Law & Order Special Victims Unit s15e21 Episode Script
Post-Mortem Blues
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.
Sector two clear.
Building three is cleared and sealed.
Friends are here.
Let's make it interesting for 'em.
Testing, testing.
This is William Lewis here.
I'm here with Sergeant Benson.
We're playing a little game of Russian Roulette.
We're halfway through.
I'm sliding the gun across the table to Sergeant Benson.
There's three chambers left and one bullet.
Pick it up.
Shh! Pull the trigger, Olivia, or I will.
Do it now.
Two chambers left one bullet.
Where the hell are they? - Ground floor is clear.
- They're not outside.
You know how lucky I am.
Look away.
Look away, Amelia.
Game over.
Say good-bye, Olivia.
This is the last thing you're gonna think about before you die.
The last thing you're gonna see.
Police! NYPD.
Liv.
- You okay? - He's gone.
He was he was about to shoot me.
Not another word.
Get 'em both out of here now.
- No one touch anything.
- It's okay, I got you.
We go now.
This is a crime scene.
It's okay.
Hold on.
Got it.
There we go.
Okay? Come on.
Okay.
Let's go.
Okay.
We'll meet at the hospital.
Don't talk to anybody, including Amaro, until the rep shows up.
You did good.
All right, hey.
That's good.
That's it for the blood work.
Listen, if we're done with the body probing, can we get somebody in here to take care of her? A doctor's on the way.
We'll give you something for your heart rate and blood pressure.
Can I call anybody for you? Family? No, it's No.
Thank you.
How you holding up? Testing for GSR.
Hang in there, Sergeant.
How's the girl? Her father and sister are with her.
Physically, she's unharmed.
He didn't No.
No, he didn't.
She was bait.
For me.
He got what he wanted.
Tucker's in the house.
- Grave-dancing mother - Easy, Fin.
Given the profile, One-PP is gonna order this hot-washed, dissecting every second of the last 24 hours.
Still, he can't wait for the blood to be off her face? Stand down, you two.
I got this.
Excuse me.
Sergeant Benson's not receiving visitors.
Lieutenant Tucker, IAB.
Who the hell are you? Lieutenant Murphy, Acting Commanding Officer, SVU.
Since when? Since Lewis escaped.
You're on the job two days, your sergeant slips her detail, possibly executes a man she was accused of beating? Sergeant Benson did what she had to to save a And you witnessed that? Heard some of it on the radio.
We were on the scene in the immediate aftermath.
Well, I need to hear Sergeant Benson say that.
When she's out of shock and her doctor clears her for visitors.
Fine.
I'll be seeing you at IAB, Lieutenant Murphy, along with the rest of your squad.
How's Liv? They're giving her an exam now and something to calm her down.
The vultures already circling? Yeah, Lieutenant Murphy backed him off.
Not for long.
IAB's gonna be calling us all into their inquisition.
So what? It's open and shut.
It will be, as long as we agree now that we made it there in time to see Lewis shoot himself.
And lie under oath? No, it's got to be the absolute truth.
The girl was turned away, but she heard us enter.
Any detail we shade or omit will boomerang back.
So, if your impulse is to help Benson on the margins, restrain yourselves.
Less is more.
Whoa.
You don't know Liv.
We do.
She's telling the truth.
I'm not arguing, Detective.
Hey, all I'm saying is you sound defensive, and IAB will smell that.
Keep it simple.
Let Benson tell her story.
Don't tell it for her.
You want us to get you anything to eat? - Glass of wine? - We can order in.
No, guys, I'm not hungry.
Well, you should drink something.
You want us to, uh, call Cassidy? No, I spoke with him already.
He coming over? I'm fine, Fin.
Well, one of us can stay.
You shouldn't be alone right now.
I appreciate it.
I think I just I think I just need some quiet.
I just need to sleep.
I'm due at IAB first thing in the morning.
You have a lawyer, right? A lawyer? No.
For what? Lewis shot himself.
You know what he said to me? He said, "I want this to be the last thing you see before you die.
" Screw him.
Get some rest.
Sergeant? Sergeant? Do you need a moment? No.
I'm sorry.
What what was the question? Did you at any time notify your commanding officer of your location or intent? I did not.
From the text that Lewis sent me, I knew that if he saw backup that Amelia's life would be in danger.
And when you arrived at his location? Lewis met me, Glock in hand, pointing it at my head.
He then took my weapon, and he threw it, along with my vest and my cell phone.
Then what happened? He forced me into his car, handcuffed me to the door, and eventually drove me to the granary, where he led me at gunpoint to where Amelia was tied up.
He then gave me a choice.
He said that he could rape me first and then Amelia or Amelia first.
And you responded? I told him to rape me.
Did he rape you, Sergeant? He did not.
Why not? Because I decided not to offer any resistance.
Lewis gets off on the struggle, so, as soon as I gave up, he got bored.
Rita Counselor, we're in the middle of an interview here.
Nice to see you too, Ed.
I've been retained to represent Sergeant Benson, and, gentlemen, this interview is over.
She's already consented.
She and I need time to consult.
And she has 48 hours to make her statement to IAB.
Assuming I get the transcript of whatever was said here today, we will see you in 24 hours.
This isn't an issue.
Lewis shot himself.
The ME will confirm it.
It is an issue.
Ten hours before you went rogue, you publicly confessed to assaulting Lewis and lying about it at his trial.
Now, we can argue that your televised statement was for his benefit There's something that I should tell you.
And that it was coerced, but given the nature Rita I did make that statement under duress, but it wasn't Stop talking, please.
If any of this goes to trial Trial? You may have to testify about that confession.
Hypothetically, if you were to tell me now that you had beaten Lewis while he was handcuffed to that bed frame, then ethically I couldn't let you deny that on the stand.
And, hypothetically, if I were to admit it on the stand You'd leave yourself open to charges of assault, excessive force, perjury.
Your account of what happened at the granary would be called into question.
You'd lose your job, your pension, risk jail time.
So let's agree not to talk about that, all right? Your attorney told you that because that's her job.
It's my job to remind you that you've been through a traumatic experience Look, I know that you think that this is PTSD, but the truth of the matter is, I knew the risk involved.
I knew that I could die.
It is what it is.
It was what it was, Olivia.
It's over.
No, it's not over.
He wants me to remember him forever.
He wants to be inside my head.
You said "Wants," Olivia.
He's not here anymore.
I will deny ever saying this, but sometimes shooting someone can and it should bring closure.
He shot himself so I would have to live with this image, so I would have to live with this aftermath.
You don't have to do what he wanted you to do.
You're alive.
You're here.
He's gone.
Is he? Lieutenant, this is ME Warner.
Thanks for meeting us, Dr.
Warner.
Officially, you aren't here, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.
I finished the autopsy report on William Lewis.
He shot himself, like Liv said.
Actually, I can't confirm that.
Melinda, we were there a few seconds after.
We know what happened.
