Law & Order (1990) s22e21 Episode Script
Appraisal
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.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[UPBEAT POP MUSIC PLAYING]
I just sold the green lobster,
and some hedge funder named Kemper
or something or other
is interested in the eel.
Oh, my God, that is amazing.
I'm gonna ask 50 grand for it.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
I still can't believe
that people pay money
- for the things that I make.
- You deserve every penny.
- Thank you.
- Excuse me.
- Love that.
- Mm.
- How much?
- 6,000.
Do you think it's worth $6,000?
I can't say what something is worth,
- but that's what I'm charging.
- I'll take it.
- Great choice.
- Thank you.
- [LAUGHS]
- Oh, my God.
- 6,000.
- 6,000.
- BOTH: $6,000.
- We are killing it!
Come on, I just live
in the next building.
I'm sorry, but you gotta go around.
Hey, get your hands off him!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!
- Move, move, move, hey!
Officer, take it easy.
I got it. I got it.
Take it easy.
Hey, sorry, pal, but this
is an active crime scene.
Look, we let you walk through there,
you'll compromise the integrity
of the crime scene.
Do you understand?
I know it's a pain in the ass,
but we're investigating a murder.
I appreciate your cooperation,
all right?
Defund the police.
ALL: Yeah! That's right!
Better yet, abolish the police!
That's right!
[CROWD SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
It's so nice to feel loved
and admired in this city.
[LAUGHS]
Workers came in this morning,
saw some things
were turned over, blood on the floor,
and the gallery owner, Madison Platt,
was supposed to be here,
but apparently, she's gone missing.
When's the last time
anybody had eyes on her?
There was a big party here last night,
about 80 people.
We're gonna need to see that guest list.
- Is that art or evidence?
- Hard to tell.
Detectives, this is definitely blood,
probably from these.
Found three spent shell casings.
Got some kind of residue on them.
Get 'em to Ballistics.
Let me ask you a question.
Why was Homicide called in?
How are you so sure
this wasn't a sexual assault
or a kidnapping?
There's that.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
That ain't art.
♪
That is a piece of someone's brain.
Good enough for me.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
The spent shell casings
are all 9-millimeter.
No DNA, no prints,
but here's what's strange.
Take a look.
No etchings.
Just a faint impression
on the primer cup
from the firing pin.
So you're saying the shooter
used a ghost gun.
Homemade, unserialized, untraceable.
- Something like this.
- Wow.
I've never actually seen one.
They're becoming the new normal.
So the residue on the casing
is from a ghost gun?
The gun was made
out of a lightweight polymer,
came out of a 3-D printer.
Who has access
to these kinds of printers?
Companies mostly.
Pay a lot of money for them.
Price tag can range anywhere
from 10 grand to $1/2 million.
My kids sent it over. Want a slice?
I'm good. Happy birthday, Frank.
The big 5-0.
Yeah, it doesn't feel great,
but it's better than the alternative.
I hope you planned something fun.
When I turned 50, I went to Vegas.
I saw Motley Crue,
and I won my plane fare
at the Texas Hold'em table,
so good times.
That's cool.
So we are looking for
a tech savvy shooter, right?
Yeah, probably someone
with deep pockets,
'cause those 3-D printers,
they cost more than my house.
Do we know if he or she
was at the gallery event?
We're still interviewing guests,
but so far, no one has reported
anything suspicious.
And everybody who saw her
said that Madison was alive
and well when they left.
And no one has seen
or heard from her since.
There's no credit card activities
or cell phone activity.
Anything suspicious
on the security cameras
at the gallery?
Uh, one small detail to note,
the cameras stopped working
at 10:07 p.m.
- What do you mean?
- Means they went dead.
But we do have this.
Last known photograph of Madison.
Is she carrying a purse or a radio?
Mm-mmm.
So what happened with
the security surveillance?
They were jammed.
It appears that somebody
was able to hack the system.
So obviously, this was planned.
- Looking that way.
- Any unusual texts, emails?
Actually, yeah.
A few hours before the party,
she got a message
from someone named Brett Greyson.
"I've been patient,
but it's time to pay.
Otherwise, it isn't going to end well."
The email address
is from Futuristic Creations.
Any chance those guys make 3-D printers?
They do virtual reality.
We need to find this Brett Greyson,
give him a little piece of our reality.
Madison is missing,
and you think
I had something to do with it?
We read the email you sent to her.
Came off like a threat.
- She owes me 500 grand.
- Oh, yeah? For what?
She sold me a phony NFT.
- NF what's that?
- NFT?
Non-fungible token?
- It's a digital collectible.
- Of course.
I'm glad we cleared that up.
It's like a one of a kind baseball card,
except it has to be real.
I'm in the wrong line of business.
You paid $1/2 million for that?
Damn right.
That's the future right there.
But it has to be real.
So I get it, so Madison sold you
some counterfeit "art,"
and you're pissed off.
You want your money back.
She told you to go to hell.
No, she said fine.
She had no idea it wasn't legit.
Promised me
she'd pay me back every penny.
I waited a couple of days,
but she never wired the money.
So you went over to
the gallery to shake her down?
I didn't buy it because I'm rich.
I was trying to trade it,
sell it to someone else.
All right, so you're at the gallery.
- Did you talk?
- Yeah.
We spoke for a couple minutes.
I even recorded
the conversation, you know?
In case I had to sue her,
I wanted proof.
I understand. I feel terrible.
I'm so sorry.
I will get you the money
this week, I promise.
I just I just need
to sell a few things
to raise the cash,
but you need to leave, okay?
Right now. This is an important night.
Timestamp is 9:49 p.m.
There were at least 50 people
still there when I left.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Greyson's alibi checks out.
Security video from down the street
shows that he left
the neighborhood at 9:51,
but look at this. Do you see that SUV?
It shows up at 10:02 p.m.,
which is right before
the gallery security camera
stopped recording.
The guy waits in the car
for a couple of hours,
and then at 12:24 a.m., he gets out
- and heads into the gallery.
- Any hits off of facial rec?
I tried, but his hat and scarf
- are covering his face.
- License plate?
It's covered in some kind of plastic.
Okay, so what time
did our boy leave the gallery?
Seven minutes later.
[EXHALES SHARPLY] That's efficient.
And resourceful.
He goes inside, takes care of business,
and then wheels her out in a crate.
Check all the surveillance
cameras in the area
and see if we can't track down that SUV.
On it.
♪
Who needs a lanai in Boca
when you got views like this.
Oh, hey, Frank.
I think I got something over here.
It's that purse thingy that Madison had
- at the event, right?
- Looks it.
Okay, come on.
Yep, it's her ID.
- Credit card still there.
- She's gotta be here.
Hey. Hold onto this.
- Hey, guys, check it out.
- Bag this.
What do you got?
Yeah, open that up.
♪
[OFFICERS GROANING]
- Ah.
- [COUGHS]
That's definitely not Madison Platt.
♪
- So what do you know?
- DOA is Sarah Baker.
She was one of the artists
at the gallery event.
And we just talked to the crime lab.
The brain matter
on the painting is a match.
Okay, what about Madison Platt?
Where the hell is she?
Do you think she's got something
to do with the shooting?
Maybe that's why she disappeared.
It's possible,
but we found her blood on
the gallery floor, too, so
So you think she's a victim too.
Looks that way.
Okay.
We need to find her, dead or alive,
and then we have to contact
these two women's families
and tell them what's going on,
see if they can help us.
Done.
SO this is good news, right?
The body you found wasn't Madison,
so she could still be alive.
It's possible.
But not probable.
Unfortunately, we don't have
an answer for you.
We're considering all possibilities.
Officers are out canvassing,
collecting evidence.
We want to be straight with you.
Your sister's blood
was found at the crime scene,
and she hasn't been seen
or heard from in over 24 hours.
