Law & Order Special Victims Unit s27e15 Episode Script
Thirsty
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.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Come on, Curry!
Work the jab!
Start with the jab!
- Come on, let's go.
- Keep that left up, Curry!
Come on! Let's go, killer!
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
Careful, careful!
Get off the ropes!
Come on, Curry.
Get in there, get in there!
Yeah!
[CHEERING]
Come on, Curry!
Yes!
Yes!
[CHEERING]
Devastating.
Never doubted you for a second.
Killer Curry! Next stop
Golden Gloves, am I right?
Hey, how ya feelin', champ? Huh?
I don't know, after
months of training,
I kind of wish it went longer.
That makes one of us.
Nice work in there, partner.
OK, well,
this was the easiest 100
bucks that I ever made.
[LAUGHTER]
- You were great!
- Thanks, Cap.
So, guys, drinks on me at Longshots?
- Mm-hmm.
- Definitely.
I'm not going to say no, you know?
- [LAUGHTER]
- All right, I'll grab a shower and
- I'll meet you all there.
- Good.
- OK, Hey.
- All right.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[CLAPS] Tremendous.
[CHUCKLES] Chief.
Didn't see you out there.
I wouldn't have
missed it for the world.
I have always been a fan, Captain.
Always? [CHUCKLES]
All the way from Philly?
That's, uh
That's quite a compliment.
Let's just say I've
been educating myself.
A captain who's so dedicated
to the mission of SVU
that she takes what is
essentially a demotion
to work in that unit.
That's dedication.
Well, it's a fulfilling assignment.
No regrets.
Not much room for
advancement, though.
You and I both know the challenges
in this department for women like us.
We're held to a different standard.
And yet, as far as you've
come, here you are,
in a redundant position
with no real authority.
But the good news is,
there is a path to
change that perception.
Victim's name is Leyla Hartman.
Report came in to hotel
security about an hour ago.
OK, what is all this?
The best we can figure out
is some sort of fan convention.
I've seen them on TikTok.
All right, who's in charge here?
Hotel manager, Nate Smith.
Mr. Smith.
Hi, I'm Captain Benson, SVU.
Where's the victim?
- She's with the paramedics now.
- Uh-huh.
She was an attendee
of the convention.
She said she was, um,
raped last night.
OK. Did she say
where the rape occurred?
In a room on the 15th
floor just after midnight.
Captain, if you could
use some discretion.
- We don't want to alarm our guests.
- Right, OK.
So I'm going to need footage
from every single elevator
and from the stairwells.
We don't have cameras
in the elevators or the floors.
My team checked the stairwell
cameras and the elevator logs.
No one has come or gone
from the 15th floor since midnight.
Lock it down.
- You got it.
- Lock it? You can't.
Mr. Smith, this hotel
is a crime scene now,
so nobody leaves without an interview.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So is there any
insight to all of this?
Yeah, it's weird.
This Romeo kid, a potential suspect,
is some sort of ballet prodigy.
He blew up on social media,
had over 300 fans here last night.
OK, but the kid's talented,
so what's what's weird?
It's the fans.
They're intense.
They travel all over the
country to these conventions.
They pay thousands of dollars
to be, quote, "Superfans."
They pay for private
lessons. They're obsessed.
OK, well, I had a college boyfriend
that followed the Dead
for almost a decade.
Yeah, but your
college boyfriend wasn't
sending the Dead college
money and fantasizing
about the turning 18,
so it would be legal.
- How old is this kid?
- 16.
Every person we talked
to was a woman, 40s, 50s.
Said Romeo changed their
lives, made them feel young again.
- Mm.
- Definitely gives you the ick.
His mom supposedly runs everything.
Sets up all the cons,
controls all the access to him.
OK, you two head up to the
15th floor, interview everyone.
I'm going to talk to the victim.
And find this mother.
I want to talk to her.
After the VIP event, Romeo asked me
to come to his room to
help him talk to his mother.
W-what do you mean?
He wanted to stop performing
and he was afraid of her reaction.
Uh, I told him that I would
be there for moral support.
Oh, so
He must have really trusted you
to ask you for that kind of help.
I thought so.
OK, so you went to his room, right?
And, what room was that?
Do you remember?
- Um
- [SNIFFLES]
OK.
So can you walk me
through what happened next?
It was like a
A-a switch flipped.
He just got this look.
like, an evil look,
and he attacked me.
OK.
You know what?
We don't need to do this now, OK?
So what's going to happen next is
I'm going to have the
ambulance take you to the hospital
where you're going to get a SAFE exam.
I'm not sure that I want that.
Oh, OK.
OK, well, it's entirely your decision.
You should know that it might
help us with the investigation,
so
You know, why don't you
Why don't you talk
to the doctor about it?
All right.
Thank you.
Of course.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
She's ready to go.
Go ahead.
Bruno, the crime scene room is 1550.
[DOORS CLANGING OPEN]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Body's cold.
No pulse.
She's gone.
Captain, we got a body, female.
I think it's Romeo's mother.
Yeah, it's Diane Martin.
Possible blunt force
trauma to the head.
We're in Romeo's room.
I'm on my way up.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Somebody went out the window.
♪
Must have climbed into
another room on this floor.
Trail stops three windows down.
That's room 1533.
♪
Open it.
It's locked from the inside.
Take it.
NYPD!
♪
Hey.
♪
Please help me.
♪
Get him up.
Let's go.
♪
Hey.
There's no dad in the picture
He died six years ago.
Did Romeo ask for a lawyer yet?
Not a word, but I wanted to take
a peek in what we're dealing with.
- Right.
- Kid's got over 2 million followers.
Oh.
You are worthy.
You deserve love.
You deserve to love yourself,
and I'm going to help you.
I'm going to keep you accountable.
We'll do this together.
Let's go.
Well, he seems like a sweet kid.
Has he done anything questionable?
Not that I can tell. It's
all pretty wholesome.
Great, yes!
Everybody give it up for Alison!
Drop a thumbs up, drop
a comment down below.
So I looked into the
mother's financials.
- Mm-hmm.
- Past two years,
she's taken in 600,000 in donations,
all from fans.
Supposedly for his college fund,
but they all went into her account.
That sounds like wire fraud.
Or pimping him out.
Or that.
Take me home with you!
Romeo, I want
your lips next to mine.
I want your body against me.
I know it sounds crazy.
I mean, he's my son's
age, for God's sake,
but Romeo has made
me rethink my entire life.
He's just so positive, so encouraging.
