Law & Order Special Victims Unit s07e18 Episode Script
Venom
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.
Second straight month nights.
My old lady's leaving me for sure.
Then keep her fresh batteries, man.
Just stay put.
Batteries? Yeah, you know, that small appliance she keeps under her pillow.
Bigger and better than you.
Come on, Kurtz.
I'm just squeezing your tea bag, man.
Hey, wait a second.
Check it out.
Police! Hold it right there! - What are you doing out here? - Nothing illegal.
You're digging up a dirt lot in the middle of the night.
We need some ID and a damn good explanation or we're taking your ass in.
On what charge? / You know the drill.
Assume the position! Got anything on you, huh? Doesn't hurt much.
Well, it will.
Thanks for coming.
I didn't know who else to call.
What about Fin? My father's not an option.
You're being charged with drunk and disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.
- That's a felony, Ken.
- They're lying.
They're lying? They're claiming that you attacked them with a shovel.
One cop slammed me into a fence.
He, he lost his footing and went down.
His partner thought I pushed him.
Next thing I know, I'm getting wailed on with, with a flashlight.
And I I wasn't drunk.
I had a couple drinks earlier.
That's all.
Did you have a shovel? Yes.
Why? Ken, what were you doing in that lot in the middle of the night with a shovel? Look, if you're not gonna tell me, then I can't help you.
Okay.
Guard.
I was looking for something.
What? A body.
We're trying to get the charges vacated.
Elliot and Olivia are talking to Ken now.
There's nothing you can do.
- Get outta my way.
- You're not going in there.
That's my son in there, captain.
Why didn't you call me? Because he didn't want us to.
He's over 18 and he's in a lot of trouble.
You plan on making it worse? I plan on asking him what the hell he was doing looking for a body.
When you should be asking him, why he called Olivia instead of you? That's a separate issue and trust me, I will address that.
No doubt with your usual diplomacy.
What goes on between me and my son is none of your damn business.
But it is mine! And right now, all I wanna know is whose body it is, where it is, and who put it there.
You mind if I listen in? He's got a few bruises.
He'll be sore, but he'll live.
And the arresting officers are getting looked at, so don't make trouble.
Let's back up, Ken.
Just start at the beginning.
I was having drinks with my cousin, Darius, in some dive bar around 9 when I overheard this guy talking about how he'd killed some woman a couple years ago and got away with it.
He said he, he raped her with a knife and buried the body in the vacant lot.
What bar? The Deuce.
On 129th and Lenox.
Did you know the guy? No.
Ken, you're a smart guy.
So explain to us why you go body hunting in the middle of the night based on what some stranger says in a bar.
I mean, that doesn't add up.
The way he talked, it sounded real to me.
You know, he said the lot was by the park.
I remember that one being semi-secluded.
- I had to know.
- So why didn't you go to the police? I didn't think they'd believe me.
You don't.
Could you describe the guy? Black.
Mid-20s.
Uh, under six feet.
Medium build.
Puffy jacket.
Uh, blue jeans, white t-shirt.
Okay, did he have any distinguishing marks like tattoos, or scars, anything like that? - No.
- Catch his name? Did you ask anyone else in the bar whether they knew him? Did you hear him call any of his friends by name? Not that I remember.
So even if you had found a body, you wouldn't have been able to lead us to the killer.
Is that your story, Ken? What's your problem? I, I'm trying to cooperate.
I don't even know if what he said was true.
You practically treated my kid like anybody off the street.
Why don't you believe him? His body language is all over the place.
Think he was trying to protect somebody? Or himself.
That story was too soft.
He didn't think it through.
If he put a body out there, Elliot, why dig it up? New construction's going on all over this city.
Maybe he wanted to move it before some contractor found it.
Well, without a murder victim this is pure conjecture.
Fine, look, dig up the lot.
See if there's anything under there.
Till we know who we're looking for I can't authorize it.
Check the files first for possible victims against Ken's statement.
Wait a minute, you're saying my son's not only a liar, he's a murderer too.
Look, I don't know, but you're the first to admit you really don't know him.
Like you know yours, right? Tell me, is your daughter still driving drunk, or has she moved up to something stronger? / All right.
Next thing you know, she's gonna be swinging off a pole.
/ Hey! Elliot, Elliot! Walk it off.
Now! That's enough.
You focus on your son.
The interview's over.
Get him home.
And talk to his cousin, Darius.
See if he heard the same story.
Captain? You really think Ken's involved in a murder? I think he's lying.
I wanna know why.
APARTMENT OF TERESA RANDALL 167 WEST 131ST STREET WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8 Oh, my god.
What happened to you? It's not a big deal, mom.
Yes, it is.
He got pinched on a class C felony and two misdemeanors.
For what? What do we need to do? Why are you asking him? I can handle this myself.
Yeah.
Looks like you got it covered.
I'm going to bed.
That look doesn't work on me anymore.
Our son was beaten and arrested and you couldn't pick up a phone? I just found out myself.
I'm looking for Darius.
You know where I can find him? What he's got to do with this? What, something I should know? Darius is poison and always will be.
Of course you were never around much, and that hasn't changed.
You still ain't pulling any punches.
When I was working undercover, I warned you I'd be gone a lot.
You weren't gone a lot.
You were just gone.
I must have been around sometime, or is Ken not my son? I see your lips moving, but I still haven't heard why he was in jail.
Ask him, it might not have been an issue if he had to use my last name.
If you haven't heard, sperm donors don't get parental rights.
/ Cool.
Just tell me where Darius is and I'm gone.
Al's auto body on Frederick Douglass.
Terry's nephew right there.
It's been a long time, Fin.
Detective Munch.
Darius Parker.
Nice sculpture.
Yeah, you know, I dabble a little bit.
But I know you all not here to discuss any art.
Fin here's not for the small talk.
Were you with Ken last night? Yeah, we had a few at the Deuce last night.
Left around midnight.
Did he tell you where he was going? Figured home, just like me.
- Is something wrong? - He seem upset? Man, you know he's always twisting over something, man.
His grades, his beef with you.
Being gay.
It's just the way he is.
You hear anyone talk about a murder? No.
Why? Your cousin claims he did.
He was digging for a body when the cops pinched him.
What? That's crazy.
He didn't discuss going treasure hunting with you? There's no way I would have let him if he had.
Besides, man, the Deuce is a thug bar.
I wouldn't be surprised to find a killer or two up in it.
There's a lot of places to drink, why go there? Look, Fin, I'm straight, man.
I'm not like I used to be at all.
No matter what Terry says.
You got a sheet? Burglary, assault, narcotics.
But it's all ancient history.
Okay, there's one open burglary charge.
But I didn't do it.
- I couldn't have.
- And why is that? 'Cause I was robbing somebody else.
It's a joke, fellas.
Lighten up.
I'm not in the game anymore.
Rikers straightened you out? You know that gated community doesn't do rehab, man.
I did it for myself.
If I don't care about me nobody will.
Well, you may wanna sit Ken down and explain that to him, 'cause right now I can't reach him.
You went pretty hard at Fin.
I only called it like I saw it.
Did you know Ken Randall has a file in the juvenile system? No.
I knew there was something off with that kid.
I got a hit off cars.
Either Fin's covering for him, or he doesn't know.
- What are the charges? - It's sealed.
I got a request in.
Ken lied to us, Olivia.
You and I both know that.
Kids lie.
Even yours.
Whether you live with them full time or not.
How are we doing on potential murder victims? We have two possibles.
A 27-year old woman went missing from her work two years ago.
A car was left abandoned.
- Any blood in her apartment or vehicle? - Uh-uh.
Well, if this guy raped her with a knife, there'd be blood and a lot of it.
Which leads us to Nina Stansfield.
Disappeared three years ago from their apartment.
Doesn't fit Ken's statement either.
