Law & Order Special Victims Unit s05e18 Episode Script
Careless
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 have we got? Stopped breathing at a church service.
No pulse.
Gave him epi and atropine.
Help him, please.
The boy's dad.
You wait here.
Still no pulse.
Pupils fixed and dilated.
Asystole.
Push vasopressin and atropine.
Scalpel.
Oh, my God.
What are you doing? Trying to start his heart.
Sir, you need to wait outside.
No, no, please let me stay with him.
Did he ingest anything? Poisons, detergents, drugs? Just just a glass of milk before bed.
Vasopressin and atropine on board.
Still no pulse.
How long has he been down? Nearly 30 minutes.
You have to help him.
I'm sorry.
There's nothing more we can do.
Paramedics were called to a service at the Church of Divine Blessing just before midnight.
A parishioner said the kid had stopped breathing.
We did everything we could to resuscitate him, but he was DOA.
His name's Jamie Semple.
Did you notify the parents? Yeah.
Dad came in with the paramedics.
And what's the cause of death? I have my suspicions, but you better wait for the autopsy.
Why us? Because I think he was physically abused.
There's these indentations.
Do you mind if I take a look? Partial finger impressions.
Is that a ring mark? Somebody really squeezed this kid.
Or crushed him.
Hold on.
The ring might have partial initials.
Can we use your camera? From the positioning of the imprint, the ring is on the right ring finger.
Where are the parents? They are in the waiting area.
They tell you why they took their kid to church in the middle of the night? Yeah.
They were praying over him.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Dufoy? I'm Det.
Benson.
This is Det.
Tutuola.
We're so sorry about your loss.
We need to ask you a few questions.
Can you tell us what happened? Uh, I'm I'm afraid I don't know a lot.
L I was I work late.
Um, I run a bodega up on 121st.
Sam was home with Jamie.
He'd been wild real wild all day and was just throwing fits like he was possessed.
When he finally quieted down, I took him to the church.
I thought it might help if Father Hendry prayed over him.
What time was it? And you were okay with this, Mrs.
Dufoy? Well, uh, we were Jamie's foster parents.
His birth mother wanted church to be a part of his life so we we try to respect that.
So what went on last night? We were praying with Father Hendry.
And this lady was holding Jamie's hand and suddenly she couldn't find a pulse.
Jamie stopped breathin'.
We tried to wake him, but we couldn't.
May I please see both of your right hands? Why? Please.
Thank you.
Where's the church? Um, 126th, off Lenox.
Okay.
If you think of anything else, please call us, okay? It's 4:45.
I've got to be in court in four hours.
Okay, you go ahead.
It's about time Munch got his bony ass out of bed for some religion.
Thanks.
Jamie and his father found comfort and healing here on many occasions.
Ask my brothers and sisters.
Why did Jamie need healin'? He had demons.
He had fits.
He'd hurl himself to the ground, froth at the mouth, shout, swear, bang his head.
And this was the devil's work? Medicine couldn't heal Jamie.
Our prayers could.
Then why is he dead? Excuse me, ma'am.
You are Mariel Plummer.
ACS.
Jamie's case worker.
I just came from the hospital.
I spoke to Lori-Ann and Sam.
I just can't believe this has happened.
Jamie's in a better place now.
The only better place Jamie could be is at home with his parents.
I'm sorry, this is just really upsetting.
Ms.
Plummer, in your professional opinion, was Jamie possessed by the devil? Jamie had ADHD, with conduct disorder and epilepsy.
If you don't believe me, speak to his doctor.
I worked with Jamie for nearly a year.
He could be a real handful.
When a child has both a behavioral and an organic disorder, one exacerbates the other.
What did you do for Jamie? Gave him medication for the epilepsy and therapy for the ADHD.
He was steadily improving.
He could be a sweet kid.
Funny, loving, inventive.
Can't believe he's dead.
Isn't that Mariel Plummer? Yes.
Jamie's case worker.
She's great with kids.
He was quite fond of her.
I felt we had the behavioral problems under control, but there was always a chance he could have another seizure.
Could he die from that? There is a rare syndrome called Sudden Unexpected Death in epilepsy.
How does that happen? Not taking one's meds, or mixing them.
Did Jamie's foster parents know how to medicate him? Yes.
And how to care for him during a seizure.
But in the last few months, they'd started looking for answers elsewhere.
Like at the Church of Divine Blessing.
Yeah.
Sam Dufoy insisted that it was good for Jamie.
A month ago I told them either leave the church, or leave me because I couldn't take responsibility for Jamie's health.
They chose the church.
According to Doc Engels, cause of death could be an epileptic seizure.
That kid is dead because his parents didn't give him his meds and then dragged him off to a faith healer.
That's the lure of faith healing.
Medicine doesn't give them the answer they want, so they turn to God.
Doc said Jamie was gettin' better.
He's got epilepsy, he'll always be epileptic.
Medicine can only treat the condition.
Father Hendry can promise them a cure.
But he can't deliver.
Mmm, then he says it's the Lord's will.
Yeah, or maybe Sam and Lori-Ann didn't pray hard enough.
I got the feeling that Lori-Ann didn't approve of it.
She doesn't belong to that church.
Even if Jamie was having a seizure and his dad took him for a prayer session, it doesn't account for the mark on Jamie's chest.
Depends on what kind of prayer session you're talkin' about.
That autistic kid who died in a Milwaukee church, the parishioners held him down.
They were layin' on top of him to cure him.
That would explain the ring mark, right? Somebody holds on to Jamie, he struggles, and they hold on to him tighter.
Until he stops breathing.
Thank you, I enjoyed that.
Have we tracked down his birth mother yet? Social worker said she moved to Long Island.
I made a call.
Phone's disconnected.
I also did a little homework on Father Hendry.
He used to be minister at the Sacred Spirit Church, but left over religious differences.
Okay.
Liv, Elliot, you've got trial prep.
John, Fin, pay a visit to Sacred Spirit Church.
Let's see how different Father Hendry's religion was.
Lucas Hendry was with us for many years.
He was a popular preacher.
Why'd he leave? He was drawn to a more charismatic form of worship.
He felt people needed more drama in their faith.
Have you heard of the Toronto Blessing? Nope.
Started in the '90s in a church near Toronto Airport.
Practitioners claim they can cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues.
Hendry and some of our members were seduced by it.
Like, uh, Sam and Lori-Ann Dufoy? Sam was.
He and Lori-Ann are good people.
We were sorry to see them go.
You think Father Hendry's a fraud? He doesn't hold rattlesnakes in one hand and the collection box in the other if that's what you mean.
He may be deluded, but he's sincere.
Does Rev.
Hendry always wear this ring? Yes.
It was his grandfather's.
This mark was on Jamie's body.
See the partial initials, J.
O.
? Well, my initials are L.
H.
But it's your ring.
The initials belong to your granddaddy, Jackson Ormont.
Where's the ring, Father? I don't wear it anymore.
We talked to the people that prayed for Jamie that night.
They said you were callin' to the Lord, battlin' with Satan.
His demons were powerful.
I had to fight them.
You held him so tight the ring left an impression on his flesh.
I was healing him.
You crushed the life out of him.
No! You killed him.
God forgive me.
I was only trying to help the boy.
L I I must have held him too tight.
L I saw the mark my ring had made.
I took it off.
I'm so sorry.
