Law & Order (1990) s22e18 Episode Script
Collateral Damage
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.
Hi, this is Jenny. Leave a message.
Hi, Mom.
Sorry I haven't been
in touch for a while.
Things have been a little
crazy lately with classes
and work at the coffee shop.
I miss you.
Let's get together soon.
Maybe dinner at the
Jupiter or something?
- I love you.
- [DOOR CREAKS OPEN]
Okay. I gotta go.
- Tell Dad I love him too.
- [DOOR SLAMS]
Bye.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
I'm really not feeling well.
Restaurant worker found
her in the dumpster.
Body's been rolled up in that rug.
- Any ID?
- No wallet. No phone, either.
Approximate age?
17 or 18. Your guess is as good as mine.
Time of death?
MLI said she's been dead at least a day.
Probably been here a few hours.
Cause of death?
- No obvious signs of trauma.
- [GROANS]
♪
What is that?
Looks like a brand.
Lone star?
What is that, Texas?
No, no, no. Lodestar.
Means inspiration or a guiding
light for a ship at night.
What the hell guided her here?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Young lady at the end.
What did she die of?
She died of septic shock.
The wound from the
branding got infected.
It was festering for a couple of weeks.
And she never got any medical treatment.
Probably because of this.
- Ligature marks.
- Mm-hmm.
So she was being held against her will.
Meanwhile, the infection spread.
Sepsis caused tissue damage
and ultimately, organ failure.
Any estimate on her age?
The forensic odontologist
put her in her early 20s.
She seemed a hell of a
lot younger than that.
Malnutrition will do that.
She probably comes from money.
Has expensive dental work.
So nobody in Missing Persons
matches her description.
Facial rec was a bust.
And the branding design
didn't turn up in any database.
- You run her prints?
- Not in the system.
Only thing I found
was this in her pocket.
It's got a logo to a music store.
Sharp Sounds Music.
That's Ava. What the
hell happened to her?
That's what we're trying to figure out.
She died of an infection.
- An infection?
- Was she in here recently?
It's been a couple months.
She was super sweet and really nice.
We're trying to identify her.
Maybe you know her last name?
I'm sorry.
What about a receipt?
Maybe she bought something.
No, I gave her a couple guitar picks.
I gave her a harmonica too.
I kind of felt sorry for her.
Why is that?
She seemed lost.
She used to stop by the
store every now and then,
you know, ask to play
some of the guitars.
I loved listening to her.
You know, she was really talented.
She ever come in here with anybody?
Uh, yeah, a dude.
Oh, yeah? What'd he look like?
Early 20s, dreadlocks.
Don't suppose you know
where we can find him.
Yeah, sometimes he busks at that park
a couple blocks south of here.
Name's Ken something.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
[MELLOW ACOUSTIC MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Excuse me, Ken.
Ken, we need a word.
It's primetime right now, man.
Can this wait?
Unfortunately, it can't.
Ava and I met senior year at Tufts.
We both wanted to be musicians.
We moved in together
right after graduation.
A few months ago, she
started hanging out
with a new group of friends,
said she was looking to
deepen her creative forces.
Kicked me to the curb.
That make you mad?
Bummed me out, but I didn't kill her.
I loved her.
We wanna get in touch with her parents.
You know her last name?
Newhall.
They live on the Upper East Side.
When was the last time you saw her?
We were supposed to meet up at a bar
in Red Hook five days ago.
I wanted to apologize for some things.
She stood you up?
Someone said they saw her
outside the bar running away.
I went to go check,
but she wasn't there,
so I figured she changed
her mind about meeting me.
We need the name of the bar.
Sorry, guys. We're not open yet.
Come back in an hour.
NYPD.
You the manager?
I'm the owner. How can I help?
You seen this girl around here before?
Doesn't look familiar.
- What about this guy?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He comes in from time to time.
Did he do something?
We're not sure.
How long these cameras store video?
About a week.
Love to see the footage.
Sure.
Hey.
I tracked down the vic's parents.
Father is a Wall Street big shot.
The mother is a network news anchor.
Uh, Jenny Newhall?
Oh, my wife loves her.
Well, they're in Palm Beach,
but they're headed back to New York now.
Hey.
How are we doing with
that video from the bar?
Going through it now.
Ava's ex-boyfriend was definitely there.
- Yeah, does she ever show?
- Not exactly.
This is about a block from the bar.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
There's Ava.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey.
That's attempted kidnapping.
Who the hell is this guy?
Geez.
All right, find out who that guy was.
I'll run the plates.
♪
There's our car.
Donnie Preston.
NYPD.
What are you doing?
This is my car, my house.
Is there a problem?
Gun!
Hands above your head.
Touch the fence.
Keep your hands on the fence.
Do not move.
I didn't do nothing.
Yeah, well, you got a lot of firepower
- for a guy who didn't do nothing.
- They're legal.
What's this all about?
Attempted kidnapping, for starters.
♪
It's not what you think.
I wasn't gonna hurt her.
No, you were just gonna
drive her around the city,
maybe grab a cocktail
at the Polo Lounge,
and then drop her off safe
and sound at home, right?
Look, I know Ava's parents.
I'm the doorman in their building.
Her mother hired me, paid me 20 grand,
half upfront and the
other half upon delivery.
What do you mean delivery?
I was supposed to bring the kid home.
Come on, bro.
You're trying to make us believe
that Ava's parents
hired you to kidnap her?
No. I was trying to save her.
- From what?
- I don't know. I didn't ask.
I got bills to pay
just like everyone else.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Yeah.
Ava's parents are here.
Sit tight.
She sent us a strange voicemail
a couple of days ago.
We tried calling, but
she never picked up.
This is exactly what we
were trying to prevent.
It's why we hired Donnie.
Was your daughter in
some kind of trouble?
Yes, she was.
She'd apparently joined
some sort of cult.
She went to a meeting, a group dedicated
to unlocking their creativity
or something like that.
Ava had been depressed, uninspired.
Anyway, she seemed
really excited about it,
- so we were supportive.
- At first.
But then it started to spiral.
Was she living with anyone at this cult?
I think so.
She pretty much cut
off all contact with us.
Except when she wanted money.
These people tried to bleed her dry.
They emptied her bank
accounts and then started
taking from her trust fund.
Thank God my lawyer called me.
We put a freeze on the account.
So you cut her off?
I had to.
How did she take that?
She just kept repeating this mantra.
"I'm not a victim. Lodestar is my guide.
I will manifest my future."
It's like she wasn't herself anymore.
We just we couldn't
connect with her, the
the real her.
So you hired your
doorman to bring her home?
I assume that means you
know where she was living.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Sisters, these detectives
just told me we lost Ava.
- [GASPS]
- Oh, no.
I don't understand what happened.
Ava was on a righteous
path. She was a warrior.
I'm sure she was, but unfortunately,
that's not how we found her.
When was the last time
any of you saw Ava?
I haven't seen her in a few days.
Me, either.