I wasn't there, so all I can confirm is that he was shot, forward angle, inches from his left temple.
Most suicide victims use their dominant hand, hold the gun right up to the skin.
Don't fall for that.
Lewis did that on purpose to muddy the postmortem.
Well, if he did, it worked.
I have to rule it a cuppi.
Circumstances undetermined? He shot himself.
He forced her to play Russian Roulette.
We heard it over her radio.
You did.
I didn't.
There's GSR on both of them, and both their fingerprints are on the gun.
I'm turning the report over to IAB later tonight.
Which hand was Lewis holding the gun in? Lewis had two guns.
He had a Glock that he kept pointed at either Amelia or myself, and he had his revolver.
And when he shot himself with the revolver, which hand was that gun in? His left hand.
Even though he was right-handed? Lewis deliberately switched hands.
He forced me to play Russian Roulette.
In the first round, he held the gun in his right hand, and on the final round, with one bullet left in the chamber, he switched it to his left hand.
He pointed the gun at me, and then he turned it on himself.
Hold on a minute, Sergeant.
Let me get this straight, Sergeant.
With seconds to live, one bullet in the revolver, the rest of your squad rushing to your aid you're unarmed, you're tied to the table he points the gun at you, but instead of firing, he turns the gun to his head and ends his own life? - That's exactly what happened.
- What's going on? Rita, please.
Look we have no problem with Lewis being dead, but your insistence on telling us that this was a suicide makes it start to sound like a bad cover story.
- And I'm telling you the truth.
- The GSR, the prints The fact that he was shot in the left temple all consistent with your having shot him with your right hand.
I didn't shoot Lewis.
I mean, is it possible that there was a struggle for the gun? You were trying to save the little girl? That's not what happened.
If there was a struggle for the gun and you pulled the trigger to save your life or the life of the little girl that's a case IAB can close.
That's not what happened.
Sergeant my office.
Is there a problem, Lieutenant? Yeah.
What are you doing here? Uh, I work here.
They took my gun and my shield.
I'm on modified desk duty.
We agreed you'd take leave.
Go home.
Take care of yourself.
What you're going through is more far more taxing than you realize.
Actually, I do better on the job.
All due respect, I disagree.
There's something else.
I'm hearing rumors IAB wants to call this justifiable homicide.
And I made it very clear to IAB that I would not perjure myself.
No one mourns William Lewis.
And no one wants to see you go down for something that needed to happen.
Play the game here.
Get your story to line up with their fact patterns.
So appearances are more important than the truth? Truth doesn't always set you free, Sergeant.
IAB wants to do the right thing.
Let them.
With all due respect, I don't trust IAB.
And I'm not sure that I trust you either.
If IAB wants to call it justifiable homicide, we should back that up.
IAB might be setting a trap for Liv.
I don't trust them.
I don't either, but I do trust Murphy.
Why? Because he saved your ass? Because he's charming? What's up with you two? Murphy comes waltzing in here, suddenly I'm the only one not throwing Liv under the bus.
Nobody's throwing her under the bus.
Fin, we know about life undercover, man.
It changes you.
How long was he UC? Nine years.
Nine years.
You spend that much time putting on the Mick, you lose any idea of who you are.
The only thing he cares about is self-preservation.
You all on break? Is that what this is? If you were discussing the case, you might want to know IAB has a good working theory on the shooting.
Or that's what they want us to think.
Easy on the persecution complex.
In light of the inconclusive autopsy report, it's cleaner for all concerned.
Hey, I'm not gonna lie.
No one's asking you to.
You didn't see what happened.
None of us did.
That's all IAB needs to know.
Over the radio, I heard William Lewis threaten to kill the girl if Sergeant Benson refused to play Russian Roulette.
So she had the gun in her hand? I wasn't there.
But I heard him say, for our benefit, that he was sliding it over to her.
- For your benefit? - Yes.
He was taunting Benson and us.
We heard Lewis tell Sergeant Benson to pull the trigger.
- And did she? - She must have.
The chamber was empty.
We heard Lewis over the radio, said there were two chambers and only one bullet left.
What did you take that to mean? He knew the game was over.
The last thing we heard was Lewis telling Sergeant Benson to say good-bye, - and then the radio went dead.
- So you heard the shot live? Yeah, the single shot from above, and then we ran towards the stairs.
Then you don't know who fired? No.
We only arrived in time to see the suspect dead on the table, the same table that Sergeant Benson's legs were duct-taped to.
CSU found a Glock on Lewis that only had his fingerprints on it.
He was clearly in complete control.
Yeah, but from what you witnessed, it's possible that Sergeant Benson shot and killed William Lewis.
I'm telling you what I know.
William Lewis shot himself.
That's the truth.
There's no evidence to prove that.
Her fingerprints were on the .
38.
She had GSR on her hands.
When I drove Sergeant Benson to the hospital, she made a spontaneous admission to me about the shooting.
Maybe you misunderstood or misheard.
Sergeant Benson was under incredible stress, suffering from PTSD, a gun to her head, the deceased's blood all over her not exactly a reliable witness.
She didn't shoot him, all right? You're not hanging this on her.
Detective Amaro.
Would you mind shutting the door? How'd your testimony go today? That's confidential.
You undermined your partner.
In this inquiry, perception has more import than reality.
You're mad I didn't perjure myself? A simple omission would have sufficed.
You're new to our unit.
You outrank me.
So, instead of going to the DA with your request, I'll pretend we didn't have this conversation.
We're not done having it.
Take a seat.
I'm not changing my testimony.
All right, then I'll change the subject.
You're right.
I'm new here.
You've been at SVU how long? Coming up on three years.
And you've been struggling, especially this year.
We've all had a lot to deal with.
Lost a good captain, a sergeant I was close to.
You shot a kid.
You're separated from your family.
I read your file.
Your marriage survived, what, eight years on narcotics and warrants.
A mere two years here It's tough taking these crimes home, isn't it? Are you going somewhere with this, Lieutenant? I get the sense you're a man who doesn't give up.
It's what makes you a good detective.
Oh, yeah? Which is it? Am I a good detective, or do I have a persecution complex? All I'm saying is, life takes a toll.
This job takes a toll.
Sometimes you get in so deep, you lose perspective.
Thanks for coming in so late.
This couldn't wait until morning? One-PP wants our report tonight.
- Understandably, they're anxious.
- I told you everything.
So did the rest of your squad and your partner.
So what more is there to say? Sergeant, we both want to make sure you fully understand the repercussions of your account of this incident.
My account? Lewis shot himself.
And we're prepared to confirm that, but if we do, it may not go away.
The new Brooklyn DA might look on this as an NYPD cover-up.
Rita, do you want to talk with your client? No, we're fine.
I am not going to admit to justifiable homicide.
Okay.
Brooklyn DA is waiting for us to call him back.
We'll tell him we have not found sufficient evidence to dispute your version of the events.
