Law & Order Special Victims Unit s11e01 Episode Script
Unstable
NARRATOR: 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, KENDALL: Let's face it.
You are not the type to off yourself.
(MAN BREATHlNG HEAVlLY) Don't know why since you're just a waste of skin, a lousy pus sac.
So you know what's coming.
What I can't figure is why the hell you're crying about it.
(CRYlNG) CARLOS: Hey, we got fives waiting.
So quit playing with this douche.
What's that smell? Suspect vacated his bowels, Sarge.
It couldn't be helped.
WOMAN: (CRYlNG) Please.
You have to What's it look like? COD's blunt force trauma.
That's what happens when a meth head mistakes his three-month-old for a basketball.
The girlfriend claims it wasn't her fault.
As soon as I get a warrant for blood, I'll be charging her ass, too.
Call a bus.
(RENA CRYlNG) Hey! (SCREAMlNG) Let me go! Leave me alone! Nate Kendall.
I'm a cop.
All right? He raped me.
He raped me.
He raped me.
Let's get you some help.
No, please! Please don't leave me.
Please don't leave me.
Please help me.
Please.
Please.
KENDALL: You SVU? Stabler.
Benson.
Nate Kendall, the 24.
Your victim ran into my crime scene.
Get any info from her? Rena West, 35.
Raped in her apartment.
Superficial knife wounds and wrist restraints.
Doc says no semen, but evidence of tearing.
Everything was bagged, tagged and sent to forensics.
Great.
We'll take it from here.
Miss West? Don't come near me.
Get out.
We're Sex Crimes detectives.
We just want to hear what happened.
I can't.
No.
No.
Not again.
Where's Nate? Where's Nate? I already told him.
No, I can't take this.
Try to calm down.
Listen to me.
We're here to help you.
Rena? Rena? Rena, you're safe now.
Where's Nate? I need Nate.
Try to take a deep breath.
Don't touch me! Never touch me! Where's Nate? Nate, where are you? Hey, CSU get anything from Rena West's apartment? No forced entry, no foreign prints, and no semen.
Just bloody sheets and green fibers.
In other words, a whole lot of nothing.
Well, he's got skills, so this can't be his first party.
Do you mind checking the database for any open rapes? Yeah, I'm on it.
You get a description of your perp from Rena West? We haven't had a chance to talk to her yet.
She had to be sedated.
Then why aren't you back in the hospital waiting for her to come to? We set her off.
She bonded with the first responder, Nate Kendall, out of the 24.
BENSON: Her hero.
He saved her, so she feels safe with him.
She basically told us to get lost.
Where's Kendall now? We left a message on his cell phone, at the precinct.
He could be out in the field.
Hey, Paul.
It's Don, Don Cragen.
Listen, we need to talk to one of your guys, a Nate Kendall.
Yeah, thanks.
He's on loan to Street Narcotics.
Pinching small time dealers.
Latina runner.
Neck tat, orange top.
Be advised.
Her lookout's on wheels.
COP 1: Move in, Go, go, go, COP 2: Freeze! Get down on the ground! COP 3: Don't move! COP 2: Right now! Do it now! What the hell? Remember us? Yeah, I got your messages.
But as you can see, I don't have time.
They'll be fine without you.
Rena West won't.
It's not my problem.
You saw what this guy did to her.
Now we've got to get him off the street now.
You saved a woman's life, Kendall.
Help us save another one.
I don't like victims.
They cling.
Not after you bag the trash that assaulted them.
(SlGHS) Vic's hands were loaded with groceries, and the doer offered help.
Told her, "Don't be afraid of the black guy, lady.
" Only truth he told was when he said he didn't want her purse.
She remember what he looks like? Average black guy.
You don't believe her.
I think her focus was on the knife at her throat.
Perp got her inside, checked her mail and closets.
Make sure she lived alone.
Means he probably didn't stalk her.
Bound her wrists, raped her with his clothes on, then flushed the wrapper.
So how did she get away? He went to cut more cord from the blinds.
My hands were already tied, so I just figured BENSON: It's okay.
Take your time.
(SNlFFLlNG) I knew he was gonna kill me.
So when he went in the other room, I just got up, and I was out the door and running for blocks.
First smart thing you did.
It's not your fault.
KENDALL: The hell it's not.
Her gut was churning the second he approached her on the street.
You're in the way.
Leave.
RENA: No.
No.
Nate's right.
(RENA SNlFFLlNG) The guy was wearing a nice suit, and he was polite, but I knew I knew that something was off.
Only a racist acts afraid of a black guy.
That's what you told yourself, and he read you.
Rena, you survived.
That's the only thing that matters.
Can you give us a description? I only want to talk to Nate.
I don't catch rapists.
They do.
It's you or no one.
Rena, that's just not how it works.
See, you're going to have to repeat your story over and over to lawyers, a jury, a judge.
I can't.
The guy who raped you will rape another woman, and another, and another.
I don't care.
I'm alive.
You said that that's all that matters.
So just take me home.
You aren't going anywhere.
The bastard who did you is out hunting his next mark.
You gonna let her get screwed because you're fragile? Park it.
I don't think I can do this.
There's only one way to find out.
Give us a minute.
(DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) This was a mistake.
Not if it helps us catch our rapist.
And then what? You think Kendall's gonna hold her hand through the trial? Well, your victim is not connecting with either one of you.
At least he's got her talking.
Did you hear him? He has no experience dealing with sexual assault victims.
BENSON: If he works this case, we are gonna have to watch him every second.
We're out of options.
Either work with him, or I'll find somebody who will.
Average height, weight, and build.
Round up the usual suspects.
If you knew how to talk to victims, you'd get more facts.
KENDALL: Here's one.
Victims make lousy witnesses.
Hope you catch your man.
You're not done yet, Detective.
I need you to stay with Miss West.
I'm not a babysitter.
You talk like you have a choice.
Sounds like you already boned me with my Captain.
You're mine until I don't need you anymore.
So what next? We know our guy's opportunistic, prepared, controlled.
He didn't stalk her, so he picked her up off the street.
Or at the local market.
That was her last stop.
MADELElNE: This the man who attacked Rena? BENSON: You recognize him? Maybe.
I just can't place him.
You think she was followed from my store? It's a possibility.
Any chance we can take a look at that footage? Oh, sorry.
That camera's just for show.
Talk to Spencer.
Okay.
He work here? No, he's the neighborhood spy.
He's always watching.
TOM: Spencer? These are Detectives Benson and Stabler.
They want to see your footage from yesterday.
I know you.
You were in the store.
Yes, I was.
We just came from there.
Two years ago.
Uh-huh.
It's possible, but I think I would remember.
No, trust me.
My brother never forgets a face.
You have an awful lot of surveillance equipment in here.
Spencer's autistic, Detective.
Loud noises and human contact unnerve him.
This is his way of being social.
SPENCER: April 12th, 2007, Late night? I did good, Tommy? TOM: You did great, buddy.
Spencer, I'd like to show you a sketch.
Maybe you can help us find the man we're looking for.
It was 7:54 p.
m.
He was pretending to read the paper.
(KEYS CLlCKlNG) (EXHALES) I just want to be sure.
Take all the time you need.
That's him, Nate.
You sure? Yes.
FlN: Facial recognition software got a hit.
Mark Foster, 32.
