Law & Order (1990) s25e17 Episode Script
Beyond Measure
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.
Must have had a thousand coffees
while we were waiting to testify.
Maybe we can actually
levitate after this one.
My mom used to drag me to
this stuff when I was a kid.
Oh, yeah?
- Ash Wednesday?
- Mm-hmm.
I'm a proud lapsed
Catholic at this point.
All I really remember is grumpy nuns
and old men wearing
pointy little elf shoes.
And they all smelled like soup.
I'm pretty sure that ash
symbolizes God's mercy,
the promise of a new life.
Is that all?
Is that all?
Look, I get it. It's not for me.
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey.
What's going on? What's going on?
Somebody's shooting!
[TENSE MUSIC]
2-7 Squad, we've got reports of a 10-10
in the Atlas Museum of Art.
Plainclothes detectives responding.
NYPD. Where's the shooter?
- Up at the crown display.
- Where?
- Where?
- The crown!
The crown! Upstairs, second floor!
Second floor, second floor.
Oh, my God.
Hey.
Central, 2-7. 10-10
confirmed, second floor.
Hey, hey, hey, come here.
I got you.
Let me see.
Central, 2-7. We have two GSWs.
This man needs help.
Get us an ambulance,
all available units.
Listen to me. Help is on the way.
Can you tell me who did this to you?
Yes, two two guys.
They took the crown.
Okay, we got two casings, 9 millimeters.
They went that way.
Okay.
All right, that's great. Hey, hey, hey.
No, no, no, no, no. Listen to me.
Stay with me. Stay with me.
Hey! We're NYPD!
- Come here!
- Oh, my God.
- Hey, Cecil.
- Listen to me.
EMS is on its way. It's
gonna be here any second.
I need you to keep
him up, keep him alert,
and keep pressure on that wound.
You got it? Okay. Come on, let's go.
Hold on, Cecil.
♪
Hey, we're NYPD. Did you see anything?
Two guys with guns, they went that way.
All right. Go to the left.
Get downstairs!
NYPD! Don't move!
[GUNSHOTS]
10-13, shots fired at the police.
[SCREAMING]
[GUNSHOTS]
Go, go, go!
[GUNSHOTS]
Go!
♪
Hey! Police! Stop!
- [GUNSHOT]
- [PERSON SCREAMS]
Cover me.
Hey! NYPD!
Stop!
[GUNSHOTS]
Back entrance. Back entrance.
Get out of here!
- Go left!
- 2-7 Squad to Central.
I'm on foot pursuit with the other perp,
headed to the back parking lot!
Central, 2-7. I'm pursuing on foot!
Perp is on a bike!
He's heading eastbound,
exiting the parking lot.
Damn it.
NYPD! Stop!
Hold it!
[SIRENS WAILING]
- [TIRES SCREECHING]
- Stop right there!
Drop your weapon right now!
Drop your weapon and get on the ground.
Drop your weapon now!
- Drop that weapon!
- Put it down!
Drop it!
Everybody, take a breath!
Hey!
Come on, man, it's not worth it.
Don't do this.
[GUNSHOTS]
Suspect down.
2-7 Squad to Central, get us a bus now.
Multiple gunshots, but
the police are not injured.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How's the wounded security guard?
Didn't make it.
What happened here?
Guy drew down a patrol officer.
It was a good shoot.
.40-cal Smith & Wesson,
but the cases up in the
Crown Room were 9-millimeter.
So that's not the murder weapon.
That's kind of a funky tattoo.
Let's see if it's in the database.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- Anything on the body?
No cell and no wallet.
But he was wearing an
official-looking art museum ID,
and he had a legit
security guard uniform.
You think these guys really worked here,
or was it an inside job?
We'll see.
We got units looking for your guy
BOLO, grid search,
choke points, all of it.
So far, nothing.
The victim's name is Cecil Carbo.
Apparently he's a bit of
an institution around here.
Been here forever. Everybody loved him.
Eyewitnesses who fled the
scene said that the thieves
gained access to this
room by clearing it out,
saying that there was some sort
of event that was gonna happen
in this part of the museum.
So basically, the thieves didn't have
to lift a finger to clear this place out
until Mr. Carbo stepped
in and stopped them?
Looks that way.
At least there's a lot
of cameras here, though.
- Should be helpful.
- And what is this?
What was this?
Crown of Popayán?
I don't know.
- 16th century or something?
- Oh, my God!
- Cecil! Cecil!
- Ma'am. Ma'am!
How'd they get in here?
He's my husband!
That's how they got in here.
He's my husband!
Cardinal Keane.
This is Mr. Carbo's wife, Valentina,
and their daughter, Luna.
I'm Lieutenant Brady.
This is Detective Riley.
Very sorry for your loss.
I saw them downstairs, and
I thought they should have
an opportunity to say goodbye.
Respectfully, this is
an active crime scene.
Mr. Carbo was a man of deep faith,
a son of the church.
He requested to guard the crown.
He said it was a privilege.
It is Ash Wednesday, and
I'd like to administer
the prayer for the deceased.
Your Eminence, this is a crime scene
my crime scene.
Which means we need to
preserve it exactly as it is.
That's the only way we're
gonna catch these guys.
This man just died in
service of the church.
And to deny him the
prayer for the deceased
would be a crime unto itself.
Well, I'm afraid that's
beyond our jurisdiction.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
♪
It seems this room is
sacred ground to all of us,
just for different reasons.
I'm not asking you to do this for me.
Do it for them.
♪
Don't touch anything.
[BOTH CRYING]
♪
[SIGHS DEEPLY]
You have loved the church here on Earth.
Now, rejoice in her glory in heaven.
Into your hands, merciful Father,
we commend your servant.
Acknowledge him as one of your own.
May the angels lead you to paradise.
In the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
♪
So we found this on one of the thieves.
Is that real?
Did he work here?
I don't recognize the face.
And there's no employee
here named James Sullivan.
But yes, that's a real ID.
It was swiped to enter the
facility at 10:43 this morning.
Six minutes before the shooting.
Okay, obviously we gotta go through
all of your CCTV footage.
There isn't any.
How is that possible?
Our system was rebooting
during the robbery.
The feeds went offline for 12 minutes.
Well, that's convenient.
We'll look into it
right away, obviously.
Okay.
what can you tell us about the crown?
Why would someone wanna steal that
and not take anything else?
Well, that's nearly 5 pounds
of the purest gold I know,
450 emeralds.
This one, the Illapu, is worth
$15 million, give or take.
Yowza.
That's not the only reason.
Indigenous Colombians believe
that the crown belongs to
them, not the Catholic Church.
So they think the Catholics
stole the crown from them.
Yeah.
In the 16th century,
2 million people in South
America died of smallpox.
But the little village
of Popayán was spared.
So the Colombians think
there was some sort
of divine intervention?
Precisely.
They've been trying to
reclaim it for years in court,
but the lawsuits never went anywhere.
And how did it end up here?
We got the crown a couple of months ago
on loan from the Vatican.
It's been a wildly
popular exhibit for us.
There was this Colombian,
this rabble rouser
named Amaru Yupanqui.
He filed a new lawsuit
against the museum.
When that was dismissed,
he went so far as to threaten me.
When?
Last week.
He sent me an email saying
that if I didn't cooperate,
he would take the crown
by any means necessary.
I was blowing off steam.
Some people go for a run.
You write death threats?