I love how he touches
me when we dance.
[LAUGHS] My sex life?
Let's just say way more active.
He awakened something
They know he's a kid, right?
Oh, yeah, they know.
Check out the comments.
"If my thoughts were
actions, I'd be in handcuffs."
"If he was a couple years older,"
"I'd do a plié on his face"?
- Lovely.
- Yeah.
I just think there's
more to the story here.
Clearly, oh.
Let's go find out.
Now that I read you your rights,
are you willing to speak with us
regarding these allegations?
Hey, Romeo.
A woman by the name of
Leyla Hartman has made some
pretty serious
allegations against you.
But we are willing to listen
to your side of the story, OK?
Hmm?
Listen, kid.
If you want to help yourself out here,
you should really talk to us.
Let me take a shot here?
Hey, Romeo.
You should listen to him.
Because he might be able to help you.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR SHUTS]
Before I can talk to you,
you need to verbally acknowledge
that you want to talk to me.
I promise you I understand.
Just let me know that
you're cool with us talking.
OK.
I asked my captain to leave the room,
'cause I'm going to
share something with you
that is very private to me.
Something that I honestly
think may help you.
When I was 15,
something happened to
me that changed my life.
I was sexually assaulted in my bedroom,
by one of my mother's friends.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I was
I was, um, too young to process
what happened.
Um, and when I began to understand it,
I felt
Incredibly confused.
♪
Why didn't I feel lucky
that she chose me?
Why didn't I appreciate the lesson?
Why did I feel so
Incredibly ashamed?
♪
And then pretty soon,
that feeling went from
shame to guilt.
Like, was it my fault?
Did I do something to bring this on?
And then that feeling
♪
That feeling went to anger.
♪
I began to hurt myself,
drank alcohol to quiet my thoughts.
♪
I wanted to kill myself.
♪
And then I wanted to
kill everybody around me.
♪
Look, I don't know what
happened last night.
I only know what I'm being told.
But
♪
I promise you,
that if you tell me what happened,
I'll understand.
Because I've been there.
♪
She killed my mother.
♪
Hey, Whalen, how you doing?
Homicide said someone was coming over?
- Yeah, kid.
- You catch a case?
Yeah.
City never sleeps, right?
Right.
You want to run it down for me?
Yeah. So the crime scene's on 15.
- Mm?
- Victim's Diane Martin.
She's the mother of the kid
who's being interviewed at SVU.
Wait, you saying you think he's good
for your rape and my murder?
That's what we're
trying to sort out.
You seem skeptical.
I'm always skeptical.
And cynical.
All right, I'm going to head up to 15.
Have your captain notify me
if she wants me to
take a crack at that kid.
10-4.
You know, I knew your old man.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
After my performance, my mom
organized a VIP meet-and-greet.
What happens there?
The Superfans pay
for alone time with me.
I walk around the
room and talk to them.
What do you talk about?
You know, I tell
them they look great,
give them the stretching
tips, take selfies.
So it's just normal conversation?
It doesn't feel normal.
Feels weird.
How so?
Um
At first they're nice, but
They've usually been
drinking and they
I don't know
Start talking about, um, sexual stuff.
What they want to do
to me when I get older.
♪
You ever tell your mother?
She just said
ignore it, but I hated it.
Because it's inappropriate.
Your mother should
have put a stop to it.
♪
What happened last night?
It was late.
Uh, my mom told me
to go back to the room.
Leyla got on the elevator with me.
She
Was really drunk.
She tried to put her
hand under my shirt, but
♪
I told her to stop,
but she just laughed.
What happened when
you got back to your room?
I told her not to come in.
She did anyway.
She [SIGHS]
She pushed me onto the bed.
She pulled down my pants
and put her mouth down there.
That's a crime.
She was assaulting you.
I told her to stop,
but she kept going.
And I remember she had a condom and
I don't know, I just froze.
And then
It was over and she just, like
Smiled at me.
She was so happy.
I felt so weird.
Because it is weird.
Then, Mom came in.
She saw us.
She just flipped out.
Started screaming.
Leyla grabbed this marble
thing and hit her in the head.
♪
There was so much blood.
♪
Then what did Leyla do?
She just stood there
like nothing happened.
And then she said we
could be together forever.
I was so scared.
I
climbed out onto the ledge
and tried a couple of windows
until I found one that was unlocked.
I'm so sorry this
happened to you, Romeo.
It isn't right.
She wasn't perfect, but
She was my mom.
♪
That was excellent work, Terry.
He's 16. He's a kid.
And that woman took advantage of him.
You saw, right?
His story was solid.
- I pressed, and he held up.
- I saw.
And I know I know we all
bring our prior experiences
- and demons into this job.
- Yes, we do
But I am clear on this, Captain.
Crystal clear.
And so am I.
And I believe you,
Terry, and I believe him.
But our perp is
claiming to be a victim.
So what did Leyla Hartman tell you?
She's tricky.
She
She was reluctant to get
a rape kit done at the hospital
and, you know, I mean, that's
not totally uncommon, but
I don't know.
Something's flagging.
We need to be very careful,
how we approach this.
All right.
Good.
[SNIFFS]
Good.
You all right?
Yeah.
Just makes me wish I
had somebody like you
in my life when I was a kid.
You mean someone like you?
Who's brave enough
to share their story
to help someone else?
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
[SCOFFS] Look at all of these.
I mean, she must have
attended every event.
So what are we looking for in here?
How about the murder weapon?
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SCOFFS]
- I'll see if they can rush the prints.
- Yeah.
♪
Well, you're not
going to believe this.
What?
You're the sex cops.
Is that what I think it is?
Yes, that is a used condom.
Oh, how sweet.
Your so-called victim kept a memento.
Hospital took good care of you?
- Yes. Uh, thank you.
- Good.
So the doctor said that you
declined the SAFE exam.
Well, they, they
said it wasn't necessary
since I knew my attacker.
Oh, OK.
Um
So Leyla, as you know,
we've arrested Romeo Martin,
and we're just looking
to shore up our case.
How is he?
I-is he OK?
It must be so confusing
to feel empathy for the person that
assaulted you.
He's just [SIGHS]
I-I still think of him as the
person I believed he was.
Well, that makes sense.
I mean, you two had grown close.
Did he say that?
You said that.
You, you told me
that he confided in you
about wanting to quit ballet,
so you were obviously
special to him.
He's a very special person.
Or, uh, I thought he was.
How did you two meet?
