Law & Order Special Victims Unit s27e05 Episode Script
Feed the Craving
1
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[GROANING]
These are coming pretty close together.
I think it's time to
head to the hospital.
But the last one didn't
even last a full minute.
You've been in
labor for over 48 hours.
I'm getting worried.
I just I don't want
to go all the way
to the hospital for
them to send me home
because it's too soon.
Okay, let's, uh let's
just let's watch a movie.
Um, and then and then
we can see how I feel after.
Yeah, it's [EXHALES DEEPLY]
Do you do you like rom-coms?
Natalie
listen
I couldn't forgive myself if
something happened to you.
Just please.
Please.
Let's go to the hospital.
I will be there with
you the whole way.
I promise.
You are so sweet.
I don't know what I
would do without you.
♪
Okay.
Hospital.
- Let's do it. [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.
I'll get my go bag.
I'll call a car.
Okay.
[GRUNTING]
Okay.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Anika.
Oh, my God!
Anika!
It's him.
- What do you mean "it's him"?
- It's it's him.
He's he's here. He's outside.
- What? Are you sure?
- Yes.
Where is he?
Which one?
You're positive you saw him?
[OBJECT SHATTERS, DOOR OPENS]
Natalie?
♪
Natalie, where are you?
♪
Natalie!
♪
[CELL PHONE BEEPING]
I need police right away.
I think my client was
kidnapped by her rapist.
- Just one second, sorry.
- [ENGINE TURNING OVER]
She's back.
Hey, Rollins.
Hey, yourself, Tran.
Thank you.
So what have we got?
Vic's name is Natalie Tanzillo,
34 years old, in active labor.
She told her doula she was
being stalked by her rapist.
No name or visuals
for our suspect yet,
but I got officers
canvassing a 2-mile radius.
They found this on the street
Her phone.
Perp must have chucked it.
I'm sorry.
She's in active labor?
Doula says she's about to pop.
All right, get us access to
subway cams, traffic cams,
and grab any Ring footage
these neighbors might have.
- That your new partner?
- Yeah.
Well, you know about her, right?
[CLICKING TONGUE]
She was a rat.
Rat, Internal Affairs.
Come on, I thought that was
a pretty good rat impersonation.
I've worked with her
before. Curry's solid.
Cool, very cool.
Just, you know, looking out.
What, so she's giving
birth to a stillborn baby
that's a product of a rape?
I know, right?
It's a lot.
She wanted me to coach her
through the early stages of labor
until she had to
go to the hospital to deliver,
but it's taken a while.
And she never told
you who raped her?
Just that she knew him through work
and he stalked her for months.
It's why she got this sublet.
This isn't even her apartment.
I-I have no idea how he found us. I
So how long until she
gives birth, do you think?
Could be a day.
Could be five minutes.
Listen
Natalie has a lot
of underlying conditions
eclampsia, placenta previa.
If she delivers without a
doctor, she could bleed out.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Police are asking the
public to be on the lookout
for a pregnant woman
abducted from a Chelsea
apartment earlier today.
According to the doula,
Natalie is pretty much on her own.
She's got no family in the area,
doesn't seem to have
the support of her friends.
And she never reported the rape?
Checked the open
61s. Nothing's there.
Okay, so all we
have is a time frame.
We know that the assault
happened 20 weeks ago.
Right, and Natalie did tell Anika
that she and the perp
had worked together.
I checked employment records.
Natalie has no W-2
income for the last two years.
All right, Transit
Bureau just flagged
this subway surveillance.
Okay, so that's Natalie
entering the 23rd
Street C and E station.
Mm-hmm.
This is from about half an hour ago.
I can't tell who she's with.
But Transit Bureau's
tracking every step
on every connecting
line to pick up their trail.
But we can't wait for that.
So Bruno and
Grab Griff.
- Griff's in Phoenix, NCMEC conference.
- Right. Okay.
You, see if you can track
down any of Natalie's family.
You two head to her apartment
and see if you can pull anything
that might tell us where she's working
- within our 20-week time frame.
- Yeah.
She kept track of how many
glasses of water she drank,
how many steps she clocked,
and how many times
she practiced calligraphy,
but not a single thing
in here about work.
[GROANS]
This girl's been through the wringer.
- It's brutal.
- Yeah.
There's a card in here, though.
Maybe it's a friend we
can actually contact.
Mm.
How does it feel being back?
Well, this is a tough
case to walk into,
but I'm good.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
Officer Tran was happy to see you.
Yeah.
He's
Got a big mouth,
but he's harmless.
I'm
I'm happy with the current setup.
- No issues for me.
- Me neither.
Yeah, he's just mad
'cause I jammed up a
buddy of his for taking bribes.
- It sucks to suck.
- Yeah.
Got an ultrasound printout
and a couple of reimbursement checks
from a place called Wheels for Pups.
- That sound like a nonprofit?
- Yeah.
Volunteering would
explain no W-2 income.
- Mm.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
[DOORKNOB RATTLES]
You hear that?
Sounded like a key in the door.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[SIGHS]
Natalie?
Tanzillo?
We're with NYPD SVU.
Are you hurt?
Um, uh
I don't think
Oh, God.
Oh.
Oh, God.
Okay, okay, okay.
Central, this is Curry with SVU.
- Missing female
- It's okay, breathe.
Breathe.
Okay.
- Okay. We got you.
- Okay.
We got a pregnant woman
in active labor, high risk,
- heading to Northwell Greenwich.
- No.
- ETA, 10.
- No, no Northwell, not there.
Natalie, just focus
on your breathing.
Okay, we got to get you
to the closest hospital.
No! No, stop.
There's There's a doctor.
He
I don't trust
I don't trust Northwell Greenwich.
Please.
Please, anywhere but there.
- Please.
- Um, hey, try NewYork-Presbyterian.
We'll, uh we'll meet you there.
Hey, what's the story?
She's with the doc now.
Wasn't in any shape
to tell us anything.
- She just walked in alone?
- Yeah, no apparent injuries.
Besides being in
labor, she seemed fine.
Patient's ready for discharge.
Excuse me.
I'm Captain Benson, SVU.
Are you discharging Natalie Tanzillo?
We were told that she
was at risk for bleeding out.
I recommend you
talk to her yourself.
Natalie.
Natalie, I'm Captain Benson from SVU.
Should you be standing up?
- Um.
- Hey.
Are you okay? Tell me what happened.
Why
Why are they sending you home?
Um, I
I don't
I don't know.
I don't understand.
- Hey, do you need to sit down or
- No.
No.
'Cause I
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
I felt it.
I fe
I felt it, but, um, the doctor, he's
The doctor
I don't
I don't even know how to tell you.
You know what?
Um, d-did you deliver the baby?
You know what?
Let me
Let me bring the doctor back in here.
No, no, no.
I-I have to go.
What happened to
what happened to the baby?
There wasn't one.
That woman was never pregnant.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[DISTANT SIREN WHOOPS,
ENGINE TURNING OVER]
Natalie.
Hey.
Uh, hi.
Um, can I
Can I just have a bit of space?
Um, I'm just
I'm kind of going
through a lot right now.
Right. I don't
I don't want you to think
that you're in any kind of
trouble, because you're not.
I just, I'm here 'cause
'Cause I want to help.
That doctor, he told me
to talk to a psychiatrist,
but I swear that I'm not crazy.
Natalie, after a big trauma, like
Like the one you went through,
the, the-the body
and the mind can, uh,
come up with very powerful
and, creative ways to cope,
ways that can feel very, very real.