I believe that Indigenous Colombians are
the rightful owners of
the Crown of Popayán.
I am passionate about that,
and I will never stop fighting for it,
but I didn't kill anyone.
Well, that doesn't mean
this whole thing wasn't
your idea in the first place.
I mean, maybe you hired those
two guys to steal the crown.
Please.
Where were you this
morning around 10:30?
- At mass.
- What church?
St. Augustine's on Benton Avenue.
What were you praying for?
Their success?
Remember that you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
I was praying that I might live wisely
with whatever time I have,
which would not include
hiring two imbeciles to steal
something from a museum.
Let me ask you something.
You've been pissed at
the church for years,
but you still go to mass?
You're still a believer?
You're confusing the church with faith,
which is exactly what the church wants.
That's how we got into this mess.
How's that?
Indigenous artisans spent
six years making the crown.
For 400 years, we worshipped
it as an emblem of faith itself.
And then the church, as you call it,
suddenly decided that
poor Colombians are not
sophisticated enough to
be guardians of the crown.
They snatched it, took it away.
People like me, people of faith,
I am seeking a union with God
truth, moral order.
The church is only
interested in market share,
protecting their brand.
We don't get many people
in here as cynical as me.
Can I go home now?
Yes.
We're gonna confirm you
were at mass this morning.
Please do.
Uh, you guys remember Lieutenant Brady?
Your Eminence?
The Archbishop was looking
for an update on the case.
Mrs. Carbo's husband gave
his life protecting the crown,
which means he gave his life
protecting the church itself.
Nothing's more important
to our community
than getting justice for
him, for his family
nothing.
We understand.
I appreciate your
concern, but I assure you,
we're using all of
our resources on this.
But so far, the only
suspect they have is me.
You know who I am?
Should I?
I'm glad the crown is gone.
And I hope you never get it back.
I couldn't care less about the crown.
Right.
You know, a good man was just murdered.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I'm very sorry for your loss, ma'am.
♪
Hey, Amaru Yupanqui was
at St. Augustine's Church
at the time of the
shooting, just like he said.
Yeah. He didn't feel right for it,
but the guy was definitely intense.
Yeah, we'll keep an eye on him.
Where are we with everything else?
I ran our dead thief's tattoo
through the gang database.
No hits.
So I did a reverse image search.
Turns out it's a military
thing used by this unit.
SORD?
Special Operations
Reconnaissance Detachment.
Yeah, elite troops
behind enemy lines,
high-value targets, that kind of thing.
Pentagon keeps a DNA
database of personnel to use
in case they got to identify remains.
We sent them a sample
from our deceased thief,
and we got a hit.
Frank Henry Stephens.
Three tours in Afghanistan.
Did you get an address?
Astoria.
Landlord said that Frank Stephens lived
there with his girlfriend.
Well, great. Go.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
This can't be happening.
I know this is a lot
to process right now,
Ms. Campbell, but you need to
tell us everything you know,
and you need to tell us right now!
There's nothing to tell!
Frank would never do
something like this.
He's not a thief.
He's sure as hell ain't a murderer.
- Going somewhere?
- It's Frank's.
He had a business trip.
What business is that exactly?
Well, I'm not sure.
- You're not sure?
- No.
She's not sure what her
boyfriend did for a living.
- That's cute.
- [CHUCKLES]
Because we happen to know
that your boyfriend reported
no income and filed
no taxes since he was
dishonorably discharged back in 2021.
Look, you're not gonna wanna hear this,
but Frank was never
coming back after that trip
because he chose the
crown, money over you.
He's dead.
So there's no need for you
to cover for him anymore.
I'm not covering for him.
I don't know anything, I swear.
Look. Look at this.
That's who Frank did this with.
Who is that?
I don't know.
Was Frank having any money trouble?
- Anybody threaten him lately?
- No.
Anyone unusual come to
the apartment recently?
No.
I mean, Frank's buddy
came by last night,
but that's not weird. He's
over here all the time.
Tell me about this buddy.
He's just some guy.
He lives here in Astoria.
He
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
He what, Amy?
I think he works at the museum.
What is going on?
Why'd you bring me down here?
- Really, Joe? Come on.
- Yes, really.
- I I didn't do anything wrong.
- Oh.
Well, then you should
just sit back and relax,
and I'll just lay out all
the ways you're screwed.
This is the museum security system log.
A security guard named
Danny Gardner logged
into the system at 10:24 a.m.
to order a reboot of the CCTV.
This is what allowed the thieves
12 minutes to get in and out.
So you should go talk to Danny.
We did.
Turns out Danny called
in sick this morning.
He wasn't at the museum.
You were.
And Danny told us that a few days ago,
you asked him for his login credentials
because yours weren't working.
Danny didn't order the reboot.
You did.
Oh, wait, there is more.
You reported your ID missing
twice in the past three weeks.
And the funny thing is, the
IDs that the thieves used
to gain access to the
museum just so happened
to be your lost ones,
with an assist from
Photoshop, of course.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I wasn't the one who stole that thing,
and I didn't hurt anybody.
Unfortunately for you,
that doesn't matter,
because unless you talk, chances are
you're the only sucker going
down for this whole thing.
And that means we are gonna come at you
with everything we got.
You will never eat
Mommy's meatloaf again.
She's dead.
She was a lousy cook.
So was mine.
♪
Okay.
Okay, but I want a deal.
I'm not saying a damn
thing until that's done.
♪
[DOOR CLICKS OPEN]
Queen for a Day?
What the hell does that even
Yeah, it's a funny name.
It's actually named
after an old game show.
It means you tell us what you know,
we can't use that
information against you.
This is what you wanted, Joe.
You don't do this, you're
looking at felony murder.
You want reduced charges?
This is what that looks like.
You tell the truth today.
You testify at trial.
Yeah, okay.
Good.
Our primary concern
right now is identifying
and capturing the thief
that's still at large.
What is his name?
He goes by Flaco.
- No, what is his real name?
- I don't know.
That's what everybody calls him.
I only met him once, a few weeks ago.
Where?
Some bar in Queens.
I don't know.
Frank Frank drove.
Frank would know.
Frank is dead, Joe.
Yeah, he's dead because
you people shot him, lady!
Lady. Do they call you Lady?
That guy was like a brother to me!
Joe.
Flaco.
I don't know.
He's a Spanish dude.
From Spain or, like, Latin?
Puerto Rican? Dominican?
Yeah, that.
What else you know about him?
He's about my age, my height.
But Joe, if they find
this man, arrest him,
if you saw him in court,
you'd recognize him.
You could point him out to the jury
and say, yeah, that's the guy.
Yeah, sure.
Sure. So your friend,
Frank Stephens, how did
he know this Flaco guy?
How did they meet?
They served together in Afghanistan.
And the robbery?
How'd they plan it and coordinate it?
Used WhatsApp?
Signal maybe, so the
messages were encrypted?
They used pagers.
Pagers?
Like it's 1995 and
Coolio's on the radio?
Where do you even get a pager anymore?
Yeah. Here it is.
We issued two pagers to Frank Stephens
a couple months back.
What's the second name on the account?
There isn't one.
Why not?
Pagers, they ain't like cell phones.
If this guy, Frank
Stephens, comes in here
and wants to rent two pagers,
we give him two pagers.
Once he walks out the
door, he can give them
to whoever the hell he wants.
The system does keep track
of the last 20 messages
sent by each pager.
So I know it's not a lot.
