Law & Order (1990) s24e22 Episode Script
Look the Other Way
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]
[MUFFLED DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
Bye.
Hey, be safe.
Lots of wolves out there tonight.
I'm not worried, even a little,
- 'cause I'm a bad bitch.
- [SCOFFS] Please.
You're more like one
of them little baby deers.
A fawn?
Right, a fawn.
I'm tougher than I look.
I promise.
All right.
[GOOD NEIGHBORS' "KEEP IT UP"]
Tried to blame it on
the city that I love ♪
I point the finger
at the people up above ♪
[GRUMBLES]
[GLASS SHATTERS]
Oh, babe, you'll be okay ♪
When you get lost
in your head some days ♪
When life ain't
going your way ♪
Keep it up, it up, it up ♪
Ah, ah ♪
[PHONE BUZZES]
♪
[GASPS]
[GRUNTING]
[CLATTERS]
[SIREN WAILING]
[INDISTINCT POLICE CHATTER]
911 call came in 16 minutes ago.
Victim is female, white.
- How'd she die?
- Painfully.
Excuse me?
Sorry, I didn't, uh
this one's a little rough.
Multiple facial contusions and wounds.
Cause of death was likely
Traumatic brain injury.
Got it.
What else do we know?
Phone and wallet were
still on her person.
It's unlikely that it was a robbery.
Witnesses?
No.
But patrol officers
are still canvassing.
Got a name?
We got two, actually.
Driver's license number one
says Georgia Keller, age 22,
from Connecticut.
Driver's license two from Iowa
says Georgia Kent, age 19.
My money's on Georgia Kent.
Not a bad fake, though.
Too bad she didn't
get to use it very long.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Confirmed.
Her real name is Georgia Kent, age 19.
Originally from Iowa City, Iowa.
Appears to be a model.
No current address.
So she moves to the big city.
Becomes another stat.
Unfortunately.
Do we have access to her
electronic devices yet?
Working on the warrant as we speak.
Witnesses, video, DNA?
Doing the best we can.
Okay. Notify the family.
Try to find out where she's been living.
So you're Georgia's roommate?
Yes, and I almost went with
her to the club last night.
But I didn't want to drink.
Just trying to lose a few pounds.
Do you know if anyone was bothering her?
Threatening her?
Um, I definitely heard
her yelling at someone,
yesterday, around 3:30.
She was telling him to leave her alone
and stop stalking her.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Hi.
I'm Melissa Kent.
And this is my husband, Charles.
Oh, hi.
I'm Perry.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
So it's true?
My little girl is really dead?
♪
I found the stalker Georgia's
roommate was talking about.
This guy shows up at Georgia's
apartment at 3:54 p.m.
And he doesn't leave until 6:59 p.m.
He's just standing there
like a creep for three hours.
And then we see him there
yesterday for 90 minutes
and the day before for two hours.
Did you figure out
where he wanders off to?
We lucked out.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
Running the plates now.
Okay.
Man, stalkers must wake up every day
and just thank God that a bunch of nerds
invented this thing
called social media, huh?
Yeah, it definitely makes it
easier for them, right?
But come on. It's it's not all bad.
Oh, yeah?
Talk to me when you
got a teenage daughter.
Yeah.
I think that's our guy right there.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Yeah, that's definitely him.
♪
Randall Pike.
NYPD.
We need to talk.
About what?
Georgia Kent.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Pike!
♪
Give me your arm.
Give me your right arm.
Hey, hey. On your feet.
On your feet. Come on.
Randall Pike, you're under arrest.
♪
I heard about what happened.
I just
seemed like the right thing to do.
Jumping over the fence
and killing yourself?
- Yes.
- How come?
I lost my way.
And it's humiliating.
I have a wife, two daughters.
So when you say you lost your way,
you're talking about Georgia Kent?
- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you hurt her?
Is that why you tried
to jump over the railing?
I can't stop thinking about her.
No matter how hard I try.
Why is that?
Because I loved her.
You loved her?
Very much.
We used to go out on dates.
So you two were dating?
- Sort of.
- What does that mean?
I paid her.
Okay. So are you saying that
she was a prostitute?
God, no. Nothing like that.
[SIGHS]
Sex was not involved.
It was purely companionship.
But I fell in love with her.
And let me guess.
She did not fall in love with you.
That's correct.
You couldn't make her
fall in love with you,
so you killed her.
She was so beautiful.
So full of life.
I became obsessed.
When is the last time you saw her?
The day she died, at this café
in the West Village she goes to.
What time?
Late morning, around 11:00.
And what happened?
I yelled at her.
Why?
I'd seen her out a few nights earlier
with this young, attractive guy
at this art gallery.
I had no right to be upset, but I was.
Where were you
the night she was murdered,
around midnight?
Home.
Was anybody with you?
Yes.
My wife.
And now you're gonna contact her?
I really should have killed myself.
Pike's wife confirmed his alibi.
Must have been a fun call.
She had no clue.
Well, she couldn't have
been looking very hard.
In other news, I spoke to the ME,
and she found
third-party DNA on the body
underneath the vic's fingernails.
That's good. Maybe we'll get lucky.
And in the meantime, why don't you try
to track down this handsome guy
that Georgia was talking to
at the gallery opening?
- Maybe he can tell us something.
- We'll talk to Pike.
We'll get some more info on the guy.
All right.
I was definitely at the exhibit,
but I don't remember
anyone named Georgia Kent.
It was crowded, loud.
There was a DJ.
Well, maybe I can jog your memory.
She's tall, white, beautiful,
about 20 years old.
Yeah, actually, we got
some surveillance footage
of the two of you speaking on
the sidewalk outside the gallery.
In fact, that's how we got
your name in the first place.
We showed that video to the
gallery owner, Megan somebody.
She brought you up.
I remember now. That's Georgia.
Yeah, yeah, she was
she was really cool.
Come on back, guys.
Gotta be honest, man.
Life must be pretty good
if you're forgetting women like that.
I mean, beautiful, model.
