Law & Order Special Victims Unit s04e07 Episode Script
Dolls
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.
My girlfriend, she hates that I do this.
She wants me to quit.
She won't complain when you find her that diamond ring.
'Cause that happens? Oh, man! You wouldn't believe the stuff folks throw away.
Oh! Oh, what the hell is that? I don't smell nothing.
Oh, man, you're crazy.
That thing stinks.
It may smell bad, but the pay is good.
Not good enough.
Break up that mass before it jams the grinder.
The damn thing's stuck.
Let me see that.
Is that a hand? Holy mother of God.
M.
E.
Says she's five, maybe six years old.
Raped and murdered.
Came in with a load of garbage.
Where from? Commercial dumpster.
Half the carting companies in the city offload here.
Is there any way to tell which truck brought the body in? Plant manager says they get more than a hundred trucks in here every day, and they all dump in one heap that feeds into the maw.
You see everything on that belt? Yeah, what about it? Once the M.
E.
Is done, I want you to bag up everything on it.
Swell.
Cause of death was ligature strangulation.
And the sexual assault? Injuries to the genitalia show no signs of healing.
Raped close to the time of death, but that was a while ago.
Her skin is shriveled.
Mummification? Exactly.
The body was stored before it was dumped.
I'll know more after an autopsy.
It'll be tough to make an ID with her face damaged like that.
Definitely post-mortem, probably from the garbage truck blades.
She was a fighter.
Take a look at this.
Blonde hair.
Maybe she got a piece of him.
I sure hope so.
Tell me you've got his DNA.
Sorry.
The blonde hairs that were found in her hand turned out to be synthetic.
From a wig? Maybe.
I'm sending the fibers over to the lab to be checked against the FBI database.
We at least know how long ago she died? Based on the insect activity, I'd say between six and eight weeks ago.
Judging from the mummification, the body was kept in a cool place.
Can we get an ID from the dental records? I doubt it.
Look at this.
There's so much tooth decay, it's unlikely she ever saw a dentist.
We'll definitely need a facial reconstruction.
I'll send the body to our forensic anthropologist.
He'll also try to raise fingerprints.
So that's it? Except for a few details that will break your heart.
Displacement of her front teeth suggests she sucked her thumb.
And she liked jumping rope.
How'd you get that? The scuffed toes.
I ruined enough pairs when I was her age.
A five-year-old kid disappears and nobody reports it? We checked her dental x-rays against every missing five-to-seven-year-old African-American girl in the Tri-State.
No match.
Someone snatches your kid, you call 911.
Unless you don't want anybody to know that your kid's gone.
So we're thinking this girl was raped and killed in her own home? If the perp is a parent, it explains why there's no report.
And if she's not in school, she's the perfect victim.
Nobody outside the family would even know she's missing.
We don't even know where she's missing from.
The garbage might tell us.
The lab should have gone through it by now.
Olivia, Elliot, quicker we get her picture out there, quicker somebody recognizes her.
Meet Cherish Doe.
What, Jane Doe's not good enough? It's too impersonal.
A cute little girl with braids deserves something better, don't you think? Femur length, plus the lack of epiphyseal plate fusion, I'd say Cherish can't be more than six.
So were you able to get prints? Still working on it.
Do you want to share? The fingertips were too shriveled.
So you cut her hands off.
I disarticulated them.
They're soaking in embalming fluid to reinflate the tissue, hopefully enough to roll a print.
You guys owe me big time.
You find an address in all that swill? No, but I did find an unusual amount of fast food wrappers, coffee cups, fish scraps and stained cotton balls.
- Cotton balls? - From a nail salon.
Yeah, which apparently shares a dumpster with a burger joint, a coffee shop and a fish market.
That leaves, what, only a couple dozen places for us to check out? How many city blocks we gonna have to walk? None, if you can manage to drag your asses over to the computer.
I've plugged you your coffee shops, burger joints, fish markets, nail salons into the zoning and business permit databases.
You still think Big Brother isn't watching us? Now we eliminate areas where all the variables don't coexist in close proximity.
Well, the garbage plant's way uptown and the manager says they only pick up dumpsters from north of 96th Street.
No problem.
In goes the information And out comes one location.
Bingo! Burger Land.
Nail salon.
There's Letty's Coffee Shop and the back of the fish market.
Why do we always get the trash detail? 'Cause we're the right men for the job.
Plus we've got the will and we got the skill.
Bloody bed sheet.
You think the bastard wrapped her body in it? Mmm-hmm.
All those windows up there, maybe somebody saw him.
CSU have any luck with the dumpster? The blood type on the bed sheets match the victim.
That's it.
Nothing on the canvass, either.
Maybe our car will improve once we get these on the street.
Police today are searching for the killer Looks like somebody beat us to it.
of this little girl, found in this Upper Manhattan garbage plant.
The only clue to the killer's identity, long blonde hairs found in the victim's lifeless grasp.
How the hell did they get that? Somebody gave them the fiber.
That detail was our hold-back.
Now when every nut in town starts making false confessions, we got no way to screen them out.
We must've passed out a couple hundred flyers.
Nobody recognized her.
Are we wrong thinking she's from the neighborhood? Maybe he is.
He stored her body for a month or two, he dumps her in a place close to his house.
I mean, where's he gonna go with her? Sounds like he's in his comfort zone.
Paroled sex offenders? We checked.
No pedophiles registered in the area.
Who says he's registered? We don't even know if the perp's a stranger or the little girl's parent.
Or some transvestite wearing a blonde wig.
We canvassed.
Nobody remembers seeing a little black girl with a guy with blond hair.
Well, I guess that leak to the media paid off.
Community Relations just called, there's a candlelight vigil tonight for Cherish Doe.
How many times have we collared predators at their victims' funerals? Let's flush him out.
Make sure he sees us, maybe we'll see him.
Cherish Doe, we gather here to remember you.
A sweet, innocent child, stolen from life too soon.
We stand here tonight as your family, until your own family is found.
It's all clear over here.
Elliot? We will not forget.
Nothing on this side.
And we will not rest until justice is done.
I call upon you to search your memory and your conscience.
Anything you recall will be welcomed by the police.
Thank you for your support.
We need every single lead that you can provide.
Now if you recognize Cherish Doe, please call us.
NYPD has set up a confidential tip line.
We don't need your names, but we do need your information.
Did you get anything yet? So far, no hits on the facial recognition software.
What's your database? All known sex offenders citywide whose victims were under 10.
Huang's suggestion.
Yeah, but there's no guarantee his mug shot's in there.
I mean, some guys molest dozens of kids before they're caught.
Your positive attitude's a real joy.
What's up with that lady in the blue? Why is she looking around like that? Zoom in on that lady, right there.
Got her.
Something ain't right.
I'll be right back.
Cherish Doe, you walked among us as a stranger.
But now we call you our own.
You are our daughter.
Detective Tutuola.
Can I help you? I can't find my daughter.
Okay, let's go to the front and make a missing child announcement.
No, no.
I don't mean here, not tonight.
When? I don't know when.
I'm not sure when.
Okay, okay.
What's your name? Violet Tremain.
I saw Cherish Doe on the news, I had to come here She may be my little girl.
She looks just like my Nina.
I just came back tonight.
I was gone for five months upstate.
Doing time? No, I I was in rehab.
I'm not a crack addict, if that's what you think.
