Close to Home (2005) s02e19 Episode Script

(soft rock music playing) (thundering) Ma''am, do you know who did this to you? Wait.
(coughing) She''s going into shock.
(coughing) Is this who attacked you? (grunting) Is he the one? n Ma''am, is this the perso that attacked you? Yes.
(garbled radio transmission) She ID''d one of her sons? Eric Murphy, w insists he was at his apartment sleeping.
Campus surveillance tapes say otherwise.
Caught his Jeep coming and going.
Any signs of forced entry? Nope.
How did she ID him? I thought she was on death''s door.
She is.
According to the cops and paramedics, Mrs.
Murphy wanted to identify him, and she was clearheaded enough to do it.
She was the one who called 911? Took rescue ten minutes to get there, and she was still conscious.
Weapon? Commando knife, seven-inch blade, left at the scene.
Father was stabbed 27 times, mother half that-- blood everywhere.
Anything in the Jeep? Immaculate.
There''s not a speck o f blood anywhere on, near or leading to Eric Murphy.
How is that possible? Crime techs did find a print on the bedroom door that doesn''t belon g to anybody in the family.
How does that help us? .
It doesn''t Kid kills his dad, tries to kill his mom This is just the kind of juicy case Conlon needs to launch his bid for attorney general.
You better not mess it up.
MAN: Mr.
Murphy is innocent.
I did not kill my dad.
I didn''t.
Or attack my mom? That''s not what your mother said.
Mrs.
Murphy sustained grave injuries.
She was cogent when the police questioned her.
She was in extres.
I could find ten expert witnesses that will testify, in light of the blood loss, it''s a physical impossibility Mrs.
Murphy knew what she was saying.
Paramedics who were on the scene will swear it''s quite possible, and we won''t have to pay them to testify.
You''re basin g your entire case on a statement made by a dying woman? Where were you when your parents were attacked? My apartment, sleeping.
Not according to campus security.
I''ve got a bunch of parking tickets, so I can''t park overnight on campus anymore.
I parked a few blocks away and walked back to my apartment.
None of the surveillance tapes show you walking back on campus.
That''s because there aren' 't cameras at every entrance.
I could show you where I walk back on.
You didn''t walk, you drove back the next morning.
As the tape shows, my client picked up his Jeep in the morning on his way to class, Macroeconomics at 8:00.
Must have been really hard to focus on supply and demand after stabbing your father to death four hours earlier.
I didn''t do it.
I swear.
I did not kill my dad or hurt my mom.
Ms.
Chase, please please let me see my mom one more time.
She''s dying.
Because of you.
You''re not going to the hospita to see your mother, Mr.
Murphy.
You''re going to jail.
You know what happens now? I bare my soul.
Your soul you could hold onto.
It''s your skeletons I''m gonna need to meet.
Oh, well, not much there.
Just your everyday, run-of-the-mill skeletons.
Oh, come on.
You are paying me a lot of money to be your new best friend.
You''re my campaign manager.
And I need to know everything about you, all details-- this life and the one before it, and maybe the one before that.
Maybe I shouldn''t run for attorney general.
Hey, now is the time.
The incumbent is retiring.
It''s now or never.
Come on, it''ll be fun.
Easy for you to say.
Why do you think I''m the face behind the face? Too many skeletons? No comment.
(reporters clamoring) Think they''re here to cover my bid? Best guess.
Eric Murphy''s defens e attorney tipped them off.
Now you earn your money.
(reporters clamoring) Good morning, folks.
Prosecutor''s Office is not prepared CONLON: No wonder the press is all over this.
Public loves gore.
Mr.
Murphy''s throat was slashed .
Mrs.
Murphy was attacked in a similar fashion-- stabbed repeatedly-- it was a bloodbath.
All this blood and no forensic evidence on Eric Murphy? He had enough time to go somewhere and shower after the attack.
Not his apartment.
We took the drains apart, they''re clean.
There''s no blood in his apartment or his car? Not a trace.
But Murphy worked in a clean room last summer for a computer company that manufactures silicon chips.
Clean room? Yeah, you got to wear some protective gear because of the sensitivity of the equipment, like a biohazard suit.
Well, if he''s smart enough to wear one of these, he''s certainly smart enough to destroy it right away.
We''re looking anyway.
So far, nothing''s turned up.
What about that stray print on the bedroom door? Cops ran it through the system, didn''t get anything back yet .
