Law & Order Special Victims Unit s26e06 Episode Script
Rorschach
1
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Hi, guys. It's Ellie.
Welcome back to my channel.
Leaving now for my
cross-country road trip
with my sexy cameraman here.
- Say hi, Chris. [LAUGHS]
- Hi.
I cannot wait to share our
adventure with all of you.
Every journey begins
with the first step.
Here we go.
Now he's thinkin' ♪
'bout me every night, oh ♪
Is it that sweet? ♪
I guess so ♪
Say you can't sleep, ♪
baby, I know ♪
That's that me espresso ♪
Move it up, down, ♪
left, right, oh ♪
Switch it up like Nintendo ♪
[GIGGLES]
Say you can't sleep, ♪
baby, I know ♪
That's that me espresso ♪
- We did it.
- That is so pretty.
Is it that sweet? ♪
I guess so ♪
I'm working late ♪
'cause I'm a singer ♪
Oh, he looks so cute ♪
wrapped 'round my finger ♪
My twisted humor ♪
make him laugh so often ♪
My honeybee, ♪
come and get this pollen ♪
Too bad your ex ♪
don't do it for ya ♪
Walked in and ♪
dream-came-trued it for ya ♪
Soft skin and ♪
I perfumed it for ya ♪
♪
[MUSIC STOPS]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Hello?
♪
Oh, my God.
- Ellie?
- Who's there?
Ellie.
Oh, my God.
Ellie.
Don't move.
I'm gonna call for help.
♪
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
Captain Benson.
Clark Kent.
Buttering me up at
7:30 in the morning?
- Mm-hmm.
- You must need something.
- [CHUCKLES]
- What's going on?
Hiker found two
victims at a campground.
Male victim somehow
survived two stab wounds,
one near the heart.
And what about the other victim?
His girlfriend, Ellie.
She was found half-naked.
Let's talk in my office.
Ellie Hughes, Chris Becker.
Echo Park, Los Angeles.
What were they doing
in Rockland County?
They're wannabe travel influencers
on a two-month road
trip around the country.
Uh-huh, and Rockland County
suspects that Ellie was raped?
Based on visual evidence, yeah.
It's been 48 hours
and still no rape kit.
- Is she unconscious?
- Ellie suffered massive head trauma.
Until she is conscious and able
to meaningfully participate
in the investigation,
Rockland County is only inclined
to pursue the attempted
murder part of the case.
So why are the Feds involved, exactly?
Crime happened off
the Appalachian Trail,
spans 14 states.
Okay, you see this pile right here?
This is what I'm dealing with.
I'm well aware of the
size of the favor I'm asking,
but our New York field office,
just isn't as expert as you are
when it comes to sex assault cases.
Without your help,
it might not get solved at all.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
I'm in.
Where do we start?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So we're doing Rockland
County cases now?
I've already spoken
with the commissioner.
- What'd he say?
- He said for you to play nice.
Okay, everyone, listen up.
We have two victims.
Ellie Hughes, who was
found in only a towel
with a huge gash to her forehead.
She's been in a coma for the
past 48 hours at NYU Langone.
- What about the male vic?
- According to Rockland County,
he was stabbed twice
with his own pocket knife.
So the perp just took it away
and then left it in his chest?
Maybe he was rushing to her defense?
That's what it's looking like.
He's been in and out of surgery.
And he hasn't been questioned yet?
- He's lucky to be alive.
- Where is he now?
He's being treated in the cardiac unit
a couple of floors
beneath his girlfriend.
Was anything stolen?
Rockland County
doesn't seem to think so.
Both of our victims'
cell phones and wallets
were recovered at the scene.
So, Bruno, take Silva
and head to the campground
- where it happened.
- Copy that.
Maybe our former homicide investigator
can find something that
Rockland County missed.
All right, you two, do a deep dive
on their social media profile,
and Clay and I are
gonna head to the hospital.
Ellie Hughes.
How is she doing?
Non-responsive.
Her head injury is one of the
worst I've seen in a long time.
She's on life support under the
care of our head neurosurgeon.
Does she have any family here?
Her mother flew in from
California two days ago.
Hasn't left Ellie's side since.
I sent her to the
hotel to get some rest.
And how's the boyfriend doing?
Stabbed through his pericardium.
Blade missed his
heart by a quarter inch.
All right, is he in any
shape to speak with us?
He's on a lot of pain meds.
I'm gonna take that as a yes.
All right, thank you, Doctor.
Thank you.
I was lying awake in the car.
Ellie went out to use our camp shower.
And?
I heard a noise,
grabbed my pocket knife,
got out of the car.
And what did you see?
There was this guy
standing over Ellie.
She was on the ground.
She was near our shower, in a towel.
Did you get a good look at him?
Yeah, he was white,
long hair,
beard.
Okay.
Did he have a weapon?
Yeah, a rock.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I went to defend Ellie.
A lot of good that did.
How did he get your pocket knife?
I'm not a fighter.
He must have just grabbed it from me.
I felt a pain,
in my stomach,
and my chest,
and I woke up in the
helicopter on the way here.
Okay. And what time was this?
2:00, maybe 3:00.
Okay, why was she
taking a shower so late?
We had just had sex.
Okay.
Is there anything else
you remember at all?
He was kind of dirty,
like he'd been hiking the
Appalachian Trail for a while.
Okay, that's helpful.
The nurse told me that Ellie
is here in the same hospital.
She is.
We've been traveling
together for months, she's
She's probably
gonna be scared
if she wakes up and
I'm not by her side.
Of course, I understand.
I think what's important
right now is for you to
stay strong, okay?
For Ellie.
♪
[SIGHS]
What are you thinking?
Did Rockland County
check with any other states
for similar crimes that
happened on that trail?
I already had my people check.
There's nothing.
So how far do you think
the average hiker could walk in a day?
If I had to guess, 20 miles, tops.
So our guy could've hopped back on
the trail after the attack.
Couldn't hurt throwing
some more field agents on it.
Chief Wells.
I'm Detective Bruno.
This is Detective Silva, NYPD.
Fred said you might be coming.
- Thanks for meeting us.
- What we got?
Female vic was found here.
She was showering?
Camp shower with a vinyl bag.
- Where is it now?
- The lab.
It was hanging from the tree.
Your casework says she
had blunt force trauma.
Hit on the head with
a rock or fell back on it.
Well, which one is it?
You'll have to ask the lab.
The rock was found
all the way over here?
That's right.
We'll take it from here.
Thanks.
Why toss the rock?
Trying to obscure the scene?
While a guy with a
knife was running at him?
He had a rock in his hand.
Why not use it to defend
himself against Chris?
You're assuming a lot
about the time frame.
For all you know, he
could have tossed the rock
after he stabbed Chris.
It's quiet.
It's dark.
No witnesses.
After he neutralizes the boyfriend,
perp's got total control of the scene.
Chris was found here.
What do you see?
Kid dumped a lot of blood.
And nothing between Ellie's
body and where he collapsed.
Chris came out of the
vehicle to protect Ellie, right?
So how'd he end up
all the way over here
after getting stabbed?
Adrenaline's a funny thing.
I've seen guys get shot and
run 100 yards before they drop.
What the hell are these?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Trail markers?
Hikers use them
sometimes to not get lost.
Yeah, but this isn't a trail, Bruno.
An animal?
