Law & Order Special Victims Unit s11e11 Episode Script
Quickie
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, (WOMAN SCREAMlNG) (GASPS) Brad? Brad, did you hear that? Hmm? It sounded like someone screaming.
(SlGHS) Pen, just go back to sleep.
It was probably some party girl drunk off her ass.
(WATER GURGLlNG) (WOMAN SCREAMlNG) Do you hear a girl's voice? I always hear girls' voices with this stuff.
No.
This is real.
I'm calling the cops.
Are you high? Oh! (LAUGHlNG) Yeah.
Why can't you mind your own beeswax? (WOMAN SCREAMlNG) A girl's in trouble out there.
WOMAN: Help! I didn't hear anything.
Because you're deaf! Where do you think you're going? To check on that poor girl.
And if there's a homicidal maniac, what are you going to do? Run him over with your Rascal? Stay here.
Just a kid.
Her lD says she's 23.
BENSON: Vanessa Eastman.
Found a smashed cell phone.
I'll see if we can get anything off it.
Defensive wounds.
She fought back.
Didn't stop him from raping her through the back door.
Anal tearing.
Fluids on her thigh.
This rock your murder weapon? If it wasn't, bruising on her neck indicates he strangled her, too.
I'll know more after the autopsy.
Neighbor said he heard her cry for help hours ago.
Tell me she died quickly.
No such luck.
Liver temp indicates she bled out slowly.
TOD's only about an hour ago.
So how many people up there heard her screams and did nothing? You notify Vanessa Eastman's parents? We couldn't.
ID was fake.
Anything on her prints? Nothing.
My guess is she's an underage kid out clubbing.
Well, lD's not the only wall we're hitting.
Munch just called from his canvass.
Nobody saw anything.
Plenty of people heard her screaming for her life, but nobody bothered to check.
BENSON: Yeah, it's the bystander effect.
Just like the 15-year-old girl in California who was gang raped at her homecoming while 20 people stood by.
Hey, hey.
STABLER: You got something? FlN: Description fitting your Jane Doe came up on the Missing Persons Database about 10 minutes ago.
BENSON: Anna McWilliams, 17.
(CRYlNG) That's my little girl.
BENSON: We're so sorry for your loss.
STABLER: Mr.
McWilliams, we need to ask you a few questions.
Do you know who Anna was with last night? No, I was on a business trip and got home this morning.
I saw her bed wasn't slept in, (SlGHS) so I called her friends.
No one had seen her.
Had she stayed out all night before? She'd break her curfew, but she always came home.
Her mom died of cancer seven months ago.
They were like sisters.
Anna took it real hard, started acting out.
How? She dumped the boy she'd been dating since the seventh grade.
(SlGHS) Started seeing a new guy every week.
We're going to need all those names.
I don't know them.
She wouldn't talk to me about boys.
How about the old boyfriend? Henry Christensen.
They stayed friends.
Trust me.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
(BOYS ARGUlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY) STABLER: Is that our boy? BENSON: That's him.
HENRY: Get the hell away! What's your problem, Henry? STABLER: Looks like our boy Henry has a temper.
And tell your buddy Halliday he can shove this up his ass! Calm down.
Calm down.
Guys, what's the problem? That douche bag put a picture of him and Anna on her memorial.
Yeah.
BENSON: Looks like she had a lot of friends.
Yeah, well, she was my girlfriend for six years.
When was the last time you saw Anna? STABLER: Thanks.
Yesterday.
Fifth period Calculus.
I think your math's a little off.
Come on.
Let's go talk.
STABLER: Must have slipped your mind.
You spent last night with Anna.
No, I didn't.
Hmm? Well, you know, her cell phone was pretty smashed up, but we were able to download your texts.
(STABLER READlNG) It's just a song.
We were getting back together.
Really? Then why did she text back "have plans"? Pretty harsh.
I mean, no "I'm sorry," no "Happy Birthday.
" (HENRY SlGHS) I got my present.
She went out with me that night.
So then why did you lie about it? Well, maybe he was embarrassed about hiring lnstant Entourage.
Paparazzi for pay that follow nobodies around and make them look like big shots.
STABLER: You bribed her to go out with you? Anna would never turn down a date to the hottest club if she could blog about it on NY Party Girl.
She couldn't post the pictures fast enough.
"Hey, cowboys, watch me take a ride to the Meatpacking District.
" STABLER: Anna seems to be attracting an awful lot of attention here.
That must have made you mad.
It was a photo op.
We didn't stay.
BENSON: No.
You went into the park, you made your move, she rejected you again, and you snapped.
We never went to the park! After the last club, we got back in the limo.
She started texting someone.
Next thing I know, she tells the driver to drop her off at 23rd.
I went home.
So you spent all your money on her with no happy ending.
She couldn't wait to leave.
She practically jumped out of the car.
You think she was hooking up with one of your high school buddies? No.
Before she got out, I grabbed her phone.
I saw a message pop up from a guy on AQ.
What's AQ? (STABLER READlNG) It's a cell phone app.
I thought you already pulled everything off Anna's phone.
This isn't stored in a phone like a text.
It's a location-based social networking site.
AQ uses the phone's GPS or Wi-Fi network as a geolocator.
The user can track people nearby looking for anonymous sex.
Let me show you how it works.
This guy, Hot4U, is less than a block from us now.
I'll play our victim, and I'll use Anna's screen name, Sweet17, and see if we can hook up.
I'll text him.
"Hot pic.
Meet for coffee in five?" Casual sex at the speed of light.
Makes Craigslist look prehistoric.
MORALES: He took the bait.
(BENSON READlNG) Can you see who Anna chatted with last night? This is her chat log.
At 3:09 a.
m.
, she contacted a guy named Big Peter.
(BENSON READlNG) (STABLER READlNG) So Anna and Peter text, they seal the deal, and they hook up in the park.
Victim on demand.
It's a rapist's dream come true.
Can you find Big Peter now? MORALES: He's in Brooklyn Heights.
Let's see if he's up for another anonymous quickie.
You my Good Time Girl? I am if you're Big Peter.
Big Peter is always up for a good time.
So what did you have in mind? Whatever you want.
How about a threesome? You got a hot girlfriend stashed somewhere? I got a hot boyfriend.
Well, not really my scene, but I'll try anything once.
Whoa.
Whoa.
I'm not into S&M, pal.
Idiot, you're under arrest for the rape and murder of Anna McWilliams.
Who? You know her as Sweet 17.
I didn't kill that girl.
We hooked up, and I split.
After you split her head open with this? It's amazing what they can get fingerprints off nowadays.
The only thing I grabbed in that park felt like those beauties.
So do you get all your victims off AQ? Perfect setup for you.
One-stop rape shop.
Rape? No.
I've slept with thousands of women, and every one of them says, "Yes.
Please.
" (SCOFFS) Thousands? You've been a busy boy.
AQ has only been up for six months.
I'm talking lifetime RBl.
I've only tapped around a hundred on AQ.
Only? So you're a sex addict.
I'm a red-blooded guy living the American dream.
