The Equalizer (2021) s02e16 Episode Script
Vox Populi
1
- What does your mom do again?
- I don't know, charity stuff.
I'm the one you call when you can't call 911.
Previously on The Equalizer You don't work for a charity, do you, Mom? No matter what I do, I'm always your mom.
I know that you lied to me.
- I am a NYPD - Stop! This guy's a cop.
We'll take him out to Youngstrom's farm.
No one will ever know.
Give that to the chief for me.
I'm afraid of who I might become.
Okay, what about Leroy, if it's a boy? Leroy? Oh, you can't be serious.
What? It's distinguished.
My uncle's name is Leroy.
Your uncle is also 82 years old.
I will not do that to our child.
Our child.
- The food.
- No, no, no.
I'll go.
You and little Leroy stay.
Uh-uh.
I'm telling you, Leroy is gonna come out with an AARP card.
Tim Colvin? Yeah.
You're under arrest for rape and murder - in the first degree.
- Wait, wait, I'm under arrest for what? You have the right to remain silent, anything you say - can and will be held against you - This isn't right.
- In a court of law.
- You got the wrong guy.
Stop! He-he didn't do anything! - We'll figure this out.
I love you.
- Tim? - I love you! - Tim! If, after considering the testimony and evidence, you find that the defendant did commit the offenses of rape and murder in the first degree, then you are authorized to find the defendant guilty.
If you have any reasonable doubt, then you must acquit the defendant.
The verdict must be unanimous.
And despite the seriousness of the alleged offenses, you are to consider the facts without sympathy or concern for punishment.
Well, that's nine days we will never get back again.
Could've been one if they didn't insist on "talking lawyer.
" I don't know, I mean, you hear about guys like this all the time, but to actually be a part of it Pretty cool.
Let me guess.
You're obsessed with true crime.
Excuse me? What do you care? How long do you think we all have to be in here? I have work.
Oh, we all got our lives to get back to.
Well, you're the foreman.
What do you think about taking a vote now? Sure.
Let's take a vote.
Let's do hands in the air.
All for guilty? Wait.
Really? I was gonna say the same thing.
You really think the defense proved this guy is innocent? She doesn't have to.
The prosecution has to prove that he's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and I have one.
He's clearly guilty.
He admitted to being at the scene.
He was spotted running away right after the victim's time of death.
He admitted to being in the building, not at the scene, and haven't you ever run for a cab? What about his violent history? The argument with his fiancée? The cut on his arm? Right, from struggling with the victim.
Weren't you listening to the evidence? I was.
He said he got the cut from tripping on the street, and it was on his hand, not his arm.
- Does it matter where the cut was? - Maybe.
Look, I'm not sure of his innocence, but what I do know is that if we vote to convict, a human being goes to prison for the rest of his life.
So he deserves to have us take a hard look at the facts.
The least we could do is start by getting them straight.
Mom.
Hey, where's my red hoodie? I want to wear it to Dad's this weekend.
It is in the laundry room.
And you know that machine is not password protected, right? When's Aunt Vi done with jury duty again? What does that have to do with you helping out around here before you go to your dad's? By the way how are you feeling about seeing your dad? What do you mean? These questions he's been asking you about me, about what I'm involved in.
I mean, I'm-I'm fine.
Well, if I have to lie to keep your secret I know how to handle Dad.
Well Don't start trying that around here.
What? What? No way.
Would never.
Yeah, never.
That's right.
Hey, Aunt Vi.
You look exhausted.
Locked in a room for hours with 11 strangers.
Can't imagine why.
Five minutes in, they're ready to send this young man away for life, with no discussion.
Hell no.
I will get these people talking.
I will keep them there till winter if that's what it takes.
Well, guess I got some laundry to do.
Thank you.
The arrogance of these people.
I mean, I don't know if he did it or not, but they don't either.
And that's why we're supposed to deliberate, not just declare a hung jury because they've already made up their minds.
No one likes to admit they could be wrong.
Means they have to reexamine everything.
Yes, and that's why we're there.
But I'm telling you there is something about this evidence that just doesn't sit right with me.
It's too It's too tidy.
It's too black and white.
Well, what's the case? You know I can't tell you that.
Doesn't matter.
It's too late now, anyway.
I just think there's a messy truth out there that I just wish someone had taken the time to find it.
So, she refused to give you any details about the trial, and you took that as a personal invitation to dig into the case? Well, Aunt Vi is too smart to ask.
But she has really good instincts, and a man's life is at stake, so let's just make sure the jury has all the evidence.
You know which courthouse? Nah.
It's somewhere in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, male defendant, life sentence.
Hold, please.
What's up? You have that "I'm here in body only" look.
Dee is lying again.
Isn't that what teenagers do? Yeah, but she's lying to protect me.
To her dad.
He's been asking questions.
Yeah, that is tricky.
Yeah.
I always taught her that lying was wrong, but now she's learning it's okay, that it can be necessary.
Well, she's not wrong.
I lie about Harry being dead for years.
Yeah, but you're an adult.
Delilah is a high school kid, and it's her father.
Lying can be a dangerous road, and I'm the one that's put her on it.
All right, I got it.
Defendant's name is Tim Colvin.
He's charged with the rape and murder of Sarah Ross, a white college undergrad.
So, eight months ago, Sarah, the victim, is drinking at the bar with her roommate, Olivia, who sees Sarah talking to this guy, Tim.
Olivia goes home later, finds Sarah strangled and raped in her apartment, and Tim is seen running away from the building.
And what's Tim's story? I mean, guy says he's innocent.
Says the only reason he was even in the building was, he was going on a walk, he got cold.
Spotted the vestibule through the window upstairs.
Building looked cozy.
Went in there, warmed up.
Gets a cab and goes home.
And talking to Sarah at the bar? I mean, he denies even being at the bar, but he's got no alibi.
The evidence is pretty damning.
Who is this guy? I mean, he's an associate at an investment firm.
He's got no record.
He just bought a condo with his fiancée.
They look like a nice couple.
Aunt Vi sat through this whole trial and felt that it was full of holes.
I want to talk to Tim's fiancée, Morgan.
She knew him best.
Let's see what she thinks.
- Morgan Carver? - Yeah.
I'm with Champions for the Wrongfully Convicted.
We think your fiancé's case may deserve a second look.
Are you moving? Not by choice.
Uh, with the attorney bills and the baby Morgan, between you and I, what do you think happened eight months ago? Tim had just learned that he was being let go.
And that night, I found out that he'd been offered a new job by an ex-girlfriend, and he hadn't told me.
We argued.
He left but the prosecution took it all out of context and made it seem like he was so angry from being fired that he went out and killed a girl.
Even dragged his upbringing into it, as if growing up in a rough neighborhood makes you a monster.
Well, didn't the defense track his phone? He left his phone at the house that night.
He went out for a walk to cool down.
So no one can account for where he went.
He was upset.
We've all been there.
Morgan, I have to ask you this, do you believe your fiancé could have done something like this? He didn't do it.
I know that man without a shadow of a doubt, and he would not do something like this.
When I look at my son I see Tim.
What destroys me is that they may never see each other outside of prison.
If there's any help that you can offer us, I'm begging you for it.
Thinking about a career change? Might've missed my NBA window.