Most guys I know wouldn't be able to get
a girl like that out of their mind.
[CHUCKLES] I get it.
But I I really don't know her.
We just met that night.
I'm not even sure she gave me her name.
We walked out at the same time,
and I offered to walk her to a cab.
So you guys weren't seeing each other?
Oh, no.
I have a girlfriend.
She was out of town. She's a lawyer.
Why? What's what's going on?
Somebody killed her.
What?
Jeez, that's that's awful.
It sure is.
I wish I could be
more help, guys, but
Yeah, well, if you remember anything.
Of course.
Thanks, guys.
You know, I don't see
any name with Carter or Mills
anywhere in her texts.
Well, maybe this guy
is telling the truth.
Maybe his life really is that good.
Well, no. Here's something.
Looks like the day before the murder,
she was texting
with a friend called Nic.
Says, "Thanks for listening, Nic."
Nic responds, "Tell that pig
what he did was wrong
"no, evil.
Or better yet, just tell the
police and let them handle it."
Sounds like maybe they're
talking about some sort
of sexual assault?
The question is, who's the assailant?
Looks like Georgia was not
our killer's first rodeo.
What do you mean?
The same DNA found on her body was found
on the body
of another victim 12 years ago.
- We make an arrest?
- Nope.
File's pretty thin too.
It was a John Doe.
Got a hit on the DNA?
Not a direct match, no,
but we got a familial hit.
A familial hit? How'd we get that?
I ran the sample through
a private database.
- Oh, boy.
- What?
This prick is good for two murders.
You don't have
to explain it to me, all right?
- I'm good.
- You're not?
People's right to privacy
is a serious thing.
I'll get you some pearls to clutch.
Once a lawyer, bro.
Look, this guy, if he wasn't
out there killing people,
none of this would matter.
You want your genetic material
kept private, that's fine.
Just don't rape or murder anybody.
It's pretty straightforward.
Until it's not.
Until the government starts looking
at people's DNA for other
reasons, fabricating
All right. You may be right.
But right now, the most important
thing is nailing who did this.
So please, let's stop the debate
and go check out this guy's aunt.
Her name is Vanessa Burke.
She lives in Bronxville.
Thank you.
Wait. I'm confused.
You found someone's DNA
on a dead girl's body,
and it matches mine?
Well, it's a 25% match,
so it's likely an uncle or a nephew.
Okay. So how can I help?
You have a nephew, right?
Dylan Burke.
- He's my brother's son.
- Okay.
- He lives in Brooklyn?
- Not anymore.
He moved to Miami nine months ago.
Has he been back to New York recently?
No.
He's been on his honeymoon in Thailand.
You have any other male relatives
that live in the New York area?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Hey, Carter.
Need to speak to you.
Hey, detectives.
Sure.
How can I help?
Well, we got a few more
questions about Georgia.
Of course.
You guys first met
at the art gallery, right?
Yeah.
What about after?
After that?
Uh, nothing.
You never saw her again?
No.
It's like I said, I have a girlfriend.
Right. Right. The lawyer, yeah?
There's that. [CLEARS THROAT]
And there's this.
That's you, walking into
your condo with Georgia
the night after the art gallery.
No.
[CHUCKLES] It's impossible.
That must be some sort
of fake video or something.
No. No, it's not.
And the DNA that we found on
her body, that ain't fake, either.
That belongs to you.
Come on.
Turn around.
- [HANDCUFFS CLINK]
- Turn around.
Carter Mills, you're under arrest
for the murder of Georgia Kent.
♪
[CHUCKLES]
[DOOR CLICKS OPEN]
It's like I told those other cops.
I have nothing to do with this.
I know what you said.
I don't believe you.
We found your DNA on Georgia's body.
That's impossible.
I can let you read
the report if you want.
No.
Because my DNA is not in the system.
Your aunt's is, Vanessa Burke.
She bought one of those
genetic testing kits.
She wanted to find out where
her ancestors were from.
Okay.
So my DNA was on her body.
But there's a reason.
And what's that?
- We had sex.
- When?
The night after I met her
at the art exhibit.
Ah, so you lied to the police
about not knowing her.
Yeah.
I have a girlfriend
who I care a lot about.
- And I didn't want to
- "Screw it up."
I know. I get it.
Listen, DNA does not
hang around a person's body
for three days, especially
a person who showers regularly.
So that means you were with her
the night she was beaten to death.
And I'll cut to the chase, Carter.
We know you did it.
The only thing we don't know
at the moment is why.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Did you rape her?
Is that why you had to kill her?
A friend of Georgia's sent her this text
the night of the murder.
"Tell that pig"
[EXHALES]
"What he did was wrong no, evil.
"Or better yet, just tell the
police. Let them handle it."
Are you the pig she's talking about?
♪
I want my lawyer.
We think we have a strong case.
The suspect lied to the police
about his relationship with Georgia.
His DNA was found on the victim's body.
And when we searched his apartment,
we found trace amounts
of blood on one of his shoes.
Okay. What about a motive?
Trying to cover up
the fact that he raped her?
Can we prove that?
There is a text exchange
between the victim
and her friend the night
before the murder,
and it's clear that they're
talking about some kind
of sexual assault.
So we followed up,
confirmed with the friend,
and Carter Mills did rape Georgia
three nights before she was murdered.
We'll file charges later today.
Did you want to discuss anything else?
Uh, yes, but it's personal.
I wondered if we could go
someplace private to discuss?
It's fine. We can talk here.
Um
Carter's DNA was found
on another homicide victim.
It's an unsolved case out in
Queens from about 12 years ago.
And the victim was
your sister, Christina.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[EXHALES]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪
Sam.
I'm fine.
I'm okay.
Just, uh been thinking
about this day for years.
You know, it's it's finally here.
It's just pff out of nowhere.
You know, on one level,
it's it's good news.
It's great news.
♪
At the same time,
my sister is still dead, so.
I can't imagine what this must be like.
Just know that I am going
to nail this guy
on both murders.
You're not saying that
- You're too close to this.