You
You've seen this before?
What I've seen is
victims of sexual assault
try to hide from what happened, right,
when real healing comes
from facing what happened.
Why don't we go and,
and talk about this, okay?
Wait.
No, I'm sorry. I just
I want to go home.
I'm
I'm sorry that I
I'm sorry that I made everybody worry.
Natalie, whatever
Whatever happened today
The man that did this
to you is still out there.
- Okay?
- I know. I know.
I
Look, you're right.
But I just, I can't deal
with this right now.
- It's okay.
- I'm sorry.
I'm gonna give you my card, okay?
I'm gonna give you my card.
This is, um
This is my personal
number on the back.
Call me anytime, okay?
You are such a good person.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right.
There you go.
Thank you.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So pseudocyesis can happen
to victims of sexual assault,
but it's just extremely rare.
I mean, I don't know.
How'd the doula
miss a fake pregnancy?
Well, they're not
medical professionals.
And at 20 weeks,
given Natalie's build,
I mean, even we bought it.
Something's not tracking for me.
You know, we found an ultrasound image
at Natalie's apartment.
And if she was never
pregnant, where'd she get it?
I could find you 3
million ultrasounds
- on Google right now.
- Exactly.
So she sought it
out, she printed it up,
knowing it wasn't hers?
But if she really believed
that she was pregnant
Why go through the trouble?
Look, I'm not saying that
the assault didn't happen.
My own sister faked a
pregnancy after an assault.
Maybe Natalie just needed
help, and she thought
that this was the only
way she could get it.
Just keep pulling that thread.
Any
Any luck tracking down
Natalie's history of employment?
Wheels for Pups confirmed
Natalie was a volunteer
within our time frame, but get this.
Her supervisor, Eduardo Perreira
he's got a record
Indecent exposure.
Okay, a misdemeanor or violation?
I'm still working on getting
the case files unsealed.
Okay, so head to his office
and see what you can find out.
- Can I bring a buddy?
- Yeah.
Um, you go ahead.
I'm gonna try and
track down this baby gift,
see if we can figure
out who gave it to her.
Great.
I'm driving.
- I'm sorry.
- All good.
Old habits.
[CHUCKLES]
By the way, if you
want your old spot back
No, no, no. I'm
I'm good.
- Got a clear view of the exit.
- Already trying to ditch us?
[CHUCKLES] No, in feng shui,
this is what they call
the command position.
You learn something new every day.
[DOGS BARKING]
Natalie was here for almost a year.
But, honestly, she
wasn't the most reliable.
A lot of absences with,
frankly, lame excuses.
Define lame.
Uh, mystery illnesses
that suddenly got cured.
Then her mom was sick,
and she had to take care of her.
Other people around here
have the same experience?
People think she's
sweet and all, I guess.
She ever have any
issues with her supervisor?
What did she say he did?
Can't really get into details.
For the record,
Eduardo's a stand-up guy.
Everyone here loves him.
Whatever Natalie said,
I would take with a
monster grain of salt.
There we go.
Easy-peasy.
Eduardo Perreira.
Captain Curry.
This is Detective Bruno with
the NYPD Special Victims Unit.
- Can we chat?
- Uh, of course.
Everything okay?
Just want to ask you some questions
about Natalie Tanzillo.
Can you tell us what your
relationship was like with her?
"Relationship"?
I mean
She volunteered here
a couple months back.
- Why?
- Were you arrested in 2010?
What does that have to do with Natalie?
Do you want to tell us what happened?
I was a dummy 19-year-old
freshman rushing to frat.
They
They dared me to
streak through a quad.
Someone reported me, and I
My dad knows a couple
people in the DA's office.
The charges were dropped.
If you're glossing over
any of the finer details,
- we will find out.
- I'm married
To my husband.
Look, honestly, I felt sorry for her.
She told me something
bad had happened to her,
but she didn't say what exactly.
I thought she might
have had, like a
Miscarriage or something.
When was this?
When we first met, maybe a year ago.
- Never get old, Lilly.
- [LAUGHS]
One day you're playing Rachmaninoff,
and the next, you
got hooves for hands.
Lilly Braider.
Hi. I'm Captain Benson.
This is Sergeant Rollins.
We're from the Special Victims Unit.
- Should I be worried?
- No, not at all.
We just wanted to ask
you some questions about
Natalie Tanzillo.
Think you can manage without me?
Okay.
So you were a friend of Natalie's?
Uh, no, I wouldn't say that.
But you did buy her a baby gift?
We
We traced a-a custom
onesie to your credit card,
purchased eight months ago.
I wasn't her friend.
I was her doula.
Oh, so Natalie was
pregnant eight months ago?
No.
I-I wouldn't say that.
Um
Is she under investigation?
Why would you say that?
Look, whatever she
said happened to her,
if she told you she was pregnant,
if she told you she was
raped, don't believe any of it.
Natalie is not a victim.
She's a predator.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
She told me she had been raped
and that the baby was stillborn
That she was all alone.
I just felt so sorry for her.
And it's sort of custom
in the doula community
to provide compassionate
support pro bono,
so I didn't charge her.
How did you, uh, find out
that the pregnancy wasn't real?
Once the labor started
It was just this marathon.
Hours and hours of contractions.
And then they'd stop.
And then as soon as I said
I was going home to sleep,
they would start up again.
And I-I cooked for her.
I helped her dress.
I helped her bathe.
[VOICE BREAKING] So disgusting.
I can't believe I fell for it.
So, Lilly, if
Natalie did anything that
was inappropriate, that's
That's 100% not your fault.
She was manipulating you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
On the third night, she
Was like, oh, my feet hurt.
Could you help me with this ointment?
So I was rubbing it on her feet.
And then she said she
wanted it on her thighs, too.
And then her hand started
Moving
Touching herself between her legs.
And she started, like
Moaning.
I couldn't move.
I just felt really trapped.
And Natalie could tell
that she had crossed a line
because she kept rambling
on how she read somewhere
that stimulation could induce
labor, but I-I don't know.
I-I just packed up and left.
So, Lilly, what you're describing is
Is sexual abuse.
No.
It was really messed
up, but it wasn't that.
It's exactly that.
Imagine hearing a story like this,
except switch the sexes.
Your friend tells you
that a man did this to her,
what are you gonna tell her?
♪
She's done this to
someone else, hasn't she?
To another doula.
That's why you're here.
How many?
To be honest
We didn't know it was a pattern
until we
We talked to you.
Um, there's a message group
with other doulas here in the city.
I can send a message if
you think that would help.
That would be very helpful.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
So she's conning doulas
into coaching phantom pregnancies?
What the hell does
she get out of this?
Victims.
She's found women
who aren't medically trained,
no supervision, and
a lot of time alone.
It's sex offenders 101.
She's like a
An empathy vampire.
I mean, she feeds off of it.
She makes up a ton of trauma,
and then she finds
women whose job it is
to be empathetic and
compassionate and helpful,
and then she takes advantage of them
for her own sexual gratification.
Remember when Natalie
didn't want the ambulance
to take her to Northwell Greenwich?
What do you want to bet
she's a frequent flyer there?
They know her scam.
Well, not to channel my husband,
but charging her is gonna be tricky.
Lilly's case is straightforward.
Right.
But it is also true that
one way to start labor
is to have an orgasm.
There was no baby.
There was no labor.
They will argue that she thought
that she was pregnant.
