- So, opportunity and motive.
What did you discover about the relationship between the accused and the deceased? She claimed to be his biological child.
Chief, when you took the accused into custody, - were there other suspects? - Sure.
- Some.
- Mhm.
Police are always accused of tunnel vision, but when you have the right person, when the evidence leads to a suspect so obvious, who has motive, opportunity, who hated him, who was in his room, her DNA under his fingernails there's no reason to look any further.
Thank you, Chief.
It wasn't a total disaster.
He laid out the entire case.
DNA in the room, scorned daughter.
That doesn't mean the jury will believe Mercer.
They're all Mercers.
Billy, Joanna.
Look, I know it's late.
- I'm sorry for today.
- You didn't have a choice.
There's someone you need to talk to.
Let her go! She's innocent! Chief Mercer, you questioned a lot of people, a lot of people with the motive to commit the crime, but you only brought two people into custody.
Two Indigenous women.
Just following evidence.
- We had an eyewitness.
- Yes.
The eyewitness said they saw an Indigenous woman leaving the motel.
Chief Mercer, would you consider yourself to be a racist? Objection.
Chief Mercer is a decorated member of the Millwood Police service.
It's an important question.
Lots of people in Millwood had a motive to kill David Hanley.
It was Chief Mercer's job to decide who to pursue.
The witness will answer the question.
Chief Mercer, are you a racist? No, Ma'am.
- Are you sure? Just a little bit? - Haha! I got a great relationship with all the people in town, it's part of my job.
So you wouldn't treat anybody differently based on their race? - No.
Everyone's equal.
- Whether somebody was white or if they're Indigenous? I think I made myself clear.
Just last week, you picked up a Millwood resident, Paul Ritchie, outside The Boot Saturday night.
You drove him home.
- You remember? - Sure.
Yeah, I do that - if someone's had too many.
- And he is white, Paul Ritchie? - Yes, Paul Ritchie is white.
- White Paul Ritchie got home safely.
What about Neil Bellegarde? A father, Millwood citizen, Indigenous.
He went missing from his neighbourhood two and a half years ago.
His body was found 10km away, past the edge of town.
It was January, minus 30.
He was wearing a t-shirt, no shoes.
Paul Ritchie gets chauffeured home Neil Bellegarde gets a Starlight Tour.
That's what they call it, right? The Starlight Tour? Dumped on the edge of town.
10km in Millwood in January is a death sentence.
I don't know what you're talking about.
He was in your patrol car that night.
Objection.
How about some evidence? Ms.
Chang An information request for outstanding warrants for Neil Bellegarde came in just after midnight from your patrol car.
So why would you care about Neil Bellegarde if he wasn't sitting in the back of your car? I refuse to answer your questions until I consult with counsel.
OK.
I will go back to the original question.
Chief Mercer, are you a racist? No, Ma'am.
The eyewitness said they saw an Indigenous woman leaving the motel.
Not coming out of the victim's room, not standing over his body.
You made that assumption.
That racist assumption.
Court is in recess.
I didn't have an easy time when I was your age.
When they called me names at school, I, uh I always punched first.
Teenage Owen was headed straight in their system.
Then an elder gave me this.
To guide me, to remind me that I was part of something.
We need to look out for one another.
Thanks, Officer.
OK, I can't do this.
I can't do this.
It's too late to back out now.
Luna didn't do anything.
You made a deal with the police, Taylor.
Just tell them the truth.
You're a good person, Taylor, everybody knows that.
Then why am I doing this to her? If Luna said those things, you have an obligation to tell the court.
Yeah, but it doesn't mean that she meant it.
And it certainly doesn't mean that she killed him! No, but that's up to a jury to decide.
I just don't want my words to get twisted.
If you don't testify and tell what you know, you will be sitting beside her in jail.
On the 5th of June, you traveled to Millwood - with the accused? - Yes.
And when you were driving, did you talk about David Hanley? Uh, maybe.
Ms.
Matheson? I can't remember.
You told investigators that you discussed David Hanley, that the accused made statements about killing him.
I don't know.
Last year, I was diagnosed with a brain injury from exposure to the chemical benzene.
It has affected my memory.
Sorry.
You made a timely recording of your statements to insure their accuracy.
You told police that your journal - reflects the truth.
- I'm not certain that I was in a position to know what is true or what's accurate.
Ms.
Matheson, you are directly contradicting your sworn statement.
- That's perjury.
- As I mentioned, due to my condition, I don't recall my sworn statement.