Just prepare yourself.
Okay. Okay.
The attack happened
at Madison's gallery,
and it appeared to be premeditated.
Do you have any idea
who might want to hurt her?
No, no, everybody loves Maddy.
She doesn't just sell paintings.
She nurtures artists.
She's the kind of rep
that believes in you
before you believe in yourself.
Do you know an artist named Sarah Baker?
Yeah, of course I know Sarah.
Did her and Maddy have any problems?
No, Madison discovered Sarah,
for God's sake.
They were very good friends.
I saw them at the show.
You should've seen 'em.
They were both so excited.
You saw them? You were there?
I was, but I was tired,
and I left early.
I left around 11:00. I should've stayed.
No, I should've helped Maddy lock up
- No, no, don't even go there.
- No, it's true.
If I had stayed, if I'd made sure
that Maddy got to a cab
You could've ended up dead or missing.
Trust me, I've seen
this kind of thing before.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I'm sorry, you know
that Maddy's not just
another missing person,
she's my sister, right?
Of course. That's not what I meant.
Okay, look, I'm, um, I'm sorry.
I know that you guys deal with
these kind of cases every day.
But for me
it's the worst thing
that could possibly happen.
I need to find out
what happened to my sister.
And we're gonna do
everything in our power
to bring Maddy home. I give you my word.
We flew in from Colorado
just to see Sarah's exhibit.
Her first big show
in a Manhattan art gallery.
It was going to be
the most exciting night of her life.
Did you have plans to see her again?
We were gonna have dinner
with her tonight.
I left a few messages.
Figured she got busy
and we'd see her at the restaurant.
Did your daughter ever mention
having any issues with anyone?
She talked about her art, mostly.
Didn't share a lot
about her personal life,
and we didn't like to pry.
It might be nothing, but she did mention
she was having some problems
with her landlord.
What do you mean
she was having problems?
Once, when I was on the phone with her,
landlord showed up at her apartment,
used the passkey to let himself in.
Wait, he entered
her apartment unannounced?
She sounded really startled.
He said he was there
to fix a clogged drain,
but she said there was
nothing wrong with her sink.
I told her she should move
to a new place,
but she said it was probably nothing.
Told me not to worry.
I should've insisted.
Do you happen to know
the name of the landlord?
♪
Sarah payed her rent on time.
Never threw loud parties.
Stellar tenant.
So you never had a problem with her?
- Nope.
- That's funny.
'Cause when we checked,
we found out that Sarah filed
a formal housing complaint
against you last week.
[CHUCKLES] That's news to me.
Wait, what am I looking at here?
Do you have cameras inside the units?
Did your tenants consent to this?
No comment.
It seems like this is something
you should comment on, buddy.
I don't gotta tell you a damn thing.
- Now leave.
- No, we're staying.
We're gonna ask again.
Why are you spying on young women
- in their apartment?
- I'm gonna call my lawyer.
Well, you can, and tell 'em
to meet you down at our precinct
'cause you're under arrest.
♪
My client vehemently denies
any involvement
in the disappearance of Sarah Baker
or Madison Platt.
Then you need to tell us why
you were spying on Sarah Baker.
Tell them about
the surveillance cameras.
I own the building where
Sarah Baker was living.
The building has a few
rent controlled tenants,
people paying 700 bucks a month
for units
- that could rent for five grand.
- I don't think you understand.
We don't care what your take is
on the fair market value
- of Manhattan real estate.
- Hear us out.
Some of the tenants
are illegally subletting
their apartments.
There's no evidence that Sarah Baker
was doing that, yes or no?
So you just put cameras
in people's apartments,
spy on young women,
watch them get undressed
and God knows what else.
Sarah discovered it,
found out that you were spying on her.
She files a complaint against you
in the housing court.
That sounds like a pretty strong motive
- for murder.
- Sure does.
What were you doing two nights ago?
I was at home watching TV.
For most of the night, anyway.
What's that mean, most of the night?
I went out for 30 minutes
or so to buy groceries
at the store on the corner.
You can check
all the surveillance cameras
in the building.
I got something.
So Marquette only left
the building for 25 minutes,
not even long enough to get
across town to the gallery,
but I found something else,
something more interesting.
So at 4:12 p.m.
on the day of the murder,
this man bangs on Sarah's door,
waits a few minutes,
gets no response, and then leaves.
Who the hell is that jerk?
I don't know, but he's pretty angry.
He also happens to own a black SUV.
Did you run the plates?
It's registered to Matthew Nelson,
date of birth July 11th, 1996.
- He have a rap sheet?
- No.
Matthew Nelson. Ooh.
Billionaire hedge fund manager.
"Wall Street Journal" calls him
a pioneer in cryptocurrency.
Get a warrant and find out
where Mr. Crypto parks his SUV.
Done.
This crypto stuff might be fake,
but the things it buys sure ain't.
My first partner's
driving one of these now.
- On a cop's salary?
- Oh, no, he's off the job.
Started his own private security firm
down in Florida.
He's been begging me to join ever since.
Ah. Tempted?
Well, this job isn't getting any easier,
and I'm not getting any younger.
- Is that a yes?
- Well
- Hey, hey!
- Sir.
- Sir, you can't go down there.
- Excuse me.
- Sir!
- The hell is this?
NYPD. Are you Matthew Nelson?
Yeah, this is This is my car.
And this is a warrant
to search your car.
For what exactly?
We're investigating
the murder of Sarah Baker
and the disappearance of Madison Platt.
- Those names ring a bell?
- Sarah's dead?
Someone shot her two nights ago,
and the vehicle the killer used
is identical to this one,
so you can see
where we're going with this?
- How'd you know Sarah?
- We used to date.
We broke up a couple months ago.
And two days ago,
you went to her apartment.
You banged on her door. Why's that?
[LAUGHS]
Because I had some stuff
to pick up, all right?
I mean, it wasn't a big deal.
She wound up with a bullet
in her head seven hours later,
so it's kind of a big deal.
What were you doing
two nights ago around midnight?
I was on a Zoom call.
- At midnight?
- Yeah.
It was with investors in Asia.
Look, hey, if you don't believe me,
you can check in with my assistant,
the 25 other people in attendance.
We will.
In the meantime,
we're impounding your car.
Struck out with the car.
Nothing from Forensics.
But something interesting.
We found a car wash receipt,
timestamp 9:00 a.m.
- the morning after the murders.
- It's better than nothing.
- Does he have an alibi?
- Yeah.
Problem is, he was
on a Zoom call for work.
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
I just went through
the entire Zoom recording
frame by frame.
The Zoom meeting is real,
but Nelson found a way
to splice himself in.
How can you tell that?
It's a prerecorded video on loop.
He's on mute for the entire meeting,
and every six minutes,
the video repeats itself.
He touches his chin,
blinks, and looks down.
So we have a false alibi,
an SUV that matches the car
at the murder scene,
and a car wash receipt.
And a video of Nelson
banging on Sarah Baker's door
seven hours before she was killed.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Arrest him.
The reason I'm confused
is because those numbers
- should be the same ones up
- Matthew Nelson.
Stay where you are. Show us your hands.
- I said stay where you are.
- Don't even think about it.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on here?
- Why you guys here, huh?
- We're arresting you.
Arresting me? That's ridiculous.
- I refuse.
- Uh, yeah.
You don't have the right to refuse.
You do have the right to remain silent,
though, dumbass.
♪
The evidence is strong.
It would be a lot better if we
actually had the murder weapon.
- It is what it is.
- I understand.
We will arraign him tomorrow
for the murder of Sarah Baker.
What about Madison Platt?
Not sure about that.
Well, she's been missing
for almost a week.
We don't have her body.
Her blood was at the murder scene.
Her purse was at the landfill.