He never mentioned a baby.
Well, listen to this.
Approximately seven pints of blood belonging to the victim were left at the scene, along with a bloody four-inch knife with an engraved hilt.
And the lab found vaginal epithelials on the blade.
There's foreign DNA on the carpet.
And although it didn't match her husband, Steven, he's still the prime suspect.
Let me guess, he has a history of domestic violence.
Three DV calls six months before she disappeared.
Have Munch check with the husband.
See if he frequents the Deuce.
APARTMENT OF STEVEN STANSFIELD 77 WEST 128TH STREET WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8 I didn't kill my wife.
I know you don't believe that.
Nobody does.
But I didn't do it.
According to your neighbors, Mr.
Stansfield, you and your wife didn't get along.
Yeah, we had a lot of problems.
And yes, we fought.
But I didn't hate her or my son, So why is it you people still think I'm guilty? There's no way I would have hurt my wife and child.
Who else could have done it? I don't know.
I'd never seen so much blood.
And even though there was no body, they tell me that Nina's dead.
That she couldn't have survived it.
But where is my son? The police will not tell me a thing.
But they sure as hell talked to my in-laws, my boss, my friends, and labeled me a killer.
Did you ever have problems with anyone? Nothing serious.
Arguments with sitters.
About their boyfriend, talking on the phone too much.
I couldn't afford sitters in the first place, but she just had to go out.
Go out where? Happy hour.
Dinners with her friends.
I don't know.
Reliving her single glory days.
Was she cheating on you? According to the police, it's why I killed her.
How could I possibly know something like that when I was always at work so she could be at home with the baby? You ever go to a bar called the Deuce? No.
I'm not welcome in that neighborhood.
So I have to do my drinking at home.
Speaking of which, do you mind? I'd like to get started.
Husband's a wreck, captain.
We'll pull the murder book and go back over the canvass.
That's not necessary.
Ken Randall is now a viable suspect in the Stansfield homicide.
I've already started a file and authorized an excavation for the lot for tomorrow morning.
Were you aware your son was charged with sexual assault of a neighborhood girl when he was 16? / No.
Charges were dropped when the girl recanted.
You ever think she might have changed her story 'cause she lied to the police? Well, I intend to find out.
Do I need to remind you to stay hands off during this investigation? No, sir.
Five-year-old vacated charge is a reach, captain.
What's the motive? Where's the connection between Fin's son and the victim? Proximity.
Ken Randall and his mother used to live in the building across the street from the crime scene.
But since your partner already knows that, I guess lying runs in the family.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Why would you hide something like that? I'm trying to protect my son.
From what? You think he did this? I think if you can make a case against him, it won't matter whether he did it or not.
Nobody in my department cuts corners or goes for an easy close.
And that's your opinion, captain.
And for your son's sake, you better be grateful it's the only one that matters.
Body part! So how many people are actually down there? We found three so far, with additional body parts I can't account for.
We'll be digging for a while.
You thinking serial killer? It doesn't look like it.
As far as I can tell, they're all male and different races.
No children, and so far, no women.
I'll know more once I get them all back to the morgue.
This is prime real estate if you want somebody to just disappear.
It's not the first time an impromptu graveyard has been found in this city.
A perfect dumping ground for the usual suspects.
- Dirty cops, drug dealers, wise guys.
- It's possible.
But I can't tell you that until I put names to the remains.
They used to just put concrete shoes on people and dump them in the river.
How long is this gonna take? I'll test what I have against the victim's DNA.
But my office is probably gonna be working for weeks, maybe even months trying to figure out who these people are.
I'm looking for just one.
If I find a female victim here, I'll walk her through myself.
Am I the first one here? Munch called.
He's running late.
The sexual assault charge against Ken Randall was bogus.
Apparently, she was a friend.
She tried to have sex with him to prove he wasn't gay.
That always works.
Yeah, Ken pushed her away, and she got bruised.
When her father confronted her, she lied.
/ Some friend.
- Well, she told the truth eventually.
- Captain.
Well, let's hope Ken follows her example.
Hi, I'm captain Cragen, and this is assistant district attorney Novak.
/ Hi.
Theresa Randall.
Is there somewhere I can wait? Uh, there's a lounge upstairs, or you can use my office.
- Thank you.
- We should get started.
Without counsel for the defense? Kathleen Summers.
I'm your lawyer.
And I only have one rule.
You don't speak unless I say so.
- Are we clear? - Yes.
Anytime you're ready.
Come with me, please.
You and I need to talk.
- Talk or yell? - That's up to you.
Do you wanna revise your statement, Ken? - You can answer that.
- No.
You dug up a vacant lot looking for a body from a story you heard in a bar.
You didn't tell us about the baby.
- You left that part out.
- What baby? I didn't hear anything about a kid.
Did you know Nina Stansfield? Don't answer that.
It's innocuous, counselor.
Either he knew the victim, or he didn't.
That's for you to prove, Ms.
Novak.
My client is not going to do your job for you.
Were you ever in the Stansfield apartment? He's not answering that either.
He admitted to police he was looking for a body.
We identified a victim with his lead.
All that was left of her was seven pints of blood, and vaginal cells on the murder weapon.
She was raped with a knife.
Just like Ken said.
This young man had knowledge of the crime and he lived right across the street.
Which is all suggestive.
Not substantive.
Anything else? Ken.
Volunteer a DNA sample and get on with your life.
You're not gonna get that without a court order.
And based on this conversation, no judge will sign it.
You're not doing our son any favors by getting him an attorney.
He's the only suspect in what looks like a double homicide.
- I'm protecting him.
- From what? Fin, he didn't do this, so make him cooperate.
Come on, prison's are filled with innocent people, and we both know what color most of them are.
So you don't trust the people you work with? I don't trust the system.
Not completely.
What you're doing isn't the answer.
He needs direction.
I can't teach him how to be a man by myself, Fin.
So what do you expect me to do? Be his father, not his friend.
He knows more about the situation than he's telling, and he's lying through his teeth.
A man wouldn't do that.
At least not a good one like you.
You looking for something? The Stansfield crime scene photos and sketches.
All you had to do was ask.
All you had to do was pick up the phone.
You have something you want to get off your chest? Yeah, you crossed the line.
When my son contacted you, I should have been the next call.
You think you know what's right for my son better than I do and you don't.
That can't happen again.
Come on.
He asked me for my help.
What did you want me to do? Say no? It's not your place to make decisions for my family, Olivia.
You keep running interference between me and my son, you and I are gonna have a problem.
That wasn't my intention.
I understand.
You're just trying to help.
But my son and I have a lot to work out and we're not gonna get anywhere with you in the way.
You're right.
And I'm sorry.
But I think the real reason you're pissed off is 'cause you're boxed into a corner.
So what's your next move? - There's nothing I need to do.
- Isn't there? I know that Warner's finished with her preliminary findings.
None of those bodies from the lot match the victim.
That tells me Ken didn't do it.
No, it tells you that we can't prove it.
We don't have enough evidence to get a warrant for his DNA.
Do you really want this cloud hanging over your son for the rest of his life? Or don't you want to know? I'm getting looks from cops I've known for years.
The same glare we give to humps in there.
Even if I gotta take the freeze for the duration, I'm not gonna sacrifice my kid for this job ever again.
DNA is only way to exonerate him.
And what if it doesn't? I'm his father.
And you're also a cop.
And no matter how hard you try there's no way to separate the two.
My attorney said not to give you DNA without a subpoena.
And I'm asking you to go with Munch to the lab to volunteer a sample.
It's a chain of evidence issue, otherwise your father would take you himself.
What, your cop friends need proof I'm not a killer, or is it you? It's not them.
You're my son.
I love you.
But a woman's dead, her son's gone, her husband's destroyed.
That's gotta mean something to you.
I need you to decide right now what kind of man you want to be.