Good luck to you, Sergeant Benson.
We can now put William Lewis behind us.
You ready to get back to work, Liv? - Oh, yes, I am.
- Good, 'cause I'm over Murphy.
I hate to break it to you, but looks like he's gonna be around for a while.
One-PP needs to put you back in charge, Liv.
That could be Murphy.
I invited him.
Murphy.
Come on in.
We were just talking about you.
Uh, what are you drinking, Lieutenant? I'm fine, thanks.
I'm not bringing good news.
What? I just got off the phone with Barba.
- He fought it tooth and nail - Fought what? The Brooklyn DA is troubled by IAB's report.
You got to be kidding me.
He and the police commissioner are still going at it, but the DA's office will be sending you a target letter.
They're convening a grand jury to investigate the death of William Lewis.
I'm sorry.
Dr.
Warner, your autopsy report concluded that William Lewis, who was right-handed, was shot in his left temple.
Did you find that at odds with Sergeant Benson's account of suicide? Gun suicides are usually committed with the dominant hand, but it is possible he shot himself with his left.
Possible, but unusual.
And when a right-handed person shoots someone at point-blank range in the temple, in the position Sergeant Benson and Mr.
Lewis were in, which side of the victim's head would the entry wound likely be? The left.
Is Sergeant Benson right-handed? Yes.
If it was a homicide, at that range, there would be blood spatter and GSR on the shooter.
Was there blood spatter and GSR on Sergeant Benson? Yes, but a suicide at that proximity could have left the same traces on her.
So you're saying it's possible that William Lewis, who was right-handed, shot himself with his left hand, leaving the same blood spatter and gunshot residue on Sergeant Benson that would exist if she'd killed him? That's why I ruled it a cuppi.
The evidence is open for interpretation.
It most certainly is, isn't it? Nothing further.
Just heard from Melinda.
How'd her testimony go? She really couldn't talk, but from what I got, Strauss was pushing her to say that it wasn't suicide.
Lewis knew what he was doing when he switched hands.
Well, so tell that to the grand jury.
They'll believe you.
That's what happened with me.
But the difference is, now we're dealing with a Brooklyn grand jury.
They're suspicious of NYPD.
Fin, do you know if they asked Melinda about Lewis about the injuries, when I beat him? Not as far as I know.
Liv, they're not gonna bring up your confession.
Everyone knows that was false.
It was coerced.
I hope you people aren't discussing the grand jury.
I don't have to tell you how inappropriate it would be to talk to anyone who has testified.
It's just a friendly lunch, Counselor.
Any news? We're trying to figure out Strauss's angle.
I mean, say Strauss casts doubt on it being a suicide.
Any alternate scenario they have would qualify as justified use of force.
It's politics.
The DA, the mayor, they just want to show everyone that they got NYPD by the short hairs.
Maybe, but I know Strauss.
I mean, he is all ambition.
He's not coming in just to rubber-stamp IAB.
So what's his endgame? I was assigned to a two-person protective detail for Sergeant Benson.
And was she cooperative? At first.
But later, she disobeyed her commander's orders and insisted we take her to interview a witness at the hospital.
Would you say she was determined to get involved in the manhunt for William Lewis? I'd say so, yes.
In fact, she was so determined, she tricked you and your partner in order to escape and rendezvous with him? - Yes.
- Has that ever happened to you - before, Detective Carlson? - Not in all my 18 years and certainly not by a fellow officer we were risking our lives to protect.
Sergeant Benson informed me she needed to use the ladies' room, but it was a ruse.
And where did she go after she ditched you and your partner? She commandeered a town car, threatened the driver, and then went after Lewis.
Did she notify her commanding officer of her intentions? Absolutely not.
We informed him as soon as we discovered her missing.
And why do you think Sergeant Benson went to these lengths? I assume it's because she wanted to take him down on her own.
It took us some time to track the town car to the granary, and even then, it's a cavernous space with a lot of ground to cover.
Despite listening to your partner and Mr.
Lewis on the radio, you were not able - to immediately locate them.
- That's right.
And you claim the radio went silent - just before the shot was fired.
- Yes, it did.
So how soon after did you, Lieutenant Murphy, and the SVU squad arrive on the scene? Just after the shot was fired, a few seconds.
Sergeant Benson was handcuffed.
The girl was tied up, screaming.
Lewis was dead.
We did not tamper with the scene in any way.
Well, that's something.
So her radio conveniently went silent just before the shot was fired, after you and your squad had been searching for her - for, what, 20 minutes? - About that.
Then you conveniently arrived en masse on the scene just seconds after the shot was fired, therefore again, quite conveniently not allowing for you or anyone in your squad, to confirm or deny Sergeant Benson's version of events.
We did not see who fired the shot, no.
But the crime scene indicated Detective Amaro, let me ask you this.
Are you happy William Lewis is dead? Yes.
Any decent human being would be.
He was an unredeemable psychopath who'd gone on several murder and rape sprees "Several," yet only one conviction, yes? Still, the backbone of our judicial system allows that every individual, no matter how much we might despise their actions, has the right to due process, has the right not to be subject to police brutality or vigilante justice.
That's not what happened, Counselor.
Yes, that's the NYPD's story.
Thank you for coming, Miss Cole.
I'll try to make this as brief as possible.
Sergeant Benson instructed you to look away when she arrived, is that correct? Yes.
So I know you didn't see much, but can you tell us what you heard in the moments before the gunshot? I don't remember exactly, but I remember him saying they had to take turns.
They were playing a game? Yes, it was his idea Russian Roulette.
I kept waiting for the gun to go off, but it didn't.
I heard a click, metal scraping.
I could hear sirens from outside, police shouting.
What was the last thing you heard Mr.
Lewis say? I think it was, "Goodbye," and then a shot.
You heard one shot? Yes.
It was horrible.
I thought he had killed Sergeant Benson.
Why is that? I didn't hear her screaming or yelling or anything.
She was quiet? She didn't react? No.
I started screaming.
Then I heard, "Police, Police," and people running in.
Then they took me down.
Did you hear Sergeant Benson say anything else? She said, "He's gone.
He's gone.
" Did you hear her say he shot himself? No.
Okay.
I'm so sorry.
It was like he was putting words in my mouth.
No, don't worry, sweetheart.
I'm sure it's gonna be fine.
Thank you for saving me.
You take care of yourself.
For what it's worth, Kings County Court leaks like a sieve.
You have a lot of friends there.
Or Strauss has a lot of enemies.
He's been pushing the theory that your whole squad waited for you to execute Lewis before they rescued you.
Jury ain't buying it.
Well, that's a relief.
Maybe, but this isn't.
Strauss issued new subpoenas today, including one for the doctor who testified at Lewis's trial.
You sure? Son of a bitch.
He can't get them to go where he wants them to on manslaughter, so he's pivoting.
Pivoting? To what? Your televised confession.
He's gonna use it to widen the investigation.
