Law & Order (1990) s22e16 Episode Script
Deadline
1
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate,
yet equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[FLOORBOARDS CREAKING]
Hello?
[GRUNTING]
[CLATTERING]
Detective.
Oh, Detective. Welcome back.
Yeah, good to be back.
- Most part.
- Mm-hmm.
Vic looks familiar. Stabbed?
There appear to be two wounds
on the side of the torso.
Based on the location,
I'm guessing punctured lungs.
Looks like a cyclone tore through here.
- He put up a hell of a fight.
- Yeah.
Whoever the killer was, they
did not leave here unscathed.
Is that a Pulitzer?
Awarded for local reporting
to Jacob Ackerman.
My dad used to read him every day
when he covered the city
for "The Guardian."
- No one reported like he did.
- Detectives.
Found the vic's phone
over there in the hallway.
He dialed 911. Didn't press send.
There's no sign of forced entry?
No, neighbor who called it in
said the door was wide open
when he got here.
Thank you, Officer.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking our vic saw
something through the window,
and then went outside to check it out.
He interrupts
someone vandalizing his house.
They have words. It gets heated.
Yeah, he goes back inside
to get his cell phone to call the cops.
Killer follows him in. Fight ensues.
Ackerman ends up dead.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
I read his website every morning.
Only unbiased news source
you can find these days.
Man was a legend.
Now, he's a headline.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I was taking Otto, my dog, for a walk
when I saw someone bolt
like a bat out of hell
out of Jacob's house.
Can you describe the person you saw?
I didn't get to see his face.
It all happened so fast.
How about any details
on what they were wearing?
A big ski jacket,
and they had a winter hat on.
Can you describe the jacket?
Like, dark green.
And it had really bright,
fluorescent orange accents.
Could you tell if the suspect
was a man or a woman?
Honestly, I couldn't say for sure.
How about height?
I don't know. Maybe 5'8 ", 5'9".
Thank you so much for your help.
If you remember anything else,
give us a call.
Great, we're looking for a shortish man
- or a tallish woman.
- Yeah.
And if they were all bundled up,
the door cams aren't gonna be much help.
- Sir, behind the tape.
- You have to let me through.
- This is my father's house!
- Hey, sir?
Hey, sir. How can we help you?
Who did that?
What's going on?
Um, I hate to tell you this,
but there's been an incident.
- And your father was attacked.
- Oh, my God.
Unfortunately, he didn't survive.
- We're very sorry.
- I'm sorry.
Oh, the son of a bitch! I knew it!
You knew it?
What do you mean? You know who did this?
Yeah, Lamar Cordell.
The podcaster?
He prides himself
on being controversial.
He's not controversial. He's hateful.
He was pushing some nonsense on his show
about the Jews being responsible
for the oppression of Black people.
My father wrote an op-ed
calling him out over it.
And I'm guessing Cordell
didn't take it too well.
A few days ago, he sent my father a DM
saying he was gonna do to him
what the Jews did to Jesus.
Seriously?
Of course Ackerman
would weaponize his lies
to get the cops to come after me.
[SCOFFS] Mm-mm-mm.
This is America, y'all, in 2023,
where the free-thinkers
who've red-pilled themselves
from the sheep, well
Will you just answer the question?
Did you threaten Jacob Ackerman's life?
I am the victim here.
Look, Ackerman and his tribe
are trying to stop people from
learning the unsanctioned truth
of what they've done to us, my brother.
Oh, no.
I am not your brother in this, OK?
Your brand of crazy, that's all you.
I hate to break the news to you, buddy,
but when it comes to being a victim,
Ackerman's definitely got you beat.
- How's that?
- He was murdered this morning.
And you happened to threaten
to do that to him
three days ago, brother.
Well, I didn't mean it literally.
Look, I wasn't gonna kill him.
I was I was saying
I was gonna make him a martyr
for his cause.
Well, that clears that up.
Look, the more he and I fought,
the more people paid attention.
More attention brings in clicks,
and more clicks, more money.
Look, I don't believe
half the things I say.
But that's how the game is played.
Oh, so you're saying
you two were friends?
No, I needed him.
Like I stated, he's good for business.
OK. Where were you
6:00 a.m. this morning?
Here, like every other day.
The keypad entry system
at the recording studio
confirms Lamar Cordell was there
- at the time of the murder.
- So he's not our killer.
He's just a guy pretending
to want Ackerman dead
for clickbait.
ME's report says the knife used
to kill Ackerman likely
had a 7- or 8-inch blade
with a serrated edge.
That's a hunting knife. That's hardcore.
Cordell might not have believed
the anti-Jewish hate he spewed,
but his comments fired up
a lot of people who do.
I found a ton of online hate
directed at Ackerman.
Fantastic. Hundreds of suspects.
- Love that.
- Gets worse.
Two days ago, Ackerman was doxxed
by an anonymous poster on
an anti-Semitic Reddit thread.
Listed Ackerman's home address.
Say what you want
about sticks and stones,
but words today can definitely kill you.
Forensics didn't find
a second blood type
at the crime scene, but they did find
a partial print on the spray paint can.
Belongs to a guy by the name
of Lucas Hobbs, 25 years old.
He's got plenty of priors too
Aggravated assault, harassment
And a known association
with the Wolves of Vanguard.
I'm guessing that's not a
nature enthusiast organization.
No, it is a white
supremacist militia group.
Lucas Hobbs, how you doing?
Hey, come on.
Police!
Oh, no. Not today, sweetheart.
- [GRUNTS]
- Get over here.
Lucas Hobbs, you're under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say
You think you can stop us,
but you can't.
This is a movement.
Revelation is coming.
I think you mean incarceration.
Come on, we got your fingerprints
on the spray paint can.
So?
So Ackerman come outside
while you were defacing his property.
You guys have words?
When did they, uh, saddle you with him?
About six months ago.
Dream come true. Thanks for asking.
Be careful.
Never trust one of them with a gun.
You know, I'm about this close
from letting you walk free
just so I can find you in the street
and finish this conversation,
just you and me.
Well, that's good with me.
You just let me know.
As much as I would love
to see that conversation,
we're not gonna let you go.
So you either tell us
your side of the story
or we'll skip to the good part
when we charge you with murder.
I told you already, I didn't kill him.
I just tagged his house.
I wanted to expose how these
Zionists control the media.
Yeah, but, you see,
the Zionist you were exposing
wound up dead.
That's his problem, not mine.
I never even saw the guy.
Say what you want,
but I didn't kill that Jew reporter.
[KNOCKS AT DOOR]
We got video of Hobbs
on the subway platform
near Ackerman's brownstone
boarding a Bronx-bound train
ten minutes before
Ackerman's neighbor called 911.