About to take him to booking.
Put him in the cage.
I think you better talk to Warner first.
We've got microscopic cotton fibers.
I found them in Jamie's lungs and stomach.
Along with these: Traces of toluene diisocyanate polyol and pentabromodiphenyl oxide: Your basic foam rubber and fire retardant.
So he was smothered with a cushion? Or a cheap pillow.
Okay.
Somebody holds a pillow over Jamie's face.
The kid fights, and bites right through the case and into the foam.
Yeah, but the parishioners didn't say anything about a pillow.
That's because Jamie wasn't smothered at the church.
How do you know that? See how clear and deep the impression is? That wouldn't have happened with living skin.
His flesh had started to swell and become waxy.
Jamie was already dead.
At least an hour before this mark was made.
You know, I I don't know what you think you're gonna find here.
We'll let you know soon as we find it.
Pillow case is clean, no tears.
When's your husband coming back? Soon.
He's out making Jamie's funeral arrangements.
Look like teeth marks? Mmm-hmm.
Check this out.
Blood? No, it couldn't be.
Jamie must have spilled his chocolate milk or something.
Look, do you really think we would hurt him? He was like our own son.
We need to get this to the lab, see if they can ID it.
Pillow case.
Found it in the trash.
Tear marks.
Check it against the bite marks on that.
W- what's going on? Perfect match.
We just found your murder weapon.
Jamie was sleeping when I took him to the church.
He was already dead when he got there, Sam.
No, no.
After one of his fits, it's like he's in a coma.
B- but he always wakes up.
He couldn't wake up.
He'd been suffocated with a pillow.
That's impossible.
I'd never hurt Jamie.
Then why are there bite marks on his pillow and pillowcase? Because Jamie is an epileptic.
When he's having a seizure, he goes crazy.
He'll bite anything within reach.
That doesn't explain the fragments of foam and fiber in his lungs.
I don't believe you.
What do you think these are? That pillow was pressed so hard against Jamie's face, he inhaled this stuff.
No.
Come on, Sam.
The kid was running wild.
You were at the end of your rope.
You put that pillow over his face, you held it there till he stopped movin'.
Stop! I loved Jamie.
No, you killed him.
Then you took him to the church to cover it up.
No.
I know my husband.
He would never do anything like this.
We dumped your phone.
Sam called you at your store at 11:00.
Why? He said Jamie was out of control.
Did you go home? I couldn't.
I had customers.
I told Sam to stay calm, that I would be there as soon as I could.
Let it out, Sam.
You'll feel better.
I just wanted him to sleep.
Just be still for a while.
But then he stopped moving.
So you took him to the priest.
Father Hendry woke him up before.
I thought he could do it again.
Sam, don't say anything else.
We're getting a lawyer.
Baby, I tried so hard not to hurt him.
I'm sorry.
Oh, God, I'm sorry.
Father Hendry didn't know Jamie was already dead? Sam lied.
Told him the kid had a fit and was all wrung out.
After a grand mal seizure, epileptics can go into a semi-comatose state.
It's called postictal shock.
Sam's brought Jamie to the church like that before.
Father Hendry thinks he can wake him up again.
Jamie's birth mother just arrived.
This woman is gonna blow.
Anything I can tell her? Yeah.
You've caught her son's killer and I'm arraigning him for murder.
Why didn't anybody tell me what those monsters did to my son? We tried calling you.
Then why did I have to find out about it over the television? My own little son.
Didn't ACS contact you? How do you think this all got started? Who the hell do you think took Jamie from me and put him with those freaks? If you have any information about the Dufoys, we'd like to hear it.
He said that they hurt him.
He begged me to let him come home.
Did you report that to ACS? Yes, I did.
But do you think that bitch did anything about it? You mean Mariel Plummer? Yeah, her.
My son's poor, dead little body is at her door.
She's gonna pay for it.
And ACS is gonna pay for it.
The city is gonna pay for it.
That's not gonna bring Jamie back.
Have you ever lost a child? You think this is about money? Unfortunately, it does seem to be about money.
Tamara Semple's got convictions for credit card fraud and shoplifting.
Doesn't take away her right to be angry.
She loses custody of Jamie and he ends up dead.
Kid might not have been much safer with his real mama.
ACS removed Jamie after his little sister drowned in the bathtub.
Where was Tamara? Talkin' on the phone.
Courts ruled it was an accidental death, but ACS did a precautionary removal of Jamie.
This woman's kid dies in foster care, the first thing she sees is a big, fat settlement.
What about her allegations the Dufoys hurt Jamie? If they did, ACS could be found liable.
Which would weaken our case against Sam Dufoy.
We should check it out.
Wouldn't be the first lawsuit that Tamara Semple brought against ACS.
Of course, none of them succeeded.
She told us Jamie complained that the Dufoys physically abused him.
He never said a word to me about abuse.
Sam and Lori-Ann were good parents.
Good parents don't kill their kids.
You have to understand how difficult a child like Jamie could be.
Sam probably snapped.
Did you ever see any evidence that Sam was unstable? No.
On my home visits, Jamie was happy, clean, and very fond of both Lori-Ann and Sam.
Sam work? He stays home, looks after Jamie.
Lori-Ann brought in the money.
Sam and Lori-Ann were married young.
He was a college basketball star.
About to be drafted into the NBA, When a knee injury put an end to the dreams.
Excuse me.
Tutuola.
Lori-Ann stuck by him.
I make it my business to know about my foster families.
This is Jamie's file.
You can take it.
I'm afraid I can't take it without getting a subpoena first.
Sure.
It's here when you need it.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Crime lab.
They said they've got somethin' they want us to hear.
I checked Sam's LUDS.
A half-hour before he called Lori-Ann at the store, he also called the Child Abuse Hotline.
And all the Hotline calls are recorded.
That's right.
Hello? Hello? Child Abuse Hotline.
Can I help you? Yeah.
It's my foster kid.
I can't deal with him any more.
Jamie, cut that out! You got to help me here.
Sir, are you reporting an incident of child abuse? No, no, nothing like that.
Is this child in danger at this moment? No, he's just out of control.
Sir, if it's an emergency, call 911.
Otherwise, you should call your ACS case worker.
I have called.
She never answers.
I want help, you hear? I want him out of my house.
Sir, I'll take your information and pass it to Child Protective Services.
They'll contact you within 24 hours.
Had he called his case worker? Well, LUDS show four calls to Mariel Plummer's ACS office the day Jamie died.
Did she talk to him? Can't say.
No call was shorter than 20 seconds which means Sam either had a conversation with her, or left a message.
It's funny how Mariel didn't tell us any of this.
I'll put a rush on the subpoena.
You get a hold of all Mariel's case files, see what else she forgot to tell us.
Mariel's records seem to show she was doing her job.
Visited Jamie every month.
But see those dates? They're the same.
Yeah.
Which means all the records were either generated or altered on the same date.
Which happens to be yesterday.
What are you doing? I gave you everything you need.
We were just admiring you writing up six months worth of records in only one day.
I was checking them because of the subpoena.
I didn't alter a thing.
I'm afraid the log date only changes if an alteration is made.
I was probably tidying things up.
It's impossible to keep track of all the paperwork.
Mariel Plummer, you are under arrest for tampering with public records.
You're arresting me for paperwork? And for reckless endangerment in the death of Jamie Semple.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do or say You've got a problem, Counselor.