Are you this big of a contrarian
when you do crime scenes with Fin?
No.
[PHONE BUZZES]
It's Benson.
Chris Becker was able to give
a description of his attacker.
♪
I'd like to see the knife.
So, Bruno and Silva
went over the crime scene
- with Rockland County.
- Anything we didn't know?
Just following up with
some leads with the lab.
Captain Benson, Agent.
Ellie Hughes's mother is here.
She asked to speak to you.
Okay.
The nurse said that
you talked to Chris.
Was he able to tell you
who might have done this?
He gave us a
description of the attacker,
and we are following up.
Is he gonna be okay?
At the moment, it
looks like he'll recover.
Oh, good.
He and Ellie are soul mates.
She was a little introverted
before she met him.
He helped her find her voice.
Maybe he can do it again.
You think that would
be helpful for Ellie
to hear his voice?
Yes.
Yeah, she's in there.
I've been talking to her.
The doctors wanna
take her off life support,
but just this morning, I asked
her to squeeze my hand,
and she did.
Would you mind showing us?
Yeah.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Ellie?
Ellie, honey, it's me, Mommy.
♪
If you can hear this,
squeeze my hand.
Honey, remember, like you did before?
Squeeze my hand.
Squeeze my hand, honey.
She did it this morning.
Mrs. Hughes, um,
would you mind if I
- If I tried?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Ellie.
I'm Olivia from NYPD,
and I'd like to ask you a question.
Is that okay?
Ellie?
Ellie, can you hear me?
If you can hear me, will
you squeeze my hand?
She can hear you.
She she can.
She can.
Yeah.
Okay.
You know, maybe what
would be best right now for Ellie
is for us to just let her rest.
All right?
While we find
who did this to your daughter.
- Okay.
- Okay.
So Ellie's mother says that you're
considering taking
her off life support?
It's been 72 hours
without brain activity,
usually about the time
we start the discussion.
But her mother seems
to think that there is
some level of consciousness.
Captain Benson, the
girl can't move or speak,
much less breathe on her own.
So in your professional opinion,
you don't think that
there's a possibility
that she's communicating
with her mother
through the squeezing of her hand?
It's not the first
time I've seen this.
Seen what?
A parent thinks their brain dead child
is sending them signs.
You're saying that it's just a reflex?
Unfortunately, yes.
There's no rule on how long a
person can stay on life support,
but, in my experience,
it usually has more to do with
the family not wanting to let go,
than what's best for the patient.
Paging Dr. Haynes to the OR.
Sorry. I'm late for surgery.
Well, thank you, Doctor.
Oh, so when Ellie was brought in,
I was told that a rape
kit wasn't ordered.
She was on my table for nine hours.
- Yeah.
- It wasn't top of mind.
Okay, well, one needs to be done now,
so Ellie's mother
will consent for her.
Of course.
Here's the rock that was
found at the crime scene.
Pink Adirondack granite.
All 6 pounds, 6 ounces of it.
I'm more interested in the knife.
My partner here found
some marks on a tree
she'd like to compare it to.
All you have is a photo?
Where's the actual knife?
Prints came back inconclusive,
so we sent it to Quantico.
I need that knife.
Well, we can ask Clay to
put in a call to Quantico,
but they'll probably ask
for a damn good reason.
- We have one.
- Oh, yeah.
We'll just tell them some mountain man
beat up a tree with it.
You can't deny we're
missing something.
Or there's the other option.
Yeah?
What's that?
The whole tree mark
thing,
is nothing more than
an investigational cul-de-sac.
And as far as this case is concerned,
we have enough of those already.
You find anything on
the couple's social media?
Yeah, they only had 1,800 followers.
- Anyone with a record?
- No.
We even interviewed
some of their trolls.
But we already alibied them.
Any of the comments
that are overly positive?
You mean like a stalker?
Not exactly.
You wanna enlighten us?
Yeah, everyone's
got an online persona,
and then they have
their offline persona,
and you can tell a lot about a person
by the distance between the two.
There's one girl who commented
on all of Ellie's posts,
sometimes even twice.
- You check it out?
- It was Ellie's college roommate.
They DM'd, talked on the phone.
So when was the last time they spoke?
The night Ellie was assaulted.
She was nowhere near the crime scene.
Okay, well, Ellie's
rape kit just came in.
And?
The semen DNA is a match to Chris.
Well, Chris said they
had sex that night.
- It's not surprising.
- Well, hold on.
There's something that might be.
The same nurse said that they found
mucosal fluid in Ellie's hair.
Did they say from what?
Saliva, but it's not a match
to either one of our victims.
So some guy spit on Ellie?
Pretty good chance that was our perp.
Can't be too hard to narrow it down.
Well, we know that she spoke
to her college roommate that night.
Yeah, from what she told us.
So why don't you bring her in
and see if there's anything
that she didn't tell you?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Like I told you on the phone,
Ellie is one of my best friends.
Do you know anyone
who might wanna hurt her?
A jealous ex?
No, no one.
Well, you told me you talked to Ellie
the night she was assaulted.
She and Chris were bickering.
I think she just wanted to vent.
What were they bickering about?
They got pulled over the day before.
Almost got a ticket.
Why would anybody fight
about a ticket they almost got?
They'd been stuck in a car
together for a few months.
At that point, my
boyfriend's breathing
would be enough to drive me nuts.
Did Ellie say what her
plans were for the night?
She texted me later from a bar.
She was all alone.
It was about midnight.
Was that a usual thing for Ellie,
to go out drinking alone?
No.
Totally out of character.
She sounded drunk.
I was worried.
She mention what bar?
It was near their campsite.
Said the bartender was a redhead guy
loading her up with free drinks.
Do you remember the name of the bar?
The bar owner said that we're
looking for a guy named Danny.
What you want bet that's him?
He's going out back.
You think he made us?
Nah, he's going to kill
himself one puff at a time.
Hey, Danny.
Who the hell are you?
We're here about Ellie Hughes.
That chick that got
attacked the other night?
Horrible.
So you know her?
Yeah, I served her.
I didn't have anything
to do with that.
You know anything about
the spit we found in her hair?
How would my spit have gotten there?
That's a good question.
Yeah, we found it on a rape kit.
- I didn't rape nobody.
- You got an alibi?
Yeah, I went home after my shift.
You got anyone that
can vouch for that?
My baby mama.
Well, how's she gonna feel knowing
that you like to load up young
girls with free drinks?
Okay, look.
I hit on her.
Gave her free whiskey
sodas till closing.
And then what?
She was just being a little tease.
So you followed her
back to her campsite
- No.
- And assaulted her.
No, no.
I told you, I went home.
So you won't mind us
swabbing your mouth for DNA.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Yeah.
♪
Look
Look, I was pissed, all right?
I mean, the girl drank
half a bottle of whiskey
on the house,
and then just left.
So you spit on her?
Yeah, I spit on her.
[SIREN CHIRPS]
Yeah, that's not illegal.
Well, actually, in the
state of New York,
it's considered assault.
You're under arrest, dummy.
No.
It's just a little spit.
Come on.
You just arrested someone
for spitting on Ellie?
We did.
So we talked to Ellie's
college roommate, Kayla.
- Do you know her?
- Yeah.
She told one of my detectives
that Ellie was actually at a bar,
that night.
Were you aware of that?
Uh
So Ellie didn't mention it?
No, no.