I'm a painter and I do graphic design to pay the bills.
I'm not judging you.
We were in a car accident.
My husband, Nina's father, was killed and I messed up my back and I couldn't work without painkillers.
I got hooked, but I'm clean now, four months.
ACS took your daughter away.
I knew if I put Nina in foster care I might not get her back.
So I left her with a neighbor.
Well, that shows a lot of trust to leave your daughter with a neighbor.
Mrs.
Hawkins was like a grandmother to Nina, she watched her ever since she was a baby and never took a penny.
She loved Nina.
You check in on her? I couldn't call from rehab, so I wrote letters.
I started to worry when a letter I sent last week was returned.
And then I saw the news.
And you checked out of rehab.
No, I just left.
I called Mrs.
Hawkins, the phone was disconnected.
I called another neighbor, she said Mrs.
Hawkins was dead.
She passed away six weeks ago.
And no one knew what happened to Nina.
Sit down.
You've got to tell me more about Nina.
How old is she? She's five.
Her birthday was last month.
She's smart.
She can't wait to start school.
She's playing all the time.
The child has a lot of energy.
She like to jump rope? Yeah, all the time.
What about the dentist? When was her last checkup? A couple of years.
I freelance and my husband didn't He didn't have dental insurance.
It's my Nina, isn't it? We don't know that for sure.
Well, I have to see her.
No, no No sense in getting ahead of ourselves, okay? Somebody probably took her in and didn't know how to get in touch with you.
Then we have to look for her.
It's after 12:00.
There's nothing we can do right now.
How can I get in touch with you tomorrow? I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet.
Don't worry, I'll take care of that.
Violet's telling the truth.
"Junkies lie all the time.
" Your words.
You didn't talk to her.
Then let her see the body.
The child had no face.
No mother can handle that.
Sounds like you're lacking a little objectivity.
Why? 'Cause I'm not handling things your way? The department doesn't have a budget for Violet's hotel room.
You're paying for it, aren't you? So what? Well, I guess she is kind of cute.
Look, somebody knows who took Nina after Mrs.
Hawkins died.
We've gotta canvass her neighborhood.
Let's go.
I still think you ought to let her view the body.
Are you coming or what? How do you even know she has a kid? Maybe she's using Cherish Doe for a handout.
I pulled the birth certificate myself.
So back off.
Lover's quarrel? Gonna be a domestic dispute if Munch don't get out of my face.
Look, why don't Fin and I go canvass Mrs.
Hawkins' building? Good idea.
We got dozens of new leads in last night, Munch and I will prioritize and assign them out.
Come on.
Let's go.
Old lady died a month and a half ago, heart attack, on her way home from the market.
Nina with her? Smart little girl, called 911 from a payphone.
Here it is, 3B.
Who cleaned this place out? Salvation Army.
You called them? Mrs.
Hawkins' daughter did.
Said everything in here was junk, told me to let them in.
Okay, and what about Nina? Mrs.
Hawkins' daughter take her? Yeah, right.
She said just because her mama took in strays didn't mean she had to.
Said the child was my problem.
You try to reach Nina's mother? Violet never said where she was going.
What could I do? I had to send her to Child Welfare, hope for the best.
All Nina could tell me was that her mother went away.
Mrs.
Tremain didn't leave any names or phone numbers of any of her relatives.
Under the circumstances, we had to classify Nina as an abandoned child.
Nina's mother didn't abandon her.
She voluntarily entered into a rehab program.
Well, then she should have come to us instead of leaving her child with an elderly neighbor in failing health.
We could have placed Nina voluntarily while Violet was away.
Your agency doesn't always make it easy for parents to get their children back.
Well, children are often better off in foster care than they are being raised by addicts.
Violet's cleaned up and she wants her daughter back.
Yeah.
Well, that's for the courts to decide.
Mrs.
Tremain's gonna have to prove that she can provide a stable home environment before we can release Nina.
Where's Nina living? I won't release that information if you're planning to take the mother on an unauthorized home visit.
You see the resemblance to Nina Tremain? This little girl was raped, murdered and tossed in a dumpster.
Don't get in my way, lady.
I placed her with Thelma Price.
Mrs.
Price? Yes? I'm Detective Benson.
This is Detective Tutuola.
We'd like to talk to you about Nina Tremain.
She's not here.
Where is she? I don't know.
Ask Children's Services.
They said that they placed her with you.
You don't believe me? Take a look.
That child was nothing but trouble.
Hyperactive, no manners, always making a mess.
Well, when did they take her? Must have been over a month ago.
Then why did Nina's case worker tell us you had her? Hell if I know.
That woman is lazy.
Never makes a home visit.
Well, I find it hard to believe Mrs.
Preston would forget to tell us she took Nina.
She didn't take her.
It was some white guy with dark hair.
Did you get his name? I told you it was a month ago.
You expect me to remember that? When was the last time you saw Nina Tremain? I'm gonna have to check the file.
You got a memory problem? I think it was last week.
Wrong answer.
It's possible that I missed a visit.
Or more than one.
Even if I did, it's hardly a police matter.
Wrong again.
Well, when you can't make a visit, you ever send a colleague to cover? A guy, maybe? No, never.
No, then can you explain why your records say that you visited her last Tuesday, and Thelma Price says you didn't.
That woman's a liar.
You're the liar, lady! Hey, I want my union rep.
Yeah? Well, why don't you tell your union rep that Nina Tremain is missing and that you haven't seen her in six weeks.
You were responsible for this child's safety, and you didn't even bother to check on her.
This is not my fault.
Whose fault is it? Do you know what my job is like? How big of a caseload I have? There's no way I can see every child.
If you're looking for sympathy, you're barking up the wrong tree.
Thelma Price was a good foster mother.
I thought Nina would be all right.
How could they let someone just walk off with my child? We don't know, but we're doing everything we can to find him.
Now I need your help.
Anything.
Do you have something with Nina's fingerprints on it? We draw together all the time.
I keep her pictures with me.
I guess it's like having her here.
Please be careful, they're all I have.
We'll take good care of them, I promise.
Violet, is this Nina's handprint? Yeah.
We made that together last Thanksgiving.
The mother authenticates that it's the child's handprint.
Will it work? Let's see.
The anthropologist sent the hand over, it's finally ready to print.
Couldn't ask for better.
People did their jobs, this wouldn't have happened.
Sorry guys, prints don't match.
Are you sure? Not even close.
So Nina's not the dead girl.
Nina Tremain might still be alive.
Two little girls, look like sisters, from the same neighborhood, tell me that's a coincidence.
Same guy that killed Cherish might have Nina.
Are we sure it's the same guy? He's got dark hair when he took Nina and a blonde wig when he killed Cherish.
Well, maybe he played dress-up before he killed her.
Maybe it's not even a blonde wig we're looking for.
I gotta tell Violet that Cherish Doe isn't her daughter.
Cherish's real name is Susie Marshall.
How'd you get that? Computer kicked out a match to a KidPrint card on file.
Grandmother had her printed during Safety Week.
I always thought this day would come, but not to hear my grandbaby is dead.
I thought it would be Ronnie.
Who? My daughter.
The junkie.
That's why you were taking care of Susie? Ronnie'd ask me to baby-sit her for a night and disappear for months.
Then she'd come home clean and sober, and beg me to give Susie back.