You admitted to assault, excessive force, perjury - Lewis's jury rejected that.
- He was on trial, you weren't.
Look, the only way that muppet can make his case is by dirtying you up as a brutal cop.
Lieutenant, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
She's gonna have to take the stand, tell them not a word of it was true.
He had broken free of his handcuffs.
That was a lie.
The truth is, when I beat Mr.
Lewis, he was handcuffed.
Aah! Olivia! - Sorry.
- You all right? Yeah, I-I just didn't see it.
So you raced up the stairs to discover Sergeant Benson alive - and William Lewis shot dead? - That's right.
But you didn't actually see who fired the shot.
- No.
- All right, Detective.
Let me take you back to May of last year, similar situation, when, once again, Sergeant Benson was alone with William Lewis, this time in an empty beach house.
Because he kidnapped her and he took her there.
And when you arrived at that scene, what condition did you find Mr.
Lewis in? Nonresponsive.
Because he'd been beaten so severely.
He was nonresponsive.
Was he handcuffed? Sergeant Benson re-cuffed him after she subdued him.
- But you saw none of this? - No.
So, in both situations, you somehow arrived moments after the incident, be it a beating or a shooting, occurred.
Therefore, you're unable to corroborate or deny Sergeant Benson's version of events.
Are you saying this is a cover-up? What'd you think of Mr.
Lewis? He was a sick MF psychotic, violent.
So, if you had seen Sergeant Benson beating him when you arrived, even if he were offering no resistance, even if he were handcuffed, would that be a detail you might overlook? You were the jury forewoman for the trial of William Lewis, - were you not, Ms.
Freed? - Yes.
Thank you for your service, then and now.
Can you tell the grand jury what you recall? I watched the trial in horror as William Lewis questioned Sergeant Benson about his injuries and the beating he had endured.
Can you elaborate? I remember him saying he died several times in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
When he questioned Sergeant Benson about each of the blows, she kept insisting that he'd somehow broken free of his handcuffs and lunged at her, that she had to crack his skull, shatter his knee, collapse his lung, and fracture his orbital socket in order to subdue him.
Did you believe, as she has since publicly stated, that Sergeant Benson used excessive force? Yes.
In fact, a number of us on the jury felt so strongly that we asked that it be entered into the record before we gave our verdict.
Why is that? Our sense was she had a vendetta against Mr.
Lewis.
Even her own testimony indicated that once he was subdued, she ordered witnesses to leave the house.
And why do you think that was? She needed time to do what she wanted.
She wasn't just trying to subdue him.
She was trying to cripple him for life.
The juror who helped Lewis escape testified, and my lawyer says that I can't.
And yet, you want to be heard? If I tell the grand jury that my public confession was true, then they indict me for the assault.
If I tell them that I lied, I perjure myself again.
Either way Lewis wins.
He's dead.
You are alive.
And so is Amelia.
Now, this trap you're in he didn't trick you into it.
You chose to walk into it.
Why? Because I knew what he would do to Amelia.
And before Amelia, last May, you broke free of your restraints because you were afraid Lewis would be alone with another little girl Luisa.
Where do you think this strength comes from, Olivia? Well, you think it's because I can't fight for myself, and I can only fight for other people.
Actually, Olivia, I think you've been fighting for yourself for a very long time.
When you were a little girl, you saw your mother drinking, falling apart.
You realized your father hurt your mother.
She was damaged.
You were defenseless then.
You're not now.
Now, all these years later, you're in a situation where another horrible man is about to hurt a little girl you risk your life.
Olivia.
It's time to let Lewis go.
If that's another subpoena, no, thank you.
I'm going in front of your tribunal today.
It's actually a heads-up.
I'm, uh, starting my retirement paperwork.
If I wait and the grand jury indicts, then I could lose my pension.
I'm not gonna let them or Lewis have that power.
Does everybody in this squad always think the sky is falling? We've had a pretty rough year.
You know, sometimes one door has to close before another one opens.
I appreciate the stress you're under, but I'd hate to lose you.
Go talk to the grand jury, let them see you.
No.
I would have to lie under oath about the beating.
I won't do that again.
No one should ever have to do that.
Sergeant Benson knew William Lewis and how his mind worked better than anyone.
Even so, you did assign a security detail to her and order her to stay in the squad room or a hotel? Obviously there was a safety protocol in place.
So, when she went to the hospital to interview a witness? I trusted her judgment.
And that night when she escaped her security detail, when did you find that out? I was notified by her detail 15 minutes later.
Again, given the circumstances, I believe she made the right call.
- But you did try to track her.
- Yes, of course.
Because she went rogue and might take the law into her own hands? Absolutely not just as backup.
Lieutenant Murphy, let me ask you about Sergeant Benson's confession.
- You were present? - Yes.
She gave her confession at the SVU under the approval of the NYPD? That's right, but it was all a show at my behest.
Why? Because you were comfortable with her ability to lie because of the way she lied on the stand? I'm not sure she did lie on the stand.
But you don't know that she didn't.
And since, as is her absolute right, she's not gonna testify before this grand jury, we'll never know either, will we? Sergeant Benson said what she had to to save a young girl's life.
Thank you.
No more questions.
Actually, there's something important We're done, Lieutenant.
I think the grand jurors should hear.
We're done.
I have a question.
What was he going to say? Well, I appreciate the diligence, but the question doesn't specifically go to the scope of this grand jury.
Can you ask the grand jury warden to get the judge? Because I remember him saying we could ask questions I'll ask for you.
That's protocol.
Lieutenant Murphy, what is the important thing you want the grand jury to hear? I know for a fact that Sergeant Benson's televised confession was not true.
I know because I ordered her to make the so-called confession.
She did not commit police brutality, nor did she perjure herself.
It was a gambit, a police tactic, to lure the weasel out just enough so we could get him.
Thank you, Lieutenant Murphy.
I don't even know why we're here.
Sergeant Benson performed an act of extraordinary bravery.
She single-handedly confronted a career sociopath who raped and tortured elderly women, little girls.
He killed cops and innocent civilians.
You've heard days of testimony regarding the sergeant's actions, but has the prosecutor discussed Lewis's conduct at all? - Lieutenant Murphy.
- His history of barbarism? Lewis spent his entire life sadistically inflicting his power over people.
Thanks to Sergeant Benson, he's where he should be.
William Lewis will never hurt anyone ever again, unless you allow him to exert his power over you.
You look happy.
Sky's no longer falling? Well, if I know, that means that you knew a half hour ago.
What's that? Calhoun says that the grand jury refused to return an indictment.
She also says that you saved my shield.
Wasn't me.
It was the truth that set you free.
That's not what I heard.
Well, there are little truths, and there's the larger truth.
I told the larger one.
Thank you.
And while you're in a good mood, the boys at One-PP want me to hang around here for a while, and I was hoping you'd stay on as my number two.
- I can do that.
- Good.
Take the rest of the night off.
I'll see you bright and early.