He liked beating up his ex-wife.
He did time for aggravated assault, and when he got out, she filed an RO.
No rapes, though.
Isn't that unusual? Well, he already abused his wife.
Wouldn't be surprised if he sexually assaulted her, too.
We have a current address on this creep? FlN: He was evicted from his Midtown condo after he lost his job as a trader.
His recent W-2s show him working in the Meatpacking District.
Trading cattle futures to cutting steaks? That's a long fall.
But a short jump to carving up women.
Let's pick up the butcher.
I'm riding with you.
We got it.
Mark Foster.
Police.
Stop! (TlRES SCREECHlNG) (GROANS) What the hell was that? You trying to kill him? I hate to run.
Hey, you.
Excessive force with a car.
Are you out of your mind? You lD'd yourself, he ran.
Period.
No.
Your stunt could have damaged our case.
You don't have a case yet.
Rena West picked Foster out of a photo array.
And it took her Memory recall's immediate.
You saying she's lying? I'm saying Rena thinks it's true so this whole mess will be over.
Badly enough to pick out the wrong perp.
She's white.
He's black.
Cross-race identification isn't reliable.
You know, not all black people look alike.
Thanks.
But you're not a victim.
Mistaken lDs happen all the time.
Rena didn't get a glimpse of some guy in the dark.
This was a prolonged, physical attack.
With a big knife he used to cut her.
Was she focused on the weapon or his face? She saw his face.
How can you be sure? Because she told us.
And I'm not gonna put her through any more than I have to.
BENSON: Oh, no.
Four's a crowd.
You cops make a habit of hitting people with your cars? You make a habit out of running every time a cop orders you to stop? Just ask my lawyer when she gets here.
So, you're refusing to cooperate.
You're wasting your time.
I didn't rape anyone.
Who said anything about rape? A white woman gets attacked in my old neighborhood.
Every brother within 20 blocks is just waiting to get hauled in for questioning.
Well, you could play the race card if we were rounding up all the brothers.
But right now, it's just you.
So where were you two days ago, Mr.
Foster? I was working in the morning.
I went on job interviews in the afternoon.
Where? Sorry.
You start asking questions, I won't get hired.
Well, you were seen in the same market where the victim shops.
So what? I used to live there when I had a real job.
My ex still has a place in the area.
The ex that had to file a restraining order against you? You got a short fuse.
(LAUGHS) My fuse is plenty long.
You should see it.
What for? You couldn't keep your wife happy with it.
Is that why you beat her up? STABLER: Which bought you six months in Rikers.
Now, you can't trade stocks with a record, huh? Right? Cost you your job, your home, your freedom.
Somebody had to pay.
So you whipped out your big knife, and you carved up Rena West.
I don't know that woman, and I didn't touch her.
Prove it.
Give us an alibi.
Fine.
I violated my RO when I went to see that bitch I was married to.
That's smart.
Confess to a misdemeanor when you're guilty of a felony? Good one.
She's got custody of my kid, and she's a damn crackhead.
What the hell am I supposed to do? PAXTON ON lNTERCOM: Ninety-three seconds, (DOOR OPENS) Excuse me? The suspect asked for his lawyer, and you kept questioning him for 93 seconds.
That's a violation of his right to counsel.
We'll leave you to your client, Counselor.
No, no, no, no, I may be wearing couture, but I don't represent scumbags.
So who exactly do you represent? The People.
Sonya Paxton, your new ADA.
How's it going? Where's Alex Cabot? Training in Albany.
When she's finished, she'll take my spot in Appeals.
Appeals.
Well, no disrespect, but we do things a little differently down here in New York City.
Oh, really? I was trying homicides when you were fresh out of the Academy, walking a beat and trying not to piss yourself.
Executive ADA Paxton got the first capital conviction when Pataki brought back the death penalty.
Yes, I did.
So when I say stop playing fast and loose with defendants' rights, that's what you'll do, or you won't be working here.
CRAGEN: That is the Commissioner's decision, Sonya, not yours.
PAXTON: That's where you're wrong, Don.
There have been far too many overturned convictions, especially in the "He said, she said" unit.
So, Jack McCoy sent me here to clean house.
Oh, and One PP thinks it's a really swell idea.
So why don't you walk me through it? The victim lD'd Mark Foster from a photo array.
Was it sequential? That's not procedure.
A photo array's by the book.
Yeah, well, your book's out of date.
Presenting photos one at a time is more accurate.
Studies show that traumatized victims can't take in a lot of detail all at once.
Okay.
What else have you got? We don't need anything else.
(CHUCKLES) Seventy-five percent of wrongful convictions came from witness misidentification.
We're supposed to be victims' advocates.
We start doubting them, they stop reporting.
Putting innocent men in jail costs taxpayers money, and leaves the real perps on the street to hit again.
Now, barring that, is there any forensic evidence? A few green fibers that CSU says are mass-produced carpeting for vans.
They were discontinued in the late '80s.
Does Foster own a van with green carpet? No, but he could have borrowed one or stolen one.
Look, he was careful.
He kept his clothes on.
He wore gloves, a condom.
He wasn't stupid enough to show up at the crime scene with his own car.
What we're saying is he's no first-timer.
He's got his rape routine down pat.
Wait, wait.
I thought there were no open rape cases matching this MO.
There aren't.
Maybe the victims didn't report it.
My gut is telling me that he's done it before.
Or maybe it's your acid reflux.
We'll widen the search.
Find his priors.
Yeah.
Call me when you get them.
Break Foster's alibi.
Go talk to his ex.
(BABY CRYlNG) LAYLA: It's so hard.
You're no good.
(GLASS SHATTERlNG) MAN: Come on, you whore.
(KENDALL SLAPS) Please! Pull yourself together.
What's the matter with you? (WHlMPERlNG) Pull yourself together! (YELLlNG) Get off me! Get off me! Calm down.
Calm down.
Mrs.
Foster, are you hurt? Real bad.
I need my medicine.
Okay, honey.
It's okay, sweetheart.
Are you okay? STABLER: What the hell are you doing here? Came to get Foster's alibi.
Stupid bitch is useless.
She was sucking on that pipe when I got here.
The kid's filthy.
There's no food in the fridge.
That doesn't give you the right to rough her up.
She's lucky I didn't shoot her.
BENSON: If you need something to do, why don't you take the little girl to Social Services? Now.
My little girl likes cheeseburgers.
How about you? Okay, sweetie.
It's all right.
You're okay.
Okay.
Mrs.
Foster? I need to ask you some questions about your ex-husband.
Was he here? That's what we need you to tell us.
I need some rock.
(CELL PHONE RlNGlNG) Listen to me.
Look at me.
Look at me.
Benson.
You're not getting anything until you answer the question.
Help me out.
I'll say whatever you want me to say.
El, that was Fin.
We've got another problem.
NClC pinged a rape that matches your MO, right down to the green fibers.
I thought there weren't any open rapes.
There aren't.
It's a 10-year-old case.
Bought the perp a 25-year bid.
Whose case was it? Yours.
In '98 I collared Victor Tate for the rape of Katie Harris.
He threatened her with a knife, tried to rape her.
When he couldn't perform, he beat the crap out of her.
And left the same green fibers at the crime scene that you found on Rena West.
Vans are the vehicle of choice for perverts.
