Law & Order Special Victims Unit s03e09 Episode Script
Care
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous, In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit, These are their stories, Damn it to crap, Brody.
We're only a day behind schedule.
Yeah, well, I got drywallers starting.
So I suggest you shift your lazy ass into high gear.
Catch the hell up.
Maybe you should think twice before insulting a man wearing a tool belt.
Yeah, you know, if you weren't married to my sister What the hell is this? That wasn't here when we left.
Son of a bitch.
The little girl's body was discovered by the general contractor and a carpenter at 6:53 a.
m.
This our point of entry? Yeah, one nail holding a piece of plywood.
Didn't take a Herculean effort.
And they both handled the sword, so it's contaminated.
She was killed with a sword? No stab wounds, but hematemesis indicates internal bleeding.
Blunt force trauma.
Bruises, sternum to toe.
With this? We'll check it for trace evidence.
Looks like it was made here out of floor scraps.
Is this the victim's braid? Looks like it.
I'd say cut with a knife, not scissors.
Restraint marks on the wrists and ankles.
Where's the rope? Didn't find any.
Signs of sexual abuse? Extensive bruising and swelling in the pelvic region.
I'll run a kit.
What's her name? Any idea who killed her? All right, guys, please.
That's enough.
This way, ma'am, please.
Come on.
I went in to check on my I understand.
my little girl.
But Cassie wasn't in her bed, and I How old is your daughter? She's five.
She's my foster daughter.
Okay.
Can you describe her for us? She's black.
She got her hair in little braids.
She's, like, 40 pounds.
Why don't you come with me, okay? Excuse me, sir.
Pardon me.
Sound like we have an ID? Yeah, it's bad.
Excuse me.
Excuse me, Captain Cragen, can you give us anything? We'll have a statement shortly.
Oh, my God! No! Victim is Cassie Adams, aged five.
She was found beaten to death at a construction site across her street.
Someone snatched her right out of bed.
Foster mom said they'd been having problems with her sleepwalking.
Is there a foster dad? Everything but.
Foster mom, foster grandmother, the victim's two sisters.
I believe the grandmother has a foster kid of her own.
Full house.
What's this, a sword? Yeah, with the victim's braid attached.
Some kind of ritual killing? Or a gang symbol.
There's a crew on 149th Street that wears a Sword of Damascus tat.
Could be the prop of some whack job.
Or an ex-con.
This is basically a big old shiv.
Well, let's start with known pedophiles in the area.
Canvass the block.
Let's find out who had access to that site.
Oh, and check out this address.
It was on the victim.
We ran it, but there's no phone connected.
Want us to interview the foster family? Benson and Stabler are there right now.
Level 7, Tanya, now when did you last see Cassie? When I went to bed.
Okay.
Glenn, honey, turn that thing down.
Grandma.
And did you hear anything last night? No.
We're good? Yeah.
Which one was Cassie's bed? The bottom bunk.
Tanya has the top.
And Whitley's is three feet away.
All they know is she was gone when they woke up.
Well, we'd like to take everyone down to our precinct.
Fewer distractions, they might remember something.
They have been through so much.
The dad died in jail.
The mom used to drag them out panhandling.
She'd use them as sympathy.
Mother still in the picture? No.
Supervised visits.
We'd meet her at McDonald's every two weeks.
It always really upset Cassie for days after.
When was the last visitation? Day and a half ago.
And it's only the mom on these visits? She brought her boyfriend the last time.
Made the girls very uncomfortable.
Do you know a Cassie Adams? How's that concern you? Take that as a yes.
Why are you asking about my daughter? Child Services didn't contact you? About what? We're very sorry to have to tell you this, but your daughter Cassie is dead.
No.
No! God, no! No, no, no! No! No! No! Anger management an issue with her? At ACS, yeah, man.
She was fighting like hell to get them back.
So having a close friend snatch one back isn't out of the question.
You know, girl doesn't want to go, puts up a struggle.
Accidents happen.
Why you talking to me like I'm a suspect? Account for your whereabouts last night and I'll adjust my tone.
I play sax at Harvel's.
I just got Tashandra a job waitressing there, and we were both there until 3:00 this morning.
Tashandra lives here with you? Officially, she's still at the shelter, but she's spending nights.
Then why was Cassie carrying this address? I don't know.
You gotta ask Shandra.
I always wrote down where I was for her.
It was a comfort.
I need to be with my babies.
They're okay.
They're with the detectives trying to sort this out.
You know, Cassie's my middle child, but she was always the mother hen.
And I don't know what Whitley and Tanya are going to do without her.
How long have you been apart? Ten months.
I'll get them back now, won't I? It's up to Children's Services.
But it's their fault.
They stole my kids.
I thought if I had my girls with me, I could protect them.
You tell them that I need to protect the two that I got left.
That's not my call.
You have to take me to see them.
I'm sorry, I really can't.
Please.
Please, don't make me have to go to them and beg.
Please.
Liv's upstairs with the eight-year-old sister, Wong's got the three-year-old, and I'm running out of rooms.
I'll put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign.
Talk to the boy in observation You lousy bitch! Tashandra What did you do to my daughter? What did you do to my daughter? Tashandra, please, this isn't helping.
How could you let this happen? Calm down, ma'am, okay, calm down.
No, no, I want to see my daughters.
Whitley! Tanya! My office here.
Let's go.
Here's your juice.
So Tanya, can you tell me what happened last night? I don't know.
Well, when you went to bed, who was in the room? Whitley and Cassie.
Tanya, we know that Cassie left the room last night, but do you know how? No.
Hey, Glenn, tell me about Cassie.
She was always bugging me to use my PlayStation, but she was too little.
I wish I had let her now.
It must have been hard for you, all of a sudden having three sisters.
No.
I like being a big brother.
Do you? You look out for them? I try to.
Did you ever go over to the construction site? Yeah.
How about Cassie? She's not supposed to cross the street by herself.
She'd ask me to take her.
Why? She likes to talk to one of the workers.
Did you and Cassie ever go to the building site without Glenn? Mmm-hmm.
And when you guys would go over there, who would Cassie talk to? Danny.
Who's Danny? He's nice.
The other ones chased us away.
Oh.
How is Danny nice? He gave us gum and showed us stuff in the house.
Gotta be Danny Marston.
You don't mind him conducting his Fun Time Learning Emporium on company time? Hey, Danny's one of the hardest workers I got.
Guy that's good with kids must have a bunch of his own.
Not yet.
But he coaches Little League and he volunteers in a bunch of youth programs.
Where's Danny now? I had to send my whole crew home after you declared it a crime scene.
Where's he hang his hardhat? My secretary can give you his address.
If he's not at home, try the Youth Rec Center on 123rd.
Guy's a saint.
Danny Marston? Yeah.