And this last time I agreed, because I thought that Ronnie had finally straightened herself out.
When did you last see your granddaughter? About five or six months ago.
Weren't you worried because it had been so long? Honestly, I was relieved.
Ronnie came by and told me that a man from Child Welfare had taken her away.
A perfect stranger shows up at your door, says he's a social worker, and you just turn over your kid without a second thought? Predator profiles his victims, the kids come from a chaotic household, he knows they're not gonna question him.
Posing as a social worker is the perfect cover.
Well, that's true for Nina, but ACS has no record of contacting Susie Marshall or her mother.
There's gotta be another connection.
Well, take your pick.
Our perv either knows the kids or their mothers.
What do we know about the fathers? Well, we know Nina's father is dead and Susie's father went back to Jamaica.
We got a rap sheet on Ronnie Marshall yet? String of arrests, collared for shoplifting three years ago.
Last known whereabouts, strung out on the street.
Then we got to go back to Violet.
Show her pictures of Ronnie and Susie.
Maybe she can connect the dots.
I'd remember this girl.
She looks just like my Nina.
I'm sorry.
How about this woman? That scar.
I've seen her before.
Where? An NA meeting.
I remember thinking someone cut up her face.
Which NA meetings did you go to? Five o'clock at the Community Center, St.
Virgil's on Tuesdays, a few others when the urge hit.
Well, the whole point of NA is total confidentiality, it's first names only.
They're not gonna talk to us.
I bet they'd talk to you.
What do you mean? Your story might convince a 12-stepper to open up.
You in? What's he doing? I'd do anything to get my baby back.
Whatever it takes to find Nina.
I'll do anything I can to help.
But I'm not gonna put a civilian in the middle of a criminal investigation.
Whatever you're thinking, don't.
Violet's our only way in.
Violet would be acting as an agent of the police.
Any evidence she obtains could be excluded in court.
We're not looking for evidence, Counselor.
We're looking for a lead.
Nina Tremain might still be alive.
We're talking about violating the confidentiality of a drug treatment program.
Alex, I tell people in AA things I wouldn't want my best friend to know.
Now I'd be the first to agree with you but I don't see how making an appeal could hurt.
I would prefer to get the information through legal channels.
I'll get a subpoena.
For what? NA doesn't keep membership lists or records.
You want to tell that woman you care more about the law than the life of her child? She's living a parent's worst nightmare.
You think I really had to run a number on her? All right.
But the only way we do this is the right way.
Open meetings only.
Disclose your presence and don't let Violet out of your sight.
The Ninth Step says, we have to make amends to those harmed by our addiction.
Well I I harmed my baby.
Because I got high, I couldn't take care of Nina, and some monster kidnapped her.
I have to find Ronnie Marshall.
I think she's been here before, and she might have some information.
Ain't that against the rules? The only way I can get my little girl back is with your help.
I have to find Ronnie.
This is her picture.
The same freak who stole my Nina murdered her daughter.
Time is running out.
If you know anything, I am begging you to tell me.
Hey, what's the rush? None of your business.
No, trust me, it's my business.
I got nothing to say.
Then why are you running like a little scared rabbit? I don't know nothing about no missing kids.
But you do know Ronnie Marshall.
I don't have to tell you anything.
I respect people's confidentiality.
How about respect for the dead? You think Ronnie wants to attend her own daughter's funeral? This is for real? It's not a scam? You got my word.
I don't know, man, people won't trust me if I talk to a cop.
We never talked.
A place Ronnie and I used to get high.
The Starlite Lounge.
Oh, yeah.
Ronnie used to come in.
Used to? A while back.
Threw her out for shooting up in the can.
Haven't seen her since.
Do you know where we can find her? I don't get personal with the customers.
They pay, they drink, they leave.
Any customers talk to Ronnie? Only guys who were drunk enough to think she looked good.
She'd go with a leper for the price of a fix.
Any lepers around here? Hey, Pat! You banged that skanky chick once, right? Ronnie? The one with the scar? Don't remind me.
This bitch boosted my wallet.
You go to her place? Woman's shelter don't allow guests.
We did it in a alley.
You know which shelter? You see Ronnie anywhere? No.
Wait.
There she is.
This is Ronnie.
Ronnie Marshall? Leave me alone.
I have a couple more hours.
Wake up, Ronnie.
Who the hell are you? I'm a cop.
I didn't do nothing.
Who's she? I'm Violet.
I'm looking for my daughter, and I need your help.
Cost you twenty bucks, I'll help you all you want.
We've got no time for games.
We think the same man took your daughter.
No.
No.
Social worker took my baby.
That man wasn't a social worker.
Oh, no? Who was he? Look, I'm sorry, but Susie's dead.
We found her body two days ago.
She's better off.
That's how much you care about your little girl? Come on, get your ass up.
Come on.
Let's go.
You look like crap, Ronnie.
When are you gonna let me out of here? Orange juice.
You're gonna need it.
What do you want from me? Description of the man who took Susie for a sketch artist.
I can't remember back that far.
Can I go now, huh? Look, I found your works.
You don't cooperate, I'm gonna bust you.
What is your problem? Your daughter's dead and there's not one cell in your junkie body that gives a damn.
That man who took my daughter was right.
I'm not fit to be a mom.
Susie deserved more than me.
Now she's gone, and there's nothing that I can do that's gonna change that.
You could help us save this other little girl.
Make it right for Susie.
We got to get a description of this guy.
You can do this.
Thelma, Ronnie worked this up with a sketch artist.
Does this look like the man who took Nina? That's him.
There's got to be a connection between this guy and the three of you.
So both Ronnie and Violet went to the same NA meeting.
Thelma, have you ever been to one? Never.
Maybe it wasn't the meetings, but where they were held.
Ronnie and I both went to St.
Virgil's.
You go to that church, Thelma? No, First Baptist.
How about Haven House? Never been there.
Ronnie, can you think of anyplace else? Anywhere at all? Not really.
Come on, think.
Where did this guy see you? Maybe at the Community Center on Eighth Ave.
I stopped in there a couple times.
I go there for Bingo Night.
Nina liked their playroom.
Oh, God, I went to meetings there.
I took Nina with me.
He cut his hair and shaved his beard, and he never wore glasses, but it could be Terry Jessup.
Who's that? He worked here.
Quit a few months ago.
How long have you known him? Oh, most of his life.
He was a local kid.
Just about grew up here.
Had a mother who was unstable.
Went on and off her meds.
ACS ever remove him? Well, we called them several times, once when he had a terrible burn on his hand.
But, you know, he told them it was an accident.
What did Terry do here? Cleaned up, you know, took out the trash, small repairs.
He used to fix the broken toys.
That was his real passion.
So he was around the kids? He had quite a doll collection.
He loved showing it to them.
Strange hobby for an adult man, collecting dolls.
He inherited them from his mother.
Terry called them his legacy.
We're gonna need to talk to Terry.
Do you have an address for him? I can't imagine that Terry's in trouble with the police.
Do you recognize this little girl? That's Cherish Doe, from the news? Her real name is Susie Marshall and the other one is Nina Tremain.
Oh, my God.
You do recognize them.
Just to say hi.
I can't believe it.
Did you ever see Terry around either one of them? No.
But he did pay special attention to the kids with tough home lives.
He said that they needed extra love.
Damn it! We're too late.
Here we go.