There's no activity on her credit cards
or cell phone.
Assuming someone is dead and proving it
beyond a reasonable doubt
are two very different propositions.
Come on, Nolan, we both know
this billionaire crypto prick
killed her.
You know, every time I've walked
into your courtroom, you go on about
how victims deserve justice.
Well, Bruce Platt deserves
justice for his sister,
and I hope you do right by her.
Charge this guy with the two murders
and just call it a day.
And if you need more evidence,
you let us know.
We'll find it.
What the hell was that?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Next case. [GAVEL BANGS]
Your Honor, the defendant stands charged
with two counts of murder.
- People request remand.
- Ms. Gates.
This case is a prime example
of a rush to judgement.
The people have no evidence,
no murder weapon,
no eyewitness, and no motive.
My client runs a $50 billion hedge fund,
he has no criminal record,
and he is certain
to be acquitted after trial.
What are the facts, Ms. Maroun?
We have a strong circumstantial case.
The defendant used to date
one of the victims, Sarah Baker.
In fact, he was at Ms. Baker's apartment
on the day of the murder, clearly angry,
on a mission to find her.
Hours later, a man was captured on video
leaving the murder scene.
That man got into a car
similar to the one
registered to the defendant,
and when questioned,
he gave a false alibi.
Like I said,
they have no concrete evidence
to tie my client to this crime.
Defense asks the court to impose
a reasonable bail
in the amount of 20 million.
Okay, Your Honor,
the defendant has infinite resources.
20 million is nothing to him.
Might as well be 20,000.
I'm setting the bail
in the amount of 20 million.
Will the court consider
an electronic monitor?
I think that's reasonable.
The defendant shall be ordered
to wear an ankle monitor.
[GAVEL BANGS] Next case.
Nelson posted bail. 20 million.
- Who said money doesn't matter?
- Not me, that's for sure.
I just got off the phone with
the state attorney general.
Nelson is the subject
of a grand jury probe.
- What's the allegation?
- Fraud.
He's like another Bernie Madoff
or Sam Bankman-Fried,
except here he's raising money
from pension funds
and retirement accounts
and then funneling it overseas.
That's just what we need,
a Wall Street sociopath
ripping off city workers.
Were Sarah Baker or Madison Platt
somehow involved in the fraud?
No, in fact, Sarah was
the government's star witness.
She was scheduled to appear
in the grand jury
- the day after she was murdered.
- To say what?
She's the only person who can help prove
Nelson intentionally diverted
the fund's capital
into a, uh, cold crypto wallet.
It's like a secure flash drive,
impossible to penetrate.
It protects digital assets.
Whatever it is, it gives you the piece
you were missing: motive.
Nelson killed Sarah
in order to silence her.
And Madison Platt got in the way.
[PHONE CHIMES]
Defense just filed a motion to exclude
any mention of the fraud case.
♪
The fraud allegations are relevant
to establish the defendant's motive,
that he murdered Sarah Baker
because she was gonna testify
against him in the grand jury.
What about the other victim?
Was Madison Platt involved
in the fraud case?
No, sadly, she was just
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ms. Gates, why isn't
the information relevant
and admissible
under the Molineux doctrine?
The evidence is only relevant
if they can prove
my client had actual knowledge
that Sarah Baker
planned to testify against him.
We have evidence that the defendant
was banging on Ms. Baker's door
a few hours prior to the murder.
He was there to threaten her,
to tell her not to testify,
and when she didn't open the door,
he tracked her down
to the gallery and killed her.
That argument requires
huge leaps of logic
- and mental gymnastics.
- I agree.
It's too speculative for me.
Mr. Price, unless you have
something concrete
that shows Mr. Nelson knew
that Sarah Baker
was going to testify against him,
the evidence is out.
♪
Price just called.
He needs something to prove
that Nelson knew Sarah Baker
was planning
to testify against him
in the fraud case.
We've been looking through
Nelson's emails, his texts.
We haven't found anything relevant.
- Yet.
- Okay, we'll keep digging.
- But you gotta understand
- Hey, sorry.
I have been going over
Nelson's search history.
It's what you might expect
for the most part
Mansions, yachts, porn
But the thing that stood out was,
the day before we arrested him,
he logged into the email account
of some random furniture gallery.
Madison Platt's brother
works at a furniture gallery.
Hmm.
Wait, you think that Nelson was hacking
into her brother's emails? Why?
- No clue.
- Only one way to find out.
We think Matthew Nelson
hacked into your email account.
Bruce, help us out.
Why would he do that?
I'm thinking he was looking
for something, yeah?
- I I guys, I can
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you doing? Give me that phone.
What? I'm sorry, no.
I think you'll need a warrant.
Oh, you want to do it that way?
- No.
- Give him your phone.
Okay, what are you doing?
What the hell are you doing?
I'm arresting you for obstruction.
Okay, that is ridiculous.
Look, there's two ways it can go.
We arrest you and we get
a warrant for your phone,
or you just tell us
what the hell is going on.
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, Maddy
Maddy has been emailing me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
What? Your sister is alive?
Yes, and I was shocked, too,
but after Nelson got arrested,
she contacted me
from a new email address.
And why would you withhold
this information from us?
Because she was begging me
not to say anything.
She was gonna come forward herself,
but then Nelson posted bail,
and she freaked out.
Did she tell you that she saw Nelson
kill Sarah Baker? Yes or no?
Yes. Yes, well, sort of.
She said that she was in the other room.
She heard the gunshot, so she ran over
to see what was going on,
and she saw Nelson
standing there holding the gun.
And then he shot at her,
- grazed her arm.
- And then what?
She ran out the back door,
and he went after her.
- So where is she?
- I can't. I I
What do you mean you can't?
Maddy gets very, very anxious.
She was assaulted a few years ago,
and she gets these panic attacks.
Yeah, I get that, but we need
to know where she is right now.
You don't get it.
Nelson is monitoring your emails,
which means he knows
that your sister's alive.
Which means, if he finds her,
he's gonna finish the job,
and if she emailed you, then he knows!
- I understand!
- No, you don't understand!
And if you did, you would
tell us where your sister's at.
Where is your sister?
She emailed me 40 minutes ago.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Backup's four minutes away, Frank.
Eyes on the south side. All clear.
Nelson's ankle monitor
hasn't registered movement
in hours, which means
he had to have cut it off.
Jalen, we just can't wait any longer.
Frank, backup is four minutes away.
Just hang tight, Frank. Just hang tight.
- No, I'm going in.
- [SIGHS]
♪
[METAL CLANGS]
[WHIMPERING]
Madison. Madison, it's okay.
I'm the police.
- I'm here to help you.
- He's still in here.
I saw him kill Sarah,
and he tried to kill me too.
I'm gonna get you out of here.
[DOOR LATCH CLICKS]
[GRUNTS]
♪
[GROANS]
- Come on, get up! Get up!
- No, no, no!
- [SOBBING]
- [GROANS]
Shut up!
Let her go. Let her go!
We're getting out of here, or I shoot.
Let her go.
[CHUCKLES]
Drop the weapon, or I drop you.
Put the weapon down!
[GUN THUDS]
Down on the ground! Down on the ground!
- Don't you move!
- [SCREAMS]
Frank, Frank, you're bleeding.
Huh?
Yeah, bullets will do that
to you, I guess.
10-13, officer down! 10-13, come quick!
Hey, hey, come on, stay with me, buddy.
Stay with me, come on, come on.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
Hey, Frank.
Bet that job in Boca's
looking pretty good
right about now, huh? [CHUCKLES]
- How you feeling?
- Never better.
This is a flesh wound.
Uh, not according to your doctor.
She said you got a bullet
lodged in your shoulder,
- and there's some tissue damage.
- Nope.
- How's Madison?