You received immunity from prosecution in exchange for your testimony.
That offer can be rescinded.
The witness made a good faith agreement with police in exchange for her testimony.
Now the crown claims perjury, but perjury requires intent.
Due to the severity of her brain impairment the witness is incapable of forming the requisite intent for the commission of the crime of perjury.
Her testimony is necessary to establish premeditation.
I'm not impressed by your tactics, Mr.
Bennett, or by your choice of witness.
How can she be expected to provide reliable testimony? The jury will disregard this witness' testimony.
Ms.
Matheson, you're dismissed.
With Taylor's testimony thrown out, it's very unlikely they can prove premeditation.
- S0 no first-degree murder then? - Which would be huge for us.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Your Honour, we'd like to add a name to our witness list.
- We call Joanna Chang to the stand.
- Objection, Your Honour.
- She's the lawyer of record.
- Our investigation has uncovered material evidence that Ms.
Chang failed to disclose.
Joanna, you need to call me back.
I don't get it.
My mom's birth certificate says she was underage, and guys like David get off with nothing.
But not this time.
I don't know how, but he's gonna pay for what he did.
He's gonna get what's coming to him.
That voice-mail was left on your phone one week before your father was murdered.
Your Honour, we strongly object to the use of this evidence in violation of the witness' right to privacy.
Voice-mail was obtained legally under a search warrant and comes from the accused's outgoing calls.
The privacy right belongs to the witness, it was her phone.
Voice-mails are stored in a central server, there's no inherent right to privacy.
- Alright, go ahead, Mr.
Bennett.
- Thank you, Your Honour.
Ms.
Chang, what did it mean that "guys like" David Hanley get off with nothing"? My father was accused of engaging in sexual activity with a minor.
With the accused's mother, Gerrilynn Spence.
Luna believed that she was the product of that alleged crime.
The charges were dropped.
Did that make Luna mad? She sounds really mad.
- Objection! Speculation.
- Sustained.
You listened to that message over a dozen times.
And then after your father was killed, an hour after Luna Spence was taken into custody, you listened to the message once again.
And then you deleted it.
You must have known that was relevant evidence.
And destroying evidence in a criminal case constitutes obstruction of justice, an indictable offense carrying a jail time of up to 10 years.
I'm sorry, does he have a question? Why did you listen to the message after she was arrested? I wanted to make sure.
- Of? - When I heard the message, I I didn't think that he was in any danger.
Luna was mad at him, a lot of people were, but she's not capable of harming anyone.
If I thought that he was in danger, I would have I would have warned him.
I would have stopped it! I didn't want him to die.
If it wasn't evidence of guilt, why would you delete the message? I don't know what happened to the message.
Well, according to our expert, that message was deleted immediately after it was listened to on that morning, at 9:26 A.
M.
On another case, I have been consistently the target of phone and computer hacking.
My car was hacked.
My office was bugged.
Nothing that's happened on my phone or any of my other devices can be trusted.
It's a wild conspiracy.
Well are you saying, under threat of perjury, that you did not delete that voice-mail? It wasn't a threat.
- Luna was never a threat.
- Answer the question.
I didn't delete it.
Thank you, Your Honour.
- Do you want to talk about it? - No.
We call in an expert.
We bring in Mara.
- To corroborate your story? - We serve a notice to appear.
- We get Mara on the stand.
- With what evidence? My car was hacked into.
So was my phone.
They recorded my conversations.
I was there.
We deleted it.
"We" didn't delete it, Billy.
I didn't stop you.
We need to bring in Mara.
We have to or we will lose.
Why did you suspect Mara in the first place? According to Noah, the last thing that was looked at on my father's computer was a contract between his client and Lovand.
It doesn't make sense.
He's a senior partner it was a license agreement.
So not something he's gonna waste his time on.
He's got a dozen lawyers working on those kinds of details, and all of a sudden, he's poring over it in a Millwood motel room? It was not him.
You think it was Mara? Lovand was ruining their lives.
And mine.
And it was the exact document that she asked me to get from him.
She had the time to drive to Millwood.
She had the skill to hack into his computer.
And he caught her.
Any chance you could get to Noah? If he has email it's probably on his own server and all of his social-media feeds are shut down.
And he just bolted for the airport.
Something spooked him.
The security system.
My father's laptop, Noah was breaking into it for me.
He said there was an advanced security system, that took a photo of anybody attempting an unauthorized entry.
He was retrieving that when he ran.
