Law & Order Special Victims Unit s17e01 Episode Script

Hello.
Yates chooses his victims at random.
Nadia Decotis was tortured and killed.
Yates transported her to his burial ground.
- How many others? - Seven so far.
No forensics, nothing to tie him to any of them? Green nail polish was applied to the victims.
He either burned the bodies, or he buried them.
He gets off on torture, even in court.
- See what we saw? - I just hope the jury saw it.
On the charge of murder in the first degree, we find the defendant Gregory Yates guilty.
_ In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
What, was she dismembered, or did she come apart in water? No obvious tears, but there are cutting marks in the bones and tendons.
Another body here at Yates' burial ground.
Yeah, some skinny-dipping teenagers ditching class kicked up the vic.
Local precinct gave us the heads-up, thought it might be one we missed.
How? We covered the whole island.
And Yates buried his bodies.
This one we found floating in the water.
It just happens to coincide with when and where Yates dumped Nadia? - Rollins.
- Okay.
What, he buried Nadia, goes back out to Queens, assaults two flight attendants, has lunch with his fiancee, and finds time for a fourth assault? - Come on.
- The man was on a spree.
For brunettes.
She's a redhead.
It's not his type.
We got nine dead bodies found here, all by the same killer.
And now we got the tenth.
Occam's razor.
Guys, listen, we have two options.
One is bad.
The other one is worse.
Either we missed one, or Yates has a copycat.
The victim is a Caucasian female, late 20s, probable cause of death fractured skull.
Right arm severed surgically at the shoulder.
Dr.
Rudnick, are we interrupting? No, not at all.
Just notating my initial findings.
Found in Pelham Bay, so either she floated up as the water warmed, or CSU missed her in April? So you think Yates did this? I can't say definitively, but there are findings consistent with Yates' MO, as well as evidence of injury, both vaginal and anal, consistent with rape.
Even after this long in the water? There's no question the skull was fractured just like those of the two flight attendants and Nadia.
Yeah, but this body was also dismembered.
- That's not part of Yates' MO.
- Correct.
However, I can tell you the cuts were made by someone with surgical training.
And another interesting detail microscopic traces of green nail polish under two fingernails.
- Another coincidence, Rollins? - It's public record.
If you say so.
_ Ooh.
That poor, poor girl raped, tortured.
And her skull was fractured.
You think I'm responsible.
I understand.
It is the logical assumption.
We had a saying in medical school if you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras.
The ME found traces of green polish on her fingernails.
Really? Now, that is fascinating.
Someone committed this horrific crime, and then he went out of his way to piggyback it onto crimes I've been accused of.
That was my initial response.
And the red hair Gingers are anathema to me.
I prefer brunettes.
No offense.
It's a long story.
And the body dismembered it's so unnecessary.
It's so barbaric.
Well, any ideas why somebody would have done it? Well, I don't know.
Maybe the killer likes the act of cutting into bone and flesh.
Do you mind if I - have another look? - Go right ahead.
Mmhmm.
I'm really sorry.
You you have your work cut out for you.
I appreciate your help, Doctor.
Thoughts are occurring.
If I can, uh, stew on them for a couple of days I might have something for you.
- Yates told you that it wasn't him? - Yeah.
I bet he still says that Nadia wasn't him.
No, the timeline is too tight.
This girl was a redhead.
Okay, he's never dismembered a body before this.
We found skulls last time, Amanda.
Yeah, but that was skeletal remains of decomped corpses.
This is different.
You know, his victims were never prostitutes.
This girl is a Jane Doe.
Amanda, I don't know what you're doing, but this isn't police work.
I am cultivating a source.
Listen, Yates hinted that he might know who the killer is.
Hinted, but didn't say.
So what, do you have to go back there again, and then he'll tell you? He's playing you.
This guy's a psychopath.
Not to mention, Amanda, you went up there without clearing it with me.
I'm not trusting your judgment right now.
Okay.
All right, maybe you guys are right.
So say it is Yates.
Just let me keep building a rapport.
Then maybe we can finally get an ID on this girl.
Hey, Sarge.
Sorry to interrupt, but I finally got a hit from our DNA.
- From CODIS? - No, military database.
Vic's name is Brooke Groves, 28.
She was ROTC at SUNY Plattsburgh.
Didn't the ME say she was a working girl? Well, yeah, but before that, she had another life.
Last known address was in Larchmont.
I'll go with.
Actually, Rollins, you stay here with Fin.
I'll let you know what we find out.
There you are.
Yeah, they spend all this money renovating the squad room, and there's still nothing to eat.
How you feeling? I'm just tired.
I've been taking too many shifts since Nick left.
You talk to him? Yeah.
Yeah, he's happy.
He's doing physical therapy in Laguna Beach, and he's got some kind of lead with the U.
S.
Park Police, so You miss him.
Is that what this is all about? No.
I'm pissed off, man.
I get grounded, and this is my case? I mean, I know more about how Yates thinks than Carisi does.
Olivia's just looking out for you, Amanda.
Yeah? How do you figure? You're good at getting inside these guys' heads.
Don't let them get inside yours.
_ Oh, no, bikes, toys she's a mom.
No, they're not hers.
If a mom disappears, they file a missing persons report.
Can I help you? Uh, Yeah, we're NYPD, um, Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
We're looking for a Brooke Groves.
That's me.
Actually, it was me.
I'm Brooke Norwalk now.
Hey, Tommy, Bobby, go play on the iPad.
Did something happen to my husband? - No.
- No, no, no.
Um, we thought something happened to you.
I don't understand.
It must have been a mistake, but we got a body in the morgue, actually.
Oh, no.
Rachel.
My twin sister.
Are you still in touch with her? Off and on.
My husband doesn't know that.
Those boys have never even After they were born, my husband he said she couldn't come around anymore.
She had problems? Rachel went to pieces after our mom died drinking, drugs.
She'd call me from the city, swear she was going to get help.
I'd go into the city and give her money.
A few months ago, she called again really high, and I told her I was done enabling her.
How What happened to my sister? I ran the DNA again.
You two were identical twins, yes? That's right.
When we were young, we Used to dress alike.
No one could tell us apart.
Brace yourself.
There's significant decomposition.
It's Rachel.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
_ Rachel Groves she stayed here on and off.
- She was murdered? - Yeah.
We think she was targeted 'cause she was on the fringes.
Somebody who wouldn't be missed.
Rachel was troubled.
That's why I was so happy when her mother came for her.
- Mother? - I think it was her mother.
The last time I saw Rachel, she left with an older woman gray hair, nicely dressed.
- When was this? - I'd have to check.
It was still cold March, April.
I remember the woman had a long coat and a hat on.
Okay, do you have security cameras here? Yes.
Come, follow me.
So Rachel was last seen with this woman.
Can the sister ID her? No, I mean, their mother died ten years ago, and Brooke doesn't know any other female relatives or friends.
So who is she? Obviously not Yates.
And look at the timecode April 15th.
Yates was in custody.
April 15, 2012 that's three years off.
Yeah, and obviously it's a.
m.
, but it reads as 11:30 p.
m.
The timecode was glitched.
Okay, so check the machine.