I was actually talking about that walk down memory lane.
Thinking you want to go back to law school? Lot of people make decisions because they're running toward or away from their parents.
I think I was doing both, becoming a cop.
I don't know if I ever really knew what I wanted.
Maybe I never really knew myself at all.
I think, in the end we are what we can't let go of and what can't let go of us.
I left the force for a reason.
I need some time to work through things.
And I respect that.
All I need is a consult.
Just give me five minutes, and if you don't want to be involved, I will leave you be.
So, what do you think? Solid case.
Some of the evidence is circumstantial, sure The sedative in her system, and Tim having a prescription.
But without DNA or fingerprints, lots of cases are built this way.
You know the detectives? They're good guys.
Casework's by the book.
Maybe, but Tim was arrested two days after the killing.
No other suspects were interviewed.
Isn't it possible they missed something? Sure.
But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
I mean, I'd like to talk to Tim, but he's at trial and in custody.
His lawyer is the only one allowed in to see him.
Without my badge I can't help with that.
I'm also out of favors.
And I meant what I said about taking time.
These questions you want answered, you don't need me to ask them.
What's there to question? The prosecution's case is solid.
It's Tim's story that is shaky as hell.
I found it to be believable.
Which part was the most believable? Him taking a walk and conveniently forgetting where he went? Or the bad luck where he was in the building while a girl was being raped and murdered? Dude, sarcasm is not gonna help here.
Let's stick to the evidence.
Which is that nobody can vouch for Tim's story.
On the other hand, Sarah's roommate saw Tim giving her a glass of water at the bar at 11:00 p.
m.
Later, Sarah's neighbor heard a scream, just as her favorite show was starting at 11:30, and Tim admits to running for the cab a-at midnight.
What about the DNA? Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that there's no DNA evidence? Oh, he made sure of that.
Tim had a half hour to kill Sarah and clean up well enough that there was no evidence left behind.
The timeline makes sense.
We can go around and around all day.
I have no doubt in my mind that this man killed Sarah Ross.
Why? This man with no record, with everything going for him, what is his motive? I don't know if getting fired is having everything going for you.
The guy was pissed.
He's riled up after the fight.
He sees a white woman who looks just like the boss who fired him, and he takes his rage out on her.
You can take 'em out of the hood - Well.
That seems a little - What? I don't know, problematic.
And what would you know about it, Connecticut? Now, he went from having nothing to everything.
No wonder he feels so entitled.
And he's the reason men are being forced into early retirement.
You mean men like you? Okay.
Since we're all spinning stories about who he might be, I'd like to try one that isn't based on a tired stereotype.
How about Tim Colvin is a levelheaded young man who walks away from an argument before it gets too heated? We know he's upset with his fiancée, who's Black.
Why not go out and kill someone who looks like her? That same fiancée, I might add, was standing by him every day in court.
Yeah, but can you ever really know someone? - I had an ex who cured me of that.
- Hmm.
If my husband was ever accused of something like this, I'd put him in the chair myself.
And this idea that-that Tim drugged Sarah with a glass of water If he was so upset when he left the house he forgot his phone, why would he think to bring a Vexinax? He could've had one in his pocket.
He dissolves it in the glass of water, hands it to Sarah easy.
Vexinax doesn't dissolve.
I got a prescription for it when I was going through my divorce.
I don't like taking pills, so I tried it once.
- Didn't work.
- Wait.
So that means he would've had to be carrying a Vexinax pill that he'd already crushed up when he saw Sarah.
So? That doesn't exactly line up with the prosecution's story that this was a crime of opportunity.
You knew this all along.
Why would you vote guilty? There was so much other evidence.
He was seen at the bar.
He was at her building.
No, no, no, no.
She's right.
So, the prosecution was wrong about it being a crime of opportunity.
So what? So now I'm wondering what else they were wrong about.
The thing I keep bumping up against is, why would Sarah take a pill from a total stranger? They're assuming he spiked her drink.
No, I looked it up.
Vexinax isn't soluble.
I wonder if the jury knows that.
And would a prescription antianxiety pill be his drug of choice? I mean, Rohypnol, GHB, even ketamine would be better options.
Well, it got into her system somehow.
And, according to the police report, Sarah didn't have a prescription.
Either she took it willingly or somebody slipped it to her, and if it wasn't Tim, then who was it? We need to know who Sarah saw that night, and if she spent time with anyone else at that bar.
She was there with her roommate, Olivia.
Maybe she can shed some light.
Olivia Simmons? Cynthia Westfield.
D.
A.
's office.
Can we talk? No, it was just us at the bar.
The place was filled with finance bros.
Not our scene.
So, other than Tim Colvin, you didn't see her with anyone else? No.
Why? New evidence has come to light about how the Vexinax got into her system.
What'd you mean that it wasn't your scene? We were just looking to chill, then the place got packed for the game.
Not a fan of crowds, huh? Guys yelling.
Everybody bumping into you.
Must've been stressful.
We think Sarah may have gotten the pills from someone she might have trusted.
Olivia, I'm not a cop.
And you were never asked about where Sarah got the drugs, so technically, you didn't lie.
But you didn't exactly tell the whole truth, did you? The crowd was making Sarah anxious, so I gave her one of my pills.
And you didn't say anything because Everyone would've thought it was my fault.
Maybe if I hadn't given it to her, she wouldn't have been so vulnerable.
Maybe she would still be alive.
I just thought that since they got the guy What made you so sure that Tim was the guy, knowing he didn't give her the drugs? He was in our building.
The cops showed me his picture.
I recognized him.
How many drinks had you had when you saw them talking? Not too many because I-I 'Cause you had taken a Vexinax, too.
You're still sure it was him? He was at our building.
He's the guy.
Right? It bears questioning.
I've had my doubts about the eyewitness account from the start.
It was dim in the bar and dark outside.
She has twenty-twenty vision.
They made a point of that.
She was also 30 feet away through a crowded bar.
Olivia also testified, under oath, that it was Tim she saw talking to Sarah.
She has no doubt in her mind.
Are you saying she's lying? No, but what I am saying is that maybe she believed she saw something that she didn't.
The girl was traumatized from finding her friend murdered.
A police officer shows her a photo of a Black suspect.
The man Sarah was talking to at the bar is Black.
Her brain fills in the rest.
Oh, so now we're just making up reasons why the evidence doesn't point to him.
No, we're just looking at possibilities, and we haven't even taken into account that cross-racial identifications are historically inaccurate.
"Cross-racial identifications"? Uh, she is saying that all white people are so racist that they can't tell Black people apart.
That is not what I'm saying.
And for the record, I'm insulted.
Howard, this is not a personal attack.
It is just the way our brains work.
She's right.
42% of wrongful convictions based on eyewitness testimonies are cross-racial misidentifications.
How do you know that? I saw an infographic on Instagram.
So, what? Now you think this guy's innocent, too? I don't know.
She was your age, you know.
The girl who was raped and strangled to death.
And you're ready to let her killer go free.
Or maybe you are, by convicting an innocent man.
Well, Olivia saw someone talking to Sarah that night.
All right, this is everybody who used a credit card at the bar that night.
No Tim and no one Olivia would mistake for Tim.
Any company cards? Uh, yeah.
There's a couple.
Any big tabs? This one's over a grand.