Steal a minute of your time? Sure.
Hey, keep it going guys.
Little girl was found dead at your place of work.
We understand that you and her were buddies.
God, it's tragic.
I mean, she came around every day.
Budding architect, asking me hundreds of questions.
See, he wasn't being inappropriately friendly, he was schmoozing up a future boss.
Inappropriate? Listen, the kid never had a father figure.
I mean, most of the kids I work with are in that situation.
You make toys for all of them? I made her a little airplane out of scrap.
Took all of two seconds.
What? Where were you last night? Home.
Can anyone verify that? No.
Why would they need to? Maybe we should finish this down at the squad room.
We're in the middle of a game here.
You really want to do this in front of them? Damage their little psyches? Andre, take over here.
I am not a pedophile.
And I refuse to stop helping kids in need just to avoid being labeled one.
I didn't do it.
Tell me how I prove a negative.
Tell the truth.
You've never seen anyone at that construction site after hours? I never even thought of it until I started getting the third degree.
I left my thermos there last week.
When I went back, a couple of kids had broken in.
Vandals? No.
Who? Cassie and an older kid.
Listen, I know it looks bad, but I'm sure it's just coincidence.
What is? They both had sticks.
When I went in, they were sword fighting.
You need to describe this older kid to us.
A white boy she's always with.
I think his name's Glenn.
Her foster brother? He had access to the home and to the crime scene.
And he did fail to mention that his sister's murder site was also their secret playground.
This family is still grieving the loss of one child.
We're gonna need a hell of a lot more before we take away another.
It could be that he had motive.
He was an only child, a little slow.
Three younger, cuter sisters move in, attention gets split four ways.
Fourteen years old, raging hormones.
Look, before you place this kid on death row, let's see if we can place him at the crime scene.
Why do we always get stuck with looking for the needle in the haystack? Takes me back to the Easter-egg hunts of my youth.
You're Jewish.
Your parents hid eggs? My point exactly.
All those futile hours of searching.
Now, if you were still a bright-eyed little kid, what would that look like to you? A deathtrap.
You're pathetic.
That's the coolest fort ever.
You had a traumatic childhood too, huh, Sherlock? Mother lode.
Comic books.
Walkman.
Penknife.
That look sharp enough to cut off a braid of hair? If it is, you win the chocolate bunny.
Glenn's been sent to the Guidance Center many times.
Fights? Yeah.
He's a bully? On the contrary.
He's the one bullied.
This is where he spends half his day with the other Special Ed students.
You know, I've talked to Glenn.
He's He's borderline.
He's a little slower than the average student, a little bigger, and he won't fight back, which makes him a constant target.
That's gotta get to him.
It did once.
He threw a chair across the room.
It exploded into pieces.
Are you doing anything to protect these targeted kids? Glenn has a rich fantasy life that he retreats to.
Whenever I try to discuss his problems, all he'll talk about is this Camelot-type video game.
Camelot? Like, jousting? Sword-fighting? That kind of thing? Yeah.
His teachers have tried to interest him in books with similar mythical themes, but there's something about this game.
Graphic violence.
Read his case file.
It's nothing new.
Glenn was one of our saddest cases.
It's a miracle he's adjusted as well as he has.
Abuse? While his mother was out prostituting herself for drug money, the boyfriend was at home molesting Glenn.
Sometimes he'd resort to objects.
And when did you get him? Not soon enough.
The abuse started at two.
We got him at four.
If you'd seen the emptiness in that boy's eyes.
Did he bounce around for a long time? On that front he was lucky.
We placed him with Dorothy Rudd right away.
She's had him ever since.
She ever have any troubles with him? Not that I know of.
Women like Dorothy are hard to find.
With a lot of these kids, the families have no idea what they're getting into.
Still, with Glenn's background, weren't you at all concerned about placing three young girls in the house? No.
My case worker met with the boy, and he seemed very excited about it.
Stainless steel.
Mass-produced.
Swiss Army knock-off.
Standard issue for any boy over eight.
Anything making this one unique? Say, maybe some kid carving his initials in the handle? Oh, better.
Ten-point gem.
I ran it, but he's not in the system.
System doesn't include juvies.
The size and shape are consistent with a boy on the large side or a woman.
Although given these, I'd stick with a lonely, frustrated adolescent.
An outcast with $4-a-day cheese puff habit.
You lift those from the comic books? Corner of every page.
The girl didn't die from a paper cut.
Anything else on the knife? Just a hair caught in the fold.
It's the one on the left.
The one on the right's the victim's.
It's identical.
Which puts Cheese Puff Boy at the crime scene the night of the murder.
Now you've just got that one little hitch.
What's that? The sword is not your murder weapon.
But she was hit with it.
See the imperfections in the wood? With this level of impact, it would have picked up fiber or soft tissue evidence.
Maybe he wiped it clean.
Pattern doesn't match.
Bleeds spread their mass out differently depending on the weapon.
These came from something perfectly cylindrical with no rough edges.
Broomstick? Baseball bat? What? Heavier than a broomstick, narrower than a bat.
There was a pile of copper piping at the crime scene.
Maybe.
Whatever it was, it was hefty enough to cause these.
Subcutaneous bruises, multiple fractures, metacarpals, tibia, humerus.
What killed her? Bled out from a lacerated liver.
A slow death.
Rape kit results in yet? There were no fluids.
I found no evidence of penetration.
I thought you said you did.
I said there was swelling.
It was from the beating.
Anything else? Look at the different hues from the trauma.
The most recent are erythematous with welts.
The purplish areas with extravasation were already forming hematomas.
Meaning that she was beaten over an extended period of time.
At least 12 hours.
Did you notice any bruises on Cassie when you put her to bed? No.
But she was Neither of us put her to bed.
She was already asleep when we got home.
You were out? Just for a few hours, yeah.
Where were you? Delia Nathan's, right up the street.
We play cards every Tuesday.
Why didn't you mention this before? Because it was a lot earlier in the evening.
We checked in on her when we got home.
Who was babysitting? Glenn.
No, he didn't do anything wrong.
She was tucked soundly in bed.
Glenn ever play rough with the girls? Well, he liked to wrestle.
He's big for his age, and sometimes he didn't know his own strength.
He did.
He did play rough with them sometimes.
We're going to need to speak with Glenn.
Glenn? Glenn, honey, please Just a minute.
Kill the Gorgon or the princess shall die, Hi, Glenn.
What are you playing? Come on, come on.
One more level.
Glenn, stop.
This is serious.
They need to talk to you now.
Elliot.
Right down to the braid of hair.
Glenn, we found your sword.
The one that you left with Cassie.
Okay, what's a Gorgon? Gonna be okay, Glenn.
Can you tell us what happened that night? Got to help her Save Cassie Were you watching the girls? Cassie.
Cassie.