Tell me the good news.
No alibi.
With the surveillance tape, we can create a persuasive timeline.
His own mother identified him as the assailant.
Maybe we should be looking outside the family, huh? Mr.
Murphy was a corporate attorney.
So far, his cases look run-of-the-mill.
No debt to speak of, no signs of infidelity.
There''s a younger brother, Ben, lives in Chicago.
The police are looking into his whereabouts now.
But the guys in homicide are hard on Eric Murphy.
They think they got the right guy.
What about a motive? Why would Eric Murphy attack his parents? MAUREEN: Maybe the younger brother can shed some light on the family dynamics.
As soon as he provides us with an alibi.
Her breathing was agonal when she first arrived, and her pupils were bilaterally fixed and dilated.
I''m sorry, I need you to translate.
Agonal? Agonal breathing is essentially a death rattle.
The state of her pupils indicated hypoxia, lack of oxygen to the brain.
Will she live? It''s a long shot .
And if she does? There might be permanent brain damage.
She lost a lot of blood, and there''s no way of knowin g what her condition will be if she wakes up, which she probably won''t .
I have other patients to see.
Thank you, Doctor.
.
I''m Ben Murphy Maureen Scofield.
We spoke on the phone.
Are you up to answering a few questions? Uh, just not too long, in case my mother wakes up.
Are you close to your mom and dad? Close? I-I don''t know.
I-I love them.
Um My dad and I had a lot in common.
We, uh, we saw the world the same way, you know? And the night your parents were attacked? I was in Chicago, in a room with who can confirm that I didn''t murder my father.
Can you imagine how that felt? Two cops knock on your door.
They tell you your dad''s dead, your mom''s dying, and then they want to know where you were on the night it happened.
What about Eric? How''s he get along with your folks? Eric''s closer to my mom.
A lot closer.
He always has been.
He and my dad didn''t They didn''t really get along.
And why is that? Money, mostly.
Eric always thought my parents should support him totally, pay for his car, his clothes, his school, everything on a silver platter.
Could your dad and Eric have had a recent fight about his finances? I have no idea.
I-I try to avoid my brother as much as possible.
I mean, we don''t, we don''t exactly have a lot in common.
Look at me.
I drive a ''98 Toyota, I work for a living, and I''m putting myself through college.
Look, I need to get back to the ICU.
Do you think your brother could have murdered your father? Eric''s a sociopath.
He can look you right in the eye and lie, and you never know it.
Are you gonna ask me to testify against my brother? Right now, I''m just trying to find out more about your family.
Well, my family doesn''t exist anymore.
(men shouting) (whistle blows) Yeah, he''s a hell of a player.
All-conference his sophomore year.
Exceptional kid.
Did you ever hear Eric talk about his parents? Like what? Anything that would indicate he was angry at them.
Uh, no way.
The only interaction I ever saw was with him and his mom.
Two of them got along real good.
She always had his back.
How do you mean? He missed some practices, and there was talk about yanking his scholarship.
Mrs.
Murphy presented a medical excuse to explain Eric''s absences.
She sorted it out, saved the scholarship.
Was Eric sick? Not like sick-sick.
It was some sort of a spinal thing.
L4 or L5 compressed vertebrae I guess acts up in damp weather.
I mean, it''s common with athletes.
I''ll bet.
ANNABETH: Murphy had a partial Lacrosse scholarship that almost went south.
Too many missed practices.
Still, a star athlete with a 3.
2 GPA and no police record.
We checked with his doctors, none of them can confirm a spinal injury.
Back pain''s easy to fake.
You know, I faked the stomach flu once to go fly fishing, .
doesn''t make me a murderer What did our search warrant turn up? Ray''s looking at the Murphys'' computers.
We checked out the extended family and found something interesting.
Mrs.
Murphy''s brother-in-law is Philip Ducheys.
Why do I know that name? Money launderer and racketeer, rumored to be connected to the Chicago outfit.
Allegedmoney launderer.
The state and the feds have been after him for years, no luck.
Does he have an alibi? He was in New York the night of the attack.
The police have an active file on Ducheys, nothing to suggest motive.
Marinelli is going to use the alternate suspect theory to vilify this office.
He''s already saying we''re denying an innocent son a bedside farewell with his dying mother.
That''s the privilege you lose when you murder your dad.