I was interested in
getting back into ballet,
and a friend of mine
told me about this kid
who was offering sessions online.
She said he was a prodigy.
And you were a Superfan, right?
So you paid for private
Private lessons?
Well, yes, um.
Lots of VIPs did that.
But you were the only
VIP that he confided in.
I mean, that must have
Must have made you feel
really good.
I actually felt sorry for him
'cause his mother was a monster.
How much, how much
interaction did you actually
have with Diane?
Uh, not much.
Um, hardly at all.
But she did ban you, right?
From-from the group?
When-when did that happen?
I don't remember.
Do you remember why she banned you?
Romeo told her I was supporting
his decision to quit dance.
She didn't like that. She
wanted to control him.
It wasn't because you
were obsessed with Romeo?
That's a-a lie.
A-a-and what does any of this
have to do with the
fact that I was raped?
Hey, Captain, I'm
sorry to interrupt.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Stay here.
I'd really like to leave.
Yeah, I'll just be a minute.
Stay here, please.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Leyla is in the system
for a DUI from last year.
CSU said her prints were
all over the murder weapon.
- What about Romeo?
- Nothing.
Just Leyla's.
Bruno, you're with me.
Good job.
♪
Leyla Hartman,
you're under arrest for the
sexual assault of Romeo Martin
and for the murder of
his mother, Diane Martin.
- What?
- Stand up,
put your hands behind your back.
You don't understand.
He begged me for it.
I was saving him from that
woman who was ruining his life.
He begged me for it!
♪
Obviously, the arraignment judge
saw right through the People's case
and agreed to release
my client on bond.
What we have here,
ladies and gentlemen,
is yet another instance
where the so-called
Special Victims Unit
rushed to judgment.
But the most outrageous
thing about this case
is that my client is the victim.
She was assaulted by Romeo Martin.
- Mr. Olin, Mr. Olin
- Quick question.
Will Ms. Hartman be testifying?
I will not try this
case in the press,
and I will have no
further comment here.
- See you in court, my friends.
- Just one question.
Uh, Danny, only a prick announces
that he won't try
his case in the press
at a press conference that he called.
All the world's a stage, Carisi.
I guess that makes
you the court jester.
See you at the show, sonny boy.
Olin sure has a bee in
his bonnet about you, Carisi.
- What's his problem?
- I got no idea,
but I'm getting sick
and tired of his games.
- Yeah, we all are.
- Well, we made a good case.
- The guy's just a shark.
- He definitely made a fool
- of me last night.
- Yeah,
you gotta shake that off.
All right, so court records say that
Leyla Hartman's husband
filed for divorce six months ago.
He might have something
to say about this.
All right, Curry, Rollins,
see if you can get him to talk.
How is Romeo doing?
Look, he's a kid,
but he'll be ready.
Let's hope so.
I feel good about the, uh,
fingerprints on the murder weapon,
but he's our only eyewitness,
so this kid has got to
hold up under Olin's cross.
If he folds, Leyla walks.
Leyla and I are legally separated.
I hired a lawyer, but she apologized,
so we tried again,
you know, for the kids.
Mm.
Uh, then I caught her
talking to that Romeo kid again,
so it's complicated.
So she's still talking to him
and you're on the fence about divorce?
Look, my kids are only eight.
I didn't think they were
ready to give up on her.
But now, I guess this
is finally the last straw.
Mr. Gibson, Leyla's
about to be on trial
for murder and sexual assault.
Will you be willing to
testify for the prosecution?
Oh, I don't know.
It's I don't think I'm
comfortable with that.
- Why not?
- She's still the mother of my children.
Who is a murderer and
who assaulted a minor.
Look, I-I don't know about
what happened with all that,
but if I testify and she's convicted,
I'm the one who has
to explain to my kids
why I sent their mom to prison.
I can't do that.
Sorry.
[SIGHS]
Hey, John.
What brings you in?
Just dropping off some paperwork.
- You got a second?
- Sure.
Come in.
I don't know what's going
on with you and Tynan,
but all of a sudden, she's up my ass.
Oh, well, I know the feeling.
Why, what's she asking about?
Well, she's guarded.
You know, she always has been.
She's asking about the
progress of the case, but
But what?
Well, it feels like
she's just poking around
about you and this unit.
Well, uh, Chief Tynan and I
have, uh, definitely had our issues,
but they have nothing
to do with this case.
Yeah.
Sounds like there's
more to the story.
I'm not one to tell tales.
But if you're at war with her,
there's some things
you might want to know.
All right.
So 2001, cop is involved
in an off-duty shooting,
IAD does a cursory investigation,
they rule it a good shoot,
whole thing goes away.
You know how things were
- back in the day.
- Oh, I do.
Well,
rumor was
That the cop's partner
fixed things for him.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
And I take it the
cop was Jimmy Griffin.
And the partner became
our new illustrious Chief of Ds.
♪
Well, I don't know what
you want me to do with that.
I don't expect anything.
Do nothing if that's
your decision, hmm?
♪
I'm just passing along information.
Well, John,
as always, I appreciate you.
Well, I always liked the way
you handled your business, Captain.
You need any help, you
know where to find me.
♪
Captain.
A word, please.
Evening, Chief.
I left you a voicemail.
Two, in fact.
You've been busy.
Yeah, um, sorry, you
gave me a lot to think about.
I appreciate your kind words
and support and while it's
incredibly flattering
to be considered
You're turning me down?
I think that's best
for all of us involved.
You mean Captain Benson?
No.
I didn't tell her about your offer.
I just don't think it's
best for me right now.
I think you're making
a mistake, Captain.
I might be, and that'll be on me.
But I'm also not real interested
in being a pawn in
someone else's game.
Respectfully.
♪
Good night, Captain.
[ENGINE TURNS OVER]
♪
After the defendant sexually
assaulted you, what happened?
I saw her kill my mother.
Mr. Martin, did you ever
assault Leyla Hartman?
No.
I never would have
done something like that.
I was a virgin.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
In the last year,
how much money did
you take from your fans?
I-I don't know.
- My mother
- Would it surprise you to learn
that it totaled over $600,000?
In addition to the
so-called gifts of sneakers
and clothing and jewelry
that you solicited from them.
I don't know.
Isn't it true, sir, that you preyed
on these poor, lonely women?
No, no.
Are these not
Your dirty underwear
that you sent to my client
- with a request for $1,000
- Objection, Your Honor.
These were never provided
to the prosecution for inspection.
Your Honor, my client just
discovered these this morning.