Hundreds of thousands have the same carpet.
Or maybe you got the wrong guy.
Is that your professional opinion? Just test the old fibers against the new ones.
See if they match.
We can't.
The lab used up the whole sample 10 years ago.
Wait, wait, wait.
What are you telling me? There's no way to forensically link the Harris case to Rena West's? No, I'm telling you they're not connected.
Victor Tate didn't con his way in.
He didn't tie her up.
He didn't try to kill her.
These guys adapt.
He's had a decade to improve his technique.
Tate gave a detailed alibi.
It turned out to be false.
He had bloody knuckles.
The victim lD'd him in a photo array and a line-up.
And yet, 10 years later, someone's attacking women with remarkable similarity.
CRAGEN: Well, you're basing Tate's innocence on green fibers that we don't have.
Not at all.
I'm just saying we need to take a second look.
Fifty-three convictions have been overturned in this state, Don.
Even one is too many.
Those men were exonerated through DNA.
There's a difference.
Falsely imprisoned for decades, I might add, because Oh, yeah, detectives didn't do their jobs in the first place.
Well, that isn't the case here, Ms.
Paxton.
Tate is guilty.
Really? Oh.
Well, that's great then.
You don't mind calling me after you re-interview Katie Harris and show her a sequential photo array.
Take Fin with you.
KATlE: I don't understand.
Why do I have to do this? This is just a more accurate way to identify your attacker.
KATlE: Victor Tate.
That's the same man I pointed out in the courtroom.
Why are you making me go through it again? There's a very slim possibility that we caught the wrong guy.
What the hell are you talking about? That man raped my wife.
He's been sitting in prison for 10 years.
A recent victim makes it look like Tate could be innocent.
I don't believe it.
That man attacked me.
You think after what he did to my face, I wouldn't know his? Katie, a lot of victims mistake lD's.
They'll be absolutely positive, and then DNA evidence will prove the guy's innocence.
Is that what happened here? FlN: No.
But there's other forensic evidence we need to check out.
How can you do this to me? I wouldn't be here if I had a choice.
Do you think he's innocent? I'm not sure.
Don't come back until you are.
You all right? I'm going over the case in my head.
I read the file.
You did your job, and his alibi sucked.
No, see, that's the point.
Tate's alibi checked out for the weekend before.
He's always said that it was my questioning that mixed him up.
That's why he got the dates wrong.
Come on, man.
Don't beat yourself up.
What if Tate is innocent? The man had a fair trial.
If he's not the rapist, the entire system failed.
Not just you.
(CELL PHONE RlNGlNG) Stabler.
We're coming in.
Liv found two more victims.
Twelve years ago, two women reported being raped at knifepoint.
Let me guess.
More green fibers at the crime scenes.
Yep.
And you think I'm the screw-up.
These cases never hit our desks.
CRAGEN: Why? Because both of these victims are prostitutes.
They gave phony names.
So when no one believed them, they took a powder.
We need to find these two women.
And how should we do that with 12-year-old aliases? If you want to find a whore, you ask a pimp.
WlLLlE: If you need any food, just come to me, okay? This guy will have you in LYCRA and plastic heels before you know it.
Get lost.
Detectives.
What do you need? You were a baller back in the day.
Probably knew every skirt in the city.
If they was any good.
(LAUGHlNG) We need a name with the face.
What's the pay? Not having me come back here, Willie.
Heard the rumors, Kendall.
Don't want to be your bitch with a pistol down my throat.
Honey pot's deceased.
Hey, you remember how? Strangled by some trick.
What about her? She wasn't hooking long before she got the beat down.
Disappeared after that.
I need a name.
I need to make a call.
Better make it fast.
Hey, you don't get to knock heads, even when it's about a kid.
It's no surprise we don't see eye to eye.
It's more than that.
You slapped a mother over her 6-year-old.
Now, you're threatening him over a girl recruit.
What's the matter with you? She reminded me of my daughter, Kelly.
How old is she? Only got to see her two weeks out of the year.
Never enough time, but we always had a blast.
She live out of state? My ex ran to Seattle to get away.
And my kid ends up dead because Because I wasn't there.
I'm sorry.
My ex, too.
Got herself involved with a meth dealer.
Blew them up cooking it.
(EXHALES) Kendall.
I got you a name.
BENSON: Beverly Neal? Where did you get this? Who are you? Special Victims Unit.
We're investigating another rape that matched your case file.
There is no case.
Didn't you hear? I made up the whole thing.
Look, your rapist is still out there, and we can't catch him without you.
I'm a court reporter now.
I've seen what goes on in rape trials.
There are laws to shield victims.
And tactics to get around them.
You just don't want anyone to know what you used to be.
You've got balls.
I dropped that baggage long ago.
And now, you expect me to pick it back up.
What you used to be shouldn't have mattered.
The way you were treated was wrong.
And because you say so, I'm supposed to bend over.
That's how pimps talk.
Women are being raped.
Don't make me subpoena you.
Fat chance.
You don't know cops if you think that's an empty threat.
I am not a whore or a victim, Detective.
And I sure as hell won't let you treat me like one.
STABLER: How did it go? One victim's dead, and the other won't cooperate.
Then we force her hand.
I'm calling Paxton to get that subpoena.
You don't call the ADA without clearing it with me.
Look, either Beverly Neal clears Foster, or she'll put him in a cage.
And what makes you think that she'll be able to make a positive lD after more than a decade? We won't know until we twist her arm.
STABLER: Yeah, but why trust her and not Rena West? They were both attacked with a knife.
Black on black crime.
If Neal picks Foster, he can't claim cross-race lD.
Race shouldn't make a difference.
Research studies says it does.
Well, it doesn't matter now.
Foster's in the Tombs.
There's been another rape.
Where? CRAGEN: Vacant lot Midtown.
Victim is a minor.
Everybody goes.
(WOMAN CHATTERlNG OVER POLlCE RADlO) STABLER: Checking up on us? Get used to it.
Standing order at Central Dispatch says I get called when you do.
KENDALL: She's just a baby.
WARNER: Lynn Rivers, sixteen.
Her parents were out of town.
Preliminary COD is exsanguination.
She's got several slashes to her throat and chest.
Carotid's severed.
Well, she wasn't killed here.
There's not enough blood.
No fluids either.
Victim's cell phone shows 14 missed calls from an Angelina Lupino.
Any forensics? WARNER: More green fibers.
She's practically covered with them.
She was raped in the van, then dumped here.
If Foster wasn't sitting in a cell, I'd put him right back in the box.
Foster isn't in the Tombs anymore.
He made bail.
What? It's his right.
He violated an RO, and Rena West lD'd him.
PAXTON: Yeah, well, like I told you that isn't enough evidence.
Certainly not enough to argue remand without bail.
How much? Judge set it at 50,000.
So, he throws five grand at a bondsman, and he's free to murder.
You know what? Blame the Constitution, okay? You want to be a prosecutor? Go to law school.
Or better yet, just do your jobs, guys.
Find me something I can use to put him away.
WARNER: Lynn Rivers suffered cuts to the sternum, two stab wounds to the chest, and a fatal blow to the neck.
The blade you're looking for will be long and tapered.
Any evidence of sexual assault? Tearing in the vaginal vault, and she's missing both areola.
Did he take her nipples post-mortem? Poor kid finally caught a break.