The paper's three months old.
Jessup must have taken off after he kidnapped Susie.
He's got to have another place where he stashed Susie's body before he dumped her.
Got something over here.
Polaroid? Susie Marshall.
Yeah, dressed up like a little doll.
Dolls are idealized representations of men and women.
They're pure, perfect and sexless.
Terry Jessup is like a child who uses dolls to act out his fantasies.
But he's a grown man and his fantasies are sexual.
And he feels guilty about being attracted to children and so he turns them into dolls.
Which works for a while Until he gives in, he has sex with the doll, but then it's not a doll anymore, so he kills it.
Why stash the body? Again, out of guilt.
And then when he finds a new playmate, he just discards the last one.
Talked to your friend at Bellevue, got me the psych records on Jessup's mother.
Diagnosed with severe depression with intermittent bouts of mania.
She'd go around having sex with dozens of men and then go on these spending sprees buying nothing but dolls.
Give you anything on Jessup? Well, the shrink said that she was intermittently abusive and seductive towards him.
Perfect way to raise a serial killer.
I talked to a couple of Jessup's neighbors.
The stress of his mother's death a year ago pushed him over the edge.
He became reclusive and explosive.
I just got off with CSU.
No forensic evidence either Nina or Susie were in Jessup's apartment.
Well, to keep the girls prisoner, Jessup would have needed privacy and isolation.
He snatched both girls in the 'hood, dumped Susie back there.
If he's following a pattern, Nina's got to be nearby.
Check this out.
Moving in? My own doll collection.
Fibers came from a Madame Charlotte doll.
Very exclusive.
Well, how exclusive is their distribution? Only three stores in the city.
Sure, I've known Terry Jessup for years.
Not a lot of guys are into collecting, but his money's good.
When was the last time you saw him? Oh, it's a couple of months ago.
He came in to buy the new Princess Alexis.
Craftsmanship, that's what Terry cares about.
Only perfect dolls in mint condition.
We need an address for him.
I send mailings to preferred customers whenever a new Madame Charlotte comes out.
Here we go.
That's his old apartment.
Avid collector like Terry surely sent you a change of address.
No.
But he called a couple of weeks ago.
Pre-ordered a Virginia Belle.
Left a number for me to call when it came in.
Call Terry and tell him his order came in.
Terry, I'm sorry.
He just came in.
What's wrong? After I called you, I opened the box.
The shipment was damaged.
Would you take a Princess Renee instead? You know I don't collect Renees.
The workmanship's shoddy.
How about a 50th anniversary Nicolette, limited edition? Okay, but I still want the Virginia Belle.
Promise.
I'll call you.
Okay.
He's on the move.
Police! Let's see your hands.
Don't hurt me.
Don't move.
Where is she, Terry? What? On your knees.
Nina Tremain, where is she? Nina? Tell us where Nina is, before I take your punk ass head off.
I don't know.
Hey, Terry.
Terry! Where's the top sheet? Did you use this to wrap up Susie Marshall's body? Terry! Please don't hurt my dolls.
Please don't.
Tell us where Nina is.
She's not here! Get his ass up.
We ran line-ups.
We got positive IDs from Thelma Price and Ronnie.
Nice job.
I don't need a confession to win this case.
But we do need one to find Nina Tremain.
Any chance she's still alive? Warner couldn't pin down the exact time of death for Susie.
All we know is that he kept her breathing between two and four weeks.
And we're at the four-week mark with Nina right now.
If he killed her, he'd be agitated.
He'd be on the prowl for his next victim, instead, he's in there sleeping like a baby.
You know what? Why don't you all take a little walk while Terry and I get better acquainted.
Now, he's not going to respond to threats.
He's very lonely.
Dolls and children are his only companions.
He needs a friend.
Your dolls are beautiful.
I had lots of dolls, but never ones as nice as yours.
Girls are lucky.
They can play with dolls.
Boys aren't supposed to.
I had dolls.
You did? What kind? You know, GI Joe, Batman Those are action figures.
Terry, I hear that your mother started your doll collection.
She liked beautiful things.
I inherited them when she died.
And you love them very much.
They were her most precious possession.
Now they're mine.
She can't take them away from me.
Your mother didn't want you to have the dolls? She'd hit me if I touched them.
She said that I'd break them.
"Boys are too rough.
Boys can't be trusted "to handle fragile things.
" But sometimes, when she was really happy, she'd let me dress them up.
I was very careful not to break them.
I bet you take really good care of those dolls.
And I hear that you fix them, too.
Yeah, I can fix anything.
I'm really good with my hands.
Man, that burn must have hurt.
It was an accident.
Did your mother do that? She loved me.
But little boys are wicked.
Little boys need discipline.
But your mother had no right to hurt you.
Little children deserve to be loved.
Bad mothers shouldn't bring little children into this world.
Susie Marshall have a bad mother? She was a crack whore.
Susie was sad all the time.
I let her play with my dolls.
Is that why you took her, Terry? So she could play with you? In the Center, she loved my dolls, but then she didn't want to play anymore.
She just wanted to go home.
And that must've made you mad.
She broke one of my dolls.
I told her not to, I told her that she'd be sorry but she wouldn't listen.
That's when Susie got hurt? I don't want to talk about it anymore.
Where did you keep Susie? I can't tell you.
Okay, Terry.
Okay.
Well, then let's talk about Nina.
No.
Terry, Nina has a good mother.
No, she doesn't.
I saw her leave Nina with that evil woman.
I saw that woman yelling at Nina.
Terry, Nina's mother came back.
She misses her and wants to see her again.
I know what you're trying to do.
You're trying to trick me.
Terry, where is Nina? Where is Nina? Where is she? He's completely dissociated.
Just give him some time.
We don't have any time.
It's too late.
Detective Tutuola.
Violet, what are you doing here? Fin called me.
He told me that you have the man who took Nina.
We have a suspect in custody.
Who won't talk.
I've got to see him.
Give us a minute.
I thought we were working this case together and you called Violet without telling me? You got another way to get Jessup to talk? Putting Violet and Jessup together is a bad idea.
She was strong enough to go to those NA meetings.
We prep her correctly, I know she can handle it.
Back me up, Doc.
Jessup thinks he's saving Nina from an abusive parent.
If you challenge his delusion, he might break.
And if this doesn't work, the guilt will destroy Violet's life.
A dead child's gonna destroy her even more.
Nina's gonna die if we don't do something.
You sure you can do this? Yes.
No matter what he says, you have to be stronger than him.
I'm ready.
Hello, Terry.
Do you know who I am? Nina's mom? That's right.
My name is Violet.
You ran away.
Nina was so sad.
I was sad, too.
I missed her very much.
But I left to help Nina.
I was no good to her the way I was.
That's why Violet came back, Terry.
She came back for Nina.
It's too late.
No, it's not.
Nina needs her mother.
Make it right.
Nina's a good girl.
Yes, she is.
I'm a good mother.
Do you love her? Yes.
With her gone, it's like a knife in my heart.
I have another place.
Bastard's playing us.
Maybe not.
Trap door.
Elliot.
Nina? It's okay, baby.
It's okay, baby.
I'm a police officer.
I got you.
It's okay, baby.
You okay, baby? Look at me.
Look at me, baby, look.
Okay.
I'll get you out of here.
I miss my Mommy.
I'll take you home.