I've got your son's lab results.
Is it a match? I know it's not.
It's both.
The killer's DNA found at the crime scene and your son's specimen have the same mitochondria.
You're saying they're related? Darius, Ken's cousin.
- Are they close? - They're tight.
That explains why Ken was trying to protect him.
The killer can't be your son's cousin.
You're looking for his brother.
That's not possible.
My ex-wife never had any other children.
DNA doesn't lie, detective.
Half of these markers contain the same genes carrying the same code in precisely the same sequence.
The killer and your son have the same mother.
How'd you find out? Nobody knows Darius is my son.
Not even Ken.
We checked Ken's DNA against what was left at the crime scene.
- You should have told me.
- It happened before I met you.
- So why'd you give him up? - He had to go somewhere.
He certainly couldn't stay with me.
I was 16 and his father was a bastard.
You don't know what he did to me.
Darius looks just like him.
I guess he's starting to act like him too.
So why not put him up for adoption? Why give him to your mother to raise? I didn't give her anything.
She took.
You knew her.
She wouldn't allow blood out of the family.
Where's the father now? I don't know.
I hope he's dead.
- What happened to you, Terry? - I will not I won't talk about that.
Not to you.
Not to anyone.
Well, maybe that's the real problem.
You don't know what it's like to have to look at someone that has the face of someone you hate! Every time he came over to see Ken.
Every time he came to family functions, it made me sick.
I can't stand to look at Darius.
Even now.
Does Darius know you're his mother? I don't see how.
My mother's been dead three years, and nobody else in my family would tell him.
- Interesting family dynamic.
- Damn freak show.
We belong in one of your textbooks with the rest of the fruit loops.
The day is still young.
So what's our next move? Pick up Darius.
Put him in the room.
Given his priors, I'd rather have more ammunition.
You think we need a confession? What he said to someone else is hearsay and is inadmissible.
And I can't put the knife in his hand.
Wait a minute.
The infant is the key.
Darius confessed to your son that he raped a woman with a knife.
He admitted to taking her body and burying it.
- So why leave out the second victim? - It bothers him.
Given his maternal history, I think he was identifying with the child.
Abandoned by a mother who didn't want him.
- But why kill the baby? - Self loathing.
He's a reject.
A pariah that not even a mother could love.
Darius may have thought that he was saving the boy the pain of living.
Yeah, that makes sense if he found out Terry was his mother.
But how would he have known? Your ex was pretty adamant that didn't happen.
Yeah, she sees what she wants to see.
Her mother died three years ago from cancer.
I'm thinking a death bed confession to her grandson.
That's around the same time the victim and her toddler went missing.
Were there any baby items missing from the apartment? Nothing's listed.
The suspect had a relationship with the victim.
Removing the body was an act of concealment.
A stranger doesn't do that.
We need to know how Darius knew her.
He spent a lot of time with Ken hanging out in the neighborhood back then.
If he just found out who his mother really was, the tiniest conflict with the victim could have set him off.
Especially if Nina Stansfield was a bad mother.
A surrogate for all the rage he felt for your ex-wife.
Talk to the husband.
See if he can make an ID.
Mr.
Stansfield, we found a potential suspect in your wife's murder.
We need you to look at some photos.
You recognize anyone, Mr.
Stansfield? Just tell me which one he is.
I will sign my name.
- Doesn't work like that.
- Please! You told police some items were taken from your home.
Were any of your son's things among them? A rattle.
It was antique.
Passed down through my wife's family.
Was it silver? Engraved? Any distinctive marks? It was wooden.
Hand-crafted by one of her great, great relatives.
The family wanted it back, but I couldn't find it.
I just figured it was lost.
We're gonna need you to give us a detailed description.
Will a photograph of my son holding it do? APARTMENT OF DARIUS PARKER 120 WEST 133RD STREET FRIDAY, MARCH 10 Gentlemen, let's try not to make a complete mess.
Talented guy.
What a waste.
- Find any baby items? - Nothing yet.
Place is not that big, Judy.
Well, we can always use an extra pair of hands.
Fin.
The good news is we found the rattle hidden in one of Darius' sculptures.
And the bad news? We took it to processing, but after three years, the lab rats don't think they can find any DNA of the Stansfield baby.
Pick him up anyway.
He'll just say he found it or the victim gave it to him.
You got a better idea? Darius confessed to my son.
I think he's ripe to give it up with a soft touch.
What do you have in mind? Looks like you talked to your mother.
I won't help you put my brother in prison.
I'm only here to support Darius.
Something he never got from any of you.
- Terry's had it rough.
- Hey, don't defend her.
Darius is her son and she threw him away.
Well, you took a big risk protecting him.
You should have come to me first.
I didn't trust you.
For the longest time he's all I had.
No demands, no judgments.
Especially when I came out.
You weren't around.
If you wanna support him, that's fine.
But, you need to remember he killed a woman and took a child.
And I need to know where that baby is now.
This your work? This yours? What do you want from me, man? I just want the truth.
How long have you known Terry was your mother? Too long.
Grandma told me.
When she was hopped up on that morphine.
And begging for forgiveness.
Would have been better if she took that secret to her grave.
Darius, it's not your fault.
Hey, tell me something, man! Why you and not me, huh? What's so damn special about you? Nothing.
Well, then I guess it's not your fault either.
Ken doesn't think you meant to kill her.
I knew you couldn't keep your mouth shut.
I didn't tell anyone! Don't sweat it.
It's probably why I told you in the first place.
I got sober.
I changed.
I couldn't live with that guilt not one more day of my life.
I wanna believe that.
You're very important to my son, but I won't help you unless you come clean.
What do you wanna know? Gotta take you down to the precinct.
I can't take your confession.
Why not? 'Cause you're my family.
You understand your rights as they've been read to you? - It's not like I'm new to this.
- Answer the question, Darius.
I understood my rights when I got pinched on that trumped-up burglary charge, and I understand them now.
Got a court date next week, but I guess it doesn't matter.
You ready? Let's do this.
How did you know the victim, Nina Stansfield? I had a girl back then used to baby-sit her kid.
What's your girl's name? I don't want her mixed up in this.
We need to corroborate your story.
Then the body should be enough.
I'll take you to them.
You admit you killed Nina Stansfield and her son.
Look, I'm guilty of murder here, so I'm not going to make any excuses, all right? I stabbed her with my knife.
- And then I killed her baby.
- Why? He was just 14 months old, he couldn't identify you.
Whatever I tell you is not gonna change the fact that he's still dead.
So let me get through this.
I took their bodies from the apartment.
I put them in a car and drove them to a vacant lot.
Dug a hole and buried them.
And that's where they've been for the last three years.
Should I write it down now? It's somewhere in here.
I can't be sure.
What made Ken go to the other lot? After I told him what I did he started asking a lot of questions - I wasn't ready to answer.
- So you lied.
Look, I'm already in cuffs.
You wanna make them tighter? Got something.
About three feet down, maybe less.
So be careful.
You did the right thing, Darius.
Yeah.
I'm going to prison for the rest of my life.
You came forward of your own volition, you confessed to your crimes, and you led us to the bodies.
I think the ADA will take that into consideration.
Look, I'm not doing it to get time saved, so don't speak up for me.
No matter how much my brother begs you.
Okay, hold it.
Hold it.
Adult female, age 30, presented with multiple cutting and stabbing wounds.
There's advanced decomposition, but I counted at least 15 on the remaining tissue, mostly defensive cuts on her hands.
There are also strike marks on the radius, rib cage, and pelvis that match the murder weapon.
Which means there had to be a lot of force behind them.
The best I can do without intact organs on COD is exsanguination.
What about the baby? Asphyxia by suffocation.
Despite decomp, I found petechiae in the vitreous fluid and soil in the lungs.