Foster never took trophies before.
This was his first kill.
We stressed him.
He's decompensating.
Makes him more dangerous if he thinks he has nothing to lose.
Your victim's tox screens came back positive for THC and alcohol.
BENSON: Weed and booze.
What 16-year-old doesn't party when Mom and Dad are out of town? Well, we've got Angelina Lupino who blew up her cell.
Maybe she can tell us what happened last night.
Wasn't really a party.
More like a make-out session.
STABLER: With alcohol and joints.
We were having fun.
My mom didn't know Lynn's parents were out of town.
Okay.
So, this make-out marathon was at Lynn's house.
No, Tommy Porter's.
He lives on Riverton.
That's Rena West's neighborhood.
Did anyone come over and pick Lynn up? No.
She got elected to get more beer.
Why her? Lynn had a fake lD.
She was glad to go but never came back.
Store manager said he turned Lynn Rivers away.
Well, if he sold beer to a minor, he wouldn't admit it.
Trust me.
He was telling the truth.
Did anybody see Foster in the area last night? No hits on the canvass.
Do we even know where he is? If we'd known he was being released, we could have tailed him.
(LAUGHS SARCASTlCALLY) You want to play the blame game? Because if Foster's your guy, you put an innocent man in prison for 10 years.
Yeah, I know that now, and I'll make that right.
Oh, that's really comforting.
But meanwhile, you have brought me nothing to put him in chains.
So, what do you think he does? Just cruise around looking for victims? He's a predator.
That's what they do.
And how does he manage that without a car? FlN: He borrows it from his old man.
I just ran background on Foster's family and close associates.
Turns out his ailing dad lives in The Bronx and let the registration lapse on his late '80s van.
You satisfied, Counselor? No sign of Foster or the knife upstairs.
Why is my house full of cops? We're looking for your son, Mr.
Foster.
Do you know where he is? Mark was here when I left for the store.
Says you want a knife.
You don't sound surprised.
My son is a disappointment.
El, the knives.
Test these for blood.
CSU TECH: Stevens, check that out.
That's a lot of steel.
I was a butcher for 40 years.
Had my own shop.
Sorry, Detective.
Murder weapon's not here.
He killed someone.
Mr.
Foster, we need to find your son now.
Did he take your van? Nobody drives that gas guzzler.
KENDALL: Where is it? In my neighbor's garage next door.
KENDALL: Fire.
I'll cut across the neighbor's yard.
STABLER: Meet you in the middle.
Please.
Don't kill him! He's trying to destroy the evidence.
Bet the knife is in the van, too.
Police! Show us your hands.
It's gasoline.
Liv, fall back.
I'm not leaving.
Oh, how sweet.
Don't move, Foster.
You pull that trigger, we all going to blow to flames.
Retreat.
We can't.
The evidence is about to blow.
Kendall? We need him alive, Kendall.
You know I want to kill you.
Go ahead.
Sounds like you want to die.
So do you.
Don't do it.
(GROANlNG) (PANTlNG) You should have taken your shot.
There's always tomorrow.
What are you offering? PAXTON: How's life without parole sound? Overconfidence.
Really? For second degree murder and four counts of rape? Believe me.
If I could, l'd (SlGHS) I'd mix the cocktail myself.
Your sentence also comes with free cable and a gym membership.
DELROY: What's this? BENSON: It's the murder weapon that we found in your client's van.
Leniency depends on what he tells us about his crimes.
And it better be the truth, or I'm gonna take it personally.
Stick a fork in me.
(PAXTON CHUCKLlNG) You are so lucky it's not a needle.
Two whores.
Figured they'd be easy.
What's the world coming to when a ho yells rape? Made me mad.
So I played the John, and I choked the bitch.
Guess one of them ran scared, And I looked hard for her, too, That was one lucky whore, I had plans to gut her.
What do you remember about Katie Harris? Everything.
I put my knife in her side, and I forced her to take me upstairs.
I had to slug her because she fought, BENSON: You hit her because you couldn't get it up, That's a lie, I put a hole in her mattress, BENSON: You couldn't perform, so you got angry, That's why you cut her face, That's a boning knife, sweetheart, I just wanted to see how it handled on human flesh, (SOBBlNG) I don't recognize him.
(SOFTLY) Take it easy.
Take it easy.
He's going to prison for what he did to you.
What about Victor Tate? (SlGHS) We gotta get him out.
I didn't feel the urge for a long time.
Until I lost my job.
I was off my game when that bitch got away, Should have tied her ass to the bed from the start, The little girl,,, She wanted to pay me to buy her beer, Easiest mark I ever saw, Figured you'd move on thinking I was the wrong guy, Just like before, You cops just love to brag when you pinch the bad guy, You ever wonder how many times you get it wrong? You're the last person I expected to see.
What horrible thing did I do this time, Detective Stabler? I made a mistake, Victor.
I wanted to tell you myself.
(SlGHS) We arrested Katie Harris' rapist today.
Never thought I'd hear those words coming from you.
Makes two of us.
Another man confessed to the crime.
We've got it on tape.
You'll be a free man soon.
Does she know? Katie? She heard him describe her attack in detail.
There's no doubt.
We finally got the right man.
(SHOUTlNG) I told you I didn't rape her! Many times.
Nobody believed me And then, my life just stopped! Lost my woman, my friends! Hell, my mother barely knows me! We'll fix that.
Victor, I owe you a debt, and I can't pay it.
I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can.
I promise.
Is this really happening? Believe it.
(LAUGHlNG) Yuk it up, fish.
You won't be laughing for long.
Like that sap you pinched in my place.
Mmm-hmm.
An innocent man doing hard time is so cruel, don't you think? (LAUGHlNG) Sloppy work, Elliot.
I'm surprised they let you carry a badge.
Hey.
Why don't you give yourself a break? Let me haul his ass to the Tombs.
Take me to the can first.
Just hold it.
You can go later.
Either let me piss or clean it out your car.
You are begging for a beat down.
FOSTER: I need to take a leak.
KENDALL: Let's go.
Is Nate here? He doesn't work this precinct, Rena.
Tell me where he is.
Nate can't prop you up forever.
If you want your life back, you're going to need counseling.
Why don't you give them a call? (GLASS SHATTERlNG) (GASPS) What happened? What the hell did you do? Nothing.
The guy just The guy just took a header out the window.
Did he jump, or did you toss him? His neck's broken.
Was that before or after he grew wings? There's no way to tell.
You think I killed him.
I wouldn't put it past you.
I didn't touch the hump.
I'll wait upstairs for lAB.
He did it.
Who gives a damn? At least Foster won't be able to rape again.
Stabler, he also can't testify in court now, which leaves Victor Tate stuck in prison.
What are you talking about? We've got new evidence.
No, it's hearsay.
We have Foster's confession on tape.
A dead man's confession doesn't meet the rules of evidence or allow cross in front of a jury.
It's inadmissible.
What about early parole? We can appear on Tate's behalf.
No, an inmate has to admit guilt before a parole board will let him go.
I just told an innocent man he's getting released.
Yeah, you jumped the gun.
I'm getting him out of there if I have to hire a lawyer myself.
You can do that, but it's not gonna change anything.
He's still gonna end up serving the whole bid.
That's another PAXTON: Look I don't know what to say.
I'm sorry.