She'll be all right.
Mommy? Thank you.
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.
My girlfriend, she hates that I do this.
She wants me to quit.
She won't complain when you find her that diamond ring.
'Cause that happens? Oh, man! You wouldn't believe the stuff folks throw away.
Oh! Oh, what the hell is that? I don't smell nothing.
Oh, man, you're crazy.
That thing stinks.
It may smell bad, but the pay is good.
Not good enough.
Break up that mass before it jams the grinder.
The damn thing's stuck.
Let me see that.
Is that a hand? Holy mother of God.
M.
E.
Says she's five, maybe six years old.
Raped and murdered.
Came in with a load of garbage.
Where from? Commercial dumpster.
Half the carting companies in the city offload here.
Is there any way to tell which truck brought the body in? Plant manager says they get more than a hundred trucks in here every day, and they all dump in one heap that feeds into the maw.
You see everything on that belt? Yeah, what about it? Once the M.
E.
Is done, I want you to bag up everything on it.
Swell.
Cause of death was ligature strangulation.
And the sexual assault? Injuries to the genitalia show no signs of healing.
Raped close to the time of death, but that was a while ago.
Her skin is shriveled.
Mummification? Exactly.
The body was stored before it was dumped.
I'll know more after an autopsy.
It'll be tough to make an ID with her face damaged like that.
Definitely post-mortem, probably from the garbage truck blades.
She was a fighter.
Take a look at this.
Blonde hair.
Maybe she got a piece of him.
I sure hope so.
Tell me you've got his DNA.
Sorry.
The blonde hairs that were found in her hand turned out to be synthetic.
From a wig? Maybe.
I'm sending the fibers over to the lab to be checked against the FBI database.
We at least know how long ago she died? Based on the insect activity, I'd say between six and eight weeks ago.
Judging from the mummification, the body was kept in a cool place.
Can we get an ID from the dental records? I doubt it.
Look at this.
There's so much tooth decay, it's unlikely she ever saw a dentist.
We'll definitely need a facial reconstruction.
I'll send the body to our forensic anthropologist.
He'll also try to raise fingerprints.
So that's it? Except for a few details that will break your heart.
Displacement of her front teeth suggests she sucked her thumb.
And she liked jumping rope.
How'd you get that? The scuffed toes.
I ruined enough pairs when I was her age.
A five-year-old kid disappears and nobody reports it? We checked her dental x-rays against every missing five-to-seven-year-old African-American girl in the Tri-State.
No match.
Someone snatches your kid, you call 911.
Unless you don't want anybody to know that your kid's gone.
So we're thinking this girl was raped and killed in her own home? If the perp is a parent, it explains why there's no report.
And if she's not in school, she's the perfect victim.
Nobody outside the family would even know she's missing.
We don't even know where she's missing from.
The garbage might tell us.
The lab should have gone through it by now.
Olivia, Elliot, quicker we get her picture out there, quicker somebody recognizes her.
Meet Cherish Doe.
What, Jane Doe's not good enough? It's too impersonal.
A cute little girl with braids deserves something better, don't you think? Femur length, plus the lack of epiphyseal plate fusion, I'd say Cherish can't be more than six.
So were you able to get prints? Still working on it.
Do you want to share? The fingertips were too shriveled.
So you cut her hands off.
I disarticulated them.
They're soaking in embalming fluid to reinflate the tissue, hopefully enough to roll a print.
You guys owe me big time.
You find an address in all that swill? No, but I did find an unusual amount of fast food wrappers, coffee cups, fish scraps and stained cotton balls.
- Cotton balls? - From a nail salon.
Yeah, which apparently shares a dumpster with a burger joint, a coffee shop and a fish market.
That leaves, what, only a couple dozen places for us to check out? How many city blocks we gonna have to walk? None, if you can manage to drag your asses over to the computer.
I've plugged you your coffee shops, burger joints, fish markets, nail salons into the zoning and business permit databases.
You still think Big Brother isn't watching us? Now we eliminate areas where all the variables don't coexist in close proximity.
Well, the garbage plant's way uptown and the manager says they only pick up dumpsters from north of 96th Street.
No problem.
In goes the information And out comes one location.
Bingo! Burger Land.
Nail salon.
There's Letty's Coffee Shop and the back of the fish market.
Why do we always get the trash detail? 'Cause we're the right men for the job.
Plus we've got the will and we got the skill.
Bloody bed sheet.
You think the bastard wrapped her body in it? Mmm-hmm.
All those windows up there, maybe somebody saw him.
CSU have any luck with the dumpster? The blood type on the bed sheets match the victim.
That's it.
Nothing on the canvass, either.
Maybe our car will improve once we get these on the street.
Police today are searching for the killer Looks like somebody beat us to it.
of this little girl, found in this Upper Manhattan garbage plant.
The only clue to the killer's identity, long blonde hairs found in the victim's lifeless grasp.
How the hell did they get that? Somebody gave them the fiber.
That detail was our hold-back.
Now when every nut in town starts making false confessions, we got no way to screen them out.
We must've passed out a couple hundred flyers.
Nobody recognized her.
Are we wrong thinking she's from the neighborhood? Maybe he is.
He stored her body for a month or two, he dumps her in a place close to his house.
I mean, where's he gonna go with her? Sounds like he's in his comfort zone.
Paroled sex offenders? We checked.
No pedophiles registered in the area.
Who says he's registered? We don't even know if the perp's a stranger or the little girl's parent.
Or some transvestite wearing a blonde wig.
We canvassed.
Nobody remembers seeing a little black girl with a guy with blond hair.
Well, I guess that leak to the media paid off.
Community Relations just called, there's a candlelight vigil tonight for Cherish Doe.
How many times have we collared predators at their victims' funerals? Let's flush him out.
Make sure he sees us, maybe we'll see him.
Cherish Doe, we gather here to remember you.
A sweet, innocent child, stolen from life too soon.
We stand here tonight as your family, until your own family is found.
It's all clear over here.
Elliot? We will not forget.
Nothing on this side.
And we will not rest until justice is done.
I call upon you to search your memory and your conscience.
Anything you recall will be welcomed by the police.
Thank you for your support.
We need every single lead that you can provide.
Now if you recognize Cherish Doe, please call us.
NYPD has set up a confidential tip line.
We don't need your names, but we do need your information.
Did you get anything yet? So far, no hits on the facial recognition software.
What's your database? All known sex offenders citywide whose victims were under 10.
Huang's suggestion.
Yeah, but there's no guarantee his mug shot's in there.
I mean, some guys molest dozens of kids before they're caught.
Your positive attitude's a real joy.
What's up with that lady in the blue? Why is she looking around like that? Zoom in on that lady, right there.
Got her.
Something ain't right.
I'll be right back.
Cherish Doe, you walked among us as a stranger.
But now we call you our own.
You are our daughter.
Detective Tutuola.
Can I help you? I can't find my daughter.
Okay, let's go to the front and make a missing child announcement.
No, no.
I don't mean here, not tonight.
When? I don't know when.
I'm not sure when.
Okay, okay.
What's your name? Violet Tremain.
I saw Cherish Doe on the news, I had to come here She may be my little girl.
She looks just like my Nina.
I just came back tonight.
I was gone for five months upstate.
Doing time? No, I I was in rehab.
I'm not a crack addict, if that's what you think.