Look, Lilly and Anika worked for free,
when they could have
taken on real paying clients.
So Carisi could charge
her with financial fraud.
But
I want to charge her as a predator.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Captain
Some women were asking for you.
They're doulas.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Wow, so
so you all know Natalie Tanzillo?
This is just who could
make it here today.
There are more
A lot more.
♪
Karina Harpole
coached Natalie over FaceTime,
which is not an uncommon
practice for doulas.
Natalie kept her on the
phone for 12 to 14 hours
for almost a week.
And then Karina
threatened to call 911,
so she finally agreed
to go to the hospital.
A couple hours later, she tells Karina
that she's been sexually
assaulted by the paramedic,
right, on the way to
the hospital because
Because of course.
Is this woman for real?
Three doulas, including Karina,
report that Natalie masturbated
while FaceTiming them.
Uh, Lydia Guerrera said
that Natalie fell in the shower.
When she rushed in to help,
Natalie was on the
floor rubbing her nipples.
She said that she heard
that it could induce labor.
And she used the same, uh,
defense on a handful of others.
I mean, Carisi, this is 30 doulas
that were hired under
the same false pretenses
and 7 counts of sexual abuse.
I mean, that's
That's got to be enough data points.
I can charge her
with scheme to defraud.
That's a
That's a felony.
But the shower stuff is
public lewdness maybe.
Again, misdemeanor.
Neither of which are enough
to get her on the sex registry.
And because sex abuse one is tough.
Look, we need to prove
forcible compulsion.
Did Natalie, at any point,
force these women to touch her?
Yeah, okay, so
Lydia said that Natalie
tried to pull her hand towards her.
I mean, I might
be able to get a jury
to believe that that's
forcible compulsion,
but you got half your victims here
on the record saying
that they're not even
sure what they saw.
Carisi, if Natalie were a man,
we wouldn't even be
having this conversation.
He would've been on the sex
offenders registry yesterday.
You don't need to convince me.
I know she's a predator,
but a jury's a different story.
All right?
You all know the stats.
There is a reason that only 2%
of registered sex
offenders are female.
Yeah, and the sheer volume
of women that Natalie victimized
proves that she deserves
to be among them.
What is the one constant
across all these victim statements?
- That the baby was stillborn.
- No, that Natalie was raped.
And even the most mediocre
defense attorney on the planet
will know to squeeze
the word "assault"
for every teardrop
of sympathy it's worth.
Okay.
Okay.
So, you tell me, what
is our strategy now?
You got to get her to corroborate
some of the details in
these doulas' stories or
Or admit that she
forced them to touch her.
Natalie is smart.
The minute we try to
lock her into a story,
- she's gonna weasel her way out.
- Mm-hmm.
I don't know about that.
Liv's got a way of
getting people to open up,
even the guilty ones.
Your superpower is empathy.
This time, use it as a weapon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
So the precinct can
get so chilly sometimes.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Can I get you a blanket?
- No, this is perfect.
Your office is
- Is so nice.
- Oh, thank you.
You know, it's so important to me
to make everyone feel,
you know, comfortable,
and welcome,
and, you know, cozy.
[CHUCKLES]
So, Natalie, I've been
thinking a lot about you.
- Really?
- Yeah.
I, um
Thinking about everything
that you've been through,
and how
How much courage it took.
And so I thought it would
just be nice for us to, you know,
sit down and talk
about how to help you
move into the next
chapter of your life.
[SIGHS]
That means so much to me.
Thank you, Captain Benson.
You're welcome.
God, you're so good at what you do.
Oh, thank you.
And, I have some
incredible news for you.
Yeah?
We found the man who assaulted you.
Oh.
W-wow.
His name is Eduardo Perreira,
and, you worked with
him at the nonprofit.
Um, yeah.
And, I have enough to arrest him,
and I'm gonna put him
away for a very long time.
[STAMMERING] I'm so sorry, Captain,
but, um
Eduardo didn't do anything.
- He's a good man.
- Natalie
You don't have to be afraid of him.
No, seriously, he
He didn't
He didn't do anything.
It's
It's not him.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
It is a little chilly, could I
Could I actually get
that blanket, please?
- Oh, of course.
- Thanks.
Of course.
Here you go.
Get it just right for you.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
- Good?
- Yeah.
Good.
Good.
So
All right.
Your rape was eight
Eight months ago, right?
Um, five, actually.
Five?
Oh, okay, so then
Then I'm a little confused.
Maybe you can help me clear this up.
So if
So if your rape
was five months ago,
why did you hire Lilly
Braider eight months ago?
Lilly.
Why are you talking to Lilly?
'Cause, Natalie,
look, like I said before,
when I have nothing to go on,
I have to dig into
every single detail
Everything.
And like you so, you
know, kindly observed,
I am
I am very good at my job.
Yeah.
Well, I-I found Lilly, um
When I had a pregnancy scare.
After a sexual assault?
Wait.
Wait, another one?
I
You know, I-I can't remember.
Oh, I know. And then, you know
Trauma affects our memories, right?
Natalie, I need you to dig deep here,
to dig really deep and tell me.
Were you raped five months ago,
or, eight months ago?
Or a year ago?
Or 18 months ago, like
another doula had said?
Please, I-I-I don't like this.
I know it's hard.
It's so hard.
I-I get it.
But, listen, with truth
Comes trust.
And if you want someone to, you know
To really care about you,
to really empathize with you
Then you have to be, you know
Actually honest.
So
Do you think
Do you think you can do that for me?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So, Natalie
♪
Were you ever
You know, really raped?
♪
Would you mind getting
me a little bit more tea?
It's really nice.
Is it vanilla?
♪
Thank you.
♪
You know, people tell
me that my superpower is
Is empathy.
But you know what
else I'm really good at?
Noticing when
someone's lying to my face.
And I know that you're doing that.
You were never sexually
assaulted, Natalie,
and you've given me
enough details to prove it.
Why are you being so mean to me?
I am a victim.
No, Natalie, you're not a victim.
You're an abuser.
And you targeted, and used these women.
You used them for their empathy,
and for their kindness,
because you liked the
way it made you feel.
But you're done.
You're done.
You're under arrest, Natalie.
Get up.
♪
Your Honor, I am
handing up the indictment
and serving a copy on the defendant,
who is being charged with
scheme to defraud, 30 victims,
and 7 counts of sexual assault.
Defendant acknowledges receipt
and enters a plea of not guilty.
- Motions?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Pursuant to CPL Section 250.10,
I'm giving notice of our intent
to present psychiatric evidence
on the affirmative defense
of lack of criminal responsibility,
by reason of mental defect or disease.
And what specific defect
are we talking about here?
It's all there,
in Dr. Oshiro's report.
Dr. Oshiro, what were your conclusions
after your psychological
evaluation of Natalie Tanzillo?
It's my professional
opinion that Natalie meets
the diagnostic criteria
for factitious disorder
imposed on self.
Now, can you please explain
this disorder in layman terms?
It used to be known colloquially
as Munchausen syndrome.
Someone like Natalie
deliberately fabricates
or exaggerates physical symptoms,
driven by a psychological need
to adopt the role of a sick person.
- Would you call her a liar?
- No.
Uh, anything untrue she
says is rooted in mental illness.
She has no awareness
that her fabrications
can and do cause harm to others.
And in your professional opinion,
can Natalie be held responsible
for causing that harm?
No, a person with this
disorder is so overwhelmed
by the compulsion that
nothing else matters.