Tell me what to do.
Unless you know the governor, there's not a single thing you can do.
You are not the type to off yourself.
(MAN BREATHlNG HEAVlLY) Don't know why since you're just a waste of skin, a lousy pus sac.
So you know what's coming.
What I can't figure is why the hell you're crying about it.
(CRYlNG) CARLOS: Hey, we got fives waiting.
So quit playing with this douche.
What's that smell? Suspect vacated his bowels, Sarge.
It couldn't be helped.
WOMAN: (CRYlNG) Please.
You have to What's it look like? COD's blunt force trauma.
That's what happens when a meth head mistakes his three-month-old for a basketball.
The girlfriend claims it wasn't her fault.
As soon as I get a warrant for blood, I'll be charging her ass, too.
Call a bus.
(RENA CRYlNG) Hey! (SCREAMlNG) Let me go! Leave me alone! Nate Kendall.
I'm a cop.
All right? He raped me.
He raped me.
He raped me.
Let's get you some help.
No, please! Please don't leave me.
Please don't leave me.
Please help me.
Please.
Please.
KENDALL: You SVU? Stabler.
Benson.
Nate Kendall, the 24.
Your victim ran into my crime scene.
Get any info from her? Rena West, 35.
Raped in her apartment.
Superficial knife wounds and wrist restraints.
Doc says no semen, but evidence of tearing.
Everything was bagged, tagged and sent to forensics.
Great.
We'll take it from here.
Miss West? Don't come near me.
Get out.
We're Sex Crimes detectives.
We just want to hear what happened.
I can't.
No.
No.
Not again.
Where's Nate? Where's Nate? I already told him.
No, I can't take this.
Try to calm down.
Listen to me.
We're here to help you.
Rena? Rena? Rena, you're safe now.
Where's Nate? I need Nate.
Try to take a deep breath.
Don't touch me! Never touch me! Where's Nate? Nate, where are you? Hey, CSU get anything from Rena West's apartment? No forced entry, no foreign prints, and no semen.
Just bloody sheets and green fibers.
In other words, a whole lot of nothing.
Well, he's got skills, so this can't be his first party.
Do you mind checking the database for any open rapes? Yeah, I'm on it.
You get a description of your perp from Rena West? We haven't had a chance to talk to her yet.
She had to be sedated.
Then why aren't you back in the hospital waiting for her to come to? We set her off.
She bonded with the first responder, Nate Kendall, out of the 24.
BENSON: Her hero.
He saved her, so she feels safe with him.
She basically told us to get lost.
Where's Kendall now? We left a message on his cell phone, at the precinct.
He could be out in the field.
Hey, Paul.
It's Don, Don Cragen.
Listen, we need to talk to one of your guys, a Nate Kendall.
Yeah, thanks.
He's on loan to Street Narcotics.
Pinching small time dealers.
Latina runner.
Neck tat, orange top.
Be advised.
Her lookout's on wheels.
COP 1: Move in, Go, go, go, COP 2: Freeze! Get down on the ground! COP 3: Don't move! COP 2: Right now! Do it now! What the hell? Remember us? Yeah, I got your messages.
But as you can see, I don't have time.
They'll be fine without you.
Rena West won't.
It's not my problem.
You saw what this guy did to her.
Now we've got to get him off the street now.
You saved a woman's life, Kendall.
Help us save another one.
I don't like victims.
They cling.
Not after you bag the trash that assaulted them.
(SlGHS) Vic's hands were loaded with groceries, and the doer offered help.
Told her, "Don't be afraid of the black guy, lady.
" Only truth he told was when he said he didn't want her purse.
She remember what he looks like? Average black guy.
You don't believe her.
I think her focus was on the knife at her throat.
Perp got her inside, checked her mail and closets.
Make sure she lived alone.
Means he probably didn't stalk her.
Bound her wrists, raped her with his clothes on, then flushed the wrapper.
So how did she get away? He went to cut more cord from the blinds.
My hands were already tied, so I just figured BENSON: It's okay.
Take your time.
(SNlFFLlNG) I knew he was gonna kill me.
So when he went in the other room, I just got up, and I was out the door and running for blocks.
First smart thing you did.
It's not your fault.
KENDALL: The hell it's not.
Her gut was churning the second he approached her on the street.
You're in the way.
Leave.
RENA: No.
No.
Nate's right.
(RENA SNlFFLlNG) The guy was wearing a nice suit, and he was polite, but I knew I knew that something was off.
Only a racist acts afraid of a black guy.
That's what you told yourself, and he read you.
Rena, you survived.
That's the only thing that matters.
Can you give us a description? I only want to talk to Nate.
I don't catch rapists.
They do.
It's you or no one.
Rena, that's just not how it works.
See, you're going to have to repeat your story over and over to lawyers, a jury, a judge.
I can't.
The guy who raped you will rape another woman, and another, and another.
I don't care.
I'm alive.
You said that that's all that matters.
So just take me home.
You aren't going anywhere.
The bastard who did you is out hunting his next mark.
You gonna let her get screwed because you're fragile? Park it.
I don't think I can do this.
There's only one way to find out.
Give us a minute.
(DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) This was a mistake.
Not if it helps us catch our rapist.
And then what? You think Kendall's gonna hold her hand through the trial? Well, your victim is not connecting with either one of you.
At least he's got her talking.
Did you hear him? He has no experience dealing with sexual assault victims.
BENSON: If he works this case, we are gonna have to watch him every second.
We're out of options.
Either work with him, or I'll find somebody who will.
Average height, weight, and build.
Round up the usual suspects.
If you knew how to talk to victims, you'd get more facts.
KENDALL: Here's one.
Victims make lousy witnesses.
Hope you catch your man.
You're not done yet, Detective.
I need you to stay with Miss West.
I'm not a babysitter.
You talk like you have a choice.
Sounds like you already boned me with my Captain.
You're mine until I don't need you anymore.
So what next? We know our guy's opportunistic, prepared, controlled.
He didn't stalk her, so he picked her up off the street.
Or at the local market.
That was her last stop.
MADELElNE: This the man who attacked Rena? BENSON: You recognize him? Maybe.
I just can't place him.
You think she was followed from my store? It's a possibility.
Any chance we can take a look at that footage? Oh, sorry.
That camera's just for show.
Talk to Spencer.
Okay.
He work here? No, he's the neighborhood spy.
He's always watching.
TOM: Spencer? These are Detectives Benson and Stabler.
They want to see your footage from yesterday.
I know you.
You were in the store.
Yes, I was.
We just came from there.
Two years ago.
Uh-huh.
It's possible, but I think I would remember.
No, trust me.
My brother never forgets a face.
You have an awful lot of surveillance equipment in here.
Spencer's autistic, Detective.
Loud noises and human contact unnerve him.
This is his way of being social.
SPENCER: April 12th, 2007, Late night? I did good, Tommy? TOM: You did great, buddy.
Spencer, I'd like to show you a sketch.
Maybe you can help us find the man we're looking for.
It was 7:54 p.
m.
He was pretending to read the paper.
(KEYS CLlCKlNG) (EXHALES) I just want to be sure.
Take all the time you need.
That's him, Nate.
You sure? Yes.
FlN: Facial recognition software got a hit.
Mark Foster, 32.
He liked beating up his ex-wife.
He did time for aggravated assault, and when he got out, she filed an RO.