Okay? Thank you.
_
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Sector two clear.
Building three is cleared and sealed.
Friends are here.
Let's make it interesting for 'em.
Testing, testing.
This is William Lewis here.
I'm here with Sergeant Benson.
We're playing a little game of Russian Roulette.
We're halfway through.
I'm sliding the gun across the table to Sergeant Benson.
There's three chambers left and one bullet.
Pick it up.
Shh! Pull the trigger, Olivia, or I will.
Do it now.
Two chambers left one bullet.
Where the hell are they? - Ground floor is clear.
- They're not outside.
You know how lucky I am.
Look away.
Look away, Amelia.
Game over.
Say good-bye, Olivia.
This is the last thing you're gonna think about before you die.
The last thing you're gonna see.
Police! NYPD.
Liv.
- You okay? - He's gone.
He was he was about to shoot me.
Not another word.
Get 'em both out of here now.
- No one touch anything.
- It's okay, I got you.
We go now.
This is a crime scene.
It's okay.
Hold on.
Got it.
There we go.
Okay? Come on.
Okay.
Let's go.
Okay.
We'll meet at the hospital.
Don't talk to anybody, including Amaro, until the rep shows up.
You did good.
All right, hey.
That's good.
That's it for the blood work.
Listen, if we're done with the body probing, can we get somebody in here to take care of her? A doctor's on the way.
We'll give you something for your heart rate and blood pressure.
Can I call anybody for you? Family? No, it's No.
Thank you.
How you holding up? Testing for GSR.
Hang in there, Sergeant.
How's the girl? Her father and sister are with her.
Physically, she's unharmed.
He didn't No.
No, he didn't.
She was bait.
For me.
He got what he wanted.
Tucker's in the house.
- Grave-dancing mother - Easy, Fin.
Given the profile, One-PP is gonna order this hot-washed, dissecting every second of the last 24 hours.
Still, he can't wait for the blood to be off her face? Stand down, you two.
I got this.
Excuse me.
Sergeant Benson's not receiving visitors.
Lieutenant Tucker, IAB.
Who the hell are you? Lieutenant Murphy, Acting Commanding Officer, SVU.
Since when? Since Lewis escaped.
You're on the job two days, your sergeant slips her detail, possibly executes a man she was accused of beating? Sergeant Benson did what she had to to save a And you witnessed that? Heard some of it on the radio.
We were on the scene in the immediate aftermath.
Well, I need to hear Sergeant Benson say that.
When she's out of shock and her doctor clears her for visitors.
Fine.
I'll be seeing you at IAB, Lieutenant Murphy, along with the rest of your squad.
How's Liv? They're giving her an exam now and something to calm her down.
The vultures already circling? Yeah, Lieutenant Murphy backed him off.
Not for long.
IAB's gonna be calling us all into their inquisition.
So what? It's open and shut.
It will be, as long as we agree now that we made it there in time to see Lewis shoot himself.
And lie under oath? No, it's got to be the absolute truth.
The girl was turned away, but she heard us enter.
Any detail we shade or omit will boomerang back.
So, if your impulse is to help Benson on the margins, restrain yourselves.
Less is more.
Whoa.
You don't know Liv.
We do.
She's telling the truth.
I'm not arguing, Detective.
Hey, all I'm saying is you sound defensive, and IAB will smell that.
Keep it simple.
Let Benson tell her story.
Don't tell it for her.
You want us to get you anything to eat? - Glass of wine? - We can order in.
No, guys, I'm not hungry.
Well, you should drink something.
You want us to, uh, call Cassidy? No, I spoke with him already.
He coming over? I'm fine, Fin.
Well, one of us can stay.
You shouldn't be alone right now.
I appreciate it.
I think I just I think I just need some quiet.
I just need to sleep.
I'm due at IAB first thing in the morning.
You have a lawyer, right? A lawyer? No.
For what? Lewis shot himself.
You know what he said to me? He said, "I want this to be the last thing you see before you die.
" Screw him.
Get some rest.
Sergeant? Sergeant? Do you need a moment? No.
I'm sorry.
What what was the question? Did you at any time notify your commanding officer of your location or intent? I did not.
From the text that Lewis sent me, I knew that if he saw backup that Amelia's life would be in danger.
And when you arrived at his location? Lewis met me, Glock in hand, pointing it at my head.
He then took my weapon, and he threw it, along with my vest and my cell phone.
Then what happened? He forced me into his car, handcuffed me to the door, and eventually drove me to the granary, where he led me at gunpoint to where Amelia was tied up.
He then gave me a choice.
He said that he could rape me first and then Amelia or Amelia first.
And you responded? I told him to rape me.
Did he rape you, Sergeant? He did not.
Why not? Because I decided not to offer any resistance.
Lewis gets off on the struggle, so, as soon as I gave up, he got bored.
Rita Counselor, we're in the middle of an interview here.
Nice to see you too, Ed.
I've been retained to represent Sergeant Benson, and, gentlemen, this interview is over.
She's already consented.
She and I need time to consult.
And she has 48 hours to make her statement to IAB.
Assuming I get the transcript of whatever was said here today, we will see you in 24 hours.
This isn't an issue.
Lewis shot himself.
The ME will confirm it.
It is an issue.
Ten hours before you went rogue, you publicly confessed to assaulting Lewis and lying about it at his trial.
Now, we can argue that your televised statement was for his benefit There's something that I should tell you.
And that it was coerced, but given the nature Rita I did make that statement under duress, but it wasn't Stop talking, please.
If any of this goes to trial Trial? You may have to testify about that confession.
Hypothetically, if you were to tell me now that you had beaten Lewis while he was handcuffed to that bed frame, then ethically I couldn't let you deny that on the stand.
And, hypothetically, if I were to admit it on the stand You'd leave yourself open to charges of assault, excessive force, perjury.
Your account of what happened at the granary would be called into question.
You'd lose your job, your pension, risk jail time.
So let's agree not to talk about that, all right? Your attorney told you that because that's her job.
It's my job to remind you that you've been through a traumatic experience Look, I know that you think that this is PTSD, but the truth of the matter is, I knew the risk involved.
I knew that I could die.
It is what it is.
It was what it was, Olivia.
It's over.
No, it's not over.
He wants me to remember him forever.
He wants to be inside my head.
You said "Wants," Olivia.
He's not here anymore.
I will deny ever saying this, but sometimes shooting someone can and it should bring closure.
He shot himself so I would have to live with this image, so I would have to live with this aftermath.
You don't have to do what he wanted you to do.
You're alive.
You're here.
He's gone.
Is he? Lieutenant, this is ME Warner.
Thanks for meeting us, Dr.
Warner.
Officially, you aren't here, but I wanted to give you a heads-up.
I finished the autopsy report on William Lewis.
He shot himself, like Liv said.
Actually, I can't confirm that.
Melinda, we were there a few seconds after.
We know what happened.