I went to her room this morning.
I was gonna give her a cup of mint tea,
but she wasn't there.
I saw her two nights ago.
I think she was going
to watch some bands.
She didn't look like she was
going out to listen to music.
She was still in her pajamas.
She wasn't even wearing shoes.
What exactly goes on in this house?
We're just a community of women
dedicated to creativity
and self-actualization.
Oh. Who's in charge?
We're all in charge,
yet at the same time,
we're all subordinate.
So let me get this straight.
Ava died from an infection
that was spreading for
days, maybe even weeks.
She was rolled up in a carpet
and tossed into a dumpster.
Nobody here noticed
anything out of the ordinary.
♪
And no one can tell me
what happened to her.
You look familiar to me.
How do I know you?
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Why don't you grab your
coat and step outside?
Let's go.
♪
Sorry for your loss.
You really found Ava in the dumpster?
- What's your name?
- Sienna Barton.
I recognized that hand signal.
You were asking for help, right?
I have a daughter about your age.
She learned it on social media.
- I need to talk to my parents.
- Sure.
I'll get you a phone. Come here.
Hold on. You're safe with us.
No one's gonna hurt you.
It's okay. It's okay.
Just take a breath.
You know your friend
Ava was sick, right?
She had a brand that got infected.
You know anything about that?
I don't wanna talk about all this.
I need to call my parents.
Then why don't we
call them from the car?
It's probably safer.
Is that okay?
♪
Ava and I worked in
the same coffee shop.
She said she was feeling kind of stuck,
so I told her about
this group, Lodestar.
I thought we could help.
Was she being held against her will?
No. We were all there voluntarily.
Can you explain the ligature marks?
On her wrists, she had these marks.
It looked like she was being restrained.
That's from the branding ceremony.
It kind of hurts, so
we tie everyone down.
When was she branded?
A couple of weeks ago.
That wound got infected.
That's what killed her.
Did you did you notice
her health was deteriorating?
She seemed okay, but I didn't really
see her much in the past few days.
Did somebody prevent
her from seeing a doctor?
Not exactly.
I'm sorry, but it's complicated.
You can tell us what you're afraid of.
I'm not a victim.
Lodestar is my guide. I
will manifest my future.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
We respect that, but a woman has died.
You know that you
participated in an assault?
Sienna, sweetheart.
This is my daughter.
I wanna talk to her alone.
I think we should charge her.
With what?
Assault, conspiracy, manslaughter.
She admitted she
participated in the branding.
No, I get it, but I just
I don't think that's enough.
We charge manslaughter when kids
drink themselves to death
at fraternity hazings.
Yeah, but that's not what happened here.
There's a time gap.
She had enough time to go to a doctor.
Maybe somebody didn't let her
because going to get medical treatment
would have drawn attention to the cult.
Okay. Fair enough.
So if you can find
evidence that the person
who branded Ava also prevented
her from going to the doctor
and then dumped her body,
we can charge that person with homicide.
Police. Open up.
Police.
We're executing a search warrant.
We need to enter the premises.
Step back, miss.
Please step back.
- Move into that room, please.
- Come on.
- Ladies, let's go.
- Hey, let's go. Come on.
I need everyone to
stop what they're doing
and move over to this room. Come on.
Move along. Have a seat.
Keep an eye on them.
Where's Ava's room?
It's over there at the end of the hall.
- Whose room is that?
- That's my room.
Please have a seat.
♪
I was just in Ava's bedroom.
Couldn't find a cell phone,
but I found a brand new carpet
with the price tag still on it.
I got a receipt for
an 8 by 10 foot carpet,
purchased this morning.
- Paid for by Jocelyn Davis.
- Get out of here.
So she replaced the carpet,
which shows consciousness of guilt.
Means we can prove Ava
was killed in her bedroom.
Also means we can prove
Jocelyn lied to us.
She said that Ava went to go see a band
and never came home.
There she is.
I got the branding iron.
Well, that's three
strikes against Jocelyn.
Jocelyn, could you
come over here, please?
We need a word.
You can't take control over me.
You can't break the circle.
These bonds, they're shatterproof.
You don't wanna interfere in an arrest.
We stand united.
Yeah, that's not how this works.
So you back off now,
or we're gonna do our own division.
Frank, let's try a different approach.
Jocelyn, you seem like a smart woman.
Come with us.
Okay, all of you listen to me closely.
We can do this the easy way,
or we can do this my partner's way.
Up to you.
♪
It's okay.
We haven't done anything wrong.
Put your hands behind your back.
You're under arrest for
the death of Ava Newhall.
This is a branding iron
we found in your bedroom.
Your fingerprints were
lifted from the handle.
Ava's DNA was found
on the Lodestar stamp.
Ava consented to the branding.
We both know consent is not a defense
to the infliction of
serious bodily injury.
And we found this
carpet in the dumpster.
It was used to hide and
transport Ava's dead body.
Crime lab technicians
recovered a few strands
of hair in the fibers.
Matches your client's DNA
strong evidence that she's the
one who disposed of the body.
Why did you throw her into a dumpster?
Why didn't you call her parents?
Why didn't you call 911?
Don't answer that.
From where I sit, you didn't
want her to get any help.
You didn't want the
doctors to see her branding.
You knew that would
expose you and your cult.
Who helped you carry the body?
'Cause there was no way
that you lugged her body
out of the loft by yourself.
Ava Newhall got sick from the branding.
We don't deny that.
But she was awake and alert
and able to move and
make her own decisions.
She could have called
the doctor or her parents.
Tough to do when you're tied down.
This is absurd.
There is no causal
connection between my client's
alleged actions and Ava's death.
Come on. We're getting out of here.
May I?
Charge her.
Charge her with what?
♪
The defendant is charged
with aggravated assault
and illegal disposal of a corpse.
Are the People seeking bail?
We're seeking 1 million cash.
$1 million?
At most she's facing
a few years probation.
Point taken.
Why should I impose bail, Ms. Maroun?
The defendant branded another woman
as part of an initiation into a cult.
The wound got infected
and Ava Newhall died.
Then the defendant dumped
her dead body in the trash.
Your Honor, my client
has no criminal record.
She is not a flight risk.
The people are simply punishing her
for her unconventional lifestyle.
These are trumped up
charges that will go nowhere.
We're asking for personal.
The defendant is currently
under investigation for murder.
If the people wanna charge murder,
come back and I'll reconsider the bail.
Until then, I'm releasing
her on her own recognizance.
Can I go? Am I free?
Yes.
- Next case.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
What the hell happened in there?
It's only the arraignment.
We thought the judge would hold her.
Bail is only to assure
that she'll return.
I don't need a lecture from you on bail.
I know how the system works.
The woman who killed my daughter,
rolled her body up in a carpet,
and tossed her in a dumpster
gets to go home to her comfortable loft
while our daughter lies in a
coffin in Woodland Cemetery.
[GRUNTS]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
No. No! Stop. It's okay.