Well, that should be plenty. Thank you.
Yeah.
Morse code? Is that still a thing?
Yeah, special ops forces
are still trained in it.
- And you know it?
- Nope.
But there's an app for it.
Hey, check this out.
Flight 289.
What airline?
Looks like Pathways
Airlines has a Flight 289.
Flies JFK to Miami
every day at 3:00 p.m.
And the message says,
"We're leaving tomorrow,"
but that's actually today.
Okay, I'll pull up the flight manifest,
cross-check it with the
list of soldiers who served
with Stephens in Afghanistan.
If we get a hit, that's our killer.
Plane leaves in an hour.
Get going.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
This is the final call for
Flight 289 with service to Miami.
All remaining passengers proceed
immediately to Gate C22.
Where the hell is this guy?
♪
Oh, the overhead bin is full.
We'll need to gate-check your bag.
That's weird.
Last name?
Salazar.
Luis Salazar.
Flight's full, Flaco.
So where is it?
Where's the crown, huh?
No idea what you're talking about, man.
[BAG THUDS]
Vince!
Pager.
Turn around.
Luis Salazar, you're under arrest
for the murder of Cecil Carbo.
♪
We have a suspect in
custody named Luis Salazar.
He's a former special ops guy.
We caught him as he
was attempting to flee.
As we speak, he's being arraigned
for the murder of Cecil Carbo.
I expect he'll be remanded.
Very good.
And what about the crown?
It wasn't in Mr. Salazar's possession
when we took him into custody.
So you have no idea where it is?
Not yet.
Mr. Salazar isn't cooperating with us.
But we did find
evidence in his apartment
that links him to the crime.
We've been retracing his steps to see
if we can figure out where
he might have hidden it,
but so far, no luck.
I have to tell you, the
Catholic community has
been galvanized by this theft
like nothing I can remember.
It's essential that the crown be found.
So what are you doing
to ensure its recovery?
Respectfully, we're trying
to bring a killer to justice.
So finding the relic is not our focus.
It should be.
You were the one that told me
the most important thing was
getting justice for Cecil Carbo.
And you think these things
are mutually exclusive?
That crown was created
by ordinary people
who then surrendered their treasure,
their literal treasure,
gold and stones that they pulled
from the ground beneath their feet.
So its creation, its beautiful story,
it mirrors the gospel itself.
I get it.
And we're gonna do
everything we can to find it.
You have my word.
I don't want your word, Nick.
I want your guarantee.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
Like I said, we'll do everything we can.
♪
Hey.
Luis Salazar has been remanded.
Good.
How's our case?
Solid.
We don't have the murder weapon.
But forensics has confirmed
that the circular glass cutter
we found in Salazar's apartment is
the same blade used to slice open
the display case in the museum.
And Salazar didn't just
have a plane ticket to Miami.
He was connecting in Miami to Yemen,
which doesn't have an extradition treaty
with the United States.
But the core of the case
is based on the testimony
of the security guard, Joe Whitaker
[PHONE BUZZES]
And the Morse code
chatter between Salazar
and his other accomplice,
Frank Stephens.
Uh, about that.
The defense is challenging
the admissibility of the pager.
Your Honor, the detectives performed
an illegal search of my
client's suitcase at JFK.
There were clearly
exigent circumstances.
The defendant was preparing
to abscond to Yemen, carrying evidence
that was vital to a
murder investigation.
It doesn't matter.
Mr. Salazar's suitcase
was gate-checked prior
to the detectives' arrival,
which is a legal transfer
of custody to the airline.
Once that happens
Then you're saying, the suitcase was
no longer in the immediate
control of Mr. Salazar,
and therefore no longer
subject to a warrantless search.
Correct.
Your Honor, the inevitable
discovery doctrine
speaks directly to this point.
Federal authorities
were required by statute
to inspect that bag once our
arrest triggered an alert.
So the evidence the pager
would have been discovered
inevitably, within minutes.
Perhaps.
But the inevitability doctrine
does not grant you the ability
to retroactively justify
an improper search
by conjuring up lawful versions
of the events that never happened.
Once that suitcase was
checked at the gate,
it entered the exclusive custody
of a federally regulated airline.
The bag's contents are out,
which means the pager is out.
Prior to February 18th,
the day of Cecil Carbo's murder,
did a man named Frank Stephens ask you
to help him rob the museum?
Yes.
Frank and I were old friends.
We grew up together.
I had mentioned a few weeks before that
that the crown was on display
at the museum where I worked.
Then, out of the blue, Frank asked
how easy it would be to steal.
I thought he was kidding,
you know, joking around at first.
But he told his buddy, Flaco,
- because they
- Sorry.
By Flaco, you are referring to?
Luis Salazar.
He goes by Flaco.
And you met Luis Salazar?
Yes, two weeks before the heist,
Frank and Salazar asked me to help them,
said they would cut me in.
Do you see Luis Salazar
in this courtroom?
Right there.
He's sitting right there.
Your Honor, let the record reflect
that the witness has identified
the defendant, Luis Salazar.
The record shall so reflect.
What help did you
provide in the robbery?
I rebooted the museum CCTV
to turn the cameras off,
smuggled out extra security
guard outfits and ID badges
that I reported as lost
so Frank and Salazar could
have access to the building.
And on the morning of the murder,
did you see the defendant?
Yes. After I rebooted the cameras,
I went upstairs to make sure
Frank and Salazar got inside okay.
They were there, so I
went back downstairs.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Whitaker, you testified earlier that
the police threatened to
to charge you with felony murder
if you didn't testify today.
Yes, I cut a deal for reduced charges.
So you're a criminal,
a criminal who swore
to defend the Atlas Museum of Art
and robbed it instead.
And now, to avoid responsibility,
you've agreed to lie in court.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Watch it, Mr. Wood.
How tall are you, Mr. Whitaker?
I'm about 5'7".
Did you tell the police
that the defendant
was about your height?
Yeah, I I
- I think so.
- I'm confused.
Mr. Salazar is 6'1".
Okay.
You didn't actually witness the shooting
of Cecil Carbo, did you?
- No.
- And when you allegedly saw
Mr. Salazar inside the museum on the day
of Mr. Carbo's death,
you're sure it was him?
Uh, yeah.
Because the prosecutors seem to think
that the men who did
this were wearing masks.
He was.
Then how did you recognize him?
I don't know. Because
You don't know, or this wasn't part
of the dress rehearsal with the DA?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Look, I went up there and
I looked him in the eyes,
and he nodded, just like we planned.
It was him.
And I remember
everything about it, okay?
We were standing under an
Exit sign outside the room
where the crown was.
I remember there was a
dude on crutches next to us.
I remember I was worried he was gonna
take forever to get out of
there once the heist started.
I I I saw the ID
badge Salazar had on,
my old badge that I
reported as lost, okay?
I remember it all!
Okay? I'm not lying.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
That wasn't super fun.
Agreed.
Our star witness got
beat up pretty good.
Well, he did mention
something new, though
a guy on crutches,
a museum patron that
was on the second floor
while the shooting and robbery unfolded.
It's possible that if
he was having a hard time
- leaving the building
- He could be a witness?
Something.
We've taken a few hits on this one.
It'd be great to claw some of that back.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
That's a good idea.
Cameras inside the museum were down,
but ask the detectives to
review exterior footage.
See if they can find a man on
crutches leaving the museum.
Yeah, I fell off a stupid ladder,
busted my calcaneus.