- No, no, no.
Nolan, I get it,
but I want to be involved.
I need to be involved.
You can work on this behind the scenes.
That's all.
♪
Okay.
Our preference is
to join both cases together.
First and foremost, it would
be judicially efficient.
That's ridiculous.
These two cases happened 12 years apart.
This will cause unnecessary confusion
while, at the same time,
creating a presumption of guilt.
Is there any overlapping evidence?
Only the DNA, which, as I mentioned
in my motion to suppress,
should not be admissible.
On what grounds?
The NYPD violated my client's
Fourth Amendment privacy right.
How so?
They uploaded DNA found
at the crime scene
to a commercial genealogical database,
which returned a list of individuals
with similar genetic profiles,
relatives who had previously uploaded
their DNA to that database.
Based on this illegal search,
the police were able
to identify potential suspects
and ultimately identify the defendant.
Mr. Price?
The police acted within
the bounds of state regulations
and NYPD policy.
And yeah, they uploaded the DNA
to a commercial database,
one available to any civilian.
This is DNA theft, Your Honor.
Companies are stealing customers' DNA
and then trying to monetize
it any way they can.
- Not our problem.
- But it should be.
Everyone has a right
to privacy over their DNA,
more specifically, a right to privacy
over the segments of DNA they
share with their relatives.
Maybe.
But there is no case law
or statutory law stating
that an individual has
a privacy interest
in the genetic makeup of a relative.
And if there were,
the third-party doctrine
would clearly prevail.
Meaning what?
Meaning the people who upload their DNA
to these genealogical platforms
do so voluntarily,
which, in turn, implies consent.
My client didn't
consent to a damn thing.
He never uploaded his DNA
to a DNA database.
So why on earth should he
relinquish his privacy rights
just because some curious
relative wanted
to find out how Scottish she was?
Okay. I've heard enough.
We're gonna try these
two cases separately.
And the DNA is out.
Your Honor
In what world is it fair or legal
for someone's relative
to unwittingly waive
someone else's privacy rights
over his own DNA?
There is no legal precedent
Until today.
This decision is now
officially precedent.
Your Honor, we also move to suppress
the victim's blood found
on my client's shoe,
as it was based on
a search warrant predicated
by the DNA found on the victim's body.
Fruit of the poisonous tree.
So ordered.
♪
She threw out the DNA
and the blood evidence?
[SIGHS] Yeah.
Other than that, we did well.
Did you get an adjournment?
Five days.
That's not much time
to build a new case.
We don't need a new case.
We just need to fill in some gaps.
We need to figure out
how to connect the dots.
Figuring out a way to put
this bastard at the crime scene
would certainly help.
I heard the news.
I did what I could, Sam.
So the DNA evidence for my
sister's case is out as well?
We'll file an appeal, but probably.
Which means Christina's case
just disappeared.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Okay.
Um
there's only one thing left to do,
and it's to bury this piece
of crap right here and now.
This is our only chance.
So I'm gonna head to my office,
get to work.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
How's it going?
Good. Good.
I'm still looking.
Don't work too late.
♪
Richwood.
So what is this all about?
How can I help you?
My name is Samantha Maroun.
I'm an assistant district attorney.
Reason I'm here is because
I think you can
help us identify a man
who recently killed someone.
Killed somebody?
We think that's you with
the killer eight nights ago.
I mean, yeah, that's
that's definitely me.
But what exactly do you want?
Do you remember talking to him?
Sure. Sort of.
Why?
We need you to identify him
since we can't see his face
in the video.
I don't know.
That all happened pretty fast.
I'm not sure I remember
what he looks like.
Okay, um
Peter, we need you to at least try.
It's very important.
I wouldn't be here otherwise.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
I've got good news.
I found a potential witness
a doorman at a place
called the Richwood.
He was walking to work
on the night of the murder,
and he just so happened to
cross paths with Carter Mills.
Asked for a light.
How does this help us?
Because he asked for a light one block
from the scene of the murder,
15 minutes before the 911 call came in.
So you've already
talked to this doorman?
Yes, just now.
And how did you find him?
Surveillance video.
He was wearing his doorman uniform,
and the name of the building was on it.
Okay, it would be nice
if you would loop me in
a little earlier
For God sake's, Nolan,
he and I barely talked.
Okay?
Just wanted to make sure that
he remembered interacting
with Mills that night
and that he was open
to trying to identify him.
And he is?
Yes.
All right.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So, like I said, the suspect
may or may not be there.
So if you don't see him,
you don't see him.
♪
Uh, no, I see him.
That's him, Number 5.
Are you sure?
Yeah. Positive.
♪
Mr. Price,
you may proceed with your opening.
Georgia Kent was a beautiful,
idealistic young woman
from Iowa who dreamed about
hitting it big in New York.
In many ways, she was
a symbol of this great city,
a proxy for every young person
who moves to Manhattan
in search of a rich and meaningful life.
Things were going her way too.
She was finding work as a model,
making new friends.
But everything changed
on the night of March 14th,
when the defendant followed her home
and pummeled her to death.
I know these photos are graphic
and hard to look at,
but they are important.
They show the depths
of the defendant's anger
and his deep hatred of women.
You see, the defendant not
only killed Georgia Kent,
he also raped her a few nights
prior to the murder.
He then became nervous that
she might file a police report.
So rather than risk
standing trial for rape,
he did this.
♪
It is as simple
and repugnant as that.
Ms. Potter.
I feel terrible about what
happened to Georgia Kent.
She had a long
and fruitful life ahead of her
until someone killed her.
But that someone is not Carter Mills.
Quite simply, the police
arrested the wrong man.
And rather than search
for more evidence,
the prosecution chose to move
forward with a murder trial,
despite the glaring lack of evidence.
By the time this trial is over,
two things will be clear
Carter Mills did not kill Georgia Kent,
and the prosecution
should be reprimanded
for having the hubris to actually bring
this case in the first place.
♪
Nolan.
Your opening was terrific.
Thank you.
I thought you wanted to stay
away from the courtroom.