No rapes, though.
Isn't that unusual? Well, he already abused his wife.
Wouldn't be surprised if he sexually assaulted her, too.
We have a current address on this creep? FlN: He was evicted from his Midtown condo after he lost his job as a trader.
His recent W-2s show him working in the Meatpacking District.
Trading cattle futures to cutting steaks? That's a long fall.
But a short jump to carving up women.
Let's pick up the butcher.
I'm riding with you.
We got it.
Mark Foster.
Police.
Stop! (TlRES SCREECHlNG) (GROANS) What the hell was that? You trying to kill him? I hate to run.
Hey, you.
Excessive force with a car.
Are you out of your mind? You lD'd yourself, he ran.
Period.
No.
Your stunt could have damaged our case.
You don't have a case yet.
Rena West picked Foster out of a photo array.
And it took her Memory recall's immediate.
You saying she's lying? I'm saying Rena thinks it's true so this whole mess will be over.
Badly enough to pick out the wrong perp.
She's white.
He's black.
Cross-race identification isn't reliable.
You know, not all black people look alike.
Thanks.
But you're not a victim.
Mistaken lDs happen all the time.
Rena didn't get a glimpse of some guy in the dark.
This was a prolonged, physical attack.
With a big knife he used to cut her.
Was she focused on the weapon or his face? She saw his face.
How can you be sure? Because she told us.
And I'm not gonna put her through any more than I have to.
BENSON: Oh, no.
Four's a crowd.
You cops make a habit of hitting people with your cars? You make a habit out of running every time a cop orders you to stop? Just ask my lawyer when she gets here.
So, you're refusing to cooperate.
You're wasting your time.
I didn't rape anyone.
Who said anything about rape? A white woman gets attacked in my old neighborhood.
Every brother within 20 blocks is just waiting to get hauled in for questioning.
Well, you could play the race card if we were rounding up all the brothers.
But right now, it's just you.
So where were you two days ago, Mr.
Foster? I was working in the morning.
I went on job interviews in the afternoon.
Where? Sorry.
You start asking questions, I won't get hired.
Well, you were seen in the same market where the victim shops.
So what? I used to live there when I had a real job.
My ex still has a place in the area.
The ex that had to file a restraining order against you? You got a short fuse.
(LAUGHS) My fuse is plenty long.
You should see it.
What for? You couldn't keep your wife happy with it.
Is that why you beat her up? STABLER: Which bought you six months in Rikers.
Now, you can't trade stocks with a record, huh? Right? Cost you your job, your home, your freedom.
Somebody had to pay.
So you whipped out your big knife, and you carved up Rena West.
I don't know that woman, and I didn't touch her.
Prove it.
Give us an alibi.
Fine.
I violated my RO when I went to see that bitch I was married to.
That's smart.
Confess to a misdemeanor when you're guilty of a felony? Good one.
She's got custody of my kid, and she's a damn crackhead.
What the hell am I supposed to do? PAXTON ON lNTERCOM: Ninety-three seconds, (DOOR OPENS) Excuse me? The suspect asked for his lawyer, and you kept questioning him for 93 seconds.
That's a violation of his right to counsel.
We'll leave you to your client, Counselor.
No, no, no, no, I may be wearing couture, but I don't represent scumbags.
So who exactly do you represent? The People.
Sonya Paxton, your new ADA.
How's it going? Where's Alex Cabot? Training in Albany.
When she's finished, she'll take my spot in Appeals.
Appeals.
Well, no disrespect, but we do things a little differently down here in New York City.
Oh, really? I was trying homicides when you were fresh out of the Academy, walking a beat and trying not to piss yourself.
Executive ADA Paxton got the first capital conviction when Pataki brought back the death penalty.
Yes, I did.
So when I say stop playing fast and loose with defendants' rights, that's what you'll do, or you won't be working here.
CRAGEN: That is the Commissioner's decision, Sonya, not yours.
PAXTON: That's where you're wrong, Don.
There have been far too many overturned convictions, especially in the "He said, she said" unit.
So, Jack McCoy sent me here to clean house.
Oh, and One PP thinks it's a really swell idea.
So why don't you walk me through it? The victim lD'd Mark Foster from a photo array.
Was it sequential? That's not procedure.
A photo array's by the book.
Yeah, well, your book's out of date.
Presenting photos one at a time is more accurate.
Studies show that traumatized victims can't take in a lot of detail all at once.
Okay.
What else have you got? We don't need anything else.
(CHUCKLES) Seventy-five percent of wrongful convictions came from witness misidentification.
We're supposed to be victims' advocates.
We start doubting them, they stop reporting.
Putting innocent men in jail costs taxpayers money, and leaves the real perps on the street to hit again.
Now, barring that, is there any forensic evidence? A few green fibers that CSU says are mass-produced carpeting for vans.
They were discontinued in the late '80s.
Does Foster own a van with green carpet? No, but he could have borrowed one or stolen one.
Look, he was careful.
He kept his clothes on.
He wore gloves, a condom.
He wasn't stupid enough to show up at the crime scene with his own car.
What we're saying is he's no first-timer.
He's got his rape routine down pat.
Wait, wait.
I thought there were no open rape cases matching this MO.
There aren't.
Maybe the victims didn't report it.
My gut is telling me that he's done it before.
Or maybe it's your acid reflux.
We'll widen the search.
Find his priors.
Yeah.
Call me when you get them.
Break Foster's alibi.
Go talk to his ex.
(BABY CRYlNG) LAYLA: It's so hard.
You're no good.
(GLASS SHATTERlNG) MAN: Come on, you whore.
(KENDALL SLAPS) Please! Pull yourself together.
What's the matter with you? (WHlMPERlNG) Pull yourself together! (YELLlNG) Get off me! Get off me! Calm down.
Calm down.
Mrs.
Foster, are you hurt? Real bad.
I need my medicine.
Okay, honey.
It's okay, sweetheart.
Are you okay? STABLER: What the hell are you doing here? Came to get Foster's alibi.
Stupid bitch is useless.
She was sucking on that pipe when I got here.
The kid's filthy.
There's no food in the fridge.
That doesn't give you the right to rough her up.
She's lucky I didn't shoot her.
BENSON: If you need something to do, why don't you take the little girl to Social Services? Now.
My little girl likes cheeseburgers.
How about you? Okay, sweetie.
It's all right.
You're okay.
Okay.
Mrs.
Foster? I need to ask you some questions about your ex-husband.
Was he here? That's what we need you to tell us.
I need some rock.
(CELL PHONE RlNGlNG) Listen to me.
Look at me.
Look at me.
Benson.
You're not getting anything until you answer the question.
Help me out.
I'll say whatever you want me to say.
El, that was Fin.
We've got another problem.
NClC pinged a rape that matches your MO, right down to the green fibers.
I thought there weren't any open rapes.
There aren't.
It's a 10-year-old case.
Bought the perp a 25-year bid.
Whose case was it? Yours.
In '98 I collared Victor Tate for the rape of Katie Harris.
He threatened her with a knife, tried to rape her.
When he couldn't perform, he beat the crap out of her.
And left the same green fibers at the crime scene that you found on Rena West.
Vans are the vehicle of choice for perverts.
Hundreds of thousands have the same carpet.
Or maybe you got the wrong guy.