I never heard of it either
heel bone.
Still can't put any weight on it.
Such a drag.
[SIGHS]
How did you even find me?
You were the only one
who fled the art museum
that morning on crutches.
Our detectives found security
footage from across the street,
and you popped in facial recognition.
You're not in any trouble.
To the contrary, we need your help.
Is it true you were there that morning?
Yeah, I went to see the crown.
I drop by once a week or so.
That thing's a big deal.
Were you close enough to the robbery
- to see what transpired?
- No.
But I heard everything.
Walk us through it.
Well, the thieves walked around first,
making some big announcements.
Said there was some
sort of private event.
Right, to clear out the area.
Exactly.
And I'm such a slow-poke these days,
it was taking me forever
to get out of there.
I saw the guy that died run in there.
And then I hear them all start screaming
at each other, and then bang, bang!
I was terrified.
I just got behind the
nearest thing I could find,
some sculpture, to kind of ride it out
till the coast was clear.
What else could you hear?
The bad guys?
They were pissed.
Didn't sound like this was part
of the plan, killing anybody.
One guy goes, "Damn it."
The other guy goes,
"Leonard better deliver."
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
You know, to this
day, my mom yells at me
if I don't pray before I eat?
[SIGHS]
I never understood the point.
It's like talking on the phone,
and there's nobody on the other end.
But do me a favor?
Pray that we figure
out who this Leonard is.
I think your prayers have been answered.
Got a hit in the ATU database,
an import-export guy in Canarsie,
Leonard Hawkins.
A lot of guys named Leonard out there.
For sure, but this
guy is Salazar's uncle.
♪
Mr. Hawkins, do you own a business?
Yes, I am the president
and sole employee
of an LLC called MTH Import-Export.
I sell items and buy items
art, watches, jewelry, you name it.
Sounds like a pawnshop?
I prefer import-export, thank you.
So do my clients.
My business requires a
certain amount of discretion.
And the defendant, Luis Salazar,
is it true that he is your nephew?
Yeah, kind of.
Can you explain that for the jury?
Well, he's my nephew by marriage,
except I'm not married
to the family anymore.
For 12 years, I was married
to his mother's sister.
We don't talk much ever, really.
I always thought he was
kind of a screw-up, honestly.
And yet, did Mr. Salazar have occasion
to call you just prior to February 18th,
the day of Cecil Carbo's murder?
Yes, he did.
That was four days before.
To say what?
He asked if I could move
an expensive piece of art.
Did he mention what it might be?
Hell no.
I mean, if I'd had known,
I would have told him
he was insane, which he clearly
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained.
All he told me was that
it wasn't a painting.
It was more like jewels,
gold and emeralds.
Did the defendant contact you
after the day of the theft?
Yes.
And what did he say?
He said that he
that the thing that he was going to do,
that he actually did it.
And what did you interpret that to mean?
That he stole the thing
that he was going to steal.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Mr. Baxter?
Mr. Wood is here to see you.
Luis Salazar's defense lawyer to see me?
He's not alone.
He's with the Archbishop.
Okay.
Send him in.
Gentlemen.
Thank you for seeing us.
Please, have a seat.
I wasn't aware the two
of you knew each other.
Mr. Wood and I have been in conversation
about our mutual interest.
Which is?
The Crown of Popayán.
Anything concerning the Salazar case,
you should be talking
to Nolan Price, not me.
We felt that this should
involve the full weight
of your office you.
We'd like to discuss a plea.
From what I understand, the
case is pretty much over.
Why would we possibly
consider a plea now?
We're prepared to have
the crown returned.
That doesn't sound like
it involves me at all.
There's a price tag.
Huh.
And I don't suppose you'd
consider doing the right thing,
just because it's the right thing to do.
I know that's asking a lot.
Mr. Wood, could you give
us a moment alone, please?
Nick, I feel like over
the years, you and I,
we got a fair read on each other, right?
I think so.
So then I can tell you this
without it feeling like an attack.
It's not. It's an observation.
You're not an overtly religious person,
devout, like your father.
I have my own beliefs, but
yeah, that's probably true.
But you are a student of history
and someone who could
appreciate perspectives
that might not be your own.
Thank you, I think.
I'd like to think that's true.
Here's one.
I would encourage you not to
think of the Crown of Popayán
as an object.
Okay.
Tell me.
The Crown of Popayán is proof
right here on Earth of God's grace.
It draws us closer to God.
Millions of people believe that.
That sounds lovely, comforting.
I mean that.
Many of them are right here
in New York, your constituents,
the people whose interest
you were elected to serve.
To refuse this offer would mean
sacrificing the spiritual good
of the faithful for the
emotional satisfaction
of punishment.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
♪
Mercy is not weakness, Nick.
Please.
♪
We're doing what?
In exchange for reducing
charges and advocating
for a lenient sentence,
Luis Salazar will reveal
the location of the crown.
No, I understood the offer.
I don't understand why
we're even considering it.
This is nothing but an act of
desperation at the 11th hour.
We have Luis Salazar dead to rights.
I'm confident the jury
will return a guilty verdict
tomorrow morning.
I'm not sure that's
the math on this one.
No, it's the only math that matters.
We are holding a man
to account for murder.
And this thing?
It's just a thing.
It's immaterial, Nick.
This isn't a debate, Nolan.
Prosecutorial discretion exists
precisely for cases like this.
We're not here to solely satisfy
a lust for maximum punishment.
We're here to protect
the public interest,
which, in this case, is more
complicated than a prison term.
It doesn't matter that I don't believe
what you're saying, Nick.
I don't think you do, either.
Oh, right.
I keep forgetting how
you really feel about me.
Come on, Nick.
Let's at least be honest about
why this is really happening.
There are 2 1/2 million
Catholics in New York.
They vote.
That is why this is happening.
You're wrong.
If we drop this to murder two
and recommend the low-end
of the sentencing range
and bring the crown home in one piece,
that is a win for the many, many people
who believe in this thing.
That means it's a win
for the City of New York.
And that means it's a win for us.
For God's sake, there's an argument
to be made the crown doesn't
even belong to the church.
That is not our concern.
Right, right.
Not a lot of Indigenous
Colombians around here.
I'm done.
Make the deal.
[SCOFFS]
[DOOR SHUTS]
[APPLAUSE]
Today is not about what was lost.
Today is about what was found,
about the resilience of faith.
What happened here caused so much pain,
confusion, even anger.
But I would argue that
we are better for it.
Gold will tarnish.
Emeralds will crumble to dust.
But what the Crown of
Popayán proclaims is eternal.
Gratitude is stronger than greed,
and God does not abandon his people.
And finally, I would like
to thank Nicholas Baxter,
our esteemed district attorney,
for making this happen.
Thank you, Your Eminence.
[APPLAUSE]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Not a mention of Cecil.
Not one word.
Mrs. Carbo, I know that
You people promised us
that you'd do everything
to get justice for Cecil.
The man who did this has pleaded guilty.
He's going to prison for 15 years.
So he'll be out before he turns 40.
Why does he get a life,
but my dad doesn't?
♪
As prosecutors, we are
not here just to satisfy
a lust for punishment.
We also have to protect
the public interest,
which, in this case
It got complicated.
♪
Can you even believe
the words coming out of your mouth?
Come on.
[FOOTSTEPS RECEDING]
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet
equally important groups:
the police, who investigate crime,
and the district attorneys,
who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
Must have had a thousand coffees
while we were waiting to testify.