- [CHUCKLES]
She's pretty shaken up, but she's safe.
You had us worried there, Frank.
Please.
So I guess now's not the time
to reprimand you
for rushing into a building
without backup?
- Mm, nope.
- [CHUCKLES]
She's right, though.
You did a hell of a thing in there, man.
You saved her damn life.
Don't you two have some cases
to investigate or something?
Nothing that can't wait.
You know what the worst part
of this whole thing is?
Price, he was right.
We should've waited.
Instead of charging Nelson
with Madison's murder,
we should've waited.
♪
Sarah Baker was an artist,
a woman who was creative,
joyful, full of life,
until her ex-boyfriend Matthew Nelson
decided to hunt her down and kill her.
The defendant followed
Sarah Baker to an art exhibit
and blasted two bullets
into the back of her head.
He is a cold and calculating killer.
We will present a series of witnesses,
but none more important
than Madison Platt.
This ordeal has taken
a devastating toll on her,
and yet, she will bravely come
into this courtroom
and tell you what she saw,
that Matthew Nelson
murdered Sarah Baker.
What Mr. Price didn't tell you
is that this case started out
as a double homicide.
People charged my client with the murder
of Madison Platt, too, when, guess what,
Madison Platt was very much alive.
Still is.
This case is the result
of a flawed investigation
led by an overzealous prosecutor
who will do anything
to convict my client,
no matter the cost.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
You can't trust him.
You can't accept his statements
as the truth.
And you certainly can't send
my client to prison for life
based on his presentation.
And do you know who else
you can't believe?
Madison Platt.
She's an unstable woman.
Since her friend Sarah's murder,
she's been hiding out in a warehouse
for several weeks.
For all we know, she killed Sarah Baker.
♪
Ms. Platt, can you please tell us
- what you do for a living?
- I own an art gallery.
Did, anyway, before this all happened.
I haven't been able to bring
myself to go back there.
And was Sarah Baker one of the artists
- who you showed in your gallery?
- Yes.
She was really talented.
She worked mostly in mixed media.
Did she have a relationship
with the defendant, Matthew Nelson?
Yes, for a little while,
but it
Could you explain what happened?
Well, she was enamored
with him at first.
He was always sending her gifts
and taking her on amazing vacations.
Did something change?
She realized that
that he didn't have a soul,
that he was cold and calculating,
and he was devoid
of any real human emotion.
Did you have an event
at your gallery space
- on March 1st?
- I did.
Was Sarah there?
♪
Do you need me to repeat the question?
Um, yes, yes, she was there.
Do you recall spending time alone
with Sarah the night
that she was killed?
- Uh-huh.
- Yes.
I'm sorry, but you have to
answer the questions out loud.
I can't. I can't.
I'm sorry, I can't I can't do this.
Do you need to take a break?
No, no, I would like to go home.
Uh, okay, Your Honor,
the People request a continuance.
Objection. The jury's been sworn in.
Jeopardy has attached.
Let's take a recess for the day.
[GAVEL BANGS]
I'll see everyone in the morning.
[SOBBING]
Did you see did you see
what he did in there?
He threatened me.
He pretended like
he was pointing a gun at me.
No, I didn't see that,
but I can bring it
to the court's attention.
No, no, no.
Madison, if he threatened you
No. Forget it. Forget it.
I want to get out of here.
We need you to identify him
as the man who shot
and killed Sarah Baker.
Otherwise, he'll walk free,
and I know you don't want that.
I don't, I don't, but you don't need me.
- You have enough evidence.
- You saw the shooting.
All you need to do
is tell the jury what you saw,
and there is no chance in hell
he will ever walk free.
He's rich, and he is crazy,
and he will pay someone
to find me and hunt me down.
I I can't do this.
I can't I can't go back in there.
- I'm sorry.
- [SIGHS]
Looks like your star witness
is having a hard time.
She is, because your client
murdered her good friend
right in front of her.
Hold on.
Are you open to discussing
a reasonable plea offer?
Depends on what you consider
to be reasonable.
- Man 1, 20 years.
- Not even close.
Plus he'll plea to the
attorney general's fraud case.
That means nothing to me.
I work for the city of New York.
All right.
What if, hypothetically speaking,
I were able to recover the lost assets.
And then I would distribute that money
to the various stakeholders.
That's the police, firefighters,
teachers, sanitation workers
prosecutors.
[CHUCKLES]
Are you trying to bribe us?
I'm trying to do what's right.
I'm afraid that ship sailed long ago.
This would change the lives
of hundreds of thousands
of government employees,
make their retirement accounts whole.
You can't just ignore that, Nolan.
What?
You think we should consider the deal?
I've been fielding hundreds of calls.
EMTs, day care providers,
utility workers,
people who have worked in public service
their entire lives and will be
left with practically nothing.
But if we cave to Nelson's demands,
what kind of message will we be sending?
That justice is for sale?
- 20 years is a long time.
- He's only 26.
From what I understand,
your key witness is faltering,
refusing to testify.
I'm not gonna let Nelson
buy his way out of this.
Fine, reject the deal,
but you better find a way
to convict him.
Send him away for life.
♪
Wanted to check on how you're doing.
Better.
How did Madison do in court today?
I thought she would hold up
better than she did.
She just got in there and froze.
But she ID'd the guy.
No.
You ever wonder what the hell
we're doing, Nolan?
What do you mean?
Back when I became a cop,
it was something you were very proud of.
Now half the city wants to defund us.
- I understand.
- Do you?
'Cause the other night,
I almost made my wife a widow,
and for what?
After everything,
this prick's just gonna walk.
[CHUCKLES]
I wish there was something I could do,
but she's the only person
who can identify him
as the man who shot
and killed Sarah Baker.
I might know somebody who can help.
♪
Detective Cosgrove, were you present
when Madison Platt
identified the defendant,
Matthew Nelson, as the man who
shot and killed Sarah Baker?
Objection, calls for hearsay.
The People submit
it's an excited utterance, Your Honor.
It's an exception to the hearsay rule.
If I may be allowed to lay a foundation?
You may proceed.
Where were you when Ms. Platt
made this statement?
In a warehouse upstate.
The defendant was holding her hostage.
What did she say?
Madison Platt said
she saw Nelson kill Sarah
- and he tried to kill her too.
- I renew my objection.
Objection overruled.
The answer shall stand.
Thank you. Nothing further.
You never told anyone that Madison Platt
made an excited utterance, did you?
Never put it in any police report?
No, I was shot,
so I was in the hospital.
Exactly.
ADA Price came to your hospital room
and told you he needed a witness.
That he did.
And suddenly, you remembered
this excited utterance.
If you're implying that I'm
making this up, you'd be wrong.
You'd have to agree
it's awfully convenient.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
- I'm telling the truth.
- Sure you are.
I have nothing further.
Redirect, Your Honor?
You exercised tremendous restraint
during the course of
this investigation, didn't you?
The defendant pointed a gun at you,
shot you, and you didn't return fire.
- Objection.
- The defense opened the door.
Overruled. You may answer.
I did my job.
Took a bullet to the chest.
I was shot.
You're not a liar,
as the defense claims.
You are a hero
And you should be commended
for your actions.
That's all I have. Thank you.
♪
Madam Foreperson, have you
agreed upon a verdict?
We have.
♪
We find the defendant guilty
of murder in the second degree.
Members of the jury,
we thank you for your service.
We are adjourned. [GAVEL BANGS]
♪
We did it, Jalen. We got him.
You did a hell of a job, Frank.
Without you, we don't make this case.
Turns out we actually do make
a difference once in a while.
Does that mean you're putting
the private security job on hold?
Means I'm exactly
where I'm supposed to be.
[GROANS]
Sometimes it takes getting shot
in the chest
to realize we got
the greatest job on Earth.