Mr. Olin, put those
drawers back in the box.
You know better.
The jury will disregard any
mention of the undergarments
unless and until I admit
them into evidence.
Fine, Your Honor.
You took advantage of their loneliness
and their generosity, didn't you?
I did what my mother told me to do.
But you wanted more.
We all understand the sexual
desires of a 16-year-old boy,
and you decided that
money wasn't enough.
You decided to take
advantage of my client
- by raping her, isn't that true?
- No, no.
- I-I would never
- You took the money,
and you took my client sexually,
isn't that true?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
No!
I'm done.
♪
[SOBS]
♪
I thought Romeo was a boy who was
being exploited by his mother.
He wanted to stop dancing,
but she was forcing him to continue.
Did you attend RomeoCon 2026?
I did.
I just wanted to see if Romeo was OK.
When I saw him in the lobby,
he was happy to see me.
He told me he was trying
to get his mother to stop,
but that she wouldn't listen to him.
What happened next?
He asked me to talk
to his mother with him.
And you agreed?
Yes.
I went to their room,
but once inside, I realized
that we were alone.
What happened next?
He
He pushed me onto the bed and,
ripped off my underwear.
I couldn't believe what was happening.
I
I froze.
He
He stepped back, he put
on a condom, and raped
Raped me.
Did he say anything?
He said that nobody would believe me,
because he was an
innocent 16-year-old boy.
And after he violently raped you?
Diane burst into the room screaming.
Romeo picked up a book and, and.
hit her in the head.
I was
I was shocked, I ran out.
I didn't want him to kill me.
Thank you, Leyla.
I'm so sorry this happened to you.
Nothing further, Judge.
Ms. Hartman,
you heard Detective Bruno testify
that you said that
Romeo begged for it.
I did not.
That's a lie.
Oh, OK.
Well, how did the murder weapon, with
only your fingerprints on it,
end up in your room?
I know now that it was planted.
It was planted?
By whom?
Probably the same detectives
who are lying about me.
Well, maybe you can, um,
you can explain to
me how a used condom
containing Mr. Martin's
seminal fluid ended up
in a coffee cup in your mini-fridge.
Condom in a coffee cup?
How ridiculous does that even sound?
Obviously they have been
railroading me from the outset.
Mrs. Hartman
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
You're separated, correct?
[SIGHS] I am.
And isn't it true that
you and your husband
separated over your
obsession with Romeo Martin?
That is not true.
My husband is a liar.
He abandoned us.
But a family court judge awarded him
joint custody of your
children, correct?
My husband is a criminal and a liar.
He paid off that judge.
Oh, OK, just so
that I got it straight,
uh, the detectives lied,
they planted evidence,
the judge was paid off,
and, uh,
your husband's a criminal?
Is that your testimony?
It is not only my
testimony, Mr. Carisi,
it's the truth.
♪
What's this subpoena?
I told your detectives
I'm not testifying.
I understand, but before
you make your final decision,
I want you to hear what
Leyla said on the stand.
Hey, Lucy?
Lucy, can you
All right.
OK, sit down.
Can you please read back
Leyla's cross-examination
for Mr. Gibson?
The defendant
"My husband, is a criminal and a liar."
He paid off that judge.
Mr. Carisi
"OK, just that I got it straight,"
"the detectives lied, planted evidence,"
"the judge was paid off, and
your husband is a criminal."
"Is that your testimony?"
The defendant
"It is not only my
testimony, Mr. Carisi,"
"it's the truth."
♪
Mr. Gibson, are you a liar?
No, sir.
Have you ever been arrested
or even charged with a crime?
Absolutely not.
But the defendant testified,
that you are a criminal.
It's not the first time
she's lied about me.
Do you have any evidence of that?
I have a recording of
a voicemail she left me.
Objection.
No recording was ever
turned over to the defense.
Approach.
What's this all about, Mr. Carisi?
This is a transcript
of the recording
which will show that the
defendant lied on the stand.
[CHUCKLING] Your
Honor, this is outrageous.
No recording was turned
over during discovery.
We just learned of the
existence of this recording.
It goes directly to the
defendant's credibility,
which is always at question.
And since she testified
She may have committed perjury.
I agree with Mr. Carisi.
I'm going to allow it.
- Judge
- Step back.
♪
Mr. Gibson, you said
that you had received
a voicemail from the defendant.
Could you please play
that recording for the jury?
♪
Christopher, you messed
with the wrong woman.
Back off or I am going to tell
the judge that you raped me
and I will tell your boss that
you are embezzling money.
I will get sole custody,
and you'll be humiliated.
Do not test me.
♪
As to the charge of sexual
assault in the first degree.
Guilty.
And murder in the second degree.
Guilty.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
thank you for your service.
♪
You know, I always
want to puke a little
when people call me brave,
but I'm going to call you brave.
You were great.
You should be proud of yourself.
Thanks.
How do you feel?
I don't know.
Glad it's over.
I kind of hoped it would
make things better,
but, I don't really feel any different.
I get that.
It takes time.
You know you can call me anytime.
I gave your grandmother the name
of a therapist I really like.
You'll go, right?
I'll go.
What happened is not your fault.
Remember that.
It wasn't yours either, Terry.
♪
[PEACEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Oh, my God, what's with
all the closed-door meetings?
What's up?
Chief Tynan offered me
the SVU Deputy Chief position.
- I'm sorry?
- I turned her down
and I am sorry I
didn't tell you earlier,
but it's done and handled.
Hold on, just wait.
Chief Tynan
Chief Tynan offered you Deputy Chief?
Yeah.
Dropped some "women like
us" solidarity nonsense too.
OK. Uh, look,
first of all, Renee,
you can't just turn this down.
We know what she's doing.
It's a play, and I'm
not about to be played.
I'm so sorry that you
got caught up in all of this.
And
I don't know what her
game is, I really don't, but
But I promise you
There's more.
There's more?
I just got off the phone with
the Deputy Commissioner for Personnel,
- and I'm being reassigned.
- No.
Executive officer here at the 16th.
No, that's not happening.
I'm going to stop that.
I'm going to ask you not to do that.
I never needed anyone
to fight my battles,
and I'm not going to start now.
This is not your battle.
She's doing this to get to me.
I'm not letting that happen.
I'm sorry.
Can you let me handle this
the way that I want
to handle it, please?
She's the chief of detectives.
I mean, there's not anything
you can do about it anyway.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I'm not so sure about that.