They may have been having a party.
Harry, check the company roster.
See if there's anyone who might've been at that party who could've been mistaken for Tim Colvin.
Devin Ellis? - You got a minute? - What the hell? Hey, do you remember going to a company party about eight months ago? At a bar downtown called The King George.
You recall talking to a blonde girl outside? Sarah Ross.
This is the picture they showed of her all over the news when she was murdered later that night.
Why? Who are you? Friend of the family.
And before you say anything, I talked to your colleagues, so I know you were there.
Look, I talked to her, okay? Frankly, she looked wasted, so I offered her a glass of water, but I had nothing to do with her murder.
Ask anyone I work with, they'll tell you.
I was at the party when she was killed.
Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought.
You heard about the murder back then.
You knew this whole case was being built on bad information.
Why wouldn't you come forward when you knew you had an alibi? You think an alibi means a damn when they got a dead white woman? I can easily be the one on trial today.
But you're not.
And at any minute, an innocent man could be sent to prison for something he didn't do.
I'm sorry, but I got a family who needs me.
If you want to help your guy, you got to do it on your own.
D.
A.
Grafton's agreed to meet with me tomorrow morning.
Maybe she can intercede with the prosecutor.
Well, you did just punch a giant hole in the case.
Yeah, but Devin still won't come forward, even though his alibi checked out.
Can't say I blame him.
And if it wasn't for your aunt, "not talking to you" about the trial, we wouldn't even know that.
Does your aunt know how right she was to fight for this guy? Not yet.
But Aunt Vi has never needed a reason to do what's right.
What time is it? 7:30.
We're just going nowhere fast.
I say we go home, get some sleep.
Come back at this fresh tomorrow.
You know, some of us have jobs.
Why don't we just tell the judge the truth: we're deadlocked.
He'll get a new trial, be found guilty, like he should.
You think you can't afford to miss a day's work? Try paying a defense attorney for a second trial.
You know what? I think you have too much time on your hands.
You might not want to get back to your husband, but the rest of us do.
I don't have a husband, sweetheart.
I'm not married.
Yes, you do.
You said That was me.
The other Black woman.
Really? No.
We've been together two weeks, and you just confused us.
Which is my point.
Isn't it possible that Sarah's roommate misidentified Tim? That she saw a different Black man talking to Sarah that night? And isn't it possible that when Tim says he wasn't at that bar, that he's actually telling the truth? Well, there she goes again, playing the race card.
This is about race.
This is a Black man on trial for raping a white woman.
No, this is about a man who was seen running from a building where a girl was killed inside.
Now, we were instructed to be honest, conscientious and unbiased.
And now you're dragging his race into it.
To be intentionally blind to the historical precedent here is the most dangerous bias of all.
And what about you? Isn't it possible that you have some baggage of your own that is making you overlook some pretty damning evidence? And isn't it possible that this is about you being a Black woman, trying to protect her own? And wouldn't it be a shame if we didn't convict a rapist and a murderer because your bias got in the way? That you, Auntie? Boy, they got you working like crazy down there.
Hey.
Come here.
Sit down.
- What happened? - Nothing yet.
No decision.
Well, at least you got them talking.
Yeah, well maybe they shouldn't be.
What do you mean? What if I'm wrong about this guy? What if when I look at him, all I see are are the Black men behind bars that shouldn't be there? I don't want to be responsible for setting someone free who may have raped and killed a woman.
Auntie, you know your initial doubt about the prosecution's case? Mm-hmm.
I would stick with it.
Trust your gut.
Robyn? I'm going to bed.
Love you.
Where are my boys? I'm afraid of who I might become.
What you're telling me is concerning but not actionable.
The defendant was at the building where and when the murder took place, by his own admission.
But not at the bar.
The jury is deciding this man's fate based off a faulty narrative.
I'm sympathetic, and the narrative might be imperfect, but there are other aspects of the case that tie him to the crime.
If he is unfairly convicted, he can appeal.
You're joking, right? Only thing harder than winning an appeal is being granted one.
Unless you can find exculpatory evidence that Tim Colvin didn't kill Sarah Ross, there's nothing I can do.
I'm sorry.
Unreal.
Trials really are about who spins the best story.
How are we supposed to prove Tim didn't do this? By finding the person who did.
It's hard to imagine having your whole life ripped out from under you just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And we have no way to exonerate him unless we find the real killer.
With virtually no evidence to go on.
I mean, the only thing we know at this point is what didn't happen.
There's always a move.
If the bar is not relevant, then it's all about the building.
Which key witnesses were there? I want to talk to them.
Well, by his own admission, there's Tim.
I tried.
They have him locked down.
What about the witness who saw him running to the cab? Christian Messina.
Sarah's downstairs neighbor.
Okay.
That's our move.
Minute to talk, Kerry? That depends.
You here to put away another one of my clients? Just a temperature check.
Tim Colvin.
I know you go to the mat for everyone you represent, but what's your honest feeling on him? I think he's innocent.
Why? Been looking into it.
Bit late for police to be auditing casework, isn't it? I'm not police anymore.
Not after The fact that all that still goes on.
But you left? What was it you said that one time? If you never saw me in court again, it would be too soon? Much as I hate to admit it, I'd rather bust my ass going up against cases built by cops like you.
At least it's a fair fight.
Is it ever really fair? Is anything? How do you keep doing it? Knowing how the system can be? If not me, then who? Can you get me in to see Tim? I might know someone who can help.
Yeah, let me see what I can do.
Hell of a thing.
You know if I didn't see him get in that cab, they probably would've never tracked him down.
I hope they throw the book at him.
Sarah's family does, too, Christian.
But if he appeals, they want to make sure there's nothing that'll surprise them in the next trial.
Is there anything else you might have seen or heard that night? I said it all on the stand.
I was home watching the football game.
I made myself some tea before bed, and that's when I looked out my window.
From the basement window in the front that looks out onto the street? That's right, and I saw a guy running out.
He got in a cab, and that was at midnight.
Sorry.
Landlord is a cheapskate.
A year ago, he put all the building lights on motion sensors with ridiculously short timers.
Anyway, cops ran the cab and caught the guy.
Showed me a photo and it was him.
End of story.
How can you accept that he couldn't remember where he walked that night? He said he was angry and in his own head.
Hasn't that ever happened to you? Oh, hell, I remember where I was that night, and it was eight months ago.
Watching the Giants comeback.
Killer game.
Went into overtime, Giants intercepted? Yep.
I was at the bar late that night.
Giants threw that Hail Mary.
- Boom.
Tied it all up.
- Guys.
He's right.
Can we just focus, please? That Giants game did go to overtime.
Those games, do they air on the same network as the-the show the neighbor was watching? - Yeah.
So, what? - So the neighbor said she heard the scream from Sarah's apartment at 11:30.
She knew exactly what time it was because that's the time that her show normally starts.
What are you getting at? It didn't start at 11:30.
If the game went into overtime, then the game pushed back the start of the show.
Which means the scream could have happened later than 11:30.
Way later.
That overtime could've easily lasted half an hour with all the time-outs they called.
Yes.
And Tim was seen running for a cab at midnight, which means the scream could have happened when he was already in the cab.
Look.
We are not allowed to look it up.
And if it was shorter than half an hour, he was still in the building when she screamed.