And he wasn't wearing a green jacket,
as your witness described.
So he's telling the truth.
Yeah, it looks that way.
Well, that clears him of the murder,
but he's still guilty of a hate crime.
Book him on making graffiti
and criminal mischief
and anything else you can think of.
- Happily.
- And start digging
into Ackerman's personal
and professional life,
and see if anything else was going on
that might have
made somebody want to kill him.
Jacob and I left our newspaper jobs
five years ago to start Endnote.
Purer journalism
without the profiteering.
Lofty mission.
Tough business model, though.
Our business is doing well.
We're in the process
of selling a majority stake
to an investment firm in Sweden.
And things between you
and Ackerman were good?
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
I just I just still haven't
processed that he's gone.
You know, we read
some of the text messages
you sent to Ackerman last week.
You know, what did you
call him, a selfish prick?
And an arrogant boomer.
And we know that Ackerman wanted
to pull the plug on the deal,
and that made you furious.
So I shot off a bunch
of angry text messages.
We needed that deal.
So why did Ackerman try to tank it?
Because he's a purist.
When Jacob heard that the buyer wanted
to skew our coverage to the far left,
reposition us as the
liberal "Fox News," he balked.
But the good news for you is,
now that Ackerman is out of the picture,
you're free to do whatever
you want with the company.
I didn't kill Jacob.
Just the same, where
were you yesterday morning?
At home with my family.
It was my son's birthday.
All right.
Can you think of anyone else
that might have a problem with Ackerman?
Any confrontations?
Any threats that you know about?
He has been a little
distracted the past few weeks.
'Cause of all the hate
he's getting online?
Because he was spending a lot
of time with a younger woman.
Jacob and I were close for years.
He was the first person to
hire me right out of college.
He was my mentor.
I understand you were
spending a lot of time
- with him lately.
- Yeah.
We were working together on an article.
So your relationship
was strictly professional?
Yes, absolutely.
What were you two working on?
- Something really big.
- Big how?
A few months ago, six people died
in a fire in the Myers-Hamilton House.
- It's a public housing project.
- I remember that.
The fire doors didn't deploy
like they should have, right?
And the official story
is that the fire doors didn't activate
because of a mechanical malfunction.
But the unofficial story?
Apparently, Ackerman uncovered
that the fire doors
at the housing project
were supposed to be serviced
two months before the fire broke out,
but that didn't happen
because the contractor
the city paid to do the work,
a company called SiteShield,
doesn't actually exist.
What do you mean it doesn't exist?
Phony address.
The phone number listed
is to a florist in Queens.
$5 million was paid out of a city budget
to a shell corporation.
Meaning someone's
embezzling millions of dollars.
And as a result, six people burn alive?
Yeah.
What if Ackerman was getting close
to figuring out
who was behind the embezzling?
Hell of a motive.
And this reporter,
McAllister, she know who's involved?
She said that Ackerman
traced the money trail
back to Patricia Simonian's office,
but she has no proof that
she was personally involved.
Patricia Simonian?
As in the deputy mayor?
Yeah, she hands out the city contracts.
Just got off the phone
with Simonian's assistant.
She hasn't been able
to reach her since Saturday
The day before Ackerman was murdered.
All right, guys.
You got to find her.
- [KNOCKS AT DOOR]
- NYPD!
NYPD!
[DOOR UNLOCKS]
NYPD!
Police!
Frank.
[SIGHS] Yeah.
Neighbors don't report seeing
or hearing anything unusual
the past few days.
Didn't see anyone coming
or going from the apartment.
Well, I did see a camera in the lobby.
Check with the building manager.
Have him pull footage
from the last four days.
Thanks.
No sign of a break-in.
So there's a chance she knew her killer.
- What you got?
- Cause of death
appears to be blunt force trauma.
Something heavy.
Multiple blows to the head.
Obviously, she's been dead a while,
but any estimate on exactly how long?
It's been a couple days.
I mean, based on the signs
of putrefaction I'm seeing,
I'd say sometime late Saturday
night or early Sunday morning.
That was before Ackerman was killed.
Are you confirming that she was killed
sometime before 6:00 a.m. Sunday?
She's definitely been here
longer than that.
Well, that rules her out
as Ackerman's killer.
These two murders have to be connected.
So Ackerman's investigating
the embezzlement of city funds,
and he suspects the
deputy mayor of being involved.
And then, somehow they both
end up murdered hours apart.
Odds of this being a coincidence?
Zero.
This is video from Simonian's lobby
at 11:07 p.m., Saturday night.
Oh, she let him in.
Look at their body language.
She knows him.
Look at that jacket, height, build.
The guy matches the description
of the suspect
from the Ackerman crime scene.
Half an hour later,
the same person leaves alone.
And look,
he's clearly holding something.
Likely the murder weapon.
OK, so this confirms
we're looking for one killer
for both homicides.
And the question is, who's got
motive to murder both victims?
Ackerman was investigating SiteShield.
And Simonian is the one who
approved the city-wide contract
for SiteShield.
Julia McAllister was working
on the article with Ackerman.
If the killer knows that
OK, let's get her
into protective custody ASAP.
[DOOR OPENS]
We'll have an officer posted
outside the door at all times
and two officers
in a patrol car outside.
How long do I have to stay here?
Until we find out who's responsible
for the embezzlement.
Whoever it is, they're murdering
anyone they think is connected to you,
which puts you in danger.
I need to check on someone.
Who might that be?
When Jacob figured out
that the deputy mayor
might somehow be involved
with SiteShield,
I gave him the contact info
of someone I thought
might have some information,
someone who had
come through for me before.
And why didn't you tell us
this yesterday when we spoke?
I was protecting my source.
And I wasn't even sure if
Jacob had connected with them.
- If you tell us who they are
- No.
They are an anonymous source.
That's the whole point.
Please, just let me make a call,
and I'll find out
who was behind SiteShield.
So that's our embezzler.
[ENGINE STARTS]
Looks like he's heading north.
The 278 onramp's up ahead.
He could be making a run for it.
That looked like a rolling stop to me.
[SIRENS BLARING]
License and registration, please.
What did I do?
You rolled through that stop sign, sir.
License and registration.
- What are you
- Please. Now.
That's quite a shiner
you got there, uh, Mr. Costa.
- How'd you get that?
- Excuse me?
Simple enough question.
[SCOFFS] What the hell's going on here?
- Step out of the vehicle.
- What?
Step out of the vehicle now, sir.
Hands on the roof.
[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
Don't lie to us, David.
We know you embezzled city money
and that you got into an
argument with Patricia Simonian
two days before she was murdered.