Cassie.
Glenn.
Glenn, do you know how Cassie got hurt? Were you playing games? Gorgon.
Gorgon killed her.
Please, I know he didn't mean to.
It had to be an accident.
Mrs.
Rudd Tell them, Glenn.
Tell them it was an accident.
It was It's those video games.
Stop it.
You're hurting yourself.
Glenn.
You're hurting him! You're hurting him! You're hurting him! How's Glenn doing? Psych unit at Hillview.
You read the report? Yeah.
Agitation, aggression, paranoid delusions.
Your boy had a psychotic break.
Almost took our two-way with him.
His mind didn't short-circuit for no reason.
He's clearly under tremendous pressure.
Guilty conscience? Need to confess versus self-preservation.
That'll make you crazy.
Damn it! You have lost, Pathetic.
Give me that.
Show you how to do this.
Maybe we should rethink the squad room video arcade.
Glenn retreated into that game.
Well, considering what he went through his first four years of life, who wouldn't? Not to mention the physical and emotional abuse he's taken at school.
Let's just make this case.
The Super Mario Brothers up there can re-canvass.
You two, go visit the boy.
Mrs.
Rudd.
What are you doing here? We need to see Glenn.
No, you don't.
You stay away from him.
That's okay.
You know what? Why don't we sit down? Tried to get him a snack.
Stuck.
It's his favorite.
How's Glenn holding up? I've never seen him like this.
Glenn is He's a sick boy.
And if we do this right, we can make sure wherever he goes, he gets help.
Maybe I was too old when I took him in.
I thought I was up to it.
But I was being selfish.
It's just I love having kids around.
Mrs.
Rudd, you do understand that we need to talk to Glenn.
Doesn't he have any rights? Yes, he does, but he's a juvenile.
You can waive Miranda for him.
I don't know.
The last time you questioned him, he was so upset, I No, I think I should talk to a lawyer.
Mrs.
Rudd No, I can stand.
I don't need any help.
Level Thirteen, Game's over.
Looks like Dorothy's going to lawyer up the kid.
How long have you been playing that game? Your Captain's found his calling.
He made it to the final level.
I defeated the Gorgon, freed the forest from evil demons, and rescued the dying princess from her dungeon.
Princess? Nice.
Oh, wait till you hear how he lifted the spell she was under.
A sword and a lock of her hair.
It gets better.
I carried her to the secret cave, I tied the hair to the sword and placed it at the entrance.
She's as good as new.
So if we follow the game, then Glenn killed Cassie and then tried to save her? Killer's remorse? What doesn't track is Glenn identified with the boy hero, not the Gorgon.
Wait, what exactly is a Gorgon? Are you familiar with Medusa? Glenn's monster's a woman.
Captain! That was Jane Rudd.
Guess who just snatched her two other girls? I was in the kitchen when Tanya got in from school, and she comes in and she says, "Oh, Whitley, it's time to go.
" And I said, "Hey, go where, honey?" And that's when I saw them standing in the doorway Are you talking about Tashandra and her boyfriend? His name was Duke.
I don't remember his last name.
That's okay, we do.
Why don't you have a seat, Jane? We already have people covering their home and their work.
We've given out their descriptions to every bus and train station.
Don't worry about it.
We're gonna find them.
Did they say anything that might tell us where they were heading? All she did was curse at me.
God, I wish my mother had been here! They do this? Oh, God.
Did they hurt you? Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
Benson.
Great.
We're on our way.
Ticket agent at Port Authority recognized the girls.
They left two minutes ago on a bus to Atlanta.
I'm sorry.
Everyone remain seated.
We'll have you on your way in a minute.
In the back on your right.
Sir, come with me, please.
I'm sorry, babe.
Come on.
Tashandra Please just let us go.
Just let us go, and I won't be any more trouble to you, I promise.
You know that's not the way it works.
You can say you didn't find us.
I understand that you just want your kids back, but this is not the way to do it.
Trust me, this needs to end now.
Let's go.
Cassie was murdered.
Did you just expect me to sit by and let the same thing happen to my other two? That doesn't mitigate what you did.
Trespassing, assault, kidnapping.
Minimum, you're looking at custodial interference.
That's a felony.
I didn't have a choice.
They were in danger.
I had to get them out of there.
That woman murdered my daughter.
Mrs.
Adams, I understand that you're under a lot of pressure.
Tanya told me.
What did she tell you? Not a lot.
But that's only because that woman had her too scared.
She finally let on that Cassie got beaten all the time.
By whom? Momma Rudd.
We put them back with Jane.
May we see the file? You know, there are over It's not easy trying to find a place for all of them.
Do you realize that a serious allegation has been made against her? By Tashandra Adams.
It's about the only thing she hasn't tried.
What's this letter from the Bluebell Agency? That was a reference check.
Jane had two foster kids before the Adams girls.
This other agency removed them.
Two months later, she came here.
Why were they removed? Seems Jane "experienced difficulty understanding her role as a foster parent.
" What does that mean? The children were found with soiled clothes.
Jane missed appointments with her case worker.
But she was new.
But the letter goes on to say, "We recommend that no more children be placed with her.
" You felt comfortable placing three little girls with this woman? We had her take a parenting seminar.
A seminar? And she moved back in with her mother.
That was a provision.
Dorothy Rudd has a long history with us.
Still, it was Jane's care that you put them in.
Believe me, if the Bluebell Agency had sensed any real danger, they would have taken steps to have her decertified.
We worded that letter very carefully.
Phones call out, too.
Did you ever think of reporting Jane to the state hotline? The violations we had evidence of weren't that extreme.
The woman's a hopper.
A what? The city contracts out to 73 private foster care agencies.
We're not interlinked.
When we turned her down, she had 72 more chances.
And you're sure she's unfit? Yeah, I've been in this business 20 years.
I interviewed Jane personally.
The woman's not stable.
We can't go after Jane based on a case worker's bad feeling.
We have Tanya's revised statement.
Obtained after Tashandra took them.
They're tainted.
It'll never hold up.
We haven't talked to Dorothy yet.
If she turned a blind eye to the abuse, then she'll protect the daughter over the foster son.
Then we gotta get to Glenn now, before she gets a lawyer.
Alex? There is king for a day.
What, another video game? It's where we get a law guardian appointed who will play ball.
He'll let us talk to Glenn, provided everything the boy says is off the record.
And any law guardian will do this? It might take a little sweet-talking.
Hey, Glenn.
You know why I'm here? I heard you were the guy to see about video games.
You ever play Swordquest? That's my game.
Mine, too.
I made it to level 13.
Bagged myself a Gorgon.
I hate the Gorgon.
Is that who took Cassie to the cave that night? No.
It was me.
Why? To protect her.
Who was hurting her? Glenn.
It's my job to help kids who have problems with Gorgons.