♪
In the criminal justice system,
sexually based offenses
are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the
dedicated detectives
who investigate these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Come on, Curry!
Work the jab!
Start with the jab!
- Come on, let's go.
- Keep that left up, Curry!
Come on! Let's go, killer!
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
Careful, careful!
Get off the ropes!
Come on, Curry.
Get in there, get in there!
Yeah!
[CHEERING]
Come on, Curry!
Yes!
Yes!
[CHEERING]
Devastating.
Never doubted you for a second.
Killer Curry! Next stop
Golden Gloves, am I right?
Hey, how ya feelin', champ? Huh?
I don't know, after
months of training,
I kind of wish it went longer.
That makes one of us.
Nice work in there, partner.
OK, well,
this was the easiest 100
bucks that I ever made.
[LAUGHTER]
- You were great!
- Thanks, Cap.
So, guys, drinks on me at Longshots?
- Mm-hmm.
- Definitely.
I'm not going to say no, you know?
- [LAUGHTER]
- All right, I'll grab a shower and
- I'll meet you all there.
- Good.
- OK, Hey.
- All right.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[CLAPS] Tremendous.
[CHUCKLES] Chief.
Didn't see you out there.
I wouldn't have
missed it for the world.
I have always been a fan, Captain.
Always? [CHUCKLES]
All the way from Philly?
That's, uh
That's quite a compliment.
Let's just say I've
been educating myself.
A captain who's so dedicated
to the mission of SVU
that she takes what is
essentially a demotion
to work in that unit.
That's dedication.
Well, it's a fulfilling assignment.
No regrets.
Not much room for
advancement, though.
You and I both know the challenges
in this department for women like us.
We're held to a different standard.
And yet, as far as you've
come, here you are,
in a redundant position
with no real authority.
But the good news is,
there is a path to
change that perception.
Victim's name is Leyla Hartman.
Report came in to hotel
security about an hour ago.
OK, what is all this?
The best we can figure out
is some sort of fan convention.
I've seen them on TikTok.
All right, who's in charge here?
Hotel manager, Nate Smith.
Mr. Smith.
Hi, I'm Captain Benson, SVU.
Where's the victim?
- She's with the paramedics now.
- Uh-huh.
She was an attendee
of the convention.
She said she was, um,
raped last night.
OK. Did she say
where the rape occurred?
In a room on the 15th
floor just after midnight.
Captain, if you could
use some discretion.
- We don't want to alarm our guests.
- Right, OK.
So I'm going to need footage
from every single elevator
and from the stairwells.
We don't have cameras
in the elevators or the floors.
My team checked the stairwell
cameras and the elevator logs.
No one has come or gone
from the 15th floor since midnight.
Lock it down.
- You got it.
- Lock it? You can't.
Mr. Smith, this hotel
is a crime scene now,
so nobody leaves without an interview.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So is there any
insight to all of this?
Yeah, it's weird.
This Romeo kid, a potential suspect,
is some sort of ballet prodigy.
He blew up on social media,
had over 300 fans here last night.
OK, but the kid's talented,
so what's what's weird?
It's the fans.
They're intense.
They travel all over the
country to these conventions.
They pay thousands of dollars
to be, quote, "Superfans."
They pay for private
lessons. They're obsessed.
OK, well, I had a college boyfriend
that followed the Dead
for almost a decade.
Yeah, but your
college boyfriend wasn't
sending the Dead college
money and fantasizing
about the turning 18,
so it would be legal.
- How old is this kid?
- 16.
Every person we talked
to was a woman, 40s, 50s.
Said Romeo changed their
lives, made them feel young again.
- Mm.
- Definitely gives you the ick.
His mom supposedly runs everything.
Sets up all the cons,
controls all the access to him.
OK, you two head up to the
15th floor, interview everyone.
I'm going to talk to the victim.
And find this mother.
I want to talk to her.
After the VIP event, Romeo asked me
to come to his room to
help him talk to his mother.
W-what do you mean?
He wanted to stop performing
and he was afraid of her reaction.
Uh, I told him that I would
be there for moral support.
Oh, so
He must have really trusted you
to ask you for that kind of help.
I thought so.
OK, so you went to his room, right?
And, what room was that?
Do you remember?
- Um
- [SNIFFLES]
OK.
So can you walk me
through what happened next?
It was like a
A-a switch flipped.
He just got this look.
like, an evil look,
and he attacked me.
OK.
You know what?
We don't need to do this now, OK?
So what's going to happen next is
I'm going to have the
ambulance take you to the hospital
where you're going to get a SAFE exam.
I'm not sure that I want that.
Oh, OK.
OK, well, it's entirely your decision.
You should know that it might
help us with the investigation,
so
You know, why don't you
Why don't you talk
to the doctor about it?
All right.
Thank you.
Of course.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
She's ready to go.
Go ahead.
Bruno, the crime scene room is 1550.
[DOORS CLANGING OPEN]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Body's cold.
No pulse.
She's gone.
Captain, we got a body, female.
I think it's Romeo's mother.
Yeah, it's Diane Martin.
Possible blunt force
trauma to the head.
We're in Romeo's room.
I'm on my way up.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Somebody went out the window.
♪
Must have climbed into
another room on this floor.
Trail stops three windows down.
That's room 1533.
♪
Open it.
It's locked from the inside.
Take it.
NYPD!
♪
Hey.
♪
Please help me.
♪
Get him up.
Let's go.
♪
Hey.
There's no dad in the picture
He died six years ago.
Did Romeo ask for a lawyer yet?
Not a word, but I wanted to take
a peek in what we're dealing with.
- Right.
- Kid's got over 2 million followers.
Oh.
You are worthy.
You deserve love.
You deserve to love yourself,
and I'm going to help you.
I'm going to keep you accountable.
We'll do this together.
Let's go.
Well, he seems like a sweet kid.
Has he done anything questionable?
Not that I can tell. It's
all pretty wholesome.
Great, yes!
Everybody give it up for Alison!
Drop a thumbs up, drop
a comment down below.
So I looked into the
mother's financials.
- Mm-hmm.
- Past two years,
she's taken in 600,000 in donations,
all from fans.
Supposedly for his college fund,
but they all went into her account.
That sounds like wire fraud.
Or pimping him out.
Or that.
Take me home with you!
Romeo, I want
your lips next to mine.
I want your body against me.
I know it sounds crazy.
I mean, he's my son's
age, for God's sake,
but Romeo has made
me rethink my entire life.
He's just so positive, so encouraging.