I wasn't there, so all I can confirm is that he was shot, forward angle, inches from his left temple.
Most suicide victims use their dominant hand, hold the gun right up to the skin.
Don't fall for that.
Lewis did that on purpose to muddy the postmortem.
Well, if he did, it worked.
I have to rule it a cuppi.
Circumstances undetermined? He shot himself.
He forced her to play Russian Roulette.
We heard it over her radio.
You did.
I didn't.
There's GSR on both of them, and both their fingerprints are on the gun.
I'm turning the report over to IAB later tonight.
Which hand was Lewis holding the gun in? Lewis had two guns.
He had a Glock that he kept pointed at either Amelia or myself, and he had his revolver.
And when he shot himself with the revolver, which hand was that gun in? His left hand.
Even though he was right-handed? Lewis deliberately switched hands.
He forced me to play Russian Roulette.
In the first round, he held the gun in his right hand, and on the final round, with one bullet left in the chamber, he switched it to his left hand.
He pointed the gun at me, and then he turned it on himself.
Hold on a minute, Sergeant.
Let me get this straight, Sergeant.
With seconds to live, one bullet in the revolver, the rest of your squad rushing to your aid you're unarmed, you're tied to the table he points the gun at you, but instead of firing, he turns the gun to his head and ends his own life? - That's exactly what happened.
- What's going on? Rita, please.
Look we have no problem with Lewis being dead, but your insistence on telling us that this was a suicide makes it start to sound like a bad cover story.
- And I'm telling you the truth.
- The GSR, the prints The fact that he was shot in the left temple all consistent with your having shot him with your right hand.
I didn't shoot Lewis.
I mean, is it possible that there was a struggle for the gun? You were trying to save the little girl? That's not what happened.
If there was a struggle for the gun and you pulled the trigger to save your life or the life of the little girl that's a case IAB can close.
That's not what happened.
Sergeant my office.
Is there a problem, Lieutenant? Yeah.
What are you doing here? Uh, I work here.
They took my gun and my shield.
I'm on modified desk duty.
We agreed you'd take leave.
Go home.
Take care of yourself.
What you're going through is more far more taxing than you realize.
Actually, I do better on the job.
All due respect, I disagree.
There's something else.
I'm hearing rumors IAB wants to call this justifiable homicide.
And I made it very clear to IAB that I would not perjure myself.
No one mourns William Lewis.
And no one wants to see you go down for something that needed to happen.
Play the game here.
Get your story to line up with their fact patterns.
So appearances are more important than the truth? Truth doesn't always set you free, Sergeant.
IAB wants to do the right thing.
Let them.
With all due respect, I don't trust IAB.
And I'm not sure that I trust you either.
If IAB wants to call it justifiable homicide, we should back that up.
IAB might be setting a trap for Liv.
I don't trust them.
I don't either, but I do trust Murphy.
Why? Because he saved your ass? Because he's charming? What's up with you two? Murphy comes waltzing in here, suddenly I'm the only one not throwing Liv under the bus.
Nobody's throwing her under the bus.
Fin, we know about life undercover, man.
It changes you.
How long was he UC? Nine years.
Nine years.
You spend that much time putting on the Mick, you lose any idea of who you are.
The only thing he cares about is self-preservation.
You all on break? Is that what this is? If you were discussing the case, you might want to know IAB has a good working theory on the shooting.
Or that's what they want us to think.
Easy on the persecution complex.
In light of the inconclusive autopsy report, it's cleaner for all concerned.
Hey, I'm not gonna lie.
No one's asking you to.
You didn't see what happened.
None of us did.
That's all IAB needs to know.
Over the radio, I heard William Lewis threaten to kill the girl if Sergeant Benson refused to play Russian Roulette.
So she had the gun in her hand? I wasn't there.
But I heard him say, for our benefit, that he was sliding it over to her.
- For your benefit? - Yes.
He was taunting Benson and us.
We heard Lewis tell Sergeant Benson to pull the trigger.
- And did she? - She must have.
The chamber was empty.
We heard Lewis over the radio, said there were two chambers and only one bullet left.
What did you take that to mean? He knew the game was over.
The last thing we heard was Lewis telling Sergeant Benson to say good-bye, - and then the radio went dead.
- So you heard the shot live? Yeah, the single shot from above, and then we ran towards the stairs.
Then you don't know who fired? No.
We only arrived in time to see the suspect dead on the table, the same table that Sergeant Benson's legs were duct-taped to.
CSU found a Glock on Lewis that only had his fingerprints on it.
He was clearly in complete control.
Yeah, but from what you witnessed, it's possible that Sergeant Benson shot and killed William Lewis.
I'm telling you what I know.
William Lewis shot himself.
That's the truth.
There's no evidence to prove that.
Her fingerprints were on the .
38.
She had GSR on her hands.
When I drove Sergeant Benson to the hospital, she made a spontaneous admission to me about the shooting.
Maybe you misunderstood or misheard.
Sergeant Benson was under incredible stress, suffering from PTSD, a gun to her head, the deceased's blood all over her not exactly a reliable witness.
She didn't shoot him, all right? You're not hanging this on her.
Detective Amaro.
Would you mind shutting the door? How'd your testimony go today? That's confidential.
You undermined your partner.
In this inquiry, perception has more import than reality.
You're mad I didn't perjure myself? A simple omission would have sufficed.
You're new to our unit.
You outrank me.
So, instead of going to the DA with your request, I'll pretend we didn't have this conversation.
We're not done having it.
Take a seat.
I'm not changing my testimony.
All right, then I'll change the subject.
You're right.
I'm new here.
You've been at SVU how long? Coming up on three years.
And you've been struggling, especially this year.
We've all had a lot to deal with.
Lost a good captain, a sergeant I was close to.
You shot a kid.
You're separated from your family.
I read your file.
Your marriage survived, what, eight years on narcotics and warrants.
A mere two years here It's tough taking these crimes home, isn't it? Are you going somewhere with this, Lieutenant? I get the sense you're a man who doesn't give up.
It's what makes you a good detective.
Oh, yeah? Which is it? Am I a good detective, or do I have a persecution complex? All I'm saying is, life takes a toll.
This job takes a toll.
Sometimes you get in so deep, you lose perspective.
Thanks for coming in so late.
This couldn't wait until morning? One-PP wants our report tonight.
- Understandably, they're anxious.
- I told you everything.
So did the rest of your squad and your partner.
So what more is there to say? Sergeant, we both want to make sure you fully understand the repercussions of your account of this incident.
My account? Lewis shot himself.
And we're prepared to confirm that, but if we do, it may not go away.
The new Brooklyn DA might look on this as an NYPD cover-up.
Rita, do you want to talk with your client? No, we're fine.
I am not going to admit to justifiable homicide.
Okay.
Brooklyn DA is waiting for us to call him back.
We'll tell him we have not found sufficient evidence to dispute your version of the events.
Good luck to you, Sergeant Benson.