Well, Jocelyn Davis just
waltzed out of the courtroom.
She's probably out buying a
new branding iron as we speak.
Don't you have her on
a couple of felonies?
Mm-hmm.
So chances are she'll end
up serving a year or two.
That's not enough. Not even close.
Do you have any evidence to
suggest that Jocelyn Davis
is responsible for the
death of this young woman?
No, but that doesn't mean
she's not responsible.
She's a cult leader, Nolan.
She recruits young, vulnerable women
fresh out of college
just trying to figure out
what to do with their lives, then
then she preys on them, controls them,
manipulates them, steals their money.
She's the reason a
22-year-old woman is dead.
Fair enough, but you're
just saying things.
There's no real
evidence to support this.
No. I know.
If you want me to
prosecute it as a homicide,
you need something concrete,
something that shows
that Jocelyn prevented Ava
from getting treatment for her wounds.
I tried, but none of
the women in the cult
are willing to cooperate.
Well, then work with Forensics.
See if you can find texts or voicemails
that show that Jocelyn
exercised control over Ava,
something that prevented her
from seeking medical attention.
I've done a deep dive
into Jocelyn's devices.
She didn't send any texts
or voicemails to Ava,
but I did find some disturbing videos.
This is Sienna Barton's.
Last year, I volunteered
at an emergency shelter
for abused women and children.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I stole money from one of
the women who lived there.
$1,000, probably all the money
that she had in the world.
When she realized the money was missing,
I blamed somebody else,
and that person got fired,
and she was arrested.
But I'm not a victim.
I own what I did.
Still, if my family
[SIGHS] Or my friends find out
I'd want to kill myself.
I am so ashamed.
I share this confession
as an expression of trust
for my entry into Lodestar.
♪
That's why she didn't wanna cooperate.
She was afraid of being exposed.
Looks that way.
What about Ava? She
make any confessions?
Yeah. Check it out.
My mom is kind of famous.
She's the anchor on
"Evening in America."
She's she's having an affair
with one of the
political correspondents.
If my dad knew, he'd be heartbroken,
and she'd lose her job for sure.
But I trust you with this confession.
I am not a victim.
I am on a path to
creative enlightenment.
I am sharing this confession
as an expression of trust
for my entry into Lodestar.
[APPLAUSE]
The video confessions show
that Jocelyn had the power
to exert tremendous
pressure over these women
to get them to do whatever she wanted.
That's good news.
Once they gave over their confessions,
the women couldn't walk away.
They'd live in fear that their
secrets would be revealed.
Took away their free will.
And it explains why Ava
didn't seek medical treatment
for her infection. She felt threatened.
And she wanted to protect her mother.
That makes it a kidnapping.
Which is a felony.
Since Ava died during the
course of that felony
It's a felony murder.
There's our homicide case.
We've elevated the
charges to felony murder.
Thank you.
And she's been rearrested
and held without bail.
You have no idea how
much we appreciate that.
We have to warn you.
It's gonna come at a cost.
What do you mean?
There are things that are
gonna come out at trial.
Things about Ava?
Things about the family.
We don't care. We just
want justice for Ava.
But what kind of things?
Ava shared some secrets with the group.
We don't have anything to hide.
Right, honey?
♪
She was a free spirit,
so smart and creative.
And she was a musician.
She played the guitar and she sang.
We wanted her to go to
graduate school at Berkeley.
She'd filled out the applications,
but, like most creatives,
she had her demons.
She was going through
a period of self-doubt.
Was it during this period
that she was introduced
to the defendant, Jocelyn Davis?
Yes.
She sucked the life out of
her, took away her autonomy,
imposed harmful and arbitrary rules.
So the defendant
exercised control over Ava?
Once, when I hadn't
seen Ava in a few weeks,
I begged her to meet me for lunch.
And were you able to
see your own daughter?
Ava said that she had
to check with Jocelyn.
And Jocelyn told her
that she needed to focus
on her creative enlightenment.
So the defendant
controlled Ava's movements.
She dictated who she could
and couldn't socialize with.
Objection.
Sustained.
Are you aware of a video confession
Ava made to the defendant?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I don't know how she found out, but
Ava knew that I was having
an affair with a colleague,
and she knew that if
it got out, my marriage
and my career would suffer tremendously.
♪
Was Ava protective of you?
Of your marriage or your career?
Very.
I believe that Ava went to her grave
in order to protect my secret.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
You can't prove that my
client used this information
to threaten your daughter, can you?
Objection Ms. Newhall
is simply a witness.
Not her burden to prove
or disprove anything.
Sustained.
You can't testify my client
prevented your daughter
from calling a doctor
or going to a hospital.
No, but one can infer.
Here, in a court of law, we
deal in facts and evidence,
not what one can infer.
Your Honor, I have nothing
further for this witness.
I move for a directed verdict.
Your Honor, the people
submit that there's
Hold it, Mr. Price.
I'll see all counsels in my chambers.
The people have no concrete proof
that my client committed a kidnapping.
There is nothing to
show that Ava Newhall
was being held against her will.
Mr. Price, is that true?
People are allowed to
present a circumstantial case.
That may be, but if you can't offer
a direct causal connection
between the defendant
and the victim's failure
to seek medical assistance,
I'm prepared to issue a directed verdict
and find Jocelyn Davis not
guilty as a matter of law.
That won't be necessary.
We have a witness who will
tie all the elements together
and establish that Ava
wasn't free to leave the loft
and seek medical help.
What are you talking about?
Or better yet, who
are you talking about?
Sienna Barton.
Sienna B no.
Not a chance in hell
she's gonna cooperate.
I told you before, I
don't want to testify.
Sienna has been through hell and back.
That is exactly why I need her.
She has to tell the jury
what she and Ava endured.
We know all the women in the cult
were required to share
embarrassing things
about their past.
We watched your video confession.
I know it feels like a huge deal.
You did something shameful
when you worked at a shelter,
but it's not the end of the world.
It is for me.
Can't you people just leave her alone?
Sienna's testimony is critical.
She can prove that Jocelyn
used the confessions
to threaten women into submission.
And more specifically,
it'll prove why Ava
was afraid to seek medical
help and ended up dead.
I want to help you, but
Sienna, like it or not,
you played a role in all this.
You held Ava down while she was branded.
What exactly are you saying?
She doesn't cooperate,
we will charge her
with several felonies.
Assault, kidnapping, manslaughter.
Are you crazy?
She's the victim here.
She was brainwashed and branded.
Doesn't mean she didn't
commit a crime too.
She could spend a few years in prison.
I know that you have suffered
tremendous emotional and physical pain.
We wanna hold the person
who did this to you
and who killed Ava responsible.
And to do that, we need your help.
And if she cooperates?
We'll immunize her. We'll
treat her as a victim.
And she will go back home with you.
Be smart, Sienna.
Your future depends on it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Did Jocelyn Davis prevent Ava
from getting medical
treatment for her wound?
Yes.
Did she render any aid herself?