The bastard buried this baby alive.
Heshy.
How can I help you? I represent Darius Parker.
Then I only have one thing to say.
No deal.
I don't recall asking for one.
Then what do you want? Well, a little pleasant conversation wouldn't hurt.
Okay.
How's this? Your client viciously stabbed a young mother.
Then took the body and her breathing, and buried the boy alive.
I'm itching to put a needle in his veins, but I'll settle for life, no parole.
What a moving speech.
Too bad no one'll get to hear it.
Omnibus, Casey.
In limine, motion to suppress, motion to dismiss? CHAMBERS OF JUDGE LOIS PRESTON TUESDAY, MARCH 14 Okay, counselors.
You've got two minutes.
My client's fifth and sixth amendment rights were violated.
The police interrogated him without counsel.
Did he ask for one? No, Darius Parker was read his rights, then he signed a Miranda card.
Sounds pretty straightforward to me.
He told police he had an open case.
I'm the attorney of record.
They conveniently neglected to call me.
Because no one had to.
Texas vs.
Cobb, your honor.
The supreme court ruled that suspects could be questioned on other charges regardless of representation.
In Cobb, the defendant admitted he burglarized the murder victim's home.
- No linkage, no case.
- Hm.
Walk with me.
Darius Parker never asked for an attorney.
Will you stipulate he informed police he had an outstanding burglary charge and a court date? / Yes.
Then my client didn't need to invoke.
The right was implied.
The police should've stopped the interrogation and waited.
It would've cost them nothing but time.
I have to agree with Mr.
Horowitz on this one.
/ But, your honor The police knew the defendant had counsel and they ignored it.
There's been a lot of that going around lately and that disturbs me.
The confession's out.
And so are any fruits borne from it.
The judge threw the confession out.
And my case.
How does a guy walk when he confesses to a double homicide? As soon as the victims' bodies became inadmissible.
And since we can't put either one of them back in the ground and start over, I will never be able to prove that the baby's even dead - or how he got that way.
- Darius knew what he was doing.
The confession, his remorse, the taking us to the burial ground.
- You think it was a setup? - I know it was.
He was looking at five felony counts on two murders.
He let you know he was on the docket so he wouldn't have to spend a day inside.
You think his attorney told him what to say? No one would advise their client to take that kind of risk.
Besides, they're plenty of ex-cons who know the law as well as I do.
There's a lot of law books in prison.
I can still prove Nina Stansfield was murdered without her body from the blood volume at the crime scene.
But without the confession we're back to square one.
Like, it just happened.
So canvass the neighbors, talk to the family, dig into the victim's life.
What about his girlfriend? She used to baby-sit for the Stansfields.
We can't use anything the suspect said in the confession.
Then we get the information through another channel.
You're thinking of your son, aren't you? Well, there's nothing precluding us from going back to the original source.
They've always been close.
Ken'll be able to tell us who Darius was seeing.
CAMPUS ROOM CAFE HUDSON UNIVERSITY TUESDAY, MARCH 14 - Can't do it.
- He belongs in prison, Ken.
Haven't we done enough to him already without me putting the nail in his coffin? Don't you get it? He sold you on a lie.
He's only looking at one count of murder now.
He'll never pay for putting that little baby in the ground.
Why not? / The courts say we got his confession and the bodies illegally.
That means we can't use it at trial.
We gotta say the murder victim's son came up missing the same time she did.
We gotta act like we don't know he's dead because we can't use his body as evidence.
- That's not right.
- Yeah, well, that's the law.
Do you know why he killed her? Look, I know you want to blame this on your mother, and she does have a lot to answer for.
But she did not stab that woman to death and put her baby in a makeshift grave.
That's all on Darius.
What do you wanna know? You ever meet any of Darius' girlfriends? / Yes.
This is a list of the Stansfield babysitters.
You recognize any of the names? Angela Boden.
She was crazy about Darius.
Bought him gifts.
Gave him money.
He wasn't really into her but he liked the way she treated him.
Shame about what happened.
Little Stevie was cute.
Good baby.
Hardly ever cried.
How long did you baby-sit him? About six months.
I couldn't stand his mother.
Why is that? / Nina was stepping out on her old man, but always in my ass about using the phone, and how much food I ate, and who I let in the house.
Old bitch.
I guess I shouldn't speak ill of the dead.
We understand she had a problem with your boyfriend.
It's not like she was totally in the wrong.
Darius did have a temper.
And he got me fired.
- How'd that happen? - I used to tell him how she was.
Always going out and not spending time with the baby.
He saw her out on the street once, called her a bad mother.
- After that, I couldn't have him over.
- But you did anyway.
He was my boyfriend.
I wanted to see him.
- She catch you? - No.
She found his knife in the sofa cushions.
Fired me on the spot.
Told me Darius wasn't getting it back.
He carried a knife? It wasn't like how you're making it sound.
He's an artist.
It was a gift from me for sculpting.
Cost me 100 bucks.
You know how long I had to work to save that kind of money? How did Darius react when he found out his knife was history? How do you think? He went back to get it, but I guess he was too late.
It's kind of ironic.
If she hadn't kept his property, her husband wouldn't have used it to kill her.
We got a signed statement from the girlfriend.
A history of conflict between the victim and the suspect and ownership of the murder weapon.
Add that to his DNA at the crime scene and he's done.
Why didn't the cops question this witness more thoroughly? Tunnel vision.
They liked the husband for it and wouldn't move on.
Happens, Casey.
You have enough to indict, but can we get him on the baby? Not unless I can get him to admit it with his counsel present.
And for that to happen, you'd have to make him a deal.
It would have to be considerable time shaved for him to agree.
And I'm not comfortable doing that.
Even if it means the baby's death goes unacknowledged? And unavenged? With the compelling physical evidence, the witness testimony, the Stansfield baby, your client is going to prison for a very long time.
Don't look so happy.
Hubris isn't attractive.
Especially in women your age.
- Darius, let me handle it.
- Handle what? She can't mention the baby.
It's fruit from the poisonous tree.
I don't need to.
All a jury needs to hear is that a child disappeared when his mother was killed.
- They'll put it together themselves.
- It's doesn't matter.
You can't bring charges against me for the kid.
- It hurts, doesn't it? - Not as much as you'd like.
You're gonna get the maximum on all three charges that you're facing.
I'm thinking life for the murder.
Another 30 for the attempt and the assault.
- I smell a horse trade.
- I'm reluctant, but I'm willing to recommend if your client recounts everything at allocution.
You can't prove intent.
Give us 25 years with a possibility of parole and we might have something to talk about.
No.
We won't.
This is my final offer.
We need the room.
Nobody's going anywhere.
I'm not making any deals.
I want my day in court.
Listen to your mouthpiece and take the damn offer.
Go to hell! Kiss my ass and while you down there, spread them 'cause you about to get done! - This is about the family.
- You damn right it's about the family.
Every last one of you is gonna have to be in that courtroom.
You're gonna have to testify.
Your lives out in the open for everyone to judge.
Same way you all been doing to me since day one.
They gonna know what kind of cop you are, and what kind of husband and father you weren't.
They gonna know all about my brother's sexual habits and his collusion.
And I guarantee once that comes out, everybody's gonna wonder why he's not being charged too.
They gonna think his cop father has friends in your office, Ms.
Novak.
And I hope you have a damn good explanation.
'Cause cover-up makes for a nice headline.
Never mind a no-good mother is dead.
And her poor baby is missing.
Even though the baby's better off.
So yeah, I'm going to prison.
But not for as long as you think.
'Cause once Theresa Randall takes that stand and has to tell the truth? that festering bitch is gonna have to claim me for the first time in her miserable life.
And let's see her shake me after that.
So you wanna bury me? You go right ahead.
'Cause I'm taking you all down with me when you do.
What are you doing here? I came to see what I could do.