We can now put William Lewis behind us.
You ready to get back to work, Liv? - Oh, yes, I am.
- Good, 'cause I'm over Murphy.
I hate to break it to you, but looks like he's gonna be around for a while.
One-PP needs to put you back in charge, Liv.
That could be Murphy.
I invited him.
Murphy.
Come on in.
We were just talking about you.
Uh, what are you drinking, Lieutenant? I'm fine, thanks.
I'm not bringing good news.
What? I just got off the phone with Barba.
- He fought it tooth and nail - Fought what? The Brooklyn DA is troubled by IAB's report.
You got to be kidding me.
He and the police commissioner are still going at it, but the DA's office will be sending you a target letter.
They're convening a grand jury to investigate the death of William Lewis.
I'm sorry.
Dr.
Warner, your autopsy report concluded that William Lewis, who was right-handed, was shot in his left temple.
Did you find that at odds with Sergeant Benson's account of suicide? Gun suicides are usually committed with the dominant hand, but it is possible he shot himself with his left.
Possible, but unusual.
And when a right-handed person shoots someone at point-blank range in the temple, in the position Sergeant Benson and Mr.
Lewis were in, which side of the victim's head would the entry wound likely be? The left.
Is Sergeant Benson right-handed? Yes.
If it was a homicide, at that range, there would be blood spatter and GSR on the shooter.
Was there blood spatter and GSR on Sergeant Benson? Yes, but a suicide at that proximity could have left the same traces on her.
So you're saying it's possible that William Lewis, who was right-handed, shot himself with his left hand, leaving the same blood spatter and gunshot residue on Sergeant Benson that would exist if she'd killed him? That's why I ruled it a cuppi.
The evidence is open for interpretation.
It most certainly is, isn't it? Nothing further.
Just heard from Melinda.
How'd her testimony go? She really couldn't talk, but from what I got, Strauss was pushing her to say that it wasn't suicide.
Lewis knew what he was doing when he switched hands.
Well, so tell that to the grand jury.
They'll believe you.
That's what happened with me.
But the difference is, now we're dealing with a Brooklyn grand jury.
They're suspicious of NYPD.
Fin, do you know if they asked Melinda about Lewis about the injuries, when I beat him? Not as far as I know.
Liv, they're not gonna bring up your confession.
Everyone knows that was false.
It was coerced.
I hope you people aren't discussing the grand jury.
I don't have to tell you how inappropriate it would be to talk to anyone who has testified.
It's just a friendly lunch, Counselor.
Any news? We're trying to figure out Strauss's angle.
I mean, say Strauss casts doubt on it being a suicide.
Any alternate scenario they have would qualify as justified use of force.
It's politics.
The DA, the mayor, they just want to show everyone that they got NYPD by the short hairs.
Maybe, but I know Strauss.
I mean, he is all ambition.
He's not coming in just to rubber-stamp IAB.
So what's his endgame? I was assigned to a two-person protective detail for Sergeant Benson.
And was she cooperative? At first.
But later, she disobeyed her commander's orders and insisted we take her to interview a witness at the hospital.
Would you say she was determined to get involved in the manhunt for William Lewis? I'd say so, yes.
In fact, she was so determined, she tricked you and your partner in order to escape and rendezvous with him? - Yes.
- Has that ever happened to you - before, Detective Carlson? - Not in all my 18 years and certainly not by a fellow officer we were risking our lives to protect.
Sergeant Benson informed me she needed to use the ladies' room, but it was a ruse.
And where did she go after she ditched you and your partner? She commandeered a town car, threatened the driver, and then went after Lewis.
Did she notify her commanding officer of her intentions? Absolutely not.
We informed him as soon as we discovered her missing.
And why do you think Sergeant Benson went to these lengths? I assume it's because she wanted to take him down on her own.
It took us some time to track the town car to the granary, and even then, it's a cavernous space with a lot of ground to cover.
Despite listening to your partner and Mr.
Lewis on the radio, you were not able - to immediately locate them.
- That's right.
And you claim the radio went silent - just before the shot was fired.
- Yes, it did.
So how soon after did you, Lieutenant Murphy, and the SVU squad arrive on the scene? Just after the shot was fired, a few seconds.
Sergeant Benson was handcuffed.
The girl was tied up, screaming.
Lewis was dead.
We did not tamper with the scene in any way.
Well, that's something.
So her radio conveniently went silent just before the shot was fired, after you and your squad had been searching for her - for, what, 20 minutes? - About that.
Then you conveniently arrived en masse on the scene just seconds after the shot was fired, therefore again, quite conveniently not allowing for you or anyone in your squad, to confirm or deny Sergeant Benson's version of events.
We did not see who fired the shot, no.
But the crime scene indicated Detective Amaro, let me ask you this.
Are you happy William Lewis is dead? Yes.
Any decent human being would be.
He was an unredeemable psychopath who'd gone on several murder and rape sprees "Several," yet only one conviction, yes? Still, the backbone of our judicial system allows that every individual, no matter how much we might despise their actions, has the right to due process, has the right not to be subject to police brutality or vigilante justice.
That's not what happened, Counselor.
Yes, that's the NYPD's story.
Thank you for coming, Miss Cole.
I'll try to make this as brief as possible.
Sergeant Benson instructed you to look away when she arrived, is that correct? Yes.
So I know you didn't see much, but can you tell us what you heard in the moments before the gunshot? I don't remember exactly, but I remember him saying they had to take turns.
They were playing a game? Yes, it was his idea Russian Roulette.
I kept waiting for the gun to go off, but it didn't.
I heard a click, metal scraping.
I could hear sirens from outside, police shouting.
What was the last thing you heard Mr.
Lewis say? I think it was, "Goodbye," and then a shot.
You heard one shot? Yes.
It was horrible.
I thought he had killed Sergeant Benson.
Why is that? I didn't hear her screaming or yelling or anything.
She was quiet? She didn't react? No.
I started screaming.
Then I heard, "Police, Police," and people running in.
Then they took me down.
Did you hear Sergeant Benson say anything else? She said, "He's gone.
He's gone.
" Did you hear her say he shot himself? No.
Okay.
I'm so sorry.
It was like he was putting words in my mouth.
No, don't worry, sweetheart.
I'm sure it's gonna be fine.
Thank you for saving me.
You take care of yourself.
For what it's worth, Kings County Court leaks like a sieve.
You have a lot of friends there.
Or Strauss has a lot of enemies.
He's been pushing the theory that your whole squad waited for you to execute Lewis before they rescued you.
Jury ain't buying it.
Well, that's a relief.
Maybe, but this isn't.
Strauss issued new subpoenas today, including one for the doctor who testified at Lewis's trial.
You sure? Son of a bitch.
He can't get them to go where he wants them to on manslaughter, so he's pivoting.
Pivoting? To what? Your televised confession.
He's gonna use it to widen the investigation.
You admitted to assault, excessive force, perjury - Lewis's jury rejected that.