Is that your professional opinion? Just test the old fibers against the new ones.
See if they match.
We can't.
The lab used up the whole sample 10 years ago.
Wait, wait, wait.
What are you telling me? There's no way to forensically link the Harris case to Rena West's? No, I'm telling you they're not connected.
Victor Tate didn't con his way in.
He didn't tie her up.
He didn't try to kill her.
These guys adapt.
He's had a decade to improve his technique.
Tate gave a detailed alibi.
It turned out to be false.
He had bloody knuckles.
The victim lD'd him in a photo array and a line-up.
And yet, 10 years later, someone's attacking women with remarkable similarity.
CRAGEN: Well, you're basing Tate's innocence on green fibers that we don't have.
Not at all.
I'm just saying we need to take a second look.
Fifty-three convictions have been overturned in this state, Don.
Even one is too many.
Those men were exonerated through DNA.
There's a difference.
Falsely imprisoned for decades, I might add, because Oh, yeah, detectives didn't do their jobs in the first place.
Well, that isn't the case here, Ms.
Paxton.
Tate is guilty.
Really? Oh.
Well, that's great then.
You don't mind calling me after you re-interview Katie Harris and show her a sequential photo array.
Take Fin with you.
KATlE: I don't understand.
Why do I have to do this? This is just a more accurate way to identify your attacker.
KATlE: Victor Tate.
That's the same man I pointed out in the courtroom.
Why are you making me go through it again? There's a very slim possibility that we caught the wrong guy.
What the hell are you talking about? That man raped my wife.
He's been sitting in prison for 10 years.
A recent victim makes it look like Tate could be innocent.
I don't believe it.
That man attacked me.
You think after what he did to my face, I wouldn't know his? Katie, a lot of victims mistake lD's.
They'll be absolutely positive, and then DNA evidence will prove the guy's innocence.
Is that what happened here? FlN: No.
But there's other forensic evidence we need to check out.
How can you do this to me? I wouldn't be here if I had a choice.
Do you think he's innocent? I'm not sure.
Don't come back until you are.
You all right? I'm going over the case in my head.
I read the file.
You did your job, and his alibi sucked.
No, see, that's the point.
Tate's alibi checked out for the weekend before.
He's always said that it was my questioning that mixed him up.
That's why he got the dates wrong.
Come on, man.
Don't beat yourself up.
What if Tate is innocent? The man had a fair trial.
If he's not the rapist, the entire system failed.
Not just you.
(CELL PHONE RlNGlNG) Stabler.
We're coming in.
Liv found two more victims.
Twelve years ago, two women reported being raped at knifepoint.
Let me guess.
More green fibers at the crime scenes.
Yep.
And you think I'm the screw-up.
These cases never hit our desks.
CRAGEN: Why? Because both of these victims are prostitutes.
They gave phony names.
So when no one believed them, they took a powder.
We need to find these two women.
And how should we do that with 12-year-old aliases? If you want to find a whore, you ask a pimp.
WlLLlE: If you need any food, just come to me, okay? This guy will have you in LYCRA and plastic heels before you know it.
Get lost.
Detectives.
What do you need? You were a baller back in the day.
Probably knew every skirt in the city.
If they was any good.
(LAUGHlNG) We need a name with the face.
What's the pay? Not having me come back here, Willie.
Heard the rumors, Kendall.
Don't want to be your bitch with a pistol down my throat.
Honey pot's deceased.
Hey, you remember how? Strangled by some trick.
What about her? She wasn't hooking long before she got the beat down.
Disappeared after that.
I need a name.
I need to make a call.
Better make it fast.
Hey, you don't get to knock heads, even when it's about a kid.
It's no surprise we don't see eye to eye.
It's more than that.
You slapped a mother over her 6-year-old.
Now, you're threatening him over a girl recruit.
What's the matter with you? She reminded me of my daughter, Kelly.
How old is she? Only got to see her two weeks out of the year.
Never enough time, but we always had a blast.
She live out of state? My ex ran to Seattle to get away.
And my kid ends up dead because Because I wasn't there.
I'm sorry.
My ex, too.
Got herself involved with a meth dealer.
Blew them up cooking it.
(EXHALES) Kendall.
I got you a name.
BENSON: Beverly Neal? Where did you get this? Who are you? Special Victims Unit.
We're investigating another rape that matched your case file.
There is no case.
Didn't you hear? I made up the whole thing.
Look, your rapist is still out there, and we can't catch him without you.
I'm a court reporter now.
I've seen what goes on in rape trials.
There are laws to shield victims.
And tactics to get around them.
You just don't want anyone to know what you used to be.
You've got balls.
I dropped that baggage long ago.
And now, you expect me to pick it back up.
What you used to be shouldn't have mattered.
The way you were treated was wrong.
And because you say so, I'm supposed to bend over.
That's how pimps talk.
Women are being raped.
Don't make me subpoena you.
Fat chance.
You don't know cops if you think that's an empty threat.
I am not a whore or a victim, Detective.
And I sure as hell won't let you treat me like one.
STABLER: How did it go? One victim's dead, and the other won't cooperate.
Then we force her hand.
I'm calling Paxton to get that subpoena.
You don't call the ADA without clearing it with me.
Look, either Beverly Neal clears Foster, or she'll put him in a cage.
And what makes you think that she'll be able to make a positive lD after more than a decade? We won't know until we twist her arm.
STABLER: Yeah, but why trust her and not Rena West? They were both attacked with a knife.
Black on black crime.
If Neal picks Foster, he can't claim cross-race lD.
Race shouldn't make a difference.
Research studies says it does.
Well, it doesn't matter now.
Foster's in the Tombs.
There's been another rape.
Where? CRAGEN: Vacant lot Midtown.
Victim is a minor.
Everybody goes.
(WOMAN CHATTERlNG OVER POLlCE RADlO) STABLER: Checking up on us? Get used to it.
Standing order at Central Dispatch says I get called when you do.
KENDALL: She's just a baby.
WARNER: Lynn Rivers, sixteen.
Her parents were out of town.
Preliminary COD is exsanguination.
She's got several slashes to her throat and chest.
Carotid's severed.
Well, she wasn't killed here.
There's not enough blood.
No fluids either.
Victim's cell phone shows 14 missed calls from an Angelina Lupino.
Any forensics? WARNER: More green fibers.
She's practically covered with them.
She was raped in the van, then dumped here.
If Foster wasn't sitting in a cell, I'd put him right back in the box.
Foster isn't in the Tombs anymore.
He made bail.
What? It's his right.
He violated an RO, and Rena West lD'd him.
PAXTON: Yeah, well, like I told you that isn't enough evidence.
Certainly not enough to argue remand without bail.
How much? Judge set it at 50,000.
So, he throws five grand at a bondsman, and he's free to murder.
You know what? Blame the Constitution, okay? You want to be a prosecutor? Go to law school.
Or better yet, just do your jobs, guys.
Find me something I can use to put him away.
WARNER: Lynn Rivers suffered cuts to the sternum, two stab wounds to the chest, and a fatal blow to the neck.
The blade you're looking for will be long and tapered.
Any evidence of sexual assault? Tearing in the vaginal vault, and she's missing both areola.
Did he take her nipples post-mortem? Poor kid finally caught a break.
Foster never took trophies before.
This was his first kill.
We stressed him.