And unfortunately for you,
a third party
overheard that conversation.
We know that you're
the one behind SiteShield,
and that makes you responsible
for the six people
who died in that fire.
I've never even heard of that company.
Jacob Ackerman contacted
the deputy mayor Saturday afternoon.
And she got spooked
that a reporter
was poking around, didn't she?
And you realized
that she was a liability.
So you went over
to her place that night,
and you killed her.
And then you went to
Ackerman's to finish the job.
But he put up a fight, didn't he?
I'm not gonna say another word
until my attorney gets here.
[KNOCKS AT DOOR]
That's fine, Dave.
Because you know what that sound means?
It's the signal
that we got our search warrant.
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Find anything?
No green jacket.
You got to be kidding me.
About?
It's right out in the open.
No way.
[WHISTLES]
Third from the top.
He can't be that stupid.
Come on.
There.
It's faint, but it's definitely blood.
Wow.
David Costa and Deputy Mayor Simonian
were co-conspirators
in an embezzlement scheme
that led directly
to the deaths of six people
in a public housing unit fire.
And Jacob Ackerman
was working on an article
that would have exposed their crimes,
so Costa killed Ackerman
and the deputy mayor
to keep the truth from being discovered.
And you have evidence to back this up?
DNA tests confirm
that blood on the knife
found at David Costa's home
belongs to Ackerman.
And while they didn't
find a jacket or hat
that matches the description
of our witness,
they did find this
on Costa's social media.
It's the same jacket
from the surveillance footage.
You can prove motive, means,
and you've got him in possession
of the murder weapon.
What's the problem?
Well, our evidence
in the Ackerman case is strong.
But we don't have much, if anything,
tying him to Simonian's murder.
Then separate the cases. [PHONE BUZZES]
Hold off on Simonian's
until you have more evidence.
And in the meantime, move
for trial on the Ackerman case.
Costa's attorney just filed a motion.
They want to suppress the murder weapon.
It's our contention that
the search warrant in this case
was defective.
Mr. Price, what was the basis
for probable cause in your affidavit?
The defendant has a clear motive,
and detectives observed
cuts and bruises on his face
during a routine traffic stop.
Ah, yes, two seasoned
homicide detectives
suddenly morph into traffic cops.
They pulled him over for a rolling stop.
This is laughable.
The police circumvented my
client's constitutional rights
with a trumped-up, unverifiable,
alleged traffic violation.
They were within their rights.
No, they exploited a technicality
and violated the spirit of the law.
I tend to agree. It's an overreach.
And since the stop is where they noticed
the cuts and bruises which in
turn led to the search warrant,
the knife is fruit
of the poisonous tree.
Defense's motion to suppress is granted.
You been able to find anything
in Costa's personal finances
that ties him
- to the embezzlement?
- Negative.
And I've requested information
on SiteShield's account,
but the bank in Panama where
the company receives the funds
is citing the privacy of their clients.
And we have no jurisdiction
to challenge it.
Which is why Costa was
funneling the embezzled funds
through them in the first place.
You lost the murder weapon.
This was supposed to be
the case you could win.
I still can.
Ackerman was on the verge
of exposing SiteShield's responsibility
for the six deaths
in the Myers-Hamilton fire.
And as the person
behind the shell company,
David Costa had the most to lose.
Without documentation
tying Costa to the shell corporation,
you can't even prove he was involved
in the embezzlement scheme.
I can do it through Julia McAllister,
Ackerman's colleague.
She was writing the article
with Ackerman.
She can testify to
how he came to suspect Costa.
Good.
But you still need to play
to the jury's emotions.
Remind them that
the defendant has a lot more
than just Jacob Ackerman's
blood on his hands.
This was not an accident.
What happened to the people
in that building was horrific
To be burned alive.
And the tragedy is their deaths
could have been avoided.
Ms. McAllister, what did
you and Jacob Ackerman discover
in the course of your reporting
on the Myers-Hamilton fire?
The city hired a company
called SiteShield
to install fire safety doors
in that building.
Turned out it was a shell corporation,
and they never did the work
they were paid to do.
- How much were they paid?
- Over $5 million.
And were you able to determine
who was behind SiteShield?
Yes, I found a source
who had firsthand knowledge
of the situation.
And what did the source tell you?
Objection. Calls for hearsay.
May I be heard?
I'll see counsel in chambers.
Where are you going with this,
Mr. Price?
The witness will testify
that she has a source
who told her that
they overheard a conversation
- This is hearsay.
- Hold on.
What is the proffered testimony?
The witness' source
overheard a conversation
between the defendant and
Deputy Mayor Patricia Simonian.
The defendant admitted
that he was behind SiteShield
and that he was aware
that Jacob Ackerman
was about to expose him.
I agree with Mr. Hollins.
It's an admission of guilt
- by the defendant
- Actually, Your Honor
And therefore, an exception to the
- This is double hearsay.
- Double?
McAllister isn't even the one
who claims to have overheard
this so-called confession.
We have no proof
this source even exists.
Can you verify
who Ms. McAllister's source is?
Unfortunately, no, Your Honor.
The source only agreed
to speak with Ms. McAllister
under the promise of anonymity,
and she's exercising
her First Amendment right
to protect their identity.
I understand that puts you in a bind,
but I need confirmation
this person is real.
Without that, I can't allow
Ms. McAllister's testimony.
I need the name of your source.
I will do everything I can
to limit their exposure.
And we can request
a closed-door hearing.
I can't. I'm sorry.
Ackerman was your friend, right?
Your mentor.
And you're OK
letting his killer walk free?
No, I'm not OK with that.
Not even close.
But I can't reveal my source.
I-I just can't.
Jacob would understand too.
He's the one who taught me
the importance of integrity.
You live and die as a journalist
based on your word.
I'm sorry.
I can't help you.
Can you describe the person you saw
running away from Jacob Ackerman's home
on the morning of January 8th?
He was wearing
this big, green puffy jacket.
Was there anything unique
about the jacket?
It had a bright, fluorescent
orange liner and hood.
Mr. Fulcher, this is
a picture of David Costa
taken a week before the murder.
Is the jacket he's wearing in this photo
the same as the one you're describing?
Yes, that's it. No question.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Fulcher, by your own admission,
you never saw
this person's face, correct?
Yes, that is correct.
In fact, you told police
that you couldn't even tell
if the person that you saw
was a man or a woman.
That's true.
So what you saw was
a person in a ski jacket
running down the street.
He or she was running out of
Jacob's home wearing that coat.
But what you can't say
beyond a reasonable doubt
is that my client
Had anything to do with this murder.
No, I guess not.