Maybe we can actually
levitate after this one.
My mom used to drag me to
this stuff when I was a kid.
Oh, yeah?
- Ash Wednesday?
- Mm-hmm.
I'm a proud lapsed
Catholic at this point.
All I really remember is grumpy nuns
and old men wearing
pointy little elf shoes.
And they all smelled like soup.
I'm pretty sure that ash
symbolizes God's mercy,
the promise of a new life.
Is that all?
Is that all?
Look, I get it. It's not for me.
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey.
What's going on? What's going on?
Somebody's shooting!
[TENSE MUSIC]
2-7 Squad, we've got reports of a 10-10
in the Atlas Museum of Art.
Plainclothes detectives responding.
NYPD. Where's the shooter?
- Up at the crown display.
- Where?
- Where?
- The crown!
The crown! Upstairs, second floor!
Second floor, second floor.
Oh, my God.
Hey.
Central, 2-7. 10-10
confirmed, second floor.
Hey, hey, hey, come here.
I got you.
Let me see.
Central, 2-7. We have two GSWs.
This man needs help.
Get us an ambulance,
all available units.
Listen to me. Help is on the way.
Can you tell me who did this to you?
Yes, two two guys.
They took the crown.
Okay, we got two casings, 9 millimeters.
They went that way.
Okay.
All right, that's great. Hey, hey, hey.
No, no, no, no, no. Listen to me.
Stay with me. Stay with me.
Hey! We're NYPD!
- Come here!
- Oh, my God.
- Hey, Cecil.
- Listen to me.
EMS is on its way. It's
gonna be here any second.
I need you to keep
him up, keep him alert,
and keep pressure on that wound.
You got it? Okay. Come on, let's go.
Hold on, Cecil.
♪
Hey, we're NYPD. Did you see anything?
Two guys with guns, they went that way.
All right. Go to the left.
Get downstairs!
NYPD! Don't move!
[GUNSHOTS]
10-13, shots fired at the police.
[SCREAMING]
[GUNSHOTS]
Go, go, go!
[GUNSHOTS]
Go!
♪
Hey! Police! Stop!
- [GUNSHOT]
- [PERSON SCREAMS]
Cover me.
Hey! NYPD!
Stop!
[GUNSHOTS]
Back entrance. Back entrance.
Get out of here!
- Go left!
- 2-7 Squad to Central.
I'm on foot pursuit with the other perp,
headed to the back parking lot!
Central, 2-7. I'm pursuing on foot!
Perp is on a bike!
He's heading eastbound,
exiting the parking lot.
Damn it.
NYPD! Stop!
Hold it!
[SIRENS WAILING]
- [TIRES SCREECHING]
- Stop right there!
Drop your weapon right now!
Drop your weapon and get on the ground.
Drop your weapon now!
- Drop that weapon!
- Put it down!
Drop it!
Everybody, take a breath!
Hey!
Come on, man, it's not worth it.
Don't do this.
[GUNSHOTS]
Suspect down.
2-7 Squad to Central, get us a bus now.
Multiple gunshots, but
the police are not injured.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How's the wounded security guard?
Didn't make it.
What happened here?
Guy drew down a patrol officer.
It was a good shoot.
.40-cal Smith & Wesson,
but the cases up in the
Crown Room were 9-millimeter.
So that's not the murder weapon.
That's kind of a funky tattoo.
Let's see if it's in the database.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
- Anything on the body?
No cell and no wallet.
But he was wearing an
official-looking art museum ID,
and he had a legit
security guard uniform.
You think these guys really worked here,
or was it an inside job?
We'll see.
We got units looking for your guy
BOLO, grid search,
choke points, all of it.
So far, nothing.
The victim's name is Cecil Carbo.
Apparently he's a bit of
an institution around here.
Been here forever. Everybody loved him.
Eyewitnesses who fled the
scene said that the thieves
gained access to this
room by clearing it out,
saying that there was some sort
of event that was gonna happen
in this part of the museum.
So basically, the thieves didn't have
to lift a finger to clear this place out
until Mr. Carbo stepped
in and stopped them?
Looks that way.
At least there's a lot
of cameras here, though.
- Should be helpful.
- And what is this?
What was this?
Crown of Popayán?
I don't know.
- 16th century or something?
- Oh, my God!
- Cecil! Cecil!
- Ma'am. Ma'am!
How'd they get in here?
He's my husband!
That's how they got in here.
He's my husband!
Cardinal Keane.
This is Mr. Carbo's wife, Valentina,
and their daughter, Luna.
I'm Lieutenant Brady.
This is Detective Riley.
Very sorry for your loss.
I saw them downstairs, and
I thought they should have
an opportunity to say goodbye.
Respectfully, this is
an active crime scene.
Mr. Carbo was a man of deep faith,
a son of the church.
He requested to guard the crown.
He said it was a privilege.
It is Ash Wednesday, and
I'd like to administer
the prayer for the deceased.
Your Eminence, this is a crime scene
my crime scene.
Which means we need to
preserve it exactly as it is.
That's the only way we're
gonna catch these guys.
This man just died in
service of the church.
And to deny him the
prayer for the deceased
would be a crime unto itself.
Well, I'm afraid that's
beyond our jurisdiction.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
♪
It seems this room is
sacred ground to all of us,
just for different reasons.
I'm not asking you to do this for me.
Do it for them.
♪
Don't touch anything.
[BOTH CRYING]
♪
[SIGHS DEEPLY]
You have loved the church here on Earth.
Now, rejoice in her glory in heaven.
Into your hands, merciful Father,
we commend your servant.
Acknowledge him as one of your own.
May the angels lead you to paradise.
In the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
♪
So we found this on one of the thieves.
Is that real?
Did he work here?
I don't recognize the face.
And there's no employee
here named James Sullivan.
But yes, that's a real ID.
It was swiped to enter the
facility at 10:43 this morning.
Six minutes before the shooting.
Okay, obviously we gotta go through
all of your CCTV footage.
There isn't any.
How is that possible?
Our system was rebooting
during the robbery.
The feeds went offline for 12 minutes.
Well, that's convenient.
We'll look into it
right away, obviously.
Okay.
what can you tell us about the crown?
Why would someone wanna steal that
and not take anything else?
Well, that's nearly 5 pounds
of the purest gold I know,
450 emeralds.
This one, the Illapu, is worth
$15 million, give or take.
Yowza.
That's not the only reason.
Indigenous Colombians believe
that the crown belongs to
them, not the Catholic Church.
So they think the Catholics
stole the crown from them.
Yeah.
In the 16th century,
2 million people in South
America died of smallpox.
But the little village
of Popayán was spared.
So the Colombians think
there was some sort
of divine intervention?
Precisely.
They've been trying to
reclaim it for years in court,
but the lawsuits never went anywhere.
And how did it end up here?
We got the crown a couple of months ago
on loan from the Vatican.
It's been a wildly
popular exhibit for us.
There was this Colombian,
this rabble rouser
named Amaru Yupanqui.
He filed a new lawsuit
against the museum.
When that was dismissed,
he went so far as to threaten me.
When?
Last week.
He sent me an email saying
that if I didn't cooperate,
he would take the crown
by any means necessary.
I was blowing off steam.
Some people go for a run.
You write death threats?
I believe that Indigenous Colombians are
the rightful owners of
the Crown of Popayán.