You have one in real life, don't you? Who is it? You don't have to worry.
Remember? I'm a level 13er.
She'll never get past me.
What is it, Glenn? The Gorgon.
What's going on here? I had no idea what a horrible influence that video game was.
Actually, it's very educational.
The monster in it is based on Greek mythology.
A Gorgon, one of three sister monsters with snakes for hair and the ability to turn anyone that looks at them into stone.
Stones can't talk.
Why would Glenn call you a Gorgon? His imagination.
If I'm guilty of anything, it's of being too protective of my children.
Come again? I know I should have turned Glenn in when he first told me.
But he's my son.
You're a good mother.
But if you want to help your son, we have to know the circumstances that led up to it.
You have to understand, Glenn lives in a world of his own creation.
In his mind, he was rescuing Cassie.
Yes.
From what? What was going on with Cassie that he felt she needed rescuing? Cassie is prone to violent tantrums.
She'd been out of control for two days.
Since seeing her biological mom.
When she came back she was saying horrible things.
I couldn't get her to sleep.
When I finally did, she wet the bed.
Next day, more tantrums.
With hypertension, that kind of stress can't be good for your blood pressure.
I've taken in 12 children over the last years.
They all come damaged.
Starved for love and discipline.
You had to discipline Cassie.
We can understand that.
I had to send her to the "time out" chair.
Did you hit her? I spanked her.
With what? My hand.
But poor Glenn always wanted to rescue a damsel in distress.
He was, from being beaten to death.
It was Glenn who killed her.
He must have really knocked her around when he moved her over to that house.
That's what killed her.
The thing is, Cassie had rope burns on her wrists and ankles.
Glenn didn't tie her up.
No.
That was Jane.
Thirteen broken bones.
We know about the "time out" chair.
I told her to be good or something bad would happen.
I told her.
She just wouldn't listen.
No, she was so headstrong.
She was always talking back.
She wouldn't do as she was told.
And, oh, the incessant questions, it'd get to anybody.
So you tied her up.
She couldn't even fend off the blows.
AII Cassie had to do was be a good girl.
Is that too much to ask? Like you were when you were little? What happened when you weren't a good girl? She used to do the same things to you, didn't she? Well, she wants the perfect child, obedient and grateful.
She won't accept anything less.
Jane, it's still not enough.
She tried to pin this whole thing on you.
No, she didn't.
No, she didn't.
Oh, Jane, yes, she did.
We have a signed statement saying you were the one that tied Cassie up.
My mother made me tie her up.
Jane.
I never hit her, never.
Not once, ever.
But you knew what was gonna happen.
How could you bring children into that house? I didn't want to.
I didn't want kids.
Your mother made you do that, too? No, she wanted to be a grandmother.
So you took in foster grandbabies for her to abuse.
Jane, what happened to Cassie? Cassie always fought her.
Told her she hated her, told her that she was gonna tell.
She said the beatings were not gonna keep her quiet anymore.
So my mother beat her all day long.
She used her cane, didn't she? Counselor, I got some more ammunition for you on the Rudd case.
Warner says Dorothy's cane matches the wound patterns, and we found the rope in the apartment.
Good.
Jane just cut a deal.
Well, not too cherry, I hope.
Five to ten, conditional on her testimony against her mother.
She's an accessory, so her testimony needs to be corroborated.
Well, you got Glenn.
Who's currently in a psych ward.
Did you guys have any luck tracking down other foster kids? Benson and Stabler did find one.
Definitely abused.
He can't face Dorothy.
Well, that's one down.
Dorothy's had a dozen over the years.
Who have scattered to the four corners of the earth.
Once they turn 18, the system doesn't want to know from them.
Good night.
Hey, honest opinion.
Can I put Glenn on the stand? Well, I talked to his doctors.
He doesn't have any organic mental illness, but I don't think he's strong enough.
What if I prep the hell out of him? Unless you get this kid where he feels completely safe, you'll be putting him at further risk.
That's where the judge will be? Yeah.
You want to try it out? Now, the courtroom will be full of people supporting you.
There'll be your law guardian, and your friend, Captain Cragen, and I will be at that chair right there.
Will my mom be here? Dorothy will be at that table right there, but she can't talk to you and she can't touch you.
Are you sure? Do you remember what the Court Officers do? Keep everybody safe.
Now, the other attorney is allowed to ask you questions, but you just have to answer them honestly, okay? Okay.
You know, Glenn, if this is too much for you or you decide you don't want to do it, you don't have to.
You understand? But it's to help Cassie, right? Yeah.
Then I want to do it.
When did your mom put Cassie in the yellow chair? Early in the morning.
And why that chair in particular? It's for punishment.
What had Cassie done wrong? Glenn, what had Cassie done wrong? She peed in her bed.
What was her punishment? She had to drink lots and lots of water.
Until? She wet her pants.
Was that the end of her punishment? No.
What happened next? She was begging for help.
I needed to save her.
She was Glenn, just take your time.
I needed to help her.
Cassie was hurt.
Your Honor, I object to the blatant ongoing intimidation tactics by the defendant.
I didn't do anything.
Liar! You beat her.
You beat her the whole day.
I took you in when no one else wanted you! Cassie was crying, and you kept hitting her.
She tried to run away and you made Aunt Jane tie her down.
She was so little.
You were supposed to protect her.
But you beat her with the cane all day.
You killed her.
You killed her.
Who died? Dorothy Rudd.
Please tell me you're kidding.
Just got a call from Rikers, massive heart attack.
Bitch didn't even suffer.
Anybody else feel cheated? Prosecution abated by death.
It sucks.
That's it.
No vindication, nobody pays.
Jane'll do a couple of years.
Slap on the wrist.
Her deal is done.
What about the foster agency? They signed Cassie's death warrant the day they placed her there.
No laws on the books will let me prosecute them even if they knew the house was unsafe.
Tashandra Adams knew.
And you know what bites the most? She still doesn't have her kids back.
Of course reunification is our objective.
But she hasn't met the criteria of her discharge plan yet.
I checked.
A Family Court judge ruled that these kids could be paroled to Tashandra as soon as she obtained appropriate housing.
Which she has not done yet.
Part of your obligation is to help her do that.
I know what my job is.
And I know mine.
Enforcing criminal sanctions against agencies like yours that knowingly place their wards in unsafe homes.
I had no idea.
Well, the good people at the Bluebell Agency will testify that you did.
If Ms.
Adams does not get her children back immediately, I will indict you for child endangerment.
That's blackmail.
And if you drag your feet, manslaughter.
Momma.
Don't cry.
It's okay.
Why don't we give them a little privacy? Yeah.
Can Glenn come live here, too? The boy that tried to help Cassie, what's gonna happen to him? He's in good hands.
Bye.