No further questions.
The prosecution is making
a lot of noise about a jacket.
Do you, in fact,
own a green and orange parka?
I did, but I donated it to the Goodwill
a week before the murder.
Your Honor, I'd like to offer
a receipt of this donation
and ask that it be marked exhibit 12.
So you're not the person
Stephen Fulcher saw
fleeing the scene
of Jacob Ackerman's murder?
Absolutely not. I'd never even heard
of Jacob Ackerman before I was arrested.
Thank you.
Your cell phone location data puts you
within a 12-block radius
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone
on the morning of the murder.
- How do you explain that?
- I went out for a run.
You live in Queens.
Jacob Ackerman lived
in the West Village.
Well, I like to explore
different parts of the city.
You familiar with a company
called SiteShield?
Your Honor, we're venturing
into dangerous waters.
Anything else, Mr. Price?
The idea that anyone would travel
over a body of water
and across two boroughs
to jog at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning,
it's ludicrous.
But I saw the jurors' faces.
They were entertaining it.
No one likes the idea
of condemning a man to life in prison.
Credible or not,
reason to doubt
gives them reason to acquit.
I don't see how we come back from this.
Then maybe it's time to reach out,
- discuss a plea.
- Maybe not.
I just got a call from an attorney
representing Lucas Hobbs.
The neo-Nazi?
The guy who spraypainted
Ackerman's brownstone
the morning of the murder.
What did his lawyer want?
I was watching the news,
and they did a story on your trial.
I recognize that guy you're prosecuting.
You know David Costa?
I saw him the morning of the murder.
[SIGHS] Where exactly did this happen?
On Ackerman's block,
just a few houses down.
After I tagged his house,
I was headed back
to the subway to go home,
and he bumped into me.
So I shoved him, told him
to watch where he was going.
Mm, and you remember what he looks like,
even though it was months ago?
Yeah, I'm not gonna forget his face.
He pulled a knife on me.
He said that if I knew
what was good for me,
I'd watch where I was going.
What did this knife look like?
Blade was about yay big.
The handle was kind of gold.
Had, like, pearl and stuff all in it.
You notice anything else
about the blade?
Um, did it have a straight edge?
No, it was serrated.
Why didn't you mention this to police
when they questioned you?
Because I'm not a snitch.
Not for free, anyway.
My client is currently being held
on an aggravated assault charge.
We heard.
Attacked a Jewish woman
in broad daylight,
completely unprovoked.
Mr. Hobbs maintains his innocence.
And he would be happy
to help in your case
in exchange for your help with his.
What did you have in mind?
A dismissal.
He put a young woman in the hospital,
and you want a free pass?
That, or I don't testify.
Are you certain Lucas Hobbs
is even telling the truth?
Did he really see the defendant
at the murder scene?
His description
of the knife was spot-on.
And those details
were never made public,
so either he is omniscient
or he saw Costa holding the knife
a block from the murder scene.
But, Jack, look at this.
Hobbs brutally assaulted
a 19-year-old Jewish woman
when he overheard her
speaking Hebrew with a friend,
and he wants all charges dropped
in exchange for his testimony.
We're talking about
a murder case here, Nolan.
Yeah, I understand that.
I was prepared to offer him
more leniency than he deserves.
But what he did,
he shouldn't be allowed
to walk away scot-free.
This isn't about what
he deserves or doesn't deserve.
It's about getting justice
for Jacob Ackerman.
At what expense?
Sarah Khahiri,
the young woman Hobbs attacked,
has a fractured spine from
when he stomped on her back.
She needs surgery
to have her jaw reconstructed.
What happened to her is horrific.
But she's still alive.
Mr. Ackerman is not.
I'm just not comfortable
giving a neo-Nazi
a get-out-of-jail-free card.
I'm not.
Especially with all
the recent anti-Semitic attacks
and the hate out there,
there's a bigger picture
to take into account here.
I have no more tolerance
for hate crimes than you do,
and I'm all for adhering to principles,
but not to the exclusion
of trying to win a murder case.
So you're demanding
that I put this racist, Hobbs,
on the stand?
Can you win without him?
I don't know, but I'm not sure
if it's worth winning like this.
Tell that to Jacob Ackerman's son
and the families of the six
people who died in that fire.
Maybe I'm just old-fashioned,
but if the cost of convicting someone
responsible for eight deaths,
including three children,
is cutting a sweetheart deal
with a white supremacist,
I'd take that deal all day long.
But this is your case.
You're the one who needs
to live with your choices,
not me.
And how can you be certain, Mr. Hobbs,
that the man who pulled a knife on you
right outside
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone
that morning was the defendant?
I got a really good look at him.
He got right up in my face.
He was all amped up.
I could see it in his eyes that
he didn't just have a knife,
he was willing to use it.
Nothing further for this witness.
Mr. Hobbs, you were initially
questioned by detectives
as a suspect in the murder
of Jacob Ackerman,
is that not correct?
Yeah, but I didn't do it.
But you didn't mention anything to them
about seeing someone
with a knife that morning,
did you?
No.
So you knew Ackerman got stabbed,
and you now are claiming
that you saw someone
brandishing a knife outside his home,
but you didn't think
that information was pertinent?
I don't really have the best
relationship with the police.
Well, that's putting it lightly.
In fact, you were charged
with vandalizing Ackerman's house
with anti-Semitic graffiti,
isn't that correct?
Yeah.
And you've been charged
with several other crimes
since then, haven't you?
Objection. The witness is not on trial.
- Sustained.
- We'll try another way.
Um, Mr. Hobbs,
are you currently on trial
for the assault
of a 19-year-old Jewish girl?
I'm innocent.
And is your testimony here today
in exchange for the district attorney
giving you a full dismissal
of that case?
Yes, it is.
I have no further questions.
Any redirect, Mr. Price?
Mr. Hobbs, you are a member
of the Wolves of Vanguard,
an organization that's associated
with the neo-Nazi party, correct?
Yeah.
So when someone kills
a prominent Jewish figure
like Jacob Ackerman,
if anything, you're more likely
to lie to protect them,
not incriminate them.
Isn't that fair to say?
If I'm being real with you,
I hate that I'm testifying
against that guy.
I got no beef with him.
But I saw what I saw.
He was there, and he had a knife.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
On the charge of murder
in the second degree,
we find the defendant, David Costa
guilty.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Hey. It all worked out, huh?
I appreciate you keeping up
your end of the bargain.
It was a one-time deal.
You commit any crimes moving forward,
I will make sure you are prosecuted
to the maximum extent of the law.
Good doing business with you.
You made the right call.
I'll see you tomorrow.