Darius
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.
Second straight month nights.
My old lady's leaving me for sure.
Then keep her fresh batteries, man.
Just stay put.
Batteries? Yeah, you know, that small appliance she keeps under her pillow.
Bigger and better than you.
Come on, Kurtz.
I'm just squeezing your tea bag, man.
Hey, wait a second.
Check it out.
Police! Hold it right there! - What are you doing out here? - Nothing illegal.
You're digging up a dirt lot in the middle of the night.
We need some ID and a damn good explanation or we're taking your ass in.
On what charge? / You know the drill.
Assume the position! Got anything on you, huh? Doesn't hurt much.
Well, it will.
Thanks for coming.
I didn't know who else to call.
What about Fin? My father's not an option.
You're being charged with drunk and disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.
- That's a felony, Ken.
- They're lying.
They're lying? They're claiming that you attacked them with a shovel.
One cop slammed me into a fence.
He, he lost his footing and went down.
His partner thought I pushed him.
Next thing I know, I'm getting wailed on with, with a flashlight.
And I I wasn't drunk.
I had a couple drinks earlier.
That's all.
Did you have a shovel? Yes.
Why? Ken, what were you doing in that lot in the middle of the night with a shovel? Look, if you're not gonna tell me, then I can't help you.
Okay.
Guard.
I was looking for something.
What? A body.
We're trying to get the charges vacated.
Elliot and Olivia are talking to Ken now.
There's nothing you can do.
- Get outta my way.
- You're not going in there.
That's my son in there, captain.
Why didn't you call me? Because he didn't want us to.
He's over 18 and he's in a lot of trouble.
You plan on making it worse? I plan on asking him what the hell he was doing looking for a body.
When you should be asking him, why he called Olivia instead of you? That's a separate issue and trust me, I will address that.
No doubt with your usual diplomacy.
What goes on between me and my son is none of your damn business.
But it is mine! And right now, all I wanna know is whose body it is, where it is, and who put it there.
You mind if I listen in? He's got a few bruises.
He'll be sore, but he'll live.
And the arresting officers are getting looked at, so don't make trouble.
Let's back up, Ken.
Just start at the beginning.
I was having drinks with my cousin, Darius, in some dive bar around 9 when I overheard this guy talking about how he'd killed some woman a couple years ago and got away with it.
He said he, he raped her with a knife and buried the body in the vacant lot.
What bar? The Deuce.
On 129th and Lenox.
Did you know the guy? No.
Ken, you're a smart guy.
So explain to us why you go body hunting in the middle of the night based on what some stranger says in a bar.
I mean, that doesn't add up.
The way he talked, it sounded real to me.
You know, he said the lot was by the park.
I remember that one being semi-secluded.
- I had to know.
- So why didn't you go to the police? I didn't think they'd believe me.
You don't.
Could you describe the guy? Black.
Mid-20s.
Uh, under six feet.
Medium build.
Puffy jacket.
Uh, blue jeans, white t-shirt.
Okay, did he have any distinguishing marks like tattoos, or scars, anything like that? - No.
- Catch his name? Did you ask anyone else in the bar whether they knew him? Did you hear him call any of his friends by name? Not that I remember.
So even if you had found a body, you wouldn't have been able to lead us to the killer.
Is that your story, Ken? What's your problem? I, I'm trying to cooperate.
I don't even know if what he said was true.
You practically treated my kid like anybody off the street.
Why don't you believe him? His body language is all over the place.
Think he was trying to protect somebody? Or himself.
That story was too soft.
He didn't think it through.
If he put a body out there, Elliot, why dig it up? New construction's going on all over this city.
Maybe he wanted to move it before some contractor found it.
Well, without a murder victim this is pure conjecture.
Fine, look, dig up the lot.
See if there's anything under there.
Till we know who we're looking for I can't authorize it.
Check the files first for possible victims against Ken's statement.
Wait a minute, you're saying my son's not only a liar, he's a murderer too.
Look, I don't know, but you're the first to admit you really don't know him.
Like you know yours, right? Tell me, is your daughter still driving drunk, or has she moved up to something stronger? / All right.
Next thing you know, she's gonna be swinging off a pole.
/ Hey! Elliot, Elliot! Walk it off.
Now! That's enough.
You focus on your son.
The interview's over.
Get him home.
And talk to his cousin, Darius.
See if he heard the same story.
Captain? You really think Ken's involved in a murder? I think he's lying.
I wanna know why.
APARTMENT OF TERESA RANDALL 167 WEST 131ST STREET WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8 Oh, my god.
What happened to you? It's not a big deal, mom.
Yes, it is.
He got pinched on a class C felony and two misdemeanors.
For what? What do we need to do? Why are you asking him? I can handle this myself.
Yeah.
Looks like you got it covered.
I'm going to bed.
That look doesn't work on me anymore.
Our son was beaten and arrested and you couldn't pick up a phone? I just found out myself.
I'm looking for Darius.
You know where I can find him? What he's got to do with this? What, something I should know? Darius is poison and always will be.
Of course you were never around much, and that hasn't changed.
You still ain't pulling any punches.
When I was working undercover, I warned you I'd be gone a lot.
You weren't gone a lot.
You were just gone.
I must have been around sometime, or is Ken not my son? I see your lips moving, but I still haven't heard why he was in jail.
Ask him, it might not have been an issue if he had to use my last name.
If you haven't heard, sperm donors don't get parental rights.
/ Cool.
Just tell me where Darius is and I'm gone.
Al's auto body on Frederick Douglass.
Terry's nephew right there.
It's been a long time, Fin.
Detective Munch.
Darius Parker.
Nice sculpture.
Yeah, you know, I dabble a little bit.
But I know you all not here to discuss any art.
Fin here's not for the small talk.
Were you with Ken last night? Yeah, we had a few at the Deuce last night.
Left around midnight.
Did he tell you where he was going? Figured home, just like me.
- Is something wrong? - He seem upset? Man, you know he's always twisting over something, man.
His grades, his beef with you.
Being gay.
It's just the way he is.
You hear anyone talk about a murder? No.
Why? Your cousin claims he did.
He was digging for a body when the cops pinched him.
What? That's crazy.
He didn't discuss going treasure hunting with you? There's no way I would have let him if he had.
Besides, man, the Deuce is a thug bar.
I wouldn't be surprised to find a killer or two up in it.
There's a lot of places to drink, why go there? Look, Fin, I'm straight, man.
I'm not like I used to be at all.
No matter what Terry says.
You got a sheet? Burglary, assault, narcotics.
But it's all ancient history.
Okay, there's one open burglary charge.
But I didn't do it.
- I couldn't have.
- And why is that? 'Cause I was robbing somebody else.
It's a joke, fellas.
Lighten up.
I'm not in the game anymore.
Rikers straightened you out? You know that gated community doesn't do rehab, man.
I did it for myself.
If I don't care about me nobody will.
Well, you may wanna sit Ken down and explain that to him, 'cause right now I can't reach him.
You went pretty hard at Fin.
I only called it like I saw it.
Did you know Ken Randall has a file in the juvenile system? No.
I knew there was something off with that kid.
I got a hit off cars.
Either Fin's covering for him, or he doesn't know.
- What are the charges? - It's sealed.
I got a request in.
Ken lied to us, Olivia.
You and I both know that.
Kids lie.
Even yours.
Whether you live with them full time or not.
How are we doing on potential murder victims? We have two possibles.
A 27-year old woman went missing from her work two years ago.
A car was left abandoned.
- Any blood in her apartment or vehicle? - Uh-uh.
Well, if this guy raped her with a knife, there'd be blood and a lot of it.
Which leads us to Nina Stansfield.
Disappeared three years ago from their apartment.
Doesn't fit Ken's statement either.
He never mentioned a baby.
Well, listen to this.