Nothing further.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Oshiro,
uh, in 30 years of
practicing psychiatry,
how many patients have you treated?
Ballpark estimate's fine.
- Oh, I'd say close to 30,000.
- That's impressive.
And, uh, of those 30,000,
how many have you diagnosed
with factitious disorder?
5, including Ms. Tanzillo.
5 out of 30,000?
So, factitious disorder
really is that rare?
It can be difficult to diagnose.
Hmm. Are there any illnesses
that have similar symptoms?
It can sometimes be
confused with malingering.
"Malingering"?
What is that?
Well, malingering
involves faking symptoms
for an obvious external
reward, such as money,
avoiding work, or
evading criminal charges.
Could you give the jury an example
of, uh, the difference
between the two?
Say a child lies about being sick
to avoid taking a test at school.
That's malingering.
Now, if the child just
wants to stay home
and be cared for or
get attention for being ill,
that could be factitious disorder.
"Could be"
So even you're not sure.
Withdrawn.
Dr. Oshiro,
you mentioned external rewards.
Can sexual gratification
be an external reward?
- Yes, although that's
- Thank you, that's all I need.
One more question.
You said evading criminal charges
can also be viewed as an
external reward, correct?
- I did.
- Dr. Oshiro
In your
professional opinion,
isn't that exactly what is happening
- in this very courtroom?
- Objection. Argumentative.
Sustained.
Nothing further.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Why would you tell multiple doulas
you were pregnant, when you weren't?
They were
They were so nice
So good to me,
and I think I needed that
To be taken care of.
But if I had known how
much it was damaging them,
how much I was hurting them,
then I never would have done any of it.
Now, Mr. Carisi will say
that you made up your pregnancies
in order to trick the doulas
into some sexual-gratification scheme.
- Is there any truth to that?
- Of course not.
I
[SIGHS]
What I did was wrong,
and I know that now.
You must think that it was sick of me
to do it in the first place, and
I am so sorry.
I am sick.
I have an illness.
But I am
I am not a pervert.
Thank you, Natalie.
No further questions, Your Honor.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Ms. Tanzillo
Of the 150 birthing doulas
that you follow on Instagram,
how did you land on the
The ones you hired?
Um
I-I don't know.
Uh, whoever seemed kind.
"Seemed kind."
Um
More than half of them had
under six months of experience,
so, maybe they seemed gullible.
- Objection. Argumentative.
- Sustained.
Captain Olivia Benson
of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit
testified that you
claimed to have been
sexually assaulted
by a former coworker.
- I said that, but
- An assault that you recanted
only after the detectives told
you that they were prepared
to arrest your former supervisor.
- I-I would really like to
- Let me finish.
Why didn't you just let
Captain Benson arrest that guy?
Objection. My client
is not responsible
for deciding who does
or does not get arrested.
We all know why defense
counsel doesn't want her client
to answer, Your Honor,
but this is a proper question.
The witness can answer.
I'm
I'm so sorry.
I-I forgot what the question was.
Oh, I'm happy to remind you.
Why not just let the police
arrest your former boss for rape?
Because he didn't do it.
Who cares?
I do.
That would
That would be wrong, and
And to be clear
Wait, hold on.
I'm confused here,
because didn't Dr. Oshiro say
that your disorder prevents you
from knowing your fabrications
can and do cause harm to others?
That's what he said.
- He-he did, but
- Thank you,
for answering the question,
Ms. Tanzillo.
I appreciate that.
Now, Lilly Braider testified,
that after feigning
labor for three days,
you asked her to rub your thighs.
- Is that true?
- Yes.
And you were only
wearing a thin covering
over your body that
you tried to remove?
I-I was wearing pajamas.
Did you pull her hand,
or otherwise restrain her
while she was rubbing your legs?
I don't remember ever doing that.
Did you stimulate your genitals
in front of Ms. Braider?
Dr. Oshiro said that
was because of my illness.
Your illness makes you masturbate
- in front of a virtual stranger?
- No, no.
They say that it can
trigger contractions.
"Contractions"? For a baby
that you knew did not exist?
- But I wanted it to.
- You wanted to have a baby?
Dr. Oshiro said that it
was part of my compulsion.
No, no, again, Dr. Oshiro said
that people with that disorder
do not understand that
their lies hurt others.
You do understand that.
What is this, a psychology lesson?
Ask a question, Mr. Carisi.
Ms. Tanzillo
Why did you hire 30 doulas?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I just wanted to feel like
somebody cared about me.
And why'd you have
them touch your body?
I just
I-I just liked how it felt.
And is that why you
stimulated yourself sexually
in front of them, because
you liked how that felt, too?
I don't, I don't
I don't know.
And is that not the definition
of sexual gratification
at their expense?
Objection.
Withdrawn.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Nothing further.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
- We got a verdict?
- Not yet.
But Tanzillo's defense
attorney is here to see you.
Let her in.
What can I do for you?
Sit, sit down, please.
- Feeling good?
- Eh, I've been worse.
[SIGHS] Jury's
taking its time, isn't it?
Well, I'm happy to wait 'em out.
Sympathetic defendant,
shaky felony charge at best.
You really think waiting
it out's your best move?
[SCOFFS]
You know, you don't
have a home run either.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
So what are you offering?
My client pleads guilty
on all counts of fraud.
Okay, what about the other charges?
No other charges.
She walks on all seven
counts of sexual abuse.
Sex offender registry's off the table.
You're selling me a ham sandwich,
and you're telling me it's a Reuben.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Come on, Andrea, really?
Hmm.
I think it's kind of sweet
this office hasn't
killed that twinkle
in your eye just yet.
Well, maybe I know
what I'm up against.
And I don't think it's time to quit.
One juror, that's all I need.
But 12?
Good luck with that.
So what's with the
surprise morning visit?
- We got a verdict?
- No. Um
Vargas approached me with a deal
- guilty on all fraud counts
- Okay.
If, uh
If we drop the sex-abuse charges.
Are you kidding me?
What, and she gets off with what
Probation, a slap on the wrist?
Yeah.
Uh, Carisi, she abused
30 women that we know of.
And the real number is likely higher.
- She is a predator
- Mm-hmm.
Who is not going to stop until
Until she's on the registry list.
Liv
I need you to think
about what happens
If the jury lets her
off on all counts.
Oh.
How's that gonna make you feel?
You really think that's
where we are now?
2%, Liv.
Those are your odds.
And if we do this deal,
I should be able to get
five years of probation.
- So, if Natalie reoffends
- And we know that she will.
Yeah, and when she
does, we'll lock her up
for the violation of probation
and the new sex crime.
If she refuses to go on the registry,
then, I will make sure she
does five years for the VOP.
It's not my favorite ending
- But it's better than nothing.
- [SCOFFS]
♪
The People and the defense
have reached an agreement?
We have, Your Honor.
If the defendant pleads guilty
to all counts of scheme to defraud,
the People will drop the
sexual-abuse charges.
Ms. Tanzillo,
on all charges of scheme to
defraud, how do you plead?
Guilty, Your Honor.
The court thanks the People
and the defense for its time.
We are adjourned.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
For what it's worth, Captain Benson,
I think you're an
amazing police officer.
Yeah, I am.
I'll see you soon.
♪
Hey, congratulations on, uh,
not murdering her
with your bare hands.
I think that showed real restraint.
- She'll be back.
- Mm, we'll be waiting.
Till then, let me buy
you a drink to cry in.