I can't. I'm sorry.
It's okay. If that's
I think we need to find
more evidence of Carter
near the other crime scene, so
I've been reviewing more video.
I've been
I can't believe this bastard
actually got released on bail.
What are you looking at?
Huh?
I just wanted to say that
I'm sorry about your sister.
And Georgia too.
I had nothing to do with
either one of these crimes.
I swear, you got the wrong guy.
Oh, I have the wrong guy? [SHOUTING]
Sam. Sam.
God's sake.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Sorry.
- No, no.
- Just
I understand. But I just
I think maybe you should stay
away from the courtroom
[SIGHS] Until the verdict, anyway.
We have a deal?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks for coming down, Mr. Dagnello.
- Yeah, sure thing.
- I just wanted to talk
about what's gonna happen tomorrow.
Yeah, sounds good.
All right.
So court officer will bring
you into the courtroom.
You'll take a seat on the witness stand.
I'll then show the jury
the video footage of you
and Carter Mills talking that evening.
I'll ask what happened.
I'll ask about you picking
him out of the lineup.
And that is pretty much it.
Sounds easy enough.
It is.
Until the defense lawyer
tries to spin you upside down
and accuse you of lying.
Lying?
Hey, I didn't
It's not personal.
In fact, you know, it's the opposite.
Right? It's part of her job.
She gets paid to create
reasonable doubt.
And in this case, all the focus
will be on the identification.
So Carter's lawyer will
drill down on everything
connected to that.
Were you drinking that night?
Doing drugs?
No.
Did someone tell you there
was irrefutable evidence
that Carter was guilty or show you
a picture of Carter beforehand,
describe what he looked like?
Well, um
she did sort of do that, though.
Excuse me?
The woman prosecutor.
She told me that you knew for a fact
that this guy was the killer.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
That he'd be easily recognized
'cause he looked like a model.
♪
Hey, Sam. It's me. Open up.
Nolan. Hi.
What did you say to Dagnello?
Uh, the doorman?
Yeah, no. Don't don't do that, Sam.
Not now.
What did you tell Dagnello
about Carter Mills?
Did you say, um
[SIGHS] We know for a fact
that he was guilty?
Or that he looked like a model?
I I told him that
he was doing a good thing,
that the man we were trying for murder
was a known predator.
And I may have said something like
he's handsome and charming,
but deep down, he's a monster.
Something like that.
I was emotional, right?
And I was just trying
You you were trying
to stack the deck,
to ensure that he would ID Carter Mills.
But we know he's guilty, Nolan, right?
We have his DNA
all over the victim's body.
That doesn't mean we can
just ignore the law.
Nolan.
[SCOFFS]
For God's sakes, this is me.
You know the kind of person I am,
the kind of prosecutor that
I mean, yeah, maybe, I guess
I went a little bit too far,
but does it really matter?
Does it really matter?
Sam Sam, principle aside, you
have undermined his testimony.
Okay, he would have picked
Carter out of that lineup regardless.
Maybe, but so what?
- So what?
- That's not how this works.
You know that.
Nolan, this is my sister
we're talking about.
Okay? My sister.
So maybe forget about
the law and think about me.
Think about my family.
We should be finding ways to
to win the damn case, Nolan,
not lose it.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I agree.
There's no question about it.
Sam went too far.
She revealed too much
about the defendant,
and she tainted the identification.
Which means I'd have
to disclose all this
to the defense, which, of course,
would probably cost us the case.
You're right.
On a theoretical level, anyway.
Meaning what?
[MELLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
Years ago, I was trying
this monster from Queens.
He'd raped and killed
a seven-year-old girl.
Stabbed her to death.
We knew he did it.
The police found her blood
on his shirt, on his pants.
But the judge didn't allow it.
Cops had entered his apartment
without a search warrant.
They claimed the manager
had given them consent.
Anyway, the blood evidence got tossed,
so our case went from
a slam dunk to a jump ball.
And then[SIGHS]
On the morning of my closing,
I found this note on my desk.
It said, "I need you to know
that I killed that little girl.
It was me. Not Jim Cooney."
I had no idea how it got there.
No idea who wrote it.
It was just sitting there on my desk.
Now, theoretically,
that's exculpatory evidence.
I have to turn it over to the defense.
Theoretically?
That is practically the definition
- of exculpatory evidence.
- Yeah.
If I actually saw the note.
Now, I knew with 100% certainty
that the defendant killed
that little girl.
And the man who wrote
that note, if he even existed,
had absolutely nothing
to do with the case.
So I ignored it.
I turned around.
I went about my day like
it had never happened.
I thought the point of all this
was to avoid those kind
of human choices,
to avoid playing God.
It is.
That is the goal, 100%.
But there are certain times in life
when it's impossible to do that,
when the right thing to do
is to actually look the other way.
[TENSE MUSIC]
This might be one of those times.
♪
I'll see you tomorrow.
I've been trying to reach you.
I know.
You're not gonna call Dagnello?
[SIGHS] No, I can't.
I would have to reveal
your conversation with him,
which would destroy our case.
Nolan, can't you just look
the other way, just for once?
It's over.
I made up my mind.
Nolan.
♪
Mr. Mills, please rise.
Madam Foreperson, have you
agreed on a verdict?
We have.
How do you find?
We find the defendant, Carter Mills,
not guilty of murder
in the second degree.
♪
You okay?
I admire your decision, Nolan.
You did what you thought was right.
I'm not sure it was right.
I just did the only thing I could.
The truth is, I tried.
I tried to look the other way.
I just I couldn't.
I know.
That story you told me
about the little girl
who was raped and killed
I couldn't find any
news articles about the murder,
the arrest, the trial.
Have a good night, Nolan.
[PHONE BUZZES]
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Hello?
What?
When?
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
Jalen.
Nolan.
What do we have?
Hell of a thing.
Dogwalker called it in
about 20 minutes ago.
It's a gunshot wound to the chest.
♪
Please tell me you had
nothing to do with this.
Oh, for God's sake, Sam.