She told me she was
going to do laundry.
Laundry?
You didn't tell us that.
It was just laundry.
Any reason why she would have gone out
drinking alone instead?
I don't know.
Do you think someone
followed her home from the bar?
You tell us, Chris.
Anything's possible, but
It does explain something.
What does it explain?
Why the guy who stabbed
me smelled like alcohol.
What kind of alcohol?
Do you remember?
- Mom.
- Mrs. Becker.
I understand the
police have a job to do,
but, it's 9:00 at night, my
son was almost murdered.
- Mom, I'm fine.
- Have you found anything?
You're not Rockland County.
Where are you even from?
We are Manhattan SVU.
I'm Captain Benson,
and this is Detective Silva.
- SVU? What's that?
- Sex crimes.
Sex crimes? [SCOFFS]
Why are you involved?
Your son's girlfriend
was found half-naked,
so we believe that there may
have been a sexual motivation.
Yeah, Chris told me she was showering.
Mom, Ellie was at a
bar by herself that night.
We think that she may have been
followed back to the campsite.
My son got stabbed.
Twice.
- Don't forget he's a victim too.
- Miss Becker,
- we're well aware
- Yeah, well, he needs is rest.
I'm sorry.
You can come back tomorrow.
Okay, we will.
By the way, it was whiskey
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
On the guy's breath.
♪
Whiskey.
That's what Ellie and the
bartender were drinking, right?
So the roommate,
said that they were bickering.
Yeah, something
about being pulled over.
They didn't post that
part of their trip online.
Well, their lives are heavily curated.
Every post is evidence of that.
Well, you said it yourself.
Sometimes there's a
big distance between
people's on and offline personas.
I'm guessing the
distance between theirs
is further apart than we thought.
Yeah, so find out how far,
starting with that traffic stop
and why she went to
the bar in the first place.
♪
Morning.
So where are we with the bartender?
From what I hear,
cops in Rockland County
already kicked him loose.
His baby mama alibied him out.
- We believe her?
- Well, after he tried to cheat,
I think if she was gonna
throw him under the bus,
- she would have.
- I did an NCIC offline search
on Chris's name and
the tag on his vehicle.
And?
They were pulled over in Georgia
the day before the attack.
Chris and Ellie didn't get a ticket,
so there was no official report.
All right, well, Fin and Velasco,
talk to the officers
who pulled them over.
Figure out why they were stopped.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
I heard what happened
to that young couple.
It's a sin.
Yeah, we're trying to
find the sinner right now.
Coming up empty-handed.
How can I help?
So you pulled Chris over
the day before the attack?
That's right.
Can we ask why?
Common sense.
Something was off.
So Chris was cooperative?
Yeah.
What about his passenger, Ellie?
I talked to her too.
I
noticed a bruise on her arm.
You ask her about it?
Yeah, she said she got it
while hiking in Colorado.
You believe her?
Look, every time I
asked her a question,
she'd look over at her
boyfriend before answering.
Like she didn't wanna
say anything wrong.
Pretty much, but
wouldn't be the first time I
saw a woman trying to cover
for her jackass boyfriend either.
Yeah, don't I know it.
You think there was
something going on with them?
Not enough to arrest either
one of them, but maybe.
Did you have your body cam on?
Not like I have a choice.
You mind if we take
a look at that footage?
What's with the bruise?
Huh?
Can you pull your sleeve up for me?
Can you tell me how you got that?
Don't look at them.
Look at me.
How'd you get that bruise?
Colorado.
It must be from hiking.
Yeah, except it looks
like someone hit you.
- Did your boyfriend do that?
- No, no.
Are you sure you're okay, ma'am?
I said I'm fine.
Okay.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
So Rockland County never
told us about the bruise.
Probably thought she got
it the night of her attack.
What are you thinking, Captain?
I've seen that look on
a woman's face before.
So have I.
You're thinking she's afraid of Chris?
I know she is.
So maybe we're not looking
for some whiskey-drinking
mountain man after all.
Look, we know what they posted online.
So get their phones back from TARU,
and find out what they edited out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Good morning, everyone.
Today is the day.
We are headed to
Blackwater State Park.
It rained all night last night,
so I didn't sleep very much.
Doing a big old loop.
We have been on the
road for about a week now.
- Where are we?
- We are
just outside Sedona
at Oak Creek Canyon.
Yes, we are.
And today we're
thinking of going for, like,
- a little hike, maybe.
- Yes.
- Ooh, Chris, my phone.
- Oh, oh, oh.
- Oh, my God.
- That was a good save.
- Thank you.
- That was a good save.
- That could have been bad.
- Oh, my God. [LAUGHS]
- [KEYBOARD CLACKS]
- [SIGHS]
I think this is one of
those cases for you.
What cases?
Gets under your skin,
like a splinter.
Yeah, well, this is a strange feeling.
What is?
Watching all of
someone's happy moments,
knowing that they might
not get another one.
I hate to say this,
but, we haven't found
anything damning.
Well, there's a lot more footage.
If you guys have
watched any of my videos,
you'll know that I love thrifting,
and today Chris surprised
me by taking me to
a thrift shop in town, and
he got me this super cute top.
Do I have the best boyfriend, or what?
Are you getting this,
or are you still fooling
around with the focus?
You know, I wouldn't
have trouble focusing, Ellie,
if you would just hold still
can you hold still, please?
- What is wrong with you, Ellie?
- I'm sorry.
Oh, my gosh. I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
This is crazy.
This was the day
before the traffic stop.
Yeah, I think I know
how Ellie got that bruise.
You really think,
this kid almost kills his girlfriend,
and then stabs himself twice?
You were right.
We need to get that knife.
♪
- What's with the bruise?
- Huh?
Can you pull your sleeve up for me?
How'd you get that bruise?
Colorado.
It must be from hiking.
So they were stopped
by the state troopers.
They didn't even get a ticket.
Why are you showing us this?
Because your son
didn't mention it to us.
I didn't think it mattered.
Okay.
So, Chris, how did Ellie
get that bruise on her arm?
Just what she said.
She said hiking.
Did you tell her to say that?
No, no. Ellie has her own mind.
- Like this?
- Are you getting this,
or are you still fooling
around with the focus?
I wouldn't have
trouble focusing, Ellie,
if you would just hold still.
What is wrong with you?
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, my gosh.
I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
So, Chris, I'm gonna ask you again.
How did Ellie get the
bruise on her arm?
Okay, look
We've been a couple for two years now.
Every couple fights.
After months on the
road, did I lose my temper?
Sometimes yes, and I
am sorry about that, but I
[TENSE MUSIC]
Wait, you think
You think I tried to kill Ellie?
And then stabbed himself
twice, once in the heart?
What about the guy who spit on her?
He had an alibi, Chris.
Then it was someone else
who followed her back to the campsite.
Have you done anything,
anything at all to find that person?
Yeah, the problem with that
is that that person doesn't exist.
Obviously, someone saw Ellie
showering, tried to rape her,
and then when I came to protect her,
he grabbed my knife
and tried to kill me.
And who do you think that was?
Was it the dirty man with
the long hair and the beard?
The one that you later, conveniently,
remembered had the
Had whiskey on his breath?
Yeah, how'd you know that detail?
You know, let me guess.
I think it's because Ellie
had whiskey on her breath.
Why do I feel like we need a lawyer?
That's your right.
