Law & Order Special Victims Unit s03e15 Episode Script
Execution
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, What time is it? You have two hours left.
You're boring me.
Why? 'Cause your theories are flawed.
Which ones? Almost all of them.
And for the record, I never degraded anybody.
What do you care what I think? Because according to your theories, I don't care about anything.
It's not the last time, and certainly not the first.
Well, then, set me straight.
Tell me about your first time.
I'm asking the questions now.
You tell me about your first time.
How do you remember it? Fondly.
I'm not asking you.
Fondly.
I don't have time for games.
It was painful.
For who? For her.
I thought I'd done something wrong.
You did.
You knocked her up.
For all your sweaty fumbling, you earned a lifetime of responsibility.
You look the type to have a lot of little bastards running around.
How many are there? A few.
You're just a rutting dog in the streets, a slave to your impulses.
Your point being, you're just like me? You're exactly like me.
My first time was painful, too.
But it was perfect.
The thing was exquisite.
What was her name? Nice try.
Well, now look who's playing games.
It's my party, gentlemen.
You can leave anytime.
But then you wouldn't have any control, and where's the fun in that? I hate psychiatrists.
Don't you? Absolutely.
You're not liked.
How does that make you feel? Insightful.
Really? You're a liar, Matt.
Your first time wasn't perfect.
In fact, it was so disappointing, you try not to remember it.
You were so inept, so inexperienced, that you didn't even achieve a climax.
Not even when you were by yourself, reliving the moment.
One thing was young, ripe, begging for it.
But I took my time with it.
It had the most beautiful brown eyes, almost sleepy.
Till I went to work.
Then they went big and round.
First it pleaded, then it bargained.
This interview's over.
The thing screamed in pain, yelled in fear.
It was alive through every moment of it, even when I gutted it and the blood sprayed over me like a warm shower.
I can almost taste it.
Relax, Chief.
The guards are changing shift.
Elliot, get up from the table! Detective Stabler.
It's been a while, so I don't expect you'd remember.
I'm Allen Cooper, my wife Hannah.
Our daughter Debbie was murdered Debbie, of course.
It'll be 11 years next month.
Her killer was never caught.
She was on her way home from school When she was abducted.
I remember.
My partner, Dave Rosetti, was the lead on it.
Yeah.
We heard he died.
We're real sorry.
That's why we're coming to you now.
We know who killed our little girl.
Who? Matthew Brodus.
When it first happened, we couldn't get past the grief.
Stuck in our heads, in the pain.
Losing Debbie almost tore us apart.
Grief therapy, victims' groups.
We finally got to a place where we thought we could deal with not knowing.
At least until Matthew Brodus's press conference.
Well, what did he say to make you believe he killed your daughter? He wants to sell tickets to his execution, claiming he's raising money for his daughter's education.
Well, he doesn't have any children that we're aware of.
I still don't see the connection, though.
The school Brodus mentioned was Our Lady of Light, in Lower Manhattan.
Debbie's old school.
If Brodus is Debbie Cooper's killer, why didn't the computer match the signature? The murder happened pre-VICAP.
A lot of open homicides that still aren't in the system.
New Jersey is not gonna let us near this hump anyway, and even if they did, Brodus could still refuse to talk.
No.
Not this guy.
What makes you so sure? Because serial killers typically kill their victims immediately and then they take their time with the bodies.
Brodus is different.
He kept his victims alive.
He wanted them to watch him work.
He needs an audience.
Well, the ME's report stated that Debbie Cooper did suffer before she died.
She was hogtied with plumber's tape and tortured.
And Brodus worked as a plumber's apprentice.
He abducted his victims, he murdered them at a remote site and then he dumped their bodies.
This homicide matches the Jersey victims.
Except for the pierced corneas, committed premortem.
Why blind this victim and not the others? It's strictly symbolic, since he wasn't going to let her survive.
She knew him.
That's what Dave Rosetti always thought when we canvassed everybody.
We could just never make the damn connection.
And what makes you think you can now? Just get this guy in front of me.
That's all I'll need.
He dies in less than 72 hours.
That might not be an option.
Brodus is a multi-victim signature killer.
That's very rare.
And it's even more rare to find somebody who's done it more than once.
Maybe I could get a field interview.
Can the Feds force Jersey to cooperate? No, but a request from the brass might grease the wheel.
I'll let you know.
Elliot.
Look, I I know you want to help the Coopers.
That's not what this is about and you know it.
Dave Rosetti put a slug through his jaw over this.
You've got three days to play it out.
Have Munch run the Cooper evidence box over to the lab.
Maybe 10 years later we can find some DNA.
Beware the cop bearing gifts.
Forget it.
I've got three separate yet simultaneous trials to prep for.
Hey, we're in a time crunch.
The perp dies day after tomorrow.
Are you trying to clear him? Not our jurisdiction.
We just need some evidence to tie him to our homicide.
If he dies before we can prove it, the case remains open.
What have I got to work with? Well, we got some plumber's tape, various fibers and two different blood types.
Well, let me see what I can do.
You the man.
Come on.
Don't be late.
I didn't know Debbie Cooper.
She was before my time.
What happened to your predecessor, Mr.
Jamison? Died of a heart attack in the mid '90s.
I'm not really sure how I can help you, after all this time.
Well, my notes state Debbie Cooper was very close to a few teachers.
Vivian Parish, Michael McKeeney and Andrea Mason.
Are they still employed here? I never met Vivian Parish.
Michael left teaching in '98.
I have no idea where he is.
And Andrea Mason teaches Government, but she's out sick.
We'll need her home number.
It's in the office.
Were there any construction jobs during that time? The rectory was converted in the '60s.
Gym, pool, track were all added in the '70s.
That's about it.
Any plumbing problems? We had an old boiler system that had to be replaced.
Work was done by a place in Brooklyn.
I'll get you the name.
Thanks.
I had three men working that job.
Two of them are still here.
And do you use subcontractors? Well, sure, if the job's too big.
But this one wasn't.
How many employees did you have then? Fifteen, twenty.
The apprentices work part-time.
They come and go.
Did you have a Linwood Bradley, Matthew Braeden or Lonnie Matthews on the payroll? Hey, what's this all about? That serial killer, Matthew Linwood Brodus.
Those are his aliases.
Do you guys really think if I had that crazy working for me, I wouldn't have gone to the police? Here, look for yourselves.
That bastard never worked here.
Pretty defensive for a guy with a clear conscience.
Maybe he didn't want to be linked with Brodus, but I'll check him out.
Still no answer at Andrea Mason's.
When's the last time you took a sick day when you were actually sick? Good point.
Stabler.
Yeah.
No problem.
I'll be there.
All right.
Huang wants me to meet him down at the FBI field office for lunch.
Maybe he's got some good news.
Good news from the Feds? More like, "Bend over, we're taking over your case.
" John, times have changed.
They're not the Iying bastards they used to be.
There's no time for a sit-down lunch.
We're doing indirect personality assessments with Brodus' ex-cellmates today.
How many are there? Thanks.
Two.
Robert Rule's doing life for rape and manslaughter.
Leroy Russell's on death row.
Converted to Islam inside.
Since then he's been a model prisoner, refuses to talk to us.