♪
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.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[UPBEAT POP MUSIC PLAYING]
I just sold the green lobster,
and some hedge funder named Kemper
or something or other
is interested in the eel.
Oh, my God, that is amazing.
I'm gonna ask 50 grand for it.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
I still can't believe
that people pay money
- for the things that I make.
- You deserve every penny.
- Thank you.
- Excuse me.
- Love that.
- Mm.
- How much?
- 6,000.
Do you think it's worth $6,000?
I can't say what something is worth,
- but that's what I'm charging.
- I'll take it.
- Great choice.
- Thank you.
- [LAUGHS]
- Oh, my God.
- 6,000.
- 6,000.
- BOTH: $6,000.
- We are killing it!
Come on, I just live
in the next building.
I'm sorry, but you gotta go around.
Hey, get your hands off him!
- Hey, hey, hey, hey!
- Move, move, move, hey!
Officer, take it easy.
I got it. I got it.
Take it easy.
Hey, sorry, pal, but this
is an active crime scene.
Look, we let you walk through there,
you'll compromise the integrity
of the crime scene.
Do you understand?
I know it's a pain in the ass,
but we're investigating a murder.
I appreciate your cooperation,
all right?
Defund the police.
ALL: Yeah! That's right!
Better yet, abolish the police!
That's right!
[CROWD SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
It's so nice to feel loved
and admired in this city.
[LAUGHS]
Workers came in this morning,
saw some things
were turned over, blood on the floor,
and the gallery owner, Madison Platt,
was supposed to be here,
but apparently, she's gone missing.
When's the last time
anybody had eyes on her?
There was a big party here last night,
about 80 people.
We're gonna need to see that guest list.
- Is that art or evidence?
- Hard to tell.
Detectives, this is definitely blood,
probably from these.
Found three spent shell casings.
Got some kind of residue on them.
Get 'em to Ballistics.
Let me ask you a question.
Why was Homicide called in?
How are you so sure
this wasn't a sexual assault
or a kidnapping?
There's that.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
That ain't art.
♪
That is a piece of someone's brain.
Good enough for me.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
The spent shell casings
are all 9-millimeter.
No DNA, no prints,
but here's what's strange.
Take a look.
No etchings.
Just a faint impression
on the primer cup
from the firing pin.
So you're saying the shooter
used a ghost gun.
Homemade, unserialized, untraceable.
- Something like this.
- Wow.
I've never actually seen one.
They're becoming the new normal.
So the residue on the casing
is from a ghost gun?
The gun was made
out of a lightweight polymer,
came out of a 3-D printer.
Who has access
to these kinds of printers?
Companies mostly.
Pay a lot of money for them.
Price tag can range anywhere
from 10 grand to $1/2 million.
My kids sent it over. Want a slice?
I'm good. Happy birthday, Frank.
The big 5-0.
Yeah, it doesn't feel great,
but it's better than the alternative.
I hope you planned something fun.
When I turned 50, I went to Vegas.
I saw Motley Crue,
and I won my plane fare
at the Texas Hold'em table,
so good times.
That's cool.
So we are looking for
a tech savvy shooter, right?
Yeah, probably someone
with deep pockets,
'cause those 3-D printers,
they cost more than my house.
Do we know if he or she
was at the gallery event?
We're still interviewing guests,
but so far, no one has reported
anything suspicious.
And everybody who saw her
said that Madison was alive
and well when they left.
And no one has seen
or heard from her since.
There's no credit card activities
or cell phone activity.
Anything suspicious
on the security cameras
at the gallery?
Uh, one small detail to note,
the cameras stopped working
at 10:07 p.m.
- What do you mean?
- Means they went dead.
But we do have this.
Last known photograph of Madison.
Is she carrying a purse or a radio?
Mm-mmm.
So what happened with
the security surveillance?
They were jammed.
It appears that somebody
was able to hack the system.
So obviously, this was planned.
- Looking that way.
- Any unusual texts, emails?
Actually, yeah.
A few hours before the party,
she got a message
from someone named Brett Greyson.
"I've been patient,
but it's time to pay.
Otherwise, it isn't going to end well."
The email address
is from Futuristic Creations.
Any chance those guys make 3-D printers?
They do virtual reality.
We need to find this Brett Greyson,
give him a little piece of our reality.
Madison is missing,
and you think
I had something to do with it?
We read the email you sent to her.
Came off like a threat.
- She owes me 500 grand.
- Oh, yeah? For what?
She sold me a phony NFT.
- NF what's that?
- NFT?
Non-fungible token?
- It's a digital collectible.
- Of course.
I'm glad we cleared that up.
It's like a one of a kind baseball card,
except it has to be real.
I'm in the wrong line of business.
You paid $1/2 million for that?
Damn right.
That's the future right there.
But it has to be real.
So I get it, so Madison sold you
some counterfeit "art,"
and you're pissed off.
You want your money back.
She told you to go to hell.
No, she said fine.
She had no idea it wasn't legit.
Promised me
she'd pay me back every penny.
I waited a couple of days,
but she never wired the money.
So you went over to
the gallery to shake her down?
I didn't buy it because I'm rich.
I was trying to trade it,
sell it to someone else.
All right, so you're at the gallery.
- Did you talk?
- Yeah.
We spoke for a couple minutes.
I even recorded
the conversation, you know?
In case I had to sue her,
I wanted proof.
I understand. I feel terrible.
I'm so sorry.
I will get you the money
this week, I promise.
I just I just need
to sell a few things
to raise the cash,
but you need to leave, okay?
Right now. This is an important night.
Timestamp is 9:49 p.m.
There were at least 50 people
still there when I left.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Greyson's alibi checks out.
Security video from down the street
shows that he left
the neighborhood at 9:51,
but look at this. Do you see that SUV?
It shows up at 10:02 p.m.,
which is right before
the gallery security camera
stopped recording.
The guy waits in the car
for a couple of hours,
and then at 12:24 a.m., he gets out
- and heads into the gallery.
- Any hits off of facial rec?
I tried, but his hat and scarf
- are covering his face.
- License plate?
It's covered in some kind of plastic.
Okay, so what time
did our boy leave the gallery?
Seven minutes later.
[EXHALES SHARPLY] That's efficient.
And resourceful.
He goes inside, takes care of business,
and then wheels her out in a crate.
Check all the surveillance
cameras in the area
and see if we can't track down that SUV.
On it.
♪
Who needs a lanai in Boca
when you got views like this.
Oh, hey, Frank.
I think I got something over here.
It's that purse thingy that Madison had
- at the event, right?
- Looks it.
Okay, come on.
Yep, it's her ID.
- Credit card still there.
- She's gotta be here.
Hey. Hold onto this.
- Hey, guys, check it out.
- Bag this.
What do you got?
Yeah, open that up.
♪
[OFFICERS GROANING]
- Ah.
- [COUGHS]
That's definitely not Madison Platt.
♪
- So what do you know?
- DOA is Sarah Baker.
She was one of the artists
at the gallery event.
And we just talked to the crime lab.
The brain matter
on the painting is a match.
Okay, what about Madison Platt?
Where the hell is she?
Do you think she's got something
to do with the shooting?
Maybe that's why she disappeared.
It's possible,
but we found her blood on
the gallery floor, too, so
So you think she's a victim too.
Looks that way.
Okay.
We need to find her, dead or alive,
and then we have to contact
these two women's families
and tell them what's going on,
see if they can help us.
Done.
SO this is good news, right?
The body you found wasn't Madison,
so she could still be alive.
It's possible.
But not probable.
Unfortunately, we don't have
an answer for you.
We're considering all possibilities.
Officers are out canvassing,
collecting evidence.
We want to be straight with you.
Your sister's blood
was found at the crime scene,
and she hasn't been seen
or heard from in over 24 hours.