♪
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]
[MUFFLED DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
Bye.
Hey, be safe.
Lots of wolves out there tonight.
I'm not worried, even a little,
- 'cause I'm a bad bitch.
- [SCOFFS] Please.
You're more like one
of them little baby deers.
A fawn?
Right, a fawn.
I'm tougher than I look.
I promise.
All right.
[GOOD NEIGHBORS' "KEEP IT UP"]
Tried to blame it on
the city that I love ♪
I point the finger
at the people up above ♪
[GRUMBLES]
[GLASS SHATTERS]
Oh, babe, you'll be okay ♪
When you get lost
in your head some days ♪
When life ain't
going your way ♪
Keep it up, it up, it up ♪
Ah, ah ♪
[PHONE BUZZES]
♪
[GASPS]
[GRUNTING]
[CLATTERS]
[SIREN WAILING]
[INDISTINCT POLICE CHATTER]
911 call came in 16 minutes ago.
Victim is female, white.
- How'd she die?
- Painfully.
Excuse me?
Sorry, I didn't, uh
this one's a little rough.
Multiple facial contusions and wounds.
Cause of death was likely
Traumatic brain injury.
Got it.
What else do we know?
Phone and wallet were
still on her person.
It's unlikely that it was a robbery.
Witnesses?
No.
But patrol officers
are still canvassing.
Got a name?
We got two, actually.
Driver's license number one
says Georgia Keller, age 22,
from Connecticut.
Driver's license two from Iowa
says Georgia Kent, age 19.
My money's on Georgia Kent.
Not a bad fake, though.
Too bad she didn't
get to use it very long.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Confirmed.
Her real name is Georgia Kent, age 19.
Originally from Iowa City, Iowa.
Appears to be a model.
No current address.
So she moves to the big city.
Becomes another stat.
Unfortunately.
Do we have access to her
electronic devices yet?
Working on the warrant as we speak.
Witnesses, video, DNA?
Doing the best we can.
Okay. Notify the family.
Try to find out where she's been living.
So you're Georgia's roommate?
Yes, and I almost went with
her to the club last night.
But I didn't want to drink.
Just trying to lose a few pounds.
Do you know if anyone was bothering her?
Threatening her?
Um, I definitely heard
her yelling at someone,
yesterday, around 3:30.
She was telling him to leave her alone
and stop stalking her.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Hi.
I'm Melissa Kent.
And this is my husband, Charles.
Oh, hi.
I'm Perry.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
So it's true?
My little girl is really dead?
♪
I found the stalker Georgia's
roommate was talking about.
This guy shows up at Georgia's
apartment at 3:54 p.m.
And he doesn't leave until 6:59 p.m.
He's just standing there
like a creep for three hours.
And then we see him there
yesterday for 90 minutes
and the day before for two hours.
Did you figure out
where he wanders off to?
We lucked out.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
Running the plates now.
Okay.
Man, stalkers must wake up every day
and just thank God that a bunch of nerds
invented this thing
called social media, huh?
Yeah, it definitely makes it
easier for them, right?
But come on. It's it's not all bad.
Oh, yeah?
Talk to me when you
got a teenage daughter.
Yeah.
I think that's our guy right there.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Yeah, that's definitely him.
♪
Randall Pike.
NYPD.
We need to talk.
About what?
Georgia Kent.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Pike!
♪
Give me your arm.
Give me your right arm.
Hey, hey. On your feet.
On your feet. Come on.
Randall Pike, you're under arrest.
♪
I heard about what happened.
I just
seemed like the right thing to do.
Jumping over the fence
and killing yourself?
- Yes.
- How come?
I lost my way.
And it's humiliating.
I have a wife, two daughters.
So when you say you lost your way,
you're talking about Georgia Kent?
- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you hurt her?
Is that why you tried
to jump over the railing?
I can't stop thinking about her.
No matter how hard I try.
Why is that?
Because I loved her.
You loved her?
Very much.
We used to go out on dates.
So you two were dating?
- Sort of.
- What does that mean?
I paid her.
Okay. So are you saying that
she was a prostitute?
God, no. Nothing like that.
[SIGHS]
Sex was not involved.
It was purely companionship.
But I fell in love with her.
And let me guess.
She did not fall in love with you.
That's correct.
You couldn't make her
fall in love with you,
so you killed her.
She was so beautiful.
So full of life.
I became obsessed.
When is the last time you saw her?
The day she died, at this café
in the West Village she goes to.
What time?
Late morning, around 11:00.
And what happened?
I yelled at her.
Why?
I'd seen her out a few nights earlier
with this young, attractive guy
at this art gallery.
I had no right to be upset, but I was.
Where were you
the night she was murdered,
around midnight?
Home.
Was anybody with you?
Yes.
My wife.
And now you're gonna contact her?
I really should have killed myself.
Pike's wife confirmed his alibi.
Must have been a fun call.
She had no clue.
Well, she couldn't have
been looking very hard.
In other news, I spoke to the ME,
and she found
third-party DNA on the body
underneath the vic's fingernails.
That's good. Maybe we'll get lucky.
And in the meantime, why don't you try
to track down this handsome guy
that Georgia was talking to
at the gallery opening?
- Maybe he can tell us something.
- We'll talk to Pike.
We'll get some more info on the guy.
All right.
I was definitely at the exhibit,
but I don't remember
anyone named Georgia Kent.
It was crowded, loud.
There was a DJ.
Well, maybe I can jog your memory.
She's tall, white, beautiful,
about 20 years old.
Yeah, actually, we got
some surveillance footage
of the two of you speaking on
the sidewalk outside the gallery.
In fact, that's how we got
your name in the first place.
We showed that video to the
gallery owner, Megan somebody.
She brought you up.
I remember now. That's Georgia.
Yeah, yeah, she was
she was really cool.
Come on back, guys.
Gotta be honest, man.
Life must be pretty good
if you're forgetting women like that.
I mean, beautiful, model.
Most guys I know wouldn't be able to get
a girl like that out of their mind.