- He was on trial, you weren't.
Look, the only way that muppet can make his case is by dirtying you up as a brutal cop.
Lieutenant, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
She's gonna have to take the stand, tell them not a word of it was true.
He had broken free of his handcuffs.
That was a lie.
The truth is, when I beat Mr.
Lewis, he was handcuffed.
Aah! Olivia! - Sorry.
- You all right? Yeah, I-I just didn't see it.
So you raced up the stairs to discover Sergeant Benson alive - and William Lewis shot dead? - That's right.
But you didn't actually see who fired the shot.
- No.
- All right, Detective.
Let me take you back to May of last year, similar situation, when, once again, Sergeant Benson was alone with William Lewis, this time in an empty beach house.
Because he kidnapped her and he took her there.
And when you arrived at that scene, what condition did you find Mr.
Lewis in? Nonresponsive.
Because he'd been beaten so severely.
He was nonresponsive.
Was he handcuffed? Sergeant Benson re-cuffed him after she subdued him.
- But you saw none of this? - No.
So, in both situations, you somehow arrived moments after the incident, be it a beating or a shooting, occurred.
Therefore, you're unable to corroborate or deny Sergeant Benson's version of events.
Are you saying this is a cover-up? What'd you think of Mr.
Lewis? He was a sick MF psychotic, violent.
So, if you had seen Sergeant Benson beating him when you arrived, even if he were offering no resistance, even if he were handcuffed, would that be a detail you might overlook? You were the jury forewoman for the trial of William Lewis, - were you not, Ms.
Freed? - Yes.
Thank you for your service, then and now.
Can you tell the grand jury what you recall? I watched the trial in horror as William Lewis questioned Sergeant Benson about his injuries and the beating he had endured.
Can you elaborate? I remember him saying he died several times in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
When he questioned Sergeant Benson about each of the blows, she kept insisting that he'd somehow broken free of his handcuffs and lunged at her, that she had to crack his skull, shatter his knee, collapse his lung, and fracture his orbital socket in order to subdue him.
Did you believe, as she has since publicly stated, that Sergeant Benson used excessive force? Yes.
In fact, a number of us on the jury felt so strongly that we asked that it be entered into the record before we gave our verdict.
Why is that? Our sense was she had a vendetta against Mr.
Lewis.
Even her own testimony indicated that once he was subdued, she ordered witnesses to leave the house.
And why do you think that was? She needed time to do what she wanted.
She wasn't just trying to subdue him.
She was trying to cripple him for life.
The juror who helped Lewis escape testified, and my lawyer says that I can't.
And yet, you want to be heard? If I tell the grand jury that my public confession was true, then they indict me for the assault.
If I tell them that I lied, I perjure myself again.
Either way Lewis wins.
He's dead.
You are alive.
And so is Amelia.
Now, this trap you're in he didn't trick you into it.
You chose to walk into it.
Why? Because I knew what he would do to Amelia.
And before Amelia, last May, you broke free of your restraints because you were afraid Lewis would be alone with another little girl Luisa.
Where do you think this strength comes from, Olivia? Well, you think it's because I can't fight for myself, and I can only fight for other people.
Actually, Olivia, I think you've been fighting for yourself for a very long time.
When you were a little girl, you saw your mother drinking, falling apart.
You realized your father hurt your mother.
She was damaged.
You were defenseless then.
You're not now.
Now, all these years later, you're in a situation where another horrible man is about to hurt a little girl you risk your life.
Olivia.
It's time to let Lewis go.
If that's another subpoena, no, thank you.
I'm going in front of your tribunal today.
It's actually a heads-up.
I'm, uh, starting my retirement paperwork.
If I wait and the grand jury indicts, then I could lose my pension.
I'm not gonna let them or Lewis have that power.
Does everybody in this squad always think the sky is falling? We've had a pretty rough year.
You know, sometimes one door has to close before another one opens.
I appreciate the stress you're under, but I'd hate to lose you.
Go talk to the grand jury, let them see you.
No.
I would have to lie under oath about the beating.
I won't do that again.
No one should ever have to do that.
Sergeant Benson knew William Lewis and how his mind worked better than anyone.
Even so, you did assign a security detail to her and order her to stay in the squad room or a hotel? Obviously there was a safety protocol in place.
So, when she went to the hospital to interview a witness? I trusted her judgment.
And that night when she escaped her security detail, when did you find that out? I was notified by her detail 15 minutes later.
Again, given the circumstances, I believe she made the right call.
- But you did try to track her.
- Yes, of course.
Because she went rogue and might take the law into her own hands? Absolutely not just as backup.
Lieutenant Murphy, let me ask you about Sergeant Benson's confession.
- You were present? - Yes.
She gave her confession at the SVU under the approval of the NYPD? That's right, but it was all a show at my behest.
Why? Because you were comfortable with her ability to lie because of the way she lied on the stand? I'm not sure she did lie on the stand.
But you don't know that she didn't.
And since, as is her absolute right, she's not gonna testify before this grand jury, we'll never know either, will we? Sergeant Benson said what she had to to save a young girl's life.
Thank you.
No more questions.
Actually, there's something important We're done, Lieutenant.
I think the grand jurors should hear.
We're done.
I have a question.
What was he going to say? Well, I appreciate the diligence, but the question doesn't specifically go to the scope of this grand jury.
Can you ask the grand jury warden to get the judge? Because I remember him saying we could ask questions I'll ask for you.
That's protocol.
Lieutenant Murphy, what is the important thing you want the grand jury to hear? I know for a fact that Sergeant Benson's televised confession was not true.
I know because I ordered her to make the so-called confession.
She did not commit police brutality, nor did she perjure herself.
It was a gambit, a police tactic, to lure the weasel out just enough so we could get him.
Thank you, Lieutenant Murphy.
I don't even know why we're here.
Sergeant Benson performed an act of extraordinary bravery.
She single-handedly confronted a career sociopath who raped and tortured elderly women, little girls.
He killed cops and innocent civilians.
You've heard days of testimony regarding the sergeant's actions, but has the prosecutor discussed Lewis's conduct at all? - Lieutenant Murphy.
- His history of barbarism? Lewis spent his entire life sadistically inflicting his power over people.
Thanks to Sergeant Benson, he's where he should be.
William Lewis will never hurt anyone ever again, unless you allow him to exert his power over you.
You look happy.
Sky's no longer falling? Well, if I know, that means that you knew a half hour ago.
What's that? Calhoun says that the grand jury refused to return an indictment.
She also says that you saved my shield.
Wasn't me.
It was the truth that set you free.
That's not what I heard.
Well, there are little truths, and there's the larger truth.
I told the larger one.
Thank you.
And while you're in a good mood, the boys at One-PP want me to hang around here for a while, and I was hoping you'd stay on as my number two.
- I can do that.
- Good.
Take the rest of the night off.
I'll see you bright and early.
Okay? Thank you.
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