What is going to happen to Glenn? Emergency foster placement.
Right back in the system.
We're only a day behind schedule.
Yeah, well, I got drywallers starting.
So I suggest you shift your lazy ass into high gear.
Catch the hell up.
Maybe you should think twice before insulting a man wearing a tool belt.
Yeah, you know, if you weren't married to my sister What the hell is this? That wasn't here when we left.
Son of a bitch.
The little girl's body was discovered by the general contractor and a carpenter at 6:53 a.
m.
This our point of entry? Yeah, one nail holding a piece of plywood.
Didn't take a Herculean effort.
And they both handled the sword, so it's contaminated.
She was killed with a sword? No stab wounds, but hematemesis indicates internal bleeding.
Blunt force trauma.
Bruises, sternum to toe.
With this? We'll check it for trace evidence.
Looks like it was made here out of floor scraps.
Is this the victim's braid? Looks like it.
I'd say cut with a knife, not scissors.
Restraint marks on the wrists and ankles.
Where's the rope? Didn't find any.
Signs of sexual abuse? Extensive bruising and swelling in the pelvic region.
I'll run a kit.
What's her name? Any idea who killed her? All right, guys, please.
That's enough.
This way, ma'am, please.
Come on.
I went in to check on my I understand.
my little girl.
But Cassie wasn't in her bed, and I How old is your daughter? She's five.
She's my foster daughter.
Okay.
Can you describe her for us? She's black.
She got her hair in little braids.
She's, like, 40 pounds.
Why don't you come with me, okay? Excuse me, sir.
Pardon me.
Sound like we have an ID? Yeah, it's bad.
Excuse me.
Excuse me, Captain Cragen, can you give us anything? We'll have a statement shortly.
Oh, my God! No! Victim is Cassie Adams, aged five.
She was found beaten to death at a construction site across her street.
Someone snatched her right out of bed.
Foster mom said they'd been having problems with her sleepwalking.
Is there a foster dad? Everything but.
Foster mom, foster grandmother, the victim's two sisters.
I believe the grandmother has a foster kid of her own.
Full house.
What's this, a sword? Yeah, with the victim's braid attached.
Some kind of ritual killing? Or a gang symbol.
There's a crew on 149th Street that wears a Sword of Damascus tat.
Could be the prop of some whack job.
Or an ex-con.
This is basically a big old shiv.
Well, let's start with known pedophiles in the area.
Canvass the block.
Let's find out who had access to that site.
Oh, and check out this address.
It was on the victim.
We ran it, but there's no phone connected.
Want us to interview the foster family? Benson and Stabler are there right now.
Level 7, Tanya, now when did you last see Cassie? When I went to bed.
Okay.
Glenn, honey, turn that thing down.
Grandma.
And did you hear anything last night? No.
We're good? Yeah.
Which one was Cassie's bed? The bottom bunk.
Tanya has the top.
And Whitley's is three feet away.
All they know is she was gone when they woke up.
Well, we'd like to take everyone down to our precinct.
Fewer distractions, they might remember something.
They have been through so much.
The dad died in jail.
The mom used to drag them out panhandling.
She'd use them as sympathy.
Mother still in the picture? No.
Supervised visits.
We'd meet her at McDonald's every two weeks.
It always really upset Cassie for days after.
When was the last visitation? Day and a half ago.
And it's only the mom on these visits? She brought her boyfriend the last time.
Made the girls very uncomfortable.
Do you know a Cassie Adams? How's that concern you? Take that as a yes.
Why are you asking about my daughter? Child Services didn't contact you? About what? We're very sorry to have to tell you this, but your daughter Cassie is dead.
No.
No! God, no! No, no, no! No! No! No! Anger management an issue with her? At ACS, yeah, man.
She was fighting like hell to get them back.
So having a close friend snatch one back isn't out of the question.
You know, girl doesn't want to go, puts up a struggle.
Accidents happen.
Why you talking to me like I'm a suspect? Account for your whereabouts last night and I'll adjust my tone.
I play sax at Harvel's.
I just got Tashandra a job waitressing there, and we were both there until 3:00 this morning.
Tashandra lives here with you? Officially, she's still at the shelter, but she's spending nights.
Then why was Cassie carrying this address? I don't know.
You gotta ask Shandra.
I always wrote down where I was for her.
It was a comfort.
I need to be with my babies.
They're okay.
They're with the detectives trying to sort this out.
You know, Cassie's my middle child, but she was always the mother hen.
And I don't know what Whitley and Tanya are going to do without her.
How long have you been apart? Ten months.
I'll get them back now, won't I? It's up to Children's Services.
But it's their fault.
They stole my kids.
I thought if I had my girls with me, I could protect them.
You tell them that I need to protect the two that I got left.
That's not my call.
You have to take me to see them.
I'm sorry, I really can't.
Please.
Please, don't make me have to go to them and beg.
Please.
Liv's upstairs with the eight-year-old sister, Wong's got the three-year-old, and I'm running out of rooms.
I'll put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign.
Talk to the boy in observation You lousy bitch! Tashandra What did you do to my daughter? What did you do to my daughter? Tashandra, please, this isn't helping.
How could you let this happen? Calm down, ma'am, okay, calm down.
No, no, I want to see my daughters.
Whitley! Tanya! My office here.
Let's go.
Here's your juice.
So Tanya, can you tell me what happened last night? I don't know.
Well, when you went to bed, who was in the room? Whitley and Cassie.
Tanya, we know that Cassie left the room last night, but do you know how? No.
Hey, Glenn, tell me about Cassie.
She was always bugging me to use my PlayStation, but she was too little.
I wish I had let her now.
It must have been hard for you, all of a sudden having three sisters.
No.
I like being a big brother.
Do you? You look out for them? I try to.
Did you ever go over to the construction site? Yeah.
How about Cassie? She's not supposed to cross the street by herself.
She'd ask me to take her.
Why? She likes to talk to one of the workers.
Did you and Cassie ever go to the building site without Glenn? Mmm-hmm.
And when you guys would go over there, who would Cassie talk to? Danny.
Who's Danny? He's nice.
The other ones chased us away.
Oh.
How is Danny nice? He gave us gum and showed us stuff in the house.
Gotta be Danny Marston.
You don't mind him conducting his Fun Time Learning Emporium on company time? Hey, Danny's one of the hardest workers I got.
Guy that's good with kids must have a bunch of his own.
Not yet.
But he coaches Little League and he volunteers in a bunch of youth programs.
Where's Danny now? I had to send my whole crew home after you declared it a crime scene.
Where's he hang his hardhat? My secretary can give you his address.
If he's not at home, try the Youth Rec Center on 123rd.
Guy's a saint.
Danny Marston? Yeah.
Steal a minute of your time? Sure.
Hey, keep it going guys.