She told me she put
bandages on the wound,
gave her painkillers.
Can you please tell the jury
how the defendant convinced
Ava to stay in her room?
Jocelyn threatened to
release her confession.
Ava was scared.
She wanted to get help, but
she felt like she had no choice.
Jocelyn Davis held all the confessions.
She made all the decisions.
She was in charge.
Yes. Well
not exactly.
Lodestar was really in charge.
Lodestar?
He's our supreme leader.
Lodestar is a person?
Yes.
We didn't meet him until
after we'd been branded,
after we gave our confessions.
Had Ava met him?
Not yet. She was going to.
Did Lodestar have
influence over Jocelyn?
He controlled all of
us, including Jocelyn.
He set the rules, told
us where we could go,
who we could socialize
with, what we could eat.
He, um, liked us to be thin.
- And the money?
- He kept our money.
What about the confessions?
Jocelyn sent them to him.
Anything else?
There was the sex.
♪
The real head of the cult
is this guy, Zach Elfont.
He gets Jocelyn Davis to control
and manipulate the women,
pressure them to donate
money to the cult,
but it's really a guise
for this Zach Elfont guy
to get rich and have
sex with young women.
Sounds like the NXIVM cult.
It's more like a sick copycat.
No one at NXIVM died
from their branding.
Why are we just learning
about Elfont now?
His name never came up.
Members of the cult have
obviously been protecting him.
But he's the one calling the shots?
Yes.
Jocelyn gives him the confessions,
and he uses them to coerce women
into doing whatever he wants.
So this whole thing is about
pleasing a sociopathic narcissist?
I wanna charge Elfont
with felony murder.
What's stopping you?
Sienna can't testify about
his involvement with Ava's death.
I can't prove that without Jocelyn.
Then try to flip Jocelyn.
We'd like your cooperation.
And in exchange?
We are prepared to offer full immunity,
dismiss all charges.
I can't.
I can't turn on Lodestar.
We just want you to tell the
truth about what happened.
The truth is, he's a great guy.
I'd be nothing without him.
I was a 16-year-old
punk when I met Lodestar.
16? Did he have sex
with you at that age?
That's not important.
You were a minor.
He exerted tremendous
influence over you.
Lodestar saved me.
I grew up with an abusive stepfather.
I ran away.
I started doing drugs, stealing.
And then I met him.
And he took advantage of you.
♪
I'm not a victim.
He taught me to stand up for myself,
and that's what I'm doing.
Don't you hear the irony?
He has trained you to believe
that you're not a victim.
And all the while, he's
been victimizing you.
You're facing life in
prison because of him.
Jocelyn, they are offering a fair deal.
Think about it. Protect yourself.
♪
We are going to get him
with or without you.
You'll never get
anywhere in your journey
until you stop complaining
about what the world owes you.
The world owes you nothing.
You have to stop acting like victims.
Excuse me, Lodestar.
- Can I help you?
- We'll see about that. NYPD.
Take your hands out of your pocket.
Put your hands behind your back.
Okay, hold on. What are you doing?
We're taking you on your
own journey to enlightenment.
[WOMEN ARGUING]
- He hasn't done anything.
- Stop!
He hasn't done anything wrong.
We've developed a strong homicide
case against you, Mr. Elfont.
Jocelyn called me from the jail.
She said you tried to pressure her.
She's not gonna testify against me.
We don't need her testimony.
Forensic analysis of your
phone shows that Jocelyn texted
Ava's confession to you.
I never asked her to
send me those things.
The woman has an unhealthy
obsession with me.
She was jealous of Ava.
Mm-hmm.
We also have GPS and surveillance video
of your car outside the
loft and near the dumpster
around the time that Ava died.
Jocelyn borrowed my car all the time.
Bank records show that
Jocelyn sent you all the money
she collected from the women.
I run a business.
I help women who wanna
tap into their creativity.
Jocelyn worked for me.
She helped to collect tuition.
And oh, by the way, I
slept with some of them.
Nothing illegal about that.
All this stuff about
branding and confessions
and cults, it's insane.
I had nothing to do with it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Elfont has an answer for everything.
I need Jocelyn to refute the
false narrative he's created.
If you can't get her to cooperate
There's a good chance he skates.
Where are you with Jocelyn's trial?
It's winding down.
Are you going to get a conviction?
I believe I am.
Not exactly cause for despair.
Let's not forget she's responsible
for Ava Newhall's death.
Elfont was behind it all.
He met her when she was a teenager.
He groomed her for sex.
He manipulated her
into doing his bidding.
All you can do is offer her a fair deal.
The rest is up to her.
You're not her lawyer.
I must say, I was pleased to
receive your call last night.
Well, I was glad too.
Jocelyn and I have
done a lot of talking,
and she does see the importance
of protecting herself here.
That true?
You willing to testify against him?
Yes. Absolutely.
I want him to pay for
what he did to those girls.
And for what he did to me.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
I'm not a bad person, Mr. Price.
I swear.
I just
I lost my way.
Those things you said about
manifesting your future,
you're doing that
right here, right now.
So good for you.
♪
Sam.
Good news.
Jocelyn's lawyer managed
to talk sense into her.
She has agreed to cooperate.
It's too late.
- What do you mean?
- Elfont is dead.
He's dead?
Lodestar mouthed off to the wrong guy.
Someone beat him to death in
his cell about an hour ago.
You're prepared to do your closing?
What, you want me to
pull Jocelyn's plea offer?
We don't need her testimony anymore.
That doesn't change the fact
that she's still a victim.
She was a victim.
At some point, she became a victimizer.
She recruited dozens
of unsuspecting women,
took their money, groomed
them for sex with this guy.
None of this would have
happened without Elfont.
She killed someone. She's
gotta answer to that.
Would we be having this conversation
if Jocelyn was a man?
♪
- I thought we had a deal.
- Circumstances changed.
But she was willing to cooperate.
It's not her fault that Elfont is dead.
We made her a fair offer.
She waited too long to accept.
You yourself admitted
that she was a victim.
You pleaded with me to
get her to cooperate.
Can we at least come to
some kind of a compromise?
We both know she doesn't deserve
to spend the rest of her life in prison.
I understand both parties
have reached an agreement.
My client would like to
change her plea to guilty.
Is that true, Ms. Davis?
Yes.
I just wanna say to the Newhall family,
I'm so sorry.
I really liked Ava.
I wish I had never gotten
involved in Lodestar,
that I'd never met Zach.
I used to think I was lucky to know him,
to be in his orbit,
but he used me.
He used all of us.
♪
Thank you, Ms. Davis.
I'll accept your plea
as knowing and voluntary.
Do the people move for sentencing?
- We do.
- What's your recommendation?
We have an agreed-upon recommendation
of 12 years in state prison.
The court hereby sentences you
to serve 12 years in
the state penitentiary.
[GAVEL BANGS]
We're adjourned.
♪
12 years.
If we give a free pass to everyone
who's ever been victimized,
we'll have to open the prison gates.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
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.
