COPS (1989) s24e03 Episode Script

bad boys whatcha want, whatcha want? Whatcha gonna do when sheriff John brown come for you? Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? This special edition of COPS is filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
We received a call that was transferred in to our detective bureau, related to a woman who wanted to hire a hit man to kill her husband.
Once we got the information confirmed-- Where we actually had our source meet the suspect-- and were able to confirm everything, we were rolling really quick.
And right now, we're going to play the video, uh, the surveillance tape that we have with the undercover officer meeting with the suspect in the surveillance parking lot where she actually, uh, completed the solicitation for hire.
Detective Alex That the video? Yep.
She just got in the car.
She seems real relaxed.
Um, first things first.
$3,000 and then, um, I do my thing.
I'm gonna low-ball it; The price is really, really low.
He's low-balling it; The price is low.
So I just want to make sure that, you know, this is what you want.
All right.
Yeah.
So, you're sure you want to kill this dude? - Do we really have to, you know - All right.
- I'd rather be a little less, you - See, she giggles and she says, "I'd rather be a little less, like" What she's really saying is, she doesn't want to use that language.
She wants to talk in code.
Then how do we, how do we How soon could you do it, and what time I could do it Wednesday morning.
Wednesday morning at the house, because I was looking in news, newspapers here.
There's been a lot of burglaries in this area.
All right? Yeah.
It's nothing, it's not uncommon for someone to break into a house.
And then, you know, he gets two in the head, and that's it.
You know, I'll take a couple things with me, break a couple windows, make it look like a robbery that went bad.
It's all over, I'm gone, out of there.
Now he says, "I get in and out, he gets two in the head.
" Okay? What's her reaction? Stone face.
Nothing.
I'll give you maybe one or two days, you know, but I'll be in contact with you.
Okay.
Know what I mean? When it's all done, now and then, I get paid.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
'Cause I don't know how well you handle pressure.
You understand? - I'm just saying that 'cause I don't want - No, I'm not gonna, you know, I'm a lot tougher than what I look.
I know you see me, and you're like, oh, what a cute little girl, whatever.
You know? But I'm not.
That you are.
You're so beautiful.
- Thank you, but you know - I don't believe this girl.
She's bragging about how tough she is.
Wow.
And that you might see "cute little girl" when you look at her, but she's real tough inside.
Okay, so, uh You pay me the back end-- How much are you thinking? What do you think back end like what does that mean? Okay, when it's all done.
- I was going to get $3,000 from you today - Right.
And $3,000 when it's all done.
Right.
Since I'm not collecting all of it at once, you know, just wanted maybe $1,000 more.
$1,000 or $2,000.
Okay.
So it came to $7,000 or $8,000.
It's seven, is that okay? I'll do seven.
Cash.
Okay? He's telling her he's going to pay more-- She's going to have to pay more on the back end if he trusts her up front.
So add a couple thousand.
To the end.
So I was thinking, between now and when it's done, you know, you have to have an option to change your mind.
- Even if you change your mind talk it over - There's no changing, no, there's no, like, I'm determined already.
You're definitely sure you want to do this.
I'm positive.
Like, 5,000 percent sure.
Okay.
Like, me, you're not going to have a problem, you're not going to have an issue.
All right.
You know what I mean? - Nothing of nothing, I just - Okay.
Do you go jogging in the morning? Do you go to the gym in the morning? I Was going to the gym, yeah.
I mean, if I go tomorrow, it's not going to look weird or anything, because Okay.
Because I go to the gym on a regular basis.
All right, Wednesday morning, go to the gym.
All right.
You understand? Around 6:30, 7:00? Yeah.
He always walks the dog in the morning.
Okay.
And he walks the dog across, and over where the lake is, and our door's always unlocked.
I'll be in the house by 6:30 Wednesday morning.
I think she had at least three, maybe four outs with our undercover.
To step out of this deal.
And she took none of them.
All right.
Okay? Okay.
All right.
- Thank you so much, and, I guess - You'll hear from me.
- I'll hear from you.
- All right.
All right.
- Thanks a lot.
- Okay.
- Bye.
- You're welcome.
Everybody knows why we're here.
Chachi, you and Brian will go with me.
We'll go out to the house and get the husband.
Tell him why we're there, and why he has to come with us.
We'll bring him down to the station, you guys will debrief him.