Little girl was found dead at your place of work.
We understand that you and her were buddies.
God, it's tragic.
I mean, she came around every day.
Budding architect, asking me hundreds of questions.
See, he wasn't being inappropriately friendly, he was schmoozing up a future boss.
Inappropriate? Listen, the kid never had a father figure.
I mean, most of the kids I work with are in that situation.
You make toys for all of them? I made her a little airplane out of scrap.
Took all of two seconds.
What? Where were you last night? Home.
Can anyone verify that? No.
Why would they need to? Maybe we should finish this down at the squad room.
We're in the middle of a game here.
You really want to do this in front of them? Damage their little psyches? Andre, take over here.
I am not a pedophile.
And I refuse to stop helping kids in need just to avoid being labeled one.
I didn't do it.
Tell me how I prove a negative.
Tell the truth.
You've never seen anyone at that construction site after hours? I never even thought of it until I started getting the third degree.
I left my thermos there last week.
When I went back, a couple of kids had broken in.
Vandals? No.
Who? Cassie and an older kid.
Listen, I know it looks bad, but I'm sure it's just coincidence.
What is? They both had sticks.
When I went in, they were sword fighting.
You need to describe this older kid to us.
A white boy she's always with.
I think his name's Glenn.
Her foster brother? He had access to the home and to the crime scene.
And he did fail to mention that his sister's murder site was also their secret playground.
This family is still grieving the loss of one child.
We're gonna need a hell of a lot more before we take away another.
It could be that he had motive.
He was an only child, a little slow.
Three younger, cuter sisters move in, attention gets split four ways.
Fourteen years old, raging hormones.
Look, before you place this kid on death row, let's see if we can place him at the crime scene.
Why do we always get stuck with looking for the needle in the haystack? Takes me back to the Easter-egg hunts of my youth.
You're Jewish.
Your parents hid eggs? My point exactly.
All those futile hours of searching.
Now, if you were still a bright-eyed little kid, what would that look like to you? A deathtrap.
You're pathetic.
That's the coolest fort ever.
You had a traumatic childhood too, huh, Sherlock? Mother lode.
Comic books.
Walkman.
Penknife.
That look sharp enough to cut off a braid of hair? If it is, you win the chocolate bunny.
Glenn's been sent to the Guidance Center many times.
Fights? Yeah.
He's a bully? On the contrary.
He's the one bullied.
This is where he spends half his day with the other Special Ed students.
You know, I've talked to Glenn.
He's He's borderline.
He's a little slower than the average student, a little bigger, and he won't fight back, which makes him a constant target.
That's gotta get to him.
It did once.
He threw a chair across the room.
It exploded into pieces.
Are you doing anything to protect these targeted kids? Glenn has a rich fantasy life that he retreats to.
Whenever I try to discuss his problems, all he'll talk about is this Camelot-type video game.
Camelot? Like, jousting? Sword-fighting? That kind of thing? Yeah.
His teachers have tried to interest him in books with similar mythical themes, but there's something about this game.
Graphic violence.
Read his case file.
It's nothing new.
Glenn was one of our saddest cases.
It's a miracle he's adjusted as well as he has.
Abuse? While his mother was out prostituting herself for drug money, the boyfriend was at home molesting Glenn.
Sometimes he'd resort to objects.
And when did you get him? Not soon enough.
The abuse started at two.
We got him at four.
If you'd seen the emptiness in that boy's eyes.
Did he bounce around for a long time? On that front he was lucky.
We placed him with Dorothy Rudd right away.
She's had him ever since.
She ever have any troubles with him? Not that I know of.
Women like Dorothy are hard to find.
With a lot of these kids, the families have no idea what they're getting into.
Still, with Glenn's background, weren't you at all concerned about placing three young girls in the house? No.
My case worker met with the boy, and he seemed very excited about it.
Stainless steel.
Mass-produced.
Swiss Army knock-off.
Standard issue for any boy over eight.
Anything making this one unique? Say, maybe some kid carving his initials in the handle? Oh, better.
Ten-point gem.
I ran it, but he's not in the system.
System doesn't include juvies.
The size and shape are consistent with a boy on the large side or a woman.
Although given these, I'd stick with a lonely, frustrated adolescent.
An outcast with $4-a-day cheese puff habit.
You lift those from the comic books? Corner of every page.
The girl didn't die from a paper cut.
Anything else on the knife? Just a hair caught in the fold.
It's the one on the left.
The one on the right's the victim's.
It's identical.
Which puts Cheese Puff Boy at the crime scene the night of the murder.
Now you've just got that one little hitch.
What's that? The sword is not your murder weapon.
But she was hit with it.
See the imperfections in the wood? With this level of impact, it would have picked up fiber or soft tissue evidence.
Maybe he wiped it clean.
Pattern doesn't match.
Bleeds spread their mass out differently depending on the weapon.
These came from something perfectly cylindrical with no rough edges.
Broomstick? Baseball bat? What? Heavier than a broomstick, narrower than a bat.
There was a pile of copper piping at the crime scene.
Maybe.
Whatever it was, it was hefty enough to cause these.
Subcutaneous bruises, multiple fractures, metacarpals, tibia, humerus.
What killed her? Bled out from a lacerated liver.
A slow death.
Rape kit results in yet? There were no fluids.
I found no evidence of penetration.
I thought you said you did.
I said there was swelling.
It was from the beating.
Anything else? Look at the different hues from the trauma.
The most recent are erythematous with welts.
The purplish areas with extravasation were already forming hematomas.
Meaning that she was beaten over an extended period of time.
At least 12 hours.
Did you notice any bruises on Cassie when you put her to bed? No.
But she was Neither of us put her to bed.
She was already asleep when we got home.
You were out? Just for a few hours, yeah.
Where were you? Delia Nathan's, right up the street.
We play cards every Tuesday.
Why didn't you mention this before? Because it was a lot earlier in the evening.
We checked in on her when we got home.
Who was babysitting? Glenn.
No, he didn't do anything wrong.
She was tucked soundly in bed.
Glenn ever play rough with the girls? Well, he liked to wrestle.
He's big for his age, and sometimes he didn't know his own strength.
He did.
He did play rough with them sometimes.
We're going to need to speak with Glenn.
Glenn? Glenn, honey, please Just a minute.
Kill the Gorgon or the princess shall die, Hi, Glenn.
What are you playing? Come on, come on.
One more level.
Glenn, stop.
This is serious.
They need to talk to you now.
Elliot.
Right down to the braid of hair.
Glenn, we found your sword.
The one that you left with Cassie.
Okay, what's a Gorgon? Gonna be okay, Glenn.
Can you tell us what happened that night? Got to help her Save Cassie Were you watching the girls? Cassie.
Cassie.
Cassie.
Glenn.
Glenn, do you know how Cassie got hurt? Were you playing games? Gorgon.