Hi, this is Jenny. Leave a message.
Hi, Mom.
Sorry I haven't been
in touch for a while.
Things have been a little
crazy lately with classes
and work at the coffee shop.
I miss you.
Let's get together soon.
Maybe dinner at the
Jupiter or something?
- I love you.
- [DOOR CREAKS OPEN]
Okay. I gotta go.
- Tell Dad I love him too.
- [DOOR SLAMS]
Bye.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
I'm really not feeling well.
Restaurant worker found
her in the dumpster.
Body's been rolled up in that rug.
- Any ID?
- No wallet. No phone, either.
Approximate age?
17 or 18. Your guess is as good as mine.
Time of death?
MLI said she's been dead at least a day.
Probably been here a few hours.
Cause of death?
- No obvious signs of trauma.
- [GROANS]
♪
What is that?
Looks like a brand.
Lone star?
What is that, Texas?
No, no, no. Lodestar.
Means inspiration or a guiding
light for a ship at night.
What the hell guided her here?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Young lady at the end.
What did she die of?
She died of septic shock.
The wound from the
branding got infected.
It was festering for a couple of weeks.
And she never got any medical treatment.
Probably because of this.
- Ligature marks.
- Mm-hmm.
So she was being held against her will.
Meanwhile, the infection spread.
Sepsis caused tissue damage
and ultimately, organ failure.
Any estimate on her age?
The forensic odontologist
put her in her early 20s.
She seemed a hell of a
lot younger than that.
Malnutrition will do that.
She probably comes from money.
Has expensive dental work.
So nobody in Missing Persons
matches her description.
Facial rec was a bust.
And the branding design
didn't turn up in any database.
- You run her prints?
- Not in the system.
Only thing I found
was this in her pocket.
It's got a logo to a music store.
Sharp Sounds Music.
That's Ava. What the
hell happened to her?
That's what we're trying to figure out.
She died of an infection.
- An infection?
- Was she in here recently?
It's been a couple months.
She was super sweet and really nice.
We're trying to identify her.
Maybe you know her last name?
I'm sorry.
What about a receipt?
Maybe she bought something.
No, I gave her a couple guitar picks.
I gave her a harmonica too.
I kind of felt sorry for her.
Why is that?
She seemed lost.
She used to stop by the
store every now and then,
you know, ask to play
some of the guitars.
I loved listening to her.
You know, she was really talented.
She ever come in here with anybody?
Uh, yeah, a dude.
Oh, yeah? What'd he look like?
Early 20s, dreadlocks.
Don't suppose you know
where we can find him.
Yeah, sometimes he busks at that park
a couple blocks south of here.
Name's Ken something.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
[MELLOW ACOUSTIC MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Excuse me, Ken.
Ken, we need a word.
It's primetime right now, man.
Can this wait?
Unfortunately, it can't.
Ava and I met senior year at Tufts.
We both wanted to be musicians.
We moved in together
right after graduation.
A few months ago, she
started hanging out
with a new group of friends,
said she was looking to
deepen her creative forces.
Kicked me to the curb.
That make you mad?
Bummed me out, but I didn't kill her.
I loved her.
We wanna get in touch with her parents.
You know her last name?
Newhall.
They live on the Upper East Side.
When was the last time you saw her?
We were supposed to meet up at a bar
in Red Hook five days ago.
I wanted to apologize for some things.
She stood you up?
Someone said they saw her
outside the bar running away.
I went to go check,
but she wasn't there,
so I figured she changed
her mind about meeting me.
We need the name of the bar.
Sorry, guys. We're not open yet.
Come back in an hour.
NYPD.
You the manager?
I'm the owner. How can I help?
You seen this girl around here before?
Doesn't look familiar.
- What about this guy?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He comes in from time to time.
Did he do something?
We're not sure.
How long these cameras store video?
About a week.
Love to see the footage.
Sure.
Hey.
I tracked down the vic's parents.
Father is a Wall Street big shot.
The mother is a network news anchor.
Uh, Jenny Newhall?
Oh, my wife loves her.
Well, they're in Palm Beach,
but they're headed back to New York now.
Hey.
How are we doing with
that video from the bar?
Going through it now.
Ava's ex-boyfriend was definitely there.
- Yeah, does she ever show?
- Not exactly.
This is about a block from the bar.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
There's Ava.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey.
That's attempted kidnapping.
Who the hell is this guy?
Geez.
All right, find out who that guy was.
I'll run the plates.
♪
There's our car.
Donnie Preston.
NYPD.
What are you doing?
This is my car, my house.
Is there a problem?
Gun!
Hands above your head.
Touch the fence.
Keep your hands on the fence.
Do not move.
I didn't do nothing.
Yeah, well, you got a lot of firepower
- for a guy who didn't do nothing.
- They're legal.
What's this all about?
Attempted kidnapping, for starters.
♪
It's not what you think.
I wasn't gonna hurt her.
No, you were just gonna
drive her around the city,
maybe grab a cocktail
at the Polo Lounge,
and then drop her off safe
and sound at home, right?
Look, I know Ava's parents.
I'm the doorman in their building.
Her mother hired me, paid me 20 grand,
half upfront and the
other half upon delivery.
What do you mean delivery?
I was supposed to bring the kid home.
Come on, bro.
You're trying to make us believe
that Ava's parents
hired you to kidnap her?
No. I was trying to save her.
- From what?
- I don't know. I didn't ask.
I got bills to pay
just like everyone else.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Yeah.
Ava's parents are here.
Sit tight.
She sent us a strange voicemail
a couple of days ago.
We tried calling, but
she never picked up.
This is exactly what we
were trying to prevent.
It's why we hired Donnie.
Was your daughter in
some kind of trouble?
Yes, she was.
She'd apparently joined
some sort of cult.
She went to a meeting, a group dedicated
to unlocking their creativity
or something like that.
Ava had been depressed, uninspired.
Anyway, she seemed
really excited about it,
- so we were supportive.
- At first.
But then it started to spiral.
Was she living with anyone at this cult?
I think so.
She pretty much cut
off all contact with us.
Except when she wanted money.
These people tried to bleed her dry.
They emptied her bank
accounts and then started
taking from her trust fund.
Thank God my lawyer called me.
We put a freeze on the account.
So you cut her off?
I had to.
How did she take that?
She just kept repeating this mantra.
"I'm not a victim. Lodestar is my guide.
I will manifest my future."
It's like she wasn't herself anymore.
We just we couldn't
connect with her, the
the real her.
So you hired your
doorman to bring her home?
I assume that means you
know where she was living.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Sisters, these detectives
just told me we lost Ava.
- [GASPS]
- Oh, no.
I don't understand what happened.
Ava was on a righteous
path. She was a warrior.
I'm sure she was, but unfortunately,
that's not how we found her.
When was the last time
any of you saw Ava?
I haven't seen her in a few days.
Me, either.
I went to her room this morning.
I was gonna give her a cup of mint tea,
but she wasn't there.