I am passionate about that,
and I will never stop fighting for it,
but I didn't kill anyone.
Well, that doesn't mean
this whole thing wasn't
your idea in the first place.
I mean, maybe you hired those
two guys to steal the crown.
Please.
Where were you this
morning around 10:30?
- At mass.
- What church?
St. Augustine's on Benton Avenue.
What were you praying for?
Their success?
Remember that you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.
I was praying that I might live wisely
with whatever time I have,
which would not include
hiring two imbeciles to steal
something from a museum.
Let me ask you something.
You've been pissed at
the church for years,
but you still go to mass?
You're still a believer?
You're confusing the church with faith,
which is exactly what the church wants.
That's how we got into this mess.
How's that?
Indigenous artisans spent
six years making the crown.
For 400 years, we worshipped
it as an emblem of faith itself.
And then the church, as you call it,
suddenly decided that
poor Colombians are not
sophisticated enough to
be guardians of the crown.
They snatched it, took it away.
People like me, people of faith,
I am seeking a union with God
truth, moral order.
The church is only
interested in market share,
protecting their brand.
We don't get many people
in here as cynical as me.
Can I go home now?
Yes.
We're gonna confirm you
were at mass this morning.
Please do.
Uh, you guys remember Lieutenant Brady?
Your Eminence?
The Archbishop was looking
for an update on the case.
Mrs. Carbo's husband gave
his life protecting the crown,
which means he gave his life
protecting the church itself.
Nothing's more important
to our community
than getting justice for
him, for his family
nothing.
We understand.
I appreciate your
concern, but I assure you,
we're using all of
our resources on this.
But so far, the only
suspect they have is me.
You know who I am?
Should I?
I'm glad the crown is gone.
And I hope you never get it back.
I couldn't care less about the crown.
Right.
You know, a good man was just murdered.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I'm very sorry for your loss, ma'am.
♪
Hey, Amaru Yupanqui was
at St. Augustine's Church
at the time of the
shooting, just like he said.
Yeah. He didn't feel right for it,
but the guy was definitely intense.
Yeah, we'll keep an eye on him.
Where are we with everything else?
I ran our dead thief's tattoo
through the gang database.
No hits.
So I did a reverse image search.
Turns out it's a military
thing used by this unit.
SORD?
Special Operations
Reconnaissance Detachment.
Yeah, elite troops
behind enemy lines,
high-value targets, that kind of thing.
Pentagon keeps a DNA
database of personnel to use
in case they got to identify remains.
We sent them a sample
from our deceased thief,
and we got a hit.
Frank Henry Stephens.
Three tours in Afghanistan.
Did you get an address?
Astoria.
Landlord said that Frank Stephens lived
there with his girlfriend.
Well, great. Go.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
This can't be happening.
I know this is a lot
to process right now,
Ms. Campbell, but you need to
tell us everything you know,
and you need to tell us right now!
There's nothing to tell!
Frank would never do
something like this.
He's not a thief.
He's sure as hell ain't a murderer.
- Going somewhere?
- It's Frank's.
He had a business trip.
What business is that exactly?
Well, I'm not sure.
- You're not sure?
- No.
She's not sure what her
boyfriend did for a living.
- That's cute.
- [CHUCKLES]
Because we happen to know
that your boyfriend reported
no income and filed
no taxes since he was
dishonorably discharged back in 2021.
Look, you're not gonna wanna hear this,
but Frank was never
coming back after that trip
because he chose the
crown, money over you.
He's dead.
So there's no need for you
to cover for him anymore.
I'm not covering for him.
I don't know anything, I swear.
Look. Look at this.
That's who Frank did this with.
Who is that?
I don't know.
Was Frank having any money trouble?
- Anybody threaten him lately?
- No.
Anyone unusual come to
the apartment recently?
No.
I mean, Frank's buddy
came by last night,
but that's not weird. He's
over here all the time.
Tell me about this buddy.
He's just some guy.
He lives here in Astoria.
He
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
He what, Amy?
I think he works at the museum.
What is going on?
Why'd you bring me down here?
- Really, Joe? Come on.
- Yes, really.
- I I didn't do anything wrong.
- Oh.
Well, then you should
just sit back and relax,
and I'll just lay out all
the ways you're screwed.
This is the museum security system log.
A security guard named
Danny Gardner logged
into the system at 10:24 a.m.
to order a reboot of the CCTV.
This is what allowed the thieves
12 minutes to get in and out.
So you should go talk to Danny.
We did.
Turns out Danny called
in sick this morning.
He wasn't at the museum.
You were.
And Danny told us that a few days ago,
you asked him for his login credentials
because yours weren't working.
Danny didn't order the reboot.
You did.
Oh, wait, there is more.
You reported your ID missing
twice in the past three weeks.
And the funny thing is, the
IDs that the thieves used
to gain access to the
museum just so happened
to be your lost ones,
with an assist from
Photoshop, of course.
[TENSE MUSIC]
I wasn't the one who stole that thing,
and I didn't hurt anybody.
Unfortunately for you,
that doesn't matter,
because unless you talk, chances are
you're the only sucker going
down for this whole thing.
And that means we are gonna come at you
with everything we got.
You will never eat
Mommy's meatloaf again.
She's dead.
She was a lousy cook.
So was mine.
♪
Okay.
Okay, but I want a deal.
I'm not saying a damn
thing until that's done.
♪
[DOOR CLICKS OPEN]
Queen for a Day?
What the hell does that even
Yeah, it's a funny name.
It's actually named
after an old game show.
It means you tell us what you know,
we can't use that
information against you.
This is what you wanted, Joe.
You don't do this, you're
looking at felony murder.
You want reduced charges?
This is what that looks like.
You tell the truth today.
You testify at trial.
Yeah, okay.
Good.
Our primary concern
right now is identifying
and capturing the thief
that's still at large.
What is his name?
He goes by Flaco.
- No, what is his real name?
- I don't know.
That's what everybody calls him.
I only met him once, a few weeks ago.
Where?
Some bar in Queens.
I don't know.
Frank Frank drove.
Frank would know.
Frank is dead, Joe.
Yeah, he's dead because
you people shot him, lady!
Lady. Do they call you Lady?
That guy was like a brother to me!
Joe.
Flaco.
I don't know.
He's a Spanish dude.
From Spain or, like, Latin?
Puerto Rican? Dominican?
Yeah, that.
What else you know about him?
He's about my age, my height.
But Joe, if they find
this man, arrest him,
if you saw him in court,
you'd recognize him.
You could point him out to the jury
and say, yeah, that's the guy.
Yeah, sure.
Sure. So your friend,
Frank Stephens, how did
he know this Flaco guy?
How did they meet?
They served together in Afghanistan.
And the robbery?
How'd they plan it and coordinate it?
Used WhatsApp?
Signal maybe, so the
messages were encrypted?
They used pagers.
Pagers?
Like it's 1995 and
Coolio's on the radio?
Where do you even get a pager anymore?
Yeah. Here it is.
We issued two pagers to Frank Stephens
a couple months back.
What's the second name on the account?
There isn't one.
Why not?
Pagers, they ain't like cell phones.
If this guy, Frank
Stephens, comes in here
and wants to rent two pagers,
we give him two pagers.
Once he walks out the
door, he can give them
to whoever the hell he wants.
The system does keep track
of the last 20 messages
sent by each pager.
So I know it's not a lot.