Approximately seven pints of blood belonging to the victim were left at the scene, along with a bloody four-inch knife with an engraved hilt.
And the lab found vaginal epithelials on the blade.
There's foreign DNA on the carpet.
And although it didn't match her husband, Steven, he's still the prime suspect.
Let me guess, he has a history of domestic violence.
Three DV calls six months before she disappeared.
Have Munch check with the husband.
See if he frequents the Deuce.
APARTMENT OF STEVEN STANSFIELD 77 WEST 128TH STREET WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8 I didn't kill my wife.
I know you don't believe that.
Nobody does.
But I didn't do it.
According to your neighbors, Mr.
Stansfield, you and your wife didn't get along.
Yeah, we had a lot of problems.
And yes, we fought.
But I didn't hate her or my son, So why is it you people still think I'm guilty? There's no way I would have hurt my wife and child.
Who else could have done it? I don't know.
I'd never seen so much blood.
And even though there was no body, they tell me that Nina's dead.
That she couldn't have survived it.
But where is my son? The police will not tell me a thing.
But they sure as hell talked to my in-laws, my boss, my friends, and labeled me a killer.
Did you ever have problems with anyone? Nothing serious.
Arguments with sitters.
About their boyfriend, talking on the phone too much.
I couldn't afford sitters in the first place, but she just had to go out.
Go out where? Happy hour.
Dinners with her friends.
I don't know.
Reliving her single glory days.
Was she cheating on you? According to the police, it's why I killed her.
How could I possibly know something like that when I was always at work so she could be at home with the baby? You ever go to a bar called the Deuce? No.
I'm not welcome in that neighborhood.
So I have to do my drinking at home.
Speaking of which, do you mind? I'd like to get started.
Husband's a wreck, captain.
We'll pull the murder book and go back over the canvass.
That's not necessary.
Ken Randall is now a viable suspect in the Stansfield homicide.
I've already started a file and authorized an excavation for the lot for tomorrow morning.
Were you aware your son was charged with sexual assault of a neighborhood girl when he was 16? / No.
Charges were dropped when the girl recanted.
You ever think she might have changed her story 'cause she lied to the police? Well, I intend to find out.
Do I need to remind you to stay hands off during this investigation? No, sir.
Five-year-old vacated charge is a reach, captain.
What's the motive? Where's the connection between Fin's son and the victim? Proximity.
Ken Randall and his mother used to live in the building across the street from the crime scene.
But since your partner already knows that, I guess lying runs in the family.
What the hell do you think you're doing? Why would you hide something like that? I'm trying to protect my son.
From what? You think he did this? I think if you can make a case against him, it won't matter whether he did it or not.
Nobody in my department cuts corners or goes for an easy close.
And that's your opinion, captain.
And for your son's sake, you better be grateful it's the only one that matters.
Body part! So how many people are actually down there? We found three so far, with additional body parts I can't account for.
We'll be digging for a while.
You thinking serial killer? It doesn't look like it.
As far as I can tell, they're all male and different races.
No children, and so far, no women.
I'll know more once I get them all back to the morgue.
This is prime real estate if you want somebody to just disappear.
It's not the first time an impromptu graveyard has been found in this city.
A perfect dumping ground for the usual suspects.
- Dirty cops, drug dealers, wise guys.
- It's possible.
But I can't tell you that until I put names to the remains.
They used to just put concrete shoes on people and dump them in the river.
How long is this gonna take? I'll test what I have against the victim's DNA.
But my office is probably gonna be working for weeks, maybe even months trying to figure out who these people are.
I'm looking for just one.
If I find a female victim here, I'll walk her through myself.
Am I the first one here? Munch called.
He's running late.
The sexual assault charge against Ken Randall was bogus.
Apparently, she was a friend.
She tried to have sex with him to prove he wasn't gay.
That always works.
Yeah, Ken pushed her away, and she got bruised.
When her father confronted her, she lied.
/ Some friend.
- Well, she told the truth eventually.
- Captain.
Well, let's hope Ken follows her example.
Hi, I'm captain Cragen, and this is assistant district attorney Novak.
/ Hi.
Theresa Randall.
Is there somewhere I can wait? Uh, there's a lounge upstairs, or you can use my office.
- Thank you.
- We should get started.
Without counsel for the defense? Kathleen Summers.
I'm your lawyer.
And I only have one rule.
You don't speak unless I say so.
- Are we clear? - Yes.
Anytime you're ready.
Come with me, please.
You and I need to talk.
- Talk or yell? - That's up to you.
Do you wanna revise your statement, Ken? - You can answer that.
- No.
You dug up a vacant lot looking for a body from a story you heard in a bar.
You didn't tell us about the baby.
- You left that part out.
- What baby? I didn't hear anything about a kid.
Did you know Nina Stansfield? Don't answer that.
It's innocuous, counselor.
Either he knew the victim, or he didn't.
That's for you to prove, Ms.
Novak.
My client is not going to do your job for you.
Were you ever in the Stansfield apartment? He's not answering that either.
He admitted to police he was looking for a body.
We identified a victim with his lead.
All that was left of her was seven pints of blood, and vaginal cells on the murder weapon.
She was raped with a knife.
Just like Ken said.
This young man had knowledge of the crime and he lived right across the street.
Which is all suggestive.
Not substantive.
Anything else? Ken.
Volunteer a DNA sample and get on with your life.
You're not gonna get that without a court order.
And based on this conversation, no judge will sign it.
You're not doing our son any favors by getting him an attorney.
He's the only suspect in what looks like a double homicide.
- I'm protecting him.
- From what? Fin, he didn't do this, so make him cooperate.
Come on, prison's are filled with innocent people, and we both know what color most of them are.
So you don't trust the people you work with? I don't trust the system.
Not completely.
What you're doing isn't the answer.
He needs direction.
I can't teach him how to be a man by myself, Fin.
So what do you expect me to do? Be his father, not his friend.
He knows more about the situation than he's telling, and he's lying through his teeth.
A man wouldn't do that.
At least not a good one like you.
You looking for something? The Stansfield crime scene photos and sketches.
All you had to do was ask.
All you had to do was pick up the phone.
You have something you want to get off your chest? Yeah, you crossed the line.
When my son contacted you, I should have been the next call.
You think you know what's right for my son better than I do and you don't.
That can't happen again.
Come on.
He asked me for my help.
What did you want me to do? Say no? It's not your place to make decisions for my family, Olivia.
You keep running interference between me and my son, you and I are gonna have a problem.
That wasn't my intention.
I understand.
You're just trying to help.
But my son and I have a lot to work out and we're not gonna get anywhere with you in the way.
You're right.
And I'm sorry.
But I think the real reason you're pissed off is 'cause you're boxed into a corner.
So what's your next move? - There's nothing I need to do.
- Isn't there? I know that Warner's finished with her preliminary findings.
None of those bodies from the lot match the victim.
That tells me Ken didn't do it.
No, it tells you that we can't prove it.
We don't have enough evidence to get a warrant for his DNA.
Do you really want this cloud hanging over your son for the rest of his life? Or don't you want to know? I'm getting looks from cops I've known for years.
The same glare we give to humps in there.
Even if I gotta take the freeze for the duration, I'm not gonna sacrifice my kid for this job ever again.
DNA is only way to exonerate him.
And what if it doesn't? I'm his father.
And you're also a cop.
And no matter how hard you try there's no way to separate the two.
My attorney said not to give you DNA without a subpoena.
And I'm asking you to go with Munch to the lab to volunteer a sample.
It's a chain of evidence issue, otherwise your father would take you himself.
What, your cop friends need proof I'm not a killer, or is it you? It's not them.
You're my son.
I love you.
But a woman's dead, her son's gone, her husband's destroyed.
That's gotta mean something to you.
I need you to decide right now what kind of man you want to be.