♪
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate,
yet equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[FLOORBOARDS CREAKING]
Hello?
[GRUNTING]
[CLATTERING]
Detective.
Oh, Detective. Welcome back.
Yeah, good to be back.
- Most part.
- Mm-hmm.
Vic looks familiar. Stabbed?
There appear to be two wounds
on the side of the torso.
Based on the location,
I'm guessing punctured lungs.
Looks like a cyclone tore through here.
- He put up a hell of a fight.
- Yeah.
Whoever the killer was, they
did not leave here unscathed.
Is that a Pulitzer?
Awarded for local reporting
to Jacob Ackerman.
My dad used to read him every day
when he covered the city
for "The Guardian."
- No one reported like he did.
- Detectives.
Found the vic's phone
over there in the hallway.
He dialed 911. Didn't press send.
There's no sign of forced entry?
No, neighbor who called it in
said the door was wide open
when he got here.
Thank you, Officer.
What are you thinking?
I'm thinking our vic saw
something through the window,
and then went outside to check it out.
He interrupts
someone vandalizing his house.
They have words. It gets heated.
Yeah, he goes back inside
to get his cell phone to call the cops.
Killer follows him in. Fight ensues.
Ackerman ends up dead.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
I read his website every morning.
Only unbiased news source
you can find these days.
Man was a legend.
Now, he's a headline.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I was taking Otto, my dog, for a walk
when I saw someone bolt
like a bat out of hell
out of Jacob's house.
Can you describe the person you saw?
I didn't get to see his face.
It all happened so fast.
How about any details
on what they were wearing?
A big ski jacket,
and they had a winter hat on.
Can you describe the jacket?
Like, dark green.
And it had really bright,
fluorescent orange accents.
Could you tell if the suspect
was a man or a woman?
Honestly, I couldn't say for sure.
How about height?
I don't know. Maybe 5'8 ", 5'9".
Thank you so much for your help.
If you remember anything else,
give us a call.
Great, we're looking for a shortish man
- or a tallish woman.
- Yeah.
And if they were all bundled up,
the door cams aren't gonna be much help.
- Sir, behind the tape.
- You have to let me through.
- This is my father's house!
- Hey, sir?
Hey, sir. How can we help you?
Who did that?
What's going on?
Um, I hate to tell you this,
but there's been an incident.
- And your father was attacked.
- Oh, my God.
Unfortunately, he didn't survive.
- We're very sorry.
- I'm sorry.
Oh, the son of a bitch! I knew it!
You knew it?
What do you mean? You know who did this?
Yeah, Lamar Cordell.
The podcaster?
He prides himself
on being controversial.
He's not controversial. He's hateful.
He was pushing some nonsense on his show
about the Jews being responsible
for the oppression of Black people.
My father wrote an op-ed
calling him out over it.
And I'm guessing Cordell
didn't take it too well.
A few days ago, he sent my father a DM
saying he was gonna do to him
what the Jews did to Jesus.
Seriously?
Of course Ackerman
would weaponize his lies
to get the cops to come after me.
[SCOFFS] Mm-mm-mm.
This is America, y'all, in 2023,
where the free-thinkers
who've red-pilled themselves
from the sheep, well
Will you just answer the question?
Did you threaten Jacob Ackerman's life?
I am the victim here.
Look, Ackerman and his tribe
are trying to stop people from
learning the unsanctioned truth
of what they've done to us, my brother.
Oh, no.
I am not your brother in this, OK?
Your brand of crazy, that's all you.
I hate to break the news to you, buddy,
but when it comes to being a victim,
Ackerman's definitely got you beat.
- How's that?
- He was murdered this morning.
And you happened to threaten
to do that to him
three days ago, brother.
Well, I didn't mean it literally.
Look, I wasn't gonna kill him.
I was I was saying
I was gonna make him a martyr
for his cause.
Well, that clears that up.
Look, the more he and I fought,
the more people paid attention.
More attention brings in clicks,
and more clicks, more money.
Look, I don't believe
half the things I say.
But that's how the game is played.
Oh, so you're saying
you two were friends?
No, I needed him.
Like I stated, he's good for business.
OK. Where were you
6:00 a.m. this morning?
Here, like every other day.
The keypad entry system
at the recording studio
confirms Lamar Cordell was there
- at the time of the murder.
- So he's not our killer.
He's just a guy pretending
to want Ackerman dead
for clickbait.
ME's report says the knife used
to kill Ackerman likely
had a 7- or 8-inch blade
with a serrated edge.
That's a hunting knife. That's hardcore.
Cordell might not have believed
the anti-Jewish hate he spewed,
but his comments fired up
a lot of people who do.
I found a ton of online hate
directed at Ackerman.
Fantastic. Hundreds of suspects.
- Love that.
- Gets worse.
Two days ago, Ackerman was doxxed
by an anonymous poster on
an anti-Semitic Reddit thread.
Listed Ackerman's home address.
Say what you want
about sticks and stones,
but words today can definitely kill you.
Forensics didn't find
a second blood type
at the crime scene, but they did find
a partial print on the spray paint can.
Belongs to a guy by the name
of Lucas Hobbs, 25 years old.
He's got plenty of priors too
Aggravated assault, harassment
And a known association
with the Wolves of Vanguard.
I'm guessing that's not a
nature enthusiast organization.
No, it is a white
supremacist militia group.
Lucas Hobbs, how you doing?
Hey, come on.
Police!
Oh, no. Not today, sweetheart.
- [GRUNTS]
- Get over here.
Lucas Hobbs, you're under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say
You think you can stop us,
but you can't.
This is a movement.
Revelation is coming.
I think you mean incarceration.
Come on, we got your fingerprints
on the spray paint can.
So?
So Ackerman come outside
while you were defacing his property.
You guys have words?
When did they, uh, saddle you with him?
About six months ago.
Dream come true. Thanks for asking.
Be careful.
Never trust one of them with a gun.
You know, I'm about this close
from letting you walk free
just so I can find you in the street
and finish this conversation,
just you and me.
Well, that's good with me.
You just let me know.
As much as I would love
to see that conversation,
we're not gonna let you go.
So you either tell us
your side of the story
or we'll skip to the good part
when we charge you with murder.
I told you already, I didn't kill him.
I just tagged his house.
I wanted to expose how these
Zionists control the media.
Yeah, but, you see,
the Zionist you were exposing
wound up dead.
That's his problem, not mine.
I never even saw the guy.
Say what you want,
but I didn't kill that Jew reporter.
[KNOCKS AT DOOR]
We got video of Hobbs
on the subway platform
near Ackerman's brownstone
boarding a Bronx-bound train
ten minutes before
Ackerman's neighbor called 911.