Have you seen the blog devoted to Eric Murphy''s innocence? Of course there''s a blog.
He plays the charm card perfectly.
MAUREEN: And he''s probably getting lots of letters from lonely women offering to marry him.
'm going to allow Eric Murphy to visit his mother.
I''m sorry, did Peter Durkin advise you to do this for political reasons, ''cause it helps your campaign? .
He''s still under arrest He''ll have 15 minutes , the cuffs will be off.
For the photo op? You''re cutting a murderer slack because he has the public''s sympathy.
I''m allowing it to show the public that this office can be compassionate when it needs to be.
Now, you find me a motive and I''ll arraign Eric Murphy in a heartbeat.
The Sony 52-inch TV was bought three months ago on Mr.
Murphy'' s Money Buddy account.
Illegally.
Maybe dad gave him his password? Doubt it.
In his e-mail, Mr.
Murphy threatens to go to the police.
So the kid breaks his dad''s code, buys a bunch of fancy equipment, then gets pissed off when his father calls him out? He wasn''t just calling him on it.
He cut off the money.
Mr.
Murphy wasn''t going to pay for anything for his son''s last year at the university.
Instead, he got his spoiled kid a part-time job as a file clerk at a law firm, a paper pusher at $8.
75 an hour.
Dad''s sword came down.
Like a hammer.
And mom? t.
Promises to protect /Chim no matter wha ANNABETH: So his father was cutting him off financially.
Parents cut off the cash flow all the time.
It''s a rite of passage.
Kids get mad, then they get a job.
r And Eric''s fathe .
found him one, but he didn''t want it He happened to think murder was an appealing alternative to minimum wage.
I don''t see how that puts money in his pocket.
Mr.
Murphy had a $2 million life insurance policy.
Eric is the beneficiary? Elizabeth Murphy is the beneficiary.
Oh, so we have a double motive.
He kills his father ''cause he''s mad at him, but he has to kill both parents to get at the money.
The insurance is our motive.
He''s our guy.
He''s paying his respects as we speak.
(monitors beeping) What the hell? We''re charging you with the murder of your father Charles Murphy and the attempted murder of your mother Elizabeth Murphy.
If she dies, we''ll amend that.
Ms.
Chase thank you.
For what? For letting me see her one last time.
Thank you for that.
Most of Indianapolis thinks we''ve arrested the wrong guy.
Ray located a burger stand on the highway between the university and the Murphys'' house.
They served Eric about The drive time dovetails with the campus surveillance tape.
He stopped for fries? Well, it''s not easy killing your parents.
You work up quite an appetite.
Trust me, under this charming exterior, he''s cold as ice.
Mrs.
Murphy''s come out of her coma.
She wants to speak to Annabeth.
She''s lucid? Weak, but lucid.
Mrs.
Murphy my name is Annabeth Chase.
I''m the prosecuting attorney in charge of the criminal case.
I''m so sorry for your loss and for all the injuries you''ve suffered.
Thank you for coming.
I can''t imagine how difficult this must be, but with your testimony My son is innocent.
Your son Eric? Eric.
The paramedics and the police believe you were alert and cogent, and they all heard you identify Eric as your attacker.
I can''t I can''t remember much about what happened that night, but I know it wasn''t Eric.
Mrs.
Murphy, if you can''t remember, how can you be sure it wasn''t Eric? Because I know.
.
I know it wasn''t Eric He loves me.
And he''s loving, kind.
.
He couldn''t have My son is not a murderer.
ou''re suggesting.
Then why''d sh e change her statement? She was in shock when she identified her son.
I''m convinced I hav e the guilty party.
I''ll put Mrs.
Murphy on the stand and she''ll nullify her declaration.
I''m not droppin g the charges.
Annabeth, the mother just said her son didn''t do it.
You need to take that seriously and consider who did.
And I suppose you have an alternate suspect? Phil Ducheys.
Mrs.
Murphy''s brother-in-law.
The police already talked to him; he has an alibi.
He could have hired it done.
For what reason? And the random fingerprint inside the Murphy house supports that theory.
No, it doesn''t , Ducheys has no motive.
Eric Murphy is innocent and you''re refusing to look at other suspects.
The cops have the right guy.
You know what, Annabeth? I''m not a prosecutor anymore.
I don''t have to solve the murder.
I just need to mention the fingerprint, dangle the name Ducheys in front of an Indianapolis jury.