Mara.
There's a picture of her at the crime scene.
- We have to get that picture.
- But she has the laptop, she would have destroyed it.
No, if it's an advanced security system, it won't just be on the laptop.
Any picture that camera took will be stored on the cloud somewhere.
We need a hacker who's willing to break a few laws.
Is it that bad? And I don't even get a say.
I don't get to stand up in front of the jury and tell them I'm innocent.
I sit there, and people tell lies about me.
I loved looking at the sky when I was a kid.
Prairie sky goes on forever.
It's freedom.
And they only give us a tiny piece of it.
Just enough to see what we don't have.
I'm sick of having no power.
What would you do if you could get out? I have to think about what I'd do if I don't.
Sunil.
- Joanna, I'm really sorry.
- I don't have time.
You spied on me.
You bugged our office.
I need a hacker.
I know that you know people, and you're clearly willing to cross the line to get a result.
Lovand had something on me.
They offered me a deal.
I didn't have a choice.
I need someone to crack into an advanced security system today, like right now.
Everything you need to know is in here.
Look, I'm already in a lot of trouble.
I'm facing a disbarment hearing.
Steadman Lavery is sending me to Singapore.
I may not be available to testify at your disbarment hearing.
Maybe you get to keep your license.
The clock's running.
- State your name.
- Mara Tran.
I have a Master's in Computer Science from Stanford.
I have worked at several notable Silicon Valley companies, and I am the chief technology officer of GenBreach.
How easy is it to hack in someone's phone? It's simple.
Most people think their phones are private and secure because they're in their physical possession, most of the apps you download open up a backdoor for people like me.
So, would it be safe to say that just because something happens on someone's phone like a message gets deleted that you can't assume that the phone's owner did it? It would be easy to hack into someone's phone and make it look like the owner did or said anything.
It's indistinguishable.
- Thank you.
That's all.
- Thank you, Ms.
Tran.
Uh, wait! Are there advanced security systems that capture evidence of hacking? Yes.
Some hackers end up leaving digital footprints if they're not careful.
The deceased in this trial was also hacked.
His laptop had an advanced security system.
It took a photo of the hacker.
Did you know the deceased, David Hanley? No.
The Privacy Project that you worked on, it was being harassed by a major defense contractor.
Where is this going? This will only take a few minutes.
It'll be worth it hopefully.
Quickly.
The witness is here as a technology expert only.
The Project was being sued by Lovand Industries who claimed that your boyfriend, Noah Achari, was sabotaging their product and destroying their business.
They were trying to get revenge on Noah.
- You were very protective of him? - Of him.
Of the movement.
Sure.
Was my father in possession of documents that you needed to help Noah, to help the movement? Yes.
You were desperate to get your hands on them.
You asked me to get them, and I refused? You need to answer.
Did you ask me to get the papers from my father? - Yes.
- And did I refuse? - Yes.
- And you were mad.
You were trying to keep Noah alive.
Yes.
Maybe.
And after I refused, my father's computer was hacked.
The same night that he died.
I don't know anything about that.
Have you been to Millwood before today? No.
A long, dark hair was found next to my father's body.
Objection.
There's no hair sample in the evidence log.
That hair mysteriously disappeared from police files.
- Your Honour, please.
- Ms.
Chang! Withdrawn.
May I be excused? I don't feel so well.
The bottle broke.
You cut your hand.
You tried to clean it up, but you left one little drop of blood in the bathroom.
This didn't disappear.
Someone was watching my father's room from the bar across the street, waiting for him to leave.
Someone with an American driver's license.
Will you show the court your driver's license? No? You went to Millwood that night.
To protect Noah.
To protect the movement.
You snuck into his room after he left and he caught you.
You were scared.
You defended yourself.
No.
And you killed him.
I didn't.
But not before you got caught on camera.
It was an accident.
Oh, my God! Order! Order! - Our client is innocent - I said, "No surprises," Ms.
Chang.
Would you like to explain yourself? We have a witness at the Lord Admiral Tavern who will place Mara Tran in Millwood the night of the murder, and DNA will place her in my father's motel room.
Ms.
Chang, in my court, we follow the rules of procedure and evidence.
- I don't know what that was in there - Your Honour, that was reasonable doubt.
Luna Spence you have been charged with the murder of David Richard Hanley.
Your Honour, the Crown is withdrawing the charge.
Ms.
Spence, you are free to go.
Don't hold on to this.
How do I just move on with my life? I know something about not being able to move on.