Just prepare yourself.
Okay. Okay.
The attack happened
at Madison's gallery,
and it appeared to be premeditated.
Do you have any idea
who might want to hurt her?
No, no, everybody loves Maddy.
She doesn't just sell paintings.
She nurtures artists.
She's the kind of rep
that believes in you
before you believe in yourself.
Do you know an artist named Sarah Baker?
Yeah, of course I know Sarah.
Did her and Maddy have any problems?
No, Madison discovered Sarah,
for God's sake.
They were very good friends.
I saw them at the show.
You should've seen 'em.
They were both so excited.
You saw them? You were there?
I was, but I was tired,
and I left early.
I left around 11:00. I should've stayed.
No, I should've helped Maddy lock up
- No, no, don't even go there.
- No, it's true.
If I had stayed, if I'd made sure
that Maddy got to a cab
You could've ended up dead or missing.
Trust me, I've seen
this kind of thing before.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I'm sorry, you know
that Maddy's not just
another missing person,
she's my sister, right?
Of course. That's not what I meant.
Okay, look, I'm, um, I'm sorry.
I know that you guys deal with
these kind of cases every day.
But for me
it's the worst thing
that could possibly happen.
I need to find out
what happened to my sister.
And we're gonna do
everything in our power
to bring Maddy home. I give you my word.
We flew in from Colorado
just to see Sarah's exhibit.
Her first big show
in a Manhattan art gallery.
It was going to be
the most exciting night of her life.
Did you have plans to see her again?
We were gonna have dinner
with her tonight.
I left a few messages.
Figured she got busy
and we'd see her at the restaurant.
Did your daughter ever mention
having any issues with anyone?
She talked about her art, mostly.
Didn't share a lot
about her personal life,
and we didn't like to pry.
It might be nothing, but she did mention
she was having some problems
with her landlord.
What do you mean
she was having problems?
Once, when I was on the phone with her,
landlord showed up at her apartment,
used the passkey to let himself in.
Wait, he entered
her apartment unannounced?
She sounded really startled.
He said he was there
to fix a clogged drain,
but she said there was
nothing wrong with her sink.
I told her she should move
to a new place,
but she said it was probably nothing.
Told me not to worry.
I should've insisted.
Do you happen to know
the name of the landlord?
♪
Sarah payed her rent on time.
Never threw loud parties.
Stellar tenant.
So you never had a problem with her?
- Nope.
- That's funny.
'Cause when we checked,
we found out that Sarah filed
a formal housing complaint
against you last week.
[CHUCKLES] That's news to me.
Wait, what am I looking at here?
Do you have cameras inside the units?
Did your tenants consent to this?
No comment.
It seems like this is something
you should comment on, buddy.
I don't gotta tell you a damn thing.
- Now leave.
- No, we're staying.
We're gonna ask again.
Why are you spying on young women
- in their apartment?
- I'm gonna call my lawyer.
Well, you can, and tell 'em
to meet you down at our precinct
'cause you're under arrest.
♪
My client vehemently denies
any involvement
in the disappearance of Sarah Baker
or Madison Platt.
Then you need to tell us why
you were spying on Sarah Baker.
Tell them about
the surveillance cameras.
I own the building where
Sarah Baker was living.
The building has a few
rent controlled tenants,
people paying 700 bucks a month
for units
- that could rent for five grand.
- I don't think you understand.
We don't care what your take is
on the fair market value
- of Manhattan real estate.
- Hear us out.
Some of the tenants
are illegally subletting
their apartments.
There's no evidence that Sarah Baker
was doing that, yes or no?
So you just put cameras
in people's apartments,
spy on young women,
watch them get undressed
and God knows what else.
Sarah discovered it,
found out that you were spying on her.
She files a complaint against you
in the housing court.
That sounds like a pretty strong motive
- for murder.
- Sure does.
What were you doing two nights ago?
I was at home watching TV.
For most of the night, anyway.
What's that mean, most of the night?
I went out for 30 minutes
or so to buy groceries
at the store on the corner.
You can check
all the surveillance cameras
in the building.
I got something.
So Marquette only left
the building for 25 minutes,
not even long enough to get
across town to the gallery,
but I found something else,
something more interesting.
So at 4:12 p.m.
on the day of the murder,
this man bangs on Sarah's door,
waits a few minutes,
gets no response, and then leaves.
Who the hell is that jerk?
I don't know, but he's pretty angry.
He also happens to own a black SUV.
Did you run the plates?
It's registered to Matthew Nelson,
date of birth July 11th, 1996.
- He have a rap sheet?
- No.
Matthew Nelson. Ooh.
Billionaire hedge fund manager.
"Wall Street Journal" calls him
a pioneer in cryptocurrency.
Get a warrant and find out
where Mr. Crypto parks his SUV.
Done.
This crypto stuff might be fake,
but the things it buys sure ain't.
My first partner's
driving one of these now.
- On a cop's salary?
- Oh, no, he's off the job.
Started his own private security firm
down in Florida.
He's been begging me to join ever since.
Ah. Tempted?
Well, this job isn't getting any easier,
and I'm not getting any younger.
- Is that a yes?
- Well
- Hey, hey!
- Sir.
- Sir, you can't go down there.
- Excuse me.
- Sir!
- The hell is this?
NYPD. Are you Matthew Nelson?
Yeah, this is This is my car.
And this is a warrant
to search your car.
For what exactly?
We're investigating
the murder of Sarah Baker
and the disappearance of Madison Platt.
- Those names ring a bell?
- Sarah's dead?
Someone shot her two nights ago,
and the vehicle the killer used
is identical to this one,
so you can see
where we're going with this?
- How'd you know Sarah?
- We used to date.
We broke up a couple months ago.
And two days ago,
you went to her apartment.
You banged on her door. Why's that?
[LAUGHS]
Because I had some stuff
to pick up, all right?
I mean, it wasn't a big deal.
She wound up with a bullet
in her head seven hours later,
so it's kind of a big deal.
What were you doing
two nights ago around midnight?
I was on a Zoom call.
- At midnight?
- Yeah.
It was with investors in Asia.
Look, hey, if you don't believe me,
you can check in with my assistant,
the 25 other people in attendance.
We will.
In the meantime,
we're impounding your car.
Struck out with the car.
Nothing from Forensics.
But something interesting.
We found a car wash receipt,
timestamp 9:00 a.m.
- the morning after the murders.
- It's better than nothing.
- Does he have an alibi?
- Yeah.
Problem is, he was
on a Zoom call for work.
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
I just went through
the entire Zoom recording
frame by frame.
The Zoom meeting is real,
but Nelson found a way
to splice himself in.
How can you tell that?
It's a prerecorded video on loop.
He's on mute for the entire meeting,
and every six minutes,
the video repeats itself.
He touches his chin,
blinks, and looks down.
So we have a false alibi,
an SUV that matches the car
at the murder scene,
and a car wash receipt.
And a video of Nelson
banging on Sarah Baker's door
seven hours before she was killed.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Arrest him.
The reason I'm confused
is because those numbers
- should be the same ones up
- Matthew Nelson.
Stay where you are. Show us your hands.
- I said stay where you are.
- Don't even think about it.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on here?
- Why you guys here, huh?
- We're arresting you.
Arresting me? That's ridiculous.
- I refuse.
- Uh, yeah.
You don't have the right to refuse.
You do have the right to remain silent,
though, dumbass.
♪
The evidence is strong.
It would be a lot better if we
actually had the murder weapon.
- It is what it is.
- I understand.
We will arraign him tomorrow
for the murder of Sarah Baker.
What about Madison Platt?
Not sure about that.
Well, she's been missing
for almost a week.
We don't have her body.
Her blood was at the murder scene.
Her purse was at the landfill.