See what it reads now and then adjust it from there.
No, I tried that.
They already reset it once they realized it was out of whack.
I'll have TARU take a look.
And, um, Sergeant in the meantime, Yates called me twice.
He says he has more information.
He won't talk to anybody but me.
Go.
But not by yourself.
You you brought backup.
I thought this was gonna be just between me and you.
You thought wrong.
We're here because we were able to identify the victim from Pelham Bay.
You know, I already told you that I had nothing - to do with that girl.
- Mmhmm.
You also told me that you would stew on this, that you might be able to come up with more information.
So it turns out she had a twin sister.
It sure would mean a lot to someone if we could bring her closure.
A twin? Huh that is a real bond.
I would like to help, but this is a long shot.
But I kept thinking about those autopsy photos, the medical training, the red hair, and suddenly I was reminded of this incident that happened back when I was becoming a senior resident.
- That was what, in 2002? - Yeah, about then.
I got a call from an attending.
He needed stitches.
He called you? Why not go to the hospital? Because he was embarrassed.
When I got to the town house, I found out why.
He had bruising and cuts and what appeared to be human bite marks on his inner thigh and scrotum.
He claimed it happened during some sex game gone awry.
- But you don't believe him.
- No.
I asked him if his partner needed medical attention.
He assured me that she was fine and that she had left.
Whoever she was, I could sense that she was still in the house.
There was a clump of red hair on the floorboards, and I - I could smell her.
- Okay, Doc.
No.
Really, I could, and it wasn't the sex, and it wasn't the hormones.
It was her fear.
It has a very real scent, like ammonia.
What was the name of the attending? I don't want to incriminate anybody.
I I could be wrong, but I remember the street, though Convent Avenue in Harlem.
The town house has a lovely Juliet balcony.
_ Sarge, Fin, I wasn't expecting you.
These are the Changs.
They bought the house four years ago, did a renovation.
Before that, it had fallen into disrepair after the 2007 death of Manon Favreau.
She was a widow whose husband's family actually built this house in the 1880s.
Thanks for the history lesson, Carisi.
Who lived here in 2002? We're looking at tax records, utility bills, but realistically Yates could just be pulling Rollins' chain.
I don't see what he gets out of that.
So we're here.
The couple's given us permission to do a noninvasive search? Yeah, but after all this time, what are the chances we're going to find something? Sergeant, you're here.
Come look at what we found.
The CSU techs picked up an image using the GPR.
- What's that? - Ground penetrating radar.
It's like a sonogram that can see inside of that wall.
Yes.
And see, it used to be a chimney.
What's that shadow? There's something in there.
I bet that's another Yates victim.
So what, we rip down the wall? Okay, go tell the owners that that noninvasive search just became invasive.
A little help here.
It's a suitcase.
Great.
Let's get it out.
There's something inside.
- Should we open it? - Yeah, go ahead.
She's mummified.
So Yates' tip paid off.
There was a body in the Harlem town house? In the wall, mummified.
Anything else in the house? Fin and Carisi are searching the place with CSU.
We're getting a DNA sample.
As soon as the ME dates the decomp, search missing persons.
Why not just ask Yates? He's a convicted serial killer who tipped you off to the location of a corpse in a house where he also puts himself.
Rollins has been working him.
He swears that it wasn't him.
You've got to be kidding me.
The incisions seem to have been made by a medical professional, pubis and ilium scraped where they were separated from the adductors.
So she was dissected just like Rachel Groves was.
The muscle was cut away from the bone.
Mm.
Detective, you look a little piqued.
I'm fine.
No, I'm good.
Dr.
Rudnick, Rollins.
A sergeant and an ADA at an autopsy should I be nervous? Can you tell us anything? An autopsy like this is an enigmatic puzzle.
The body was cut, broken, and tied with an electrical cord to fit in the suitcase.
It had to be uncurled, X-rayed, rehydrated.
Start at the beginning age, cause of death.
She was a white female.
Uh, from her teeth, I'd guess about 25.
Cause of death? The skull was fractured, but I believe the cause was strangulation.
The hyoid was also fractured.
The body was wrapped in a blanket.
The dry heat and smoke from the common chimney effectively mummified the remains, and she was in situ for over a decade mostly likely.
How is it she was discovered? Actually, it was a tip from Yates.
Dr.
Yates? It's a tip or a confession? - Is this another one of his? - I noted no nail polish.
But the incisions do show evidence of medical technique.
And the fractured skull is not inconsistent with Yates' MO.
But strangulation is, and the victim was a redhead.
Yes, so was Rachel Groves.
I'll need to do a thorough examination.
So far, I've found no trace of the killer's DNA, which is also not inconsistent with Yates' MO.
"Also not inconsistent with Yates' MO.
" That's ME talk for, "Yates did it, but don't quote me.
" Yates is appealing his conviction.
Why would he tip us off to another victim? He's sick, but he's not stupid.
Rollins, all due respect Don't start a sentence that way.
Fine.
If Yates didn't do it, then how did he know that body was there? Your DA thinks I'm the one who did this.
You know, I am the one who told you all about her.
That's exactly why he thinks you did it.
Is he always so circular in his reasoning? You told me that you were called to that house, that you knew a woman was there.
Do you know who she was? I do.
I even know who killed her.
But enough talk about what I can do for you.
Let's talk about how you can help me.
Yates wants to touch his fiancee, Susie Frain? Hasn't he touched enough women already? Look, they've been together for 20 years.
He's never hurt Susie.
And she's ok with conjugal visits? - She called about it twice.
- Every pot has a lid.
Lovely.
You do realize how this would look if word got out, right? Yates is already on the hook for multiple rapes and murder.
Now he wants to trade crime tips for conjugal visits.
If Yates is telling the truth, there could be another serial out there.
So pick your poison, Counselor.
Fine.
Bring the fiancee upstate.
Let them conjugate and then interrogate both of them afterwards.
You better be right about this, Rollins.
Okay, we good? Time's up, coming in.
Ms.
Frain before you leave, uh, my detectives have some questions for you.
No one told me about this.
Oh, hey.
It's all right.
Just tell the truth.
All right.
We have some questions for you too.
So much for afterglow, but a deal's a deal.
Come in here.
We'll have more privacy.
I hope now that you've found these two bodies, you'll be releasing Greg as soon as possible.
Come again? I always knew Greg wasn't capable of these crimes.
He was framed.
The poor girl in Pelham Bay she must have been murdered after he was arrested, or you would have found the body when you first searched.
Oh, did Greg tell you that? It's common sense.
And Lena we were all friends.
Greg was fond of her.
Hold up.
Who who's Lena? Lena Grunwald the girl in the wall.
I thought she had gone home to Switzerland, but she must have never left.
Lena was a lovely girl.
She was over from Switzerland for her doctorate, and they, uh they met at Columbia.
Met who? Her fiancé.
No.
When The night that I stitched him, he said that it was a sex game gone wrong, but he had to have tortured Oh, he might have sealed her in that wall while she was still alive.
Stay with us, Dr.
Yates.
Oh, yes, I'm sorry.
That poor woman.
You were gonna give us a name? I was.
Apologies.
Uh, Carl.