You're every woman's worst nightmare.
But that's why Anonymous Quickie is so perfect for you.
Anyone who gets to know you hates you.
(CHUCKLES) I'm on AQ because I don't have time for dating.
I'm a stockbroker.
You really do enjoy screwing people.
Nobody's complaining about my services.
So then you won't mind if we conduct a customer satisfaction survey? We'll need your phone.
You know, you should try AQ for real, Detective.
You look like you need it.
You know what I think? I think sleeping with all those women got boring, and you needed to ratchet up the thrill.
So first, the beating, then choking, and now murder.
Well, you're the one getting all hot and bothered.
You get off on inflicting pain? Unlike you, I don't need to hurt someone to get it up.
We're going to get a warrant for your DNA, and we're going to put you away for life.
You don't need a warrant to take my DNA.
How would you like my sample? Please tell me you got something off that sleazebag's phone.
AQ doesn't save your contacts unless you designate them a favorite, which pop up as a yellow smiley face.
STABLER: I don't see any.
Well, that's because he doesn't have any.
His favorites tab is empty.
Yeah, find them and forget them.
He's smart.
Doesn't leave a trail.
He must have a little black book somewhere.
Did he download any other quickie apps? A bunch.
Craigsphone, PowerChat, WhosAround, and Faceunion.
Faceunion.
It's been around the longest.
I'll go to his profile page.
I can access his friends.
STABLER: All female.
Can you run his friends list against our database of open rape cases? MORALES: Here are his friends.
Here's the SVU database.
We got a match.
Rebecca Ellison.
BENSON: I remember her.
She was blitz attacked two years ago in Washington Square Park.
Same MO as Peter's.
(SNlFFLlNG) Sorry.
I'm just getting over the flu.
Oh! Of course.
Is this about my rape case? Yeah, we're following up on some new leads.
Rebecca, can you tell me again what you remember about your attack? He came up behind me in the park, pushed me down, and got on top of me.
I'm so sorry to put you through this again, and I know you're not feeling well.
You told me that you didn't remember seeing your attacker's face.
But did you hear his voice? No.
It all happened so fast, and I blacked out, thankfully.
Does the name Peter Butler mean anything to you? I met him a few years ago.
Online? No, at a party.
And he friended me after on Faceunion.
Why? You think he's the one who raped me? We're just clearing every possible lead.
Rebecca, did the two of you have a sexual relationship? It was more like a one-night stand.
He was really cute, and I was going through a wild period after college.
Was the sex with Peter violent in any way? He called me bitch and whore.
Slapped and spanked me.
So he liked it rough.
Oh, God.
Maybe it was Peter.
WARNER: Peter Butler didn't rape Rebecca Ellison.
STABLER: You ran his DNA against her rape kit? And through CODlS.
He's clean.
Well, maybe for Rebecca's rape, but he still could have killed our victim.
Well, it's his word against a dead girl's.
Did you find anything linking him to Anna's murder? Depends.
It's extremely difficult to get latent prints from skin, but Anna's neck was very smooth.
I used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and lucked out.
Problem is I need Peter's prints to compare them to.
Stockbrokers are fingerprinted when they get their license.
He should be in the system.
Peter Butler's not your killer.
You're telling me that Anna met up with two sexual predators that night? STABLER: Whose fingerprint could it be? WARNER: From the poroscopy, I can see the print is from someone who's young or who hasn't worked a day in his life.
Like Henry Christensen, a jilted boyfriend from seventh grade? Henry is in bed.
He is sick over Anna's death.
Well, then maybe you can help us.
Do you know what time Henry came home the night of his birthday? Why are you hounding my son? Isn't it bad enough that you questioned him at school like a common criminal? If his prints don't match, we won't bother you again.
What are you talking about? We have a warrant to get his fingerprints.
Can you get him for us, please? Henry? Henry! Henry? Henry? Henry? Did he run when he heard us come in? It's locked.
He didn't go out this way.
Well, he couldn't have gotten very far.
(SlGHS) Come on out, Henry.
Why can't you just leave me alone? STABLER: Because Anna's killer left two thumb prints where he tried to crush her trachea.
But she kept gasping for breath, so he took a rock and bashed her head in.
Stop it.
The guy had a pretty weak arm.
It took her about five hours to bleed to death out there alone in the cold.
Why are you doing this to me? Those are your thumb prints, Henry.
Tell me what happened.
I had to beg her to go out with me.
All she cared about were stupid photographers and her lame blog.
She blew you off to hook up with this loser.
You couldn't let her do that.
I followed her into the park, and I saw her having sex with him.
It was disgusting.
He just used her and left.
And I told her that I still loved her.
You know.
And you know what she said to me? She said that she never loved me.
She said that I was just a boy, and that she needed a real man.
She gave me a kiss on the cheek.
I grabbed her, and I begged her to give me another chance.
She started laughing at me.
She told me to leave her alone for good.
I loved her.
I really loved her.
How could she do that to me on my birthday? How pathetic.
She's dead, but he's the victim.
Even if she had lived, she might have died young.
What are you saying? The semen from Anna's rape kit tested positive for HlV.
BENSON: It's from Peter Butler.
The guy who's been sleeping his way across the city? We just let a potential serial killer go free.
Great story in today's paper.
You here to apologize? STABLER: Hardly.
We're here to talk about you, as distasteful as that may be.
It's nice to see you, too, Olivia.
Couldn't stay away, huh? I just have to ask.
Why would a player like you have anonymous sex without protection? Condoms cramp my style.
Condoms protect women from getting HlV.
What are you saying? That you're HlV positive.
I'm aware of my status.
You can go now.
You know? And you're still having unprotected sex? I'm on meds.
Even with an undetectable viral load, you can still spread the virus.
What happens in my bedroom Or a public park.
is none of your business unless consensual sex is illegal.
No, but assault with your deadly weapon is.
Big Peter, you're under arrest.
For what? Peter, what's going on? It's nothing, Grandpa.
It's a misunderstanding, okay? Parking tickets.
Where are you taking my grandson? We're taking him down to the precinct to ask him a few questions.
What are the charges? Attempted murder? The way this guy was plowing through women, he might as well have been shooting a gun into a crowd.
We can't get him on rape, so we go after him for spreading HlV? Do we have proof he infected somebody? He's positive, he's slept with hundreds of women, and he's bragging about riding bareback.
Alex? There is precedent.
A Texas jury just sent a guy away for 45 years for infecting six women.
And New York convicted a guy over 10 years ago for knowingly spreading HlV.
We want to encourage people to get tested, not arrest them.
Butler brags about nailing a different piece of tail every night.
Captain, he's just like a rapist.
He gets off on hurting women.
Only he's found a way to injure his victims without technically raping them.
I'll say it again.
Do we know if any of his partners have tested positive? (SlGHS) We haven't found one yet.
Oh, there's no doubt he's a threat to the community.
But I can't file a complaint until a partner he has harmed comes forward.
You want me to find someone Peter Butler infected with HlV? If we can't, that son of a bitch walks.
There's got to be a way to figure out who he passed the virus to.