I'm a painter and I do graphic design to pay the bills.
I'm not judging you.
We were in a car accident.
My husband, Nina's father, was killed and I messed up my back and I couldn't work without painkillers.
I got hooked, but I'm clean now, four months.
ACS took your daughter away.
I knew if I put Nina in foster care I might not get her back.
So I left her with a neighbor.
Well, that shows a lot of trust to leave your daughter with a neighbor.
Mrs.
Hawkins was like a grandmother to Nina, she watched her ever since she was a baby and never took a penny.
She loved Nina.
You check in on her? I couldn't call from rehab, so I wrote letters.
I started to worry when a letter I sent last week was returned.
And then I saw the news.
And you checked out of rehab.
No, I just left.
I called Mrs.
Hawkins, the phone was disconnected.
I called another neighbor, she said Mrs.
Hawkins was dead.
She passed away six weeks ago.
And no one knew what happened to Nina.
Sit down.
You've got to tell me more about Nina.
How old is she? She's five.
Her birthday was last month.
She's smart.
She can't wait to start school.
She's playing all the time.
The child has a lot of energy.
She like to jump rope? Yeah, all the time.
What about the dentist? When was her last checkup? A couple of years.
I freelance and my husband didn't He didn't have dental insurance.
It's my Nina, isn't it? We don't know that for sure.
Well, I have to see her.
No, no No sense in getting ahead of ourselves, okay? Somebody probably took her in and didn't know how to get in touch with you.
Then we have to look for her.
It's after 12:00.
There's nothing we can do right now.
How can I get in touch with you tomorrow? I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet.
Don't worry, I'll take care of that.
Violet's telling the truth.
"Junkies lie all the time.
" Your words.
You didn't talk to her.
Then let her see the body.
The child had no face.
No mother can handle that.
Sounds like you're lacking a little objectivity.
Why? 'Cause I'm not handling things your way? The department doesn't have a budget for Violet's hotel room.
You're paying for it, aren't you? So what? Well, I guess she is kind of cute.
Look, somebody knows who took Nina after Mrs.
Hawkins died.
We've gotta canvass her neighborhood.
Let's go.
I still think you ought to let her view the body.
Are you coming or what? How do you even know she has a kid? Maybe she's using Cherish Doe for a handout.
I pulled the birth certificate myself.
So back off.
Lover's quarrel? Gonna be a domestic dispute if Munch don't get out of my face.
Look, why don't Fin and I go canvass Mrs.
Hawkins' building? Good idea.
We got dozens of new leads in last night, Munch and I will prioritize and assign them out.
Come on.
Let's go.
Old lady died a month and a half ago, heart attack, on her way home from the market.
Nina with her? Smart little girl, called 911 from a payphone.
Here it is, 3B.
Who cleaned this place out? Salvation Army.
You called them? Mrs.
Hawkins' daughter did.
Said everything in here was junk, told me to let them in.
Okay, and what about Nina? Mrs.
Hawkins' daughter take her? Yeah, right.
She said just because her mama took in strays didn't mean she had to.
Said the child was my problem.
You try to reach Nina's mother? Violet never said where she was going.
What could I do? I had to send her to Child Welfare, hope for the best.
All Nina could tell me was that her mother went away.
Mrs.
Tremain didn't leave any names or phone numbers of any of her relatives.
Under the circumstances, we had to classify Nina as an abandoned child.
Nina's mother didn't abandon her.
She voluntarily entered into a rehab program.
Well, then she should have come to us instead of leaving her child with an elderly neighbor in failing health.
We could have placed Nina voluntarily while Violet was away.
Your agency doesn't always make it easy for parents to get their children back.
Well, children are often better off in foster care than they are being raised by addicts.
Violet's cleaned up and she wants her daughter back.
Yeah.
Well, that's for the courts to decide.
Mrs.
Tremain's gonna have to prove that she can provide a stable home environment before we can release Nina.
Where's Nina living? I won't release that information if you're planning to take the mother on an unauthorized home visit.
You see the resemblance to Nina Tremain? This little girl was raped, murdered and tossed in a dumpster.
Don't get in my way, lady.
I placed her with Thelma Price.
Mrs.
Price? Yes? I'm Detective Benson.
This is Detective Tutuola.
We'd like to talk to you about Nina Tremain.
She's not here.
Where is she? I don't know.
Ask Children's Services.
They said that they placed her with you.
You don't believe me? Take a look.
That child was nothing but trouble.
Hyperactive, no manners, always making a mess.
Well, when did they take her? Must have been over a month ago.
Then why did Nina's case worker tell us you had her? Hell if I know.
That woman is lazy.
Never makes a home visit.
Well, I find it hard to believe Mrs.
Preston would forget to tell us she took Nina.
She didn't take her.
It was some white guy with dark hair.
Did you get his name? I told you it was a month ago.
You expect me to remember that? When was the last time you saw Nina Tremain? I'm gonna have to check the file.
You got a memory problem? I think it was last week.
Wrong answer.
It's possible that I missed a visit.
Or more than one.
Even if I did, it's hardly a police matter.
Wrong again.
Well, when you can't make a visit, you ever send a colleague to cover? A guy, maybe? No, never.
No, then can you explain why your records say that you visited her last Tuesday, and Thelma Price says you didn't.
That woman's a liar.
You're the liar, lady! Hey, I want my union rep.
Yeah? Well, why don't you tell your union rep that Nina Tremain is missing and that you haven't seen her in six weeks.
You were responsible for this child's safety, and you didn't even bother to check on her.
This is not my fault.
Whose fault is it? Do you know what my job is like? How big of a caseload I have? There's no way I can see every child.
If you're looking for sympathy, you're barking up the wrong tree.
Thelma Price was a good foster mother.
I thought Nina would be all right.
How could they let someone just walk off with my child? We don't know, but we're doing everything we can to find him.
Now I need your help.
Anything.
Do you have something with Nina's fingerprints on it? We draw together all the time.
I keep her pictures with me.
I guess it's like having her here.
Please be careful, they're all I have.
We'll take good care of them, I promise.
Violet, is this Nina's handprint? Yeah.
We made that together last Thanksgiving.
The mother authenticates that it's the child's handprint.
Will it work? Let's see.
The anthropologist sent the hand over, it's finally ready to print.
Couldn't ask for better.
People did their jobs, this wouldn't have happened.
Sorry guys, prints don't match.
Are you sure? Not even close.
So Nina's not the dead girl.
Nina Tremain might still be alive.
Two little girls, look like sisters, from the same neighborhood, tell me that's a coincidence.
Same guy that killed Cherish might have Nina.
Are we sure it's the same guy? He's got dark hair when he took Nina and a blonde wig when he killed Cherish.
Well, maybe he played dress-up before he killed her.
Maybe it's not even a blonde wig we're looking for.
I gotta tell Violet that Cherish Doe isn't her daughter.
Cherish's real name is Susie Marshall.
How'd you get that? Computer kicked out a match to a KidPrint card on file.
Grandmother had her printed during Safety Week.
I always thought this day would come, but not to hear my grandbaby is dead.
I thought it would be Ronnie.
Who? My daughter.
The junkie.
That's why you were taking care of Susie? Ronnie'd ask me to baby-sit her for a night and disappear for months.
Then she'd come home clean and sober, and beg me to give Susie back.
And this last time I agreed, because I thought that Ronnie had finally straightened herself out.