Arresting Jamie's social worker makes it harder to convict Sam Dufoy.
He can claim it's her fault.
Asked for help, didn't get it.
And if the jury buys it, Sam could walk.
What're you gonna do? Plead him out? No way.
He killed that kid.
Question is, who do I try first? If I go with Sam and put Mariel on the stand, she can't testify without incriminating herself.
But I don't want to give her immunity.
What's your gut tell you? Get the facts on the record.
Catch the little fish before I go for the big one.
I'll go schedule Mariel's court date.
Casey.
Carolyn.
What are you doing here? Representing Mariel Plummer.
I trust you've had second thoughts about persecuting her.
No.
You seriously intend to clog up the courts to try someone on a couple of clerical errors? Not errors, deliberate falsifications designed to conceal the fact she recklessly endangered a child.
My client was deceived by a nutcase who murdered a kid, then asked a voodoo priest to bring him back to life.
But let's deal.
A year's probation for falsifying the official record, you drop all other charges.
No, thanks.
She takes a felony plea, guilty of reckless endangerment.
Motion to dismiss the endangerment charge on constitutional grounds.
What are you talking about? You're forgetting your Fourteenth Amendment, Casey.
See you at the hearing.
The Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment does not require a state agency to protect its citizens from private violence.
Therefore, there's no case against my client.
That ruling also says that a state agency isn't required to protect its citizens against violence and other mishaps that are, I quote, "Not attributable to the conducts of its employees.
" But Jamie Semple's death is at least partly attributable to Mariel Plummer's negligence.
Ms.
Maddox, your own case law seems to help Ms.
Novak.
She's misreading what the Justices had in mind.
If the criminal court finds my client culpable for Jamie's death, then who's next? Police officers who fail to prevent a homicide? Firefighters who don't save someone from being burned? Your Honor, that's a reach.
Many courts have ruled that a child in foster care is analogous to a prisoner in state custody, and state officials like Ms.
Plummer are not only liable for harm the child suffers, but also for failing to act where there is potential for harm.
I'm sorry, Ms.
Maddox, I agree with Ms.
Novak's reading of the law.
Your client must stand trial.
When you called the Child Abuse Hotline the night Jamie died, you said you tried to contact your case worker, Mariel Plummer.
How many times? Four times that day.
Another three times the week before.
Did she ever return any of those calls? No.
Why were you calling her? Because I was havin' a hard time copin' with Jamie.
What could Mariel have done? If she'd called back or visited, she would have seen that Jamie was out of control and how I was strugglin'.
Then none of this would have happened.
Thank you.
Why not call 911? What do you mean? You said you were scared you couldn't cope with Jamie.
Why not call 911 as the operator suggested? I don't know.
Or take Jamie to the emergency room, or call a neighbor, or do anything? I thought I could handle him.
How? By smothering him with a pillow? Objection! Only goes to credibility, Your Honor.
The jury has a right to know that this witness is facing criminal charges in the death of his foster son, and therefore has an excellent motive to lie.
I'll allow it.
The witness will respond.
Did you suffocate Jamie with a pillow? I assert my Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Nothing further.
How long have you been a social worker? About 18 years.
And why did you become one? I wanted to help people.
Make a difference in a small way.
I'm sure there are many people who are very grateful to you.
Frankly, I doubt that.
I usually show up when a family is in crisis.
I'm the one who has to say to the mom: "Why are your kid's clothes dirty? Why did your kids miss school?" Worse than that, I'm the one that has to remove the kids if there's any suspicion of abuse or neglect.
Have you ever been threatened? Usually just verbal abuse.
I've been mugged three times, chased out of apartments with knives.
L I work in pretty rough areas.
And you keep coming back? Someone has to look out for the kids.
Then what went wrong with Jamie? I made a mistake.
I thought that Lori-Ann and Sam were good foster parents and that Jamie was safe.
You never thought he was in danger? No.
And I had what I thought were more urgent cases.
And I was giving all my attention to them.
I was wrong.
I'll never be able to forgive myself.
Thank you.
You say you didn't think Jamie was in danger, but Sam Dufoy had called, left messages.
Didn't that warn you? The messages said that Jamie was acting up and that Sam wanted to talk.
It didn't sound urgent.
He called four times the day Jamie died.
How much more urgent can it get? I thought Jamie was safe.
You had no idea what was going on in the Dufoy house.
You hadn't visited in months.
You'd forgotten all about Jamie.
No, I cared about him.
Then why not return Sam's calls? Because I was out of the office till late working on another case.
But you cared about Jamie.
Why was that other case so much more important? A father returned home from prison.
He beat his wife to death with a hammer.
Then he killed himself in front of his two children.
That's what I was working on.
That's why I didn't return Sam's call.
I made a terrible mistake, but don't accuse me of not caring.
No further questions.
The social worker's job.
Poorly paid and usually thankless.
They work in the most deprived and violent parts of our cities where they can be assaulted, raped, even murdered.
Burnout's common.
Many don't last five years.
Mariel Plummer has worked for 18.
When Jamie died, she had nearly 20 cases.
The recommended case load is 12.
This tragedy isn't Mariel's fault.
It's the fault of an overburdened system: Too few case workers, too few dollars, too many children in need.
Out of grief and panic after Jamie's death, Mariel altered her official records.
She admits it.
She's sorry for it.
Find her guilty on that charge.
Not on the charge of endangering Jamie's life.
Jamie slipped through a crack in the system.
Blame the system.
Blame the man who killed Jamie, but don't blame the social worker.
Mariel Plummer was the crack in the system.
She was the one person whose job it was to look out for Jamie.
And she failed to do her job.
L- If she'd made any one of the visits she fraudulently claimed to have made or returned any one of the phone calls, Jamie would be alive.
She turned her back on him.
That is child endangerment.
This time you must blame the social worker.
Find Mariel guilty, and send a message to her and to her supervisors, and to the city, and to the state that the death of even one child is unacceptable.
Verdict in already? Guilty on the record tampering, not guilty on child endangerment.
Why not? Maddox played the jury like a violin.
Mariel was under intolerable pressure, she made an understandable mistake.
They bought it.
Well, at least when you try Sam Dufoy, he won't be able to blame Mariel.
Unless I blow that trial, too.
Someone's gotta be held accountable for that poor kid's death.
I may have something.
Clear evidence of abuse from the Dufoy apartment.
Why'd it take so long? Sample had to work its way from Criminalistics to Serology.
Remember the stain on Jamie's bed? It's blood.
Lab finally ID'd the object that made it.
A cheese grater.
Serology found skin cells and cheese fragments.
Somebody dragged a cheese grater across the kid's skin? How old is the blood stain? At most a few days.
Otherwise the blood would have oxidized completely.
But Jamie didn't have any other marks on him.
That's because it wasn't Jamie's blood.
It's from a female.
Mom? Wrong blood group.
And from the low levels of the hormones FSH and LH in her blood, this female is in early puberty.
The Dufoys had a girl in that apartment? Then where the hell is she? Go talk to Mariel.
See if she made another "understandable mistake".
What do you want? Aren't you done harassing me? Don't kid yourself, lady, you got off light.
I lost my job, my pension.
I've been crucified by the press, I get threatening phone calls.
I don't have time for your self-pity.
Where's the other foster kid that was stayin' in the Dufoy's apartment? What are you talking about? Jamie was their only child.