I love how he touches
me when we dance.
[LAUGHS] My sex life?
Let's just say way more active.
He awakened something
They know he's a kid, right?
Oh, yeah, they know.
Check out the comments.
"If my thoughts were
actions, I'd be in handcuffs."
"If he was a couple years older,"
"I'd do a plié on his face"?
- Lovely.
- Yeah.
I just think there's
more to the story here.
Clearly, oh.
Let's go find out.
Now that I read you your rights,
are you willing to speak with us
regarding these allegations?
Hey, Romeo.
A woman by the name of
Leyla Hartman has made some
pretty serious
allegations against you.
But we are willing to listen
to your side of the story, OK?
Hmm?
Listen, kid.
If you want to help yourself out here,
you should really talk to us.
Let me take a shot here?
Hey, Romeo.
You should listen to him.
Because he might be able to help you.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR SHUTS]
Before I can talk to you,
you need to verbally acknowledge
that you want to talk to me.
I promise you I understand.
Just let me know that
you're cool with us talking.
OK.
I asked my captain to leave the room,
'cause I'm going to
share something with you
that is very private to me.
Something that I honestly
think may help you.
When I was 15,
something happened to
me that changed my life.
I was sexually assaulted in my bedroom,
by one of my mother's friends.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I was
I was, um, too young to process
what happened.
Um, and when I began to understand it,
I felt
Incredibly confused.
♪
Why didn't I feel lucky
that she chose me?
Why didn't I appreciate the lesson?
Why did I feel so
Incredibly ashamed?
♪
And then pretty soon,
that feeling went from
shame to guilt.
Like, was it my fault?
Did I do something to bring this on?
And then that feeling
♪
That feeling went to anger.
♪
I began to hurt myself,
drank alcohol to quiet my thoughts.
♪
I wanted to kill myself.
♪
And then I wanted to
kill everybody around me.
♪
Look, I don't know what
happened last night.
I only know what I'm being told.
But
♪
I promise you,
that if you tell me what happened,
I'll understand.
Because I've been there.
♪
She killed my mother.
♪
Hey, Whalen, how you doing?
Homicide said someone was coming over?
- Yeah, kid.
- You catch a case?
Yeah.
City never sleeps, right?
Right.
You want to run it down for me?
Yeah. So the crime scene's on 15.
- Mm?
- Victim's Diane Martin.
She's the mother of the kid
who's being interviewed at SVU.
Wait, you saying you think he's good
for your rape and my murder?
That's what we're
trying to sort out.
You seem skeptical.
I'm always skeptical.
And cynical.
All right, I'm going to head up to 15.
Have your captain notify me
if she wants me to
take a crack at that kid.
10-4.
You know, I knew your old man.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
After my performance, my mom
organized a VIP meet-and-greet.
What happens there?
The Superfans pay
for alone time with me.
I walk around the
room and talk to them.
What do you talk about?
You know, I tell
them they look great,
give them the stretching
tips, take selfies.
So it's just normal conversation?
It doesn't feel normal.
Feels weird.
How so?
Um
At first they're nice, but
They've usually been
drinking and they
I don't know
Start talking about, um, sexual stuff.
What they want to do
to me when I get older.
♪
You ever tell your mother?
She just said
ignore it, but I hated it.
Because it's inappropriate.
Your mother should
have put a stop to it.
♪
What happened last night?
It was late.
Uh, my mom told me
to go back to the room.
Leyla got on the elevator with me.
She
Was really drunk.
She tried to put her
hand under my shirt, but
♪
I told her to stop,
but she just laughed.
What happened when
you got back to your room?
I told her not to come in.
She did anyway.
She [SIGHS]
She pushed me onto the bed.
She pulled down my pants
and put her mouth down there.
That's a crime.
She was assaulting you.
I told her to stop,
but she kept going.
And I remember she had a condom and
I don't know, I just froze.
And then
It was over and she just, like
Smiled at me.
She was so happy.
I felt so weird.
Because it is weird.
Then, Mom came in.
She saw us.
She just flipped out.
Started screaming.
Leyla grabbed this marble
thing and hit her in the head.
♪
There was so much blood.
♪
Then what did Leyla do?
She just stood there
like nothing happened.
And then she said we
could be together forever.
I was so scared.
I
climbed out onto the ledge
and tried a couple of windows
until I found one that was unlocked.
I'm so sorry this
happened to you, Romeo.
It isn't right.
She wasn't perfect, but
She was my mom.
♪
That was excellent work, Terry.
He's 16. He's a kid.
And that woman took advantage of him.
You saw, right?
His story was solid.
- I pressed, and he held up.
- I saw.
And I know I know we all
bring our prior experiences
- and demons into this job.
- Yes, we do
But I am clear on this, Captain.
Crystal clear.
And so am I.
And I believe you,
Terry, and I believe him.
But our perp is
claiming to be a victim.
So what did Leyla Hartman tell you?
She's tricky.
She
She was reluctant to get
a rape kit done at the hospital
and, you know, I mean, that's
not totally uncommon, but
I don't know.
Something's flagging.
We need to be very careful,
how we approach this.
All right.
Good.
[SNIFFS]
Good.
You all right?
Yeah.
Just makes me wish I
had somebody like you
in my life when I was a kid.
You mean someone like you?
Who's brave enough
to share their story
to help someone else?
[SOFT MUSIC]
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
[SCOFFS] Look at all of these.
I mean, she must have
attended every event.
So what are we looking for in here?
How about the murder weapon?
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SCOFFS]
- I'll see if they can rush the prints.
- Yeah.
♪
Well, you're not
going to believe this.
What?
You're the sex cops.
Is that what I think it is?
Yes, that is a used condom.
Oh, how sweet.
Your so-called victim kept a memento.
Hospital took good care of you?
- Yes. Uh, thank you.
- Good.
So the doctor said that you
declined the SAFE exam.
Well, they, they
said it wasn't necessary
since I knew my attacker.
Oh, OK.
Um
So Leyla, as you know,
we've arrested Romeo Martin,
and we're just looking
to shore up our case.
How is he?
I-is he OK?
It must be so confusing
to feel empathy for the person that
assaulted you.
He's just [SIGHS]
I-I still think of him as the
person I believed he was.
Well, that makes sense.
I mean, you two had grown close.
Did he say that?
You said that.
You, you told me
that he confided in you
about wanting to quit ballet,
so you were obviously
special to him.
He's a very special person.
Or, uh, I thought he was.
How did you two meet?