And he wasn't wearing a green jacket,
as your witness described.
So he's telling the truth.
Yeah, it looks that way.
Well, that clears him of the murder,
but he's still guilty of a hate crime.
Book him on making graffiti
and criminal mischief
and anything else you can think of.
- Happily.
- And start digging
into Ackerman's personal
and professional life,
and see if anything else was going on
that might have
made somebody want to kill him.
Jacob and I left our newspaper jobs
five years ago to start Endnote.
Purer journalism
without the profiteering.
Lofty mission.
Tough business model, though.
Our business is doing well.
We're in the process
of selling a majority stake
to an investment firm in Sweden.
And things between you
and Ackerman were good?
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
I just I just still haven't
processed that he's gone.
You know, we read
some of the text messages
you sent to Ackerman last week.
You know, what did you
call him, a selfish prick?
And an arrogant boomer.
And we know that Ackerman wanted
to pull the plug on the deal,
and that made you furious.
So I shot off a bunch
of angry text messages.
We needed that deal.
So why did Ackerman try to tank it?
Because he's a purist.
When Jacob heard that the buyer wanted
to skew our coverage to the far left,
reposition us as the
liberal "Fox News," he balked.
But the good news for you is,
now that Ackerman is out of the picture,
you're free to do whatever
you want with the company.
I didn't kill Jacob.
Just the same, where
were you yesterday morning?
At home with my family.
It was my son's birthday.
All right.
Can you think of anyone else
that might have a problem with Ackerman?
Any confrontations?
Any threats that you know about?
He has been a little
distracted the past few weeks.
'Cause of all the hate
he's getting online?
Because he was spending a lot
of time with a younger woman.
Jacob and I were close for years.
He was the first person to
hire me right out of college.
He was my mentor.
I understand you were
spending a lot of time
- with him lately.
- Yeah.
We were working together on an article.
So your relationship
was strictly professional?
Yes, absolutely.
What were you two working on?
- Something really big.
- Big how?
A few months ago, six people died
in a fire in the Myers-Hamilton House.
- It's a public housing project.
- I remember that.
The fire doors didn't deploy
like they should have, right?
And the official story
is that the fire doors didn't activate
because of a mechanical malfunction.
But the unofficial story?
Apparently, Ackerman uncovered
that the fire doors
at the housing project
were supposed to be serviced
two months before the fire broke out,
but that didn't happen
because the contractor
the city paid to do the work,
a company called SiteShield,
doesn't actually exist.
What do you mean it doesn't exist?
Phony address.
The phone number listed
is to a florist in Queens.
$5 million was paid out of a city budget
to a shell corporation.
Meaning someone's
embezzling millions of dollars.
And as a result, six people burn alive?
Yeah.
What if Ackerman was getting close
to figuring out
who was behind the embezzling?
Hell of a motive.
And this reporter,
McAllister, she know who's involved?
She said that Ackerman
traced the money trail
back to Patricia Simonian's office,
but she has no proof that
she was personally involved.
Patricia Simonian?
As in the deputy mayor?
Yeah, she hands out the city contracts.
Just got off the phone
with Simonian's assistant.
She hasn't been able
to reach her since Saturday
The day before Ackerman was murdered.
All right, guys.
You got to find her.
- [KNOCKS AT DOOR]
- NYPD!
NYPD!
[DOOR UNLOCKS]
NYPD!
Police!
Frank.
[SIGHS] Yeah.
Neighbors don't report seeing
or hearing anything unusual
the past few days.
Didn't see anyone coming
or going from the apartment.
Well, I did see a camera in the lobby.
Check with the building manager.
Have him pull footage
from the last four days.
Thanks.
No sign of a break-in.
So there's a chance she knew her killer.
- What you got?
- Cause of death
appears to be blunt force trauma.
Something heavy.
Multiple blows to the head.
Obviously, she's been dead a while,
but any estimate on exactly how long?
It's been a couple days.
I mean, based on the signs
of putrefaction I'm seeing,
I'd say sometime late Saturday
night or early Sunday morning.
That was before Ackerman was killed.
Are you confirming that she was killed
sometime before 6:00 a.m. Sunday?
She's definitely been here
longer than that.
Well, that rules her out
as Ackerman's killer.
These two murders have to be connected.
So Ackerman's investigating
the embezzlement of city funds,
and he suspects the
deputy mayor of being involved.
And then, somehow they both
end up murdered hours apart.
Odds of this being a coincidence?
Zero.
This is video from Simonian's lobby
at 11:07 p.m., Saturday night.
Oh, she let him in.
Look at their body language.
She knows him.
Look at that jacket, height, build.
The guy matches the description
of the suspect
from the Ackerman crime scene.
Half an hour later,
the same person leaves alone.
And look,
he's clearly holding something.
Likely the murder weapon.
OK, so this confirms
we're looking for one killer
for both homicides.
And the question is, who's got
motive to murder both victims?
Ackerman was investigating SiteShield.
And Simonian is the one who
approved the city-wide contract
for SiteShield.
Julia McAllister was working
on the article with Ackerman.
If the killer knows that
OK, let's get her
into protective custody ASAP.
[DOOR OPENS]
We'll have an officer posted
outside the door at all times
and two officers
in a patrol car outside.
How long do I have to stay here?
Until we find out who's responsible
for the embezzlement.
Whoever it is, they're murdering
anyone they think is connected to you,
which puts you in danger.
I need to check on someone.
Who might that be?
When Jacob figured out
that the deputy mayor
might somehow be involved
with SiteShield,
I gave him the contact info
of someone I thought
might have some information,
someone who had
come through for me before.
And why didn't you tell us
this yesterday when we spoke?
I was protecting my source.
And I wasn't even sure if
Jacob had connected with them.
- If you tell us who they are
- No.
They are an anonymous source.
That's the whole point.
Please, just let me make a call,
and I'll find out
who was behind SiteShield.
So that's our embezzler.
[ENGINE STARTS]
Looks like he's heading north.
The 278 onramp's up ahead.
He could be making a run for it.
That looked like a rolling stop to me.
[SIRENS BLARING]
License and registration, please.
What did I do?
You rolled through that stop sign, sir.
License and registration.
- What are you
- Please. Now.
That's quite a shiner
you got there, uh, Mr. Costa.
- How'd you get that?
- Excuse me?
Simple enough question.
[SCOFFS] What the hell's going on here?
- Step out of the vehicle.
- What?
Step out of the vehicle now, sir.
Hands on the roof.
[HANDCUFFS CLICKING]
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
Don't lie to us, David.
We know you embezzled city money
and that you got into an
argument with Patricia Simonian
two days before she was murdered.