You you saw my records.
Your records don't mean a damn thing.
Forensics says there was another girl there.
What forensics? The girl's blood.
Sam Dufoy sliced her up with a cheese grater.
Oh, my God.
I had no idea.
Why didn't I go to that apartment? I'm so so sorry.
Yeah, I bet you are.
Just tell me where she is and how I can find her.
I don't know.
Hello? Just leave me alone! Give me this.
Who the hell are you callin' a bitch? This is the police.
Ring this number again, we're gonna come bust in your damn door, believe that.
Mariel.
Okay, okay, okay.
Put the gun down, come on.
Please put down the gun.
I've saved thousands of children, and I'll only be remembered for one.
No! You didn't have to do this.
Single shot to the chest, point blank.
That should be a quick job for you.
Thanks.
Are you okay? Hey, I'm cool.
I know.
But are you okay? Yeah.
You gonna shrink me, too? No.
You need me, you'll holler.
Yeah, I do.
To get over to ACS.
See what you can find on a foster kid.
A girl staying with the Dufoys.
Mariel Plummer didn't know who she was? If she had checked on Jamie, she would have.
But, um, I told her about the blood stain, that's when she shot herself.
Where are you going? I'm going to go get cleaned up.
Then I'm going to pay Sam Dufoy a visit.
I don't know what you're talkin' about.
People who say that usually mean they do.
There was no girl livin' with us.
You're a liar.
You cut her and left her blood and skin on the bed.
What's her name? He told you, he doesn't know.
You kill her, too? Like you killed Jamie? Guard, we're through here.
Is she alive? What'd you do with her? Where the hell is she? That bastard didn't give me a thing.
What about Lori-Ann? She'll just come out with the "Sam's a good man" crap.
Got anything? Yep.
ACS have no record of any other kids being placed with Sam Dufoy.
So I got them to check under Lori-Ann's maiden name.
Four kids were placed with Lori-Ann Watkins in the last two years, all from Freshfields Private Foster Home.
Is one of them our girl? Last kid was placed with Lori-Ann six months ago, but ran away a couple of weeks later.
Her name is Megan Rose.
Why the hell did ACS only hear about this now? ACS says they never got the report Megan was missing.
Freshfields insists they sent it.
While they're playing pass the buck, Megan could be dead.
John, find out why this foster agency went on sendin' kids to a woman who kept on losin' them.
Fin.
I'm haulin' her ass in.
Yeah, of course I know Megan.
She ran away a week after being placed with us.
I'm afraid she was incorrigible.
And that just slipped your mind? It was six months ago.
I'm sorry, it didn't seem relevant.
What about Stacey Dean, Isiah Simpson, Nyal Iwa? They incorrigible, too? Yes.
They've been in the foster care system their entire lives.
Sam was a great dad.
Even he couldn't cope with them.
He take care of them the same way he did Jamie? They ran away! We tried to help these kids, but they didn't wanna be helped.
And I resent your accusations, Detective.
We're not through, lady.
Sit back down.
When these kids went missin', what did you do? I informed the foster care agency.
And they informed ACS? Right.
They gave the file back.
Then why doesn't ACS have the files? Why are you still getting paid? Your bank records show you're still receiving Adoption Assistance Payments for every one of those kids.
It was a computer error.
Four computer errors in a little more than two years? You get $2,000 a month for kids that haven't been in your home in months.
I'm tellin' you, it's a mistake.
You took in runaways, treat them like crap so they'd run away again or did Sam just kill them? No! Nobody else would touch these kids! Well, somebody touched Megan Rose with a cheese grater.
What are you talkin' about? This is Megan Rose's blood, and it damn sure isn't six months old.
She was in your home the week Jamie died.
She see Sam kill him? I swear, Megan was gone.
Or maybe she came back, I don't know.
I work so many hours at the store If she came back, where is she now? You're trying to get me to hurt Sam, but I won't.
Just tell us where Megan is.
I said I don't know! That's Megan.
Remember her now? She was in your home, Sam.
Maybe for a night, maybe for just an hour, but her blood says she was there.
Did you kill her, Sam? Come on, you're already going down for murder.
What've you got to lose? Tell me what happened.
What are you hiding, Sam? Are you trying to protect her? Did she kill Jamie? No! Then help me find her.
She's just a kid.
St.
Columba's.
The psych home? She went crazy.
Megan was brought here three weeks ago.
She was kicking and screaming at the staff, raving about murdered children.
What did you do with her? Diagnosed her as acutely psychotic, with paranoid features.
We sedated her with Haldol, waited for the psychosis to break.
Unfortunately, as soon as the medication wore off, the delusions returned and we had to sedate her again.
How's she doin'? Quieter.
We reduced the dosage.
But her foster agency doesn't want her back.
And I doubt anyone else will, so it looks like she's set for a long stay.
Any chance she was tellin' the truth? No.
She had clearly decompensated.
The foster parent who brought her in told us that she would mutilate herself, and that these psychotic episodes had become increasingly frequent.
The foster parent.
Her name Lori-Ann? Yeah.
Should've listened to Megan.
She was brought here the night her 6-year old foster brother was murdered.
Megan.
My name is Fin.
I'm a cop.
I want to talk to you about Jamie.
Get away from me.
I know he's dead.
Megan, get back into bed.
You stay out of this.
No.
Get away from me! Leave me alone! I'm not gonna hurt you.
Yes, you are.
You're trying to trick me.
You're gonna stick me with needles.
No, I'm not.
I know you're telling the truth.
I know who cut your face.
She said I was crazy.
You're not crazy.
You saw what happened to Jamie.
Tell me.
That night, were you in Jamie's room? Yes.
Was Sam? No.
Who was it? I can't, I can't.
I promise.
No one will hurt you.
Who was it? Lori-Ann.
Tell me what happened, baby.
Jamie was crying and crying, and then he just stopped.
So I went into his room and I saw her.
She was covering his face with the pillow, screaming, "Shut up, shut up!" He was fighting, but he just wasn't strong enough.
Then he just stopped moving.
Come on.
Where are you taking her? Away from this place.
I've got good news.
We found Megan.
Yeah, that is good news.
Is she okay? Yeah, she's doin' fine.
That's pretty slick.
Hidin' a murder witness in a loony bin, tellin' them she was a psycho.
Yeah, well, obviously the girl is disturbed.
She's not that disturbed.
She told me what happened.
Says she saw you kill Jamie.
Well, she's lying.
Who do you think a jury's gonna believe? Me or some teenage delinquent? After they see how you cut her face, I think they're gonna believe her.
She cut herself, okay? She's psychotic.
And Jamie smothered himself, too? No.
My loser husband did that.
And I've heard enough.
I'm goin' home.
Sam? W- what are you doin' here? I watched you through that window.
You told me it was an accident.
You did it.
You confessed.
No! I could never have hurt Jamie.
I wanted him to be our son! You killed him.
Don't you do this to me, Sam.
I'm not gonna protect you any more.
Protect me? You never protected me! You promised me everything and you gave me nothing.
I wasted my life on you! I loved you, Lori-Ann.
I believed your lies.
I let you hurt those kids.
You weak son of a bitch! You don't give a damn about anyone.
Lori-Ann Dufoy, you are under arrest for the murder of Jamie Semple.
You have the right to remain silent.
You have the right to an attorney.