That's true.
But that would mean he had to rape and kill Sarah, clean the apartment of all the evidence, get downstairs, hail a cab in mere minutes.
Is it possible that he did it? Sure.
But is it reasonable to doubt that he did? It is.
Oh, you got to be kidding me.
I'm changing my vote to "not guilty.
" Same with me.
Me, too.
I will, too.
And me.
And you're 100% sure he could've done all of that in just a few minutes? No.
I'm not.
I think we take a break now, then come back and take another vote, since it seems like we're all on the same page now.
Dante, what's up? I got you a meeting with Tim Colvin.
What happened to "taking time"? Don't read into it.
Wouldn't dare.
But I'm glad you did.
I have a few questions for Tim.
What's wrong? In his testimony, Tim said Sarah's building looked warm and inviting, which is why he ducked in, but the indoor lights are on motion sensors.
So if no one was coming or going, it would've looked cold and dark, which means he lied.
Why would he lie about that? Maybe because someone was there.
Maybe because he actually did follow Sarah into the building.
Maybe he's not innocent at all.
What was I supposed to do? Tell the truth? The cops had me at the scene.
I didn't even tell my attorney.
Well, since we're not cops, why don't you tell us what really happened.
Sarah did let me into the building that night.
She was drunk and heading in.
And it looked warm, so I followed her in.
And I asked if she was okay, and she said she was fine, and then she headed up the stairs.
You know how that sounds.
Of course I do.
But I didn't kill her.
You know what they were arresting me for.
If I had admitted that she let me in that night, I would've been digging my own grave.
What happened after she let you in? She went on her way, and I stayed in the vestibule, warming up until I caught the cab.
I know I shouldn't have lied, but I'm not the only one.
I heard the prosecution's narrative in the court.
You know what they're doing.
I do know.
I keep thinking, if I hadn't fought with Morgan that night, hadn't gone in that building, hadn't tripped on that trash and cut my hand while running to catch the cab, maybe I wouldn't be here right now.
Wait, what'd you say you tripped over? Garbage day is Tuesday.
So what? So they would've put the bags out on the street on Monday.
Same night Sarah was murdered.
Harry, can you find me photos from Sarah's street from last Monday night? Yeah, they just put a new street cam up a couple months ago.
Here we go.
So, this is what it would have looked like the night Tim ran for the cab.
- What are we looking for? - That.
Christian's window.
You see it? The garbage is blocking the view.
So Christian wouldn't have been able to see Tim run for the cab.
But Christian did see Tim.
ID'ing the cab was how the cops found him.
Well, why would Christian lie about where he saw him from? Harry, run a background check on Christian.
And hurry up.
Aunt Vi's running out of time.
Seems like we're all in agreement.
So all voting to acquit? Oh, please.
No.
You're still voting "guilty"? But we just blew holes through every piece of evidence.
You can twist the evidence any way you want.
To me, it is what it is.
But we can't be sure it is.
Yeah.
No one's saying they're sure he's innocent, but it's reasonable to think - he might not have done it.
- Thanks.
I do understand the concept of "reasonable doubt.
" Look, why don't we go over it again.
- Maybe if we just - No.
I don't need to go over it again.
I don't need it to be explained to me.
I know guys like this, and I see him for who he is.
Jurors.
The judge is asking if you're approaching a decision.
Uh Could we just have another minute? You said you see him for who he is.
Who is that? Someone who hurt you? Someone who lied to you, someone Who broke your trust? That person isn't Tim.
He's not your ex.
You don't know what you're talking about.
And you won't change my mind.
I'm not gonna try.
All I've ever asked of anyone here is to scrutinize the evidence with care, and then vote your conscience.
So if you truly think that Tim is guilty, then you should stand in that truth and vote that way.
All right, so Christian looks clean, right? But you dig a little deeper, you're gonna discover that he was part of a fraternity ten years ago that dissolved after rape allegations surfaced.
- NDAs? - Yeah.
Exactly.
No suspects were ever named.
Then a few years ago, he was living in an apartment building where a woman was attacked and killed in the stairwell.
Case went unsolved.
Okay, so we know Christian saw Tim get in the cab, but he wasn't in his apartment.
And he wasn't in the foyer, because Tim would've seen him.
But there's one other place he could've been.
- Oh, God.
- Harry.
There's a clear line of sight from Sarah's apartment to the street.
That's why Christian lied.
He should be the one on trial.
Speaking of which, they're calling the jury back in, looks like they have a verdict.
I know that look.
I got a real suspect.
He looks good for it but nothing concrete.
So, I guess it's all in the hands of the jury.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back.
Mr.
Desoto, you are the jury foreperson, correct? Yes, Your Honor.
I understand you've been unable to reach a verdict on either charge.
Is that the case? At least it's not "guilty.
" Yeah, but if the next jury is not willing to ask the hard questions, odds are, he'll be convicted.
Mr.
Desoto, if I were to return you to the jury room, do you think you could make progress towards a verdict? No, Your Honor.
I want to remind you all of your duty to this court.
And that is, for you all to decide the case for yourself.
Now, with that said, your jury foreperson has stated that you've done all you can to reach a verdict.
If any of you disagree with that, you'd better tell me now.
In that case Wait.
I want to change my vote.
Mr.
Desoto, it appears to me that from your correspondence on behalf of all the jurors that this makes the jury's verdict on both charges unanimous.
Uh Yes, Your Honor.
And what is that verdict? Not guilty.
In that case, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this case has now concluded, and the court wishes to express its appreciation to you for your services.
Mr.
Colvin, you are free to go.
All rise.
Thanks for the assist today.
And for what it's worth, I think you'd make a great lawyer.
Hmm.
Congratulations.
Jury got it right this time.
Which means there's a guilty man walking around out there.
And there will continue to be.
They think they got it right.
The A.
D.
A.
, the NYPD They think Tim got a get-out-of-jail-free card today.
Which means this case will never be reinvestigated, and Sarah's family will never get any kind of closure.
Mom? Hey, Dad's almost here.
I'm gonna wait for him outside.
Okay.
Hey, hold up a second.
I want to apologize for putting you in a position to have to lie to your father.
Mom, I told you.
It is not a big deal.
It is a big deal.
It's true that lies can be necessary to protect your family, but they can backfire on you.
They can hurt you and those around you in ways you never anticipate.
Lying is dangerous, and I just want you to realize that.
Well, feels more dangerous not to.
But I understand.
I do.
Hey, you know how Dad asked me if I felt safe here? I didn't have to lie about that.
Mm.
Hey, Auntie! How'd deliberations go? They ended.
Not guilty.
- Ah! - Yeah.
Thank goodness.
Wait, so you're back? That's great.
Yeah, 'cause, you know, we missed you.
Yeah? I heard you got mighty familiar with the laundry room, so I think I'll just leave the ironing for you until you get back from your dad's.
Yeah, no, I'm good, but I love you.
I love you, baby, have fun.
- I love you, Aunt Vi.
- I love you more.
Bye.
Well, I can't say that I was surprised to see you in the courtroom today.
I may have followed the case, but that young man owes his freedom to you.
Well I just did what was required of me.
Now, see, that's what the world needs more of: that.
People willing to take the time and the trouble to find the truth.