[CHUCKLES] I get it.
But I I really don't know her.
We just met that night.
I'm not even sure she gave me her name.
We walked out at the same time,
and I offered to walk her to a cab.
So you guys weren't seeing each other?
Oh, no.
I have a girlfriend.
She was out of town. She's a lawyer.
Why? What's what's going on?
Somebody killed her.
What?
Jeez, that's that's awful.
It sure is.
I wish I could be
more help, guys, but
Yeah, well, if you remember anything.
Of course.
Thanks, guys.
You know, I don't see
any name with Carter or Mills
anywhere in her texts.
Well, maybe this guy
is telling the truth.
Maybe his life really is that good.
Well, no. Here's something.
Looks like the day before the murder,
she was texting
with a friend called Nic.
Says, "Thanks for listening, Nic."
Nic responds, "Tell that pig
what he did was wrong
"no, evil.
Or better yet, just tell the
police and let them handle it."
Sounds like maybe they're
talking about some sort
of sexual assault?
The question is, who's the assailant?
Looks like Georgia was not
our killer's first rodeo.
What do you mean?
The same DNA found on her body was found
on the body
of another victim 12 years ago.
- We make an arrest?
- Nope.
File's pretty thin too.
It was a John Doe.
Got a hit on the DNA?
Not a direct match, no,
but we got a familial hit.
A familial hit? How'd we get that?
I ran the sample through
a private database.
- Oh, boy.
- What?
This prick is good for two murders.
You don't have
to explain it to me, all right?
- I'm good.
- You're not?
People's right to privacy
is a serious thing.
I'll get you some pearls to clutch.
Once a lawyer, bro.
Look, this guy, if he wasn't
out there killing people,
none of this would matter.
You want your genetic material
kept private, that's fine.
Just don't rape or murder anybody.
It's pretty straightforward.
Until it's not.
Until the government starts looking
at people's DNA for other
reasons, fabricating
All right. You may be right.
But right now, the most important
thing is nailing who did this.
So please, let's stop the debate
and go check out this guy's aunt.
Her name is Vanessa Burke.
She lives in Bronxville.
Thank you.
Wait. I'm confused.
You found someone's DNA
on a dead girl's body,
and it matches mine?
Well, it's a 25% match,
so it's likely an uncle or a nephew.
Okay. So how can I help?
You have a nephew, right?
Dylan Burke.
- He's my brother's son.
- Okay.
- He lives in Brooklyn?
- Not anymore.
He moved to Miami nine months ago.
Has he been back to New York recently?
No.
He's been on his honeymoon in Thailand.
You have any other male relatives
that live in the New York area?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Hey, Carter.
Need to speak to you.
Hey, detectives.
Sure.
How can I help?
Well, we got a few more
questions about Georgia.
Of course.
You guys first met
at the art gallery, right?
Yeah.
What about after?
After that?
Uh, nothing.
You never saw her again?
No.
It's like I said, I have a girlfriend.
Right. Right. The lawyer, yeah?
There's that. [CLEARS THROAT]
And there's this.
That's you, walking into
your condo with Georgia
the night after the art gallery.
No.
[CHUCKLES] It's impossible.
That must be some sort
of fake video or something.
No. No, it's not.
And the DNA that we found on
her body, that ain't fake, either.
That belongs to you.
Come on.
Turn around.
- [HANDCUFFS CLINK]
- Turn around.
Carter Mills, you're under arrest
for the murder of Georgia Kent.
♪
[CHUCKLES]
[DOOR CLICKS OPEN]
It's like I told those other cops.
I have nothing to do with this.
I know what you said.
I don't believe you.
We found your DNA on Georgia's body.
That's impossible.
I can let you read
the report if you want.
No.
Because my DNA is not in the system.
Your aunt's is, Vanessa Burke.
She bought one of those
genetic testing kits.
She wanted to find out where
her ancestors were from.
Okay.
So my DNA was on her body.
But there's a reason.
And what's that?
- We had sex.
- When?
The night after I met her
at the art exhibit.
Ah, so you lied to the police
about not knowing her.
Yeah.
I have a girlfriend
who I care a lot about.
- And I didn't want to
- "Screw it up."
I know. I get it.
Listen, DNA does not
hang around a person's body
for three days, especially
a person who showers regularly.
So that means you were with her
the night she was beaten to death.
And I'll cut to the chase, Carter.
We know you did it.
The only thing we don't know
at the moment is why.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Did you rape her?
Is that why you had to kill her?
A friend of Georgia's sent her this text
the night of the murder.
"Tell that pig"
[EXHALES]
"What he did was wrong no, evil.
"Or better yet, just tell the
police. Let them handle it."
Are you the pig she's talking about?
♪
I want my lawyer.
We think we have a strong case.
The suspect lied to the police
about his relationship with Georgia.
His DNA was found on the victim's body.
And when we searched his apartment,
we found trace amounts
of blood on one of his shoes.
Okay. What about a motive?
Trying to cover up
the fact that he raped her?
Can we prove that?
There is a text exchange
between the victim
and her friend the night
before the murder,
and it's clear that they're
talking about some kind
of sexual assault.
So we followed up,
confirmed with the friend,
and Carter Mills did rape Georgia
three nights before she was murdered.
We'll file charges later today.
Did you want to discuss anything else?
Uh, yes, but it's personal.
I wondered if we could go
someplace private to discuss?
It's fine. We can talk here.
Um
Carter's DNA was found
on another homicide victim.
It's an unsolved case out in
Queens from about 12 years ago.
And the victim was
your sister, Christina.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[EXHALES]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪
Sam.
I'm fine.
I'm okay.
Just, uh been thinking
about this day for years.
You know, it's it's finally here.
It's just pff out of nowhere.
You know, on one level,
it's it's good news.
It's great news.
♪
At the same time,
my sister is still dead, so.
I can't imagine what this must be like.
Just know that I am going
to nail this guy
on both murders.
You're not saying that
- You're too close to this.
- No, no, no.
Nolan, I get it,
but I want to be involved.