When did you last see your granddaughter? About five or six months ago.
Weren't you worried because it had been so long? Honestly, I was relieved.
Ronnie came by and told me that a man from Child Welfare had taken her away.
A perfect stranger shows up at your door, says he's a social worker, and you just turn over your kid without a second thought? Predator profiles his victims, the kids come from a chaotic household, he knows they're not gonna question him.
Posing as a social worker is the perfect cover.
Well, that's true for Nina, but ACS has no record of contacting Susie Marshall or her mother.
There's gotta be another connection.
Well, take your pick.
Our perv either knows the kids or their mothers.
What do we know about the fathers? Well, we know Nina's father is dead and Susie's father went back to Jamaica.
We got a rap sheet on Ronnie Marshall yet? String of arrests, collared for shoplifting three years ago.
Last known whereabouts, strung out on the street.
Then we got to go back to Violet.
Show her pictures of Ronnie and Susie.
Maybe she can connect the dots.
I'd remember this girl.
She looks just like my Nina.
I'm sorry.
How about this woman? That scar.
I've seen her before.
Where? An NA meeting.
I remember thinking someone cut up her face.
Which NA meetings did you go to? Five o'clock at the Community Center, St.
Virgil's on Tuesdays, a few others when the urge hit.
Well, the whole point of NA is total confidentiality, it's first names only.
They're not gonna talk to us.
I bet they'd talk to you.
What do you mean? Your story might convince a 12-stepper to open up.
You in? What's he doing? I'd do anything to get my baby back.
Whatever it takes to find Nina.
I'll do anything I can to help.
But I'm not gonna put a civilian in the middle of a criminal investigation.
Whatever you're thinking, don't.
Violet's our only way in.
Violet would be acting as an agent of the police.
Any evidence she obtains could be excluded in court.
We're not looking for evidence, Counselor.
We're looking for a lead.
Nina Tremain might still be alive.
We're talking about violating the confidentiality of a drug treatment program.
Alex, I tell people in AA things I wouldn't want my best friend to know.
Now I'd be the first to agree with you but I don't see how making an appeal could hurt.
I would prefer to get the information through legal channels.
I'll get a subpoena.
For what? NA doesn't keep membership lists or records.
You want to tell that woman you care more about the law than the life of her child? She's living a parent's worst nightmare.
You think I really had to run a number on her? All right.
But the only way we do this is the right way.
Open meetings only.
Disclose your presence and don't let Violet out of your sight.
The Ninth Step says, we have to make amends to those harmed by our addiction.
Well I I harmed my baby.
Because I got high, I couldn't take care of Nina, and some monster kidnapped her.
I have to find Ronnie Marshall.
I think she's been here before, and she might have some information.
Ain't that against the rules? The only way I can get my little girl back is with your help.
I have to find Ronnie.
This is her picture.
The same freak who stole my Nina murdered her daughter.
Time is running out.
If you know anything, I am begging you to tell me.
Hey, what's the rush? None of your business.
No, trust me, it's my business.
I got nothing to say.
Then why are you running like a little scared rabbit? I don't know nothing about no missing kids.
But you do know Ronnie Marshall.
I don't have to tell you anything.
I respect people's confidentiality.
How about respect for the dead? You think Ronnie wants to attend her own daughter's funeral? This is for real? It's not a scam? You got my word.
I don't know, man, people won't trust me if I talk to a cop.
We never talked.
A place Ronnie and I used to get high.
The Starlite Lounge.
Oh, yeah.
Ronnie used to come in.
Used to? A while back.
Threw her out for shooting up in the can.
Haven't seen her since.
Do you know where we can find her? I don't get personal with the customers.
They pay, they drink, they leave.
Any customers talk to Ronnie? Only guys who were drunk enough to think she looked good.
She'd go with a leper for the price of a fix.
Any lepers around here? Hey, Pat! You banged that skanky chick once, right? Ronnie? The one with the scar? Don't remind me.
This bitch boosted my wallet.
You go to her place? Woman's shelter don't allow guests.
We did it in a alley.
You know which shelter? You see Ronnie anywhere? No.
Wait.
There she is.
This is Ronnie.
Ronnie Marshall? Leave me alone.
I have a couple more hours.
Wake up, Ronnie.
Who the hell are you? I'm a cop.
I didn't do nothing.
Who's she? I'm Violet.
I'm looking for my daughter, and I need your help.
Cost you twenty bucks, I'll help you all you want.
We've got no time for games.
We think the same man took your daughter.
No.
No.
Social worker took my baby.
That man wasn't a social worker.
Oh, no? Who was he? Look, I'm sorry, but Susie's dead.
We found her body two days ago.
She's better off.
That's how much you care about your little girl? Come on, get your ass up.
Come on.
Let's go.
You look like crap, Ronnie.
When are you gonna let me out of here? Orange juice.
You're gonna need it.
What do you want from me? Description of the man who took Susie for a sketch artist.
I can't remember back that far.
Can I go now, huh? Look, I found your works.
You don't cooperate, I'm gonna bust you.
What is your problem? Your daughter's dead and there's not one cell in your junkie body that gives a damn.
That man who took my daughter was right.
I'm not fit to be a mom.
Susie deserved more than me.
Now she's gone, and there's nothing that I can do that's gonna change that.
You could help us save this other little girl.
Make it right for Susie.
We got to get a description of this guy.
You can do this.
Thelma, Ronnie worked this up with a sketch artist.
Does this look like the man who took Nina? That's him.
There's got to be a connection between this guy and the three of you.
So both Ronnie and Violet went to the same NA meeting.
Thelma, have you ever been to one? Never.
Maybe it wasn't the meetings, but where they were held.
Ronnie and I both went to St.
Virgil's.
You go to that church, Thelma? No, First Baptist.
How about Haven House? Never been there.
Ronnie, can you think of anyplace else? Anywhere at all? Not really.
Come on, think.
Where did this guy see you? Maybe at the Community Center on Eighth Ave.
I stopped in there a couple times.
I go there for Bingo Night.
Nina liked their playroom.
Oh, God, I went to meetings there.
I took Nina with me.
He cut his hair and shaved his beard, and he never wore glasses, but it could be Terry Jessup.
Who's that? He worked here.
Quit a few months ago.
How long have you known him? Oh, most of his life.
He was a local kid.
Just about grew up here.
Had a mother who was unstable.
Went on and off her meds.
ACS ever remove him? Well, we called them several times, once when he had a terrible burn on his hand.
But, you know, he told them it was an accident.
What did Terry do here? Cleaned up, you know, took out the trash, small repairs.
He used to fix the broken toys.
That was his real passion.
So he was around the kids? He had quite a doll collection.
He loved showing it to them.
Strange hobby for an adult man, collecting dolls.
He inherited them from his mother.
Terry called them his legacy.
We're gonna need to talk to Terry.
Do you have an address for him? I can't imagine that Terry's in trouble with the police.
Do you recognize this little girl? That's Cherish Doe, from the news? Her real name is Susie Marshall and the other one is Nina Tremain.
Oh, my God.
You do recognize them.
Just to say hi.
I can't believe it.
Did you ever see Terry around either one of them? No.
But he did pay special attention to the kids with tough home lives.
He said that they needed extra love.
Damn it! We're too late.
Here we go.
The paper's three months old.