You just keep trying.
I saw a side of Millwood I didn't like, and I moved here when he bought us the house, and I thought I had to live in exile because of something he did to me.
You're going back to Long Grass? - Mom, you're going home? - Yeah.
We don't have to answer to David Hanley anymore.
There's no way I can go back to work.
Mercer can't stay chief, not after that.
Oh, this is Millwood, nothing would surprise me.
I know what you risked for me.
I can't ever thank you enough.
No, you just do what you do.
You're gonna make the world great.
You're better than you think you are too, you know? - Where's Billy? - He got a call, he had to go.
Mm-hmm.
Isn't that your move? - OK.
- Come on.
I'm sorry I had to pull you away from court.
- I'm glad you called.
- He was asking for you.
Shane, I'm sorry about how I got you in here.
I didn't have a choice.
You were worried.
You don't have to be.
Everything's gonna be OK.
We're Crawfords, nothing we can't handle.
You were hearing voices.
I don't hear voices, Billy.
I can read minds, OK? And I am just starting to harness my powers.
Dad always said I was different.
If I concentrate, I can control people.
I can implant thoughts in their heads.
Shane promise me you'll take the meds.
Billy, my protector, the gallant knight in sunshine and shadow, Over the mountains of the Moon, down the Valley of the Shadow, ride, boldly ride, Billy boy.
Sorry.
I had to run into the city.
I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.
So, you're off to conquer the international legal world.
Asia.
I leave in two weeks.
Wow, that's It's amazing.
Yeah, I'm thinking of leaving Millwood.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's time to challenge myself, get better.
I liked criminal law.
More people, less paper.
Paper is way better than people.
We will agree to disagree.
Not the first time.
- Are you selling this place? - Oh no.
No, I'm keeping the place.
I'll need to get out of the city once in a while.
Billy Crawford in the city You'll be near Shane.
I know how close you two were growing up.
I got him into a hospital.
I had to trick him, get him to attack me, but it was the only way to get him the help he needed.
I'm sorry.
It's a broken system.
Might need fixing.
What are you gonna do about? My dad? I don't know what to do with him.
I think he'd be happiest sprinkled under his desk at CTS.
The cleaning staff would just vacuum him up.
Every place I think of would just annoy him.
What would annoy him the most? He didn't really like any of these people.
He just didn't really know 'em.
Now he'll get to spend some quality time with them.
You know this is technically illegal.
Ah, it's not the most illegal thing we've ever done together.
No need to meet in dark alleyways, Owen, - thanks to you.
- And you.
Thank you, Mayor.
For what? - Caring.
- Ha! It's in the job description.
Millwood needs a new chief of police, and I need someone I can trust.
Are you offering me the job? We need a strong and measured hand on the rudder, Owen.
Especially after all this.
I'm honoured.
Does it mean you'll take it? Well, I'll have to think about it.
Of course.
Take all the time you need before Monday.
Uh, Mayor, what happens to Sam Mercer? It's up to the new Chief to decide.
Millbrew wasn't just a beer.
It was an elixir of life.
The recipe was hidden by the ancient Aztecs in the sun temple at Teotihuacan.
They called it the Nectar of the Gods.
We set out from Leon Trotsky's house in Mexico City.
Me, my father, two mules and a pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
We stole their recipe.
And when they come to claim it back, I need all of you to be ready.
Welcome to the North End! - Have you come to say goodbye? - I leave tonight.
Just a short 31-hour flight with 3 stops.
- Haha! - Um I also came to, uh I love you.
I love you too.
So, when do you head back to school? Um, I am actually not going back to Montreal.
I'm transferring back here, and I'm gonna go to U of M.
But this feels like home.
You heard from Molly? I saw that she posted some pics on a white, sandy beach somewhere.
You miss her.
We both had to grow, and we had to be apart to do that.
Luna, you're so young, how do you know so much already? I don't know.
My ancestors.
A great mother.
And my older sister's no dummy either.
Seriously, the North End could always use a great lawyer.
Well, you better hurry and get through law school.
Hi.
There's something I never told you.
Something I never told anyone.
I keep running because I don't think I've ever been loved, so so I don't know how to love.
That's not true.
There are people who love you.
They try, but I won't let them.
Well, you're going to a whole new city.
It's a fresh start.
You can be whoever you want to be.
Did you think about asking me to stay with you? You know, I, uh I can't compete with Singapore.
You're gonna conquer the world.
You didn't answer the question.