And unfortunately for you,
a third party
overheard that conversation.
We know that you're
the one behind SiteShield,
and that makes you responsible
for the six people
who died in that fire.
I've never even heard of that company.
Jacob Ackerman contacted
the deputy mayor Saturday afternoon.
And she got spooked
that a reporter
was poking around, didn't she?
And you realized
that she was a liability.
So you went over
to her place that night,
and you killed her.
And then you went to
Ackerman's to finish the job.
But he put up a fight, didn't he?
I'm not gonna say another word
until my attorney gets here.
[KNOCKS AT DOOR]
That's fine, Dave.
Because you know what that sound means?
It's the signal
that we got our search warrant.
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Find anything?
No green jacket.
You got to be kidding me.
About?
It's right out in the open.
No way.
[WHISTLES]
Third from the top.
He can't be that stupid.
Come on.
There.
It's faint, but it's definitely blood.
Wow.
David Costa and Deputy Mayor Simonian
were co-conspirators
in an embezzlement scheme
that led directly
to the deaths of six people
in a public housing unit fire.
And Jacob Ackerman
was working on an article
that would have exposed their crimes,
so Costa killed Ackerman
and the deputy mayor
to keep the truth from being discovered.
And you have evidence to back this up?
DNA tests confirm
that blood on the knife
found at David Costa's home
belongs to Ackerman.
And while they didn't
find a jacket or hat
that matches the description
of our witness,
they did find this
on Costa's social media.
It's the same jacket
from the surveillance footage.
You can prove motive, means,
and you've got him in possession
of the murder weapon.
What's the problem?
Well, our evidence
in the Ackerman case is strong.
But we don't have much, if anything,
tying him to Simonian's murder.
Then separate the cases. [PHONE BUZZES]
Hold off on Simonian's
until you have more evidence.
And in the meantime, move
for trial on the Ackerman case.
Costa's attorney just filed a motion.
They want to suppress the murder weapon.
It's our contention that
the search warrant in this case
was defective.
Mr. Price, what was the basis
for probable cause in your affidavit?
The defendant has a clear motive,
and detectives observed
cuts and bruises on his face
during a routine traffic stop.
Ah, yes, two seasoned
homicide detectives
suddenly morph into traffic cops.
They pulled him over for a rolling stop.
This is laughable.
The police circumvented my
client's constitutional rights
with a trumped-up, unverifiable,
alleged traffic violation.
They were within their rights.
No, they exploited a technicality
and violated the spirit of the law.
I tend to agree. It's an overreach.
And since the stop is where they noticed
the cuts and bruises which in
turn led to the search warrant,
the knife is fruit
of the poisonous tree.
Defense's motion to suppress is granted.
You been able to find anything
in Costa's personal finances
that ties him
- to the embezzlement?
- Negative.
And I've requested information
on SiteShield's account,
but the bank in Panama where
the company receives the funds
is citing the privacy of their clients.
And we have no jurisdiction
to challenge it.
Which is why Costa was
funneling the embezzled funds
through them in the first place.
You lost the murder weapon.
This was supposed to be
the case you could win.
I still can.
Ackerman was on the verge
of exposing SiteShield's responsibility
for the six deaths
in the Myers-Hamilton fire.
And as the person
behind the shell company,
David Costa had the most to lose.
Without documentation
tying Costa to the shell corporation,
you can't even prove he was involved
in the embezzlement scheme.
I can do it through Julia McAllister,
Ackerman's colleague.
She was writing the article
with Ackerman.
She can testify to
how he came to suspect Costa.
Good.
But you still need to play
to the jury's emotions.
Remind them that
the defendant has a lot more
than just Jacob Ackerman's
blood on his hands.
This was not an accident.
What happened to the people
in that building was horrific
To be burned alive.
And the tragedy is their deaths
could have been avoided.
Ms. McAllister, what did
you and Jacob Ackerman discover
in the course of your reporting
on the Myers-Hamilton fire?
The city hired a company
called SiteShield
to install fire safety doors
in that building.
Turned out it was a shell corporation,
and they never did the work
they were paid to do.
- How much were they paid?
- Over $5 million.
And were you able to determine
who was behind SiteShield?
Yes, I found a source
who had firsthand knowledge
of the situation.
And what did the source tell you?
Objection. Calls for hearsay.
May I be heard?
I'll see counsel in chambers.
Where are you going with this,
Mr. Price?
The witness will testify
that she has a source
who told her that
they overheard a conversation
- This is hearsay.
- Hold on.
What is the proffered testimony?
The witness' source
overheard a conversation
between the defendant and
Deputy Mayor Patricia Simonian.
The defendant admitted
that he was behind SiteShield
and that he was aware
that Jacob Ackerman
was about to expose him.
I agree with Mr. Hollins.
It's an admission of guilt
- by the defendant
- Actually, Your Honor
And therefore, an exception to the
- This is double hearsay.
- Double?
McAllister isn't even the one
who claims to have overheard
this so-called confession.
We have no proof
this source even exists.
Can you verify
who Ms. McAllister's source is?
Unfortunately, no, Your Honor.
The source only agreed
to speak with Ms. McAllister
under the promise of anonymity,
and she's exercising
her First Amendment right
to protect their identity.
I understand that puts you in a bind,
but I need confirmation
this person is real.
Without that, I can't allow
Ms. McAllister's testimony.
I need the name of your source.
I will do everything I can
to limit their exposure.
And we can request
a closed-door hearing.
I can't. I'm sorry.
Ackerman was your friend, right?
Your mentor.
And you're OK
letting his killer walk free?
No, I'm not OK with that.
Not even close.
But I can't reveal my source.
I-I just can't.
Jacob would understand too.
He's the one who taught me
the importance of integrity.
You live and die as a journalist
based on your word.
I'm sorry.
I can't help you.
Can you describe the person you saw
running away from Jacob Ackerman's home
on the morning of January 8th?
He was wearing
this big, green puffy jacket.
Was there anything unique
about the jacket?
It had a bright, fluorescent
orange liner and hood.
Mr. Fulcher, this is
a picture of David Costa
taken a week before the murder.
Is the jacket he's wearing in this photo
the same as the one you're describing?
Yes, that's it. No question.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Fulcher, by your own admission,
you never saw
this person's face, correct?
Yes, that is correct.
In fact, you told police
that you couldn't even tell
if the person that you saw
was a man or a woman.
That's true.
So what you saw was
a person in a ski jacket
running down the street.
He or she was running out of
Jacob's home wearing that coat.
But what you can't say
beyond a reasonable doubt
is that my client
Had anything to do with this murder.
No, I guess not.
No further questions.