I saw her two nights ago.
I think she was going
to watch some bands.
She didn't look like she was
going out to listen to music.
She was still in her pajamas.
She wasn't even wearing shoes.
What exactly goes on in this house?
We're just a community of women
dedicated to creativity
and self-actualization.
Oh. Who's in charge?
We're all in charge,
yet at the same time,
we're all subordinate.
So let me get this straight.
Ava died from an infection
that was spreading for
days, maybe even weeks.
She was rolled up in a carpet
and tossed into a dumpster.
Nobody here noticed
anything out of the ordinary.
♪
And no one can tell me
what happened to her.
You look familiar to me.
How do I know you?
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Why don't you grab your
coat and step outside?
Let's go.
♪
Sorry for your loss.
You really found Ava in the dumpster?
- What's your name?
- Sienna Barton.
I recognized that hand signal.
You were asking for help, right?
I have a daughter about your age.
She learned it on social media.
- I need to talk to my parents.
- Sure.
I'll get you a phone. Come here.
Hold on. You're safe with us.
No one's gonna hurt you.
It's okay. It's okay.
Just take a breath.
You know your friend
Ava was sick, right?
She had a brand that got infected.
You know anything about that?
I don't wanna talk about all this.
I need to call my parents.
Then why don't we
call them from the car?
It's probably safer.
Is that okay?
♪
Ava and I worked in
the same coffee shop.
She said she was feeling kind of stuck,
so I told her about
this group, Lodestar.
I thought we could help.
Was she being held against her will?
No. We were all there voluntarily.
Can you explain the ligature marks?
On her wrists, she had these marks.
It looked like she was being restrained.
That's from the branding ceremony.
It kind of hurts, so
we tie everyone down.
When was she branded?
A couple of weeks ago.
That wound got infected.
That's what killed her.
Did you did you notice
her health was deteriorating?
She seemed okay, but I didn't really
see her much in the past few days.
Did somebody prevent
her from seeing a doctor?
Not exactly.
I'm sorry, but it's complicated.
You can tell us what you're afraid of.
I'm not a victim.
Lodestar is my guide. I
will manifest my future.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
We respect that, but a woman has died.
You know that you
participated in an assault?
Sienna, sweetheart.
This is my daughter.
I wanna talk to her alone.
I think we should charge her.
With what?
Assault, conspiracy, manslaughter.
She admitted she
participated in the branding.
No, I get it, but I just
I don't think that's enough.
We charge manslaughter when kids
drink themselves to death
at fraternity hazings.
Yeah, but that's not what happened here.
There's a time gap.
She had enough time to go to a doctor.
Maybe somebody didn't let her
because going to get medical treatment
would have drawn attention to the cult.
Okay. Fair enough.
So if you can find
evidence that the person
who branded Ava also prevented
her from going to the doctor
and then dumped her body,
we can charge that person with homicide.
Police. Open up.
Police.
We're executing a search warrant.
We need to enter the premises.
Step back, miss.
Please step back.
- Move into that room, please.
- Come on.
- Ladies, let's go.
- Hey, let's go. Come on.
I need everyone to
stop what they're doing
and move over to this room. Come on.
Move along. Have a seat.
Keep an eye on them.
Where's Ava's room?
It's over there at the end of the hall.
- Whose room is that?
- That's my room.
Please have a seat.
♪
I was just in Ava's bedroom.
Couldn't find a cell phone,
but I found a brand new carpet
with the price tag still on it.
I got a receipt for
an 8 by 10 foot carpet,
purchased this morning.
- Paid for by Jocelyn Davis.
- Get out of here.
So she replaced the carpet,
which shows consciousness of guilt.
Means we can prove Ava
was killed in her bedroom.
Also means we can prove
Jocelyn lied to us.
She said that Ava went to go see a band
and never came home.
There she is.
I got the branding iron.
Well, that's three
strikes against Jocelyn.
Jocelyn, could you
come over here, please?
We need a word.
You can't take control over me.
You can't break the circle.
These bonds, they're shatterproof.
You don't wanna interfere in an arrest.
We stand united.
Yeah, that's not how this works.
So you back off now,
or we're gonna do our own division.
Frank, let's try a different approach.
Jocelyn, you seem like a smart woman.
Come with us.
Okay, all of you listen to me closely.
We can do this the easy way,
or we can do this my partner's way.
Up to you.
♪
It's okay.
We haven't done anything wrong.
Put your hands behind your back.
You're under arrest for
the death of Ava Newhall.
This is a branding iron
we found in your bedroom.
Your fingerprints were
lifted from the handle.
Ava's DNA was found
on the Lodestar stamp.
Ava consented to the branding.
We both know consent is not a defense
to the infliction of
serious bodily injury.
And we found this
carpet in the dumpster.
It was used to hide and
transport Ava's dead body.
Crime lab technicians
recovered a few strands
of hair in the fibers.
Matches your client's DNA
strong evidence that she's the
one who disposed of the body.
Why did you throw her into a dumpster?
Why didn't you call her parents?
Why didn't you call 911?
Don't answer that.
From where I sit, you didn't
want her to get any help.
You didn't want the
doctors to see her branding.
You knew that would
expose you and your cult.
Who helped you carry the body?
'Cause there was no way
that you lugged her body
out of the loft by yourself.
Ava Newhall got sick from the branding.
We don't deny that.
But she was awake and alert
and able to move and
make her own decisions.
She could have called
the doctor or her parents.
Tough to do when you're tied down.
This is absurd.
There is no causal
connection between my client's
alleged actions and Ava's death.
Come on. We're getting out of here.
May I?
Charge her.
Charge her with what?
♪
The defendant is charged
with aggravated assault
and illegal disposal of a corpse.
Are the People seeking bail?
We're seeking 1 million cash.
$1 million?
At most she's facing
a few years probation.
Point taken.
Why should I impose bail, Ms. Maroun?
The defendant branded another woman
as part of an initiation into a cult.
The wound got infected
and Ava Newhall died.
Then the defendant dumped
her dead body in the trash.
Your Honor, my client
has no criminal record.
She is not a flight risk.
The people are simply punishing her
for her unconventional lifestyle.
These are trumped up
charges that will go nowhere.
We're asking for personal.
The defendant is currently
under investigation for murder.
If the people wanna charge murder,
come back and I'll reconsider the bail.
Until then, I'm releasing
her on her own recognizance.
Can I go? Am I free?
Yes.
- Next case.
- [GAVEL BANGS]
What the hell happened in there?
It's only the arraignment.
We thought the judge would hold her.
Bail is only to assure
that she'll return.
I don't need a lecture from you on bail.
I know how the system works.
The woman who killed my daughter,
rolled her body up in a carpet,
and tossed her in a dumpster
gets to go home to her comfortable loft
while our daughter lies in a
coffin in Woodland Cemetery.
[GRUNTS]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
No. No! Stop. It's okay.
Well, Jocelyn Davis just
waltzed out of the courtroom.