I was interested in
getting back into ballet,
and a friend of mine
told me about this kid
who was offering sessions online.
She said he was a prodigy.
And you were a Superfan, right?
So you paid for private
Private lessons?
Well, yes, um.
Lots of VIPs did that.
But you were the only
VIP that he confided in.
I mean, that must have
Must have made you feel
really good.
I actually felt sorry for him
'cause his mother was a monster.
How much, how much
interaction did you actually
have with Diane?
Uh, not much.
Um, hardly at all.
But she did ban you, right?
From-from the group?
When-when did that happen?
I don't remember.
Do you remember why she banned you?
Romeo told her I was supporting
his decision to quit dance.
She didn't like that. She
wanted to control him.
It wasn't because you
were obsessed with Romeo?
That's a-a lie.
A-a-and what does any of this
have to do with the
fact that I was raped?
Hey, Captain, I'm
sorry to interrupt.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Stay here.
I'd really like to leave.
Yeah, I'll just be a minute.
Stay here, please.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Leyla is in the system
for a DUI from last year.
CSU said her prints were
all over the murder weapon.
- What about Romeo?
- Nothing.
Just Leyla's.
Bruno, you're with me.
Good job.
♪
Leyla Hartman,
you're under arrest for the
sexual assault of Romeo Martin
and for the murder of
his mother, Diane Martin.
- What?
- Stand up,
put your hands behind your back.
You don't understand.
He begged me for it.
I was saving him from that
woman who was ruining his life.
He begged me for it!
♪
Obviously, the arraignment judge
saw right through the People's case
and agreed to release
my client on bond.
What we have here,
ladies and gentlemen,
is yet another instance
where the so-called
Special Victims Unit
rushed to judgment.
But the most outrageous
thing about this case
is that my client is the victim.
She was assaulted by Romeo Martin.
- Mr. Olin, Mr. Olin
- Quick question.
Will Ms. Hartman be testifying?
I will not try this
case in the press,
and I will have no
further comment here.
- See you in court, my friends.
- Just one question.
Uh, Danny, only a prick announces
that he won't try
his case in the press
at a press conference that he called.
All the world's a stage, Carisi.
I guess that makes
you the court jester.
See you at the show, sonny boy.
Olin sure has a bee in
his bonnet about you, Carisi.
- What's his problem?
- I got no idea,
but I'm getting sick
and tired of his games.
- Yeah, we all are.
- Well, we made a good case.
- The guy's just a shark.
- He definitely made a fool
- of me last night.
- Yeah,
you gotta shake that off.
All right, so court records say that
Leyla Hartman's husband
filed for divorce six months ago.
He might have something
to say about this.
All right, Curry, Rollins,
see if you can get him to talk.
How is Romeo doing?
Look, he's a kid,
but he'll be ready.
Let's hope so.
I feel good about the, uh,
fingerprints on the murder weapon,
but he's our only eyewitness,
so this kid has got to
hold up under Olin's cross.
If he folds, Leyla walks.
Leyla and I are legally separated.
I hired a lawyer, but she apologized,
so we tried again,
you know, for the kids.
Mm.
Uh, then I caught her
talking to that Romeo kid again,
so it's complicated.
So she's still talking to him
and you're on the fence about divorce?
Look, my kids are only eight.
I didn't think they were
ready to give up on her.
But now, I guess this
is finally the last straw.
Mr. Gibson, Leyla's
about to be on trial
for murder and sexual assault.
Will you be willing to
testify for the prosecution?
Oh, I don't know.
It's I don't think I'm
comfortable with that.
- Why not?
- She's still the mother of my children.
Who is a murderer and
who assaulted a minor.
Look, I-I don't know about
what happened with all that,
but if I testify and she's convicted,
I'm the one who has
to explain to my kids
why I sent their mom to prison.
I can't do that.
Sorry.
[SIGHS]
Hey, John.
What brings you in?
Just dropping off some paperwork.
- You got a second?
- Sure.
Come in.
I don't know what's going
on with you and Tynan,
but all of a sudden, she's up my ass.
Oh, well, I know the feeling.
Why, what's she asking about?
Well, she's guarded.
You know, she always has been.
She's asking about the
progress of the case, but
But what?
Well, it feels like
she's just poking around
about you and this unit.
Well, uh, Chief Tynan and I
have, uh, definitely had our issues,
but they have nothing
to do with this case.
Yeah.
Sounds like there's
more to the story.
I'm not one to tell tales.
But if you're at war with her,
there's some things
you might want to know.
All right.
So 2001, cop is involved
in an off-duty shooting,
IAD does a cursory investigation,
they rule it a good shoot,
whole thing goes away.
You know how things were
- back in the day.
- Oh, I do.
Well,
rumor was
That the cop's partner
fixed things for him.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
And I take it the
cop was Jimmy Griffin.
And the partner became
our new illustrious Chief of Ds.
♪
Well, I don't know what
you want me to do with that.
I don't expect anything.
Do nothing if that's
your decision, hmm?
♪
I'm just passing along information.
Well, John,
as always, I appreciate you.
Well, I always liked the way
you handled your business, Captain.
You need any help, you
know where to find me.
♪
Captain.
A word, please.
Evening, Chief.
I left you a voicemail.
Two, in fact.
You've been busy.
Yeah, um, sorry, you
gave me a lot to think about.
I appreciate your kind words
and support and while it's
incredibly flattering
to be considered
You're turning me down?
I think that's best
for all of us involved.
You mean Captain Benson?
No.
I didn't tell her about your offer.
I just don't think it's
best for me right now.
I think you're making
a mistake, Captain.
I might be, and that'll be on me.
But I'm also not real interested
in being a pawn in
someone else's game.
Respectfully.
♪
Good night, Captain.
[ENGINE TURNS OVER]
♪
After the defendant sexually
assaulted you, what happened?
I saw her kill my mother.
Mr. Martin, did you ever
assault Leyla Hartman?
No.
I never would have
done something like that.
I was a virgin.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
In the last year,
how much money did
you take from your fans?
I-I don't know.
- My mother
- Would it surprise you to learn
that it totaled over $600,000?
In addition to the
so-called gifts of sneakers
and clothing and jewelry
that you solicited from them.
I don't know.
Isn't it true, sir, that you preyed
on these poor, lonely women?
No, no.
Are these not
Your dirty underwear
that you sent to my client
- with a request for $1,000
- Objection, Your Honor.
These were never provided
to the prosecution for inspection.