I've got your son's lab results.
Is it a match? I know it's not.
It's both.
The killer's DNA found at the crime scene and your son's specimen have the same mitochondria.
You're saying they're related? Darius, Ken's cousin.
- Are they close? - They're tight.
That explains why Ken was trying to protect him.
The killer can't be your son's cousin.
You're looking for his brother.
That's not possible.
My ex-wife never had any other children.
DNA doesn't lie, detective.
Half of these markers contain the same genes carrying the same code in precisely the same sequence.
The killer and your son have the same mother.
How'd you find out? Nobody knows Darius is my son.
Not even Ken.
We checked Ken's DNA against what was left at the crime scene.
- You should have told me.
- It happened before I met you.
- So why'd you give him up? - He had to go somewhere.
He certainly couldn't stay with me.
I was 16 and his father was a bastard.
You don't know what he did to me.
Darius looks just like him.
I guess he's starting to act like him too.
So why not put him up for adoption? Why give him to your mother to raise? I didn't give her anything.
She took.
You knew her.
She wouldn't allow blood out of the family.
Where's the father now? I don't know.
I hope he's dead.
- What happened to you, Terry? - I will not I won't talk about that.
Not to you.
Not to anyone.
Well, maybe that's the real problem.
You don't know what it's like to have to look at someone that has the face of someone you hate! Every time he came over to see Ken.
Every time he came to family functions, it made me sick.
I can't stand to look at Darius.
Even now.
Does Darius know you're his mother? I don't see how.
My mother's been dead three years, and nobody else in my family would tell him.
- Interesting family dynamic.
- Damn freak show.
We belong in one of your textbooks with the rest of the fruit loops.
The day is still young.
So what's our next move? Pick up Darius.
Put him in the room.
Given his priors, I'd rather have more ammunition.
You think we need a confession? What he said to someone else is hearsay and is inadmissible.
And I can't put the knife in his hand.
Wait a minute.
The infant is the key.
Darius confessed to your son that he raped a woman with a knife.
He admitted to taking her body and burying it.
- So why leave out the second victim? - It bothers him.
Given his maternal history, I think he was identifying with the child.
Abandoned by a mother who didn't want him.
- But why kill the baby? - Self loathing.
He's a reject.
A pariah that not even a mother could love.
Darius may have thought that he was saving the boy the pain of living.
Yeah, that makes sense if he found out Terry was his mother.
But how would he have known? Your ex was pretty adamant that didn't happen.
Yeah, she sees what she wants to see.
Her mother died three years ago from cancer.
I'm thinking a death bed confession to her grandson.
That's around the same time the victim and her toddler went missing.
Were there any baby items missing from the apartment? Nothing's listed.
The suspect had a relationship with the victim.
Removing the body was an act of concealment.
A stranger doesn't do that.
We need to know how Darius knew her.
He spent a lot of time with Ken hanging out in the neighborhood back then.
If he just found out who his mother really was, the tiniest conflict with the victim could have set him off.
Especially if Nina Stansfield was a bad mother.
A surrogate for all the rage he felt for your ex-wife.
Talk to the husband.
See if he can make an ID.
Mr.
Stansfield, we found a potential suspect in your wife's murder.
We need you to look at some photos.
You recognize anyone, Mr.
Stansfield? Just tell me which one he is.
I will sign my name.
- Doesn't work like that.
- Please! You told police some items were taken from your home.
Were any of your son's things among them? A rattle.
It was antique.
Passed down through my wife's family.
Was it silver? Engraved? Any distinctive marks? It was wooden.
Hand-crafted by one of her great, great relatives.
The family wanted it back, but I couldn't find it.
I just figured it was lost.
We're gonna need you to give us a detailed description.
Will a photograph of my son holding it do? APARTMENT OF DARIUS PARKER 120 WEST 133RD STREET FRIDAY, MARCH 10 Gentlemen, let's try not to make a complete mess.
Talented guy.
What a waste.
- Find any baby items? - Nothing yet.
Place is not that big, Judy.
Well, we can always use an extra pair of hands.
Fin.
The good news is we found the rattle hidden in one of Darius' sculptures.
And the bad news? We took it to processing, but after three years, the lab rats don't think they can find any DNA of the Stansfield baby.
Pick him up anyway.
He'll just say he found it or the victim gave it to him.
You got a better idea? Darius confessed to my son.
I think he's ripe to give it up with a soft touch.
What do you have in mind? Looks like you talked to your mother.
I won't help you put my brother in prison.
I'm only here to support Darius.
Something he never got from any of you.
- Terry's had it rough.
- Hey, don't defend her.
Darius is her son and she threw him away.
Well, you took a big risk protecting him.
You should have come to me first.
I didn't trust you.
For the longest time he's all I had.
No demands, no judgments.
Especially when I came out.
You weren't around.
If you wanna support him, that's fine.
But, you need to remember he killed a woman and took a child.
And I need to know where that baby is now.
This your work? This yours? What do you want from me, man? I just want the truth.
How long have you known Terry was your mother? Too long.
Grandma told me.
When she was hopped up on that morphine.
And begging for forgiveness.
Would have been better if she took that secret to her grave.
Darius, it's not your fault.
Hey, tell me something, man! Why you and not me, huh? What's so damn special about you? Nothing.
Well, then I guess it's not your fault either.
Ken doesn't think you meant to kill her.
I knew you couldn't keep your mouth shut.
I didn't tell anyone! Don't sweat it.
It's probably why I told you in the first place.
I got sober.
I changed.
I couldn't live with that guilt not one more day of my life.
I wanna believe that.
You're very important to my son, but I won't help you unless you come clean.
What do you wanna know? Gotta take you down to the precinct.
I can't take your confession.
Why not? 'Cause you're my family.
You understand your rights as they've been read to you? - It's not like I'm new to this.
- Answer the question, Darius.
I understood my rights when I got pinched on that trumped-up burglary charge, and I understand them now.
Got a court date next week, but I guess it doesn't matter.
You ready? Let's do this.
How did you know the victim, Nina Stansfield? I had a girl back then used to baby-sit her kid.
What's your girl's name? I don't want her mixed up in this.
We need to corroborate your story.
Then the body should be enough.
I'll take you to them.
You admit you killed Nina Stansfield and her son.
Look, I'm guilty of murder here, so I'm not going to make any excuses, all right? I stabbed her with my knife.
- And then I killed her baby.
- Why? He was just 14 months old, he couldn't identify you.
Whatever I tell you is not gonna change the fact that he's still dead.
So let me get through this.
I took their bodies from the apartment.
I put them in a car and drove them to a vacant lot.
Dug a hole and buried them.
And that's where they've been for the last three years.
Should I write it down now? It's somewhere in here.
I can't be sure.
What made Ken go to the other lot? After I told him what I did he started asking a lot of questions - I wasn't ready to answer.
- So you lied.
Look, I'm already in cuffs.
You wanna make them tighter? Got something.
About three feet down, maybe less.
So be careful.
You did the right thing, Darius.
Yeah.
I'm going to prison for the rest of my life.
You came forward of your own volition, you confessed to your crimes, and you led us to the bodies.
I think the ADA will take that into consideration.
Look, I'm not doing it to get time saved, so don't speak up for me.
No matter how much my brother begs you.
Okay, hold it.
Hold it.
Adult female, age 30, presented with multiple cutting and stabbing wounds.
There's advanced decomposition, but I counted at least 15 on the remaining tissue, mostly defensive cuts on her hands.
There are also strike marks on the radius, rib cage, and pelvis that match the murder weapon.
Which means there had to be a lot of force behind them.
The best I can do without intact organs on COD is exsanguination.
What about the baby? Asphyxia by suffocation.
Despite decomp, I found petechiae in the vitreous fluid and soil in the lungs.
The bastard buried this baby alive.