He's decompensating.
Makes him more dangerous if he thinks he has nothing to lose.
Your victim's tox screens came back positive for THC and alcohol.
BENSON: Weed and booze.
What 16-year-old doesn't party when Mom and Dad are out of town? Well, we've got Angelina Lupino who blew up her cell.
Maybe she can tell us what happened last night.
Wasn't really a party.
More like a make-out session.
STABLER: With alcohol and joints.
We were having fun.
My mom didn't know Lynn's parents were out of town.
Okay.
So, this make-out marathon was at Lynn's house.
No, Tommy Porter's.
He lives on Riverton.
That's Rena West's neighborhood.
Did anyone come over and pick Lynn up? No.
She got elected to get more beer.
Why her? Lynn had a fake lD.
She was glad to go but never came back.
Store manager said he turned Lynn Rivers away.
Well, if he sold beer to a minor, he wouldn't admit it.
Trust me.
He was telling the truth.
Did anybody see Foster in the area last night? No hits on the canvass.
Do we even know where he is? If we'd known he was being released, we could have tailed him.
(LAUGHS SARCASTlCALLY) You want to play the blame game? Because if Foster's your guy, you put an innocent man in prison for 10 years.
Yeah, I know that now, and I'll make that right.
Oh, that's really comforting.
But meanwhile, you have brought me nothing to put him in chains.
So, what do you think he does? Just cruise around looking for victims? He's a predator.
That's what they do.
And how does he manage that without a car? FlN: He borrows it from his old man.
I just ran background on Foster's family and close associates.
Turns out his ailing dad lives in The Bronx and let the registration lapse on his late '80s van.
You satisfied, Counselor? No sign of Foster or the knife upstairs.
Why is my house full of cops? We're looking for your son, Mr.
Foster.
Do you know where he is? Mark was here when I left for the store.
Says you want a knife.
You don't sound surprised.
My son is a disappointment.
El, the knives.
Test these for blood.
CSU TECH: Stevens, check that out.
That's a lot of steel.
I was a butcher for 40 years.
Had my own shop.
Sorry, Detective.
Murder weapon's not here.
He killed someone.
Mr.
Foster, we need to find your son now.
Did he take your van? Nobody drives that gas guzzler.
KENDALL: Where is it? In my neighbor's garage next door.
KENDALL: Fire.
I'll cut across the neighbor's yard.
STABLER: Meet you in the middle.
Please.
Don't kill him! He's trying to destroy the evidence.
Bet the knife is in the van, too.
Police! Show us your hands.
It's gasoline.
Liv, fall back.
I'm not leaving.
Oh, how sweet.
Don't move, Foster.
You pull that trigger, we all going to blow to flames.
Retreat.
We can't.
The evidence is about to blow.
Kendall? We need him alive, Kendall.
You know I want to kill you.
Go ahead.
Sounds like you want to die.
So do you.
Don't do it.
(GROANlNG) (PANTlNG) You should have taken your shot.
There's always tomorrow.
What are you offering? PAXTON: How's life without parole sound? Overconfidence.
Really? For second degree murder and four counts of rape? Believe me.
If I could, l'd (SlGHS) I'd mix the cocktail myself.
Your sentence also comes with free cable and a gym membership.
DELROY: What's this? BENSON: It's the murder weapon that we found in your client's van.
Leniency depends on what he tells us about his crimes.
And it better be the truth, or I'm gonna take it personally.
Stick a fork in me.
(PAXTON CHUCKLlNG) You are so lucky it's not a needle.
Two whores.
Figured they'd be easy.
What's the world coming to when a ho yells rape? Made me mad.
So I played the John, and I choked the bitch.
Guess one of them ran scared, And I looked hard for her, too, That was one lucky whore, I had plans to gut her.
What do you remember about Katie Harris? Everything.
I put my knife in her side, and I forced her to take me upstairs.
I had to slug her because she fought, BENSON: You hit her because you couldn't get it up, That's a lie, I put a hole in her mattress, BENSON: You couldn't perform, so you got angry, That's why you cut her face, That's a boning knife, sweetheart, I just wanted to see how it handled on human flesh, (SOBBlNG) I don't recognize him.
(SOFTLY) Take it easy.
Take it easy.
He's going to prison for what he did to you.
What about Victor Tate? (SlGHS) We gotta get him out.
I didn't feel the urge for a long time.
Until I lost my job.
I was off my game when that bitch got away, Should have tied her ass to the bed from the start, The little girl,,, She wanted to pay me to buy her beer, Easiest mark I ever saw, Figured you'd move on thinking I was the wrong guy, Just like before, You cops just love to brag when you pinch the bad guy, You ever wonder how many times you get it wrong? You're the last person I expected to see.
What horrible thing did I do this time, Detective Stabler? I made a mistake, Victor.
I wanted to tell you myself.
(SlGHS) We arrested Katie Harris' rapist today.
Never thought I'd hear those words coming from you.
Makes two of us.
Another man confessed to the crime.
We've got it on tape.
You'll be a free man soon.
Does she know? Katie? She heard him describe her attack in detail.
There's no doubt.
We finally got the right man.
(SHOUTlNG) I told you I didn't rape her! Many times.
Nobody believed me And then, my life just stopped! Lost my woman, my friends! Hell, my mother barely knows me! We'll fix that.
Victor, I owe you a debt, and I can't pay it.
I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can.
I promise.
Is this really happening? Believe it.
(LAUGHlNG) Yuk it up, fish.
You won't be laughing for long.
Like that sap you pinched in my place.
Mmm-hmm.
An innocent man doing hard time is so cruel, don't you think? (LAUGHlNG) Sloppy work, Elliot.
I'm surprised they let you carry a badge.
Hey.
Why don't you give yourself a break? Let me haul his ass to the Tombs.
Take me to the can first.
Just hold it.
You can go later.
Either let me piss or clean it out your car.
You are begging for a beat down.
FOSTER: I need to take a leak.
KENDALL: Let's go.
Is Nate here? He doesn't work this precinct, Rena.
Tell me where he is.
Nate can't prop you up forever.
If you want your life back, you're going to need counseling.
Why don't you give them a call? (GLASS SHATTERlNG) (GASPS) What happened? What the hell did you do? Nothing.
The guy just The guy just took a header out the window.
Did he jump, or did you toss him? His neck's broken.
Was that before or after he grew wings? There's no way to tell.
You think I killed him.
I wouldn't put it past you.
I didn't touch the hump.
I'll wait upstairs for lAB.
He did it.
Who gives a damn? At least Foster won't be able to rape again.
Stabler, he also can't testify in court now, which leaves Victor Tate stuck in prison.
What are you talking about? We've got new evidence.
No, it's hearsay.
We have Foster's confession on tape.
A dead man's confession doesn't meet the rules of evidence or allow cross in front of a jury.
It's inadmissible.
What about early parole? We can appear on Tate's behalf.
No, an inmate has to admit guilt before a parole board will let him go.
I just told an innocent man he's getting released.
Yeah, you jumped the gun.
I'm getting him out of there if I have to hire a lawyer myself.
You can do that, but it's not gonna change anything.
He's still gonna end up serving the whole bid.
That's another PAXTON: Look I don't know what to say.
I'm sorry.
Tell me what to do.
Unless you know the governor, there's not a single thing you can do.