Yes, when I was a senior resident, he was an attending strange man, a little delicate, pale.
He kept to himself, which was why we were so sort of surprised when he got engaged to Lena Does this delicate man have a last name? Rudnick.
Uh, Dr.
Carl Rudnick.
That's it.
We're done.
Rollins.
- I went out on a limb for you.
- What? You think this is a game? You are going to be transferred so far upstate, your ass is gonna freeze.
- Rollins, let's go.
- What did I say? Dr.
Carl Rudnick, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner in the borough of Manhattan he's a serial killer.
Wait.
Carl became an ME? Oh, no, that that really is that is that is perfect.
He never liked people, but he always liked cutting.
Don't even try, Yates.
- No, stay.
Please? - I need to know.
Did he do any of the autopsies on the girls you found? Nadia maybe? Come on, a man like that with all those female bodies being delivered to the morgue having been tortured to death? That is a trigger.
He would get off on them, and then he would want to go do another one for himself.
That girl, the girl in Pelham Bay Did Rudnick do her autopsy too? Have another ME recheck the body.
His report didn't say so, but I'll be you dollars to doughnuts, he cut that girl up while she was still alive.
Accusing the Deputy Chief ME of rape and murder? And they offered this conspiracy theory right after their conjugal visit.
- Yeah, I know.
- He worked you two.
Or the fiancé worked us.
Give Yates points.
That's a bold move.
I'm sorry.
You all were right.
I was wrong.
Hold on, Rollins.
Now, look, I'm still only mid-search, but there was a Lena Grunwald from Switzerland who went to Columbia at that time.
Now, as far as I can tell, she never graduates, she just disappears off the grid in winter of 2002.
You actually looked into this? Yeah, Counselor, I did, because if Yates is taking a flyer for an appeal, then we have to rule this out.
Now, I'm still new here, but how well do you guys know Carl Rudnick? He got here right before you did.
He came out of Miami-Dade, I think.
Carisi's right.
Yates is looking to overturn his conviction.
Did Rudnick ever mention that he went to medical school with Yates? No, he didn't.
So what if he did? Yates kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered Nadia.
He is guilty.
The only reason he's bringing up conflicting evidence is for his appeal.
Still, if they did know each other, then Rudnick should have recused himself.
That's easy enough to confirm.
Then while you're at it, see if Rudnick has any connection to the town house in Harlem or if he even knew this supposed fiancé of Lena Grunwald.
_ That's Lena with Carl, me, and Greg New Year's Eve 2001 in Montreal.
So you knew each other well enough that you all go on vacation together.
Oh, yeah, Canada, Europe a few times.
Lena spoke French and German.
She was a great tour guide, a lovely person.
What can you tell us about her relationship with Carl Rudnick? Tempestuous.
They fought, especially when they drank, and they both drank.
She loved her Gewurztraminer.
Remember the last time you saw her? I remember when she left.
Greg threw me a birthday party, and Carl brought a new date.
He said Lena had broken off their engagement and moved back to Switzerland.
And that was? Early February 2002.
So you didn't think it was strange that she didn't say good-bye to you herself? I did, actually.
In Montreal, they were going at each other.
On the flight back, Lena told me that if anything ever happened to her, Carl did it.
Why didn't you call the police? I was going to, but then I got a note from Lena with a photo of herself in her village Grindelwald.
She apologized.
She said she just had to get away.
And you're sure that it was her? - I thought it was.
- You think you may have kept that note and photo? I have tons of boxes in mini storage.
You think it will help if I find it? Okay, so Rudnick and Yates overlapped in medical school, and Lena was in business school at the same time.
And Susie just told us that they were all friends.
Which, as Carisi said, Rudnick should have disclosed.
It still doesn't mean that Rudnick is good for this.
Remember, Rollins, Yates tried to pin Nadia's death on Will Halsted.
He's an opportunist.
I know he is.
And I know he's good for Nadia's murder and a dozen before, but this woman in the wall I'm not sure about, 'cause look, I did a search.
I was trying to find who exactly lived in this house in 2002.
Now, ConEd and phone bills both went to Manon Favreau.
The name on the cable bill it's under Carl Rudnick.
While it was owned by Manon Favreau? So he was renting.
More like housesitting.
It turns out, the maiden name was Manon Rudnick.
She's Carl Rudnick's great-aunt.
I mean, these ancestry Websites you'd be surprised what they know about you.
Okay, so Rudnick neglected to mention that the body that we found was in his aunt's house and he was living there when it was plastered in the wall.
Damn, he autopsied his own fiancee? We don't know that yet.
We don't even know if the body is Lena's.
Susie told us that Lena sent her a picture of herself from Switzerland.
Well, if she did send that photo, that's the last trace of her.
Do we have any proof that the body was hers? DNA, dental records, anything? I called Warner.
She said according to Rudnick, there's no way to ID her.
There's a shock.
Okay, I'll call the Chief Medical Examiner and see if he'll authorize Warner to independently redo both autopsies, preferably when Rudnick's not there.
The body's well-preserved, most likely from the frigid water temperatures, which last well into April.
Let's stop here.
Dr.
Rudnick's time of death may be mistaken.
- Maybe? - He says early April.
But based on the crime-scene photos, it appears the body wasn't wrapped in plastic or a tarp.
Wait.
That's in his report.
Yes, but if this body went into the water in mid-April, the fish or crabs would have nibbled away at the soft tissue.
So it's more likely early May.
I think so.
I'm surprised, frankly.
It's careless.
Dr.
Rudnick is meticulous to a fault.
He's one of the top MEs in the country.
What else do you know about him? He's a guy who works six days a week, never puts in for overtime.
We all figure family money.
- He's obsessed with his work.
- Okay, okay.
So his timeline is off.
Is it possible that he's overworked? Maybe.
And here's another omission I noticed.
His report neglects to mention that the dismemberment took place antemortem.
So Rachel Groves was alive.
Are you sure? Positive.
Cutting into live tissue always causes a vital reaction markedly different from cutting into dead tissue.
And there's no way an ME would leave this out or possibly mistake the two? No.
Now, you want to tell me what this is about? I'm sorry, Melinda.
I can't.
This is, uh, an active investigation.
Before I re-autopsy this mummified body, is there anything I should know? Uh, well, she may be a Swiss national.
We haven't been able to ID her.
That may be helpful.
Okay.
Melinda, watch your back with Rudnick.
What am I looking at here? It's proof that the body in that wall was Lena Grunwald.
Okay, Warner found these gold overlays on her teeth that are specific to German-Swiss dentists.
Yeah, another detail Dr.
Rudnick did not put in his autopsy report.
We confirmed with her dentist in Switzerland.
It is Lena's body.
She never went home.
Well, here's where it gets tricky.
I finally heard back from my guy at TSA.
Now, according to them, Lena Grunwald left JFK for Zurich on February 11, 2002.
So? We can't pinpoint her time of death.
She must have come back, been murdered sometime later.
Yeah, but there's no record of her coming back.
So, on a hunch, I looked at Rudnick's travel.
Now, this guy he's got the opposite problem, all right? He returned from Paris to JFK on February 15th, but there's no record of him leaving the U.