Gorgon killed her.
Please, I know he didn't mean to.
It had to be an accident.
Mrs.
Rudd Tell them, Glenn.
Tell them it was an accident.
It was It's those video games.
Stop it.
You're hurting yourself.
Glenn.
You're hurting him! You're hurting him! You're hurting him! How's Glenn doing? Psych unit at Hillview.
You read the report? Yeah.
Agitation, aggression, paranoid delusions.
Your boy had a psychotic break.
Almost took our two-way with him.
His mind didn't short-circuit for no reason.
He's clearly under tremendous pressure.
Guilty conscience? Need to confess versus self-preservation.
That'll make you crazy.
Damn it! You have lost, Pathetic.
Give me that.
Show you how to do this.
Maybe we should rethink the squad room video arcade.
Glenn retreated into that game.
Well, considering what he went through his first four years of life, who wouldn't? Not to mention the physical and emotional abuse he's taken at school.
Let's just make this case.
The Super Mario Brothers up there can re-canvass.
You two, go visit the boy.
Mrs.
Rudd.
What are you doing here? We need to see Glenn.
No, you don't.
You stay away from him.
That's okay.
You know what? Why don't we sit down? Tried to get him a snack.
Stuck.
It's his favorite.
How's Glenn holding up? I've never seen him like this.
Glenn is He's a sick boy.
And if we do this right, we can make sure wherever he goes, he gets help.
Maybe I was too old when I took him in.
I thought I was up to it.
But I was being selfish.
It's just I love having kids around.
Mrs.
Rudd, you do understand that we need to talk to Glenn.
Doesn't he have any rights? Yes, he does, but he's a juvenile.
You can waive Miranda for him.
I don't know.
The last time you questioned him, he was so upset, I No, I think I should talk to a lawyer.
Mrs.
Rudd No, I can stand.
I don't need any help.
Level Thirteen, Game's over.
Looks like Dorothy's going to lawyer up the kid.
How long have you been playing that game? Your Captain's found his calling.
He made it to the final level.
I defeated the Gorgon, freed the forest from evil demons, and rescued the dying princess from her dungeon.
Princess? Nice.
Oh, wait till you hear how he lifted the spell she was under.
A sword and a lock of her hair.
It gets better.
I carried her to the secret cave, I tied the hair to the sword and placed it at the entrance.
She's as good as new.
So if we follow the game, then Glenn killed Cassie and then tried to save her? Killer's remorse? What doesn't track is Glenn identified with the boy hero, not the Gorgon.
Wait, what exactly is a Gorgon? Are you familiar with Medusa? Glenn's monster's a woman.
Captain! That was Jane Rudd.
Guess who just snatched her two other girls? I was in the kitchen when Tanya got in from school, and she comes in and she says, "Oh, Whitley, it's time to go.
" And I said, "Hey, go where, honey?" And that's when I saw them standing in the doorway Are you talking about Tashandra and her boyfriend? His name was Duke.
I don't remember his last name.
That's okay, we do.
Why don't you have a seat, Jane? We already have people covering their home and their work.
We've given out their descriptions to every bus and train station.
Don't worry about it.
We're gonna find them.
Did they say anything that might tell us where they were heading? All she did was curse at me.
God, I wish my mother had been here! They do this? Oh, God.
Did they hurt you? Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Oh, my God.
Benson.
Great.
We're on our way.
Ticket agent at Port Authority recognized the girls.
They left two minutes ago on a bus to Atlanta.
I'm sorry.
Everyone remain seated.
We'll have you on your way in a minute.
In the back on your right.
Sir, come with me, please.
I'm sorry, babe.
Come on.
Tashandra Please just let us go.
Just let us go, and I won't be any more trouble to you, I promise.
You know that's not the way it works.
You can say you didn't find us.
I understand that you just want your kids back, but this is not the way to do it.
Trust me, this needs to end now.
Let's go.
Cassie was murdered.
Did you just expect me to sit by and let the same thing happen to my other two? That doesn't mitigate what you did.
Trespassing, assault, kidnapping.
Minimum, you're looking at custodial interference.
That's a felony.
I didn't have a choice.
They were in danger.
I had to get them out of there.
That woman murdered my daughter.
Mrs.
Adams, I understand that you're under a lot of pressure.
Tanya told me.
What did she tell you? Not a lot.
But that's only because that woman had her too scared.
She finally let on that Cassie got beaten all the time.
By whom? Momma Rudd.
We put them back with Jane.
May we see the file? You know, there are over It's not easy trying to find a place for all of them.
Do you realize that a serious allegation has been made against her? By Tashandra Adams.
It's about the only thing she hasn't tried.
What's this letter from the Bluebell Agency? That was a reference check.
Jane had two foster kids before the Adams girls.
This other agency removed them.
Two months later, she came here.
Why were they removed? Seems Jane "experienced difficulty understanding her role as a foster parent.
" What does that mean? The children were found with soiled clothes.
Jane missed appointments with her case worker.
But she was new.
But the letter goes on to say, "We recommend that no more children be placed with her.
" You felt comfortable placing three little girls with this woman? We had her take a parenting seminar.
A seminar? And she moved back in with her mother.
That was a provision.
Dorothy Rudd has a long history with us.
Still, it was Jane's care that you put them in.
Believe me, if the Bluebell Agency had sensed any real danger, they would have taken steps to have her decertified.
We worded that letter very carefully.
Phones call out, too.
Did you ever think of reporting Jane to the state hotline? The violations we had evidence of weren't that extreme.
The woman's a hopper.
A what? The city contracts out to 73 private foster care agencies.
We're not interlinked.
When we turned her down, she had 72 more chances.
And you're sure she's unfit? Yeah, I've been in this business 20 years.
I interviewed Jane personally.
The woman's not stable.
We can't go after Jane based on a case worker's bad feeling.
We have Tanya's revised statement.
Obtained after Tashandra took them.
They're tainted.
It'll never hold up.
We haven't talked to Dorothy yet.
If she turned a blind eye to the abuse, then she'll protect the daughter over the foster son.
Then we gotta get to Glenn now, before she gets a lawyer.
Alex? There is king for a day.
What, another video game? It's where we get a law guardian appointed who will play ball.
He'll let us talk to Glenn, provided everything the boy says is off the record.
And any law guardian will do this? It might take a little sweet-talking.
Hey, Glenn.
You know why I'm here? I heard you were the guy to see about video games.
You ever play Swordquest? That's my game.
Mine, too.
I made it to level 13.
Bagged myself a Gorgon.
I hate the Gorgon.
Is that who took Cassie to the cave that night? No.
It was me.
Why? To protect her.
Who was hurting her? Glenn.
It's my job to help kids who have problems with Gorgons.
You have one in real life, don't you? Who is it? You don't have to worry.