Come on.
♪
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[GROANING]
These are coming pretty close together.
I think it's time to
head to the hospital.
But the last one didn't
even last a full minute.
You've been in
labor for over 48 hours.
I'm getting worried.
I just I don't want
to go all the way
to the hospital for
them to send me home
because it's too soon.
Okay, let's, uh let's
just let's watch a movie.
Um, and then and then
we can see how I feel after.
Yeah, it's [EXHALES DEEPLY]
Do you do you like rom-coms?
Natalie
listen
I couldn't forgive myself if
something happened to you.
Just please.
Please.
Let's go to the hospital.
I will be there with
you the whole way.
I promise.
You are so sweet.
I don't know what I
would do without you.
♪
Okay.
Hospital.
- Let's do it. [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.
I'll get my go bag.
I'll call a car.
Okay.
[GRUNTING]
Okay.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Anika.
Oh, my God!
Anika!
It's him.
- What do you mean "it's him"?
- It's it's him.
He's he's here. He's outside.
- What? Are you sure?
- Yes.
Where is he?
Which one?
You're positive you saw him?
[OBJECT SHATTERS, DOOR OPENS]
Natalie?
♪
Natalie, where are you?
♪
Natalie!
♪
[CELL PHONE BEEPING]
I need police right away.
I think my client was
kidnapped by her rapist.
- Just one second, sorry.
- [ENGINE TURNING OVER]
She's back.
Hey, Rollins.
Hey, yourself, Tran.
Thank you.
So what have we got?
Vic's name is Natalie Tanzillo,
34 years old, in active labor.
She told her doula she was
being stalked by her rapist.
No name or visuals
for our suspect yet,
but I got officers
canvassing a 2-mile radius.
They found this on the street
Her phone.
Perp must have chucked it.
I'm sorry.
She's in active labor?
Doula says she's about to pop.
All right, get us access to
subway cams, traffic cams,
and grab any Ring footage
these neighbors might have.
- That your new partner?
- Yeah.
Well, you know about her, right?
[CLICKING TONGUE]
She was a rat.
Rat, Internal Affairs.
Come on, I thought that was
a pretty good rat impersonation.
I've worked with her
before. Curry's solid.
Cool, very cool.
Just, you know, looking out.
What, so she's giving
birth to a stillborn baby
that's a product of a rape?
I know, right?
It's a lot.
She wanted me to coach her
through the early stages of labor
until she had to
go to the hospital to deliver,
but it's taken a while.
And she never told
you who raped her?
Just that she knew him through work
and he stalked her for months.
It's why she got this sublet.
This isn't even her apartment.
I-I have no idea how he found us. I
So how long until she
gives birth, do you think?
Could be a day.
Could be five minutes.
Listen
Natalie has a lot
of underlying conditions
eclampsia, placenta previa.
If she delivers without a
doctor, she could bleed out.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Police are asking the
public to be on the lookout
for a pregnant woman
abducted from a Chelsea
apartment earlier today.
According to the doula,
Natalie is pretty much on her own.
She's got no family in the area,
doesn't seem to have
the support of her friends.
And she never reported the rape?
Checked the open
61s. Nothing's there.
Okay, so all we
have is a time frame.
We know that the assault
happened 20 weeks ago.
Right, and Natalie did tell Anika
that she and the perp
had worked together.
I checked employment records.
Natalie has no W-2
income for the last two years.
All right, Transit
Bureau just flagged
this subway surveillance.
Okay, so that's Natalie
entering the 23rd
Street C and E station.
Mm-hmm.
This is from about half an hour ago.
I can't tell who she's with.
But Transit Bureau's
tracking every step
on every connecting
line to pick up their trail.
But we can't wait for that.
So Bruno and
Grab Griff.
- Griff's in Phoenix, NCMEC conference.
- Right. Okay.
You, see if you can track
down any of Natalie's family.
You two head to her apartment
and see if you can pull anything
that might tell us where she's working
- within our 20-week time frame.
- Yeah.
She kept track of how many
glasses of water she drank,
how many steps she clocked,
and how many times
she practiced calligraphy,
but not a single thing
in here about work.
[GROANS]
This girl's been through the wringer.
- It's brutal.
- Yeah.
There's a card in here, though.
Maybe it's a friend we
can actually contact.
Mm.
How does it feel being back?
Well, this is a tough
case to walk into,
but I'm good.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
Officer Tran was happy to see you.
Yeah.
He's
Got a big mouth,
but he's harmless.
I'm
I'm happy with the current setup.
- No issues for me.
- Me neither.
Yeah, he's just mad
'cause I jammed up a
buddy of his for taking bribes.
- It sucks to suck.
- Yeah.
Got an ultrasound printout
and a couple of reimbursement checks
from a place called Wheels for Pups.
- That sound like a nonprofit?
- Yeah.
Volunteering would
explain no W-2 income.
- Mm.
- [CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
[DOORKNOB RATTLES]
You hear that?
Sounded like a key in the door.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[SIGHS]
Natalie?
Tanzillo?
We're with NYPD SVU.
Are you hurt?
Um, uh
I don't think
Oh, God.
Oh.
Oh, God.
Okay, okay, okay.
Central, this is Curry with SVU.
- Missing female
- It's okay, breathe.
Breathe.
Okay.
- Okay. We got you.
- Okay.
We got a pregnant woman
in active labor, high risk,
- heading to Northwell Greenwich.
- No.
- ETA, 10.
- No, no Northwell, not there.
Natalie, just focus
on your breathing.
Okay, we got to get you
to the closest hospital.
No! No, stop.
There's There's a doctor.
He
I don't trust
I don't trust Northwell Greenwich.
Please.
Please, anywhere but there.
- Please.
- Um, hey, try NewYork-Presbyterian.
We'll, uh we'll meet you there.
Hey, what's the story?
She's with the doc now.
Wasn't in any shape
to tell us anything.
- She just walked in alone?
- Yeah, no apparent injuries.
Besides being in
labor, she seemed fine.
Patient's ready for discharge.
Excuse me.
I'm Captain Benson, SVU.
Are you discharging Natalie Tanzillo?
We were told that she
was at risk for bleeding out.
I recommend you
talk to her yourself.
Natalie.
Natalie, I'm Captain Benson from SVU.
Should you be standing up?
- Um.
- Hey.
Are you okay? Tell me what happened.
Why
Why are they sending you home?
Um, I
I don't
I don't know.
I don't understand.
- Hey, do you need to sit down or
- No.
No.
'Cause I
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
I felt it.
I fe
I felt it, but, um, the doctor, he's
The doctor
I don't
I don't even know how to tell you.
You know what?
Um, d-did you deliver the baby?
You know what?
Let me
Let me bring the doctor back in here.
No, no, no.
I-I have to go.
What happened to
what happened to the baby?
There wasn't one.
That woman was never pregnant.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[DISTANT SIREN WHOOPS,
ENGINE TURNING OVER]
Natalie.
Hey.
Uh, hi.
Um, can I
Can I just have a bit of space?
Um, I'm just
I'm kind of going
through a lot right now.
Right. I don't
I don't want you to think
that you're in any kind of
trouble, because you're not.
I just, I'm here 'cause
'Cause I want to help.
That doctor, he told me
to talk to a psychiatrist,
but I swear that I'm not crazy.
Natalie, after a big trauma, like
Like the one you went through,
the, the-the body
and the mind can, uh,
come up with very powerful
and, creative ways to cope,
ways that can feel very, very real.