S.
or even Canada.
Okay, you got a theory to go with this travelogue? What if Rudnick left the U.
S.
using Lena's passport and then came back as himself? You're suggesting he was able to pass as a woman post 9/11? Yeah, a red-haired lady with a Swiss passport so outside their profile, nobody took a second look at her.
And Rachel, the victim from the bay I mean, she was last seen leaving her shelter with a woman or someone dressed like one.
Using facial-recognition software? We are.
Olivia's headed to 1PP now to get the okay to bring Rudnick in for questioning.
Call her off.
We'll ask forgiveness later.
For now, I'll find a pretext to invite him to my office.
So, while he's with you, how about a warrant for his house.
You know, knives, dresses who knows what we'll find? Please come in.
Dr.
Rudnick, just so you know, everything in this room is recorded.
Have a seat.
Um, Yates is appealing his conviction, so this conversation may be discoverable as part of that process.
Of course, I also record everything.
Oh, Sergeant Benson.
Yes.
Dr.
Rudnick, thank you so much for meeting us.
Just have a few questions for you.
Certainly.
Okay, this file do you recognize it? Yes, it's the autopsy report of the Jane Doe you found mummified the Yates victim.
And the address where the body was found do you recognize that? That's bizarre.
I never noticed the address.
My eyes were on the poor girl's remains.
So you do recognize the address? It was my great-aunt's house.
Look at this.
He keeps autopsy photos bedside.
He'll probably claim he takes his work home with him.
And this woman, do you recognize her? Yes, of course, that's Lena Grunwald, an old flame of mine from 15 years ago.
I'm sorry.
What's this all about? We believe the body found in the wall of your aunt's house was Lena Grunwald.
Oh, my God.
I didn't recognize her.
And how could I in that state? Are you suggesting I autopsied my ex? So you didn't know that she was dead? Well, of course not.
Last time I saw her was at the airport when she left for Switzerland.
She must have come back without my knowledge and fallen back in with Yates.
Who took her to your aunt's house, killed her, and entombed her in the wall? That's an incredible coincidence.
Not really.
We all knew each other, and I occasionally entertained at that home.
So you and Yates knew each other? Yes, of course, it's public knowledge.
We were at med school at the same time a few years apart.
He was always rather jealous of me.
You and Yates were colleagues.
Did you ever think to mention that to anyone? Well, frankly, no.
When did you last hear from Lena? We broke up amidst a hard winter.
It was 2002, 2003.
That son of a bitch He always had a thing for Lena, and killing her is his way of hurting me.
He did this to hurt you, and you didn't know about it for 13 years.
Well, what other explanation could there be? He knew the house.
He knew her.
And he's a convicted serial killer.
Ipso facto Oh, you can't think that I had anything to do with this.
We can't.
Oh, it's patently absurd.
Dr.
Rudnick then you wouldn't mind working through some of the other inconsistencies that we found.
Well, not at all.
Given the change in tenor of this conversation, I'm contacting my lawyer.
I'd like to exercise that right.
Feel free.
We will wait to continue questioning you until a lawyer arrives.
You realize that if he is guilty, then every case he's testified in I know.
Every autopsy he's performed I don't even want to think about how many convictions will have to be reopened.
- Oh.
- Olivia.
Rita, what are you doing here? I was working out a plea deal - when I got a message from Carl.
- Carl.
You're representing Dr.
Rudnick.
Everyone is entitled to the best defense they can afford.
And Dr.
Rudnick or his family can afford a very good one.
And that, of course, is all that matters.
My client's waiting.
He'll be coming with me.
He is done talking to you.
Actually he won't be leaving.
Rita, it's very good of you to come on such short notice.
Of course, Carl, but I'm afraid I have some bad news.
Carl Rudnick, you're under arrest for the murders of Rachel Groves and Lena Grunwald.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney We'll see you in court.
Dr.
Rudnick, how do you plead? Not guilty, Your Honor.
He's a respected Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the borough of Manhattan.
- I'm aware of that, Counselor.
- With an impeccable reputation.
We request ROR as the charges are, on their face, ridiculous.
- Mr.
Barba? - Dr.
Rudnick has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one in which the victim was vivisected.
The other was found entombed in the wall of his family's home.
He's already tampered with evidence.
His position has allowed him to cover up the crimes.
Through several family trusts, he has the means and the motive to flee, and we have reason to believe that he has traveled internationally using passports from one of his victims in the past.
Dr.
Rudnick only became a suspect based on false accusations by serial killer Greg Yates in a desperate attempt to throw doubt on his own conviction.
Even if that's true, I'm sure the state would not waste my time if they didn't have more compelling evidence.
Dr.
Rudnick, you are to surrender your passport to the court.
Bail is set at $2 million.
Rudnick posted a $2 million bail? There's no money like family money.
It was wired in before he was even processed.
- Whoa.
- Hey, check this out.
"The ME Nobody Knows.
" "A Monster in the Morgue.
" I mean, these headlines they write themselves.
- This is a freaky story.
- Yeah.
Getting freakier by the minute.
Mommy and Noah will get a little time later.
There you go, sweetie.
Okay.
All right.
I love you.
Sarge, you're going to want to see this! Great.
You got something? Yeah, facial recognition came back.
That TSA photo, it's definitely not Lena.
The jawline is wide by two centimeters.
The symmetry is wrong.
And they also say it's not inconsistent with Rudnick.
This guy has a closet full of wigs and dresses.
We know it's him.
We may know it's Rudnick, but Barba wants proof.
We need that photo of Lena in Switzerland that he sent to Susie.
Well, I've been trying to reach Susie.
So far, no luck.
All right, Rollins, let's call Yates, now.
Something happened to Susie.
She was supposed to call this morning.
She would never just forget.
When's the last time you talked to her? Last night.
- She said she had good news.
- Good news? She said that she had found the photo that Lena supposedly sent from Switzerland.
She felt it looked a lot like Rudnick in drag.
Was she going to tell Rudnick that? No, I don't think so.
Wait.
he's still in custody, isn't he? No, he made bail last night.
Oh, no.
She's not here? No, and I doubt she went alone willingly.
Blood is mostly dried.
It's been a while.
Get a BOLO out on Rudnick asap.
Then head over to Real Time Crime.
We're going to need a task force, TARU, TSA, Port Authority Police.
- You know the drill.
- On it.
Hey, Sarge.
Sarge.
I might have heard something come over the borough-wide.
Got freshly cut body parts coming in with the tide.
Cut? Were they female? What do we have? Well, we're still putting the pieces together.
Some fishermen saw the bags coming in about an hour ago.
This is why I hate fishing.
Learned that growing up in Staten Island.
We're a long way from Elmhurst.
We're not sure it's Susie.
We are now.
What the hell is going on here? Exigent circumstances.
Oh, nice try.
I don't hear anyone screaming for help.
You have a warrant to search Dr.
Rudnick's house? We had one yesterday.
- And now you need a new one.
- Really, Rita? He cut Susie Frain up into pieces.
I feel sorry for her, I do, but we do not know that Dr.
Rudnick was involved.
Where's your client, Rita? I haven't heard from him.