Remember? I'm a level 13er.
She'll never get past me.
What is it, Glenn? The Gorgon.
What's going on here? I had no idea what a horrible influence that video game was.
Actually, it's very educational.
The monster in it is based on Greek mythology.
A Gorgon, one of three sister monsters with snakes for hair and the ability to turn anyone that looks at them into stone.
Stones can't talk.
Why would Glenn call you a Gorgon? His imagination.
If I'm guilty of anything, it's of being too protective of my children.
Come again? I know I should have turned Glenn in when he first told me.
But he's my son.
You're a good mother.
But if you want to help your son, we have to know the circumstances that led up to it.
You have to understand, Glenn lives in a world of his own creation.
In his mind, he was rescuing Cassie.
Yes.
From what? What was going on with Cassie that he felt she needed rescuing? Cassie is prone to violent tantrums.
She'd been out of control for two days.
Since seeing her biological mom.
When she came back she was saying horrible things.
I couldn't get her to sleep.
When I finally did, she wet the bed.
Next day, more tantrums.
With hypertension, that kind of stress can't be good for your blood pressure.
I've taken in 12 children over the last years.
They all come damaged.
Starved for love and discipline.
You had to discipline Cassie.
We can understand that.
I had to send her to the "time out" chair.
Did you hit her? I spanked her.
With what? My hand.
But poor Glenn always wanted to rescue a damsel in distress.
He was, from being beaten to death.
It was Glenn who killed her.
He must have really knocked her around when he moved her over to that house.
That's what killed her.
The thing is, Cassie had rope burns on her wrists and ankles.
Glenn didn't tie her up.
No.
That was Jane.
Thirteen broken bones.
We know about the "time out" chair.
I told her to be good or something bad would happen.
I told her.
She just wouldn't listen.
No, she was so headstrong.
She was always talking back.
She wouldn't do as she was told.
And, oh, the incessant questions, it'd get to anybody.
So you tied her up.
She couldn't even fend off the blows.
AII Cassie had to do was be a good girl.
Is that too much to ask? Like you were when you were little? What happened when you weren't a good girl? She used to do the same things to you, didn't she? Well, she wants the perfect child, obedient and grateful.
She won't accept anything less.
Jane, it's still not enough.
She tried to pin this whole thing on you.
No, she didn't.
No, she didn't.
Oh, Jane, yes, she did.
We have a signed statement saying you were the one that tied Cassie up.
My mother made me tie her up.
Jane.
I never hit her, never.
Not once, ever.
But you knew what was gonna happen.
How could you bring children into that house? I didn't want to.
I didn't want kids.
Your mother made you do that, too? No, she wanted to be a grandmother.
So you took in foster grandbabies for her to abuse.
Jane, what happened to Cassie? Cassie always fought her.
Told her she hated her, told her that she was gonna tell.
She said the beatings were not gonna keep her quiet anymore.
So my mother beat her all day long.
She used her cane, didn't she? Counselor, I got some more ammunition for you on the Rudd case.
Warner says Dorothy's cane matches the wound patterns, and we found the rope in the apartment.
Good.
Jane just cut a deal.
Well, not too cherry, I hope.
Five to ten, conditional on her testimony against her mother.
She's an accessory, so her testimony needs to be corroborated.
Well, you got Glenn.
Who's currently in a psych ward.
Did you guys have any luck tracking down other foster kids? Benson and Stabler did find one.
Definitely abused.
He can't face Dorothy.
Well, that's one down.
Dorothy's had a dozen over the years.
Who have scattered to the four corners of the earth.
Once they turn 18, the system doesn't want to know from them.
Good night.
Hey, honest opinion.
Can I put Glenn on the stand? Well, I talked to his doctors.
He doesn't have any organic mental illness, but I don't think he's strong enough.
What if I prep the hell out of him? Unless you get this kid where he feels completely safe, you'll be putting him at further risk.
That's where the judge will be? Yeah.
You want to try it out? Now, the courtroom will be full of people supporting you.
There'll be your law guardian, and your friend, Captain Cragen, and I will be at that chair right there.
Will my mom be here? Dorothy will be at that table right there, but she can't talk to you and she can't touch you.
Are you sure? Do you remember what the Court Officers do? Keep everybody safe.
Now, the other attorney is allowed to ask you questions, but you just have to answer them honestly, okay? Okay.
You know, Glenn, if this is too much for you or you decide you don't want to do it, you don't have to.
You understand? But it's to help Cassie, right? Yeah.
Then I want to do it.
When did your mom put Cassie in the yellow chair? Early in the morning.
And why that chair in particular? It's for punishment.
What had Cassie done wrong? Glenn, what had Cassie done wrong? She peed in her bed.
What was her punishment? She had to drink lots and lots of water.
Until? She wet her pants.
Was that the end of her punishment? No.
What happened next? She was begging for help.
I needed to save her.
She was Glenn, just take your time.
I needed to help her.
Cassie was hurt.
Your Honor, I object to the blatant ongoing intimidation tactics by the defendant.
I didn't do anything.
Liar! You beat her.
You beat her the whole day.
I took you in when no one else wanted you! Cassie was crying, and you kept hitting her.
She tried to run away and you made Aunt Jane tie her down.
She was so little.
You were supposed to protect her.
But you beat her with the cane all day.
You killed her.
You killed her.
Who died? Dorothy Rudd.
Please tell me you're kidding.
Just got a call from Rikers, massive heart attack.
Bitch didn't even suffer.
Anybody else feel cheated? Prosecution abated by death.
It sucks.
That's it.
No vindication, nobody pays.
Jane'll do a couple of years.
Slap on the wrist.
Her deal is done.
What about the foster agency? They signed Cassie's death warrant the day they placed her there.
No laws on the books will let me prosecute them even if they knew the house was unsafe.
Tashandra Adams knew.
And you know what bites the most? She still doesn't have her kids back.
Of course reunification is our objective.
But she hasn't met the criteria of her discharge plan yet.
I checked.
A Family Court judge ruled that these kids could be paroled to Tashandra as soon as she obtained appropriate housing.
Which she has not done yet.
Part of your obligation is to help her do that.
I know what my job is.
And I know mine.
Enforcing criminal sanctions against agencies like yours that knowingly place their wards in unsafe homes.
I had no idea.
Well, the good people at the Bluebell Agency will testify that you did.
If Ms.
Adams does not get her children back immediately, I will indict you for child endangerment.
That's blackmail.
And if you drag your feet, manslaughter.
Momma.
Don't cry.
It's okay.
Why don't we give them a little privacy? Yeah.
Can Glenn come live here, too? The boy that tried to help Cassie, what's gonna happen to him? He's in good hands.
Bye.
What is going to happen to Glenn? Emergency foster placement.
Right back in the system.