What are these IPAs supposed to give us? Background, likes, dislikes, any way to relate to Brodus, because he's not just gonna confess to you.
I know how to interrogate a prisoner.
I know you do, but I doubt you've encountered this level of depravity before.
I've dealt with serial killers before Who hunted for short periods of time.
They're more psychologically inclined to confess.
Brodus hunted for years without detection.
He's like Dahmer and Lucas and Bundy.
Sometimes it takes years for killers like that to relax their guard.
Look, they all want to talk.
Even Bundy cooperated in the end.
Yeah.
When you get closer to the kill date they become more pliable, but you gotta remember this is a game.
Brodus is holding all the cards.
You know, I'm missing Wheel of Fortune for this little talk.
What's in it for you? You want Brodus? I want time shaved.
Sorry.
There's no deal to be had.
I'm serving a life sentence.
You're a career criminal, Rule.
A life sentence doesn't mean life, death doesn't mean death, it's 12 and a half-to-15.
That burns you, huh? Look, I ain't going nowhere.
Check with the warden.
I'm in for the long haul.
Then you should be glad, getting a good mark on your prison record.
Hey, I can't do something for nothing.
How would that look on my block? I gotta live here.
Deal depends on what you know and then we'll talk terms.
No.
I think we're done here.
We haven't even started.
Either you answer the questions or you don't, Mr.
Rule.
The FBI doesn't deal.
What the hell was that all about? Procedure.
I suggest you get familiar with it before we do any more interviews.
We make deals all the time.
You should've heard Rule out.
He doesn't know anything except for background.
We'd just be wasting our time with anything else.
Yeah, how do you know that if you don't talk to the scrote? Because Brodus would never have told him anything substantive.
He would've considered Rule beneath him.
You know that for a fact, huh? I've been doing this for a long time.
So have I.
You don't get up from the table until you've seen everyone's hand.
The FBI is running these interviews and I'm not offering any deals.
I hope that's clear.
Jersey won't play ball.
Okay.
What can we do? File an official request, let it go through channels.
By the time we get that answer, Brodus will be dead and buried.
We can't tell another state how to run its business.
New Jersey already has an inferiority complex when it comes to New York.
They're digging in their heels on principle.
Alex, how many phone calls from victims have you gotten asking why you lost a case and what you're gonna do about it? I've had my share.
And how many times do you actually get a second chance? What would you like me to do? File a temporary stay.
No.
I am not comfortable with that.
I'm not looking to commute the guy's sentence.
I just want a little more time for myself.
Do you have any direct evidence linking Brodus to the victim? Not yet.
Then find me some.
In the meantime, I'm gonna head to New Jersey and ask an old friend for a really big favor.
As good as it is to see you, Alex, the answer's still no.
It's just an interview.
You've granted them to other law enforcement agencies.
Why not to mine? Well, the other cops talked to Brodus while he still had appeals on the table, and we're on the home stretch now, I can't afford to have anything go wrong.
We're not trying to sabotage your execution.
We just want some answers.
Well, if he's your guy, whoever the victim is will have justice the day after tomorrow.
I cannot believe you're gonna make me do this the hard way.
What'd you expect, ancient history to get you an invite to the table? You know, I came here as one professional to another.
I don't need to revel in the past.
You're good, Alex, not spectacular.
This is a political powder keg, so we can't accommodate you.
What's the matter, Alan, is this a re-election year? New Yorkers can't seek relief because they don't vote here? You've grown a pair since the last time I saw you.
Yeah.
Well, you've lost yours, because victims' rights used to be a priority.
What if he confesses? Is that such a bad thing? What is to stop him from confessing to murders in other states and whipping law enforcement into a jurisdictional frenzy? What then? Then you deal with it.
If he murdered other victims and he takes it to his grave, you become the facilitator.
Brodus will do anything, say anything to stay his execution.
Henry Lee Lucas did it.
Bundy did it.
It's their nature to exploit our weaknesses.
I'm sorry, Alex, no one gets access.
Period.
Unfortunately there wasn't enough blood to get DNA.
What're you talking about? The victim's shirt was soaked in it.
Well, the blood was mostly hers, not the killer's.
Eleven years ago, the lab used Give us some good news.
Come on.
Well, the fibers are consistent with uniform cloth.
It was cross-matched to a company that dyes material for heavy crawl suits, pest control, construction.
Plumbers' uniforms.
Also, the tape that bound your victim matches the bin number of the New Jersey bodies.
There's our connection.
Yeah, it's still too circumstantial to force New Jersey's back against the wall.
I could compare their fibers to ours.
You think we'd have any trouble getting it from them? Not without a fight.
No.
You find anything to link the plumbing company to Brodus? No quarterlies were paid for under any of his aliases.
Under the table.
So I checked with the owner.
Moderate business, pays his taxes, guy even does jury duty.
I didn't know that law-abiding citizens existed.
You recanvassed the Cooper neighborhood? Yeah, and you owe me a new pair of shoes.
No, but after 10 years, people move, they don't remember.
How about that teacher? Andrea Mason? Yeah.
Did you find her? The interview is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
I got you covered, Elliot.
If there was anything solid, I'd let you know.
I'm running out of time here, John.
You're running out of options.
The Coopers are running out of time.
I need you to make a deal with an inmate who shared a cell with Brodus.
What's he in for? Two counts rape, one count manslaughter.
No.
Look, I've hit a wall and he may have some information that'll help us with Brodus.
He's not talking without some kind of incentive.
Where's Huang on this? He wants to follow procedure.
So do I.
And while we play by some arbitrary rules, the Coopers just have to wait? Elliot, why are you pushing so hard? You know, I studied the crime scene photos, I read the files.
Brodus mutilated 12 women, premortem.
It's pretty horrific stuff.
Now try to imagine the strength, the will it took to keep those women alive and feed off their terror.
I'm gonna need as much ammunition as possible, if I'm gonna trip this guy up.
And you think this prisoner will give you some leverage? Well, I ain't gonna know unless I can talk to him.
As soon as I corroborate your information, we ship you off to Danbury Federal Prison.
That's fair.
I raped that girl.
I know I belong in prison, but not here.
What can you tell me about Matthew Brodus? I got a little girl.
She's five.
Her name's Marlene.
Man, you bulls sure know how to check up.
My ex won't let me talk to her.
She's all I got.
It's hard to do time unless you got something good to hold on to.
She sends me drawings and I got a photo of her third birthday, blowing out the candles.
Where are we going with this? Will you call her for me? No.
Look, you ask my ex, how's my baby growing? What's her favorite color? How's she doing in school? Please, that's all I want.
No.
Please.
I ain't got nothing to say, man.
AII I want is to find out about my little girl.
If you had a kid, you'd understand.
I make that call, we talk about Brodus? For as long as you want.
What's the number? Hello? Hello.
This is Detective Elliot Stabler.
I'm calling on behalf of Robert Rule I miss you so much! She hung up.
Satisfied? Yeah, right.
Thanks for trying.
If you have any questions about the assignment, just see me after class.
Thank you, Miss Mason.
Andrea Mason? Detective John Munch.
We spoke on the phone.
Right.
Debbie Cooper, Yeah, how well did you know her? Well, History wasn't her best subject.