When's the last time you did? Yesterday at the courthouse when he posted bail.
He Ubered home, said he was going to get some sleep.
Well, he lied to you.
Look I don't know where he is.
He is the suspect in this murder, okay? You hear from him, you better let us know.
The only legal obligation I have is to make sure that he shows up at trial.
Wow.
You're claiming attorney-client privilege for a psychopath who's on the run, who gutted a woman.
I have no knowledge of that, and I have no knowledge of any future acts he may commit.
His car is missing.
He's not answering his telephone.
We need to search this house now.
And you can as soon as you get a warrant.
Fin's at Real Time checking traffic cams.
Sarge is at Rudnick's town house.
There's no sign of this guy.
He's in the wind.
Yeah, well, he murdered and dismembered Susie Frain.
I wouldn't have stuck around either.
We're still missing a left leg.
Ah, that's a calf.
Sawed off at the left knee, not a lot of blood.
You guys got this, right? Yeah, give me one second.
Oh.
Oh, easy.
You all right? Yeah.
Yeah, I'm fine.
I am going to drive us back, okay? after Rudnick posts bail, a potential prosecution witness is found in pieces with the morning tide? We're well aware of the problem.
- Counselor.
- Where the hell is he? This is all we know, okay? He was last seen posting bond at 8:00 p.
m.
last night.
Uber driver confirms dropping him off at his Harlem town house.
So, sometime between last night and this morning, he goes to Susie Frain's apartment, he dismembers her, he bags the body, dumps her in the water at Fort Tilden, and then he disappears.
We've got a BOLO out on his car, his credit, his bank cards.
So far, no hits.
No sightings, no traffic cams.
Does everyone know he dresses in drag? We've alerted state troopers and the FBI.
Oh, they already know.
The ME's office, the mayor's office, the people in my office People are falling over themselves to point fingers.
Okay, I get it.
It's a mess, all right? No leave, no vacation, no Yes, I'll hold for the governor.
- Find him.
- Okay.
Wow.
Somebody needs a vacation.
You can't blame him.
I mean, the guy jumps bail, and then he kills our witness.
Speaking of, we need to notify Yates that his fiancee is dead.
Look, that's not a priority right now.
He'll find out on the news.
I know he will, but the photo, Sergeant, the photo that Rudnick sent to Susie pretending he was Lena CSU tore her house apart.
They couldn't find it anywhere.
Yeah, of course they couldn't.
That's why Rudnick went to her house in the first place.
So check her phone records.
Find out if she called Rudnick.
What, do you think she was using that photo for blackmail? You know she did not come up with that idea on her own.
Which is why I need to talk to Yates.
You know he's more open when it's just the two of us.
Nice try, Rollins.
_ Susie.
Can I see the body? That's not going to be possible, Dr.
Yates.
Are you sure it was her? We're sure.
I'm sorry.
So we were hoping, uh, to talk to you about your last conversation with Susie Frain.
Yes, of course.
How did Rudnick kill her? Still waiting on the autopsy.
You are? Could you ask the ME to test her HCG levels? Excuse me? I'd like to know whether Susie was pregnant.
That afternoon in April before I was arrested, we made love.
I could sense that she was ovulating.
When we had our conjugal, she agreed to take a pregnancy test.
It's quite possible that I was going to be a father and he took that from me.
- You got something? - Yeah, I got a hold of Fin.
He and TARU have been going through Rudnick's computers, finances, flagging every credit card that they could find.
- Okay, any hits? - Not yet.
But they did find this.
So Dr.
Crazy's been wiring money from a trust to four different personal accounts under four different names.
- So contact these people.
- We're trying, Sarge.
But as for now their only one addresses is a PO Boxes.
We can't find any employees, phone listings Okay, so they're false fronts.
I just got something from the DMV.
See that Terry Fish account up there? I just found a Teresa Fish that has an apartment in the same zip as that PO box.
Great.
Oh.
Rudnick's a blonde now.
Teresa got her license in October of last year.
- I'll put a BOLO out.
- You know what? I'll do that.
You two, get up to that apartment.
If we get lucky, Rudnick may be hiding there.
Hey, you all right? - Why wouldn't I be? - I don't know.
Usually, you're two steps ahead of me, and I've never seen you queasy at a crime scene before.
Yeah, I had a bad bagel yesterday.
I'm totally fine.
_ I wonder if something happen to poor Terry.
I ain't seen her in a while here, maybe since April.
Is she okay? We miss her around here.
You know her? You talk to her much? Is that a joke? Does it look like either of us are laughing? It sounds like a joke.
Terry's mute, deaf too.
She used to write me little notes, you know, if she needed something, but never a complaint.
She paid her rent a year in advance.
Terry! Oh, what am I doing? It's not like she can hear me.
You lay this new floor in here? I told you she was a good tenant.
She must have put that in herself.
Right.
Carisi.
Hey, I found more wigs and floral print dresses, lots of them.
It's red hair, just like Rachel Groves'.
And these look like cutting marks to you? Totally.
I'll call CSU.
I got your message about Rudnick's aliases so I rechecked his Jane Doe autopsies.
The last one was in October.
found dead on the E train, listed as natural causes.
Never ID'd.
Rudnick's paperwork says "no match on fingerprints or DNA.
" But I got a print hit on a New York City food stamp application Teresa Fish.
Rudnick wanted to make sure that nobody would miss her so he could steal her identity.
Identity thief, rapist, killer the damage he's done to this office, it makes me furious.
Not to mention they brought him up from Dade County instead of giving you that promotion.
You know, you should reapply.
Before I do that, I need to rerun DNA and prints on every body he's ever sent to Potter's Field.
Thank you, Melinda.
You were right.
One can see pronounced gouges on this bottom layer.
Any guess on what the implement was? I'd say it's a large, flat blade, - maybe a cleaver.
- Oh.
Aha, it's a pattern, white marks, strokes.
So he tried to wipe off the blood, maybe what, with bleach? Yeah, but he didn't get it all, hence the glow.
Okay.
Dried blood.
Quite apparent something barbarous happened here.
Yeah.
Hey, you up for a flight? - No, not really.
- Tough luck.
Our plane leaves in 40 minutes.
Rudnick just got picked up in Syracuse for shoplifting.
Take a look.
_ We ran the prints, but the system was down.
By the time we got a match, he was gone.
He said his flight was leaving in an hour.
So you let him walk? Great.
We thought we had a 50-year-old cross-dresser near tears because his mother was dying in Canada.
He stole a frickin' box of Coffee Nips.
All right, I get it.
- We did give him a desk ticket.
- Good for you! Listen, Rollins, their system was down.
He said his mother was dying.
All right, we've had a long day.
The good news is, no one with that name got on a plane, train, or rented a car.
Did you check his other aliases? 'Cause he has at least four.
We did.
Look, we got this entire town locked down.
He's not going anywhere.
Planes, trains, automobiles.
Did you check buses? A Meta Bus left an hour ago for Buffalo.
He could walk to Canada from there.
- Yeah.
- What time does it arrive? It just left Rochester.
It's going to be there in two and a half hours.
We're going to need a squad car now.
Here comes our bus.