Thatandthe mom''s recantation? Reasonable doubt times two.
She can''t remember the attack or anything leading up to, during or after.
But she''s certain Eric is innocent.
Mother''s love.
My son is good, my son is kind.
He wouldn''t try to kill me, he loves me.
He couldn''t have done it, so therefore he didn''t do it.
Very circular.
Do you have any connections with the state police? If I need to, yeah.
Marinelli is promoting Ducheys as suspect "B.
" How is he a viable suspect? He''s not; he''s Marinelli''s red herring.
Ducheys hired a hit man and this office won''t even investigate the possibility.
Does he have anything to support his theory? The complete lack of forensic evidence.
Lack of evidence? That''s novel.
It suggests a professional hit.
No DNA at the scene, and how did the killer deal with all the blood? Wouldn''t gunshots to the head be more in keeping with a professional hit? And why would Ducheys want to hurt the Murphys? No reason, but we''re still going to have to counter his story.
You want me to bring Ducheys in? I want to wait until I know more about him.
Let me make some calls.
Maybe the younger brother knows something about our shady uncle.
Quite a shrine to your brother.
Yeah, that''s my mom''s doing.
I think there''s a picture of me on the refrigerator.
How do you feel about your mom''s statement that your brother is innocent? How do I feel? How would you feel? She''s still- - after everything-- she''s standing behind him and insisting Eric''s the son she wants, not the one that she has.
How is your mom''s relationship with her brother-in-law? Uncle Phil? My mom, my mom doesn''t have a relationship with Uncle Phil.
My dad flat-out hated him.
Why? Well, he, he launders cash for, for drug cartels or gangsters or something.
That''s, that''s the family story anyway.
It''s all about easy money with Uncle Phil.
My dad hated that.
He respected people who worked for what they want.
Like you? Like me, yeah.
Eric, Eric loves it, though.
I mean, he thinks Uncle Phil''s lifestyle is just the coolest thing.
Did Ducheys ever threaten your parents? Why would he? They They hardly ever saw each other.
The only person who ever had much contact with him was Eric.
Look, my parents, my parents weren''t criminals.
They didn''t, they didn''t have secrets.
They were just they were just normal people doing normal things.
Were your parents ever victims of a previous crime? Our house was broken into once.
I think a laptop was stolen and, uh, some of my mom''s jewelry.
It was nothing major.
Did the police make an arrest? If they did, nobody told me.
(phone ringing) Sorry for the delay.
Russell retired two years ago; Couldn''t find his notes.
Why didn''t anythin g come up in the database? Ah, the burglary was three years ago.
There were no formal charges filed, but Eric Murphy did it all right, no doubt about it.
Rocket scientist even tried to sell the stolen laptop on eBay.
Hello.
? Why wasn''t he charged Russell said he would have been if Mr.
Murphy had his way.
He wanted to teach the kid a lesson, have him arrested.
But? But Ms.
Murphy said it was a big misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding? Yeah, she had said she had given the kid permission to sell the computer and forgot to tell the husband.
The husband was pissed, but after the wife covered for the kid, there was nothing Russell could do.
Back window broken; footprint found in flower bed under the window .
matched suspect''s sneaker Yeah, there was a series of robberies in the neighborhood.
Two eyewitnesses ID''d the real burglar as a heavyset guy in his 30s.
Not Eric Murphy? No, the M.
O.
for the Murphy break-in didn''t match.
The real burglar went in through open doors, windows.
He never broke in.
Eric Murphy staged a robbery.
Yeah, that was Russell''s take.
Said he remembered the kid well.
Said he was nice, quiet, charming and he lied through his teeth the whole time.
(loud, overlapping chatter) I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for me and my family.
Uh, your your wishes and support helped me through a difficult time.
I want everyone to know, especially the prosecuting attorney''s office, that my son did not attack me, and that the police have arrested the wrong person.
The morning that my husband was murdered, there was a note left on the windshield of my car with a copy of a photo of my family with a red line through our necks like a knife.
We were being stalked threatened.
WOMAN: Why? (overlapping shouting) Who would threaten you? Are you talking about Phil Ducheys? Was it Phil Ducheys? .
I-I don''t know why.
.
who.
But please.
Eric is innocent.
He would never do this.
.
He didn''t do this (voice breaking): He could never do this.