I need to be involved.
You can work on this behind the scenes.
That's all.
♪
Okay.
Our preference is
to join both cases together.
First and foremost, it would
be judicially efficient.
That's ridiculous.
These two cases happened 12 years apart.
This will cause unnecessary confusion
while, at the same time,
creating a presumption of guilt.
Is there any overlapping evidence?
Only the DNA, which, as I mentioned
in my motion to suppress,
should not be admissible.
On what grounds?
The NYPD violated my client's
Fourth Amendment privacy right.
How so?
They uploaded DNA found
at the crime scene
to a commercial genealogical database,
which returned a list of individuals
with similar genetic profiles,
relatives who had previously uploaded
their DNA to that database.
Based on this illegal search,
the police were able
to identify potential suspects
and ultimately identify the defendant.
Mr. Price?
The police acted within
the bounds of state regulations
and NYPD policy.
And yeah, they uploaded the DNA
to a commercial database,
one available to any civilian.
This is DNA theft, Your Honor.
Companies are stealing customers' DNA
and then trying to monetize
it any way they can.
- Not our problem.
- But it should be.
Everyone has a right
to privacy over their DNA,
more specifically, a right to privacy
over the segments of DNA they
share with their relatives.
Maybe.
But there is no case law
or statutory law stating
that an individual has
a privacy interest
in the genetic makeup of a relative.
And if there were,
the third-party doctrine
would clearly prevail.
Meaning what?
Meaning the people who upload their DNA
to these genealogical platforms
do so voluntarily,
which, in turn, implies consent.
My client didn't
consent to a damn thing.
He never uploaded his DNA
to a DNA database.
So why on earth should he
relinquish his privacy rights
just because some curious
relative wanted
to find out how Scottish she was?
Okay. I've heard enough.
We're gonna try these
two cases separately.
And the DNA is out.
Your Honor
In what world is it fair or legal
for someone's relative
to unwittingly waive
someone else's privacy rights
over his own DNA?
There is no legal precedent
Until today.
This decision is now
officially precedent.
Your Honor, we also move to suppress
the victim's blood found
on my client's shoe,
as it was based on
a search warrant predicated
by the DNA found on the victim's body.
Fruit of the poisonous tree.
So ordered.
♪
She threw out the DNA
and the blood evidence?
[SIGHS] Yeah.
Other than that, we did well.
Did you get an adjournment?
Five days.
That's not much time
to build a new case.
We don't need a new case.
We just need to fill in some gaps.
We need to figure out
how to connect the dots.
Figuring out a way to put
this bastard at the crime scene
would certainly help.
I heard the news.
I did what I could, Sam.
So the DNA evidence for my
sister's case is out as well?
We'll file an appeal, but probably.
Which means Christina's case
just disappeared.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Okay.
Um
there's only one thing left to do,
and it's to bury this piece
of crap right here and now.
This is our only chance.
So I'm gonna head to my office,
get to work.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
How's it going?
Good. Good.
I'm still looking.
Don't work too late.
♪
Richwood.
So what is this all about?
How can I help you?
My name is Samantha Maroun.
I'm an assistant district attorney.
Reason I'm here is because
I think you can
help us identify a man
who recently killed someone.
Killed somebody?
We think that's you with
the killer eight nights ago.
I mean, yeah, that's
that's definitely me.
But what exactly do you want?
Do you remember talking to him?
Sure. Sort of.
Why?
We need you to identify him
since we can't see his face
in the video.
I don't know.
That all happened pretty fast.
I'm not sure I remember
what he looks like.
Okay, um
Peter, we need you to at least try.
It's very important.
I wouldn't be here otherwise.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
I've got good news.
I found a potential witness
a doorman at a place
called the Richwood.
He was walking to work
on the night of the murder,
and he just so happened to
cross paths with Carter Mills.
Asked for a light.
How does this help us?
Because he asked for a light one block
from the scene of the murder,
15 minutes before the 911 call came in.
So you've already
talked to this doorman?
Yes, just now.
And how did you find him?
Surveillance video.
He was wearing his doorman uniform,
and the name of the building was on it.
Okay, it would be nice
if you would loop me in
a little earlier
For God sake's, Nolan,
he and I barely talked.
Okay?
Just wanted to make sure that
he remembered interacting
with Mills that night
and that he was open
to trying to identify him.
And he is?
Yes.
All right.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So, like I said, the suspect
may or may not be there.
So if you don't see him,
you don't see him.
♪
Uh, no, I see him.
That's him, Number 5.
Are you sure?
Yeah. Positive.
♪
Mr. Price,
you may proceed with your opening.
Georgia Kent was a beautiful,
idealistic young woman
from Iowa who dreamed about
hitting it big in New York.
In many ways, she was
a symbol of this great city,
a proxy for every young person
who moves to Manhattan
in search of a rich and meaningful life.
Things were going her way too.
She was finding work as a model,
making new friends.
But everything changed
on the night of March 14th,
when the defendant followed her home
and pummeled her to death.
I know these photos are graphic
and hard to look at,
but they are important.
They show the depths
of the defendant's anger
and his deep hatred of women.
You see, the defendant not
only killed Georgia Kent,
he also raped her a few nights
prior to the murder.
He then became nervous that
she might file a police report.
So rather than risk
standing trial for rape,
he did this.
♪
It is as simple
and repugnant as that.
Ms. Potter.
I feel terrible about what
happened to Georgia Kent.
She had a long
and fruitful life ahead of her
until someone killed her.
But that someone is not Carter Mills.
Quite simply, the police
arrested the wrong man.
And rather than search
for more evidence,
the prosecution chose to move
forward with a murder trial,
despite the glaring lack of evidence.
By the time this trial is over,
two things will be clear
Carter Mills did not kill Georgia Kent,
and the prosecution
should be reprimanded
for having the hubris to actually bring
this case in the first place.
♪
Nolan.
Your opening was terrific.
Thank you.
I thought you wanted to stay
away from the courtroom.
I can't. I'm sorry.