- I think you're done talking to my son.
- Mom, Mom,
I didn't do anything wrong.
- I wanna help.
- Not without a lawyer.
All right.
Let us know when you get a lawyer.
♪
What's our working theory, Captain?
He did it.
They've been driving
together for two months.
- Why now?
- Look,
Silva has a theory about that.
How long until we get this
knife back from Quantico?
There's your delivery.
Detectives Bruno and Silva.
Yeah.
Sign here.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Thanks.
♪
It's a perfect fit.
It's a start.
But what does it prove?
You're about Chris's height.
Hold this to your sternum.
Now move towards the tree.
Do we even need to see
if you could do the
same to your stomach?
I think you made your point.
Chris ran straight towards the tree,
the knife pointed at him.
The first stab punctured his stomach.
The second was enough
force to penetrate his sternum.
That's pretty hardcore.
I don't think he meant to live.
Well, he's gonna wish he didn't
after Benson gets through with him.
♪
You think Chris
tried to kill my daughter?
And then stabbed himself
to make it look like
he was a victim too.
So we're working on proving this now.
I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hughes.
Um
Why don't we ask Ellie?
Mrs. Hughes, I don't think
that that's the best idea.
She was stronger this morning.
Just, please, try it.
Of course.
Ask her anything.
Ellie,
it's Olivia, again,
and, I'm gonna hold your hand, okay?
Ellie, honey, if you can hear us,
squeeze your hand once, okay?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Like you did for me this morning.
Mrs. Hughes
Please, just
Please, just give her time.
♪
Ellie?
Ellie, when you returned
back to the campsite,
was Chris the one who attacked you?
♪
Ellie, was it Chris?
Was it Chris?
[GASPS]
Yes.
- Oh.
- Yes.
Did you talk to the
Rockland County DA?
Yeah, they expedited
the arrest warrant.
But, divots in a tree,
our victim only ID'd the
suspect with a hand squeeze.
It's gonna be a challenging
grand jury indictment.
One step at a time.
NYPD.
Where's Chris Becker?
He was checked out a half hour ago.
By who?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[SIREN WAILING]
Miss Becker!
If you're looking for
Chris, he's not here.
Where is he?
- I have no idea.
- Are you sure?
What do you mean?
So you're putting
groceries in your car?
For your son?
Where are you hiding him?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Let's check the house and the cars.
Pop that gate.
Wait
NYPD.
Get out.
You're under arrest.
So are you.
Cuff her.
♪
You want a lawyer or not?
I don't need one.
I didn't do anything illegal.
Well, our ADA would disagree.
I was just being his mother.
No, you were helping your son escape.
Your captain and that FBI agent,
they already made up their
minds that Chris is guilty.
Based on the evidence, he is.
I refuse to accept that.
That is not the Chris I know.
Maybe you don't know
your son as well as you think.
I admit I wasn't the
best mother in the world
when Chris was growing up,
but I had a lot going on.
So you're trying to make up
for 25 years of bad parenting
by aiding and abetting
an attempted murderer?
I am protecting my child,
what any mother would do.
You,
and the FBI are gonna be sorry.
You screwed up this investigation,
and the real killer
is still out there.
- You'll see.
- What we see
is what's staring us in the face.
Your son.
Chris loves Ellie.
Are you even listening to me?
Take us through it.
I've got nothing to say to you.
Really?
How about we add
obstruction to your charges?
Go ahead.
Whatever you're gonna
do to me, I don't care.
I am a good mother.
I am.
I am!
What is wrong with you?
Ellie!
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, my gosh,
I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
This is crazy.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Here, sit down.
So, Chris, are you ready to talk?
We're here to cooperate,
aren't we, Chris?
I already told them everything.
That's not true.
You didn't tell us,
what went wrong,
between you and Ellie.
I look at these videos
and I just see
you were really in love.
Not a care in the
world, just
Really happy.
♪
Were you?
Yeah
We were.
Tell me what happened.
♪
We know that you hit Ellie,
before the traffic stop in Georgia,
and I'm assuming that
wasn't the first time.
And we know it wasn't the last.
Look at her.
- Look at her.
- I don't want to.
Is this really necessary?
All that joy, all that life,
ahead of her.
You know what the
doctors are saying now?
They're saying that they
wanna take her off life support.
Look at what you did to her!
♪
I didn't do it.
Do you always run away
from things that you didn't do?
Chris, are you gonna run and hide
in the bed of your mother's truck?
- That's enough.
- Look at her.
- You need to stop this.
- Look at her.
Look what you did.
I need some time with my client.
- I need you to look at her.
- I didn't mean to!
I didn't mean to! [CRYING]
We got into a fight.
I woke up and she was gone.
I laid awake,
waiting for her.
Then you heard the shower turn on.
I got up.
I saw her undressing.
What did you think
had happened, Chris?
She was mad when she left.
She came back smelling like alcohol.
Between that and the shower, I
You just assumed that
she cheated on you, right?
So you flew into a rage.
I grabbed a rock.
Chris.
I need to hear you say it now, okay?
I need to hear you say it.
I hit her.
I hit her.
I was not trying to kill her.
So the sex that night,
that wasn't consensual, was it, Chris?
I think we know the rest, Captain.
Yeah, you think that we know,
that Chris raped Ellie,
to remind her who was in control?
And then he stabbed himself twice,
so he would look like the victim.
That's not why I stabbed myself.
Then why did you stab yourself?
Because I didn't want
to live without Ellie.
She is my whole world.
Yeah, well, that's what it looks like
in your posts, Chris.
But there's a very big disconnect
between those photos,
and the way you actually treated her.
[STAMMERS]
I wish I could take it back.
♪
You can't.
It's too late for that.
[TABLET THUDS]
♪
[DOOR SLAMS]
What, everybody go out
for a beer or something?
Uh, no, Benson went
back to the hospital.
Is Ellie gonna pull through?
I'm no neurosurgeon.
Well
If Benson was here,
she'd probably say
something about hope.
I bet they don't teach
that at Brooklyn Homicide.
[LAUGHS SOFTLY]
You know what I haven't
figured out about you?
Yeah, what's that?
Why the hell you'd switch
from Homicide to Sex Crimes.
I mean, you must be a
masochist or something.
Maybe I am.
Come on.
Okay.
I was having a sleepover,
at my best friend's five floor walkup,
in Washington Heights.
You know, when I was a kid.
And I get up to take a pee
and I hear some kind of noise.
Looked out the window and I
see a woman being attacked
by some guy on the street.
There's not many people around,
but, I looked across the way
and I see an old lady in her window.
I was just a kid.
You know, I assumed
that she would call the cops.
I take it she didn't?
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
I think she just watched.
[SCOFFS]
You know, and went
back on with her life.
Because the next morning,
I get up and I turn the
corner to head home,
and that whole place
was a crime scene.
And I found out later on that
That woman was raped and murdered.
Ever catch the guy?
No idea.
So you paid the penance
on the murder part,
and now you're paying off the rape.
Something like that, Bruno.
♪
Hey, Ellie.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
I just wanted to thank you
for being so incredibly strong
and for helping us find the truth.
But, what I really wanted you to know,
is that we got him.
He's going away for a long time,
and he'll never hurt anyone again
because of you.
♪
I just hope that you know that.
♪
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Hi, guys. It's Ellie.
Welcome back to my channel.