You're the detectives from New York? Yeah.
- Bob Hencamp, Buffalo PD.
- Dominick Carisi.
This is Detective Rollins.
We call her Sunny.
Sunny Rollins? Okay.
Troopers picked up the bus on I-90 an hour ago, followed at a discreet distance.
Well, he's still on board.
There was an E.
Howard credit card purchase in Syracuse.
Bus didn't make any stops between Rochester and here.
Okay, well, let's do this thing.
Nice and easy, all right? We don't want to spook him.
Dr.
Rudnick.
- This is your guy? - I'm Ellie Howard, and I fully intend to pay my fine for shoplifting.
Ms.
Howard, stop.
Why don't you come with us, all right? We'll sort this out.
Hands behind your back, please.
Is that really necessary? Let him do his job.
All right, come on.
So you got a cross-dressing rapist, murderer in your ME's office.
You guys down in New York City really are progressive.
Did he say anything? He bitched when we searched him.
Maybe because he had a money belt with 64,000 in cash.
So why is he shoplifting Coffee Nips, then? Well, that's the $64,000 question.
Just give me a minute to finish paperwork, and he's all yours.
Do you have a cause of death? Manner, homicide.
No one ends up like this accidently, Cause of death, exsanguination.
So she bled out when he cut her up.
No, the dismemberment occurred postmortem.
The problem is I can't find the initial wound.
Most likely trauma to the femoral vein or artery stab wound, maybe gunshot.
To the missing left thigh? I would guess that's why Rudnick made it disappear.
There's something else.
Susie's tox screen came back clean, but her HCG levels were high.
She was pregnant.
We aren't actually going to drive all the way back to Manhattan, are we? Shut up.
You took the bus up here anyway, right? Yes, when I was traveling incognito.
What were you thinking, anyway, skipping out on a $2 million bail? Well, what were they thinking? They charged me with two murders, then let me go.
Who wouldn't run? Hey, Sarge.
Yeah, we're making pretty good time, as long as we don't get pulled over.
We should be back around Wait.
Hold on.
Let me check my app.
- Noon.
- Wait.
Hold on.
- Noon.
- Noon.
All right, we'll be back around noon.
All right.
Copy that.
They found his car.
Why are you whispering? Rudnick, they found your car.
Well, give yourselves a gold star.
We sure it's Rudnick's? Plates and all identifiers are stripped, but we got the VIN off the engine block.
Okay, so why here? The train to the plane is a block away.
Oh, so had we found this any earlier, we would have been searching JFK.
While he got across the border on his Meta Bus.
He's not stupid, but he was in a rush.
He left blood.
Now, it's just a trace, but that's all I need.
Great.
I'll call Barba.
A young man like yourself working at SVU.
That has to be depressing.
- You work in a morgue.
- I find peace in that.
I bring closure to people.
Yeah, when you're not killing them.
Death, in its way, is the ultimate closure.
Is that a confession? Thanks.
Sure you don't want something more substantial? Mm, yes, I'm sure.
Do you people think about what you eat? - Nope.
- You should.
All that cholesterol I could tell you both right now what your livers are going to look like when they're eventually on the slab.
You know what? Don't.
I don't mean to be a nuisance, but may I use the facilities? Whoa.
Hey, it's still occupied.
Hey, look, it's my uncle.
I'll see if I can hurry him along, okay? Well, This is unfortunate.
They think I killed that woman and cut her up.
I don't understand why.
Of course, I do understand.
It's still offensive.
So are they.
Quiet, Doctor, quiet.
Good man.
Hey, Doc, come on, we got to go.
Oh.
Could I trouble you for my phone? I need to call my lawyer.
- Mr.
Barba? - Uh-huh? Rita you have one hell of a client.
Kills a pregnant witness and tries to cross the border in a dress.
Dr.
Rudnick was out on bond.
He was simply taking in the sights of Buffalo.
Uhhuh.
We have a DNA match from Rachel Groves' hair and blood on the kitchen floor of an apartment that he leased.
He's an ME.
He autopsied her body.
It could be cross-contamination.
Well, he didn't autopsy Susie Frain, and we found her blood in his car.
They were old friends.
He gave her a ride.
She bled from a paper cut.
Both those cases were circumstantial, and don't get me started on a 13-year-old body in a wall.
So why are you here, Rita? You have an ME accused of being a serial killer.
The last thing your bosses want is a long, drawn-out trial.
And these headlines how are your migraines? _ _ Your solution is? Dr.
Rudnick pleads to one count of tampering with evidence and one count of unlawful disposal of a body.
This goes away as quietly as possible.
Misdemeanors? He killed three women.
I can offer manslaughter, served concurrently.
A public defender can get as much.
He is paying for more than that.
I hope there's enough money in the world, Rita.
I really do.
You better hope you don't get a conviction, because if you do, every case Dr.
Rudnick touched will be subject to an appeal, starting with Greg Yates.
Barba, what's up? You still have a back door to Yates? Yeah, I think so.
I need you to open it.
Go up to Green Haven and speak to him.
Liv doesn't want me do that unless she or Fin comes with, and Yates won't talk to me if they do.
Well, then don't tell her.
What is it you want? More.
Rudnick's legal team is going to claim all these murders were circumstantial.
He cut up Susie Frain.
No left thigh, no witnesses, no clear motive.
What are you talking about? Yates had Susie call Rudnick to her house to blackmail him.
That's why he killed her.
Tell Yates you need his help to put Rudnick away.
See if he has anything we can use.
I was so worried about what might happen to Susie.
She was always so trusting.
She never saw the dark side of people.
Like Dr.
Rudnick.
What did she say to you when you last spoke? She firmly believed that if she asked him, he would work to set me free in exchange for the photo.
I knew she was walking into the lion's den, but she wouldn't listen.
I I think she wanted me out to be there when she gave birth.
So she told you she was pregnant.
No, she didn't need to.
I knew.
She had a slightly different scent like you do.
How far along are you, Detective? _ Ms.
Calhoun, are you ready to proceed? - We are, Your Honor.
- Mr.
Barba.
Your Honor, in addition to the two standing charges of murder one, the defendant is now charged with the murder of Susie Frain.
Dr.
Rudnick, how do you plead? I apologize for being late, Your Honor.
John Buchanan for the defense.
My client pleads not guilty.
I know who you are, Counselor, but I'm not a fan of courtroom theatrics.
What's going on here, Ms.
Calhoun? I just need a moment to confer with my client.
So he is still your client.
He is, Your Honor.
Dr.
Rudnick has retained us both.
You have? Rita, the state saw fit to double down.
I thought it prudent to do the same.
Now, you both have my complete confidence.
May we proceed? - People on bail.
- Remand.
While out on bail, the defendant murdered and dismembered a prosecution witness.
Another wild accusation.
More to the point, he is free to travel within the state.
He has violated no court order.
- That is absolutely correct.
- Enough, Doctor.
Your bail was a privilege that has just been revoked.
You are remanded to Rikers.
In that case, I have a motion to separate these three charges.
As do I.
Coordinate, and I'll let the presiding judge know what he's in for.
Good day.
Hey.
Missed you in court.
- Yeah.
- You look green.
