Law & Order Special Victims Unit s09e12 Episode Script

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(Male announcer) 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.
(Man) step it up, son.
Foster care pays you.
That don't make you my dad.
True, but i can see you need one.
Something stinks over there, brian.
Thought you were a tough guy.
Tougher than you, old man.
Then you should have no problem holding the bag While i scoop up the dead animal.
Stay back, max! Don't come back here! Damn it, max! [Thud.]
[Sighs.]
Yeah, patch me through to central park precinct.
Yeah, we got two stiffs.
Near the rim.
[Siren.]
Grounds maintenance were led to the bodies this morning.
Led? How? Got an email reporting a dead dog in this sector.
Well, was there a name, a service provider, A timestamp? No, i'm all over it.
How's it looking, melinda? Ugly.
Multiple ligatures, bruising.
And electrical burns on both areola and labia.
Lividity shows The body was turned at least once post-Mortem.
How long after? Maybe 48 hours.
So our killer likes to visit his victims.
My team's looking for sperm clusters And foliage smears.
Cause of death? (Woman) dry-Drowning.
Excuse me.
If this is my guy's work, He puts a hood over their head And empties a bucket of water over them.
It's part of his signature.
And you are Special agent lauren cooper, f.
B.
I.
From the behavioral analysis unit.
What serial killer are you hunting? We call him the woodsman.
I haven't filed my 61 yet.
So how did you get here so fast? There's an m.
E.
'S bulletin On the condition of the remains.
I saw her body.
Called the feds.
Okay.
And your male victim? Large caliber gunshot wound.
Dead less than 12 hours.
Does your guy do men? No, but i think your male victim Stumbled on the woodsman with her body.
I would check for dna up there.
He likes to look down at them from above.
Any special reason? He's god.
(Benson) we don't even know yet If these victims were done by the woodsman.
B.
A.
U.
Is convinced and we need their help.
Well, maybe not.
We caught a break.
Captain siper found dna at the crime scene.
After agent cooper told her where to look.
With stabler and finn in montreal on that extradition, I'll take all the help i can get.
The woodsman is a sexual sadist Who keeps his victims alive after abduction.
He kills, he body dumps, Then visits and poses them for maximum shock value.
How many so far? Counting jane and john doe, 24.
(Huang) what's his signature? He strangles and revives.
He rapes with foreign objects.
Burns genitalia.
He finishes them off by dry-Drowning.
According to your timeline, somef the abductions overlap.
We think he doubles his fun By having one victim listen to another's torture.
So we could have another victim at play.
You should have told me that at the crime scene.
He's not predictable, detective.
He usually hunts in the city And dumps in the country, Crossing three state lines.
He dumped the body in a remote area of central park Most people avoid.
So he knows his way around.
And he knew sending an email about a dead dog Would get the park's maintenance crew to respond.
(Huang) this doesn't square with the woodsman psychopathy.
This killer thinks of his victims as garbage.
Sending an email with the bodies' location Suggests empathy or even remorse.
But you and i both know sexual sadists evolve.
Their sick pleasures expand.
Any leads on john doe? white male, Shot once through the head.
We're thinking the victim went for a run And stumbled upon this nightmare.
He had a jogging suit, a set of keys, no i.
D.
We're running his prints now.
Any hits on the jane doe sketch? Missing persons Has two possible matches.
A waitress in her twenties Disappeared from her father's car.
But i'm leaning toward bunny jones, 30.
A prostitute.
She's actually an exotic dancer.
A guy named lavender reported her missing Two weeks ago.
[Soothing music.]
You lavender? It's "la-Van-Der.
" I look like a damn flower to you? You reported One of your dancers missing.
We think we may have found bunny jones.
What are you talking about? Chicken head's right over there.
Yo, bunny.
Bunny jones? What do you need, honey? When did you get back? Back from where? You know damn well.
Shacked up with that no-Credit loser.
You were gone so long i had to call the cops.
So nice you care.
You should have told the police she wasn't missing! You wasted precious time and resources.
(Lavender) tell you what.
I'll let you have some quality time With bunny in a private room.
Get your freak on.
Otherwise, you got to go.
Oh! Did you just solicit a detective And assault an f.
B.
I.
Agent? No, ma'am.
I have cops come in here all the time.
Just offering a lap dance.
Bastard was begging for it, but that was unprofessional.
What are the chances this other victim is still alive? We don't have time to waste.
It won't happen again.
Well, it's good to know you're human, though.
Detachment's drummed into us, day one.
We get that same speech, although it doesn't always work.
Especially when children are involved.
That's why i studied behavior.
Couldn't work with live victims.
Well, you're about to start.
We just got a test from the m.
E.
'S office.
Our waitress isn't missing anymore.
(Woman) are you sure it's kate? Maybe it's a mistake.
You know it's her, valerie.
She's been gone too long.
She would have called.
[Sobbing.]
How long has it been since you've seen kate? She went foraging, then to culinary class, Thenshe worked the redeye shift at the diner.
I'm sorry--Foraging? Kate belonged to a group in central park that looks For edible plants.
Did she spend a lot of time there? (Father) yeahi didn't like it.
There's a lot of crazies in the park.
Like the nut who runs the program.
What didn't you like about him? He was pushy.
Kept asking her out, but she wasn't interested.
He is a little controlling.
You can't take anything out of the park Unless you know exactly what it's called.
(Father) in latin.
The kook.
This kook have a name? (Benson) connor rob? Detective olivia benson, special victims unit.
Lauren cooper, f.
B.
I.
Wow.
Normally, i just get hassled by the rangers.