Got a minute? Detective Dante.
NYPD.
I have a few questions for you.
I'm the one you call when you can't call 911.
Previously on The Equalizer You don't work for a charity, do you, Mom? No matter what I do, I'm always your mom.
I know that you lied to me.
- I am a NYPD - Stop! This guy's a cop.
We'll take him out to Youngstrom's farm.
No one will ever know.
Give that to the chief for me.
I'm afraid of who I might become.
Okay, what about Leroy, if it's a boy? Leroy? Oh, you can't be serious.
What? It's distinguished.
My uncle's name is Leroy.
Your uncle is also 82 years old.
I will not do that to our child.
Our child.
- The food.
- No, no, no.
I'll go.
You and little Leroy stay.
Uh-uh.
I'm telling you, Leroy is gonna come out with an AARP card.
Tim Colvin? Yeah.
You're under arrest for rape and murder - in the first degree.
- Wait, wait, I'm under arrest for what? You have the right to remain silent, anything you say - can and will be held against you - This isn't right.
- In a court of law.
- You got the wrong guy.
Stop! He-he didn't do anything! - We'll figure this out.
I love you.
- Tim? - I love you! - Tim! If, after considering the testimony and evidence, you find that the defendant did commit the offenses of rape and murder in the first degree, then you are authorized to find the defendant guilty.
If you have any reasonable doubt, then you must acquit the defendant.
The verdict must be unanimous.
And despite the seriousness of the alleged offenses, you are to consider the facts without sympathy or concern for punishment.
Well, that's nine days we will never get back again.
Could've been one if they didn't insist on "talking lawyer.
" I don't know, I mean, you hear about guys like this all the time, but to actually be a part of it Pretty cool.
Let me guess.
You're obsessed with true crime.
Excuse me? What do you care? How long do you think we all have to be in here? I have work.
Oh, we all got our lives to get back to.
Well, you're the foreman.
What do you think about taking a vote now? Sure.
Let's take a vote.
Let's do hands in the air.
All for guilty? Wait.
Really? I was gonna say the same thing.
You really think the defense proved this guy is innocent? She doesn't have to.
The prosecution has to prove that he's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and I have one.
He's clearly guilty.
He admitted to being at the scene.
He was spotted running away right after the victim's time of death.
He admitted to being in the building, not at the scene, and haven't you ever run for a cab? What about his violent history? The argument with his fiancée? The cut on his arm? Right, from struggling with the victim.
Weren't you listening to the evidence? I was.
He said he got the cut from tripping on the street, and it was on his hand, not his arm.
- Does it matter where the cut was? - Maybe.
Look, I'm not sure of his innocence, but what I do know is that if we vote to convict, a human being goes to prison for the rest of his life.
So he deserves to have us take a hard look at the facts.
The least we could do is start by getting them straight.
Mom.
Hey, where's my red hoodie? I want to wear it to Dad's this weekend.
It is in the laundry room.
And you know that machine is not password protected, right? When's Aunt Vi done with jury duty again? What does that have to do with you helping out around here before you go to your dad's? By the way how are you feeling about seeing your dad? What do you mean? These questions he's been asking you about me, about what I'm involved in.
I mean, I'm-I'm fine.
Well, if I have to lie to keep your secret I know how to handle Dad.
Well Don't start trying that around here.
What? What? No way.
Would never.
Yeah, never.
That's right.
Hey, Aunt Vi.
You look exhausted.
Locked in a room for hours with 11 strangers.
Can't imagine why.
Five minutes in, they're ready to send this young man away for life, with no discussion.
Hell no.
I will get these people talking.
I will keep them there till winter if that's what it takes.
Well, guess I got some laundry to do.
Thank you.
The arrogance of these people.
I mean, I don't know if he did it or not, but they don't either.
And that's why we're supposed to deliberate, not just declare a hung jury because they've already made up their minds.
No one likes to admit they could be wrong.
Means they have to reexamine everything.
Yes, and that's why we're there.
But I'm telling you there is something about this evidence that just doesn't sit right with me.
It's too It's too tidy.
It's too black and white.
Well, what's the case? You know I can't tell you that.
Doesn't matter.
It's too late now, anyway.
I just think there's a messy truth out there that I just wish someone had taken the time to find it.
So, she refused to give you any details about the trial, and you took that as a personal invitation to dig into the case? Well, Aunt Vi is too smart to ask.
But she has really good instincts, and a man's life is at stake, so let's just make sure the jury has all the evidence.
You know which courthouse? Nah.
It's somewhere in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, male defendant, life sentence.
Hold, please.
What's up? You have that "I'm here in body only" look.
Dee is lying again.
Isn't that what teenagers do? Yeah, but she's lying to protect me.
To her dad.
He's been asking questions.
Yeah, that is tricky.
Yeah.
I always taught her that lying was wrong, but now she's learning it's okay, that it can be necessary.
Well, she's not wrong.
I lie about Harry being dead for years.
Yeah, but you're an adult.
Delilah is a high school kid, and it's her father.
Lying can be a dangerous road, and I'm the one that's put her on it.
All right, I got it.
Defendant's name is Tim Colvin.
He's charged with the rape and murder of Sarah Ross, a white college undergrad.
So, eight months ago, Sarah, the victim, is drinking at the bar with her roommate, Olivia, who sees Sarah talking to this guy, Tim.
Olivia goes home later, finds Sarah strangled and raped in her apartment, and Tim is seen running away from the building.
And what's Tim's story? I mean, guy says he's innocent.
Says the only reason he was even in the building was, he was going on a walk, he got cold.
Spotted the vestibule through the window upstairs.
Building looked cozy.
Went in there, warmed up.
Gets a cab and goes home.
And talking to Sarah at the bar? I mean, he denies even being at the bar, but he's got no alibi.
The evidence is pretty damning.
Who is this guy? I mean, he's an associate at an investment firm.
He's got no record.
He just bought a condo with his fiancée.
They look like a nice couple.
Aunt Vi sat through this whole trial and felt that it was full of holes.
I want to talk to Tim's fiancée, Morgan.
She knew him best.
Let's see what she thinks.
- Morgan Carver? - Yeah.
I'm with Champions for the Wrongfully Convicted.
We think your fiancé's case may deserve a second look.
Are you moving? Not by choice.
Uh, with the attorney bills and the baby Morgan, between you and I, what do you think happened eight months ago? Tim had just learned that he was being let go.
And that night, I found out that he'd been offered a new job by an ex-girlfriend, and he hadn't told me.
We argued.
He left but the prosecution took it all out of context and made it seem like he was so angry from being fired that he went out and killed a girl.
Even dragged his upbringing into it, as if growing up in a rough neighborhood makes you a monster.
Well, didn't the defense track his phone? He left his phone at the house that night.
He went out for a walk to cool down.
So no one can account for where he went.
He was upset.
We've all been there.
Morgan, I have to ask you this, do you believe your fiancé could have done something like this? He didn't do it.
I know that man without a shadow of a doubt, and he would not do something like this.
When I look at my son I see Tim.
What destroys me is that they may never see each other outside of prison.
If there's any help that you can offer us, I'm begging you for it.
Thinking about a career change? Might've missed my NBA window.
I was actually talking about that walk down memory lane.