She did a lot of extra credit to pull her grade up.
That's it? Look, I'm sorry.
It was a long time ago.
I think it's great you're still trying to solve her murder, but even when it was fresh she was just one of many students who pass through that door.
She didn't really stand out, huh? No.
Debbie was awkward, a late bloomer.
Besides Vivian Parish and a few friends, no one really took an interest in her.
Do you know where I can find Vivian Parish? Last I heard, she moved to New Mexico.
Thanks.
Let me guess.
Rule gave you nothing.
Just what he'd culled from newspapers and the TV.
One day you're going to actually realize that I know what I'm doing.
I had to give it a shot.
Apology accepted.
Let's move on.
So where do we go from here? Brodus' other cellmate.
We figure out a way to get Leroy Russell to sit down with us.
He's still refusing.
Says it's not on his path to Allah.
We're looking for Detective Stabler.
His captain said he'd be here.
Detectives Yorkin and Janowicz, Brooklyn SVU.
Did you allow an inmate named Robert Rule to use your cell phone? What's going on? A call was placed to a rape victim.
She phoned our precinct in hysterics.
We dumped her phones and got the cell number for a Manhattan SVU detective.
Care to tell us what the hell you were doing? The victim's name is Elizabeth Shachtman.
She was 16 when Rule brutally raped her.
I read the file.
A little late for that.
What the hell were you thinking? He gave me a hard luck story about his kid and I bought it.
Because you wanted to.
Now, how did this convict get the phone number? Rule was co-counsel in his own defense.
The victim's information was listed because she was a witness at his trial.
I should put you on a desk and send you over to the Shachtman residence to explain yourself.
I already did that.
How's she doing? She feels violated.
Again.
I'll call Brooklyn.
See if I can't smooth it over.
Vivian Parish.
She may have married.
Can you check who's paying her quarterlies? I'll hold.
Tell me again how my partner failed to get his weapon recertification.
He choked.
I didn't choke.
Okay.
He got poor marks for shooting off his gun early.
That happens to everybody, Fin.
You know, they have a pill for that now.
So what's your next move? I don't have one.
I mean Brodus has another cellmate but he's not talking to us.
Anything on the guy you can use, something to twist him with? He murdered a kid in a convenience store robbery.
Shot him point blank with a sawed-off.
Converted to Islam on the inside.
He's made one appeal since.
I suppose he wanted his execution date moved up.
Yeah.
How do you know? He's on a path.
It's the one thing Christianity, Judaism and Islam have in common.
In order to be a man of God, you gotta change the man you are.
Can't you appeal to this guy's religion? I mean, you're looking to clear a murder.
That's gotta mean something if his conversion's real.
He's got a blood debt.
Use that.
Blood debt? It's in the Koran.
He took a life, so he owes a debt for spilling blood.
It's Islamic justice.
How can I help you, Detective? Please believe me that if there were any other way, I wouldn't be here.
I've caused victims enough grief already.
Sir, I'm here to request that you face your son's killer and ask him to talk to us.
Why? Why would you ever ask me to do that? He may have some information to give another grieving family some relief.
I can't.
I believe you can, sir.
In my opinion, any man who opposed the death sentence on behalf of his son's killer is strong enough to face him.
I don't give a damn what you think.
Yes, I spoke at his sentencing.
But I didn't do it for him.
I did it for me.
His death doesn't lessen my pain and it sure as hell doesn't give me back my son.
I apologize for reopening your wounds.
You didn't.
My wounds never heal.
At least you know who killed your child.
Debbie Cooper's parents don't.
Why is he in chains? With a civilian in the room, we take extra precautions.
I'm told you're a religious man now.
I owe you a debt.
You can't pay it.
So I need you to talk to these men.
Answer their questions and try not to lie.
Questions about what? Matthew Brodus.
I don't really know the man.
You shared a cell with him for three years.
What were your impressions of him? He's a killer.
So you have a lot in common.
He used to always ask me questions.
What kind of questions? Why I was on death row.
Who I killed.
How I did it.
My answers used to piss him off.
That's because you killed a young man that you didn't hunt first, and so Brodus couldn't get a vicarious thrill from your experience.
I shot that boy 'cause he saw my face.
But Brodus, he took joy in the killing.
One night, he talked to me about all the things he did.
I asked to be moved out of there after that.
What kind of things? Stalking, gutting, doing things to the body.
He used to think he was smarter than everybody else even when he made a mistake.
He killed a blind girl close to home.
Did he say how he did it? No, and I didn't ask.
Can I go now, back to my cell? Evening prayers, you know? Officer.
You refused to speak during your sentencing.
I need to know what my son's last moments were like.
Did he say anything? No, sir.
You don't need the image of your boy dying with my voice in your head telling you how.
Leroy Russell confirms Brodus blinded and murdered one of his victims that was too close to home.
None of the New Jersey victims match Leroy's story.
That doesn't mean anything.
It's hearsay testimony from a man on death row.
Munch located that teacher, Vivian Parish.
Not only did she date Brodus for six months, he regularly picked her up from school and, I quote, "Gave Debbie Cooper a ride home once or twice.
" Now is that enough for a murder indictment? And as soon as I file, they'll say we can have him when they're done.
So that's it? We're done trying? What else can we do? Explain it to her parents.
I understand we have new evidence.
So where do we go from here, Miss Cabot? I'm not sure what I can give you besides knowledge.
Can you prove that Matthew Brodus killed our daughter? Not in a court of law.
But we are reasonably sure he's guilty and he is being executed for his crimes.
Are you familiar with the name Ottis Toole? He's the guy every cop believes murdered John Walsh's six-year-old son, Adam.
Toole died of AIDS on death row before we could prove it.
And after 21 years you can still see the rage and grief that John Walsh carries with him.
His hope died along with his son's killer.
If you don't do everything within your power to prove Matthew Brodus murdered our daughter, so will ours.
I'm Wade Harris, Matthew Brodus' lead counsel.
Nice to meet you.
Frankly, I'm blown away that the Manhattan D.
A.
's office is interested in stopping this execution.
We're not.
I want to put your client on trial for murder.
That should buy you six months to a year.
No, actually, I think I could drag it out to 18, if I drown you in paper.
I've drafted the request for a temporary restraining order.
And what makes you so sure a judge will go for it? Evidence and an appeal from the victim's parents.
What kind of evidence? You file capital charges against my client, I have right to discovery.
Only when and if I file.
You need to keep your client alive.
Right now, I'm all you've got.
Deal? Miss Cabot? Your Honor, the People are seeking a temporary restraining order based on new evidence linking Matthew Brodus to an open homicide.
None of which is under New Jersey's legal jurisdiction.
As officers of the court, we cannot ignore capital crimes, no matter where they occur.
I've reviewed their evidence and it's circumstantial at best and doesn't even meet the criteria for trial, not here and certainly not in New York.
Is Manhattan proposing to try Mr.
Brodus? Not at this time, Your Honor.
So is the purpose of the TRO to go on a fishing expedition? Your Honor, the law does not allow for posthumous jurisprudence.
If Mr.
Brodus dies before discovery has been had, the truth dies with him.
This is a ploy to stay the execution, Your Honor.