Maybe there is.
HlV commonly mutates as it's passed from person to person.
A phylogenetic test can determine the source of infection by tracing mutations between samples.
Say that again? WARNER: This is a copy of Peter Butler's HlV virus with several highlighted mutations.
We could compare his mutations with other cases and possibly find women he infected.
Great.
Let's run it.
Problem is Health Department records are confidential.
Well, if he infected women out there, they deserve justice.
True.
But even if we get the records, a lot of HlV testing is anonymous, so there are no names, only numbers.
But at least we'll get an idea of how many women he might have given a death sentence to.
Melinda, you said it yourself.
This guy could be a walking epidemic.
To do this properly, I'll have to screen thousands of HlV samples.
Have Cabot get a court order for the names of potential infected partners.
I know where to start.
There's still a stigma attached to HlV.
A lot of people won't talk about it.
I'll bring reinforcements.
HlV? Are you crazy? It's not the flu, is it? Oh, my God.
Rebecca? Rebecca, it's going to be okay.
You just have to be straight with us.
(CRYlNG) I don't know what to do.
I'm getting sicker.
Are you taking anti-retrovirals? I can't afford them.
And my new job won't cover me with my preexisting condition.
How long have you known? I was tested after I was raped.
So you were infected by your attacker.
No, the doctor diagnosed me with thrush.
Said I'd been positive for a few years.
Which was around the time you slept with Peter Butler.
Did he do this to me? He's HlV positive? We can't disclose anyone's status without their permission.
But you can help us by giving us a blood sample.
That way, we can analyze it and determine whether or not we can prosecute the person who infected you.
I am so sick of giving blood.
I am sick of talking about this disease.
I just want to go on with my life.
I don't want to subpoena you to testify as a material witness.
But having your blood analyzed can help save other women's lives.
Lots of women's lives.
Please? I want to nail the bastard.
BENSON: You're going down, Peter.
Great.
You still don't think you've done anything wrong? Rebecca Ellison has AlDS because you infected her with HlV.
She let me have sex without a condom.
All of them did.
They wouldn't have if you had told them that you were positive.
The prostitute who infected me didn't tell me she was positive.
She didn't care if she hurt me.
Oh, so this is about revenge.
You need to degrade women.
You need to make them suffer.
I only sleep with whores.
And you're teaching them a lesson by infecting them with your virus.
They ask for it, so I give it to them.
Wow! Somebody really must have hurt you when you were young.
Men that hate women this much usually have mommy issues.
Is that what happened to you? Are you punishing your mommy? You leave her out of this! Guess that answers that question.
You don't know anything about me.
Well, I know that you still live with your grandfather.
Now what well-adjusted man does that? My grandfather raised me.
He's the only one who ever gave a damn about me.
So did Mommy abandon you? She beat you or just ignore you? (SPlTS) You trying to infect me, too? You know what the sad thing is, Peter? Is no matter how many women you hurt, that anger is going to be inside of you until the day you die.
Yeah? Well, part of me is going to be inside those women until the day they die.
That bastard feels no remorse for what he did.
Tell me that you have a strong case.
Warner's report just gave me my ace in the hole.
Now all I have to do is convince Judge Preston to admit her expert testimony at tomorrow's hearing.
WARNER: I performed a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of HlV on Rebecca Ellison, Peter Butler, and a random sample of people in New York City.
And what did your analysis determine? Rebecca Ellison's HlV is most closely related to the HlV sequences obtained from Peter Butler.
CABOT: In layman's terms? WARNER: Mr.
Butler infected Ms.
Ellison with HlV.
You sound pretty certain.
Between 97% and 99% that their sequences are identical.
Did your analysis determine anything else? I compared Mr.
Butler's HlV DNA with hundreds of HlV samples given in New York City.
I found Mr.
Butler infected 11 other women in the area.
CABOT: Thank you.
No further questions.
If Mr.
Butler infected Ms.
Ellison, it would have occurred several years ago, correct, Dr.
Warner? Yes.
Then isn't it possible someone other than Peter Butler infected her? Ms.
Ellison gave me all the names of past sexual partners, and I tested them.
They all tested negative.
Dr.
Warner, by Ms.
Ellison's own admission, she was promiscuous for a period of time.
I doubt she remembers all her sexual partners.
She says she remembers everyone she had contact with.
But I discovered something else.
Mr.
Butler is resistant to a drug called Racivir.
Unfortunately, the virus he transmitted to Ms.
Ellison is a Racivir-resistant HlV strain.
So, there is a possibility that current drug therapies might not work on Ms.
Ellison.
No more questions.
Court is adjourned until 10:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
I'll issue my ruling then.
(GAVEL POUNDS) So you think the judge will buy Warner's science? If she doesn't, we're in trouble.
At least we still have Rebecca's testimony.
I'm not sure that's enough to get the jury past reasonable doubt.
Are you okay, Mr.
Butler? Ever feel like your whole world just fell apart? It must be hard hearing those things about your grandson.
Which one of you is leading the crusade? We didn't leak it.
Well, somebody did.
You two have been gunning for him from the beginning.
Yeah, we want him off the streets, but we didn't do this.
STABLER: I wouldn't be surprised if it was Granger, trying to taint the jury pool.
Not unless he knows how to hack into a Faceunion account, too.
Is that how the papers got the names of the women Peter slept with? Probably.
Someone got onto his Faceunion page and posted his HlV status.
Told everyone on his friends list to get tested.
Those women are going to be out for blood.
STABLER: Well, bright side, we may not need a trial.
A mob of angry one-night stands will probably kill Butler before we can convict him.
CRAGEN: Well, if the papers have the story, all the news channels must have it, too.
That courtroom is going to be a grade-A cluster.
Preston is issuing her ruling in a half an hour.
If she doesn't allow us to admit Warner's testimony, we're screwed.
WOMAN: All rise.
PRESTON: I've made my decision.
I'm going to allow the evidence presented by Dr.
Warner.
I find it is reasonable, and the jury should hear it.
How am I supposed to get a fair trial after my name has been smeared all over the lnternet and news? PRESTON: This is an open hearing.
And unfortunately, I can't control what information gets released.
This court is adjourned until 10:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
Your Honor, may I say something to the court? PRESTON: No, I've already issued my ruling.
I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
Peter! (PETER SCREAMlNG) (ALL CLAMORlNG) PRESTON: Call an ambulance! Now, you'll look like the monster you are! I'm burning! (SCREAMlNG) Hydrochloric acid.
It's horrible.
Even if the guy is a psychopath.
Butler is going to be in the lCU for a while.
He's got burns on his face and hands.
He'll probably go blind in one eye.
So what happens with the trial? Well, the case is on hold until he's well enough to proceed.
Well, the worse Butler's injuries look to the jury, the more sympathy he's going to generate.
A man is savagely maimed for life, and you think I'm only concerned about how to work the angle.
BENSON: Well, if it quacks like a duck.
Lionel, your client is under sedation.
What are you doing here? Oh, I'm here to see you.
You're suing the D.
A.