You okay? I'm cool.
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 have we got? Stopped breathing at a church service.
No pulse.
Gave him epi and atropine.
Help him, please.
The boy's dad.
You wait here.
Still no pulse.
Pupils fixed and dilated.
Asystole.
Push vasopressin and atropine.
Scalpel.
Oh, my God.
What are you doing? Trying to start his heart.
Sir, you need to wait outside.
No, no, please let me stay with him.
Did he ingest anything? Poisons, detergents, drugs? Just just a glass of milk before bed.
Vasopressin and atropine on board.
Still no pulse.
How long has he been down? Nearly 30 minutes.
You have to help him.
I'm sorry.
There's nothing more we can do.
Paramedics were called to a service at the Church of Divine Blessing just before midnight.
A parishioner said the kid had stopped breathing.
We did everything we could to resuscitate him, but he was DOA.
His name's Jamie Semple.
Did you notify the parents? Yeah.
Dad came in with the paramedics.
And what's the cause of death? I have my suspicions, but you better wait for the autopsy.
Why us? Because I think he was physically abused.
There's these indentations.
Do you mind if I take a look? Partial finger impressions.
Is that a ring mark? Somebody really squeezed this kid.
Or crushed him.
Hold on.
The ring might have partial initials.
Can we use your camera? From the positioning of the imprint, the ring is on the right ring finger.
Where are the parents? They are in the waiting area.
They tell you why they took their kid to church in the middle of the night? Yeah.
They were praying over him.
Mr.
And Mrs.
Dufoy? I'm Det.
Benson.
This is Det.
Tutuola.
We're so sorry about your loss.
We need to ask you a few questions.
Can you tell us what happened? Uh, I'm I'm afraid I don't know a lot.
L I was I work late.
Um, I run a bodega up on 121st.
Sam was home with Jamie.
He'd been wild real wild all day and was just throwing fits like he was possessed.
When he finally quieted down, I took him to the church.
I thought it might help if Father Hendry prayed over him.
What time was it? And you were okay with this, Mrs.
Dufoy? Well, uh, we were Jamie's foster parents.
His birth mother wanted church to be a part of his life so we we try to respect that.
So what went on last night? We were praying with Father Hendry.
And this lady was holding Jamie's hand and suddenly she couldn't find a pulse.
Jamie stopped breathin'.
We tried to wake him, but we couldn't.
May I please see both of your right hands? Why? Please.
Thank you.
Where's the church? Um, 126th, off Lenox.
Okay.
If you think of anything else, please call us, okay? It's 4:45.
I've got to be in court in four hours.
Okay, you go ahead.
It's about time Munch got his bony ass out of bed for some religion.
Thanks.
Jamie and his father found comfort and healing here on many occasions.
Ask my brothers and sisters.
Why did Jamie need healin'? He had demons.
He had fits.
He'd hurl himself to the ground, froth at the mouth, shout, swear, bang his head.
And this was the devil's work? Medicine couldn't heal Jamie.
Our prayers could.
Then why is he dead? Excuse me, ma'am.
You are Mariel Plummer.
ACS.
Jamie's case worker.
I just came from the hospital.
I spoke to Lori-Ann and Sam.
I just can't believe this has happened.
Jamie's in a better place now.
The only better place Jamie could be is at home with his parents.
I'm sorry, this is just really upsetting.
Ms.
Plummer, in your professional opinion, was Jamie possessed by the devil? Jamie had ADHD, with conduct disorder and epilepsy.
If you don't believe me, speak to his doctor.
I worked with Jamie for nearly a year.
He could be a real handful.
When a child has both a behavioral and an organic disorder, one exacerbates the other.
What did you do for Jamie? Gave him medication for the epilepsy and therapy for the ADHD.
He was steadily improving.
He could be a sweet kid.
Funny, loving, inventive.
Can't believe he's dead.
Isn't that Mariel Plummer? Yes.
Jamie's case worker.
She's great with kids.
He was quite fond of her.
I felt we had the behavioral problems under control, but there was always a chance he could have another seizure.
Could he die from that? There is a rare syndrome called Sudden Unexpected Death in epilepsy.
How does that happen? Not taking one's meds, or mixing them.
Did Jamie's foster parents know how to medicate him? Yes.
And how to care for him during a seizure.
But in the last few months, they'd started looking for answers elsewhere.
Like at the Church of Divine Blessing.
Yeah.
Sam Dufoy insisted that it was good for Jamie.
A month ago I told them either leave the church, or leave me because I couldn't take responsibility for Jamie's health.
They chose the church.
According to Doc Engels, cause of death could be an epileptic seizure.
That kid is dead because his parents didn't give him his meds and then dragged him off to a faith healer.
That's the lure of faith healing.
Medicine doesn't give them the answer they want, so they turn to God.
Doc said Jamie was gettin' better.
He's got epilepsy, he'll always be epileptic.
Medicine can only treat the condition.
Father Hendry can promise them a cure.
But he can't deliver.
Mmm, then he says it's the Lord's will.
Yeah, or maybe Sam and Lori-Ann didn't pray hard enough.
I got the feeling that Lori-Ann didn't approve of it.
She doesn't belong to that church.
Even if Jamie was having a seizure and his dad took him for a prayer session, it doesn't account for the mark on Jamie's chest.
Depends on what kind of prayer session you're talkin' about.
That autistic kid who died in a Milwaukee church, the parishioners held him down.
They were layin' on top of him to cure him.
That would explain the ring mark, right? Somebody holds on to Jamie, he struggles, and they hold on to him tighter.
Until he stops breathing.
Thank you, I enjoyed that.
Have we tracked down his birth mother yet? Social worker said she moved to Long Island.
I made a call.
Phone's disconnected.
I also did a little homework on Father Hendry.
He used to be minister at the Sacred Spirit Church, but left over religious differences.
Okay.
Liv, Elliot, you've got trial prep.
John, Fin, pay a visit to Sacred Spirit Church.
Let's see how different Father Hendry's religion was.
Lucas Hendry was with us for many years.
He was a popular preacher.
Why'd he leave? He was drawn to a more charismatic form of worship.
He felt people needed more drama in their faith.
Have you heard of the Toronto Blessing? Nope.
Started in the '90s in a church near Toronto Airport.
Practitioners claim they can cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues.
Hendry and some of our members were seduced by it.
Like, uh, Sam and Lori-Ann Dufoy? Sam was.
He and Lori-Ann are good people.
We were sorry to see them go.
You think Father Hendry's a fraud? He doesn't hold rattlesnakes in one hand and the collection box in the other if that's what you mean.
He may be deluded, but he's sincere.
Does Rev.
Hendry always wear this ring? Yes.
It was his grandfather's.
This mark was on Jamie's body.
See the partial initials, J.
O.
? Well, my initials are L.
H.
But it's your ring.
The initials belong to your granddaddy, Jackson Ormont.
Where's the ring, Father? I don't wear it anymore.
We talked to the people that prayed for Jamie that night.
They said you were callin' to the Lord, battlin' with Satan.
His demons were powerful.
I had to fight them.
You held him so tight the ring left an impression on his flesh.
I was healing him.
You crushed the life out of him.
No! You killed him.
God forgive me.
I was only trying to help the boy.
L I I must have held him too tight.
L I saw the mark my ring had made.
I took it off.
I'm so sorry.
About to take him to booking.