She's probably out buying a
new branding iron as we speak.
Don't you have her on
a couple of felonies?
Mm-hmm.
So chances are she'll end
up serving a year or two.
That's not enough. Not even close.
Do you have any evidence to
suggest that Jocelyn Davis
is responsible for the
death of this young woman?
No, but that doesn't mean
she's not responsible.
She's a cult leader, Nolan.
She recruits young, vulnerable women
fresh out of college
just trying to figure out
what to do with their lives, then
then she preys on them, controls them,
manipulates them, steals their money.
She's the reason a
22-year-old woman is dead.
Fair enough, but you're
just saying things.
There's no real
evidence to support this.
No. I know.
If you want me to
prosecute it as a homicide,
you need something concrete,
something that shows
that Jocelyn prevented Ava
from getting treatment for her wounds.
I tried, but none of
the women in the cult
are willing to cooperate.
Well, then work with Forensics.
See if you can find texts or voicemails
that show that Jocelyn
exercised control over Ava,
something that prevented her
from seeking medical attention.
I've done a deep dive
into Jocelyn's devices.
She didn't send any texts
or voicemails to Ava,
but I did find some disturbing videos.
This is Sienna Barton's.
Last year, I volunteered
at an emergency shelter
for abused women and children.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I stole money from one of
the women who lived there.
$1,000, probably all the money
that she had in the world.
When she realized the money was missing,
I blamed somebody else,
and that person got fired,
and she was arrested.
But I'm not a victim.
I own what I did.
Still, if my family
[SIGHS] Or my friends find out
I'd want to kill myself.
I am so ashamed.
I share this confession
as an expression of trust
for my entry into Lodestar.
♪
That's why she didn't wanna cooperate.
She was afraid of being exposed.
Looks that way.
What about Ava? She
make any confessions?
Yeah. Check it out.
My mom is kind of famous.
She's the anchor on
"Evening in America."
She's she's having an affair
with one of the
political correspondents.
If my dad knew, he'd be heartbroken,
and she'd lose her job for sure.
But I trust you with this confession.
I am not a victim.
I am on a path to
creative enlightenment.
I am sharing this confession
as an expression of trust
for my entry into Lodestar.
[APPLAUSE]
The video confessions show
that Jocelyn had the power
to exert tremendous
pressure over these women
to get them to do whatever she wanted.
That's good news.
Once they gave over their confessions,
the women couldn't walk away.
They'd live in fear that their
secrets would be revealed.
Took away their free will.
And it explains why Ava
didn't seek medical treatment
for her infection. She felt threatened.
And she wanted to protect her mother.
That makes it a kidnapping.
Which is a felony.
Since Ava died during the
course of that felony
It's a felony murder.
There's our homicide case.
We've elevated the
charges to felony murder.
Thank you.
And she's been rearrested
and held without bail.
You have no idea how
much we appreciate that.
We have to warn you.
It's gonna come at a cost.
What do you mean?
There are things that are
gonna come out at trial.
Things about Ava?
Things about the family.
We don't care. We just
want justice for Ava.
But what kind of things?
Ava shared some secrets with the group.
We don't have anything to hide.
Right, honey?
♪
She was a free spirit,
so smart and creative.
And she was a musician.
She played the guitar and she sang.
We wanted her to go to
graduate school at Berkeley.
She'd filled out the applications,
but, like most creatives,
she had her demons.
She was going through
a period of self-doubt.
Was it during this period
that she was introduced
to the defendant, Jocelyn Davis?
Yes.
She sucked the life out of
her, took away her autonomy,
imposed harmful and arbitrary rules.
So the defendant
exercised control over Ava?
Once, when I hadn't
seen Ava in a few weeks,
I begged her to meet me for lunch.
And were you able to
see your own daughter?
Ava said that she had
to check with Jocelyn.
And Jocelyn told her
that she needed to focus
on her creative enlightenment.
So the defendant
controlled Ava's movements.
She dictated who she could
and couldn't socialize with.
Objection.
Sustained.
Are you aware of a video confession
Ava made to the defendant?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I don't know how she found out, but
Ava knew that I was having
an affair with a colleague,
and she knew that if
it got out, my marriage
and my career would suffer tremendously.
♪
Was Ava protective of you?
Of your marriage or your career?
Very.
I believe that Ava went to her grave
in order to protect my secret.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
You can't prove that my
client used this information
to threaten your daughter, can you?
Objection Ms. Newhall
is simply a witness.
Not her burden to prove
or disprove anything.
Sustained.
You can't testify my client
prevented your daughter
from calling a doctor
or going to a hospital.
No, but one can infer.
Here, in a court of law, we
deal in facts and evidence,
not what one can infer.
Your Honor, I have nothing
further for this witness.
I move for a directed verdict.
Your Honor, the people
submit that there's
Hold it, Mr. Price.
I'll see all counsels in my chambers.
The people have no concrete proof
that my client committed a kidnapping.
There is nothing to
show that Ava Newhall
was being held against her will.
Mr. Price, is that true?
People are allowed to
present a circumstantial case.
That may be, but if you can't offer
a direct causal connection
between the defendant
and the victim's failure
to seek medical assistance,
I'm prepared to issue a directed verdict
and find Jocelyn Davis not
guilty as a matter of law.
That won't be necessary.
We have a witness who will
tie all the elements together
and establish that Ava
wasn't free to leave the loft
and seek medical help.
What are you talking about?
Or better yet, who
are you talking about?
Sienna Barton.
Sienna B no.
Not a chance in hell
she's gonna cooperate.
I told you before, I
don't want to testify.
Sienna has been through hell and back.
That is exactly why I need her.
She has to tell the jury
what she and Ava endured.
We know all the women in the cult
were required to share
embarrassing things
about their past.
We watched your video confession.
I know it feels like a huge deal.
You did something shameful
when you worked at a shelter,
but it's not the end of the world.
It is for me.
Can't you people just leave her alone?
Sienna's testimony is critical.
She can prove that Jocelyn
used the confessions
to threaten women into submission.
And more specifically,
it'll prove why Ava
was afraid to seek medical
help and ended up dead.
I want to help you, but
Sienna, like it or not,
you played a role in all this.
You held Ava down while she was branded.
What exactly are you saying?
She doesn't cooperate,
we will charge her
with several felonies.
Assault, kidnapping, manslaughter.
Are you crazy?
She's the victim here.
She was brainwashed and branded.
Doesn't mean she didn't
commit a crime too.
She could spend a few years in prison.
I know that you have suffered
tremendous emotional and physical pain.
We wanna hold the person
who did this to you
and who killed Ava responsible.
And to do that, we need your help.
And if she cooperates?
We'll immunize her. We'll
treat her as a victim.
And she will go back home with you.
Be smart, Sienna.
Your future depends on it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Did Jocelyn Davis prevent Ava
from getting medical
treatment for her wound?
Yes.
Did she render any aid herself?
She told me she put
bandages on the wound,
gave her painkillers.