Have a ginger ale.
I'm good.
So have you told anybody yet? Nope.
I just found out.
And not that it's any of your business, but, you know, it's not Nick's, so Okay.
What are you going to do? I'm not going to do anything.
Well, you might want to tell the sarge.
Whiskey.
Does that mean it's bad news? Rudnick's dream team just got their first win.
The judge granted their motion to separate out the three charges.
How? There's a clear pattern.
Not really.
The murders are spread out over 13 years, and the motives are arguably different.
Lena was his fiancee.
Susie was blackmailing him, and Rachel she was just easy pickings, crime of opportunity.
Okay, I get it.
So the judge thought that linking the three together would be - more prejudicial than probative.
- Prejudicial than probative.
Okay.
So what do you need from me? A thigh, to establish cause of death.
Susie Frain is our strongest case.
The thigh is gone, but you don't need it.
He cut her up, Barba.
I don't care how good those lawyers think they are.
When the jury sees what he did to that woman he's done.
_ Were you able to identify the victim? Yes.
In another bag we opened, we found the decapitated head of Susie Frain.
It was one of the most gruesome crime scenes that I've ever witnessed.
Objection.
These injuries occurred after Ms.
Frain's death.
They have no bearing on the murder charge and serve only to prejudice this jury.
Overruled.
I'll allow up to a point, and I want to remind the jury that you're here to determine the facts of the murder and not what happened to the body postmortem.
Sergeant Benson, the body on the beach was Susie Frain? Yes, without a doubt.
DNA links all the pieces.
Nothing further.
Good morning, Sergeant.
When you first met Ms.
Frain, it was in connection with another murder case, correct? It was.
The brutal kidnapping, rape, and murder of a Chicago PD employee by Ms.
Frain's fiancee, Greg Yates.
Yes.
Did Ms.
Frain maintain his innocence even after Dr.
Yates' conviction? Objection.
Relevance.
Your Honor, I intend to show a direct line between Ms.
Frain's pathological desire to clear her fiancee and the events that led to her death.
I'll allow.
Did Ms.
Frain ever become aware that Dr.
Carl Rudnick was the Deputy Chief ME for Manhattan who had supervised the autopsies of Dr.
Yates' victims? Yes, and I know that it's your job to try to make a connection between the two Well, so let me do my job.
And after that, did you and ADA Barba helpfully arrange for a conjugal visit between Ms.
Frain and Dr.
Yates? We did.
Once reunited, did they both spontaneously accuse Dr.
Rudnick of a series of crimes? Yes, but there were also two other women who had been murdered.
So is it possible that they were colluding to incriminate Dr.
Rudnick in hopes of discrediting him and thus bolstering Yates' chance for an appeal.
Objection.
Speculation.
Is it? Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
Thank you, Sergeant.
Susie Frain was cooperating with a separate investigation into Dr.
Rudnick.
Objection, Your Honor.
This line goes directly to motive.
I'll allow but only in that context.
In what way was Ms.
Frain cooperating? She was searching for photos which we believed would provide evidence against Dr.
Rudnick, but she was murdered before she had the chance to deliver them to us.
Did you find these photos in her home? No, but as the crime-scene pictures show People's exhibit 47A, Objection.
This is prejudicial.
It's a crime scene.
Agreed.
Overruled.
So you can see her ransacked memento boxes, and we also later obtained security footage from her mini-storage facility.
People's exhibit 48A.
Where you can see the victim had retrieved those same boxes the day before she was murdered, so we believe whoever killed her took the incriminating photos with them.
Objection.
Pure speculation.
Sustained.
Jury will disregard.
Nothing further.
You just said that Ms.
Frain had agreed to search for these photos.
Is there any reason to think that she found them? Sergeant Benson and I were informed of that fact by Dr.
Yates.
Dr.
Yates.
You mean the convicted murderer? I see from the prison logs that you visited Dr.
Yates a half a dozen times in the last few weeks.
I was hoping he could help me with a number of unsolved cases.
Two of those visits you undertook on your own.
Is that common practice for a female NYPD detective? He was more open to me that way.
So he confided in you.
Did he also enlist you to help him get a conjugal visit with Ms.
Frain? - Sure.
- Given that, it seems fair to say that you had a relationship with Mr.
Yates.
- Not in the way you mean.
- Oh, how do I mean it? Objection.
I'll rephrase.
Did anyone in your squad ever think that Mr.
Yates was toying with you, attempting to implicate Dr.
Rudnick in an effort to exonerate himself? All informants have an agenda.
Good detectives evaluate their credibility.
Your answer is yes, then? Objection.
Withdrawn.
I'll quit while I'm ahead.
Hey, you okay? Yeah, I thought it was Rudnick on trial, not Yates or me.
A lot of pressure up there.
It is.
Also, um I'm pregnant.
Wow.
Not Nick's.
Okay.
Thanks for telling me.
And I know with the squad being shorthanded, it's not the best time for me, but I want to promise you this is not going to affect my ability to do my job.
Actually, it is, Amanda, you know.
Yeah, of course, but I just meant Look, I know you're going to fight me on this, but as soon as the Department hears, they're going to put you on restricted duty.
Can we wait to tell them? I just want to work until the last minute.
I know what a hard worker you are.
It's a really good thing, 'cause because being a single mom is, uh it's not easy.
Well, I may not be on my own.
My mom might actually move up to New York.
Good, good.
Yeah.
Well, I want you to know I'm I'm really happy for you.
And, you know, if you want or need to talk about anything I'm here.
Okay.
Susie Frain's cause of death was exsanguination.
She bled out.
Yet you were unable to determine where the initial wound was made, Dr.
Warner? Correct.
I believe it was in the piece of Susie Frain's thigh that remains missing.
What made you come to that conclusion? The lack of blood in her other body parts.
And how many different body parts were you able to examine? Objection.
The prosecution keeps trying to poison this jury with what happened to the victim's body.
Overruled.
But let's move it along, Mr.
Barba.
Despite being unable to locate the initial wound, what did you list as manner of death? Homicide.
No one ends up cut into pieces like this after an accidental or natural death.
Nothing further.
Dr.
Warner both Ms.
Frain's and my client's blood were found in Ms.
Frain's house.
- Isn't that right? - Yes.
Defense exhibit 13.
My client had defensive wounds on his hand and forearms when you examined him.
Yes, he did.
However, I can't tell you how he sustained those injuries.
Just like you can't tell us how Ms.
Frain sustained her fatal injury.
Dr.
Rudnick walked out of that house.
Susie Frain did not.
And yet your own autopsy can't determine how she was killed.
Dr.
Rudnick was hired as your supervisor two years ago.
Did you apply for that position? - Yes, but that's not - Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
Redirect, Your Honor.
In your opinion, could Dr.
Rudnick's wounds have been self-inflicted after he killed Ms.
Frain? Yes, absolutely.
Thank you.
Prosecution rests.
Hey, Counselor, you did a nice job in there.
I'll feel a lot better when this whole thing is over.
It's already over.
Rudnick's team they got nothing.
I mean, are they really going to claim self-defense when he cut her into pieces? Something's coming.
I've never seen a legal team so cocky or a defendant so calm.