Put him in the cage.
I think you better talk to Warner first.
We've got microscopic cotton fibers.
I found them in Jamie's lungs and stomach.
Along with these: Traces of toluene diisocyanate polyol and pentabromodiphenyl oxide: Your basic foam rubber and fire retardant.
So he was smothered with a cushion? Or a cheap pillow.
Okay.
Somebody holds a pillow over Jamie's face.
The kid fights, and bites right through the case and into the foam.
Yeah, but the parishioners didn't say anything about a pillow.
That's because Jamie wasn't smothered at the church.
How do you know that? See how clear and deep the impression is? That wouldn't have happened with living skin.
His flesh had started to swell and become waxy.
Jamie was already dead.
At least an hour before this mark was made.
You know, I I don't know what you think you're gonna find here.
We'll let you know soon as we find it.
Pillow case is clean, no tears.
When's your husband coming back? Soon.
He's out making Jamie's funeral arrangements.
Look like teeth marks? Mmm-hmm.
Check this out.
Blood? No, it couldn't be.
Jamie must have spilled his chocolate milk or something.
Look, do you really think we would hurt him? He was like our own son.
We need to get this to the lab, see if they can ID it.
Pillow case.
Found it in the trash.
Tear marks.
Check it against the bite marks on that.
W- what's going on? Perfect match.
We just found your murder weapon.
Jamie was sleeping when I took him to the church.
He was already dead when he got there, Sam.
No, no.
After one of his fits, it's like he's in a coma.
B- but he always wakes up.
He couldn't wake up.
He'd been suffocated with a pillow.
That's impossible.
I'd never hurt Jamie.
Then why are there bite marks on his pillow and pillowcase? Because Jamie is an epileptic.
When he's having a seizure, he goes crazy.
He'll bite anything within reach.
That doesn't explain the fragments of foam and fiber in his lungs.
I don't believe you.
What do you think these are? That pillow was pressed so hard against Jamie's face, he inhaled this stuff.
No.
Come on, Sam.
The kid was running wild.
You were at the end of your rope.
You put that pillow over his face, you held it there till he stopped movin'.
Stop! I loved Jamie.
No, you killed him.
Then you took him to the church to cover it up.
No.
I know my husband.
He would never do anything like this.
We dumped your phone.
Sam called you at your store at 11:00.
Why? He said Jamie was out of control.
Did you go home? I couldn't.
I had customers.
I told Sam to stay calm, that I would be there as soon as I could.
Let it out, Sam.
You'll feel better.
I just wanted him to sleep.
Just be still for a while.
But then he stopped moving.
So you took him to the priest.
Father Hendry woke him up before.
I thought he could do it again.
Sam, don't say anything else.
We're getting a lawyer.
Baby, I tried so hard not to hurt him.
I'm sorry.
Oh, God, I'm sorry.
Father Hendry didn't know Jamie was already dead? Sam lied.
Told him the kid had a fit and was all wrung out.
After a grand mal seizure, epileptics can go into a semi-comatose state.
It's called postictal shock.
Sam's brought Jamie to the church like that before.
Father Hendry thinks he can wake him up again.
Jamie's birth mother just arrived.
This woman is gonna blow.
Anything I can tell her? Yeah.
You've caught her son's killer and I'm arraigning him for murder.
Why didn't anybody tell me what those monsters did to my son? We tried calling you.
Then why did I have to find out about it over the television? My own little son.
Didn't ACS contact you? How do you think this all got started? Who the hell do you think took Jamie from me and put him with those freaks? If you have any information about the Dufoys, we'd like to hear it.
He said that they hurt him.
He begged me to let him come home.
Did you report that to ACS? Yes, I did.
But do you think that bitch did anything about it? You mean Mariel Plummer? Yeah, her.
My son's poor, dead little body is at her door.
She's gonna pay for it.
And ACS is gonna pay for it.
The city is gonna pay for it.
That's not gonna bring Jamie back.
Have you ever lost a child? You think this is about money? Unfortunately, it does seem to be about money.
Tamara Semple's got convictions for credit card fraud and shoplifting.
Doesn't take away her right to be angry.
She loses custody of Jamie and he ends up dead.
Kid might not have been much safer with his real mama.
ACS removed Jamie after his little sister drowned in the bathtub.
Where was Tamara? Talkin' on the phone.
Courts ruled it was an accidental death, but ACS did a precautionary removal of Jamie.
This woman's kid dies in foster care, the first thing she sees is a big, fat settlement.
What about her allegations the Dufoys hurt Jamie? If they did, ACS could be found liable.
Which would weaken our case against Sam Dufoy.
We should check it out.
Wouldn't be the first lawsuit that Tamara Semple brought against ACS.
Of course, none of them succeeded.
She told us Jamie complained that the Dufoys physically abused him.
He never said a word to me about abuse.
Sam and Lori-Ann were good parents.
Good parents don't kill their kids.
You have to understand how difficult a child like Jamie could be.
Sam probably snapped.
Did you ever see any evidence that Sam was unstable? No.
On my home visits, Jamie was happy, clean, and very fond of both Lori-Ann and Sam.
Sam work? He stays home, looks after Jamie.
Lori-Ann brought in the money.
Sam and Lori-Ann were married young.
He was a college basketball star.
About to be drafted into the NBA, When a knee injury put an end to the dreams.
Excuse me.
Tutuola.
Lori-Ann stuck by him.
I make it my business to know about my foster families.
This is Jamie's file.
You can take it.
I'm afraid I can't take it without getting a subpoena first.
Sure.
It's here when you need it.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Crime lab.
They said they've got somethin' they want us to hear.
I checked Sam's LUDS.
A half-hour before he called Lori-Ann at the store, he also called the Child Abuse Hotline.
And all the Hotline calls are recorded.
That's right.
Hello? Hello? Child Abuse Hotline.
Can I help you? Yeah.
It's my foster kid.
I can't deal with him any more.
Jamie, cut that out! You got to help me here.
Sir, are you reporting an incident of child abuse? No, no, nothing like that.
Is this child in danger at this moment? No, he's just out of control.
Sir, if it's an emergency, call 911.
Otherwise, you should call your ACS case worker.
I have called.
She never answers.
I want help, you hear? I want him out of my house.
Sir, I'll take your information and pass it to Child Protective Services.
They'll contact you within 24 hours.
Had he called his case worker? Well, LUDS show four calls to Mariel Plummer's ACS office the day Jamie died.
Did she talk to him? Can't say.
No call was shorter than 20 seconds which means Sam either had a conversation with her, or left a message.
It's funny how Mariel didn't tell us any of this.
I'll put a rush on the subpoena.
You get a hold of all Mariel's case files, see what else she forgot to tell us.
Mariel's records seem to show she was doing her job.
Visited Jamie every month.
But see those dates? They're the same.
Yeah.
Which means all the records were either generated or altered on the same date.
Which happens to be yesterday.
What are you doing? I gave you everything you need.
We were just admiring you writing up six months worth of records in only one day.
I was checking them because of the subpoena.
I didn't alter a thing.
I'm afraid the log date only changes if an alteration is made.
I was probably tidying things up.
It's impossible to keep track of all the paperwork.
Mariel Plummer, you are under arrest for tampering with public records.
You're arresting me for paperwork? And for reckless endangerment in the death of Jamie Semple.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do or say You've got a problem, Counselor.