Your Honor, my client just
discovered these this morning.
Mr. Olin, put those
drawers back in the box.
You know better.
The jury will disregard any
mention of the undergarments
unless and until I admit
them into evidence.
Fine, Your Honor.
You took advantage of their loneliness
and their generosity, didn't you?
I did what my mother told me to do.
But you wanted more.
We all understand the sexual
desires of a 16-year-old boy,
and you decided that
money wasn't enough.
You decided to take
advantage of my client
- by raping her, isn't that true?
- No, no.
- I-I would never
- You took the money,
and you took my client sexually,
isn't that true?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
No!
I'm done.
♪
[SOBS]
♪
I thought Romeo was a boy who was
being exploited by his mother.
He wanted to stop dancing,
but she was forcing him to continue.
Did you attend RomeoCon 2026?
I did.
I just wanted to see if Romeo was OK.
When I saw him in the lobby,
he was happy to see me.
He told me he was trying
to get his mother to stop,
but that she wouldn't listen to him.
What happened next?
He asked me to talk
to his mother with him.
And you agreed?
Yes.
I went to their room,
but once inside, I realized
that we were alone.
What happened next?
He
He pushed me onto the bed and,
ripped off my underwear.
I couldn't believe what was happening.
I
I froze.
He
He stepped back, he put
on a condom, and raped
Raped me.
Did he say anything?
He said that nobody would believe me,
because he was an
innocent 16-year-old boy.
And after he violently raped you?
Diane burst into the room screaming.
Romeo picked up a book and, and.
hit her in the head.
I was
I was shocked, I ran out.
I didn't want him to kill me.
Thank you, Leyla.
I'm so sorry this happened to you.
Nothing further, Judge.
Ms. Hartman,
you heard Detective Bruno testify
that you said that
Romeo begged for it.
I did not.
That's a lie.
Oh, OK.
Well, how did the murder weapon, with
only your fingerprints on it,
end up in your room?
I know now that it was planted.
It was planted?
By whom?
Probably the same detectives
who are lying about me.
Well, maybe you can, um,
you can explain to
me how a used condom
containing Mr. Martin's
seminal fluid ended up
in a coffee cup in your mini-fridge.
Condom in a coffee cup?
How ridiculous does that even sound?
Obviously they have been
railroading me from the outset.
Mrs. Hartman
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
You're separated, correct?
[SIGHS] I am.
And isn't it true that
you and your husband
separated over your
obsession with Romeo Martin?
That is not true.
My husband is a liar.
He abandoned us.
But a family court judge awarded him
joint custody of your
children, correct?
My husband is a criminal and a liar.
He paid off that judge.
Oh, OK, just so
that I got it straight,
uh, the detectives lied,
they planted evidence,
the judge was paid off,
and, uh,
your husband's a criminal?
Is that your testimony?
It is not only my
testimony, Mr. Carisi,
it's the truth.
♪
What's this subpoena?
I told your detectives
I'm not testifying.
I understand, but before
you make your final decision,
I want you to hear what
Leyla said on the stand.
Hey, Lucy?
Lucy, can you
All right.
OK, sit down.
Can you please read back
Leyla's cross-examination
for Mr. Gibson?
The defendant
"My husband, is a criminal and a liar."
He paid off that judge.
Mr. Carisi
"OK, just that I got it straight,"
"the detectives lied, planted evidence,"
"the judge was paid off, and
your husband is a criminal."
"Is that your testimony?"
The defendant
"It is not only my
testimony, Mr. Carisi,"
"it's the truth."
♪
Mr. Gibson, are you a liar?
No, sir.
Have you ever been arrested
or even charged with a crime?
Absolutely not.
But the defendant testified,
that you are a criminal.
It's not the first time
she's lied about me.
Do you have any evidence of that?
I have a recording of
a voicemail she left me.
Objection.
No recording was ever
turned over to the defense.
Approach.
What's this all about, Mr. Carisi?
This is a transcript
of the recording
which will show that the
defendant lied on the stand.
[CHUCKLING] Your
Honor, this is outrageous.
No recording was turned
over during discovery.
We just learned of the
existence of this recording.
It goes directly to the
defendant's credibility,
which is always at question.
And since she testified
She may have committed perjury.
I agree with Mr. Carisi.
I'm going to allow it.
- Judge
- Step back.
♪
Mr. Gibson, you said
that you had received
a voicemail from the defendant.
Could you please play
that recording for the jury?
♪
Christopher, you messed
with the wrong woman.
Back off or I am going to tell
the judge that you raped me
and I will tell your boss that
you are embezzling money.
I will get sole custody,
and you'll be humiliated.
Do not test me.
♪
As to the charge of sexual
assault in the first degree.
Guilty.
And murder in the second degree.
Guilty.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
thank you for your service.
♪
You know, I always
want to puke a little
when people call me brave,
but I'm going to call you brave.
You were great.
You should be proud of yourself.
Thanks.
How do you feel?
I don't know.
Glad it's over.
I kind of hoped it would
make things better,
but, I don't really feel any different.
I get that.
It takes time.
You know you can call me anytime.
I gave your grandmother the name
of a therapist I really like.
You'll go, right?
I'll go.
What happened is not your fault.
Remember that.
It wasn't yours either, Terry.
♪
[PEACEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Oh, my God, what's with
all the closed-door meetings?
What's up?
Chief Tynan offered me
the SVU Deputy Chief position.
- I'm sorry?
- I turned her down
and I am sorry I
didn't tell you earlier,
but it's done and handled.
Hold on, just wait.
Chief Tynan
Chief Tynan offered you Deputy Chief?
Yeah.
Dropped some "women like
us" solidarity nonsense too.
OK. Uh, look,
first of all, Renee,
you can't just turn this down.
We know what she's doing.
It's a play, and I'm
not about to be played.
I'm so sorry that you
got caught up in all of this.
And
I don't know what her
game is, I really don't, but
But I promise you
There's more.
There's more?
I just got off the phone with
the Deputy Commissioner for Personnel,
- and I'm being reassigned.
- No.
Executive officer here at the 16th.
No, that's not happening.
I'm going to stop that.
I'm going to ask you not to do that.
I never needed anyone
to fight my battles,
and I'm not going to start now.
This is not your battle.
She's doing this to get to me.
I'm not letting that happen.
I'm sorry.
Can you let me handle this
the way that I want
to handle it, please?
She's the chief of detectives.
I mean, there's not anything
you can do about it anyway.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
I'm not so sure about that.
♪