Leaving now for my
cross-country road trip
with my sexy cameraman here.
- Say hi, Chris. [LAUGHS]
- Hi.
I cannot wait to share our
adventure with all of you.
Every journey begins
with the first step.
Here we go.
Now he's thinkin' ♪
'bout me every night, oh ♪
Is it that sweet? ♪
I guess so ♪
Say you can't sleep, ♪
baby, I know ♪
That's that me espresso ♪
Move it up, down, ♪
left, right, oh ♪
Switch it up like Nintendo ♪
[GIGGLES]
Say you can't sleep, ♪
baby, I know ♪
That's that me espresso ♪
- We did it.
- That is so pretty.
Is it that sweet? ♪
I guess so ♪
I'm working late ♪
'cause I'm a singer ♪
Oh, he looks so cute ♪
wrapped 'round my finger ♪
My twisted humor ♪
make him laugh so often ♪
My honeybee, ♪
come and get this pollen ♪
Too bad your ex ♪
don't do it for ya ♪
Walked in and ♪
dream-came-trued it for ya ♪
Soft skin and ♪
I perfumed it for ya ♪
♪
[MUSIC STOPS]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Hello?
♪
Oh, my God.
- Ellie?
- Who's there?
Ellie.
Oh, my God.
Ellie.
Don't move.
I'm gonna call for help.
♪
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
Captain Benson.
Clark Kent.
Buttering me up at
7:30 in the morning?
- Mm-hmm.
- You must need something.
- [CHUCKLES]
- What's going on?
Hiker found two
victims at a campground.
Male victim somehow
survived two stab wounds,
one near the heart.
And what about the other victim?
His girlfriend, Ellie.
She was found half-naked.
Let's talk in my office.
Ellie Hughes, Chris Becker.
Echo Park, Los Angeles.
What were they doing
in Rockland County?
They're wannabe travel influencers
on a two-month road
trip around the country.
Uh-huh, and Rockland County
suspects that Ellie was raped?
Based on visual evidence, yeah.
It's been 48 hours
and still no rape kit.
- Is she unconscious?
- Ellie suffered massive head trauma.
Until she is conscious and able
to meaningfully participate
in the investigation,
Rockland County is only inclined
to pursue the attempted
murder part of the case.
So why are the Feds involved, exactly?
Crime happened off
the Appalachian Trail,
spans 14 states.
Okay, you see this pile right here?
This is what I'm dealing with.
I'm well aware of the
size of the favor I'm asking,
but our New York field office,
just isn't as expert as you are
when it comes to sex assault cases.
Without your help,
it might not get solved at all.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
I'm in.
Where do we start?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So we're doing Rockland
County cases now?
I've already spoken
with the commissioner.
- What'd he say?
- He said for you to play nice.
Okay, everyone, listen up.
We have two victims.
Ellie Hughes, who was
found in only a towel
with a huge gash to her forehead.
She's been in a coma for the
past 48 hours at NYU Langone.
- What about the male vic?
- According to Rockland County,
he was stabbed twice
with his own pocket knife.
So the perp just took it away
and then left it in his chest?
Maybe he was rushing to her defense?
That's what it's looking like.
He's been in and out of surgery.
And he hasn't been questioned yet?
- He's lucky to be alive.
- Where is he now?
He's being treated in the cardiac unit
a couple of floors
beneath his girlfriend.
Was anything stolen?
Rockland County
doesn't seem to think so.
Both of our victims'
cell phones and wallets
were recovered at the scene.
So, Bruno, take Silva
and head to the campground
- where it happened.
- Copy that.
Maybe our former homicide investigator
can find something that
Rockland County missed.
All right, you two, do a deep dive
on their social media profile,
and Clay and I are
gonna head to the hospital.
Ellie Hughes.
How is she doing?
Non-responsive.
Her head injury is one of the
worst I've seen in a long time.
She's on life support under the
care of our head neurosurgeon.
Does she have any family here?
Her mother flew in from
California two days ago.
Hasn't left Ellie's side since.
I sent her to the
hotel to get some rest.
And how's the boyfriend doing?
Stabbed through his pericardium.
Blade missed his
heart by a quarter inch.
All right, is he in any
shape to speak with us?
He's on a lot of pain meds.
I'm gonna take that as a yes.
All right, thank you, Doctor.
Thank you.
I was lying awake in the car.
Ellie went out to use our camp shower.
And?
I heard a noise,
grabbed my pocket knife,
got out of the car.
And what did you see?
There was this guy
standing over Ellie.
She was on the ground.
She was near our shower, in a towel.
Did you get a good look at him?
Yeah, he was white,
long hair,
beard.
Okay.
Did he have a weapon?
Yeah, a rock.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
I went to defend Ellie.
A lot of good that did.
How did he get your pocket knife?
I'm not a fighter.
He must have just grabbed it from me.
I felt a pain,
in my stomach,
and my chest,
and I woke up in the
helicopter on the way here.
Okay. And what time was this?
2:00, maybe 3:00.
Okay, why was she
taking a shower so late?
We had just had sex.
Okay.
Is there anything else
you remember at all?
He was kind of dirty,
like he'd been hiking the
Appalachian Trail for a while.
Okay, that's helpful.
The nurse told me that Ellie
is here in the same hospital.
She is.
We've been traveling
together for months, she's
She's probably
gonna be scared
if she wakes up and
I'm not by her side.
Of course, I understand.
I think what's important
right now is for you to
stay strong, okay?
For Ellie.
♪
[SIGHS]
What are you thinking?
Did Rockland County
check with any other states
for similar crimes that
happened on that trail?
I already had my people check.
There's nothing.
So how far do you think
the average hiker could walk in a day?
If I had to guess, 20 miles, tops.
So our guy could've hopped back on
the trail after the attack.
Couldn't hurt throwing
some more field agents on it.
Chief Wells.
I'm Detective Bruno.
This is Detective Silva, NYPD.
Fred said you might be coming.
- Thanks for meeting us.
- What we got?
Female vic was found here.
She was showering?
Camp shower with a vinyl bag.
- Where is it now?
- The lab.
It was hanging from the tree.
Your casework says she
had blunt force trauma.
Hit on the head with
a rock or fell back on it.
Well, which one is it?
You'll have to ask the lab.
The rock was found
all the way over here?
That's right.
We'll take it from here.
Thanks.
Why toss the rock?
Trying to obscure the scene?
While a guy with a
knife was running at him?
He had a rock in his hand.
Why not use it to defend
himself against Chris?
You're assuming a lot
about the time frame.
For all you know, he
could have tossed the rock
after he stabbed Chris.
It's quiet.
It's dark.
No witnesses.
After he neutralizes the boyfriend,
perp's got total control of the scene.
Chris was found here.
What do you see?
Kid dumped a lot of blood.
And nothing between Ellie's
body and where he collapsed.
Chris came out of the
vehicle to protect Ellie, right?
So how'd he end up
all the way over here
after getting stabbed?
Adrenaline's a funny thing.
I've seen guys get shot and
run 100 yards before they drop.
What the hell are these?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Trail markers?
Hikers use them
sometimes to not get lost.
Yeah, but this isn't a trail, Bruno.
An animal?
Are you this big of a contrarian
when you do crime scenes with Fin?
No.
[PHONE BUZZES]
It's Benson.
Chris Becker was able to give
a description of his attacker.