There's no activity on her credit cards
or cell phone.
Assuming someone is dead and proving it
beyond a reasonable doubt
are two very different propositions.
Come on, Nolan, we both know
this billionaire crypto prick
killed her.
You know, every time I've walked
into your courtroom, you go on about
how victims deserve justice.
Well, Bruce Platt deserves
justice for his sister,
and I hope you do right by her.
Charge this guy with the two murders
and just call it a day.
And if you need more evidence,
you let us know.
We'll find it.
What the hell was that?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Next case. [GAVEL BANGS]
Your Honor, the defendant stands charged
with two counts of murder.
- People request remand.
- Ms. Gates.
This case is a prime example
of a rush to judgement.
The people have no evidence,
no murder weapon,
no eyewitness, and no motive.
My client runs a $50 billion hedge fund,
he has no criminal record,
and he is certain
to be acquitted after trial.
What are the facts, Ms. Maroun?
We have a strong circumstantial case.
The defendant used to date
one of the victims, Sarah Baker.
In fact, he was at Ms. Baker's apartment
on the day of the murder, clearly angry,
on a mission to find her.
Hours later, a man was captured on video
leaving the murder scene.
That man got into a car
similar to the one
registered to the defendant,
and when questioned,
he gave a false alibi.
Like I said,
they have no concrete evidence
to tie my client to this crime.
Defense asks the court to impose
a reasonable bail
in the amount of 20 million.
Okay, Your Honor,
the defendant has infinite resources.
20 million is nothing to him.
Might as well be 20,000.
I'm setting the bail
in the amount of 20 million.
Will the court consider
an electronic monitor?
I think that's reasonable.
The defendant shall be ordered
to wear an ankle monitor.
[GAVEL BANGS] Next case.
Nelson posted bail. 20 million.
- Who said money doesn't matter?
- Not me, that's for sure.
I just got off the phone with
the state attorney general.
Nelson is the subject
of a grand jury probe.
- What's the allegation?
- Fraud.
He's like another Bernie Madoff
or Sam Bankman-Fried,
except here he's raising money
from pension funds
and retirement accounts
and then funneling it overseas.
That's just what we need,
a Wall Street sociopath
ripping off city workers.
Were Sarah Baker or Madison Platt
somehow involved in the fraud?
No, in fact, Sarah was
the government's star witness.
She was scheduled to appear
in the grand jury
- the day after she was murdered.
- To say what?
She's the only person who can help prove
Nelson intentionally diverted
the fund's capital
into a, uh, cold crypto wallet.
It's like a secure flash drive,
impossible to penetrate.
It protects digital assets.
Whatever it is, it gives you the piece
you were missing: motive.
Nelson killed Sarah
in order to silence her.
And Madison Platt got in the way.
[PHONE CHIMES]
Defense just filed a motion to exclude
any mention of the fraud case.
♪
The fraud allegations are relevant
to establish the defendant's motive,
that he murdered Sarah Baker
because she was gonna testify
against him in the grand jury.
What about the other victim?
Was Madison Platt involved
in the fraud case?
No, sadly, she was just
in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ms. Gates, why isn't
the information relevant
and admissible
under the Molineux doctrine?
The evidence is only relevant
if they can prove
my client had actual knowledge
that Sarah Baker
planned to testify against him.
We have evidence that the defendant
was banging on Ms. Baker's door
a few hours prior to the murder.
He was there to threaten her,
to tell her not to testify,
and when she didn't open the door,
he tracked her down
to the gallery and killed her.
That argument requires
huge leaps of logic
- and mental gymnastics.
- I agree.
It's too speculative for me.
Mr. Price, unless you have
something concrete
that shows Mr. Nelson knew
that Sarah Baker
was going to testify against him,
the evidence is out.
♪
Price just called.
He needs something to prove
that Nelson knew Sarah Baker
was planning
to testify against him
in the fraud case.
We've been looking through
Nelson's emails, his texts.
We haven't found anything relevant.
- Yet.
- Okay, we'll keep digging.
- But you gotta understand
- Hey, sorry.
I have been going over
Nelson's search history.
It's what you might expect
for the most part
Mansions, yachts, porn
But the thing that stood out was,
the day before we arrested him,
he logged into the email account
of some random furniture gallery.
Madison Platt's brother
works at a furniture gallery.
Hmm.
Wait, you think that Nelson was hacking
into her brother's emails? Why?
- No clue.
- Only one way to find out.
We think Matthew Nelson
hacked into your email account.
Bruce, help us out.
Why would he do that?
I'm thinking he was looking
for something, yeah?
- I I guys, I can
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you doing? Give me that phone.
What? I'm sorry, no.
I think you'll need a warrant.
Oh, you want to do it that way?
- No.
- Give him your phone.
Okay, what are you doing?
What the hell are you doing?
I'm arresting you for obstruction.
Okay, that is ridiculous.
Look, there's two ways it can go.
We arrest you and we get
a warrant for your phone,
or you just tell us
what the hell is going on.
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, Maddy
Maddy has been emailing me.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
What? Your sister is alive?
Yes, and I was shocked, too,
but after Nelson got arrested,
she contacted me
from a new email address.
And why would you withhold
this information from us?
Because she was begging me
not to say anything.
She was gonna come forward herself,
but then Nelson posted bail,
and she freaked out.
Did she tell you that she saw Nelson
kill Sarah Baker? Yes or no?
Yes. Yes, well, sort of.
She said that she was in the other room.
She heard the gunshot, so she ran over
to see what was going on,
and she saw Nelson
standing there holding the gun.
And then he shot at her,
- grazed her arm.
- And then what?
She ran out the back door,
and he went after her.
- So where is she?
- I can't. I I
What do you mean you can't?
Maddy gets very, very anxious.
She was assaulted a few years ago,
and she gets these panic attacks.
Yeah, I get that, but we need
to know where she is right now.
You don't get it.
Nelson is monitoring your emails,
which means he knows
that your sister's alive.
Which means, if he finds her,
he's gonna finish the job,
and if she emailed you, then he knows!
- I understand!
- No, you don't understand!
And if you did, you would
tell us where your sister's at.
Where is your sister?
She emailed me 40 minutes ago.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Backup's four minutes away, Frank.
Eyes on the south side. All clear.
Nelson's ankle monitor
hasn't registered movement
in hours, which means
he had to have cut it off.
Jalen, we just can't wait any longer.
Frank, backup is four minutes away.
Just hang tight, Frank. Just hang tight.
- No, I'm going in.
- [SIGHS]
♪
[METAL CLANGS]
[WHIMPERING]
Madison. Madison, it's okay.
I'm the police.
- I'm here to help you.
- He's still in here.
I saw him kill Sarah,
and he tried to kill me too.
I'm gonna get you out of here.
[DOOR LATCH CLICKS]
[GRUNTS]
♪
[GROANS]
- Come on, get up! Get up!
- No, no, no!
- [SOBBING]
- [GROANS]
Shut up!
Let her go. Let her go!
We're getting out of here, or I shoot.
Let her go.
[CHUCKLES]
Drop the weapon, or I drop you.
Put the weapon down!
[GUN THUDS]
Down on the ground! Down on the ground!
- Don't you move!
- [SCREAMS]
Frank, Frank, you're bleeding.
Huh?
Yeah, bullets will do that
to you, I guess.
10-13, officer down! 10-13, come quick!
Hey, hey, come on, stay with me, buddy.
Stay with me, come on, come on.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
Hey, Frank.
Bet that job in Boca's
looking pretty good
right about now, huh? [CHUCKLES]
- How you feeling?
- Never better.
This is a flesh wound.
Uh, not according to your doctor.
She said you got a bullet
lodged in your shoulder,
- and there's some tissue damage.
- Nope.
- How's Madison?