The prosecution is making
a lot of noise about a jacket.
Do you, in fact,
own a green and orange parka?
I did, but I donated it to the Goodwill
a week before the murder.
Your Honor, I'd like to offer
a receipt of this donation
and ask that it be marked exhibit 12.
So you're not the person
Stephen Fulcher saw
fleeing the scene
of Jacob Ackerman's murder?
Absolutely not. I'd never even heard
of Jacob Ackerman before I was arrested.
Thank you.
Your cell phone location data puts you
within a 12-block radius
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone
on the morning of the murder.
- How do you explain that?
- I went out for a run.
You live in Queens.
Jacob Ackerman lived
in the West Village.
Well, I like to explore
different parts of the city.
You familiar with a company
called SiteShield?
Your Honor, we're venturing
into dangerous waters.
Anything else, Mr. Price?
The idea that anyone would travel
over a body of water
and across two boroughs
to jog at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning,
it's ludicrous.
But I saw the jurors' faces.
They were entertaining it.
No one likes the idea
of condemning a man to life in prison.
Credible or not,
reason to doubt
gives them reason to acquit.
I don't see how we come back from this.
Then maybe it's time to reach out,
- discuss a plea.
- Maybe not.
I just got a call from an attorney
representing Lucas Hobbs.
The neo-Nazi?
The guy who spraypainted
Ackerman's brownstone
the morning of the murder.
What did his lawyer want?
I was watching the news,
and they did a story on your trial.
I recognize that guy you're prosecuting.
You know David Costa?
I saw him the morning of the murder.
[SIGHS] Where exactly did this happen?
On Ackerman's block,
just a few houses down.
After I tagged his house,
I was headed back
to the subway to go home,
and he bumped into me.
So I shoved him, told him
to watch where he was going.
Mm, and you remember what he looks like,
even though it was months ago?
Yeah, I'm not gonna forget his face.
He pulled a knife on me.
He said that if I knew
what was good for me,
I'd watch where I was going.
What did this knife look like?
Blade was about yay big.
The handle was kind of gold.
Had, like, pearl and stuff all in it.
You notice anything else
about the blade?
Um, did it have a straight edge?
No, it was serrated.
Why didn't you mention this to police
when they questioned you?
Because I'm not a snitch.
Not for free, anyway.
My client is currently being held
on an aggravated assault charge.
We heard.
Attacked a Jewish woman
in broad daylight,
completely unprovoked.
Mr. Hobbs maintains his innocence.
And he would be happy
to help in your case
in exchange for your help with his.
What did you have in mind?
A dismissal.
He put a young woman in the hospital,
and you want a free pass?
That, or I don't testify.
Are you certain Lucas Hobbs
is even telling the truth?
Did he really see the defendant
at the murder scene?
His description
of the knife was spot-on.
And those details
were never made public,
so either he is omniscient
or he saw Costa holding the knife
a block from the murder scene.
But, Jack, look at this.
Hobbs brutally assaulted
a 19-year-old Jewish woman
when he overheard her
speaking Hebrew with a friend,
and he wants all charges dropped
in exchange for his testimony.
We're talking about
a murder case here, Nolan.
Yeah, I understand that.
I was prepared to offer him
more leniency than he deserves.
But what he did,
he shouldn't be allowed
to walk away scot-free.
This isn't about what
he deserves or doesn't deserve.
It's about getting justice
for Jacob Ackerman.
At what expense?
Sarah Khahiri,
the young woman Hobbs attacked,
has a fractured spine from
when he stomped on her back.
She needs surgery
to have her jaw reconstructed.
What happened to her is horrific.
But she's still alive.
Mr. Ackerman is not.
I'm just not comfortable
giving a neo-Nazi
a get-out-of-jail-free card.
I'm not.
Especially with all
the recent anti-Semitic attacks
and the hate out there,
there's a bigger picture
to take into account here.
I have no more tolerance
for hate crimes than you do,
and I'm all for adhering to principles,
but not to the exclusion
of trying to win a murder case.
So you're demanding
that I put this racist, Hobbs,
on the stand?
Can you win without him?
I don't know, but I'm not sure
if it's worth winning like this.
Tell that to Jacob Ackerman's son
and the families of the six
people who died in that fire.
Maybe I'm just old-fashioned,
but if the cost of convicting someone
responsible for eight deaths,
including three children,
is cutting a sweetheart deal
with a white supremacist,
I'd take that deal all day long.
But this is your case.
You're the one who needs
to live with your choices,
not me.
And how can you be certain, Mr. Hobbs,
that the man who pulled a knife on you
right outside
of Jacob Ackerman's brownstone
that morning was the defendant?
I got a really good look at him.
He got right up in my face.
He was all amped up.
I could see it in his eyes that
he didn't just have a knife,
he was willing to use it.
Nothing further for this witness.
Mr. Hobbs, you were initially
questioned by detectives
as a suspect in the murder
of Jacob Ackerman,
is that not correct?
Yeah, but I didn't do it.
But you didn't mention anything to them
about seeing someone
with a knife that morning,
did you?
No.
So you knew Ackerman got stabbed,
and you now are claiming
that you saw someone
brandishing a knife outside his home,
but you didn't think
that information was pertinent?
I don't really have the best
relationship with the police.
Well, that's putting it lightly.
In fact, you were charged
with vandalizing Ackerman's house
with anti-Semitic graffiti,
isn't that correct?
Yeah.
And you've been charged
with several other crimes
since then, haven't you?
Objection. The witness is not on trial.
- Sustained.
- We'll try another way.
Um, Mr. Hobbs,
are you currently on trial
for the assault
of a 19-year-old Jewish girl?
I'm innocent.
And is your testimony here today
in exchange for the district attorney
giving you a full dismissal
of that case?
Yes, it is.
I have no further questions.
Any redirect, Mr. Price?
Mr. Hobbs, you are a member
of the Wolves of Vanguard,
an organization that's associated
with the neo-Nazi party, correct?
Yeah.
So when someone kills
a prominent Jewish figure
like Jacob Ackerman,
if anything, you're more likely
to lie to protect them,
not incriminate them.
Isn't that fair to say?
If I'm being real with you,
I hate that I'm testifying
against that guy.
I got no beef with him.
But I saw what I saw.
He was there, and he had a knife.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
On the charge of murder
in the second degree,
we find the defendant, David Costa
guilty.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Hey. It all worked out, huh?
I appreciate you keeping up
your end of the bargain.
It was a one-time deal.
You commit any crimes moving forward,
I will make sure you are prosecuted
to the maximum extent of the law.
Good doing business with you.
You made the right call.
I'll see you tomorrow.
♪