's office and the Department of Corrections? You failed to protect my client while he was in your custody.
Drop the charges against him, and we won't file.
Your client infected God knows how many women with HlV.
They are the real victims here.
You better hope the jury sees it that way after they lay their eyes on him.
STABLER: That son of a bitch.
He really thinks he's got the upper hand.
Well, he just might after what Rebecca did.
She has made a real mess for us.
And for herself.
The D.
A.
's office wants me to charge her with First Degree Assault.
Alex, the only reason she was in that courtroom is because you and l begged her to press charges against Peter.
It's not like you forced her to throw acid in his face.
Now I have to prosecute my own complaining witness.
When that's done, I go back to Butler's case.
Look how impartial the D.
A.
's office is.
What's her defense? Rebecca Ellison was acting in defense of others.
Peter Butler didn't threaten anyone in that courtroom.
He didn't have to.
She heard how he infected those other women with HlV.
She had to stop him from ever doing it again.
Butler was on trial.
He wasn't going to be sleeping with another woman for a very long time.
That's if he was convicted.
Ms.
Owens, I'm going to have to agree with Ms.
Cabot.
Your client's actions were deliberate.
She was in no immediate danger.
In that case, I'm giving notice that we're pursuing an affirmative defense.
Mental Disease or Defect.
Ms.
Ellison is HlV positive, not mentally ill.
My client has AlDS and has been sick for months.
She can't afford anti-retrovirals, and she had a recent bout with cryptococcal meningitis, which had a deleterious effect on her mental stability.
The attack was premeditated for revenge.
My client was afraid that Peter Butler was about to get off.
The stress of that exacerbated her mental instability and drove her out of her mind.
You can't talk to me without my lawyer.
I'll say I'm talking to a witness about my case against Peter Butler.
What do you want? For you to take a plea.
A six month sentence and probation.
No, I want everyone to hear what that monster did to me.
(SlGHS) Rebecca, if you get convicted, you could go away for 25 years.
You are not well.
Do not put yourself through the stress of a long trial.
Even if I am convicted, Ms.
Owens says that I'll be put in a hospital ward.
Where they will force you to take medication, and you will have to serve out your full sentence in jail.
Don't act so concerned.
You're the reason I'm here.
You used me to get to Peter.
How does going to jail help you or the other women get justice? How does that punish Peter Butler? That bastard will spend the rest of his life thinking about me and all those other women he infected.
Do not let your hate lead you to make this wrong decision.
Please, accept my offer.
I don't want your offer.
I want to tell the world what Peter did to me.
CABOT: Ms.
Ellison, you told the court you attacked Peter Butler because he infected you with HlV.
REBECCA: That's what the bastard did.
But your sex with Mr.
Butler was consensual, was it not? Yes.
So he did not rape you.
No, but At any point, did you tell him to stop? No, but what he did to me Ms.
Ellison, how old are you? HlV has been in the news since 1981.
Are you aware it is spread through sexual contact? Yes.
Are you aware you're at risk for contracting HlV and other STl's if you have unprotected sex? Yes, but Then why did you choose to have sex with Mr.
Butler without using a condom? I wouldn't have if I'd known he was positive.
Did you ask if he was positive or had any other disease? No.
Ms.
Ellison, you can read English, can't you? Of course.
Could you please read this to the court? (READlNG) That is posted on a billboard approximately 350 yards from the front door of your apartment.
It has had some kind of AlDS awareness ad on it since the mid '90s.
Can you read this one? (REBECCA READlNG) That was on the bus you took to work five years ago.
Before you slept with Mr.
Butler.
And this last one.
This is from around the time you and Mr.
Butler were intimate.
(REBECCA READlNG) Do you recognize where that ad was posted? (CRYlNG) That's the bus stop around the corner from my apartment.
Why are you doing this to me? To demonstrate that Peter Butler is not totally responsible for infecting you.
You are responsible, too.
You chose to sleep with him.
You chose to have sex without a condom.
You chose a risk.
The same way you could have chosen to say no.
Please, just stop it.
Please.
(SlGHS) No more questions.
TATEN: We'll take a brief recess and then reconvene after lunch.
(GAVEL POUNDS) Excuse me, Miss Cabot.
May I speak with you? Of course.
What's wrong? What Rebecca did isn't her fault.
Why are you prosecuting her? Mr.
Butler, she seriously injured your grandson.
I can't just ignore that.
Then put me on the stand.
I want to tell everyone what my grandson did to her.
Oh, Mr.
Butler, I'm sorry.
I can't do that.
Mr.
Butler.
Are you okay? I tried to warn Rebecca.
I tried to help them all.
We just ran into Dewey Butler.
What's going on? He wants to testify on behalf of Rebecca Ellison.
Against his own grandson? Well, he'll make one hell of a sympathetic witness.
I can't say I'd blame the jury if they let Rebecca off.
Well, she did stop Peter from infecting other women.
Not that I agree with how she did it.
But that's just it.
If Rebecca goes free, it sends the message to other victims that it's okay to take the law into their own hands.
Maybe there is a way to keep him from testifying.
Do you know something I don't? Well, Dewey just said that he tried to warn Rebecca and help them all.
What did he mean by that? (DOORBELL RlNGlNG) I have nothing to say to you.
Good for you.
We're here to talk to your grandfather.
He's sleeping.
The trial really upset him.
You need to wake him up.
Come back tomorrow.
I think you're going to want to listen in while he explains how he tried to warn Rebecca.
My grandfather would never hurt me.
Then why did he hack your Faceunion page and call the media? You're wrong.
It was that bitch, Rebecca.
Well, this is his email to MSNBC.
Read that and weep.
BENSON: Peter! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa, why? Why did you do this? They're going to throw me in jail! It's all my fault.
I should have raised you better.
You saved me.
It was Mom who abandoned me.
But she didn't.
I lied to you about it, because I thought the truth would hurt you more.
(SlGHS) What are you saying? Your mother was young when she had you.
She didn't know who your father was.
When you were three, she met a man.
He beat her.
Then he started to beat you.
She shot him while he was asleep.
She died in prison.
She went to jail to protect you.
I thought I was doing the same by lying to you about it.
But it only fueled your anger more.
Your mother loved you with all her heart.
And so do l.
Oh, Peter, forgive me.
But it was the only way to make you (GROANS)change.
Grandpa, what's wrong? DEWEY: It's not too late for you, Peter.
BENSON: Sleeping pills.
Portable to Central.
I need a bus at Become a good human being.
Peter.
Don't let me die in vain.
(MOANlNG) (SNlFFLlNG) I'm sorry.
You hear me? I'm sorry, Grandpa.
(DOOR OPENlNG) REBECCA: What are you doing here? Releasing you.
BENSON: Peter Butler dropped the charges.
Why? Because somebody gave their life to help Peter get his soul back.
What about my case against him? Peter pled guilty to all counts.
Rebecca, Peter's grandfather disinherited him.
He gave all of his money to a trust fund to pay the medical expenses for the women that Peter infected.
You will get care for the rest of your life.
It's over, Rebecca.
No, it's not.