The defense has exhausted their appeals and are now preying on New York's desperation.
I submit, the prisoner is in your custody and available to be executed at your discretion.
Which is currently scheduled for midnight tonight.
We should not allow them to stymie our ability to mete justice.
The prisoner will be just as dead six months from now.
Your Honor, we're not seeking justice, we're only seeking the truth.
Under the circumstances, and given who the defendant is, I'm not convinced you'll be able to get it.
All right, people, don't go far.
So what are our chances? It's hard to gauge.
I'd say we're about even.
So what's with the face? You're acting like we've already lost.
Something about helping a convicted serial killer avoid the needle he so justly deserves does not sit well with me.
Is the judge back? Not yet.
Are you only looking for an exceptional clearance? An interview is all we've ever asked for.
Nothing's changed.
I need your word that you'll decline to prosecute, no matter what Brodus reveals to you.
You've got it.
I'll set up the interview.
Be ready in an hour.
Try to keep him off balance.
When I stress him, be his friend.
Otherwise push him hard.
You'll be watching his body language for signals.
When you ask an innocuous question, I'll just back off.
And pay attention to his eyes.
Serial killers have this stare.
It's focused.
It's like animals when they're hunting.
And when he's not hunting? Then he can't look you in the eye.
Anything else? You know, this might not work.
He's not going to trust us and he might play this out to the end.
You gotta be prepared, in case we run out of time.
Hey.
Detective Stabler.
I'm Dr.
George Huang.
Behavioral science.
Prescient spooks studying rats in a cage.
How boring.
You're not boring, Mr.
Brodus.
You can call me Matt, Elliot.
I'm not a mind reader.
They just announce my visitors.
So what's this about? Well, we just decided to take you up on your invitation.
Not that I mind the company, but I don't recall inviting you.
You also don't seem too surprised to be seeing us.
Why should I be? Feds come in and out all day.
You been helping us out? As much as I can.
But they want me to admit to things I haven't done.
If it wasn't for the missing women and their poor families, I'd laugh.
At what? You cops.
Trying to beat your own clock.
What's so special about Our Lady of Light? That a church? Catholic high school.
You mentioned you wanted to send your daughter there.
I want her to have a first-class education.
You don't have any children, Matt.
You sure about that? You think any woman's gonna come forward with my kid? Much less admit to having slept with me? Come on.
How about you give me a name, and I'll check it out? You'll have to wait until my will goes into probate.
Why didn't you kill your girlfriend, Vivian Parish? Now you're insulting me.
Well, I don't want to do that.
I apologize.
It just seems that if you'd killed her, you probably would've gotten pinched right away and 13 women would still be alive.
We all know the record says 12.
We both know the record is incorrect.
They give you anything for that insomnia, Matt? Pills don't work.
What time is it? It's 8:33.
What's in the folder? It's a project.
I want to ask your opinion about a killer's M.
O.
He still out there? Don't know.
He hasn't worked in a while.
We wanted to go through the three D's of sadism: dread, dependency, degradation.
Are you up for that? Can I take a look, please? What's this? A medical examiner's report on the body.
That's boring.
Where are the crime scene photos? There's a picture under the report.
It says our killer tortured the victim.
Any ideas why? No.
Why not? You did some of the same things to your victims.
The big girls that you chose.
Since Debbie Cooper was a big girl, we figured you might have some ideas why she was cut so deeply.
If I could see some crime scene photos, I could probably help you.
You don't need them.
Look inside your head.
You'll see it.
See someone else's work? Can't be done.
He overpowers her.
Easy for a man of some size, like you.
He binds her tight with tape.
Plays with her for a while.
He feeds off her terror.
He can't get enough, so that she dreads when he leaves and when he returns.
But he's not gonna do her right away.
He wants a few days with her.
So now she has to depend on him.
But then he has to take the thing and slice it open and see what's going on in there.
The knife goes in like butter.
It's so warm inside.
But he has to be quick about it.
It'll be cold soon.
Why does he have to be quick now? To be born again.
Are we talking religion now? No.
Where's the one place that your mother can never leave you? Psychiatric pap.
You always blame Mom.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, why not? I mean, look at your mother.
Leave her out of this.
She couldn't stand you.
She left you with your grandparents.
When they died, she shipped you off to foster care.
She came and got me.
She loved me.
Matt, tell the truth.
She got married.
She had a daughter with her new husband.
And when she left him, she took your half-sister with her and left you behind.
Again.
I mean, obviously, she must have loathed you.
She saw the real you and it made her want to vomit.
How many times did she tell you she wished you'd been aborted? She never said that.
She loved me.
She never said that, ever.
I'm done talking to you.
We're not finished, Matt.
You're helping us with this one case.
We've covered dread and dependency.
Now we're gonna see how Debbie Cooper was degraded.
How many times was the killer with her postmortem, huh? What are you talking about? That's obscene.
Just think like the killer.
Go ahead.
How should I know? Ask the shrink.
He's probably treated psychos like that.
It depends on how often the killer visited the body.
How many times did you check on your victims? Hey, I only went back to see if they were still where I left them.
That's all.
Not this guy.
He went back to be with them, you know? I can't help you.
Do you believe I'm gonna think any less of you? I'm telling you, I never messed around with them after they were dead.
The guy you're looking for is sick.
Real sick.
What woman alive would be with you, though? Vivian Parish.
I talked with her.
She said you had a tough time closing the deal.
Well, if she said that, then the bitch lied.
You're a cop, you're supposed to tell the difference.
Oh, I can and I do.
It's in their nature.
They say they don't want it but they really do.
No means yes.
Yes means no.
You know, I should've disappeared the whore before she went out west.
I missed my chance by 20 minutes.
But she knew who you were and she was way ahead of you.
She was an idiot, a moon-eyed cow.
Debbie just wanted someone to tell her ugly ass that she was pretty.
Thought she was in a Harlequin romance.
Stupid bitch.
Debbie? Slip of the tongue.
One of my Jersey girls.
No, it's not.
None of them are named Debbie or Deborah.
None of the middle names match, either.
Why don't you stop Iying? Let's just get down to it.
You know, you're not as smart as you think you are.
What time is it? How many of these have you done? This is my second.
If my presence wasn't required, I wouldn't be here.
So you can ask for the death penalty but you cannot stomach the reality? I do my job.
I do it for the families.
I don't have to like it.
Move! Go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! What's going on? Wait! Just move! Move! Hey, hey! Move! Lock it down! Lock it down! What's going on, Mr.
Messinger? Is someone trying to escape? I don't know, Mr.
Pierce, but we'll be safe here.
This isn't gonna stop the execution, right? Debbie didn't fight back.
Get him off! Get him! Hurry up! Get him off of him! Get him off! You okay? Got him? Don't! That's what he wants! Any news on Huang? He's going to be okay, but they want to keep him overnight.
And Brodus? He's on a ventilator.
I have to tell the families.
I'll do it.
I think you've done enough.
They need to know that he planned this.
I'll explain it to them.
The only thing that matters to them is we can't execute him now.
The state can't execute an unhealthy man.
It's the law.
So as long as he's in a coma, we can't get justice.
What a waste.
You're wrong.
I got a confession on Debbie Cooper.