That's hubris.
I mean, they're not digging up any character witnesses, and no way in hell Rudnick takes the stand.
_ The defense calls Dr.
Carl Rudnick.
Dr.
Rudnick, tell the jury in your own words what happened the night you went to Ms.
Frain's apartment.
She attacked me with a kitchen knife.
There was a struggle.
I killed her accidently in self-defense.
Dr.
Yates had brainwashed Susie into believing I'd been setting him up.
She accused me of tampering with the autopsies of his victims, which is patently absurd.
He'd operated in several disparate states.
And I made the impertinent mistake of laughing.
And what did she do? She grabbed a knife and attacked me.
I defended myself, resulting in these cuts on my hand and arms.
Could you step down and demonstrate how you received those wounds, Dr.
Rudnick? Objection.
Prejudicial.
What? How will the jury know what really happened if I can't demonstrate? Your Honor, I think a demonstration could be informative.
I'll allow it, but don't milk it.
Is this how she held it? Yes.
She pulled the knife from the butcher block and swung it down at me.
Like this? Yes, I fended her off for a moment.
But she kept coming.
Unfortunately, I pushed her wrist on the downward swing.
She put her body weight into the thrust, and momentum drove the knife into her left thigh.
Doctor do you need a moment? No.
I'm fine.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What happened next? Well, when I saw the blood, I knew it had hit the femoral artery.
I was in shock, uh, bleeding.
I momentarily lost consciousness, and when I came to, it was too late to save her.
And then what happened? I stitched my cuts, because I was afraid to go to the hospital.
Why was that? I felt if I went in bleeding, no one would believe a word I had to say.
How would you describe your state of mind? I was panicking.
That's why I tried to get rid of Susie's body.
I'm not proud of that, but by then, I felt the whole system had turned against me.
It was fight or flight, and I chose to flee.
And when you fled, you disguised yourself as a woman.
Everyone was looking for Carl Rudnick.
No one was looking for Carla.
It seemed to be a good idea at the time.
Thank you, Doctor.
Mr.
Barba.
Dr.
Rudnick, are you the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for Manhattan? I was.
I believe I'm on leave now.
As such, you would know exactly how to mimic defensive wounds, wouldn't you? Are you implying that - Yes or no.
- Yes.
And you would know how to cut up and dispose of a body.
An unfortunate area of expertise for someone accused of murder, but it is mine.
Did you use a reciprocating saw and bolt cutter to do so? People's Exhibit 52 a receipt for a saw and bolt cutter From Home Depot paid with Carl Rudnick's American Express card at 11:50 on the night Susie Frain was murdered.
Yes, luckily, I was able to make it there - before closing time.
- Ha.
As you said, you knew exactly what you were doing, so it is no accident that the one part of Susie Frain's body, the piece that could confirm or refute your story, her left thigh, is the part that's missing.
Well, you're not suggesting I can control the vagaries of the tides, are you? It is my most fervent wish that Susie's limb be found, because it would prove what I'm saying.
I mean, the angle of the blade's entry would show her wound was self-inflicted.
Self inflicted? Did she dismember herself too? No, obviously I did that.
I didn't know of any other way to get her out of there.
That was brutal.
You got some good shots in towards the end of your cross.
Did I? Two hours every time I lunged, he parried.
The longer he was up there, the more the jury liked him.
How is that possible? I don't know I mean, he's peculiar, but there's something interesting about him.
It's weird, but at the end of our road trip, - I kind of missed the guy.
- You kind of miss - You missed him? - Yeah.
I thought you two talked too much.
Yeah, he does talk.
I mean, he went into the bathroom.
He was alone in the stall.
He thought nobody was listening, and he kept the conversation going alone.
You know what? He talks during his autopsies too.
He records everything.
I don't know we might go through them, see if he let something slip.
They're city property, public records.
It's worth a shot.
Make a night of it, Rollins? Caucasian female, late 20s, red hair.
Like so many redheads, less susceptible to anesthesia.
She felt everything that was being done to her.
I found out why he likes redheads.
That's all I got.
Shh.
I think I got something.
From an autopsy? No, video, and it's not from the morgue.
Given the change in tenor of this conversation, I'm contacting my lawyer.
I'd like to exercise that right.
Feel free.
We will wait to continue questioning you until a lawyer arrives.
They can't pin these on you.
Rachel was a crack whore.
And with the green nail polish and the proximity to Yates' victims That's far too much reasonable doubt.
And Lena, nobody will buy Yates' word.
And my only risk there is Susie.
She's dumb as a post, but she still can put two and two together.
And if she does I suppose I'll have to kill her just like the others.
Kill them all, Carl Whatever it takes.
Rita, it's very good of you to come on such short notice.
Of course, Carl, but I'm afraid I have some bad news.
This is clearly inadmissible, Your Honor.
I understand why you'd like to think that.
Walk me through the provenance and chain of evidence.
How did this fall into your hands? We asked Dr.
Rudnick to come in for an interview, and he gave us permission to record it.
Your Honor, Dr.
Rudnick had asked for counsel.
And when he did, we immediately stopped questioning him and left the room.
Yes, but you left the camera on.
He knew that he was being recorded.
We weren't interrogating him.
This was a spontaneous admission.
Your client talks to himself.
Not only is this inadmissible under Miranda, but it's also Brady material that should have been made available to us.
It was.
A copy of this video has been in your possession since day one.
You must have stopped watching when we stopped questioning.
He's right, Mr.
Buchanan.
If you turned this off, it's on you.
This is admissible.
I was simply thinking out loud.
Carl.
We'll let the jury determine that.
You had the recording for the entirety of my ordeal, - and you didn't know it? - Carl.
Your Honor, I immediately move for new counsel on the basis of incompetent defense.
That's your right.
I should caution you, though this material is admissible no matter who defends you.
_ Dr.
Rudnick, I understand you'd like to change your plea.
Yes, Your Honor.
On the charge of murder in the first degree of Susie Frain, how do you plead? Guilty as charged.
And to the outstanding charge of murder in the first degree of Rachel Groves? I'm afraid I'm guilty on that one as well.
Your Honor, at this time, the prosecution would like to withdraw its charge of murder in the first degree of Lena Grunwald.
All right, Counselors, thank you for your time.
And now that justice has been served, I declare this court adjourned.
Wait.
He gets away with Lena's murder.
Well, he'll still do 25 to life for the other two charges.
Maybe you two will be roommates one day.
He did it, you know.
Lena he strangled her to death.
Her skull was also fractured.
Strangulation was the cause of death.
Skull fracture was postmortem.
You sound pretty sure about that.
I'm just piecing it together, but if I had to guess Lena was his first time.
Carl screwed up, and he had to call someone with more experience to help him finish.
And how did this person help? He probably advised Carl to keep Lena alive as long as possible.
Such a waste to have her die so quickly.
Why are you telling me this now? Because I believe when one life ends, another begins.
You are bringing life into this world just as I lost my wife and my child.
I feel a connection to you.
You'll be back.
And I will be here.
Dr.
Yates.
Carl.
Might I join you? I suppose so.
It's been a while.
Yes.
We have a lot to catch up on.