Arresting Jamie's social worker makes it harder to convict Sam Dufoy.
He can claim it's her fault.
Asked for help, didn't get it.
And if the jury buys it, Sam could walk.
What're you gonna do? Plead him out? No way.
He killed that kid.
Question is, who do I try first? If I go with Sam and put Mariel on the stand, she can't testify without incriminating herself.
But I don't want to give her immunity.
What's your gut tell you? Get the facts on the record.
Catch the little fish before I go for the big one.
I'll go schedule Mariel's court date.
Casey.
Carolyn.
What are you doing here? Representing Mariel Plummer.
I trust you've had second thoughts about persecuting her.
No.
You seriously intend to clog up the courts to try someone on a couple of clerical errors? Not errors, deliberate falsifications designed to conceal the fact she recklessly endangered a child.
My client was deceived by a nutcase who murdered a kid, then asked a voodoo priest to bring him back to life.
But let's deal.
A year's probation for falsifying the official record, you drop all other charges.
No, thanks.
She takes a felony plea, guilty of reckless endangerment.
Motion to dismiss the endangerment charge on constitutional grounds.
What are you talking about? You're forgetting your Fourteenth Amendment, Casey.
See you at the hearing.
The Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment does not require a state agency to protect its citizens from private violence.
Therefore, there's no case against my client.
That ruling also says that a state agency isn't required to protect its citizens against violence and other mishaps that are, I quote, "Not attributable to the conducts of its employees.
" But Jamie Semple's death is at least partly attributable to Mariel Plummer's negligence.
Ms.
Maddox, your own case law seems to help Ms.
Novak.
She's misreading what the Justices had in mind.
If the criminal court finds my client culpable for Jamie's death, then who's next? Police officers who fail to prevent a homicide? Firefighters who don't save someone from being burned? Your Honor, that's a reach.
Many courts have ruled that a child in foster care is analogous to a prisoner in state custody, and state officials like Ms.
Plummer are not only liable for harm the child suffers, but also for failing to act where there is potential for harm.
I'm sorry, Ms.
Maddox, I agree with Ms.
Novak's reading of the law.
Your client must stand trial.
When you called the Child Abuse Hotline the night Jamie died, you said you tried to contact your case worker, Mariel Plummer.
How many times? Four times that day.
Another three times the week before.
Did she ever return any of those calls? No.
Why were you calling her? Because I was havin' a hard time copin' with Jamie.
What could Mariel have done? If she'd called back or visited, she would have seen that Jamie was out of control and how I was strugglin'.
Then none of this would have happened.
Thank you.
Why not call 911? What do you mean? You said you were scared you couldn't cope with Jamie.
Why not call 911 as the operator suggested? I don't know.
Or take Jamie to the emergency room, or call a neighbor, or do anything? I thought I could handle him.
How? By smothering him with a pillow? Objection! Only goes to credibility, Your Honor.
The jury has a right to know that this witness is facing criminal charges in the death of his foster son, and therefore has an excellent motive to lie.
I'll allow it.
The witness will respond.
Did you suffocate Jamie with a pillow? I assert my Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.
Nothing further.
How long have you been a social worker? About 18 years.
And why did you become one? I wanted to help people.
Make a difference in a small way.
I'm sure there are many people who are very grateful to you.
Frankly, I doubt that.
I usually show up when a family is in crisis.
I'm the one who has to say to the mom: "Why are your kid's clothes dirty? Why did your kids miss school?" Worse than that, I'm the one that has to remove the kids if there's any suspicion of abuse or neglect.
Have you ever been threatened? Usually just verbal abuse.
I've been mugged three times, chased out of apartments with knives.
L I work in pretty rough areas.
And you keep coming back? Someone has to look out for the kids.
Then what went wrong with Jamie? I made a mistake.
I thought that Lori-Ann and Sam were good foster parents and that Jamie was safe.
You never thought he was in danger? No.
And I had what I thought were more urgent cases.
And I was giving all my attention to them.
I was wrong.
I'll never be able to forgive myself.
Thank you.
You say you didn't think Jamie was in danger, but Sam Dufoy had called, left messages.
Didn't that warn you? The messages said that Jamie was acting up and that Sam wanted to talk.
It didn't sound urgent.
He called four times the day Jamie died.
How much more urgent can it get? I thought Jamie was safe.
You had no idea what was going on in the Dufoy house.
You hadn't visited in months.
You'd forgotten all about Jamie.
No, I cared about him.
Then why not return Sam's calls? Because I was out of the office till late working on another case.
But you cared about Jamie.
Why was that other case so much more important? A father returned home from prison.
He beat his wife to death with a hammer.
Then he killed himself in front of his two children.
That's what I was working on.
That's why I didn't return Sam's call.
I made a terrible mistake, but don't accuse me of not caring.
No further questions.
The social worker's job.
Poorly paid and usually thankless.
They work in the most deprived and violent parts of our cities where they can be assaulted, raped, even murdered.
Burnout's common.
Many don't last five years.
Mariel Plummer has worked for 18.
When Jamie died, she had nearly 20 cases.
The recommended case load is 12.
This tragedy isn't Mariel's fault.
It's the fault of an overburdened system: Too few case workers, too few dollars, too many children in need.
Out of grief and panic after Jamie's death, Mariel altered her official records.
She admits it.
She's sorry for it.
Find her guilty on that charge.
Not on the charge of endangering Jamie's life.
Jamie slipped through a crack in the system.
Blame the system.
Blame the man who killed Jamie, but don't blame the social worker.
Mariel Plummer was the crack in the system.
She was the one person whose job it was to look out for Jamie.
And she failed to do her job.
L- If she'd made any one of the visits she fraudulently claimed to have made or returned any one of the phone calls, Jamie would be alive.
She turned her back on him.
That is child endangerment.
This time you must blame the social worker.
Find Mariel guilty, and send a message to her and to her supervisors, and to the city, and to the state that the death of even one child is unacceptable.
Verdict in already? Guilty on the record tampering, not guilty on child endangerment.
Why not? Maddox played the jury like a violin.
Mariel was under intolerable pressure, she made an understandable mistake.
They bought it.
Well, at least when you try Sam Dufoy, he won't be able to blame Mariel.
Unless I blow that trial, too.
Someone's gotta be held accountable for that poor kid's death.
I may have something.
Clear evidence of abuse from the Dufoy apartment.
Why'd it take so long? Sample had to work its way from Criminalistics to Serology.
Remember the stain on Jamie's bed? It's blood.
Lab finally ID'd the object that made it.
A cheese grater.
Serology found skin cells and cheese fragments.
Somebody dragged a cheese grater across the kid's skin? How old is the blood stain? At most a few days.
Otherwise the blood would have oxidized completely.
But Jamie didn't have any other marks on him.
That's because it wasn't Jamie's blood.
It's from a female.
Mom? Wrong blood group.
And from the low levels of the hormones FSH and LH in her blood, this female is in early puberty.
The Dufoys had a girl in that apartment? Then where the hell is she? Go talk to Mariel.
See if she made another "understandable mistake".
What do you want? Aren't you done harassing me? Don't kid yourself, lady, you got off light.
I lost my job, my pension.
I've been crucified by the press, I get threatening phone calls.
I don't have time for your self-pity.
Where's the other foster kid that was stayin' in the Dufoy's apartment? What are you talking about? Jamie was their only child.