Jessup must have taken off after he kidnapped Susie.
He's got to have another place where he stashed Susie's body before he dumped her.
Got something over here.
Polaroid? Susie Marshall.
Yeah, dressed up like a little doll.
Dolls are idealized representations of men and women.
They're pure, perfect and sexless.
Terry Jessup is like a child who uses dolls to act out his fantasies.
But he's a grown man and his fantasies are sexual.
And he feels guilty about being attracted to children and so he turns them into dolls.
Which works for a while Until he gives in, he has sex with the doll, but then it's not a doll anymore, so he kills it.
Why stash the body? Again, out of guilt.
And then when he finds a new playmate, he just discards the last one.
Talked to your friend at Bellevue, got me the psych records on Jessup's mother.
Diagnosed with severe depression with intermittent bouts of mania.
She'd go around having sex with dozens of men and then go on these spending sprees buying nothing but dolls.
Give you anything on Jessup? Well, the shrink said that she was intermittently abusive and seductive towards him.
Perfect way to raise a serial killer.
I talked to a couple of Jessup's neighbors.
The stress of his mother's death a year ago pushed him over the edge.
He became reclusive and explosive.
I just got off with CSU.
No forensic evidence either Nina or Susie were in Jessup's apartment.
Well, to keep the girls prisoner, Jessup would have needed privacy and isolation.
He snatched both girls in the 'hood, dumped Susie back there.
If he's following a pattern, Nina's got to be nearby.
Check this out.
Moving in? My own doll collection.
Fibers came from a Madame Charlotte doll.
Very exclusive.
Well, how exclusive is their distribution? Only three stores in the city.
Sure, I've known Terry Jessup for years.
Not a lot of guys are into collecting, but his money's good.
When was the last time you saw him? Oh, it's a couple of months ago.
He came in to buy the new Princess Alexis.
Craftsmanship, that's what Terry cares about.
Only perfect dolls in mint condition.
We need an address for him.
I send mailings to preferred customers whenever a new Madame Charlotte comes out.
Here we go.
That's his old apartment.
Avid collector like Terry surely sent you a change of address.
No.
But he called a couple of weeks ago.
Pre-ordered a Virginia Belle.
Left a number for me to call when it came in.
Call Terry and tell him his order came in.
Terry, I'm sorry.
He just came in.
What's wrong? After I called you, I opened the box.
The shipment was damaged.
Would you take a Princess Renee instead? You know I don't collect Renees.
The workmanship's shoddy.
How about a 50th anniversary Nicolette, limited edition? Okay, but I still want the Virginia Belle.
Promise.
I'll call you.
Okay.
He's on the move.
Police! Let's see your hands.
Don't hurt me.
Don't move.
Where is she, Terry? What? On your knees.
Nina Tremain, where is she? Nina? Tell us where Nina is, before I take your punk ass head off.
I don't know.
Hey, Terry.
Terry! Where's the top sheet? Did you use this to wrap up Susie Marshall's body? Terry! Please don't hurt my dolls.
Please don't.
Tell us where Nina is.
She's not here! Get his ass up.
We ran line-ups.
We got positive IDs from Thelma Price and Ronnie.
Nice job.
I don't need a confession to win this case.
But we do need one to find Nina Tremain.
Any chance she's still alive? Warner couldn't pin down the exact time of death for Susie.
All we know is that he kept her breathing between two and four weeks.
And we're at the four-week mark with Nina right now.
If he killed her, he'd be agitated.
He'd be on the prowl for his next victim, instead, he's in there sleeping like a baby.
You know what? Why don't you all take a little walk while Terry and I get better acquainted.
Now, he's not going to respond to threats.
He's very lonely.
Dolls and children are his only companions.
He needs a friend.
Your dolls are beautiful.
I had lots of dolls, but never ones as nice as yours.
Girls are lucky.
They can play with dolls.
Boys aren't supposed to.
I had dolls.
You did? What kind? You know, GI Joe, Batman Those are action figures.
Terry, I hear that your mother started your doll collection.
She liked beautiful things.
I inherited them when she died.
And you love them very much.
They were her most precious possession.
Now they're mine.
She can't take them away from me.
Your mother didn't want you to have the dolls? She'd hit me if I touched them.
She said that I'd break them.
"Boys are too rough.
Boys can't be trusted "to handle fragile things.
" But sometimes, when she was really happy, she'd let me dress them up.
I was very careful not to break them.
I bet you take really good care of those dolls.
And I hear that you fix them, too.
Yeah, I can fix anything.
I'm really good with my hands.
Man, that burn must have hurt.
It was an accident.
Did your mother do that? She loved me.
But little boys are wicked.
Little boys need discipline.
But your mother had no right to hurt you.
Little children deserve to be loved.
Bad mothers shouldn't bring little children into this world.
Susie Marshall have a bad mother? She was a crack whore.
Susie was sad all the time.
I let her play with my dolls.
Is that why you took her, Terry? So she could play with you? In the Center, she loved my dolls, but then she didn't want to play anymore.
She just wanted to go home.
And that must've made you mad.
She broke one of my dolls.
I told her not to, I told her that she'd be sorry but she wouldn't listen.
That's when Susie got hurt? I don't want to talk about it anymore.
Where did you keep Susie? I can't tell you.
Okay, Terry.
Okay.
Well, then let's talk about Nina.
No.
Terry, Nina has a good mother.
No, she doesn't.
I saw her leave Nina with that evil woman.
I saw that woman yelling at Nina.
Terry, Nina's mother came back.
She misses her and wants to see her again.
I know what you're trying to do.
You're trying to trick me.
Terry, where is Nina? Where is Nina? Where is she? He's completely dissociated.
Just give him some time.
We don't have any time.
It's too late.
Detective Tutuola.
Violet, what are you doing here? Fin called me.
He told me that you have the man who took Nina.
We have a suspect in custody.
Who won't talk.
I've got to see him.
Give us a minute.
I thought we were working this case together and you called Violet without telling me? You got another way to get Jessup to talk? Putting Violet and Jessup together is a bad idea.
She was strong enough to go to those NA meetings.
We prep her correctly, I know she can handle it.
Back me up, Doc.
Jessup thinks he's saving Nina from an abusive parent.
If you challenge his delusion, he might break.
And if this doesn't work, the guilt will destroy Violet's life.
A dead child's gonna destroy her even more.
Nina's gonna die if we don't do something.
You sure you can do this? Yes.
No matter what he says, you have to be stronger than him.
I'm ready.
Hello, Terry.
Do you know who I am? Nina's mom? That's right.
My name is Violet.
You ran away.
Nina was so sad.
I was sad, too.
I missed her very much.
But I left to help Nina.
I was no good to her the way I was.
That's why Violet came back, Terry.
She came back for Nina.
It's too late.
No, it's not.
Nina needs her mother.
Make it right.
Nina's a good girl.
Yes, she is.
I'm a good mother.
Do you love her? Yes.
With her gone, it's like a knife in my heart.
I have another place.
Bastard's playing us.
Maybe not.
Trap door.
Elliot.
Nina? It's okay, baby.
It's okay, baby.
I'm a police officer.
I got you.
It's okay, baby.
You okay, baby? Look at me.
Look at me, baby, look.
Okay.
I'll get you out of here.
I miss my Mommy.
I'll take you home.
She'll be all right.
Mommy? Thank you.