♪
I'd like to see the knife.
So, Bruno and Silva
went over the crime scene
- with Rockland County.
- Anything we didn't know?
Just following up with
some leads with the lab.
Captain Benson, Agent.
Ellie Hughes's mother is here.
She asked to speak to you.
Okay.
The nurse said that
you talked to Chris.
Was he able to tell you
who might have done this?
He gave us a
description of the attacker,
and we are following up.
Is he gonna be okay?
At the moment, it
looks like he'll recover.
Oh, good.
He and Ellie are soul mates.
She was a little introverted
before she met him.
He helped her find her voice.
Maybe he can do it again.
You think that would
be helpful for Ellie
to hear his voice?
Yes.
Yeah, she's in there.
I've been talking to her.
The doctors wanna
take her off life support,
but just this morning, I asked
her to squeeze my hand,
and she did.
Would you mind showing us?
Yeah.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
Ellie?
Ellie, honey, it's me, Mommy.
♪
If you can hear this,
squeeze my hand.
Honey, remember, like you did before?
Squeeze my hand.
Squeeze my hand, honey.
She did it this morning.
Mrs. Hughes, um,
would you mind if I
- If I tried?
- Yeah.
Yeah.
Ellie.
I'm Olivia from NYPD,
and I'd like to ask you a question.
Is that okay?
Ellie?
Ellie, can you hear me?
If you can hear me, will
you squeeze my hand?
She can hear you.
She she can.
She can.
Yeah.
Okay.
You know, maybe what
would be best right now for Ellie
is for us to just let her rest.
All right?
While we find
who did this to your daughter.
- Okay.
- Okay.
So Ellie's mother says that you're
considering taking
her off life support?
It's been 72 hours
without brain activity,
usually about the time
we start the discussion.
But her mother seems
to think that there is
some level of consciousness.
Captain Benson, the
girl can't move or speak,
much less breathe on her own.
So in your professional opinion,
you don't think that
there's a possibility
that she's communicating
with her mother
through the squeezing of her hand?
It's not the first
time I've seen this.
Seen what?
A parent thinks their brain dead child
is sending them signs.
You're saying that it's just a reflex?
Unfortunately, yes.
There's no rule on how long a
person can stay on life support,
but, in my experience,
it usually has more to do with
the family not wanting to let go,
than what's best for the patient.
Paging Dr. Haynes to the OR.
Sorry. I'm late for surgery.
Well, thank you, Doctor.
Oh, so when Ellie was brought in,
I was told that a rape
kit wasn't ordered.
She was on my table for nine hours.
- Yeah.
- It wasn't top of mind.
Okay, well, one needs to be done now,
so Ellie's mother
will consent for her.
Of course.
Here's the rock that was
found at the crime scene.
Pink Adirondack granite.
All 6 pounds, 6 ounces of it.
I'm more interested in the knife.
My partner here found
some marks on a tree
she'd like to compare it to.
All you have is a photo?
Where's the actual knife?
Prints came back inconclusive,
so we sent it to Quantico.
I need that knife.
Well, we can ask Clay to
put in a call to Quantico,
but they'll probably ask
for a damn good reason.
- We have one.
- Oh, yeah.
We'll just tell them some mountain man
beat up a tree with it.
You can't deny we're
missing something.
Or there's the other option.
Yeah?
What's that?
The whole tree mark
thing,
is nothing more than
an investigational cul-de-sac.
And as far as this case is concerned,
we have enough of those already.
You find anything on
the couple's social media?
Yeah, they only had 1,800 followers.
- Anyone with a record?
- No.
We even interviewed
some of their trolls.
But we already alibied them.
Any of the comments
that are overly positive?
You mean like a stalker?
Not exactly.
You wanna enlighten us?
Yeah, everyone's
got an online persona,
and then they have
their offline persona,
and you can tell a lot about a person
by the distance between the two.
There's one girl who commented
on all of Ellie's posts,
sometimes even twice.
- You check it out?
- It was Ellie's college roommate.
They DM'd, talked on the phone.
So when was the last time they spoke?
The night Ellie was assaulted.
She was nowhere near the crime scene.
Okay, well, Ellie's
rape kit just came in.
And?
The semen DNA is a match to Chris.
Well, Chris said they
had sex that night.
- It's not surprising.
- Well, hold on.
There's something that might be.
The same nurse said that they found
mucosal fluid in Ellie's hair.
Did they say from what?
Saliva, but it's not a match
to either one of our victims.
So some guy spit on Ellie?
Pretty good chance that was our perp.
Can't be too hard to narrow it down.
Well, we know that she spoke
to her college roommate that night.
Yeah, from what she told us.
So why don't you bring her in
and see if there's anything
that she didn't tell you?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Like I told you on the phone,
Ellie is one of my best friends.
Do you know anyone
who might wanna hurt her?
A jealous ex?
No, no one.
Well, you told me you talked to Ellie
the night she was assaulted.
She and Chris were bickering.
I think she just wanted to vent.
What were they bickering about?
They got pulled over the day before.
Almost got a ticket.
Why would anybody fight
about a ticket they almost got?
They'd been stuck in a car
together for a few months.
At that point, my
boyfriend's breathing
would be enough to drive me nuts.
Did Ellie say what her
plans were for the night?
She texted me later from a bar.
She was all alone.
It was about midnight.
Was that a usual thing for Ellie,
to go out drinking alone?
No.
Totally out of character.
She sounded drunk.
I was worried.
She mention what bar?
It was near their campsite.
Said the bartender was a redhead guy
loading her up with free drinks.
Do you remember the name of the bar?
The bar owner said that we're
looking for a guy named Danny.
What you want bet that's him?
He's going out back.
You think he made us?
Nah, he's going to kill
himself one puff at a time.
Hey, Danny.
Who the hell are you?
We're here about Ellie Hughes.
That chick that got
attacked the other night?
Horrible.
So you know her?
Yeah, I served her.
I didn't have anything
to do with that.
You know anything about
the spit we found in her hair?
How would my spit have gotten there?
That's a good question.
Yeah, we found it on a rape kit.
- I didn't rape nobody.
- You got an alibi?
Yeah, I went home after my shift.
You got anyone that
can vouch for that?
My baby mama.
Well, how's she gonna feel knowing
that you like to load up young
girls with free drinks?
Okay, look.
I hit on her.
Gave her free whiskey
sodas till closing.
And then what?
She was just being a little tease.
So you followed her
back to her campsite
- No.
- And assaulted her.
No, no.
I told you, I went home.
So you won't mind us
swabbing your mouth for DNA.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Yeah.
♪
Look
Look, I was pissed, all right?
I mean, the girl drank
half a bottle of whiskey
on the house,
and then just left.
So you spit on her?
Yeah, I spit on her.
[SIREN CHIRPS]
Yeah, that's not illegal.
Well, actually, in the
state of New York,
it's considered assault.
You're under arrest, dummy.
No.
It's just a little spit.
Come on.
You just arrested someone
for spitting on Ellie?
We did.
So we talked to Ellie's
college roommate, Kayla.
- Do you know her?
- Yeah.
She told one of my detectives
that Ellie was actually at a bar,
that night.
Were you aware of that?
Uh
So Ellie didn't mention it?
No, no.
She told me she was
going to do laundry.
Laundry?
You didn't tell us that.
It was just laundry.
Any reason why she would have gone out
drinking alone instead?