They won't care.
Would you? Go home.
You're boring me.
Why? 'Cause your theories are flawed.
Which ones? Almost all of them.
And for the record, I never degraded anybody.
What do you care what I think? Because according to your theories, I don't care about anything.
It's not the last time, and certainly not the first.
Well, then, set me straight.
Tell me about your first time.
I'm asking the questions now.
You tell me about your first time.
How do you remember it? Fondly.
I'm not asking you.
Fondly.
I don't have time for games.
It was painful.
For who? For her.
I thought I'd done something wrong.
You did.
You knocked her up.
For all your sweaty fumbling, you earned a lifetime of responsibility.
You look the type to have a lot of little bastards running around.
How many are there? A few.
You're just a rutting dog in the streets, a slave to your impulses.
Your point being, you're just like me? You're exactly like me.
My first time was painful, too.
But it was perfect.
The thing was exquisite.
What was her name? Nice try.
Well, now look who's playing games.
It's my party, gentlemen.
You can leave anytime.
But then you wouldn't have any control, and where's the fun in that? I hate psychiatrists.
Don't you? Absolutely.
You're not liked.
How does that make you feel? Insightful.
Really? You're a liar, Matt.
Your first time wasn't perfect.
In fact, it was so disappointing, you try not to remember it.
You were so inept, so inexperienced, that you didn't even achieve a climax.
Not even when you were by yourself, reliving the moment.
One thing was young, ripe, begging for it.
But I took my time with it.
It had the most beautiful brown eyes, almost sleepy.
Till I went to work.
Then they went big and round.
First it pleaded, then it bargained.
This interview's over.
The thing screamed in pain, yelled in fear.
It was alive through every moment of it, even when I gutted it and the blood sprayed over me like a warm shower.
I can almost taste it.
Relax, Chief.
The guards are changing shift.
Elliot, get up from the table! Detective Stabler.
It's been a while, so I don't expect you'd remember.
I'm Allen Cooper, my wife Hannah.
Our daughter Debbie was murdered Debbie, of course.
It'll be 11 years next month.
Her killer was never caught.
She was on her way home from school When she was abducted.
I remember.
My partner, Dave Rosetti, was the lead on it.
Yeah.
We heard he died.
We're real sorry.
That's why we're coming to you now.
We know who killed our little girl.
Who? Matthew Brodus.
When it first happened, we couldn't get past the grief.
Stuck in our heads, in the pain.
Losing Debbie almost tore us apart.
Grief therapy, victims' groups.
We finally got to a place where we thought we could deal with not knowing.
At least until Matthew Brodus's press conference.
Well, what did he say to make you believe he killed your daughter? He wants to sell tickets to his execution, claiming he's raising money for his daughter's education.
Well, he doesn't have any children that we're aware of.
I still don't see the connection, though.
The school Brodus mentioned was Our Lady of Light, in Lower Manhattan.
Debbie's old school.
If Brodus is Debbie Cooper's killer, why didn't the computer match the signature? The murder happened pre-VICAP.
A lot of open homicides that still aren't in the system.
New Jersey is not gonna let us near this hump anyway, and even if they did, Brodus could still refuse to talk.
No.
Not this guy.
What makes you so sure? Because serial killers typically kill their victims immediately and then they take their time with the bodies.
Brodus is different.
He kept his victims alive.
He wanted them to watch him work.
He needs an audience.
Well, the ME's report stated that Debbie Cooper did suffer before she died.
She was hogtied with plumber's tape and tortured.
And Brodus worked as a plumber's apprentice.
He abducted his victims, he murdered them at a remote site and then he dumped their bodies.
This homicide matches the Jersey victims.
Except for the pierced corneas, committed premortem.
Why blind this victim and not the others? It's strictly symbolic, since he wasn't going to let her survive.
She knew him.
That's what Dave Rosetti always thought when we canvassed everybody.
We could just never make the damn connection.
And what makes you think you can now? Just get this guy in front of me.
That's all I'll need.
He dies in less than 72 hours.
That might not be an option.
Brodus is a multi-victim signature killer.
That's very rare.
And it's even more rare to find somebody who's done it more than once.
Maybe I could get a field interview.
Can the Feds force Jersey to cooperate? No, but a request from the brass might grease the wheel.
I'll let you know.
Elliot.
Look, I I know you want to help the Coopers.
That's not what this is about and you know it.
Dave Rosetti put a slug through his jaw over this.
You've got three days to play it out.
Have Munch run the Cooper evidence box over to the lab.
Maybe 10 years later we can find some DNA.
Beware the cop bearing gifts.
Forget it.
I've got three separate yet simultaneous trials to prep for.
Hey, we're in a time crunch.
The perp dies day after tomorrow.
Are you trying to clear him? Not our jurisdiction.
We just need some evidence to tie him to our homicide.
If he dies before we can prove it, the case remains open.
What have I got to work with? Well, we got some plumber's tape, various fibers and two different blood types.
Well, let me see what I can do.
You the man.
Come on.
Don't be late.
I didn't know Debbie Cooper.
She was before my time.
What happened to your predecessor, Mr.
Jamison? Died of a heart attack in the mid '90s.
I'm not really sure how I can help you, after all this time.
Well, my notes state Debbie Cooper was very close to a few teachers.
Vivian Parish, Michael McKeeney and Andrea Mason.
Are they still employed here? I never met Vivian Parish.
Michael left teaching in '98.
I have no idea where he is.
And Andrea Mason teaches Government, but she's out sick.
We'll need her home number.
It's in the office.
Were there any construction jobs during that time? The rectory was converted in the '60s.
Gym, pool, track were all added in the '70s.
That's about it.
Any plumbing problems? We had an old boiler system that had to be replaced.
Work was done by a place in Brooklyn.
I'll get you the name.
Thanks.
I had three men working that job.
Two of them are still here.
And do you use subcontractors? Well, sure, if the job's too big.
But this one wasn't.
How many employees did you have then? Fifteen, twenty.
The apprentices work part-time.
They come and go.
Did you have a Linwood Bradley, Matthew Braeden or Lonnie Matthews on the payroll? Hey, what's this all about? That serial killer, Matthew Linwood Brodus.
Those are his aliases.
Do you guys really think if I had that crazy working for me, I wouldn't have gone to the police? Here, look for yourselves.
That bastard never worked here.
Pretty defensive for a guy with a clear conscience.
Maybe he didn't want to be linked with Brodus, but I'll check him out.
Still no answer at Andrea Mason's.
When's the last time you took a sick day when you were actually sick? Good point.
Stabler.
Yeah.
No problem.
I'll be there.
All right.
Huang wants me to meet him down at the FBI field office for lunch.
Maybe he's got some good news.
Good news from the Feds? More like, "Bend over, we're taking over your case.
" John, times have changed.
They're not the Iying bastards they used to be.
There's no time for a sit-down lunch.
We're doing indirect personality assessments with Brodus' ex-cellmates today.
How many are there? Thanks.
Two.
Robert Rule's doing life for rape and manslaughter.
Leroy Russell's on death row.
Converted to Islam inside.
Since then he's been a model prisoner, refuses to talk to us.