You
You've seen this before?
What I've seen is
victims of sexual assault
try to hide from what happened, right,
when real healing comes
from facing what happened.
Why don't we go and,
and talk about this, okay?
Wait.
No, I'm sorry. I just
I want to go home.
I'm
I'm sorry that I
I'm sorry that I made everybody worry.
Natalie, whatever
Whatever happened today
The man that did this
to you is still out there.
- Okay?
- I know. I know.
I
Look, you're right.
But I just, I can't deal
with this right now.
- It's okay.
- I'm sorry.
I'm gonna give you my card, okay?
I'm gonna give you my card.
This is, um
This is my personal
number on the back.
Call me anytime, okay?
You are such a good person.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right.
There you go.
Thank you.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So pseudocyesis can happen
to victims of sexual assault,
but it's just extremely rare.
I mean, I don't know.
How'd the doula
miss a fake pregnancy?
Well, they're not
medical professionals.
And at 20 weeks,
given Natalie's build,
I mean, even we bought it.
Something's not tracking for me.
You know, we found an ultrasound image
at Natalie's apartment.
And if she was never
pregnant, where'd she get it?
I could find you 3
million ultrasounds
- on Google right now.
- Exactly.
So she sought it
out, she printed it up,
knowing it wasn't hers?
But if she really believed
that she was pregnant
Why go through the trouble?
Look, I'm not saying that
the assault didn't happen.
My own sister faked a
pregnancy after an assault.
Maybe Natalie just needed
help, and she thought
that this was the only
way she could get it.
Just keep pulling that thread.
Any
Any luck tracking down
Natalie's history of employment?
Wheels for Pups confirmed
Natalie was a volunteer
within our time frame, but get this.
Her supervisor, Eduardo Perreira
he's got a record
Indecent exposure.
Okay, a misdemeanor or violation?
I'm still working on getting
the case files unsealed.
Okay, so head to his office
and see what you can find out.
- Can I bring a buddy?
- Yeah.
Um, you go ahead.
I'm gonna try and
track down this baby gift,
see if we can figure
out who gave it to her.
Great.
I'm driving.
- I'm sorry.
- All good.
Old habits.
[CHUCKLES]
By the way, if you
want your old spot back
No, no, no. I'm
I'm good.
- Got a clear view of the exit.
- Already trying to ditch us?
[CHUCKLES] No, in feng shui,
this is what they call
the command position.
You learn something new every day.
[DOGS BARKING]
Natalie was here for almost a year.
But, honestly, she
wasn't the most reliable.
A lot of absences with,
frankly, lame excuses.
Define lame.
Uh, mystery illnesses
that suddenly got cured.
Then her mom was sick,
and she had to take care of her.
Other people around here
have the same experience?
People think she's
sweet and all, I guess.
She ever have any
issues with her supervisor?
What did she say he did?
Can't really get into details.
For the record,
Eduardo's a stand-up guy.
Everyone here loves him.
Whatever Natalie said,
I would take with a
monster grain of salt.
There we go.
Easy-peasy.
Eduardo Perreira.
Captain Curry.
This is Detective Bruno with
the NYPD Special Victims Unit.
- Can we chat?
- Uh, of course.
Everything okay?
Just want to ask you some questions
about Natalie Tanzillo.
Can you tell us what your
relationship was like with her?
"Relationship"?
I mean
She volunteered here
a couple months back.
- Why?
- Were you arrested in 2010?
What does that have to do with Natalie?
Do you want to tell us what happened?
I was a dummy 19-year-old
freshman rushing to frat.
They
They dared me to
streak through a quad.
Someone reported me, and I
My dad knows a couple
people in the DA's office.
The charges were dropped.
If you're glossing over
any of the finer details,
- we will find out.
- I'm married
To my husband.
Look, honestly, I felt sorry for her.
She told me something
bad had happened to her,
but she didn't say what exactly.
I thought she might
have had, like a
Miscarriage or something.
When was this?
When we first met, maybe a year ago.
- Never get old, Lilly.
- [LAUGHS]
One day you're playing Rachmaninoff,
and the next, you
got hooves for hands.
Lilly Braider.
Hi. I'm Captain Benson.
This is Sergeant Rollins.
We're from the Special Victims Unit.
- Should I be worried?
- No, not at all.
We just wanted to ask
you some questions about
Natalie Tanzillo.
Think you can manage without me?
Okay.
So you were a friend of Natalie's?
Uh, no, I wouldn't say that.
But you did buy her a baby gift?
We
We traced a-a custom
onesie to your credit card,
purchased eight months ago.
I wasn't her friend.
I was her doula.
Oh, so Natalie was
pregnant eight months ago?
No.
I-I wouldn't say that.
Um
Is she under investigation?
Why would you say that?
Look, whatever she
said happened to her,
if she told you she was pregnant,
if she told you she was
raped, don't believe any of it.
Natalie is not a victim.
She's a predator.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
She told me she had been raped
and that the baby was stillborn
That she was all alone.
I just felt so sorry for her.
And it's sort of custom
in the doula community
to provide compassionate
support pro bono,
so I didn't charge her.
How did you, uh, find out
that the pregnancy wasn't real?
Once the labor started
It was just this marathon.
Hours and hours of contractions.
And then they'd stop.
And then as soon as I said
I was going home to sleep,
they would start up again.
And I-I cooked for her.
I helped her dress.
I helped her bathe.
[VOICE BREAKING] So disgusting.
I can't believe I fell for it.
So, Lilly, if
Natalie did anything that
was inappropriate, that's
That's 100% not your fault.
She was manipulating you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
On the third night, she
Was like, oh, my feet hurt.
Could you help me with this ointment?
So I was rubbing it on her feet.
And then she said she
wanted it on her thighs, too.
And then her hand started
Moving
Touching herself between her legs.
And she started, like
Moaning.
I couldn't move.
I just felt really trapped.
And Natalie could tell
that she had crossed a line
because she kept rambling
on how she read somewhere
that stimulation could induce
labor, but I-I don't know.
I-I just packed up and left.
So, Lilly, what you're describing is
Is sexual abuse.
No.
It was really messed
up, but it wasn't that.
It's exactly that.
Imagine hearing a story like this,
except switch the sexes.
Your friend tells you
that a man did this to her,
what are you gonna tell her?
♪
She's done this to
someone else, hasn't she?
To another doula.
That's why you're here.
How many?
To be honest
We didn't know it was a pattern
until we
We talked to you.
Um, there's a message group
with other doulas here in the city.
I can send a message if
you think that would help.
That would be very helpful.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
So she's conning doulas
into coaching phantom pregnancies?
What the hell does
she get out of this?
Victims.
She's found women
who aren't medically trained,
no supervision, and
a lot of time alone.
It's sex offenders 101.
She's like a
An empathy vampire.
I mean, she feeds off of it.
She makes up a ton of trauma,
and then she finds
women whose job it is
to be empathetic and
compassionate and helpful,
and then she takes advantage of them
for her own sexual gratification.
Remember when Natalie
didn't want the ambulance
to take her to Northwell Greenwich?
What do you want to bet
she's a frequent flyer there?
They know her scam.
Well, not to channel my husband,
but charging her is gonna be tricky.
Lilly's case is straightforward.
Right.
But it is also true that
one way to start labor
is to have an orgasm.
There was no baby.
There was no labor.
They will argue that she thought
that she was pregnant.