Thinking you want to go back to law school? Lot of people make decisions because they're running toward or away from their parents.
I think I was doing both, becoming a cop.
I don't know if I ever really knew what I wanted.
Maybe I never really knew myself at all.
I think, in the end we are what we can't let go of and what can't let go of us.
I left the force for a reason.
I need some time to work through things.
And I respect that.
All I need is a consult.
Just give me five minutes, and if you don't want to be involved, I will leave you be.
So, what do you think? Solid case.
Some of the evidence is circumstantial, sure The sedative in her system, and Tim having a prescription.
But without DNA or fingerprints, lots of cases are built this way.
You know the detectives? They're good guys.
Casework's by the book.
Maybe, but Tim was arrested two days after the killing.
No other suspects were interviewed.
Isn't it possible they missed something? Sure.
But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
I mean, I'd like to talk to Tim, but he's at trial and in custody.
His lawyer is the only one allowed in to see him.
Without my badge I can't help with that.
I'm also out of favors.
And I meant what I said about taking time.
These questions you want answered, you don't need me to ask them.
What's there to question? The prosecution's case is solid.
It's Tim's story that is shaky as hell.
I found it to be believable.
Which part was the most believable? Him taking a walk and conveniently forgetting where he went? Or the bad luck where he was in the building while a girl was being raped and murdered? Dude, sarcasm is not gonna help here.
Let's stick to the evidence.
Which is that nobody can vouch for Tim's story.
On the other hand, Sarah's roommate saw Tim giving her a glass of water at the bar at 11:00 p.
m.
Later, Sarah's neighbor heard a scream, just as her favorite show was starting at 11:30, and Tim admits to running for the cab a-at midnight.
What about the DNA? Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that there's no DNA evidence? Oh, he made sure of that.
Tim had a half hour to kill Sarah and clean up well enough that there was no evidence left behind.
The timeline makes sense.
We can go around and around all day.
I have no doubt in my mind that this man killed Sarah Ross.
Why? This man with no record, with everything going for him, what is his motive? I don't know if getting fired is having everything going for you.
The guy was pissed.
He's riled up after the fight.
He sees a white woman who looks just like the boss who fired him, and he takes his rage out on her.
You can take 'em out of the hood - Well.
That seems a little - What? I don't know, problematic.
And what would you know about it, Connecticut? Now, he went from having nothing to everything.
No wonder he feels so entitled.
And he's the reason men are being forced into early retirement.
You mean men like you? Okay.
Since we're all spinning stories about who he might be, I'd like to try one that isn't based on a tired stereotype.
How about Tim Colvin is a levelheaded young man who walks away from an argument before it gets too heated? We know he's upset with his fiancée, who's Black.
Why not go out and kill someone who looks like her? That same fiancée, I might add, was standing by him every day in court.
Yeah, but can you ever really know someone? - I had an ex who cured me of that.
- Hmm.
If my husband was ever accused of something like this, I'd put him in the chair myself.
And this idea that-that Tim drugged Sarah with a glass of water If he was so upset when he left the house he forgot his phone, why would he think to bring a Vexinax? He could've had one in his pocket.
He dissolves it in the glass of water, hands it to Sarah easy.
Vexinax doesn't dissolve.
I got a prescription for it when I was going through my divorce.
I don't like taking pills, so I tried it once.
- Didn't work.
- Wait.
So that means he would've had to be carrying a Vexinax pill that he'd already crushed up when he saw Sarah.
So? That doesn't exactly line up with the prosecution's story that this was a crime of opportunity.
You knew this all along.
Why would you vote guilty? There was so much other evidence.
He was seen at the bar.
He was at her building.
No, no, no, no.
She's right.
So, the prosecution was wrong about it being a crime of opportunity.
So what? So now I'm wondering what else they were wrong about.
The thing I keep bumping up against is, why would Sarah take a pill from a total stranger? They're assuming he spiked her drink.
No, I looked it up.
Vexinax isn't soluble.
I wonder if the jury knows that.
And would a prescription antianxiety pill be his drug of choice? I mean, Rohypnol, GHB, even ketamine would be better options.
Well, it got into her system somehow.
And, according to the police report, Sarah didn't have a prescription.
Either she took it willingly or somebody slipped it to her, and if it wasn't Tim, then who was it? We need to know who Sarah saw that night, and if she spent time with anyone else at that bar.
She was there with her roommate, Olivia.
Maybe she can shed some light.
Olivia Simmons? Cynthia Westfield.
D.
A.
's office.
Can we talk? No, it was just us at the bar.
The place was filled with finance bros.
Not our scene.
So, other than Tim Colvin, you didn't see her with anyone else? No.
Why? New evidence has come to light about how the Vexinax got into her system.
What'd you mean that it wasn't your scene? We were just looking to chill, then the place got packed for the game.
Not a fan of crowds, huh? Guys yelling.
Everybody bumping into you.
Must've been stressful.
We think Sarah may have gotten the pills from someone she might have trusted.
Olivia, I'm not a cop.
And you were never asked about where Sarah got the drugs, so technically, you didn't lie.
But you didn't exactly tell the whole truth, did you? The crowd was making Sarah anxious, so I gave her one of my pills.
And you didn't say anything because Everyone would've thought it was my fault.
Maybe if I hadn't given it to her, she wouldn't have been so vulnerable.
Maybe she would still be alive.
I just thought that since they got the guy What made you so sure that Tim was the guy, knowing he didn't give her the drugs? He was in our building.
The cops showed me his picture.
I recognized him.
How many drinks had you had when you saw them talking? Not too many because I-I 'Cause you had taken a Vexinax, too.
You're still sure it was him? He was at our building.
He's the guy.
Right? It bears questioning.
I've had my doubts about the eyewitness account from the start.
It was dim in the bar and dark outside.
She has twenty-twenty vision.
They made a point of that.
She was also 30 feet away through a crowded bar.
Olivia also testified, under oath, that it was Tim she saw talking to Sarah.
She has no doubt in her mind.
Are you saying she's lying? No, but what I am saying is that maybe she believed she saw something that she didn't.
The girl was traumatized from finding her friend murdered.
A police officer shows her a photo of a Black suspect.
The man Sarah was talking to at the bar is Black.
Her brain fills in the rest.
Oh, so now we're just making up reasons why the evidence doesn't point to him.
No, we're just looking at possibilities, and we haven't even taken into account that cross-racial identifications are historically inaccurate.
"Cross-racial identifications"? Uh, she is saying that all white people are so racist that they can't tell Black people apart.
That is not what I'm saying.
And for the record, I'm insulted.
Howard, this is not a personal attack.
It is just the way our brains work.
She's right.
42% of wrongful convictions based on eyewitness testimonies are cross-racial misidentifications.
How do you know that? I saw an infographic on Instagram.
So, what? Now you think this guy's innocent, too? I don't know.
She was your age, you know.
The girl who was raped and strangled to death.
And you're ready to let her killer go free.
Or maybe you are, by convicting an innocent man.
Well, Olivia saw someone talking to Sarah that night.
All right, this is everybody who used a credit card at the bar that night.
No Tim and no one Olivia would mistake for Tim.
Any company cards? Uh, yeah.
There's a couple.
Any big tabs? This one's over a grand.
They may have been having a party.
Harry, check the company roster.