My rapist is still out there.
And we will never stop looking for him until you get justice.
(SlGHS) Pen, just go back to sleep.
It was probably some party girl drunk off her ass.
(WATER GURGLlNG) (WOMAN SCREAMlNG) Do you hear a girl's voice? I always hear girls' voices with this stuff.
No.
This is real.
I'm calling the cops.
Are you high? Oh! (LAUGHlNG) Yeah.
Why can't you mind your own beeswax? (WOMAN SCREAMlNG) A girl's in trouble out there.
WOMAN: Help! I didn't hear anything.
Because you're deaf! Where do you think you're going? To check on that poor girl.
And if there's a homicidal maniac, what are you going to do? Run him over with your Rascal? Stay here.
Just a kid.
Her lD says she's 23.
BENSON: Vanessa Eastman.
Found a smashed cell phone.
I'll see if we can get anything off it.
Defensive wounds.
She fought back.
Didn't stop him from raping her through the back door.
Anal tearing.
Fluids on her thigh.
This rock your murder weapon? If it wasn't, bruising on her neck indicates he strangled her, too.
I'll know more after the autopsy.
Neighbor said he heard her cry for help hours ago.
Tell me she died quickly.
No such luck.
Liver temp indicates she bled out slowly.
TOD's only about an hour ago.
So how many people up there heard her screams and did nothing? You notify Vanessa Eastman's parents? We couldn't.
ID was fake.
Anything on her prints? Nothing.
My guess is she's an underage kid out clubbing.
Well, lD's not the only wall we're hitting.
Munch just called from his canvass.
Nobody saw anything.
Plenty of people heard her screaming for her life, but nobody bothered to check.
BENSON: Yeah, it's the bystander effect.
Just like the 15-year-old girl in California who was gang raped at her homecoming while 20 people stood by.
Hey, hey.
STABLER: You got something? FlN: Description fitting your Jane Doe came up on the Missing Persons Database about 10 minutes ago.
BENSON: Anna McWilliams, 17.
(CRYlNG) That's my little girl.
BENSON: We're so sorry for your loss.
STABLER: Mr.
McWilliams, we need to ask you a few questions.
Do you know who Anna was with last night? No, I was on a business trip and got home this morning.
I saw her bed wasn't slept in, (SlGHS) so I called her friends.
No one had seen her.
Had she stayed out all night before? She'd break her curfew, but she always came home.
Her mom died of cancer seven months ago.
They were like sisters.
Anna took it real hard, started acting out.
How? She dumped the boy she'd been dating since the seventh grade.
(SlGHS) Started seeing a new guy every week.
We're going to need all those names.
I don't know them.
She wouldn't talk to me about boys.
How about the old boyfriend? Henry Christensen.
They stayed friends.
Trust me.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
(BOYS ARGUlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY) STABLER: Is that our boy? BENSON: That's him.
HENRY: Get the hell away! What's your problem, Henry? STABLER: Looks like our boy Henry has a temper.
And tell your buddy Halliday he can shove this up his ass! Calm down.
Calm down.
Guys, what's the problem? That douche bag put a picture of him and Anna on her memorial.
Yeah.
BENSON: Looks like she had a lot of friends.
Yeah, well, she was my girlfriend for six years.
When was the last time you saw Anna? STABLER: Thanks.
Yesterday.
Fifth period Calculus.
I think your math's a little off.
Come on.
Let's go talk.
STABLER: Must have slipped your mind.
You spent last night with Anna.
No, I didn't.
Hmm? Well, you know, her cell phone was pretty smashed up, but we were able to download your texts.
(STABLER READlNG) It's just a song.
We were getting back together.
Really? Then why did she text back "have plans"? Pretty harsh.
I mean, no "I'm sorry," no "Happy Birthday.
" (HENRY SlGHS) I got my present.
She went out with me that night.
So then why did you lie about it? Well, maybe he was embarrassed about hiring lnstant Entourage.
Paparazzi for pay that follow nobodies around and make them look like big shots.
STABLER: You bribed her to go out with you? Anna would never turn down a date to the hottest club if she could blog about it on NY Party Girl.
She couldn't post the pictures fast enough.
"Hey, cowboys, watch me take a ride to the Meatpacking District.
" STABLER: Anna seems to be attracting an awful lot of attention here.
That must have made you mad.
It was a photo op.
We didn't stay.
BENSON: No.
You went into the park, you made your move, she rejected you again, and you snapped.
We never went to the park! After the last club, we got back in the limo.
She started texting someone.
Next thing I know, she tells the driver to drop her off at 23rd.
I went home.
So you spent all your money on her with no happy ending.
She couldn't wait to leave.
She practically jumped out of the car.
You think she was hooking up with one of your high school buddies? No.
Before she got out, I grabbed her phone.
I saw a message pop up from a guy on AQ.
What's AQ? (STABLER READlNG) It's a cell phone app.
I thought you already pulled everything off Anna's phone.
This isn't stored in a phone like a text.
It's a location-based social networking site.
AQ uses the phone's GPS or Wi-Fi network as a geolocator.
The user can track people nearby looking for anonymous sex.
Let me show you how it works.
This guy, Hot4U, is less than a block from us now.
I'll play our victim, and I'll use Anna's screen name, Sweet17, and see if we can hook up.
I'll text him.
"Hot pic.
Meet for coffee in five?" Casual sex at the speed of light.
Makes Craigslist look prehistoric.
MORALES: He took the bait.
(BENSON READlNG) Can you see who Anna chatted with last night? This is her chat log.
At 3:09 a.
m.
, she contacted a guy named Big Peter.
(BENSON READlNG) (STABLER READlNG) So Anna and Peter text, they seal the deal, and they hook up in the park.
Victim on demand.
It's a rapist's dream come true.
Can you find Big Peter now? MORALES: He's in Brooklyn Heights.
Let's see if he's up for another anonymous quickie.
You my Good Time Girl? I am if you're Big Peter.
Big Peter is always up for a good time.
So what did you have in mind? Whatever you want.
How about a threesome? You got a hot girlfriend stashed somewhere? I got a hot boyfriend.
Well, not really my scene, but I'll try anything once.
Whoa.
Whoa.
I'm not into S&M, pal.
Idiot, you're under arrest for the rape and murder of Anna McWilliams.
Who? You know her as Sweet 17.
I didn't kill that girl.
We hooked up, and I split.
After you split her head open with this? It's amazing what they can get fingerprints off nowadays.
The only thing I grabbed in that park felt like those beauties.
So do you get all your victims off AQ? Perfect setup for you.
One-stop rape shop.
Rape? No.
I've slept with thousands of women, and every one of them says, "Yes.
Please.
" (SCOFFS) Thousands? You've been a busy boy.
AQ has only been up for six months.
I'm talking lifetime RBl.
I've only tapped around a hundred on AQ.
Only? So you're a sex addict.
I'm a red-blooded guy living the American dream.
You're every woman's worst nightmare.
But that's why Anonymous Quickie is so perfect for you.
Anyone who gets to know you hates you.