Look, Lilly and Anika worked for free,
when they could have
taken on real paying clients.
So Carisi could charge
her with financial fraud.
But
I want to charge her as a predator.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Captain
Some women were asking for you.
They're doulas.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Wow, so
so you all know Natalie Tanzillo?
This is just who could
make it here today.
There are more
A lot more.
♪
Karina Harpole
coached Natalie over FaceTime,
which is not an uncommon
practice for doulas.
Natalie kept her on the
phone for 12 to 14 hours
for almost a week.
And then Karina
threatened to call 911,
so she finally agreed
to go to the hospital.
A couple hours later, she tells Karina
that she's been sexually
assaulted by the paramedic,
right, on the way to
the hospital because
Because of course.
Is this woman for real?
Three doulas, including Karina,
report that Natalie masturbated
while FaceTiming them.
Uh, Lydia Guerrera said
that Natalie fell in the shower.
When she rushed in to help,
Natalie was on the
floor rubbing her nipples.
She said that she heard
that it could induce labor.
And she used the same, uh,
defense on a handful of others.
I mean, Carisi, this is 30 doulas
that were hired under
the same false pretenses
and 7 counts of sexual abuse.
I mean, that's
That's got to be enough data points.
I can charge her
with scheme to defraud.
That's a
That's a felony.
But the shower stuff is
public lewdness maybe.
Again, misdemeanor.
Neither of which are enough
to get her on the sex registry.
And because sex abuse one is tough.
Look, we need to prove
forcible compulsion.
Did Natalie, at any point,
force these women to touch her?
Yeah, okay, so
Lydia said that Natalie
tried to pull her hand towards her.
I mean, I might
be able to get a jury
to believe that that's
forcible compulsion,
but you got half your victims here
on the record saying
that they're not even
sure what they saw.
Carisi, if Natalie were a man,
we wouldn't even be
having this conversation.
He would've been on the sex
offenders registry yesterday.
You don't need to convince me.
I know she's a predator,
but a jury's a different story.
All right?
You all know the stats.
There is a reason that only 2%
of registered sex
offenders are female.
Yeah, and the sheer volume
of women that Natalie victimized
proves that she deserves
to be among them.
What is the one constant
across all these victim statements?
- That the baby was stillborn.
- No, that Natalie was raped.
And even the most mediocre
defense attorney on the planet
will know to squeeze
the word "assault"
for every teardrop
of sympathy it's worth.
Okay.
Okay.
So, you tell me, what
is our strategy now?
You got to get her to corroborate
some of the details in
these doulas' stories or
Or admit that she
forced them to touch her.
Natalie is smart.
The minute we try to
lock her into a story,
- she's gonna weasel her way out.
- Mm-hmm.
I don't know about that.
Liv's got a way of
getting people to open up,
even the guilty ones.
Your superpower is empathy.
This time, use it as a weapon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
So the precinct can
get so chilly sometimes.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- Can I get you a blanket?
- No, this is perfect.
Your office is
- Is so nice.
- Oh, thank you.
You know, it's so important to me
to make everyone feel,
you know, comfortable,
and welcome,
and, you know, cozy.
[CHUCKLES]
So, Natalie, I've been
thinking a lot about you.
- Really?
- Yeah.
I, um
Thinking about everything
that you've been through,
and how
How much courage it took.
And so I thought it would
just be nice for us to, you know,
sit down and talk
about how to help you
move into the next
chapter of your life.
[SIGHS]
That means so much to me.
Thank you, Captain Benson.
You're welcome.
God, you're so good at what you do.
Oh, thank you.
And, I have some
incredible news for you.
Yeah?
We found the man who assaulted you.
Oh.
W-wow.
His name is Eduardo Perreira,
and, you worked with
him at the nonprofit.
Um, yeah.
And, I have enough to arrest him,
and I'm gonna put him
away for a very long time.
[STAMMERING] I'm so sorry, Captain,
but, um
Eduardo didn't do anything.
- He's a good man.
- Natalie
You don't have to be afraid of him.
No, seriously, he
He didn't
He didn't do anything.
It's
It's not him.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
It is a little chilly, could I
Could I actually get
that blanket, please?
- Oh, of course.
- Thanks.
Of course.
Here you go.
Get it just right for you.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
- Good?
- Yeah.
Good.
Good.
So
All right.
Your rape was eight
Eight months ago, right?
Um, five, actually.
Five?
Oh, okay, so then
Then I'm a little confused.
Maybe you can help me clear this up.
So if
So if your rape
was five months ago,
why did you hire Lilly
Braider eight months ago?
Lilly.
Why are you talking to Lilly?
'Cause, Natalie,
look, like I said before,
when I have nothing to go on,
I have to dig into
every single detail
Everything.
And like you so, you
know, kindly observed,
I am
I am very good at my job.
Yeah.
Well, I-I found Lilly, um
When I had a pregnancy scare.
After a sexual assault?
Wait.
Wait, another one?
I
You know, I-I can't remember.
Oh, I know. And then, you know
Trauma affects our memories, right?
Natalie, I need you to dig deep here,
to dig really deep and tell me.
Were you raped five months ago,
or, eight months ago?
Or a year ago?
Or 18 months ago, like
another doula had said?
Please, I-I-I don't like this.
I know it's hard.
It's so hard.
I-I get it.
But, listen, with truth
Comes trust.
And if you want someone to, you know
To really care about you,
to really empathize with you
Then you have to be, you know
Actually honest.
So
Do you think
Do you think you can do that for me?
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
So, Natalie
♪
Were you ever
You know, really raped?
♪
Would you mind getting
me a little bit more tea?
It's really nice.
Is it vanilla?
♪
Thank you.
♪
You know, people tell
me that my superpower is
Is empathy.
But you know what
else I'm really good at?
Noticing when
someone's lying to my face.
And I know that you're doing that.
You were never sexually
assaulted, Natalie,
and you've given me
enough details to prove it.
Why are you being so mean to me?
I am a victim.
No, Natalie, you're not a victim.
You're an abuser.
And you targeted, and used these women.
You used them for their empathy,
and for their kindness,
because you liked the
way it made you feel.
But you're done.
You're done.
You're under arrest, Natalie.
Get up.
♪
Your Honor, I am
handing up the indictment
and serving a copy on the defendant,
who is being charged with
scheme to defraud, 30 victims,
and 7 counts of sexual assault.
Defendant acknowledges receipt
and enters a plea of not guilty.
- Motions?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Pursuant to CPL Section 250.10,
I'm giving notice of our intent
to present psychiatric evidence
on the affirmative defense
of lack of criminal responsibility,
by reason of mental defect or disease.
And what specific defect
are we talking about here?
It's all there,
in Dr. Oshiro's report.
Dr. Oshiro, what were your conclusions
after your psychological
evaluation of Natalie Tanzillo?
It's my professional
opinion that Natalie meets
the diagnostic criteria
for factitious disorder
imposed on self.
Now, can you please explain
this disorder in layman terms?
It used to be known colloquially
as Munchausen syndrome.
Someone like Natalie
deliberately fabricates
or exaggerates physical symptoms,
driven by a psychological need
to adopt the role of a sick person.
- Would you call her a liar?
- No.
Uh, anything untrue she
says is rooted in mental illness.
She has no awareness
that her fabrications
can and do cause harm to others.
And in your professional opinion,
can Natalie be held responsible
for causing that harm?
No, a person with this
disorder is so overwhelmed
by the compulsion that
nothing else matters.