See if there's anyone who might've been at that party who could've been mistaken for Tim Colvin.
Devin Ellis? - You got a minute? - What the hell? Hey, do you remember going to a company party about eight months ago? At a bar downtown called The King George.
You recall talking to a blonde girl outside? Sarah Ross.
This is the picture they showed of her all over the news when she was murdered later that night.
Why? Who are you? Friend of the family.
And before you say anything, I talked to your colleagues, so I know you were there.
Look, I talked to her, okay? Frankly, she looked wasted, so I offered her a glass of water, but I had nothing to do with her murder.
Ask anyone I work with, they'll tell you.
I was at the party when she was killed.
Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought.
You heard about the murder back then.
You knew this whole case was being built on bad information.
Why wouldn't you come forward when you knew you had an alibi? You think an alibi means a damn when they got a dead white woman? I can easily be the one on trial today.
But you're not.
And at any minute, an innocent man could be sent to prison for something he didn't do.
I'm sorry, but I got a family who needs me.
If you want to help your guy, you got to do it on your own.
D.
A.
Grafton's agreed to meet with me tomorrow morning.
Maybe she can intercede with the prosecutor.
Well, you did just punch a giant hole in the case.
Yeah, but Devin still won't come forward, even though his alibi checked out.
Can't say I blame him.
And if it wasn't for your aunt, "not talking to you" about the trial, we wouldn't even know that.
Does your aunt know how right she was to fight for this guy? Not yet.
But Aunt Vi has never needed a reason to do what's right.
What time is it? 7:30.
We're just going nowhere fast.
I say we go home, get some sleep.
Come back at this fresh tomorrow.
You know, some of us have jobs.
Why don't we just tell the judge the truth: we're deadlocked.
He'll get a new trial, be found guilty, like he should.
You think you can't afford to miss a day's work? Try paying a defense attorney for a second trial.
You know what? I think you have too much time on your hands.
You might not want to get back to your husband, but the rest of us do.
I don't have a husband, sweetheart.
I'm not married.
Yes, you do.
You said That was me.
The other Black woman.
Really? No.
We've been together two weeks, and you just confused us.
Which is my point.
Isn't it possible that Sarah's roommate misidentified Tim? That she saw a different Black man talking to Sarah that night? And isn't it possible that when Tim says he wasn't at that bar, that he's actually telling the truth? Well, there she goes again, playing the race card.
This is about race.
This is a Black man on trial for raping a white woman.
No, this is about a man who was seen running from a building where a girl was killed inside.
Now, we were instructed to be honest, conscientious and unbiased.
And now you're dragging his race into it.
To be intentionally blind to the historical precedent here is the most dangerous bias of all.
And what about you? Isn't it possible that you have some baggage of your own that is making you overlook some pretty damning evidence? And isn't it possible that this is about you being a Black woman, trying to protect her own? And wouldn't it be a shame if we didn't convict a rapist and a murderer because your bias got in the way? That you, Auntie? Boy, they got you working like crazy down there.
Hey.
Come here.
Sit down.
- What happened? - Nothing yet.
No decision.
Well, at least you got them talking.
Yeah, well maybe they shouldn't be.
What do you mean? What if I'm wrong about this guy? What if when I look at him, all I see are are the Black men behind bars that shouldn't be there? I don't want to be responsible for setting someone free who may have raped and killed a woman.
Auntie, you know your initial doubt about the prosecution's case? Mm-hmm.
I would stick with it.
Trust your gut.
Robyn? I'm going to bed.
Love you.
Where are my boys? I'm afraid of who I might become.
What you're telling me is concerning but not actionable.
The defendant was at the building where and when the murder took place, by his own admission.
But not at the bar.
The jury is deciding this man's fate based off a faulty narrative.
I'm sympathetic, and the narrative might be imperfect, but there are other aspects of the case that tie him to the crime.
If he is unfairly convicted, he can appeal.
You're joking, right? Only thing harder than winning an appeal is being granted one.
Unless you can find exculpatory evidence that Tim Colvin didn't kill Sarah Ross, there's nothing I can do.
I'm sorry.
Unreal.
Trials really are about who spins the best story.
How are we supposed to prove Tim didn't do this? By finding the person who did.
It's hard to imagine having your whole life ripped out from under you just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
And we have no way to exonerate him unless we find the real killer.
With virtually no evidence to go on.
I mean, the only thing we know at this point is what didn't happen.
There's always a move.
If the bar is not relevant, then it's all about the building.
Which key witnesses were there? I want to talk to them.
Well, by his own admission, there's Tim.
I tried.
They have him locked down.
What about the witness who saw him running to the cab? Christian Messina.
Sarah's downstairs neighbor.
Okay.
That's our move.
Minute to talk, Kerry? That depends.
You here to put away another one of my clients? Just a temperature check.
Tim Colvin.
I know you go to the mat for everyone you represent, but what's your honest feeling on him? I think he's innocent.
Why? Been looking into it.
Bit late for police to be auditing casework, isn't it? I'm not police anymore.
Not after The fact that all that still goes on.
But you left? What was it you said that one time? If you never saw me in court again, it would be too soon? Much as I hate to admit it, I'd rather bust my ass going up against cases built by cops like you.
At least it's a fair fight.
Is it ever really fair? Is anything? How do you keep doing it? Knowing how the system can be? If not me, then who? Can you get me in to see Tim? I might know someone who can help.
Yeah, let me see what I can do.
Hell of a thing.
You know if I didn't see him get in that cab, they probably would've never tracked him down.
I hope they throw the book at him.
Sarah's family does, too, Christian.
But if he appeals, they want to make sure there's nothing that'll surprise them in the next trial.
Is there anything else you might have seen or heard that night? I said it all on the stand.
I was home watching the football game.
I made myself some tea before bed, and that's when I looked out my window.
From the basement window in the front that looks out onto the street? That's right, and I saw a guy running out.
He got in a cab, and that was at midnight.
Sorry.
Landlord is a cheapskate.
A year ago, he put all the building lights on motion sensors with ridiculously short timers.
Anyway, cops ran the cab and caught the guy.
Showed me a photo and it was him.
End of story.
How can you accept that he couldn't remember where he walked that night? He said he was angry and in his own head.
Hasn't that ever happened to you? Oh, hell, I remember where I was that night, and it was eight months ago.
Watching the Giants comeback.
Killer game.
Went into overtime, Giants intercepted? Yep.
I was at the bar late that night.
Giants threw that Hail Mary.
- Boom.
Tied it all up.
- Guys.
He's right.
Can we just focus, please? That Giants game did go to overtime.
Those games, do they air on the same network as the-the show the neighbor was watching? - Yeah.
So, what? - So the neighbor said she heard the scream from Sarah's apartment at 11:30.
She knew exactly what time it was because that's the time that her show normally starts.
What are you getting at? It didn't start at 11:30.
If the game went into overtime, then the game pushed back the start of the show.
Which means the scream could have happened later than 11:30.
Way later.
That overtime could've easily lasted half an hour with all the time-outs they called.
Yes.
And Tim was seen running for a cab at midnight, which means the scream could have happened when he was already in the cab.
Look.
We are not allowed to look it up.
And if it was shorter than half an hour, he was still in the building when she screamed.
That's true.