Can you please tell the jury
how the defendant convinced
Ava to stay in her room?
Jocelyn threatened to
release her confession.
Ava was scared.
She wanted to get help, but
she felt like she had no choice.
Jocelyn Davis held all the confessions.
She made all the decisions.
She was in charge.
Yes. Well
not exactly.
Lodestar was really in charge.
Lodestar?
He's our supreme leader.
Lodestar is a person?
Yes.
We didn't meet him until
after we'd been branded,
after we gave our confessions.
Had Ava met him?
Not yet. She was going to.
Did Lodestar have
influence over Jocelyn?
He controlled all of
us, including Jocelyn.
He set the rules, told
us where we could go,
who we could socialize
with, what we could eat.
He, um, liked us to be thin.
- And the money?
- He kept our money.
What about the confessions?
Jocelyn sent them to him.
Anything else?
There was the sex.
♪
The real head of the cult
is this guy, Zach Elfont.
He gets Jocelyn Davis to control
and manipulate the women,
pressure them to donate
money to the cult,
but it's really a guise
for this Zach Elfont guy
to get rich and have
sex with young women.
Sounds like the NXIVM cult.
It's more like a sick copycat.
No one at NXIVM died
from their branding.
Why are we just learning
about Elfont now?
His name never came up.
Members of the cult have
obviously been protecting him.
But he's the one calling the shots?
Yes.
Jocelyn gives him the confessions,
and he uses them to coerce women
into doing whatever he wants.
So this whole thing is about
pleasing a sociopathic narcissist?
I wanna charge Elfont
with felony murder.
What's stopping you?
Sienna can't testify about
his involvement with Ava's death.
I can't prove that without Jocelyn.
Then try to flip Jocelyn.
We'd like your cooperation.
And in exchange?
We are prepared to offer full immunity,
dismiss all charges.
I can't.
I can't turn on Lodestar.
We just want you to tell the
truth about what happened.
The truth is, he's a great guy.
I'd be nothing without him.
I was a 16-year-old
punk when I met Lodestar.
16? Did he have sex
with you at that age?
That's not important.
You were a minor.
He exerted tremendous
influence over you.
Lodestar saved me.
I grew up with an abusive stepfather.
I ran away.
I started doing drugs, stealing.
And then I met him.
And he took advantage of you.
♪
I'm not a victim.
He taught me to stand up for myself,
and that's what I'm doing.
Don't you hear the irony?
He has trained you to believe
that you're not a victim.
And all the while, he's
been victimizing you.
You're facing life in
prison because of him.
Jocelyn, they are offering a fair deal.
Think about it. Protect yourself.
♪
We are going to get him
with or without you.
You'll never get
anywhere in your journey
until you stop complaining
about what the world owes you.
The world owes you nothing.
You have to stop acting like victims.
Excuse me, Lodestar.
- Can I help you?
- We'll see about that. NYPD.
Take your hands out of your pocket.
Put your hands behind your back.
Okay, hold on. What are you doing?
We're taking you on your
own journey to enlightenment.
[WOMEN ARGUING]
- He hasn't done anything.
- Stop!
He hasn't done anything wrong.
We've developed a strong homicide
case against you, Mr. Elfont.
Jocelyn called me from the jail.
She said you tried to pressure her.
She's not gonna testify against me.
We don't need her testimony.
Forensic analysis of your
phone shows that Jocelyn texted
Ava's confession to you.
I never asked her to
send me those things.
The woman has an unhealthy
obsession with me.
She was jealous of Ava.
Mm-hmm.
We also have GPS and surveillance video
of your car outside the
loft and near the dumpster
around the time that Ava died.
Jocelyn borrowed my car all the time.
Bank records show that
Jocelyn sent you all the money
she collected from the women.
I run a business.
I help women who wanna
tap into their creativity.
Jocelyn worked for me.
She helped to collect tuition.
And oh, by the way, I
slept with some of them.
Nothing illegal about that.
All this stuff about
branding and confessions
and cults, it's insane.
I had nothing to do with it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Elfont has an answer for everything.
I need Jocelyn to refute the
false narrative he's created.
If you can't get her to cooperate
There's a good chance he skates.
Where are you with Jocelyn's trial?
It's winding down.
Are you going to get a conviction?
I believe I am.
Not exactly cause for despair.
Let's not forget she's responsible
for Ava Newhall's death.
Elfont was behind it all.
He met her when she was a teenager.
He groomed her for sex.
He manipulated her
into doing his bidding.
All you can do is offer her a fair deal.
The rest is up to her.
You're not her lawyer.
I must say, I was pleased to
receive your call last night.
Well, I was glad too.
Jocelyn and I have
done a lot of talking,
and she does see the importance
of protecting herself here.
That true?
You willing to testify against him?
Yes. Absolutely.
I want him to pay for
what he did to those girls.
And for what he did to me.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
I'm not a bad person, Mr. Price.
I swear.
I just
I lost my way.
Those things you said about
manifesting your future,
you're doing that
right here, right now.
So good for you.
♪
Sam.
Good news.
Jocelyn's lawyer managed
to talk sense into her.
She has agreed to cooperate.
It's too late.
- What do you mean?
- Elfont is dead.
He's dead?
Lodestar mouthed off to the wrong guy.
Someone beat him to death in
his cell about an hour ago.
You're prepared to do your closing?
What, you want me to
pull Jocelyn's plea offer?
We don't need her testimony anymore.
That doesn't change the fact
that she's still a victim.
She was a victim.
At some point, she became a victimizer.
She recruited dozens
of unsuspecting women,
took their money, groomed
them for sex with this guy.
None of this would have
happened without Elfont.
She killed someone. She's
gotta answer to that.
Would we be having this conversation
if Jocelyn was a man?
♪
- I thought we had a deal.
- Circumstances changed.
But she was willing to cooperate.
It's not her fault that Elfont is dead.
We made her a fair offer.
She waited too long to accept.
You yourself admitted
that she was a victim.
You pleaded with me to
get her to cooperate.
Can we at least come to
some kind of a compromise?
We both know she doesn't deserve
to spend the rest of her life in prison.
I understand both parties
have reached an agreement.
My client would like to
change her plea to guilty.
Is that true, Ms. Davis?
Yes.
I just wanna say to the Newhall family,
I'm so sorry.
I really liked Ava.
I wish I had never gotten
involved in Lodestar,
that I'd never met Zach.
I used to think I was lucky to know him,
to be in his orbit,
but he used me.
He used all of us.
♪
Thank you, Ms. Davis.
I'll accept your plea
as knowing and voluntary.
Do the people move for sentencing?
- We do.
- What's your recommendation?
We have an agreed-upon recommendation
of 12 years in state prison.
The court hereby sentences you
to serve 12 years in
the state penitentiary.
[GAVEL BANGS]
We're adjourned.
♪
12 years.
If we give a free pass to everyone
who's ever been victimized,
we'll have to open the prison gates.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]