I don't know.
Do you think someone
followed her home from the bar?
You tell us, Chris.
Anything's possible, but
It does explain something.
What does it explain?
Why the guy who stabbed
me smelled like alcohol.
What kind of alcohol?
Do you remember?
- Mom.
- Mrs. Becker.
I understand the
police have a job to do,
but, it's 9:00 at night, my
son was almost murdered.
- Mom, I'm fine.
- Have you found anything?
You're not Rockland County.
Where are you even from?
We are Manhattan SVU.
I'm Captain Benson,
and this is Detective Silva.
- SVU? What's that?
- Sex crimes.
Sex crimes? [SCOFFS]
Why are you involved?
Your son's girlfriend
was found half-naked,
so we believe that there may
have been a sexual motivation.
Yeah, Chris told me she was showering.
Mom, Ellie was at a
bar by herself that night.
We think that she may have been
followed back to the campsite.
My son got stabbed.
Twice.
- Don't forget he's a victim too.
- Miss Becker,
- we're well aware
- Yeah, well, he needs is rest.
I'm sorry.
You can come back tomorrow.
Okay, we will.
By the way, it was whiskey
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
On the guy's breath.
♪
Whiskey.
That's what Ellie and the
bartender were drinking, right?
So the roommate,
said that they were bickering.
Yeah, something
about being pulled over.
They didn't post that
part of their trip online.
Well, their lives are heavily curated.
Every post is evidence of that.
Well, you said it yourself.
Sometimes there's a
big distance between
people's on and offline personas.
I'm guessing the
distance between theirs
is further apart than we thought.
Yeah, so find out how far,
starting with that traffic stop
and why she went to
the bar in the first place.
♪
Morning.
So where are we with the bartender?
From what I hear,
cops in Rockland County
already kicked him loose.
His baby mama alibied him out.
- We believe her?
- Well, after he tried to cheat,
I think if she was gonna
throw him under the bus,
- she would have.
- I did an NCIC offline search
on Chris's name and
the tag on his vehicle.
And?
They were pulled over in Georgia
the day before the attack.
Chris and Ellie didn't get a ticket,
so there was no official report.
All right, well, Fin and Velasco,
talk to the officers
who pulled them over.
Figure out why they were stopped.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
I heard what happened
to that young couple.
It's a sin.
Yeah, we're trying to
find the sinner right now.
Coming up empty-handed.
How can I help?
So you pulled Chris over
the day before the attack?
That's right.
Can we ask why?
Common sense.
Something was off.
So Chris was cooperative?
Yeah.
What about his passenger, Ellie?
I talked to her too.
I
noticed a bruise on her arm.
You ask her about it?
Yeah, she said she got it
while hiking in Colorado.
You believe her?
Look, every time I
asked her a question,
she'd look over at her
boyfriend before answering.
Like she didn't wanna
say anything wrong.
Pretty much, but
wouldn't be the first time I
saw a woman trying to cover
for her jackass boyfriend either.
Yeah, don't I know it.
You think there was
something going on with them?
Not enough to arrest either
one of them, but maybe.
Did you have your body cam on?
Not like I have a choice.
You mind if we take
a look at that footage?
What's with the bruise?
Huh?
Can you pull your sleeve up for me?
Can you tell me how you got that?
Don't look at them.
Look at me.
How'd you get that bruise?
Colorado.
It must be from hiking.
Yeah, except it looks
like someone hit you.
- Did your boyfriend do that?
- No, no.
Are you sure you're okay, ma'am?
I said I'm fine.
Okay.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
So Rockland County never
told us about the bruise.
Probably thought she got
it the night of her attack.
What are you thinking, Captain?
I've seen that look on
a woman's face before.
So have I.
You're thinking she's afraid of Chris?
I know she is.
So maybe we're not looking
for some whiskey-drinking
mountain man after all.
Look, we know what they posted online.
So get their phones back from TARU,
and find out what they edited out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Good morning, everyone.
Today is the day.
We are headed to
Blackwater State Park.
It rained all night last night,
so I didn't sleep very much.
Doing a big old loop.
We have been on the
road for about a week now.
- Where are we?
- We are
just outside Sedona
at Oak Creek Canyon.
Yes, we are.
And today we're
thinking of going for, like,
- a little hike, maybe.
- Yes.
- Ooh, Chris, my phone.
- Oh, oh, oh.
- Oh, my God.
- That was a good save.
- Thank you.
- That was a good save.
- That could have been bad.
- Oh, my God. [LAUGHS]
- [KEYBOARD CLACKS]
- [SIGHS]
I think this is one of
those cases for you.
What cases?
Gets under your skin,
like a splinter.
Yeah, well, this is a strange feeling.
What is?
Watching all of
someone's happy moments,
knowing that they might
not get another one.
I hate to say this,
but, we haven't found
anything damning.
Well, there's a lot more footage.
If you guys have
watched any of my videos,
you'll know that I love thrifting,
and today Chris surprised
me by taking me to
a thrift shop in town, and
he got me this super cute top.
Do I have the best boyfriend, or what?
Are you getting this,
or are you still fooling
around with the focus?
You know, I wouldn't
have trouble focusing, Ellie,
if you would just hold still
can you hold still, please?
- What is wrong with you, Ellie?
- I'm sorry.
Oh, my gosh. I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
This is crazy.
This was the day
before the traffic stop.
Yeah, I think I know
how Ellie got that bruise.
You really think,
this kid almost kills his girlfriend,
and then stabs himself twice?
You were right.
We need to get that knife.
♪
- What's with the bruise?
- Huh?
Can you pull your sleeve up for me?
How'd you get that bruise?
Colorado.
It must be from hiking.
So they were stopped
by the state troopers.
They didn't even get a ticket.
Why are you showing us this?
Because your son
didn't mention it to us.
I didn't think it mattered.
Okay.
So, Chris, how did Ellie
get that bruise on her arm?
Just what she said.
She said hiking.
Did you tell her to say that?
No, no. Ellie has her own mind.
- Like this?
- Are you getting this,
or are you still fooling
around with the focus?
I wouldn't have
trouble focusing, Ellie,
if you would just hold still.
What is wrong with you?
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, my gosh.
I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
So, Chris, I'm gonna ask you again.
How did Ellie get the
bruise on her arm?
Okay, look
We've been a couple for two years now.
Every couple fights.
After months on the
road, did I lose my temper?
Sometimes yes, and I
am sorry about that, but I
[TENSE MUSIC]
Wait, you think
You think I tried to kill Ellie?
And then stabbed himself
twice, once in the heart?
What about the guy who spit on her?
He had an alibi, Chris.
Then it was someone else
who followed her back to the campsite.
Have you done anything,
anything at all to find that person?
Yeah, the problem with that
is that that person doesn't exist.
Obviously, someone saw Ellie
showering, tried to rape her,
and then when I came to protect her,
he grabbed my knife
and tried to kill me.
And who do you think that was?
Was it the dirty man with
the long hair and the beard?
The one that you later, conveniently,
remembered had the
Had whiskey on his breath?
Yeah, how'd you know that detail?
You know, let me guess.
I think it's because Ellie
had whiskey on her breath.
Why do I feel like we need a lawyer?
That's your right.
- I think you're done talking to my son.
- Mom, Mom,
I didn't do anything wrong.
- I wanna help.