After that, Frank or somebody will call the wife, have her come back over there, at which time he will talk to her.
She will be brought down here by McDevitt and Jason.
When she comes in, you introduce her to me.
I'll bring her in the room, we'll advise her of her rights, and talk to her.
During the process of this, I'm going to ask her if she knows anything about the crime.
Uh, the death of her husband.
And, of course, she's going to say no.
At which time, when I ask her again if she's sure, she's going to say no, at which time witty Jean will be brought in the door with his handcuffs on.
That should give her the shock effect that I think we need.
And right after him, her husband.
Tommy, if you could bring them out, I'd appreciate it.
Yeah.
All right? And then we'll see where she goes from there.
Okay? She should be leaving for the gym at 6:00.
And she's going to leave the front door open.
So that witty, supposedly the alleged killer, can get into the house and kill her husband.
Everybody be careful.
Yep.
Done deal.
Thank you.
Now we're heading out to location, the suspect has left the house.
She went to the gym.
And she's, uh, gonna stay tight there for about 90 minutes to two hours.
Sergeant Sheridan and the rest of his team's going to notify the husband of what's happening.
And we're going to set up our, uh, marked crime scene.
And then contact her.
And, uh, bring her back and make her believe that the actual murder has taken place.
All right, we're ready when you are; We're at the scene.
Police department! Open your door.
Geez, man.
- Sorry, but - Yes? I'm sergeant Sheridan, Boyton police department.
Hi.
- Can I talk to you? - Yes, for sure.
Let me tell you I need to tell you something real quick here.
You need to come with me to the police station.
You're not in trouble.
Your wife has hired a person to kill you.
Relax, just take a while.
Just take it easy.
Take a deep breath.
Okay, just sit down.
Yeah, I'm not kidding you.
Man, just take, take, take deep breaths.
I want you to put on a shirt and come with me to the police station.
I can you come with me? - I can't I - Sure, of course I will.
Yeah, I'll hang can I tell you, just, I don't know what This is a little weird.
I know it is.
Let's go upstairs.
My wife for whatever reason today-- I'd gotten sick, man.
I know.
I'd gotten surgery on my back-- She went to the gym.
I know where she's at.
- I mean, and I you know, like, - I know where she's at.
Let's go upstairs.
I don't mean to start rambling, I mean, I, I've been Do you understand what I'm telling you? - Yeah, but I - We don't have much time.
Yeah, all right.
If she arrives on your side, make sure you escort her physically to me.
I'll be between the dodge and the, uh, crime scene tape.
Okay.
All right? Very good.
Thank you.
We leave the door open like this, but you gotta make it look right.
Here, follow follow me.
Hey, can I have your keys? 'Cause when we leave, I want one of the detectives to watch your house.
Can you just make sure they get it back to me? Oh, yeah, they're going to come down with you.
All right, it's the only key I have, man, thanks.
Hey, Brian.
Grab that roll from Pete, and, uh, give it to Magnanty down there to block off the back.
That looks good.
I like it.
The time now is 6:21 A.
M.
Going to make a phone call to the suspect.
Hi, this message is for Mrs.
.
This is sergeant Frank Ranzie, Boyton beach police department, detective division.
I need you to call me as soon as you can, ma'am.
It's urgent.
Thank you.
We left her a message.
So we'll wait and see.
I'm detective moreno for the Boynton beach police department.
- Also present in the room right now is - Detective Anderson.
You already know why we're here, right? Yeah.
In reference to this whole incident that's happening, the investigation.
We're uh Your wife hired somebody to kill you.
How long after you get married do you start? Or do you ever feel that something's not right with her? About a month-and-a-half.
Right away? The money starts disappearing.
I had drugs planted on my truck.
I came out one day, and we were leaving in the morning, and an officer approached me-- "Is this your truck?" I said, "yes, it is.
" And I didn't know what he wanted.
He goes, "can I search it? There's been activity on it.
"Someone called.
" And I'm like, "absolutely, you can search it.
" Officer searches the truck.
There's nothing in the truck.
He lets me leave.
The next day I went to get gasoline in the truck.
There was drugs in my gas cap.
So who do you suspect planted it? A hunch.
A hunch? Well, my wife.
Okay.
What would her motivation be for doing that? You're on probation at the time.
She-- At that point, yes.
And at that point, she already had stolen a hundred and some thousand dollars from me.