Well, that should be plenty. Thank you.
Yeah.
Morse code? Is that still a thing?
Yeah, special ops forces
are still trained in it.
- And you know it?
- Nope.
But there's an app for it.
Hey, check this out.
Flight 289.
What airline?
Looks like Pathways
Airlines has a Flight 289.
Flies JFK to Miami
every day at 3:00 p.m.
And the message says,
"We're leaving tomorrow,"
but that's actually today.
Okay, I'll pull up the flight manifest,
cross-check it with the
list of soldiers who served
with Stephens in Afghanistan.
If we get a hit, that's our killer.
Plane leaves in an hour.
Get going.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
This is the final call for
Flight 289 with service to Miami.
All remaining passengers proceed
immediately to Gate C22.
Where the hell is this guy?
♪
Oh, the overhead bin is full.
We'll need to gate-check your bag.
That's weird.
Last name?
Salazar.
Luis Salazar.
Flight's full, Flaco.
So where is it?
Where's the crown, huh?
No idea what you're talking about, man.
[BAG THUDS]
Vince!
Pager.
Turn around.
Luis Salazar, you're under arrest
for the murder of Cecil Carbo.
♪
We have a suspect in
custody named Luis Salazar.
He's a former special ops guy.
We caught him as he
was attempting to flee.
As we speak, he's being arraigned
for the murder of Cecil Carbo.
I expect he'll be remanded.
Very good.
And what about the crown?
It wasn't in Mr. Salazar's possession
when we took him into custody.
So you have no idea where it is?
Not yet.
Mr. Salazar isn't cooperating with us.
But we did find
evidence in his apartment
that links him to the crime.
We've been retracing his steps to see
if we can figure out where
he might have hidden it,
but so far, no luck.
I have to tell you, the
Catholic community has
been galvanized by this theft
like nothing I can remember.
It's essential that the crown be found.
So what are you doing
to ensure its recovery?
Respectfully, we're trying
to bring a killer to justice.
So finding the relic is not our focus.
It should be.
You were the one that told me
the most important thing was
getting justice for Cecil Carbo.
And you think these things
are mutually exclusive?
That crown was created
by ordinary people
who then surrendered their treasure,
their literal treasure,
gold and stones that they pulled
from the ground beneath their feet.
So its creation, its beautiful story,
it mirrors the gospel itself.
I get it.
And we're gonna do
everything we can to find it.
You have my word.
I don't want your word, Nick.
I want your guarantee.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
Like I said, we'll do everything we can.
♪
Hey.
Luis Salazar has been remanded.
Good.
How's our case?
Solid.
We don't have the murder weapon.
But forensics has confirmed
that the circular glass cutter
we found in Salazar's apartment is
the same blade used to slice open
the display case in the museum.
And Salazar didn't just
have a plane ticket to Miami.
He was connecting in Miami to Yemen,
which doesn't have an extradition treaty
with the United States.
But the core of the case
is based on the testimony
of the security guard, Joe Whitaker
[PHONE BUZZES]
And the Morse code
chatter between Salazar
and his other accomplice,
Frank Stephens.
Uh, about that.
The defense is challenging
the admissibility of the pager.
Your Honor, the detectives performed
an illegal search of my
client's suitcase at JFK.
There were clearly
exigent circumstances.
The defendant was preparing
to abscond to Yemen, carrying evidence
that was vital to a
murder investigation.
It doesn't matter.
Mr. Salazar's suitcase
was gate-checked prior
to the detectives' arrival,
which is a legal transfer
of custody to the airline.
Once that happens
Then you're saying, the suitcase was
no longer in the immediate
control of Mr. Salazar,
and therefore no longer
subject to a warrantless search.
Correct.
Your Honor, the inevitable
discovery doctrine
speaks directly to this point.
Federal authorities
were required by statute
to inspect that bag once our
arrest triggered an alert.
So the evidence the pager
would have been discovered
inevitably, within minutes.
Perhaps.
But the inevitability doctrine
does not grant you the ability
to retroactively justify
an improper search
by conjuring up lawful versions
of the events that never happened.
Once that suitcase was
checked at the gate,
it entered the exclusive custody
of a federally regulated airline.
The bag's contents are out,
which means the pager is out.
Prior to February 18th,
the day of Cecil Carbo's murder,
did a man named Frank Stephens ask you
to help him rob the museum?
Yes.
Frank and I were old friends.
We grew up together.
I had mentioned a few weeks before that
that the crown was on display
at the museum where I worked.
Then, out of the blue, Frank asked
how easy it would be to steal.
I thought he was kidding,
you know, joking around at first.
But he told his buddy, Flaco,
- because they
- Sorry.
By Flaco, you are referring to?
Luis Salazar.
He goes by Flaco.
And you met Luis Salazar?
Yes, two weeks before the heist,
Frank and Salazar asked me to help them,
said they would cut me in.
Do you see Luis Salazar
in this courtroom?
Right there.
He's sitting right there.
Your Honor, let the record reflect
that the witness has identified
the defendant, Luis Salazar.
The record shall so reflect.
What help did you
provide in the robbery?
I rebooted the museum CCTV
to turn the cameras off,
smuggled out extra security
guard outfits and ID badges
that I reported as lost
so Frank and Salazar could
have access to the building.
And on the morning of the murder,
did you see the defendant?
Yes. After I rebooted the cameras,
I went upstairs to make sure
Frank and Salazar got inside okay.
They were there, so I
went back downstairs.
Thank you. Nothing further.
Mr. Whitaker, you testified earlier that
the police threatened to
to charge you with felony murder
if you didn't testify today.
Yes, I cut a deal for reduced charges.
So you're a criminal,
a criminal who swore
to defend the Atlas Museum of Art
and robbed it instead.
And now, to avoid responsibility,
you've agreed to lie in court.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Watch it, Mr. Wood.
How tall are you, Mr. Whitaker?
I'm about 5'7".
Did you tell the police
that the defendant
was about your height?
Yeah, I I
- I think so.
- I'm confused.
Mr. Salazar is 6'1".
Okay.
You didn't actually witness the shooting
of Cecil Carbo, did you?
- No.
- And when you allegedly saw
Mr. Salazar inside the museum on the day
of Mr. Carbo's death,
you're sure it was him?
Uh, yeah.
Because the prosecutors seem to think
that the men who did
this were wearing masks.
He was.
Then how did you recognize him?
I don't know. Because
You don't know, or this wasn't part
of the dress rehearsal with the DA?
- Objection.
- Sustained.
Look, I went up there and
I looked him in the eyes,
and he nodded, just like we planned.
It was him.
And I remember
everything about it, okay?
We were standing under an
Exit sign outside the room
where the crown was.
I remember there was a
dude on crutches next to us.
I remember I was worried he was gonna
take forever to get out of
there once the heist started.
I I I saw the ID
badge Salazar had on,
my old badge that I
reported as lost, okay?
I remember it all!
Okay? I'm not lying.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
That wasn't super fun.
Agreed.
Our star witness got
beat up pretty good.
Well, he did mention
something new, though
a guy on crutches,
a museum patron that
was on the second floor
while the shooting and robbery unfolded.
It's possible that if
he was having a hard time
- leaving the building
- He could be a witness?
Something.
We've taken a few hits on this one.
It'd be great to claw some of that back.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
That's a good idea.
Cameras inside the museum were down,
but ask the detectives to
review exterior footage.
See if they can find a man on
crutches leaving the museum.