- [CHUCKLES]
She's pretty shaken up, but she's safe.
You had us worried there, Frank.
Please.
So I guess now's not the time
to reprimand you
for rushing into a building
without backup?
- Mm, nope.
- [CHUCKLES]
She's right, though.
You did a hell of a thing in there, man.
You saved her damn life.
Don't you two have some cases
to investigate or something?
Nothing that can't wait.
You know what the worst part
of this whole thing is?
Price, he was right.
We should've waited.
Instead of charging Nelson
with Madison's murder,
we should've waited.
♪
Sarah Baker was an artist,
a woman who was creative,
joyful, full of life,
until her ex-boyfriend Matthew Nelson
decided to hunt her down and kill her.
The defendant followed
Sarah Baker to an art exhibit
and blasted two bullets
into the back of her head.
He is a cold and calculating killer.
We will present a series of witnesses,
but none more important
than Madison Platt.
This ordeal has taken
a devastating toll on her,
and yet, she will bravely come
into this courtroom
and tell you what she saw,
that Matthew Nelson
murdered Sarah Baker.
What Mr. Price didn't tell you
is that this case started out
as a double homicide.
People charged my client with the murder
of Madison Platt, too, when, guess what,
Madison Platt was very much alive.
Still is.
This case is the result
of a flawed investigation
led by an overzealous prosecutor
who will do anything
to convict my client,
no matter the cost.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
You can't trust him.
You can't accept his statements
as the truth.
And you certainly can't send
my client to prison for life
based on his presentation.
And do you know who else
you can't believe?
Madison Platt.
She's an unstable woman.
Since her friend Sarah's murder,
she's been hiding out in a warehouse
for several weeks.
For all we know, she killed Sarah Baker.
♪
Ms. Platt, can you please tell us
- what you do for a living?
- I own an art gallery.
Did, anyway, before this all happened.
I haven't been able to bring
myself to go back there.
And was Sarah Baker one of the artists
- who you showed in your gallery?
- Yes.
She was really talented.
She worked mostly in mixed media.
Did she have a relationship
with the defendant, Matthew Nelson?
Yes, for a little while,
but it
Could you explain what happened?
Well, she was enamored
with him at first.
He was always sending her gifts
and taking her on amazing vacations.
Did something change?
She realized that
that he didn't have a soul,
that he was cold and calculating,
and he was devoid
of any real human emotion.
Did you have an event
at your gallery space
- on March 1st?
- I did.
Was Sarah there?
♪
Do you need me to repeat the question?
Um, yes, yes, she was there.
Do you recall spending time alone
with Sarah the night
that she was killed?
- Uh-huh.
- Yes.
I'm sorry, but you have to
answer the questions out loud.
I can't. I can't.
I'm sorry, I can't I can't do this.
Do you need to take a break?
No, no, I would like to go home.
Uh, okay, Your Honor,
the People request a continuance.
Objection. The jury's been sworn in.
Jeopardy has attached.
Let's take a recess for the day.
[GAVEL BANGS]
I'll see everyone in the morning.
[SOBBING]
Did you see did you see
what he did in there?
He threatened me.
He pretended like
he was pointing a gun at me.
No, I didn't see that,
but I can bring it
to the court's attention.
No, no, no.
Madison, if he threatened you
No. Forget it. Forget it.
I want to get out of here.
We need you to identify him
as the man who shot
and killed Sarah Baker.
Otherwise, he'll walk free,
and I know you don't want that.
I don't, I don't, but you don't need me.
- You have enough evidence.
- You saw the shooting.
All you need to do
is tell the jury what you saw,
and there is no chance in hell
he will ever walk free.
He's rich, and he is crazy,
and he will pay someone
to find me and hunt me down.
I I can't do this.
I can't I can't go back in there.
- I'm sorry.
- [SIGHS]
Looks like your star witness
is having a hard time.
She is, because your client
murdered her good friend
right in front of her.
Hold on.
Are you open to discussing
a reasonable plea offer?
Depends on what you consider
to be reasonable.
- Man 1, 20 years.
- Not even close.
Plus he'll plea to the
attorney general's fraud case.
That means nothing to me.
I work for the city of New York.
All right.
What if, hypothetically speaking,
I were able to recover the lost assets.
And then I would distribute that money
to the various stakeholders.
That's the police, firefighters,
teachers, sanitation workers
prosecutors.
[CHUCKLES]
Are you trying to bribe us?
I'm trying to do what's right.
I'm afraid that ship sailed long ago.
This would change the lives
of hundreds of thousands
of government employees,
make their retirement accounts whole.
You can't just ignore that, Nolan.
What?
You think we should consider the deal?
I've been fielding hundreds of calls.
EMTs, day care providers,
utility workers,
people who have worked in public service
their entire lives and will be
left with practically nothing.
But if we cave to Nelson's demands,
what kind of message will we be sending?
That justice is for sale?
- 20 years is a long time.
- He's only 26.
From what I understand,
your key witness is faltering,
refusing to testify.
I'm not gonna let Nelson
buy his way out of this.
Fine, reject the deal,
but you better find a way
to convict him.
Send him away for life.
♪
Wanted to check on how you're doing.
Better.
How did Madison do in court today?
I thought she would hold up
better than she did.
She just got in there and froze.
But she ID'd the guy.
No.
You ever wonder what the hell
we're doing, Nolan?
What do you mean?
Back when I became a cop,
it was something you were very proud of.
Now half the city wants to defund us.
- I understand.
- Do you?
'Cause the other night,
I almost made my wife a widow,
and for what?
After everything,
this prick's just gonna walk.
[CHUCKLES]
I wish there was something I could do,
but she's the only person
who can identify him
as the man who shot
and killed Sarah Baker.
I might know somebody who can help.
♪
Detective Cosgrove, were you present
when Madison Platt
identified the defendant,
Matthew Nelson, as the man who
shot and killed Sarah Baker?
Objection, calls for hearsay.
The People submit
it's an excited utterance, Your Honor.
It's an exception to the hearsay rule.
If I may be allowed to lay a foundation?
You may proceed.
Where were you when Ms. Platt
made this statement?
In a warehouse upstate.
The defendant was holding her hostage.
What did she say?
Madison Platt said
she saw Nelson kill Sarah
- and he tried to kill her too.
- I renew my objection.
Objection overruled.
The answer shall stand.
Thank you. Nothing further.
You never told anyone that Madison Platt
made an excited utterance, did you?
Never put it in any police report?
No, I was shot,
so I was in the hospital.
Exactly.
ADA Price came to your hospital room
and told you he needed a witness.
That he did.
And suddenly, you remembered
this excited utterance.
If you're implying that I'm
making this up, you'd be wrong.
You'd have to agree
it's awfully convenient.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
- I'm telling the truth.
- Sure you are.
I have nothing further.
Redirect, Your Honor?
You exercised tremendous restraint
during the course of
this investigation, didn't you?
The defendant pointed a gun at you,
shot you, and you didn't return fire.
- Objection.
- The defense opened the door.
Overruled. You may answer.
I did my job.
Took a bullet to the chest.
I was shot.
You're not a liar,
as the defense claims.
You are a hero
And you should be commended
for your actions.
That's all I have. Thank you.
♪
Madam Foreperson, have you
agreed upon a verdict?
We have.
♪
We find the defendant guilty
of murder in the second degree.
Members of the jury,
we thank you for your service.
We are adjourned. [GAVEL BANGS]
♪
We did it, Jalen. We got him.
You did a hell of a job, Frank.
Without you, we don't make this case.
Turns out we actually do make
a difference once in a while.
Does that mean you're putting
the private security job on hold?
Means I'm exactly
where I'm supposed to be.
[GROANS]
Sometimes it takes getting shot
in the chest
to realize we got
the greatest job on Earth.
♪