I basically-- I lost $240,000 with this girl.
That's why today, honestly, I'm not very surprised or shocked about all this, you know.
I mean, I guess fool me once, fool me twice, fool me three times-- At this point, there's just nothing left to say.
It's just ridiculous.
What's her motivation for having you killed? Why not just get divorced? Or did she ever mention divorce or separation? Never.
So what-- In your mind, what's her motivation? Did you put her on an insurance policy? No.
We just purchased a home, and I just actually signed the title over to her until I could straighten out my other problems with probation.
And, uh, also, you know, the 200 and some thousand dollars she stole from me, I think, is a big motivation to, basically, I guess with my home and everything else, a half million dollars of motivation.
I don't have any other questions, unless you have something else to say.
Whatever she gets, she deserves.
I mean, I'll do whatever I have to do to help this case move along.
Okay.
I have to.
- So you want to prosecute - Yes.
And follow through with this? Yes, I do.
Okay.
Hey, check with Al.
No change? Al, you on channel? Say again.
You still inside? Yeah, that's ten-four.
Okay, no change.
I don't think she wants a call back right away.
Looks like she's waiting for the call.
Here's her call.
Sergeant Ranzie.
Can I help you? Yes, is this miss? Please? This is sergeant Frank Ranzie, Boynton beach police department.
We're at your residence, ma'am.
Are you nearby? No, ma'am, I need to talk to you.
It's very urgent.
When you come home.
It involves your husband.
There's been an incident.
Okay, can you come right back to your residence, please? Ma'am, I'll tell you everything you need to know when you get here, okay? Thank you.
All right, bye-bye.
Okay, she's on her way.
Let the people know, Pete, on the perimeter.
Hey, Dan, make sure you send her my way if she comes over to you.
All right, she's going to be here any second, so let's do it.
Guys, when she arrives on scene, I'm going to bring her aside, I'm going to advise her.
It's going to be kind of brief.
We need as much information as you can on any possible suspects.
I need you to go back to our station with these two detectives.
And that's it.
All right, and keep that recorder going.
All right.
Al, you said she's 97? Yeah, she's 97 in about two seconds.
Ten-four.
It's going to probably take place a little over here.
Yes? I'm sergeant Ranzie.
I'm the one who called you.
Thank you for coming.
I'm sorry to call you.
Listen, we had a report of a disturbance at your house, and there were shots fired.
Is your husband Michael? Okay, I'm sorry to tell you, ma'am, he's been killed.
No! No! No! No! He's been killed, ma'am.
No, he's not! Listen no! No! Try to calm down.
No! No! Listen, right now what we-- We you to get to the station.
No! We need to get you to our police station.
I want to see him.
I can't let you see him, ma'am.
We have to do our job.
If you want us to find his killer, okay, we need you to calm down.
I'm going to need you to go with these detectives, okay? Does he have enemies? Is there anyone who would want to hurt him? My husband's on probation.
Okay, who would want to hurt him? Witnesses said they saw a black male running from I need to see him, please.
I can't let you see him, ma'am.
Ma'am, I cannot do this right now.
Please! Please! Detective Llopis, I need you-- I need you to take her to the station.
I just want to see him! I can't.
Ma'am, go with these detectives.
If you want to help your husband, okay? Please! If you want to help your husband, you need to go to the station with these gentlemen.
And tell us everything you know about who he knows My dogs are in my house.
Don't worry, we've already taken care of your dogs with animal control right now.
Everything's under control.
And we'll take care of everything else, okay? Thank you, guys.
Something in it? I don't know.
Hey, Dan, are her keys in the truck? Please! Okay.
Roper, roper, open it up.
Open it up? Just secure it for now.
We're going to do everything we can, okay? But we need your help, okay? I just need to get to my husband.
- Well, just get - Just one minute with my husband.
We need-- We need to get your husband's killer, ma'am.
Please, can I go inside my house, please? I can't let you in there.
It's a crime scene right now.
We need to get all the evidence we can.
Is he inside? Yes, ma'am, he is inside, and I can't let you I want to see him.
Mac, get her leg in and close the door.
She locked it.
Do you need the keys? We need to move your vehicle, ma'am.
Can I have your keys so we can move it? Okay.
Come on, Jay, get her going.
Let's find out who he is.
Very nice, Frank.
Well, this is what we've got so far.
We got the two detectives to take her in the car back to the station.