(loud, overlapping shouting) The Murphys are victims of a heinous crime Eric Murphy did not commit.
e We ask the prosecuting attorney''s offic to drop these charges.
We ask the Indianapolis Police Department to reopen their investigation immediately.
she said nothing about her family being threatened.
That only happened after she recanted and we didn'' t drop the charges.
I mean, she escalates her tactics every time we refuse to back down.
So where is this threatening note? She says she gave it to her husband, and he was going to report the incident, but the police have nothing on record, and Mrs.
Murphy can''t find it.
Yeah, that''s convenient.
She fabricated the note.
The e-mail she sent to Eric the night of the attack said she would always protect him and she meant it.
Well, she intervened with the board on his lacrosse scholarship, she lied to the cops to get him off the hook on the laptop theft.
The woman would do anything to keep her son out of prison.
She''s lying again to ge t the charges dropped.
The press was asking her about Ducheys.
Yeah, I''m meeting him this afternoon.
CHARLES: Stay away from Eric.
DUCHEYS: Or what? CHARLES: I know what I know.
Stay away from my son, or you''ll regret it.
MAN: If you''re trying to intimidate my client, save it, Ms.
Chase.
.
He''s a busy man .
We''ve got a 2:00 Why was Charles Murphy threatening you? Why did it take you guys so long to ask? I''m sorry? My phone has been tapped for two years.
I knew I had half of the Indiana state troopers listening in.
You have me on tape being threatened by a dead guy.
I just thought the prosecutor''s office would connect the dots faster.
He says he knows things about you.
What things, Mr.
Ducheys? Oh, probably nasty rumors.
Have you heard any nasty rumors about me? Like what? Libelous allegations about my putative profession.
Libelous because they''ve never been proven? Not that law enforcement hasn''t tried over the years.
Why did Charles Murphy want you to stay away from his son? He didn''t approve of my lifestyle.
He wanted to teach his son the, quote, value of money and virtues of hard work, end quote.
What the hell? So I''m not the poster boy for the puritan work ethic.
When was the last time you saw your nephew? Two days before his father was murdered.
? You didn''t know about his visit I bet the defense does.
Why did he come see you? He needed a job.
His father found him some minimum wage deal, but Eric was looking for something more stimulating.
And did you have something for him? My business isn''t hiring at the moment.
And Eric lacks the necessary skill set for my line of work.
You may want to reconsider your assessment of Eric, after what he did to your in-laws.
I think the jury''s still out on that one, isn''t it? Mrs.
Murphy claims a note was left on her car the night before the attack.
Do you know anything about that? Not the way I do business.
Good luck with the trial.
You did an exceptional job with the Rooney case.
? You''ve been following my career You never know.
Maybe one day you''ll be prosecuting my murderer.
Or maybe one day I''ll be prosecuting you.
Mr.
Jackson, could you tell the jury how you know Eric Murphy? I trained him last summer when he worked with me in the IC lab.
And what''s an IC lab? Integrated circuit.
Silicone chips is how most people think of them.
How long did Eric Murphy work there? He quit right after he finished training.
Said he didn''t care for the job.
MAUREEN: What was he doing? Shipping and packaging memory modules.
Well, that doesn''t sound so difficult.
The modules are sensitive to electrostatic discharge.
Static electricity.
If a person isn''t wearing protective clothing, they can destroy a chip by walking within 12 inches of it.
Protective clothing? Gloves, a hood that covers the hair, and, basically, a biohazard suit that covers you from head to toe.
People''s 12, Your Honor.
? Is this the suit you''re talking about Yes.
Is this suit disposable? Used once and discarded.
MAUREEN: Do you keep track of them? If someone wants to walk around outside the lab in a biohazard suit, have at it.
They''re cheap.
Could Eric Murphy have taken one of those suits? Absolutely.
Thank you.
How long ago did he work there? Nearly a year.
Did you ever see Eric Murphy leave work with one of these suits? No.
Did Eric Murphy ever return to the lab after he stopped working there? No, sir.
Nothing further.
MAUREEN: As a paramedic, s how do you determine a person'' level of awareness? If they''re alert and oriented times three, it means-- one, they know their name, two, they know where they are, and three, they know their age.
If they can remember all these things, they''re A and O times three.
A and O meaning alert and oriented? Correct.
MAUREEN: And Mrs.
Murphy-- at the time you were attending her? Alert and oriented times three.
Is this the highest level of awareness? Yes.