(CHUCKLES) I'm on AQ because I don't have time for dating.
I'm a stockbroker.
You really do enjoy screwing people.
Nobody's complaining about my services.
So then you won't mind if we conduct a customer satisfaction survey? We'll need your phone.
You know, you should try AQ for real, Detective.
You look like you need it.
You know what I think? I think sleeping with all those women got boring, and you needed to ratchet up the thrill.
So first, the beating, then choking, and now murder.
Well, you're the one getting all hot and bothered.
You get off on inflicting pain? Unlike you, I don't need to hurt someone to get it up.
We're going to get a warrant for your DNA, and we're going to put you away for life.
You don't need a warrant to take my DNA.
How would you like my sample? Please tell me you got something off that sleazebag's phone.
AQ doesn't save your contacts unless you designate them a favorite, which pop up as a yellow smiley face.
STABLER: I don't see any.
Well, that's because he doesn't have any.
His favorites tab is empty.
Yeah, find them and forget them.
He's smart.
Doesn't leave a trail.
He must have a little black book somewhere.
Did he download any other quickie apps? A bunch.
Craigsphone, PowerChat, WhosAround, and Faceunion.
Faceunion.
It's been around the longest.
I'll go to his profile page.
I can access his friends.
STABLER: All female.
Can you run his friends list against our database of open rape cases? MORALES: Here are his friends.
Here's the SVU database.
We got a match.
Rebecca Ellison.
BENSON: I remember her.
She was blitz attacked two years ago in Washington Square Park.
Same MO as Peter's.
(SNlFFLlNG) Sorry.
I'm just getting over the flu.
Oh! Of course.
Is this about my rape case? Yeah, we're following up on some new leads.
Rebecca, can you tell me again what you remember about your attack? He came up behind me in the park, pushed me down, and got on top of me.
I'm so sorry to put you through this again, and I know you're not feeling well.
You told me that you didn't remember seeing your attacker's face.
But did you hear his voice? No.
It all happened so fast, and I blacked out, thankfully.
Does the name Peter Butler mean anything to you? I met him a few years ago.
Online? No, at a party.
And he friended me after on Faceunion.
Why? You think he's the one who raped me? We're just clearing every possible lead.
Rebecca, did the two of you have a sexual relationship? It was more like a one-night stand.
He was really cute, and I was going through a wild period after college.
Was the sex with Peter violent in any way? He called me bitch and whore.
Slapped and spanked me.
So he liked it rough.
Oh, God.
Maybe it was Peter.
WARNER: Peter Butler didn't rape Rebecca Ellison.
STABLER: You ran his DNA against her rape kit? And through CODlS.
He's clean.
Well, maybe for Rebecca's rape, but he still could have killed our victim.
Well, it's his word against a dead girl's.
Did you find anything linking him to Anna's murder? Depends.
It's extremely difficult to get latent prints from skin, but Anna's neck was very smooth.
I used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and lucked out.
Problem is I need Peter's prints to compare them to.
Stockbrokers are fingerprinted when they get their license.
He should be in the system.
Peter Butler's not your killer.
You're telling me that Anna met up with two sexual predators that night? STABLER: Whose fingerprint could it be? WARNER: From the poroscopy, I can see the print is from someone who's young or who hasn't worked a day in his life.
Like Henry Christensen, a jilted boyfriend from seventh grade? Henry is in bed.
He is sick over Anna's death.
Well, then maybe you can help us.
Do you know what time Henry came home the night of his birthday? Why are you hounding my son? Isn't it bad enough that you questioned him at school like a common criminal? If his prints don't match, we won't bother you again.
What are you talking about? We have a warrant to get his fingerprints.
Can you get him for us, please? Henry? Henry! Henry? Henry? Henry? Did he run when he heard us come in? It's locked.
He didn't go out this way.
Well, he couldn't have gotten very far.
(SlGHS) Come on out, Henry.
Why can't you just leave me alone? STABLER: Because Anna's killer left two thumb prints where he tried to crush her trachea.
But she kept gasping for breath, so he took a rock and bashed her head in.
Stop it.
The guy had a pretty weak arm.
It took her about five hours to bleed to death out there alone in the cold.
Why are you doing this to me? Those are your thumb prints, Henry.
Tell me what happened.
I had to beg her to go out with me.
All she cared about were stupid photographers and her lame blog.
She blew you off to hook up with this loser.
You couldn't let her do that.
I followed her into the park, and I saw her having sex with him.
It was disgusting.
He just used her and left.
And I told her that I still loved her.
You know.
And you know what she said to me? She said that she never loved me.
She said that I was just a boy, and that she needed a real man.
She gave me a kiss on the cheek.
I grabbed her, and I begged her to give me another chance.
She started laughing at me.
She told me to leave her alone for good.
I loved her.
I really loved her.
How could she do that to me on my birthday? How pathetic.
She's dead, but he's the victim.
Even if she had lived, she might have died young.
What are you saying? The semen from Anna's rape kit tested positive for HlV.
BENSON: It's from Peter Butler.
The guy who's been sleeping his way across the city? We just let a potential serial killer go free.
Great story in today's paper.
You here to apologize? STABLER: Hardly.
We're here to talk about you, as distasteful as that may be.
It's nice to see you, too, Olivia.
Couldn't stay away, huh? I just have to ask.
Why would a player like you have anonymous sex without protection? Condoms cramp my style.
Condoms protect women from getting HlV.
What are you saying? That you're HlV positive.
I'm aware of my status.
You can go now.
You know? And you're still having unprotected sex? I'm on meds.
Even with an undetectable viral load, you can still spread the virus.
What happens in my bedroom Or a public park.
is none of your business unless consensual sex is illegal.
No, but assault with your deadly weapon is.
Big Peter, you're under arrest.
For what? Peter, what's going on? It's nothing, Grandpa.
It's a misunderstanding, okay? Parking tickets.
Where are you taking my grandson? We're taking him down to the precinct to ask him a few questions.
What are the charges? Attempted murder? The way this guy was plowing through women, he might as well have been shooting a gun into a crowd.
We can't get him on rape, so we go after him for spreading HlV? Do we have proof he infected somebody? He's positive, he's slept with hundreds of women, and he's bragging about riding bareback.
Alex? There is precedent.
A Texas jury just sent a guy away for 45 years for infecting six women.
And New York convicted a guy over 10 years ago for knowingly spreading HlV.
We want to encourage people to get tested, not arrest them.
Butler brags about nailing a different piece of tail every night.
Captain, he's just like a rapist.
He gets off on hurting women.
Only he's found a way to injure his victims without technically raping them.
I'll say it again.
Do we know if any of his partners have tested positive? (SlGHS) We haven't found one yet.
Oh, there's no doubt he's a threat to the community.
But I can't file a complaint until a partner he has harmed comes forward.
You want me to find someone Peter Butler infected with HlV? If we can't, that son of a bitch walks.
There's got to be a way to figure out who he passed the virus to.
Maybe there is.
HlV commonly mutates as it's passed from person to person.
A phylogenetic test can determine the source of infection by tracing mutations between samples.