What are these IPAs supposed to give us? Background, likes, dislikes, any way to relate to Brodus, because he's not just gonna confess to you.
I know how to interrogate a prisoner.
I know you do, but I doubt you've encountered this level of depravity before.
I've dealt with serial killers before Who hunted for short periods of time.
They're more psychologically inclined to confess.
Brodus hunted for years without detection.
He's like Dahmer and Lucas and Bundy.
Sometimes it takes years for killers like that to relax their guard.
Look, they all want to talk.
Even Bundy cooperated in the end.
Yeah.
When you get closer to the kill date they become more pliable, but you gotta remember this is a game.
Brodus is holding all the cards.
You know, I'm missing Wheel of Fortune for this little talk.
What's in it for you? You want Brodus? I want time shaved.
Sorry.
There's no deal to be had.
I'm serving a life sentence.
You're a career criminal, Rule.
A life sentence doesn't mean life, death doesn't mean death, it's 12 and a half-to-15.
That burns you, huh? Look, I ain't going nowhere.
Check with the warden.
I'm in for the long haul.
Then you should be glad, getting a good mark on your prison record.
Hey, I can't do something for nothing.
How would that look on my block? I gotta live here.
Deal depends on what you know and then we'll talk terms.
No.
I think we're done here.
We haven't even started.
Either you answer the questions or you don't, Mr.
Rule.
The FBI doesn't deal.
What the hell was that all about? Procedure.
I suggest you get familiar with it before we do any more interviews.
We make deals all the time.
You should've heard Rule out.
He doesn't know anything except for background.
We'd just be wasting our time with anything else.
Yeah, how do you know that if you don't talk to the scrote? Because Brodus would never have told him anything substantive.
He would've considered Rule beneath him.
You know that for a fact, huh? I've been doing this for a long time.
So have I.
You don't get up from the table until you've seen everyone's hand.
The FBI is running these interviews and I'm not offering any deals.
I hope that's clear.
Jersey won't play ball.
Okay.
What can we do? File an official request, let it go through channels.
By the time we get that answer, Brodus will be dead and buried.
We can't tell another state how to run its business.
New Jersey already has an inferiority complex when it comes to New York.
They're digging in their heels on principle.
Alex, how many phone calls from victims have you gotten asking why you lost a case and what you're gonna do about it? I've had my share.
And how many times do you actually get a second chance? What would you like me to do? File a temporary stay.
No.
I am not comfortable with that.
I'm not looking to commute the guy's sentence.
I just want a little more time for myself.
Do you have any direct evidence linking Brodus to the victim? Not yet.
Then find me some.
In the meantime, I'm gonna head to New Jersey and ask an old friend for a really big favor.
As good as it is to see you, Alex, the answer's still no.
It's just an interview.
You've granted them to other law enforcement agencies.
Why not to mine? Well, the other cops talked to Brodus while he still had appeals on the table, and we're on the home stretch now, I can't afford to have anything go wrong.
We're not trying to sabotage your execution.
We just want some answers.
Well, if he's your guy, whoever the victim is will have justice the day after tomorrow.
I cannot believe you're gonna make me do this the hard way.
What'd you expect, ancient history to get you an invite to the table? You know, I came here as one professional to another.
I don't need to revel in the past.
You're good, Alex, not spectacular.
This is a political powder keg, so we can't accommodate you.
What's the matter, Alan, is this a re-election year? New Yorkers can't seek relief because they don't vote here? You've grown a pair since the last time I saw you.
Yeah.
Well, you've lost yours, because victims' rights used to be a priority.
What if he confesses? Is that such a bad thing? What is to stop him from confessing to murders in other states and whipping law enforcement into a jurisdictional frenzy? What then? Then you deal with it.
If he murdered other victims and he takes it to his grave, you become the facilitator.
Brodus will do anything, say anything to stay his execution.
Henry Lee Lucas did it.
Bundy did it.
It's their nature to exploit our weaknesses.
I'm sorry, Alex, no one gets access.
Period.
Unfortunately there wasn't enough blood to get DNA.
What're you talking about? The victim's shirt was soaked in it.
Well, the blood was mostly hers, not the killer's.
Eleven years ago, the lab used Give us some good news.
Come on.
Well, the fibers are consistent with uniform cloth.
It was cross-matched to a company that dyes material for heavy crawl suits, pest control, construction.
Plumbers' uniforms.
Also, the tape that bound your victim matches the bin number of the New Jersey bodies.
There's our connection.
Yeah, it's still too circumstantial to force New Jersey's back against the wall.
I could compare their fibers to ours.
You think we'd have any trouble getting it from them? Not without a fight.
No.
You find anything to link the plumbing company to Brodus? No quarterlies were paid for under any of his aliases.
Under the table.
So I checked with the owner.
Moderate business, pays his taxes, guy even does jury duty.
I didn't know that law-abiding citizens existed.
You recanvassed the Cooper neighborhood? Yeah, and you owe me a new pair of shoes.
No, but after 10 years, people move, they don't remember.
How about that teacher? Andrea Mason? Yeah.
Did you find her? The interview is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
I got you covered, Elliot.
If there was anything solid, I'd let you know.
I'm running out of time here, John.
You're running out of options.
The Coopers are running out of time.
I need you to make a deal with an inmate who shared a cell with Brodus.
What's he in for? Two counts rape, one count manslaughter.
No.
Look, I've hit a wall and he may have some information that'll help us with Brodus.
He's not talking without some kind of incentive.
Where's Huang on this? He wants to follow procedure.
So do I.
And while we play by some arbitrary rules, the Coopers just have to wait? Elliot, why are you pushing so hard? You know, I studied the crime scene photos, I read the files.
Brodus mutilated 12 women, premortem.
It's pretty horrific stuff.
Now try to imagine the strength, the will it took to keep those women alive and feed off their terror.
I'm gonna need as much ammunition as possible, if I'm gonna trip this guy up.
And you think this prisoner will give you some leverage? Well, I ain't gonna know unless I can talk to him.
As soon as I corroborate your information, we ship you off to Danbury Federal Prison.
That's fair.
I raped that girl.
I know I belong in prison, but not here.
What can you tell me about Matthew Brodus? I got a little girl.
She's five.
Her name's Marlene.
Man, you bulls sure know how to check up.
My ex won't let me talk to her.
She's all I got.
It's hard to do time unless you got something good to hold on to.
She sends me drawings and I got a photo of her third birthday, blowing out the candles.
Where are we going with this? Will you call her for me? No.
Look, you ask my ex, how's my baby growing? What's her favorite color? How's she doing in school? Please, that's all I want.
No.
Please.
I ain't got nothing to say, man.
AII I want is to find out about my little girl.
If you had a kid, you'd understand.
I make that call, we talk about Brodus? For as long as you want.
What's the number? Hello? Hello.
This is Detective Elliot Stabler.
I'm calling on behalf of Robert Rule I miss you so much! She hung up.
Satisfied? Yeah, right.
Thanks for trying.
If you have any questions about the assignment, just see me after class.
Thank you, Miss Mason.
Andrea Mason? Detective John Munch.
We spoke on the phone.
Right.
Debbie Cooper, Yeah, how well did you know her? Well, History wasn't her best subject.
She did a lot of extra credit to pull her grade up.