But that would mean he had to rape and kill Sarah, clean the apartment of all the evidence, get downstairs, hail a cab in mere minutes.
Is it possible that he did it? Sure.
But is it reasonable to doubt that he did? It is.
Oh, you got to be kidding me.
I'm changing my vote to "not guilty.
" Same with me.
Me, too.
I will, too.
And me.
And you're 100% sure he could've done all of that in just a few minutes? No.
I'm not.
I think we take a break now, then come back and take another vote, since it seems like we're all on the same page now.
Dante, what's up? I got you a meeting with Tim Colvin.
What happened to "taking time"? Don't read into it.
Wouldn't dare.
But I'm glad you did.
I have a few questions for Tim.
What's wrong? In his testimony, Tim said Sarah's building looked warm and inviting, which is why he ducked in, but the indoor lights are on motion sensors.
So if no one was coming or going, it would've looked cold and dark, which means he lied.
Why would he lie about that? Maybe because someone was there.
Maybe because he actually did follow Sarah into the building.
Maybe he's not innocent at all.
What was I supposed to do? Tell the truth? The cops had me at the scene.
I didn't even tell my attorney.
Well, since we're not cops, why don't you tell us what really happened.
Sarah did let me into the building that night.
She was drunk and heading in.
And it looked warm, so I followed her in.
And I asked if she was okay, and she said she was fine, and then she headed up the stairs.
You know how that sounds.
Of course I do.
But I didn't kill her.
You know what they were arresting me for.
If I had admitted that she let me in that night, I would've been digging my own grave.
What happened after she let you in? She went on her way, and I stayed in the vestibule, warming up until I caught the cab.
I know I shouldn't have lied, but I'm not the only one.
I heard the prosecution's narrative in the court.
You know what they're doing.
I do know.
I keep thinking, if I hadn't fought with Morgan that night, hadn't gone in that building, hadn't tripped on that trash and cut my hand while running to catch the cab, maybe I wouldn't be here right now.
Wait, what'd you say you tripped over? Garbage day is Tuesday.
So what? So they would've put the bags out on the street on Monday.
Same night Sarah was murdered.
Harry, can you find me photos from Sarah's street from last Monday night? Yeah, they just put a new street cam up a couple months ago.
Here we go.
So, this is what it would have looked like the night Tim ran for the cab.
- What are we looking for? - That.
Christian's window.
You see it? The garbage is blocking the view.
So Christian wouldn't have been able to see Tim run for the cab.
But Christian did see Tim.
ID'ing the cab was how the cops found him.
Well, why would Christian lie about where he saw him from? Harry, run a background check on Christian.
And hurry up.
Aunt Vi's running out of time.
Seems like we're all in agreement.
So all voting to acquit? Oh, please.
No.
You're still voting "guilty"? But we just blew holes through every piece of evidence.
You can twist the evidence any way you want.
To me, it is what it is.
But we can't be sure it is.
Yeah.
No one's saying they're sure he's innocent, but it's reasonable to think - he might not have done it.
- Thanks.
I do understand the concept of "reasonable doubt.
" Look, why don't we go over it again.
- Maybe if we just - No.
I don't need to go over it again.
I don't need it to be explained to me.
I know guys like this, and I see him for who he is.
Jurors.
The judge is asking if you're approaching a decision.
Uh Could we just have another minute? You said you see him for who he is.
Who is that? Someone who hurt you? Someone who lied to you, someone Who broke your trust? That person isn't Tim.
He's not your ex.
You don't know what you're talking about.
And you won't change my mind.
I'm not gonna try.
All I've ever asked of anyone here is to scrutinize the evidence with care, and then vote your conscience.
So if you truly think that Tim is guilty, then you should stand in that truth and vote that way.
All right, so Christian looks clean, right? But you dig a little deeper, you're gonna discover that he was part of a fraternity ten years ago that dissolved after rape allegations surfaced.
- NDAs? - Yeah.
Exactly.
No suspects were ever named.
Then a few years ago, he was living in an apartment building where a woman was attacked and killed in the stairwell.
Case went unsolved.
Okay, so we know Christian saw Tim get in the cab, but he wasn't in his apartment.
And he wasn't in the foyer, because Tim would've seen him.
But there's one other place he could've been.
- Oh, God.
- Harry.
There's a clear line of sight from Sarah's apartment to the street.
That's why Christian lied.
He should be the one on trial.
Speaking of which, they're calling the jury back in, looks like they have a verdict.
I know that look.
I got a real suspect.
He looks good for it but nothing concrete.
So, I guess it's all in the hands of the jury.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back.
Mr.
Desoto, you are the jury foreperson, correct? Yes, Your Honor.
I understand you've been unable to reach a verdict on either charge.
Is that the case? At least it's not "guilty.
" Yeah, but if the next jury is not willing to ask the hard questions, odds are, he'll be convicted.
Mr.
Desoto, if I were to return you to the jury room, do you think you could make progress towards a verdict? No, Your Honor.
I want to remind you all of your duty to this court.
And that is, for you all to decide the case for yourself.
Now, with that said, your jury foreperson has stated that you've done all you can to reach a verdict.
If any of you disagree with that, you'd better tell me now.
In that case Wait.
I want to change my vote.
Mr.
Desoto, it appears to me that from your correspondence on behalf of all the jurors that this makes the jury's verdict on both charges unanimous.
Uh Yes, Your Honor.
And what is that verdict? Not guilty.
In that case, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this case has now concluded, and the court wishes to express its appreciation to you for your services.
Mr.
Colvin, you are free to go.
All rise.
Thanks for the assist today.
And for what it's worth, I think you'd make a great lawyer.
Hmm.
Congratulations.
Jury got it right this time.
Which means there's a guilty man walking around out there.
And there will continue to be.
They think they got it right.
The A.
D.
A.
, the NYPD They think Tim got a get-out-of-jail-free card today.
Which means this case will never be reinvestigated, and Sarah's family will never get any kind of closure.
Mom? Hey, Dad's almost here.
I'm gonna wait for him outside.
Okay.
Hey, hold up a second.
I want to apologize for putting you in a position to have to lie to your father.
Mom, I told you.
It is not a big deal.
It is a big deal.
It's true that lies can be necessary to protect your family, but they can backfire on you.
They can hurt you and those around you in ways you never anticipate.
Lying is dangerous, and I just want you to realize that.
Well, feels more dangerous not to.
But I understand.
I do.
Hey, you know how Dad asked me if I felt safe here? I didn't have to lie about that.
Mm.
Hey, Auntie! How'd deliberations go? They ended.
Not guilty.
- Ah! - Yeah.
Thank goodness.
Wait, so you're back? That's great.
Yeah, 'cause, you know, we missed you.
Yeah? I heard you got mighty familiar with the laundry room, so I think I'll just leave the ironing for you until you get back from your dad's.
Yeah, no, I'm good, but I love you.
I love you, baby, have fun.
- I love you, Aunt Vi.
- I love you more.
Bye.
Well, I can't say that I was surprised to see you in the courtroom today.
I may have followed the case, but that young man owes his freedom to you.
Well I just did what was required of me.
Now, see, that's what the world needs more of: that.
People willing to take the time and the trouble to find the truth.
Got a minute? Detective Dante.
NYPD.
I have a few questions for you.