Say that again? WARNER: This is a copy of Peter Butler's HlV virus with several highlighted mutations.
We could compare his mutations with other cases and possibly find women he infected.
Great.
Let's run it.
Problem is Health Department records are confidential.
Well, if he infected women out there, they deserve justice.
True.
But even if we get the records, a lot of HlV testing is anonymous, so there are no names, only numbers.
But at least we'll get an idea of how many women he might have given a death sentence to.
Melinda, you said it yourself.
This guy could be a walking epidemic.
To do this properly, I'll have to screen thousands of HlV samples.
Have Cabot get a court order for the names of potential infected partners.
I know where to start.
There's still a stigma attached to HlV.
A lot of people won't talk about it.
I'll bring reinforcements.
HlV? Are you crazy? It's not the flu, is it? Oh, my God.
Rebecca? Rebecca, it's going to be okay.
You just have to be straight with us.
(CRYlNG) I don't know what to do.
I'm getting sicker.
Are you taking anti-retrovirals? I can't afford them.
And my new job won't cover me with my preexisting condition.
How long have you known? I was tested after I was raped.
So you were infected by your attacker.
No, the doctor diagnosed me with thrush.
Said I'd been positive for a few years.
Which was around the time you slept with Peter Butler.
Did he do this to me? He's HlV positive? We can't disclose anyone's status without their permission.
But you can help us by giving us a blood sample.
That way, we can analyze it and determine whether or not we can prosecute the person who infected you.
I am so sick of giving blood.
I am sick of talking about this disease.
I just want to go on with my life.
I don't want to subpoena you to testify as a material witness.
But having your blood analyzed can help save other women's lives.
Lots of women's lives.
Please? I want to nail the bastard.
BENSON: You're going down, Peter.
Great.
You still don't think you've done anything wrong? Rebecca Ellison has AlDS because you infected her with HlV.
She let me have sex without a condom.
All of them did.
They wouldn't have if you had told them that you were positive.
The prostitute who infected me didn't tell me she was positive.
She didn't care if she hurt me.
Oh, so this is about revenge.
You need to degrade women.
You need to make them suffer.
I only sleep with whores.
And you're teaching them a lesson by infecting them with your virus.
They ask for it, so I give it to them.
Wow! Somebody really must have hurt you when you were young.
Men that hate women this much usually have mommy issues.
Is that what happened to you? Are you punishing your mommy? You leave her out of this! Guess that answers that question.
You don't know anything about me.
Well, I know that you still live with your grandfather.
Now what well-adjusted man does that? My grandfather raised me.
He's the only one who ever gave a damn about me.
So did Mommy abandon you? She beat you or just ignore you? (SPlTS) You trying to infect me, too? You know what the sad thing is, Peter? Is no matter how many women you hurt, that anger is going to be inside of you until the day you die.
Yeah? Well, part of me is going to be inside those women until the day they die.
That bastard feels no remorse for what he did.
Tell me that you have a strong case.
Warner's report just gave me my ace in the hole.
Now all I have to do is convince Judge Preston to admit her expert testimony at tomorrow's hearing.
WARNER: I performed a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of HlV on Rebecca Ellison, Peter Butler, and a random sample of people in New York City.
And what did your analysis determine? Rebecca Ellison's HlV is most closely related to the HlV sequences obtained from Peter Butler.
CABOT: In layman's terms? WARNER: Mr.
Butler infected Ms.
Ellison with HlV.
You sound pretty certain.
Between 97% and 99% that their sequences are identical.
Did your analysis determine anything else? I compared Mr.
Butler's HlV DNA with hundreds of HlV samples given in New York City.
I found Mr.
Butler infected 11 other women in the area.
CABOT: Thank you.
No further questions.
If Mr.
Butler infected Ms.
Ellison, it would have occurred several years ago, correct, Dr.
Warner? Yes.
Then isn't it possible someone other than Peter Butler infected her? Ms.
Ellison gave me all the names of past sexual partners, and I tested them.
They all tested negative.
Dr.
Warner, by Ms.
Ellison's own admission, she was promiscuous for a period of time.
I doubt she remembers all her sexual partners.
She says she remembers everyone she had contact with.
But I discovered something else.
Mr.
Butler is resistant to a drug called Racivir.
Unfortunately, the virus he transmitted to Ms.
Ellison is a Racivir-resistant HlV strain.
So, there is a possibility that current drug therapies might not work on Ms.
Ellison.
No more questions.
Court is adjourned until 10:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
I'll issue my ruling then.
(GAVEL POUNDS) So you think the judge will buy Warner's science? If she doesn't, we're in trouble.
At least we still have Rebecca's testimony.
I'm not sure that's enough to get the jury past reasonable doubt.
Are you okay, Mr.
Butler? Ever feel like your whole world just fell apart? It must be hard hearing those things about your grandson.
Which one of you is leading the crusade? We didn't leak it.
Well, somebody did.
You two have been gunning for him from the beginning.
Yeah, we want him off the streets, but we didn't do this.
STABLER: I wouldn't be surprised if it was Granger, trying to taint the jury pool.
Not unless he knows how to hack into a Faceunion account, too.
Is that how the papers got the names of the women Peter slept with? Probably.
Someone got onto his Faceunion page and posted his HlV status.
Told everyone on his friends list to get tested.
Those women are going to be out for blood.
STABLER: Well, bright side, we may not need a trial.
A mob of angry one-night stands will probably kill Butler before we can convict him.
CRAGEN: Well, if the papers have the story, all the news channels must have it, too.
That courtroom is going to be a grade-A cluster.
Preston is issuing her ruling in a half an hour.
If she doesn't allow us to admit Warner's testimony, we're screwed.
WOMAN: All rise.
PRESTON: I've made my decision.
I'm going to allow the evidence presented by Dr.
Warner.
I find it is reasonable, and the jury should hear it.
How am I supposed to get a fair trial after my name has been smeared all over the lnternet and news? PRESTON: This is an open hearing.
And unfortunately, I can't control what information gets released.
This court is adjourned until 10:00 a.
m.
tomorrow.
Your Honor, may I say something to the court? PRESTON: No, I've already issued my ruling.
I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
I'm sorry, Your Honor.
Peter! (PETER SCREAMlNG) (ALL CLAMORlNG) PRESTON: Call an ambulance! Now, you'll look like the monster you are! I'm burning! (SCREAMlNG) Hydrochloric acid.
It's horrible.
Even if the guy is a psychopath.
Butler is going to be in the lCU for a while.
He's got burns on his face and hands.
He'll probably go blind in one eye.
So what happens with the trial? Well, the case is on hold until he's well enough to proceed.
Well, the worse Butler's injuries look to the jury, the more sympathy he's going to generate.
A man is savagely maimed for life, and you think I'm only concerned about how to work the angle.
BENSON: Well, if it quacks like a duck.
Lionel, your client is under sedation.
What are you doing here? Oh, I'm here to see you.
You're suing the D.
A.
's office and the Department of Corrections? You failed to protect my client while he was in your custody.