Yeah, I fell off a stupid ladder,
busted my calcaneus.
I never heard of it either
heel bone.
Still can't put any weight on it.
Such a drag.
[SIGHS]
How did you even find me?
You were the only one
who fled the art museum
that morning on crutches.
Our detectives found security
footage from across the street,
and you popped in facial recognition.
You're not in any trouble.
To the contrary, we need your help.
Is it true you were there that morning?
Yeah, I went to see the crown.
I drop by once a week or so.
That thing's a big deal.
Were you close enough to the robbery
- to see what transpired?
- No.
But I heard everything.
Walk us through it.
Well, the thieves walked around first,
making some big announcements.
Said there was some
sort of private event.
Right, to clear out the area.
Exactly.
And I'm such a slow-poke these days,
it was taking me forever
to get out of there.
I saw the guy that died run in there.
And then I hear them all start screaming
at each other, and then bang, bang!
I was terrified.
I just got behind the
nearest thing I could find,
some sculpture, to kind of ride it out
till the coast was clear.
What else could you hear?
The bad guys?
They were pissed.
Didn't sound like this was part
of the plan, killing anybody.
One guy goes, "Damn it."
The other guy goes,
"Leonard better deliver."
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
You know, to this
day, my mom yells at me
if I don't pray before I eat?
[SIGHS]
I never understood the point.
It's like talking on the phone,
and there's nobody on the other end.
But do me a favor?
Pray that we figure
out who this Leonard is.
I think your prayers have been answered.
Got a hit in the ATU database,
an import-export guy in Canarsie,
Leonard Hawkins.
A lot of guys named Leonard out there.
For sure, but this
guy is Salazar's uncle.
♪
Mr. Hawkins, do you own a business?
Yes, I am the president
and sole employee
of an LLC called MTH Import-Export.
I sell items and buy items
art, watches, jewelry, you name it.
Sounds like a pawnshop?
I prefer import-export, thank you.
So do my clients.
My business requires a
certain amount of discretion.
And the defendant, Luis Salazar,
is it true that he is your nephew?
Yeah, kind of.
Can you explain that for the jury?
Well, he's my nephew by marriage,
except I'm not married
to the family anymore.
For 12 years, I was married
to his mother's sister.
We don't talk much ever, really.
I always thought he was
kind of a screw-up, honestly.
And yet, did Mr. Salazar have occasion
to call you just prior to February 18th,
the day of Cecil Carbo's murder?
Yes, he did.
That was four days before.
To say what?
He asked if I could move
an expensive piece of art.
Did he mention what it might be?
Hell no.
I mean, if I'd had known,
I would have told him
he was insane, which he clearly
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained.
All he told me was that
it wasn't a painting.
It was more like jewels,
gold and emeralds.
Did the defendant contact you
after the day of the theft?
Yes.
And what did he say?
He said that he
that the thing that he was going to do,
that he actually did it.
And what did you interpret that to mean?
That he stole the thing
that he was going to steal.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Mr. Baxter?
Mr. Wood is here to see you.
Luis Salazar's defense lawyer to see me?
He's not alone.
He's with the Archbishop.
Okay.
Send him in.
Gentlemen.
Thank you for seeing us.
Please, have a seat.
I wasn't aware the two
of you knew each other.
Mr. Wood and I have been in conversation
about our mutual interest.
Which is?
The Crown of Popayán.
Anything concerning the Salazar case,
you should be talking
to Nolan Price, not me.
We felt that this should
involve the full weight
of your office you.
We'd like to discuss a plea.
From what I understand, the
case is pretty much over.
Why would we possibly
consider a plea now?
We're prepared to have
the crown returned.
That doesn't sound like
it involves me at all.
There's a price tag.
Huh.
And I don't suppose you'd
consider doing the right thing,
just because it's the right thing to do.
I know that's asking a lot.
Mr. Wood, could you give
us a moment alone, please?
Nick, I feel like over
the years, you and I,
we got a fair read on each other, right?
I think so.
So then I can tell you this
without it feeling like an attack.
It's not. It's an observation.
You're not an overtly religious person,
devout, like your father.
I have my own beliefs, but
yeah, that's probably true.
But you are a student of history
and someone who could
appreciate perspectives
that might not be your own.
Thank you, I think.
I'd like to think that's true.
Here's one.
I would encourage you not to
think of the Crown of Popayán
as an object.
Okay.
Tell me.
The Crown of Popayán is proof
right here on Earth of God's grace.
It draws us closer to God.
Millions of people believe that.
That sounds lovely, comforting.
I mean that.
Many of them are right here
in New York, your constituents,
the people whose interest
you were elected to serve.
To refuse this offer would mean
sacrificing the spiritual good
of the faithful for the
emotional satisfaction
of punishment.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
♪
Mercy is not weakness, Nick.
Please.
♪
We're doing what?
In exchange for reducing
charges and advocating
for a lenient sentence,
Luis Salazar will reveal
the location of the crown.
No, I understood the offer.
I don't understand why
we're even considering it.
This is nothing but an act of
desperation at the 11th hour.
We have Luis Salazar dead to rights.
I'm confident the jury
will return a guilty verdict
tomorrow morning.
I'm not sure that's
the math on this one.
No, it's the only math that matters.
We are holding a man
to account for murder.
And this thing?
It's just a thing.
It's immaterial, Nick.
This isn't a debate, Nolan.
Prosecutorial discretion exists
precisely for cases like this.
We're not here to solely satisfy
a lust for maximum punishment.
We're here to protect
the public interest,
which, in this case, is more
complicated than a prison term.
It doesn't matter that I don't believe
what you're saying, Nick.
I don't think you do, either.
Oh, right.
I keep forgetting how
you really feel about me.
Come on, Nick.
Let's at least be honest about
why this is really happening.
There are 2 1/2 million
Catholics in New York.
They vote.
That is why this is happening.
You're wrong.
If we drop this to murder two
and recommend the low-end
of the sentencing range
and bring the crown home in one piece,
that is a win for the many, many people
who believe in this thing.
That means it's a win
for the City of New York.
And that means it's a win for us.
For God's sake, there's an argument
to be made the crown doesn't
even belong to the church.
That is not our concern.
Right, right.
Not a lot of Indigenous
Colombians around here.
I'm done.
Make the deal.
[SCOFFS]
[DOOR SHUTS]
[APPLAUSE]
Today is not about what was lost.
Today is about what was found,
about the resilience of faith.
What happened here caused so much pain,
confusion, even anger.
But I would argue that
we are better for it.
Gold will tarnish.
Emeralds will crumble to dust.
But what the Crown of
Popayán proclaims is eternal.
Gratitude is stronger than greed,
and God does not abandon his people.
And finally, I would like
to thank Nicholas Baxter,
our esteemed district attorney,
for making this happen.
Thank you, Your Eminence.
[APPLAUSE]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Not a mention of Cecil.
Not one word.
Mrs. Carbo, I know that
You people promised us
that you'd do everything
to get justice for Cecil.
The man who did this has pleaded guilty.
He's going to prison for 15 years.
So he'll be out before he turns 40.
Why does he get a life,
but my dad doesn't?
♪
As prosecutors, we are
not here just to satisfy
a lust for punishment.
We also have to protect
the public interest,
which, in this case
It got complicated.
♪
Can you even believe
the words coming out of your mouth?
Come on.
[FOOTSTEPS RECEDING]
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]