You you saw my records.
Your records don't mean a damn thing.
Forensics says there was another girl there.
What forensics? The girl's blood.
Sam Dufoy sliced her up with a cheese grater.
Oh, my God.
I had no idea.
Why didn't I go to that apartment? I'm so so sorry.
Yeah, I bet you are.
Just tell me where she is and how I can find her.
I don't know.
Hello? Just leave me alone! Give me this.
Who the hell are you callin' a bitch? This is the police.
Ring this number again, we're gonna come bust in your damn door, believe that.
Mariel.
Okay, okay, okay.
Put the gun down, come on.
Please put down the gun.
I've saved thousands of children, and I'll only be remembered for one.
No! You didn't have to do this.
Single shot to the chest, point blank.
That should be a quick job for you.
Thanks.
Are you okay? Hey, I'm cool.
I know.
But are you okay? Yeah.
You gonna shrink me, too? No.
You need me, you'll holler.
Yeah, I do.
To get over to ACS.
See what you can find on a foster kid.
A girl staying with the Dufoys.
Mariel Plummer didn't know who she was? If she had checked on Jamie, she would have.
But, um, I told her about the blood stain, that's when she shot herself.
Where are you going? I'm going to go get cleaned up.
Then I'm going to pay Sam Dufoy a visit.
I don't know what you're talkin' about.
People who say that usually mean they do.
There was no girl livin' with us.
You're a liar.
You cut her and left her blood and skin on the bed.
What's her name? He told you, he doesn't know.
You kill her, too? Like you killed Jamie? Guard, we're through here.
Is she alive? What'd you do with her? Where the hell is she? That bastard didn't give me a thing.
What about Lori-Ann? She'll just come out with the "Sam's a good man" crap.
Got anything? Yep.
ACS have no record of any other kids being placed with Sam Dufoy.
So I got them to check under Lori-Ann's maiden name.
Four kids were placed with Lori-Ann Watkins in the last two years, all from Freshfields Private Foster Home.
Is one of them our girl? Last kid was placed with Lori-Ann six months ago, but ran away a couple of weeks later.
Her name is Megan Rose.
Why the hell did ACS only hear about this now? ACS says they never got the report Megan was missing.
Freshfields insists they sent it.
While they're playing pass the buck, Megan could be dead.
John, find out why this foster agency went on sendin' kids to a woman who kept on losin' them.
Fin.
I'm haulin' her ass in.
Yeah, of course I know Megan.
She ran away a week after being placed with us.
I'm afraid she was incorrigible.
And that just slipped your mind? It was six months ago.
I'm sorry, it didn't seem relevant.
What about Stacey Dean, Isiah Simpson, Nyal Iwa? They incorrigible, too? Yes.
They've been in the foster care system their entire lives.
Sam was a great dad.
Even he couldn't cope with them.
He take care of them the same way he did Jamie? They ran away! We tried to help these kids, but they didn't wanna be helped.
And I resent your accusations, Detective.
We're not through, lady.
Sit back down.
When these kids went missin', what did you do? I informed the foster care agency.
And they informed ACS? Right.
They gave the file back.
Then why doesn't ACS have the files? Why are you still getting paid? Your bank records show you're still receiving Adoption Assistance Payments for every one of those kids.
It was a computer error.
Four computer errors in a little more than two years? You get $2,000 a month for kids that haven't been in your home in months.
I'm tellin' you, it's a mistake.
You took in runaways, treat them like crap so they'd run away again or did Sam just kill them? No! Nobody else would touch these kids! Well, somebody touched Megan Rose with a cheese grater.
What are you talkin' about? This is Megan Rose's blood, and it damn sure isn't six months old.
She was in your home the week Jamie died.
She see Sam kill him? I swear, Megan was gone.
Or maybe she came back, I don't know.
I work so many hours at the store If she came back, where is she now? You're trying to get me to hurt Sam, but I won't.
Just tell us where Megan is.
I said I don't know! That's Megan.
Remember her now? She was in your home, Sam.
Maybe for a night, maybe for just an hour, but her blood says she was there.
Did you kill her, Sam? Come on, you're already going down for murder.
What've you got to lose? Tell me what happened.
What are you hiding, Sam? Are you trying to protect her? Did she kill Jamie? No! Then help me find her.
She's just a kid.
St.
Columba's.
The psych home? She went crazy.
Megan was brought here three weeks ago.
She was kicking and screaming at the staff, raving about murdered children.
What did you do with her? Diagnosed her as acutely psychotic, with paranoid features.
We sedated her with Haldol, waited for the psychosis to break.
Unfortunately, as soon as the medication wore off, the delusions returned and we had to sedate her again.
How's she doin'? Quieter.
We reduced the dosage.
But her foster agency doesn't want her back.
And I doubt anyone else will, so it looks like she's set for a long stay.
Any chance she was tellin' the truth? No.
She had clearly decompensated.
The foster parent who brought her in told us that she would mutilate herself, and that these psychotic episodes had become increasingly frequent.
The foster parent.
Her name Lori-Ann? Yeah.
Should've listened to Megan.
She was brought here the night her 6-year old foster brother was murdered.
Megan.
My name is Fin.
I'm a cop.
I want to talk to you about Jamie.
Get away from me.
I know he's dead.
Megan, get back into bed.
You stay out of this.
No.
Get away from me! Leave me alone! I'm not gonna hurt you.
Yes, you are.
You're trying to trick me.
You're gonna stick me with needles.
No, I'm not.
I know you're telling the truth.
I know who cut your face.
She said I was crazy.
You're not crazy.
You saw what happened to Jamie.
Tell me.
That night, were you in Jamie's room? Yes.
Was Sam? No.
Who was it? I can't, I can't.
I promise.
No one will hurt you.
Who was it? Lori-Ann.
Tell me what happened, baby.
Jamie was crying and crying, and then he just stopped.
So I went into his room and I saw her.
She was covering his face with the pillow, screaming, "Shut up, shut up!" He was fighting, but he just wasn't strong enough.
Then he just stopped moving.
Come on.
Where are you taking her? Away from this place.
I've got good news.
We found Megan.
Yeah, that is good news.
Is she okay? Yeah, she's doin' fine.
That's pretty slick.
Hidin' a murder witness in a loony bin, tellin' them she was a psycho.
Yeah, well, obviously the girl is disturbed.
She's not that disturbed.
She told me what happened.
Says she saw you kill Jamie.
Well, she's lying.
Who do you think a jury's gonna believe? Me or some teenage delinquent? After they see how you cut her face, I think they're gonna believe her.
She cut herself, okay? She's psychotic.
And Jamie smothered himself, too? No.
My loser husband did that.
And I've heard enough.
I'm goin' home.
Sam? W- what are you doin' here? I watched you through that window.
You told me it was an accident.
You did it.
You confessed.
No! I could never have hurt Jamie.
I wanted him to be our son! You killed him.
Don't you do this to me, Sam.
I'm not gonna protect you any more.
Protect me? You never protected me! You promised me everything and you gave me nothing.
I wasted my life on you! I loved you, Lori-Ann.
I believed your lies.
I let you hurt those kids.
You weak son of a bitch! You don't give a damn about anyone.
Lori-Ann Dufoy, you are under arrest for the murder of Jamie Semple.
You have the right to remain silent.
You have the right to an attorney.
You okay? I'm cool.