Drop the charges against him, and we won't file.
Your client infected God knows how many women with HlV.
They are the real victims here.
You better hope the jury sees it that way after they lay their eyes on him.
STABLER: That son of a bitch.
He really thinks he's got the upper hand.
Well, he just might after what Rebecca did.
She has made a real mess for us.
And for herself.
The D.
A.
's office wants me to charge her with First Degree Assault.
Alex, the only reason she was in that courtroom is because you and l begged her to press charges against Peter.
It's not like you forced her to throw acid in his face.
Now I have to prosecute my own complaining witness.
When that's done, I go back to Butler's case.
Look how impartial the D.
A.
's office is.
What's her defense? Rebecca Ellison was acting in defense of others.
Peter Butler didn't threaten anyone in that courtroom.
He didn't have to.
She heard how he infected those other women with HlV.
She had to stop him from ever doing it again.
Butler was on trial.
He wasn't going to be sleeping with another woman for a very long time.
That's if he was convicted.
Ms.
Owens, I'm going to have to agree with Ms.
Cabot.
Your client's actions were deliberate.
She was in no immediate danger.
In that case, I'm giving notice that we're pursuing an affirmative defense.
Mental Disease or Defect.
Ms.
Ellison is HlV positive, not mentally ill.
My client has AlDS and has been sick for months.
She can't afford anti-retrovirals, and she had a recent bout with cryptococcal meningitis, which had a deleterious effect on her mental stability.
The attack was premeditated for revenge.
My client was afraid that Peter Butler was about to get off.
The stress of that exacerbated her mental instability and drove her out of her mind.
You can't talk to me without my lawyer.
I'll say I'm talking to a witness about my case against Peter Butler.
What do you want? For you to take a plea.
A six month sentence and probation.
No, I want everyone to hear what that monster did to me.
(SlGHS) Rebecca, if you get convicted, you could go away for 25 years.
You are not well.
Do not put yourself through the stress of a long trial.
Even if I am convicted, Ms.
Owens says that I'll be put in a hospital ward.
Where they will force you to take medication, and you will have to serve out your full sentence in jail.
Don't act so concerned.
You're the reason I'm here.
You used me to get to Peter.
How does going to jail help you or the other women get justice? How does that punish Peter Butler? That bastard will spend the rest of his life thinking about me and all those other women he infected.
Do not let your hate lead you to make this wrong decision.
Please, accept my offer.
I don't want your offer.
I want to tell the world what Peter did to me.
CABOT: Ms.
Ellison, you told the court you attacked Peter Butler because he infected you with HlV.
REBECCA: That's what the bastard did.
But your sex with Mr.
Butler was consensual, was it not? Yes.
So he did not rape you.
No, but At any point, did you tell him to stop? No, but what he did to me Ms.
Ellison, how old are you? HlV has been in the news since 1981.
Are you aware it is spread through sexual contact? Yes.
Are you aware you're at risk for contracting HlV and other STl's if you have unprotected sex? Yes, but Then why did you choose to have sex with Mr.
Butler without using a condom? I wouldn't have if I'd known he was positive.
Did you ask if he was positive or had any other disease? No.
Ms.
Ellison, you can read English, can't you? Of course.
Could you please read this to the court? (READlNG) That is posted on a billboard approximately 350 yards from the front door of your apartment.
It has had some kind of AlDS awareness ad on it since the mid '90s.
Can you read this one? (REBECCA READlNG) That was on the bus you took to work five years ago.
Before you slept with Mr.
Butler.
And this last one.
This is from around the time you and Mr.
Butler were intimate.
(REBECCA READlNG) Do you recognize where that ad was posted? (CRYlNG) That's the bus stop around the corner from my apartment.
Why are you doing this to me? To demonstrate that Peter Butler is not totally responsible for infecting you.
You are responsible, too.
You chose to sleep with him.
You chose to have sex without a condom.
You chose a risk.
The same way you could have chosen to say no.
Please, just stop it.
Please.
(SlGHS) No more questions.
TATEN: We'll take a brief recess and then reconvene after lunch.
(GAVEL POUNDS) Excuse me, Miss Cabot.
May I speak with you? Of course.
What's wrong? What Rebecca did isn't her fault.
Why are you prosecuting her? Mr.
Butler, she seriously injured your grandson.
I can't just ignore that.
Then put me on the stand.
I want to tell everyone what my grandson did to her.
Oh, Mr.
Butler, I'm sorry.
I can't do that.
Mr.
Butler.
Are you okay? I tried to warn Rebecca.
I tried to help them all.
We just ran into Dewey Butler.
What's going on? He wants to testify on behalf of Rebecca Ellison.
Against his own grandson? Well, he'll make one hell of a sympathetic witness.
I can't say I'd blame the jury if they let Rebecca off.
Well, she did stop Peter from infecting other women.
Not that I agree with how she did it.
But that's just it.
If Rebecca goes free, it sends the message to other victims that it's okay to take the law into their own hands.
Maybe there is a way to keep him from testifying.
Do you know something I don't? Well, Dewey just said that he tried to warn Rebecca and help them all.
What did he mean by that? (DOORBELL RlNGlNG) I have nothing to say to you.
Good for you.
We're here to talk to your grandfather.
He's sleeping.
The trial really upset him.
You need to wake him up.
Come back tomorrow.
I think you're going to want to listen in while he explains how he tried to warn Rebecca.
My grandfather would never hurt me.
Then why did he hack your Faceunion page and call the media? You're wrong.
It was that bitch, Rebecca.
Well, this is his email to MSNBC.
Read that and weep.
BENSON: Peter! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa, why? Why did you do this? They're going to throw me in jail! It's all my fault.
I should have raised you better.
You saved me.
It was Mom who abandoned me.
But she didn't.
I lied to you about it, because I thought the truth would hurt you more.
(SlGHS) What are you saying? Your mother was young when she had you.
She didn't know who your father was.
When you were three, she met a man.
He beat her.
Then he started to beat you.
She shot him while he was asleep.
She died in prison.
She went to jail to protect you.
I thought I was doing the same by lying to you about it.
But it only fueled your anger more.
Your mother loved you with all her heart.
And so do l.
Oh, Peter, forgive me.
But it was the only way to make you (GROANS)change.
Grandpa, what's wrong? DEWEY: It's not too late for you, Peter.
BENSON: Sleeping pills.
Portable to Central.
I need a bus at Become a good human being.
Peter.
Don't let me die in vain.
(MOANlNG) (SNlFFLlNG) I'm sorry.
You hear me? I'm sorry, Grandpa.
(DOOR OPENlNG) REBECCA: What are you doing here? Releasing you.
BENSON: Peter Butler dropped the charges.
Why? Because somebody gave their life to help Peter get his soul back.
What about my case against him? Peter pled guilty to all counts.
Rebecca, Peter's grandfather disinherited him.
He gave all of his money to a trust fund to pay the medical expenses for the women that Peter infected.
You will get care for the rest of your life.
It's over, Rebecca.
No, it's not.
My rapist is still out there.
And we will never stop looking for him until you get justice.