And when Mrs.
Murphy identified her son Eric Murphy as her attacker? A and O times three.
No further questions, Your Honor.
What causes a person to become alert and oriented times two? Or times one? A lack of oxygen to the brain.
Brain cells become ischemic.
They start to die.
How is oxygen carried to the brain? Via the blood.
So when a person loses substantial amounts of blood, they''re loosing oxyge n to the brain, as well? Correct, sir.
How much blood had Mrs.
Murphy lost when you arrived on scene? Two liters, approximately.
How much blood is in the average woman''s body? Four and a half liters.
So Mrs.
Murphy had lost nearly half of her blood? Half of the precious liquid which carries oxygen to her brain, and-and yet she was still-- how do you say it?-- A and O times three? When we arrived, yes, sir.
And by the time you got to the hospital? She lost consciousness.
Alert and oriented times three, minus two liters of blood.
Seems like a miracle.
Actually, it seems medically impossible.
It''s not.
But then, you''re not a doctor.
You''re a paramedic.
Yes, sir.
No further questions.
Your Honor, may I redirect? Proceed.
Have you witnessed other incidents in which a person has been severely injured, and is still conscious, still alert and oriented? Absolutely.
How does this happen? An adrenaline rush happens when the patient knows something they need to tell before they die.
Like Mrs.
Murphy? She had something she desperately wanted to communicate to us.
And what did she communicate? That her son, Eric Murphy, killed her husband and tried to kill her.
Thank you.
Why wasn''t I invited? You were, but Durkin tells me neither one of you ponied up a dime for my campaign.
Conflict of interest.
ANNABETH: Winning cases is contributing, right? Speaking of it, nice work today, Mo.
ANNABETH: Marinelli leads with Eric tomorrow.
MAUREEN: It''s risky, but tells the jury he''s confident.
Eric will lie convincingly on the stand.
This case is going to boil down to the mother''s testimony.
She''ll bring up the note.
Which she can''t produce.
And when she weeps, and insists her son is innocent and breaks the jury''s hearts? Mrs.
Murphy can'' t remember the attack.
Her assertion that her son didn''t do it is an irrelevant supposition.
Shewantsto believe he didn''t do it.
Sheneedsto believe he didn''t do it.
The truth is too hideous.
Stress the fact that Mrs.
Murphy has never produced the note that threatened her family, will help sell she''s lying to protect her son.
So, basically, what I have to do is discredit the victim of the crime .
who''s already been through hell Basically.
Can you describe your relationship with your father? ERIC: Difficult sometimes.
I had a feeling I was letting him down whenever I didn''t get a great grade or something.
My father was He was a remarkable man.
He just did everything really well.
And I tried to make him proud.
I''m sure you did.
You''ve accomplished a lot in your life.
I don''t really see it that way.
You''re too modest.
All conference lacrosse, scholarship to college, good grades.
Not everyone can list these achievements.
Does Counselor have a question? Did you kill your father, Eric? God, no.
I couldn''t hurt him.
I couldn''t hurt either of my parents.
I would do anything to have him ba.
I loved my father.
I just hope that he knew it.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mr.
Murphy, can you tell me where you were that night at 4:00 a.
m.
? In my apartment sleeping.
I had an economics exam first thing in the morning.
Can you explain why two people who work at a fast food chain on the highway to your parents'' house have sworn, under oath, that you purchased and ate a hamburger at 4:00 a.
m.
, the night your father was murdered? Well, they''re just wrong.
I didn''t.
It wasn''t me.
Your Honor, may I approach.
This better be worthy of the interruption, Mr.
Marinelli.
I assure Your Honor, it is.
New evidence has come to light.
Mrs.
Murphy has found the note that threatened her family.
eed to pr ove she fabricated the note.
What about Internet cafes? It was a digital rendering.
She must have printed it out somewhere.
Ray''s checking , nothing so far.
What do I do? Brace yourself for Mrs.
Murphy''s testimony.
There won''t be a dry eye in the house.
The defense calls Elizabeth Murphy to the stand.
I know you''re still recovering, so I''m going to go slowly.
Thank you.
It is difficult for me to hold my thoughts.
So, if I get lost, please, let me know.
Will do.
Who is Phil Ducheys? My brother-in-law, my sister''s husband.
And what does he do for a living? He launders money for drug runners and criminals.
Objection.
Mr.
Ducheys has never been arrested or charged with any crime.