Nothing further.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Oshiro,
uh, in 30 years of
practicing psychiatry,
how many patients have you treated?
Ballpark estimate's fine.
- Oh, I'd say close to 30,000.
- That's impressive.
And, uh, of those 30,000,
how many have you diagnosed
with factitious disorder?
5, including Ms. Tanzillo.
5 out of 30,000?
So, factitious disorder
really is that rare?
It can be difficult to diagnose.
Hmm. Are there any illnesses
that have similar symptoms?
It can sometimes be
confused with malingering.
"Malingering"?
What is that?
Well, malingering
involves faking symptoms
for an obvious external
reward, such as money,
avoiding work, or
evading criminal charges.
Could you give the jury an example
of, uh, the difference
between the two?
Say a child lies about being sick
to avoid taking a test at school.
That's malingering.
Now, if the child just
wants to stay home
and be cared for or
get attention for being ill,
that could be factitious disorder.
"Could be"
So even you're not sure.
Withdrawn.
Dr. Oshiro,
you mentioned external rewards.
Can sexual gratification
be an external reward?
- Yes, although that's
- Thank you, that's all I need.
One more question.
You said evading criminal charges
can also be viewed as an
external reward, correct?
- I did.
- Dr. Oshiro
In your
professional opinion,
isn't that exactly what is happening
- in this very courtroom?
- Objection. Argumentative.
Sustained.
Nothing further.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Why would you tell multiple doulas
you were pregnant, when you weren't?
They were
They were so nice
So good to me,
and I think I needed that
To be taken care of.
But if I had known how
much it was damaging them,
how much I was hurting them,
then I never would have done any of it.
Now, Mr. Carisi will say
that you made up your pregnancies
in order to trick the doulas
into some sexual-gratification scheme.
- Is there any truth to that?
- Of course not.
I
[SIGHS]
What I did was wrong,
and I know that now.
You must think that it was sick of me
to do it in the first place, and
I am so sorry.
I am sick.
I have an illness.
But I am
I am not a pervert.
Thank you, Natalie.
No further questions, Your Honor.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Ms. Tanzillo
Of the 150 birthing doulas
that you follow on Instagram,
how did you land on the
The ones you hired?
Um
I-I don't know.
Uh, whoever seemed kind.
"Seemed kind."
Um
More than half of them had
under six months of experience,
so, maybe they seemed gullible.
- Objection. Argumentative.
- Sustained.
Captain Olivia Benson
of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit
testified that you
claimed to have been
sexually assaulted
by a former coworker.
- I said that, but
- An assault that you recanted
only after the detectives told
you that they were prepared
to arrest your former supervisor.
- I-I would really like to
- Let me finish.
Why didn't you just let
Captain Benson arrest that guy?
Objection. My client
is not responsible
for deciding who does
or does not get arrested.
We all know why defense
counsel doesn't want her client
to answer, Your Honor,
but this is a proper question.
The witness can answer.
I'm
I'm so sorry.
I-I forgot what the question was.
Oh, I'm happy to remind you.
Why not just let the police
arrest your former boss for rape?
Because he didn't do it.
Who cares?
I do.
That would
That would be wrong, and
And to be clear
Wait, hold on.
I'm confused here,
because didn't Dr. Oshiro say
that your disorder prevents you
from knowing your fabrications
can and do cause harm to others?
That's what he said.
- He-he did, but
- Thank you,
for answering the question,
Ms. Tanzillo.
I appreciate that.
Now, Lilly Braider testified,
that after feigning
labor for three days,
you asked her to rub your thighs.
- Is that true?
- Yes.
And you were only
wearing a thin covering
over your body that
you tried to remove?
I-I was wearing pajamas.
Did you pull her hand,
or otherwise restrain her
while she was rubbing your legs?
I don't remember ever doing that.
Did you stimulate your genitals
in front of Ms. Braider?
Dr. Oshiro said that
was because of my illness.
Your illness makes you masturbate
- in front of a virtual stranger?
- No, no.
They say that it can
trigger contractions.
"Contractions"? For a baby
that you knew did not exist?
- But I wanted it to.
- You wanted to have a baby?
Dr. Oshiro said that it
was part of my compulsion.
No, no, again, Dr. Oshiro said
that people with that disorder
do not understand that
their lies hurt others.
You do understand that.
What is this, a psychology lesson?
Ask a question, Mr. Carisi.
Ms. Tanzillo
Why did you hire 30 doulas?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I just wanted to feel like
somebody cared about me.
And why'd you have
them touch your body?
I just
I-I just liked how it felt.
And is that why you
stimulated yourself sexually
in front of them, because
you liked how that felt, too?
I don't, I don't
I don't know.
And is that not the definition
of sexual gratification
at their expense?
Objection.
Withdrawn.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Nothing further.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
- We got a verdict?
- Not yet.
But Tanzillo's defense
attorney is here to see you.
Let her in.
What can I do for you?
Sit, sit down, please.
- Feeling good?
- Eh, I've been worse.
[SIGHS] Jury's
taking its time, isn't it?
Well, I'm happy to wait 'em out.
Sympathetic defendant,
shaky felony charge at best.
You really think waiting
it out's your best move?
[SCOFFS]
You know, you don't
have a home run either.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
So what are you offering?
My client pleads guilty
on all counts of fraud.
Okay, what about the other charges?
No other charges.
She walks on all seven
counts of sexual abuse.
Sex offender registry's off the table.
You're selling me a ham sandwich,
and you're telling me it's a Reuben.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Come on, Andrea, really?
Hmm.
I think it's kind of sweet
this office hasn't
killed that twinkle
in your eye just yet.
Well, maybe I know
what I'm up against.
And I don't think it's time to quit.
One juror, that's all I need.
But 12?
Good luck with that.
So what's with the
surprise morning visit?
- We got a verdict?
- No. Um
Vargas approached me with a deal
- guilty on all fraud counts
- Okay.
If, uh
If we drop the sex-abuse charges.
Are you kidding me?
What, and she gets off with what
Probation, a slap on the wrist?
Yeah.
Uh, Carisi, she abused
30 women that we know of.
And the real number is likely higher.
- She is a predator
- Mm-hmm.
Who is not going to stop until
Until she's on the registry list.
Liv
I need you to think
about what happens
If the jury lets her
off on all counts.
Oh.
How's that gonna make you feel?
You really think that's
where we are now?
2%, Liv.
Those are your odds.
And if we do this deal,
I should be able to get
five years of probation.
- So, if Natalie reoffends
- And we know that she will.
Yeah, and when she
does, we'll lock her up
for the violation of probation
and the new sex crime.
If she refuses to go on the registry,
then, I will make sure she
does five years for the VOP.
It's not my favorite ending
- But it's better than nothing.
- [SCOFFS]
♪
The People and the defense
have reached an agreement?
We have, Your Honor.
If the defendant pleads guilty
to all counts of scheme to defraud,
the People will drop the
sexual-abuse charges.
Ms. Tanzillo,
on all charges of scheme to
defraud, how do you plead?
Guilty, Your Honor.
The court thanks the People
and the defense for its time.
We are adjourned.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
For what it's worth, Captain Benson,
I think you're an
amazing police officer.
Yeah, I am.
I'll see you soon.
♪
Hey, congratulations on, uh,
not murdering her
with your bare hands.
I think that showed real restraint.
- She'll be back.
- Mm, we'll be waiting.
Till then, let me buy
you a drink to cry in.
Come on.
♪