It's okay. If that's
I think we need to find
more evidence of Carter
near the other crime scene, so
I've been reviewing more video.
I've been
I can't believe this bastard
actually got released on bail.
What are you looking at?
Huh?
I just wanted to say that
I'm sorry about your sister.
And Georgia too.
I had nothing to do with
either one of these crimes.
I swear, you got the wrong guy.
Oh, I have the wrong guy? [SHOUTING]
Sam. Sam.
God's sake.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Sorry.
- No, no.
- Just
I understand. But I just
I think maybe you should stay
away from the courtroom
[SIGHS] Until the verdict, anyway.
We have a deal?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thanks for coming down, Mr. Dagnello.
- Yeah, sure thing.
- I just wanted to talk
about what's gonna happen tomorrow.
Yeah, sounds good.
All right.
So court officer will bring
you into the courtroom.
You'll take a seat on the witness stand.
I'll then show the jury
the video footage of you
and Carter Mills talking that evening.
I'll ask what happened.
I'll ask about you picking
him out of the lineup.
And that is pretty much it.
Sounds easy enough.
It is.
Until the defense lawyer
tries to spin you upside down
and accuse you of lying.
Lying?
Hey, I didn't
It's not personal.
In fact, you know, it's the opposite.
Right? It's part of her job.
She gets paid to create
reasonable doubt.
And in this case, all the focus
will be on the identification.
So Carter's lawyer will
drill down on everything
connected to that.
Were you drinking that night?
Doing drugs?
No.
Did someone tell you there
was irrefutable evidence
that Carter was guilty or show you
a picture of Carter beforehand,
describe what he looked like?
Well, um
she did sort of do that, though.
Excuse me?
The woman prosecutor.
She told me that you knew for a fact
that this guy was the killer.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
That he'd be easily recognized
'cause he looked like a model.
♪
Hey, Sam. It's me. Open up.
Nolan. Hi.
What did you say to Dagnello?
Uh, the doorman?
Yeah, no. Don't don't do that, Sam.
Not now.
What did you tell Dagnello
about Carter Mills?
Did you say, um
[SIGHS] We know for a fact
that he was guilty?
Or that he looked like a model?
I I told him that
he was doing a good thing,
that the man we were trying for murder
was a known predator.
And I may have said something like
he's handsome and charming,
but deep down, he's a monster.
Something like that.
I was emotional, right?
And I was just trying
You you were trying
to stack the deck,
to ensure that he would ID Carter Mills.
But we know he's guilty, Nolan, right?
We have his DNA
all over the victim's body.
That doesn't mean we can
just ignore the law.
Nolan.
[SCOFFS]
For God's sakes, this is me.
You know the kind of person I am,
the kind of prosecutor that
I mean, yeah, maybe, I guess
I went a little bit too far,
but does it really matter?
Does it really matter?
Sam Sam, principle aside, you
have undermined his testimony.
Okay, he would have picked
Carter out of that lineup regardless.
Maybe, but so what?
- So what?
- That's not how this works.
You know that.
Nolan, this is my sister
we're talking about.
Okay? My sister.
So maybe forget about
the law and think about me.
Think about my family.
We should be finding ways to
to win the damn case, Nolan,
not lose it.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I agree.
There's no question about it.
Sam went too far.
She revealed too much
about the defendant,
and she tainted the identification.
Which means I'd have
to disclose all this
to the defense, which, of course,
would probably cost us the case.
You're right.
On a theoretical level, anyway.
Meaning what?
[MELLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]
♪
Years ago, I was trying
this monster from Queens.
He'd raped and killed
a seven-year-old girl.
Stabbed her to death.
We knew he did it.
The police found her blood
on his shirt, on his pants.
But the judge didn't allow it.
Cops had entered his apartment
without a search warrant.
They claimed the manager
had given them consent.
Anyway, the blood evidence got tossed,
so our case went from
a slam dunk to a jump ball.
And then[SIGHS]
On the morning of my closing,
I found this note on my desk.
It said, "I need you to know
that I killed that little girl.
It was me. Not Jim Cooney."
I had no idea how it got there.
No idea who wrote it.
It was just sitting there on my desk.
Now, theoretically,
that's exculpatory evidence.
I have to turn it over to the defense.
Theoretically?
That is practically the definition
- of exculpatory evidence.
- Yeah.
If I actually saw the note.
Now, I knew with 100% certainty
that the defendant killed
that little girl.
And the man who wrote
that note, if he even existed,
had absolutely nothing
to do with the case.
So I ignored it.
I turned around.
I went about my day like
it had never happened.
I thought the point of all this
was to avoid those kind
of human choices,
to avoid playing God.
It is.
That is the goal, 100%.
But there are certain times in life
when it's impossible to do that,
when the right thing to do
is to actually look the other way.
[TENSE MUSIC]
This might be one of those times.
♪
I'll see you tomorrow.
I've been trying to reach you.
I know.
You're not gonna call Dagnello?
[SIGHS] No, I can't.
I would have to reveal
your conversation with him,
which would destroy our case.
Nolan, can't you just look
the other way, just for once?
It's over.
I made up my mind.
Nolan.
♪
Mr. Mills, please rise.
Madam Foreperson, have you
agreed on a verdict?
We have.
How do you find?
We find the defendant, Carter Mills,
not guilty of murder
in the second degree.
♪
You okay?
I admire your decision, Nolan.
You did what you thought was right.
I'm not sure it was right.
I just did the only thing I could.
The truth is, I tried.
I tried to look the other way.
I just I couldn't.
I know.
That story you told me
about the little girl
who was raped and killed
I couldn't find any
news articles about the murder,
the arrest, the trial.
Have a good night, Nolan.
[PHONE BUZZES]
[INHALES DEEPLY]
Hello?
What?
When?
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
♪
Jalen.
Nolan.
What do we have?
Hell of a thing.
Dogwalker called it in
about 20 minutes ago.
It's a gunshot wound to the chest.
♪
Please tell me you had
nothing to do with this.
Oh, for God's sake, Sam.
♪