According to his most recent tax returns, he runs a chain of auto body shops.
Sustained.
Do you recognize this? It was, uh, on my car the morning before Charles was murdered.
Did it scare you? Whoever left it knew where we lived.
And he was watching us.
When do you think it was taken? Last summer at a family reunion.
Was Mr.
Ducheys at that reunion? With my sister, yes.
I started thinking uh Thinking what? That perhaps Philip Ducheys was somehow involved with the threat.
I asked my husband to report the note to the police.
And did he? He was killed before he had a chance.
Mrs.
Murphy, do you believe your son Eric is responsible for your husband''s death? No.
For your injuries? No.
No.
But you identified him to the police and the paramedics as your assailant.
I don''t remember that.
I don''t remember anything from that night.
I know with absolute certainty that Eric was not the person who hurt me or or who killed Charles.
I know that.
Objection, Your Honor, she just said she doesn''t remember anything about the attack.
How can she say with certainty her son didn''t murder her husband? My son would never hurt anyone.
Mrs.
Murphy, please, answer the questions, nothing else.
Why aryou doing this to my son? When you know full well what Philip Ducheys is capable of.
Your Honor.
The jury will disregard.
The killer on his way to a killing.
I just can''t prove it.
The computer techs haven''t found any evidence.
That picture was on Mrs.
Murphy''s computer, and it''s not on any of the digital cameras the police confiscated from the house.
If she faked it, she used a shot from a different source and had it copied outside her home.
.
Meaning we''ll never find it Probably not.
I can''t empathize with Mrs.
Murphy, but I can sympathize with her.
I''d do anything for Haley.
Anything? How about going home? Point taken.
Mrs.
Murphy, will you please describe to the jury where you found the note? It was under the windshield wiper of my car.
Was it in an envelope? Yes, folded in three like a letter.
Folded in a way to make it fit in an envelope? Mrs.
Murphy, can you please take a look at this exhibit? Is this the note you found under the windshield wiper of your car? Yes.
And the envelope it came in? Yes.
And when did you find it? The morning of the day that my husband was murdered and I was attacked.
I asked him to take it to the police.
Your Honor, I''d like to enter reports from the National Weather Service that detail rainfall the week Mr.
Murphy was murdered.
Objection, irrelevant.
I''ll allow it.
It rained the night Mr.
Murphy was murdered.
In fact, it rained steadily that whole week.
If the letter was delivered in the manner she claims, at the time she says it was, there would be water damage on the envelope from the rain.
Do you see any water damage on that envelope, Mrs.
Murphy? No.
In fact, it''s quite pristine.
It shows no signs of exposure to the elements, does it? You fabricated that note.
Didn''t you , Mrs.
Murphy? Objection, argumentative.
Overruled.
You fabricated the note to make it look like someone was threatening your family, but the truth is, your lying to protect your son, like you always lie to protect your son.
Objection, arguing the facts.
d Sustained.
You didn''t fin this note on the windshield, did you, Mrs.
Murphy? Maybe it was somewhere else.
I have trouble keeping things in, in order.
Maybe it wasn''t under the wiper, thmailbox, I can''t remember.
You take your time.
You told us you found it on the windshield of your car.
You said it today and you said it earlier to the press.
Was it on the windshield of your car or in the mailbox? You''re speaking too quickly.
Can you ask me again? Where did you find the note? Everything is so confusing since the attack.
Where was the note? I don''t remember.
You said very clearly two minutes ago you found it on the windshield of your car.
Were you lying? Eric? He can''t help you, Mrs.
Murphy, I''m sorry.
Eric.
And you can''t protect him anymore.
Eric, please.
Sit down, Mrs.
Murphy.
You have the wrong person.
You do.
According to the evidence, we don''t.
No further questions, Your Honor.
On the count of murder we find the defendant, Eric Murphy guilty.
No! No! Eric! Eric? Mom, Mom, what, what is wrong with you? He killed my father, he tried to kill you.
Face it! No, no, Ben.
No, you stop protecting him! He took everything from you.
Including me.
(sobbing) She''ll neve r face the truth.
Could you admit you raised a monster? .
I guess you never really know how far you''d go for your child I don''t.
Ms.
Chase.
Yeah? This is from the gentleman at the end of the bar.
What? Gentleman? Is someone secretly keeping track of your victories? That''s not necessarily a good thing.