She wanted to go in the house to see him.
Right.
Okay, she wanted to see him.
Obviously we wouldn't let that happen because it's a crime scene.
But I'm sure she wanted to see him to verify the fact that he was actually dead.
Okay.
So we're good.
Very good.
Thanks, Bob.
We don't have any neighbors that are going to call and say they're headed back, are they? No, they're going to secure her phone.
Good job.
She won't make any phone calls.
Nice work.
She's in our custody now, guys.
Thanks.
We're heading back to the station now.
Our suspect's in custody, and she'll be interviewed there, along with the interview that's taking place with her husband.
At this point, you know, looking back at when she first came to me, and I advised her her husband was killed, to see her reaction-- You know, the head down, no eye contact, shaking and persistent about wanting to see the body.
You know, part of you has to wonder if any of that was sincere or was it all rehearsed.
This is moreno, and Anderson.
They're the primary detectives who are handling the murder attempt.
I know it's very bad.
Was he asleep when you left? No, 'cause we said Sort of, but not really because of his back.
- He was just kind of like - Laying there? He was just laying there.
And he set the alarm, you know.
- But I mean - There was no alarm.
I said bye.
I said, you know, "I'll bring you coffee on the way home.
" And, you know, normally.
Are you sure that you don't know anybody that would want to kill your husband? You wouldn't want to kill him, I hope.
Not at all.
We were fine.
- Like there's nothing - There's no problems between you guys? No financial problems? No? No, there's nothing.
I mean, we, you know, were going through-- His business had slowed down like anything.
You know that I've advised you of your rights, right? Yes, you have.
Okay.
The game's over with, okay? There's no more games with you and I.
Now we're going to get down to serious business.
I want to know if you know this guy.
Come here.
Bring this guy in here.
You know who this guy is? No.
You've never seen him before? I've never seen him before.
Never.
Do you know her? Tilt your head up and look at her.
Put your head up.
I've never seen him.
What were you doing coming out of her house? Get him out of here.
You're going to jail today for solicitation of murder.
You're under arrest.
That's an undercover police officer.
We filmed everything that you did.
Recorded everything that you did.
You're going to jail for solicitation of first degree murder of your husband.
I didn't do anything.
Did you hear what I just told you? I heard what you said, but I didn't do anything.
Listen to me.
Everything has been recorded.
You were photographed in the convertible that you sat-- His car.
What are you going to do? Oh, my God.
What are you going to do here? I didn't do anything.
- Listen to me - I didn't do anything.
You're going to jail.
I didn't do anything.
Please, I didn't do anything.
Don't tell me you didn't do anything.
I didn't do anything.
You're going to jail today.
- As soon as I'm done - Oh, my God.
They're going to come in here and handcuff you and take you to the palm beach county jail, book you for solicitation of first degree murder on your husband.
Your husband is well and alive.
Thank God.
Can I have an officer come in and cuff this the person.
I don't know what's going on, please.
Don't cuff me, please.
Officer Midian Stand up.
Stand up, please.
- Oh, my God.
- Come on.
Sit back down.
Here, stand right here.
You can see her right there.
Oh, my God! He's alive.
Come here, please.
Come here.
Mike, come here.
Come here, please! Come here! I can't.
I can't fix this.
Why not? I didn't do anything to you! I heard you.
Mike, come here, please.
Come here.
Okay, thank you.
You want to take her back to booking, please.
Oh, my God.
Let's go.
I don't know what's going on, please.
I need to call somebody, please.
Just sit down here Okay? Just sit down.
Why are they following me, please? I'm really not surprised that I'm here.
And it hasn't sunk into me yet that someone was going to try to kill me or have me killed today.
Like, that part, honestly, hasn't hit me.
- Yeah, I can only imagine - I guess it's going to take a little while to roll into me.
Well, this is going to be a new beginning, you know? Today's your lucky day, and you get a chance to, you know, start all over again.
That's the way I would see it.
Yeah.
I feel, honestly, I feel this much bad for her, you know.
She gets what she gets.
I'm just glad that you're here to talk about it, you know? Thanks man, I really appreciate it, man.
We'll get the stuff together and then we'll get you home.
- Thank you so much.
- All right.
Okay! We had a very successful operation.
The suspect's in jail.
And you saw she She's a very good actress.
The fake crime scene, it was great, so Again, congratulations.
Let's get back to work!