That's it? Look, I'm sorry.
It was a long time ago.
I think it's great you're still trying to solve her murder, but even when it was fresh she was just one of many students who pass through that door.
She didn't really stand out, huh? No.
Debbie was awkward, a late bloomer.
Besides Vivian Parish and a few friends, no one really took an interest in her.
Do you know where I can find Vivian Parish? Last I heard, she moved to New Mexico.
Thanks.
Let me guess.
Rule gave you nothing.
Just what he'd culled from newspapers and the TV.
One day you're going to actually realize that I know what I'm doing.
I had to give it a shot.
Apology accepted.
Let's move on.
So where do we go from here? Brodus' other cellmate.
We figure out a way to get Leroy Russell to sit down with us.
He's still refusing.
Says it's not on his path to Allah.
We're looking for Detective Stabler.
His captain said he'd be here.
Detectives Yorkin and Janowicz, Brooklyn SVU.
Did you allow an inmate named Robert Rule to use your cell phone? What's going on? A call was placed to a rape victim.
She phoned our precinct in hysterics.
We dumped her phones and got the cell number for a Manhattan SVU detective.
Care to tell us what the hell you were doing? The victim's name is Elizabeth Shachtman.
She was 16 when Rule brutally raped her.
I read the file.
A little late for that.
What the hell were you thinking? He gave me a hard luck story about his kid and I bought it.
Because you wanted to.
Now, how did this convict get the phone number? Rule was co-counsel in his own defense.
The victim's information was listed because she was a witness at his trial.
I should put you on a desk and send you over to the Shachtman residence to explain yourself.
I already did that.
How's she doing? She feels violated.
Again.
I'll call Brooklyn.
See if I can't smooth it over.
Vivian Parish.
She may have married.
Can you check who's paying her quarterlies? I'll hold.
Tell me again how my partner failed to get his weapon recertification.
He choked.
I didn't choke.
Okay.
He got poor marks for shooting off his gun early.
That happens to everybody, Fin.
You know, they have a pill for that now.
So what's your next move? I don't have one.
I mean Brodus has another cellmate but he's not talking to us.
Anything on the guy you can use, something to twist him with? He murdered a kid in a convenience store robbery.
Shot him point blank with a sawed-off.
Converted to Islam on the inside.
He's made one appeal since.
I suppose he wanted his execution date moved up.
Yeah.
How do you know? He's on a path.
It's the one thing Christianity, Judaism and Islam have in common.
In order to be a man of God, you gotta change the man you are.
Can't you appeal to this guy's religion? I mean, you're looking to clear a murder.
That's gotta mean something if his conversion's real.
He's got a blood debt.
Use that.
Blood debt? It's in the Koran.
He took a life, so he owes a debt for spilling blood.
It's Islamic justice.
How can I help you, Detective? Please believe me that if there were any other way, I wouldn't be here.
I've caused victims enough grief already.
Sir, I'm here to request that you face your son's killer and ask him to talk to us.
Why? Why would you ever ask me to do that? He may have some information to give another grieving family some relief.
I can't.
I believe you can, sir.
In my opinion, any man who opposed the death sentence on behalf of his son's killer is strong enough to face him.
I don't give a damn what you think.
Yes, I spoke at his sentencing.
But I didn't do it for him.
I did it for me.
His death doesn't lessen my pain and it sure as hell doesn't give me back my son.
I apologize for reopening your wounds.
You didn't.
My wounds never heal.
At least you know who killed your child.
Debbie Cooper's parents don't.
Why is he in chains? With a civilian in the room, we take extra precautions.
I'm told you're a religious man now.
I owe you a debt.
You can't pay it.
So I need you to talk to these men.
Answer their questions and try not to lie.
Questions about what? Matthew Brodus.
I don't really know the man.
You shared a cell with him for three years.
What were your impressions of him? He's a killer.
So you have a lot in common.
He used to always ask me questions.
What kind of questions? Why I was on death row.
Who I killed.
How I did it.
My answers used to piss him off.
That's because you killed a young man that you didn't hunt first, and so Brodus couldn't get a vicarious thrill from your experience.
I shot that boy 'cause he saw my face.
But Brodus, he took joy in the killing.
One night, he talked to me about all the things he did.
I asked to be moved out of there after that.
What kind of things? Stalking, gutting, doing things to the body.
He used to think he was smarter than everybody else even when he made a mistake.
He killed a blind girl close to home.
Did he say how he did it? No, and I didn't ask.
Can I go now, back to my cell? Evening prayers, you know? Officer.
You refused to speak during your sentencing.
I need to know what my son's last moments were like.
Did he say anything? No, sir.
You don't need the image of your boy dying with my voice in your head telling you how.
Leroy Russell confirms Brodus blinded and murdered one of his victims that was too close to home.
None of the New Jersey victims match Leroy's story.
That doesn't mean anything.
It's hearsay testimony from a man on death row.
Munch located that teacher, Vivian Parish.
Not only did she date Brodus for six months, he regularly picked her up from school and, I quote, "Gave Debbie Cooper a ride home once or twice.
" Now is that enough for a murder indictment? And as soon as I file, they'll say we can have him when they're done.
So that's it? We're done trying? What else can we do? Explain it to her parents.
I understand we have new evidence.
So where do we go from here, Miss Cabot? I'm not sure what I can give you besides knowledge.
Can you prove that Matthew Brodus killed our daughter? Not in a court of law.
But we are reasonably sure he's guilty and he is being executed for his crimes.
Are you familiar with the name Ottis Toole? He's the guy every cop believes murdered John Walsh's six-year-old son, Adam.
Toole died of AIDS on death row before we could prove it.
And after 21 years you can still see the rage and grief that John Walsh carries with him.
His hope died along with his son's killer.
If you don't do everything within your power to prove Matthew Brodus murdered our daughter, so will ours.
I'm Wade Harris, Matthew Brodus' lead counsel.
Nice to meet you.
Frankly, I'm blown away that the Manhattan D.
A.
's office is interested in stopping this execution.
We're not.
I want to put your client on trial for murder.
That should buy you six months to a year.
No, actually, I think I could drag it out to 18, if I drown you in paper.
I've drafted the request for a temporary restraining order.
And what makes you so sure a judge will go for it? Evidence and an appeal from the victim's parents.
What kind of evidence? You file capital charges against my client, I have right to discovery.
Only when and if I file.
You need to keep your client alive.
Right now, I'm all you've got.
Deal? Miss Cabot? Your Honor, the People are seeking a temporary restraining order based on new evidence linking Matthew Brodus to an open homicide.
None of which is under New Jersey's legal jurisdiction.
As officers of the court, we cannot ignore capital crimes, no matter where they occur.
I've reviewed their evidence and it's circumstantial at best and doesn't even meet the criteria for trial, not here and certainly not in New York.
Is Manhattan proposing to try Mr.
Brodus? Not at this time, Your Honor.
So is the purpose of the TRO to go on a fishing expedition? Your Honor, the law does not allow for posthumous jurisprudence.
If Mr.
Brodus dies before discovery has been had, the truth dies with him.
This is a ploy to stay the execution, Your Honor.
The defense has exhausted their appeals and are now preying on New York's desperation.