Heshy.
How can I help you? I represent Darius Parker.
Then I only have one thing to say.
No deal.
I don't recall asking for one.
Then what do you want? Well, a little pleasant conversation wouldn't hurt.
Okay.
How's this? Your client viciously stabbed a young mother.
Then took the body and her breathing, and buried the boy alive.
I'm itching to put a needle in his veins, but I'll settle for life, no parole.
What a moving speech.
Too bad no one'll get to hear it.
Omnibus, Casey.
In limine, motion to suppress, motion to dismiss? CHAMBERS OF JUDGE LOIS PRESTON TUESDAY, MARCH 14 Okay, counselors.
You've got two minutes.
My client's fifth and sixth amendment rights were violated.
The police interrogated him without counsel.
Did he ask for one? No, Darius Parker was read his rights, then he signed a Miranda card.
Sounds pretty straightforward to me.
He told police he had an open case.
I'm the attorney of record.
They conveniently neglected to call me.
Because no one had to.
Texas vs.
Cobb, your honor.
The supreme court ruled that suspects could be questioned on other charges regardless of representation.
In Cobb, the defendant admitted he burglarized the murder victim's home.
- No linkage, no case.
- Hm.
Walk with me.
Darius Parker never asked for an attorney.
Will you stipulate he informed police he had an outstanding burglary charge and a court date? / Yes.
Then my client didn't need to invoke.
The right was implied.
The police should've stopped the interrogation and waited.
It would've cost them nothing but time.
I have to agree with Mr.
Horowitz on this one.
/ But, your honor The police knew the defendant had counsel and they ignored it.
There's been a lot of that going around lately and that disturbs me.
The confession's out.
And so are any fruits borne from it.
The judge threw the confession out.
And my case.
How does a guy walk when he confesses to a double homicide? As soon as the victims' bodies became inadmissible.
And since we can't put either one of them back in the ground and start over, I will never be able to prove that the baby's even dead - or how he got that way.
- Darius knew what he was doing.
The confession, his remorse, the taking us to the burial ground.
- You think it was a setup? - I know it was.
He was looking at five felony counts on two murders.
He let you know he was on the docket so he wouldn't have to spend a day inside.
You think his attorney told him what to say? No one would advise their client to take that kind of risk.
Besides, they're plenty of ex-cons who know the law as well as I do.
There's a lot of law books in prison.
I can still prove Nina Stansfield was murdered without her body from the blood volume at the crime scene.
But without the confession we're back to square one.
Like, it just happened.
So canvass the neighbors, talk to the family, dig into the victim's life.
What about his girlfriend? She used to baby-sit for the Stansfields.
We can't use anything the suspect said in the confession.
Then we get the information through another channel.
You're thinking of your son, aren't you? Well, there's nothing precluding us from going back to the original source.
They've always been close.
Ken'll be able to tell us who Darius was seeing.
CAMPUS ROOM CAFE HUDSON UNIVERSITY TUESDAY, MARCH 14 - Can't do it.
- He belongs in prison, Ken.
Haven't we done enough to him already without me putting the nail in his coffin? Don't you get it? He sold you on a lie.
He's only looking at one count of murder now.
He'll never pay for putting that little baby in the ground.
Why not? / The courts say we got his confession and the bodies illegally.
That means we can't use it at trial.
We gotta say the murder victim's son came up missing the same time she did.
We gotta act like we don't know he's dead because we can't use his body as evidence.
- That's not right.
- Yeah, well, that's the law.
Do you know why he killed her? Look, I know you want to blame this on your mother, and she does have a lot to answer for.
But she did not stab that woman to death and put her baby in a makeshift grave.
That's all on Darius.
What do you wanna know? You ever meet any of Darius' girlfriends? / Yes.
This is a list of the Stansfield babysitters.
You recognize any of the names? Angela Boden.
She was crazy about Darius.
Bought him gifts.
Gave him money.
He wasn't really into her but he liked the way she treated him.
Shame about what happened.
Little Stevie was cute.
Good baby.
Hardly ever cried.
How long did you baby-sit him? About six months.
I couldn't stand his mother.
Why is that? / Nina was stepping out on her old man, but always in my ass about using the phone, and how much food I ate, and who I let in the house.
Old bitch.
I guess I shouldn't speak ill of the dead.
We understand she had a problem with your boyfriend.
It's not like she was totally in the wrong.
Darius did have a temper.
And he got me fired.
- How'd that happen? - I used to tell him how she was.
Always going out and not spending time with the baby.
He saw her out on the street once, called her a bad mother.
- After that, I couldn't have him over.
- But you did anyway.
He was my boyfriend.
I wanted to see him.
- She catch you? - No.
She found his knife in the sofa cushions.
Fired me on the spot.
Told me Darius wasn't getting it back.
He carried a knife? It wasn't like how you're making it sound.
He's an artist.
It was a gift from me for sculpting.
Cost me 100 bucks.
You know how long I had to work to save that kind of money? How did Darius react when he found out his knife was history? How do you think? He went back to get it, but I guess he was too late.
It's kind of ironic.
If she hadn't kept his property, her husband wouldn't have used it to kill her.
We got a signed statement from the girlfriend.
A history of conflict between the victim and the suspect and ownership of the murder weapon.
Add that to his DNA at the crime scene and he's done.
Why didn't the cops question this witness more thoroughly? Tunnel vision.
They liked the husband for it and wouldn't move on.
Happens, Casey.
You have enough to indict, but can we get him on the baby? Not unless I can get him to admit it with his counsel present.
And for that to happen, you'd have to make him a deal.
It would have to be considerable time shaved for him to agree.
And I'm not comfortable doing that.
Even if it means the baby's death goes unacknowledged? And unavenged? With the compelling physical evidence, the witness testimony, the Stansfield baby, your client is going to prison for a very long time.
Don't look so happy.
Hubris isn't attractive.
Especially in women your age.
- Darius, let me handle it.
- Handle what? She can't mention the baby.
It's fruit from the poisonous tree.
I don't need to.
All a jury needs to hear is that a child disappeared when his mother was killed.
- They'll put it together themselves.
- It's doesn't matter.
You can't bring charges against me for the kid.
- It hurts, doesn't it? - Not as much as you'd like.
You're gonna get the maximum on all three charges that you're facing.
I'm thinking life for the murder.
Another 30 for the attempt and the assault.
- I smell a horse trade.
- I'm reluctant, but I'm willing to recommend if your client recounts everything at allocution.
You can't prove intent.
Give us 25 years with a possibility of parole and we might have something to talk about.
No.
We won't.
This is my final offer.
We need the room.
Nobody's going anywhere.
I'm not making any deals.
I want my day in court.
Listen to your mouthpiece and take the damn offer.
Go to hell! Kiss my ass and while you down there, spread them 'cause you about to get done! - This is about the family.
- You damn right it's about the family.
Every last one of you is gonna have to be in that courtroom.
You're gonna have to testify.
Your lives out in the open for everyone to judge.
Same way you all been doing to me since day one.
They gonna know what kind of cop you are, and what kind of husband and father you weren't.
They gonna know all about my brother's sexual habits and his collusion.
And I guarantee once that comes out, everybody's gonna wonder why he's not being charged too.
They gonna think his cop father has friends in your office, Ms.
Novak.
And I hope you have a damn good explanation.
'Cause cover-up makes for a nice headline.
Never mind a no-good mother is dead.
And her poor baby is missing.
Even though the baby's better off.
So yeah, I'm going to prison.
But not for as long as you think.
'Cause once Theresa Randall takes that stand and has to tell the truth? that festering bitch is gonna have to claim me for the first time in her miserable life.
And let's see her shake me after that.
So you wanna bury me? You go right ahead.
'Cause I'm taking you all down with me when you do.
What are you doing here? I came to see what I could do.
Darius