- Not without a lawyer.
All right.
Let us know when you get a lawyer.
♪
What's our working theory, Captain?
He did it.
They've been driving
together for two months.
- Why now?
- Look,
Silva has a theory about that.
How long until we get this
knife back from Quantico?
There's your delivery.
Detectives Bruno and Silva.
Yeah.
Sign here.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Thanks.
♪
It's a perfect fit.
It's a start.
But what does it prove?
You're about Chris's height.
Hold this to your sternum.
Now move towards the tree.
Do we even need to see
if you could do the
same to your stomach?
I think you made your point.
Chris ran straight towards the tree,
the knife pointed at him.
The first stab punctured his stomach.
The second was enough
force to penetrate his sternum.
That's pretty hardcore.
I don't think he meant to live.
Well, he's gonna wish he didn't
after Benson gets through with him.
♪
You think Chris
tried to kill my daughter?
And then stabbed himself
to make it look like
he was a victim too.
So we're working on proving this now.
I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hughes.
Um
Why don't we ask Ellie?
Mrs. Hughes, I don't think
that that's the best idea.
She was stronger this morning.
Just, please, try it.
Of course.
Ask her anything.
Ellie,
it's Olivia, again,
and, I'm gonna hold your hand, okay?
Ellie, honey, if you can hear us,
squeeze your hand once, okay?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Like you did for me this morning.
Mrs. Hughes
Please, just
Please, just give her time.
♪
Ellie?
Ellie, when you returned
back to the campsite,
was Chris the one who attacked you?
♪
Ellie, was it Chris?
Was it Chris?
[GASPS]
Yes.
- Oh.
- Yes.
Did you talk to the
Rockland County DA?
Yeah, they expedited
the arrest warrant.
But, divots in a tree,
our victim only ID'd the
suspect with a hand squeeze.
It's gonna be a challenging
grand jury indictment.
One step at a time.
NYPD.
Where's Chris Becker?
He was checked out a half hour ago.
By who?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[SIREN WAILING]
Miss Becker!
If you're looking for
Chris, he's not here.
Where is he?
- I have no idea.
- Are you sure?
What do you mean?
So you're putting
groceries in your car?
For your son?
Where are you hiding him?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Let's check the house and the cars.
Pop that gate.
Wait
NYPD.
Get out.
You're under arrest.
So are you.
Cuff her.
♪
You want a lawyer or not?
I don't need one.
I didn't do anything illegal.
Well, our ADA would disagree.
I was just being his mother.
No, you were helping your son escape.
Your captain and that FBI agent,
they already made up their
minds that Chris is guilty.
Based on the evidence, he is.
I refuse to accept that.
That is not the Chris I know.
Maybe you don't know
your son as well as you think.
I admit I wasn't the
best mother in the world
when Chris was growing up,
but I had a lot going on.
So you're trying to make up
for 25 years of bad parenting
by aiding and abetting
an attempted murderer?
I am protecting my child,
what any mother would do.
You,
and the FBI are gonna be sorry.
You screwed up this investigation,
and the real killer
is still out there.
- You'll see.
- What we see
is what's staring us in the face.
Your son.
Chris loves Ellie.
Are you even listening to me?
Take us through it.
I've got nothing to say to you.
Really?
How about we add
obstruction to your charges?
Go ahead.
Whatever you're gonna
do to me, I don't care.
I am a good mother.
I am.
I am!
What is wrong with you?
Ellie!
- I'm sorry.
- Oh, my gosh,
I am so sick of this.
This is a waste of time.
- All of this is a waste of time.
- [SLAP]
- [YELPS]
- Are you stupid?
Are you stupid, Ellie?
This is crazy.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Here, sit down.
So, Chris, are you ready to talk?
We're here to cooperate,
aren't we, Chris?
I already told them everything.
That's not true.
You didn't tell us,
what went wrong,
between you and Ellie.
I look at these videos
and I just see
you were really in love.
Not a care in the
world, just
Really happy.
♪
Were you?
Yeah
We were.
Tell me what happened.
♪
We know that you hit Ellie,
before the traffic stop in Georgia,
and I'm assuming that
wasn't the first time.
And we know it wasn't the last.
Look at her.
- Look at her.
- I don't want to.
Is this really necessary?
All that joy, all that life,
ahead of her.
You know what the
doctors are saying now?
They're saying that they
wanna take her off life support.
Look at what you did to her!
♪
I didn't do it.
Do you always run away
from things that you didn't do?
Chris, are you gonna run and hide
in the bed of your mother's truck?
- That's enough.
- Look at her.
- You need to stop this.
- Look at her.
Look what you did.
I need some time with my client.
- I need you to look at her.
- I didn't mean to!
I didn't mean to! [CRYING]
We got into a fight.
I woke up and she was gone.
I laid awake,
waiting for her.
Then you heard the shower turn on.
I got up.
I saw her undressing.
What did you think
had happened, Chris?
She was mad when she left.
She came back smelling like alcohol.
Between that and the shower, I
You just assumed that
she cheated on you, right?
So you flew into a rage.
I grabbed a rock.
Chris.
I need to hear you say it now, okay?
I need to hear you say it.
I hit her.
I hit her.
I was not trying to kill her.
So the sex that night,
that wasn't consensual, was it, Chris?
I think we know the rest, Captain.
Yeah, you think that we know,
that Chris raped Ellie,
to remind her who was in control?
And then he stabbed himself twice,
so he would look like the victim.
That's not why I stabbed myself.
Then why did you stab yourself?
Because I didn't want
to live without Ellie.
She is my whole world.
Yeah, well, that's what it looks like
in your posts, Chris.
But there's a very big disconnect
between those photos,
and the way you actually treated her.
[STAMMERS]
I wish I could take it back.
♪
You can't.
It's too late for that.
[TABLET THUDS]
♪
[DOOR SLAMS]
What, everybody go out
for a beer or something?
Uh, no, Benson went
back to the hospital.
Is Ellie gonna pull through?
I'm no neurosurgeon.
Well
If Benson was here,
she'd probably say
something about hope.
I bet they don't teach
that at Brooklyn Homicide.
[LAUGHS SOFTLY]
You know what I haven't
figured out about you?
Yeah, what's that?
Why the hell you'd switch
from Homicide to Sex Crimes.
I mean, you must be a
masochist or something.
Maybe I am.
Come on.
Okay.
I was having a sleepover,
at my best friend's five floor walkup,
in Washington Heights.
You know, when I was a kid.
And I get up to take a pee
and I hear some kind of noise.
Looked out the window and I
see a woman being attacked
by some guy on the street.
There's not many people around,
but, I looked across the way
and I see an old lady in her window.
I was just a kid.
You know, I assumed
that she would call the cops.
I take it she didn't?
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
I think she just watched.
[SCOFFS]
You know, and went
back on with her life.
Because the next morning,
I get up and I turn the
corner to head home,
and that whole place
was a crime scene.
And I found out later on that
That woman was raped and murdered.
Ever catch the guy?
No idea.
So you paid the penance
on the murder part,
and now you're paying off the rape.
Something like that, Bruno.
♪
Hey, Ellie.
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
I just wanted to thank you
for being so incredibly strong
and for helping us find the truth.
But, what I really wanted you to know,
is that we got him.
He's going away for a long time,
and he'll never hurt anyone again
because of you.
♪
I just hope that you know that.
♪