I submit, the prisoner is in your custody and available to be executed at your discretion.
Which is currently scheduled for midnight tonight.
We should not allow them to stymie our ability to mete justice.
The prisoner will be just as dead six months from now.
Your Honor, we're not seeking justice, we're only seeking the truth.
Under the circumstances, and given who the defendant is, I'm not convinced you'll be able to get it.
All right, people, don't go far.
So what are our chances? It's hard to gauge.
I'd say we're about even.
So what's with the face? You're acting like we've already lost.
Something about helping a convicted serial killer avoid the needle he so justly deserves does not sit well with me.
Is the judge back? Not yet.
Are you only looking for an exceptional clearance? An interview is all we've ever asked for.
Nothing's changed.
I need your word that you'll decline to prosecute, no matter what Brodus reveals to you.
You've got it.
I'll set up the interview.
Be ready in an hour.
Try to keep him off balance.
When I stress him, be his friend.
Otherwise push him hard.
You'll be watching his body language for signals.
When you ask an innocuous question, I'll just back off.
And pay attention to his eyes.
Serial killers have this stare.
It's focused.
It's like animals when they're hunting.
And when he's not hunting? Then he can't look you in the eye.
Anything else? You know, this might not work.
He's not going to trust us and he might play this out to the end.
You gotta be prepared, in case we run out of time.
Hey.
Detective Stabler.
I'm Dr.
George Huang.
Behavioral science.
Prescient spooks studying rats in a cage.
How boring.
You're not boring, Mr.
Brodus.
You can call me Matt, Elliot.
I'm not a mind reader.
They just announce my visitors.
So what's this about? Well, we just decided to take you up on your invitation.
Not that I mind the company, but I don't recall inviting you.
You also don't seem too surprised to be seeing us.
Why should I be? Feds come in and out all day.
You been helping us out? As much as I can.
But they want me to admit to things I haven't done.
If it wasn't for the missing women and their poor families, I'd laugh.
At what? You cops.
Trying to beat your own clock.
What's so special about Our Lady of Light? That a church? Catholic high school.
You mentioned you wanted to send your daughter there.
I want her to have a first-class education.
You don't have any children, Matt.
You sure about that? You think any woman's gonna come forward with my kid? Much less admit to having slept with me? Come on.
How about you give me a name, and I'll check it out? You'll have to wait until my will goes into probate.
Why didn't you kill your girlfriend, Vivian Parish? Now you're insulting me.
Well, I don't want to do that.
I apologize.
It just seems that if you'd killed her, you probably would've gotten pinched right away and 13 women would still be alive.
We all know the record says 12.
We both know the record is incorrect.
They give you anything for that insomnia, Matt? Pills don't work.
What time is it? It's 8:33.
What's in the folder? It's a project.
I want to ask your opinion about a killer's M.
O.
He still out there? Don't know.
He hasn't worked in a while.
We wanted to go through the three D's of sadism: dread, dependency, degradation.
Are you up for that? Can I take a look, please? What's this? A medical examiner's report on the body.
That's boring.
Where are the crime scene photos? There's a picture under the report.
It says our killer tortured the victim.
Any ideas why? No.
Why not? You did some of the same things to your victims.
The big girls that you chose.
Since Debbie Cooper was a big girl, we figured you might have some ideas why she was cut so deeply.
If I could see some crime scene photos, I could probably help you.
You don't need them.
Look inside your head.
You'll see it.
See someone else's work? Can't be done.
He overpowers her.
Easy for a man of some size, like you.
He binds her tight with tape.
Plays with her for a while.
He feeds off her terror.
He can't get enough, so that she dreads when he leaves and when he returns.
But he's not gonna do her right away.
He wants a few days with her.
So now she has to depend on him.
But then he has to take the thing and slice it open and see what's going on in there.
The knife goes in like butter.
It's so warm inside.
But he has to be quick about it.
It'll be cold soon.
Why does he have to be quick now? To be born again.
Are we talking religion now? No.
Where's the one place that your mother can never leave you? Psychiatric pap.
You always blame Mom.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, why not? I mean, look at your mother.
Leave her out of this.
She couldn't stand you.
She left you with your grandparents.
When they died, she shipped you off to foster care.
She came and got me.
She loved me.
Matt, tell the truth.
She got married.
She had a daughter with her new husband.
And when she left him, she took your half-sister with her and left you behind.
Again.
I mean, obviously, she must have loathed you.
She saw the real you and it made her want to vomit.
How many times did she tell you she wished you'd been aborted? She never said that.
She loved me.
She never said that, ever.
I'm done talking to you.
We're not finished, Matt.
You're helping us with this one case.
We've covered dread and dependency.
Now we're gonna see how Debbie Cooper was degraded.
How many times was the killer with her postmortem, huh? What are you talking about? That's obscene.
Just think like the killer.
Go ahead.
How should I know? Ask the shrink.
He's probably treated psychos like that.
It depends on how often the killer visited the body.
How many times did you check on your victims? Hey, I only went back to see if they were still where I left them.
That's all.
Not this guy.
He went back to be with them, you know? I can't help you.
Do you believe I'm gonna think any less of you? I'm telling you, I never messed around with them after they were dead.
The guy you're looking for is sick.
Real sick.
What woman alive would be with you, though? Vivian Parish.
I talked with her.
She said you had a tough time closing the deal.
Well, if she said that, then the bitch lied.
You're a cop, you're supposed to tell the difference.
Oh, I can and I do.
It's in their nature.
They say they don't want it but they really do.
No means yes.
Yes means no.
You know, I should've disappeared the whore before she went out west.
I missed my chance by 20 minutes.
But she knew who you were and she was way ahead of you.
She was an idiot, a moon-eyed cow.
Debbie just wanted someone to tell her ugly ass that she was pretty.
Thought she was in a Harlequin romance.
Stupid bitch.
Debbie? Slip of the tongue.
One of my Jersey girls.
No, it's not.
None of them are named Debbie or Deborah.
None of the middle names match, either.
Why don't you stop Iying? Let's just get down to it.
You know, you're not as smart as you think you are.
What time is it? How many of these have you done? This is my second.
If my presence wasn't required, I wouldn't be here.
So you can ask for the death penalty but you cannot stomach the reality? I do my job.
I do it for the families.
I don't have to like it.
Move! Go! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! What's going on? Wait! Just move! Move! Hey, hey! Move! Lock it down! Lock it down! What's going on, Mr.
Messinger? Is someone trying to escape? I don't know, Mr.
Pierce, but we'll be safe here.
This isn't gonna stop the execution, right? Debbie didn't fight back.
Get him off! Get him! Hurry up! Get him off of him! Get him off! You okay? Got him? Don't! That's what he wants! Any news on Huang? He's going to be okay, but they want to keep him overnight.
And Brodus? He's on a ventilator.
I have to tell the families.
I'll do it.
I think you've done enough.
They need to know that he planned this.
I'll explain it to them.
The only thing that matters to them is we can't execute him now.
The state can't execute an unhealthy man.
It's the law.
So as long as he's in a coma, we can't get justice.
What a waste.
You're wrong.
I got a confession on Debbie Cooper.
They won't care.
Would you? Go home.