When was the last time you saw kate barrow? Guess about three weeks ago.
You been out here all day? Yeah.
You don't have any dirt on you.
I like to keep myself clean.
Well, we heard that you like to control things.
Especially the ground.
You ever try to control kate barrow? What in the hell is that supposed to-- Were you close? Intimate? Did you wanna be and she said no? I asked her out.
She refused.
End of story.
Kate barrow was murdered, mr.
Rob.
She ever get hassled by anyone? She complain about anybody? No.
Do you charge for your services-- Take plastic, write receipts? It's cash only.
I take down names and addresses In case anybody ingests anything poisonous, but-- Do you have those records? All of 'em.
(Huang) profile of the woodsman.
White male, 35 to 55.
Normal intelligence, street smart.
Targets strangers, depersonalizes his victims.
Uses restraints.
Aggressive acts, both pre and post-Mortem.
Crime scenes reflect overall control, Suggesting a high level of comfort with the environment.
Missing from profile: Bodies dumped in open but remote areas Not mapped for tourists.
Missing from profile: No witnesses to any abductions Suggests thorough surveillance of victims As well as their habits and daily routines.
Contradiction to profile: Email sent through several isp locations Denotes a proficiency in computer networking And electronics And superior intelligence.
Whoever sent this served via proxy Then hacked into a wireless firewall And routed through multiple isps.
But it definitely originated from here: Station 12, middle console.
Profile compiled by dr.
Carl tillman And his trainee, special agent lauren cooper.
Conclusion: Missing elements to profile due to dr.
Tillman's Mental deterioration And subsequent suicide.
Victim number 23.
Kate barrow.
Time of death: undetermined.
Rate of decomp and insect activity Says kate barrow died approximately ten days ago.
C.
O.
D.
'S asphyxia, And neurogenic pulmonary edema.
Torture by water boarding.
Multiple ligatures, contact burns and contusions.
Uterus punctured by a foreign object.
Colon punctured by a foreign object.
I don't think we need to hear anymore.
I speak for the dead and i'm not done.
(Benson) melinda At least he didn't cut her into little pieces.
At least he let her keep her head.
Sorry.
What about your john doe? He was shot once with a .
45 caliber weapon or larger.
You didn't retrieve the slug? That's all that's left of the round.
The woodsman used frangible ammo.
So it would break apart and not exit the tissue.
Only when shot from a distance.
The gun was flush to the skull when it was fired.
One round, one shell casing.
The shooter took both.
So without the murder weapon, We have no way to prove that he killed this victim.
Did you have any luck with the surveillance cameras Around the internet cafe? Know how many people pick their nose in public? Agent cooper, did you notice a change in personality In dr.
Tillman after any specific victim? Why? The profile has a lot of errors and omissions.
If i could pinpoint which victim provoked his breakdown, I could start fresh from there.
I can't help you.
Well, try, agent cooper.
The woodsman is torturing his next victim right now.
Don't you think i know what's at stake? I didn't notice anything wrong.
If i had, i would have stopped him From killing himself.
He was my mentor, and i didn't see it coming.
We have a problem.
Another victim? We found the woodsman.
Who is he? Where is he? In the morgue.
The dna sample c.
S.
U.
Found Matches your john doe.
The woodsman's name is larry moore.
He's a non-Commissioned u.
S.
Park ranger.
He's a cop.
He was a maintenance ranger.
He opened and closed the park for the season, Reported graffiti, picked up trash.
Well, more work than the blue ridge mountains.
He have any registered vehicles? He had no real property of any kind.
Well, then, where was he holding his victims captive? How did he torture them without anybody hearing? The cabins were empty during the winter.
Rangers were left alone for days at a time.
Perfect cover.
That's why he changed his m.
O.
For the city And snatched a girl with a car.
Moore's got an apartment in the village.
He lives there off-Season.
There were no leases in his name.
It's a sublet.
Rangers forwarded a paycheck there.
With more dead, this victim may still be alive.
Let's get moving.
Nothing.
Ah, this is junk! No letters or bank statements.
This must be hard for you.
It's harder for my boss.
Why did dr.
Tillman kill himself? Why does any cop eat his gun? I grew up in a group home.
Carl recruited me in my junior year of college.
Working with him was like Having a father for the first time.
You know what i mean? Noi don't.
Job's your family? Yeah.
I was too close.
Ididn't want to see That anything was off.
Maybe if i had, carl would still be here.
You can't do that to yourself, lauren.
The "what ifs" will make you crazy.
Hmm.
He used his uniform to dupe his victims.
And the cops.
What do you mean? Larry moore Found the third victim On his rounds in the woods.
Bastard even helped us search for evidence.
There's no way that you would have known.
Hey! Hey, i got something.
Key to the murder room? Gotta be.
The only picture in the entire room.
That kid's gotta be moore.
"Aunt helen's, beekman place, 1980.
" You're sure it's my nephew in the morgue? We're positive.
Why couldn't you just tell me this over the phone? Mrs.
Moore Your nephew has been torturing And murdering women.
How many? Over 20.
You don't seem surprised.
I've known for a long time what he's capable of.
(Cooper) have you had any contact with him? No, not since he got out of jail.
He doesn't have a record.
He was a juvenile.
It was sealed and expunged.
He was visiting me for the summer.
He volunteered to clean up central park.
Some of the girls he worked with Said he touched them.
You were scared of him.
Not at first.
I believed him when he said they were lying.
He could make you believe anything.
But something changed your mind.
Did he hurt you? It's something i I'm not comfortable talking about.
We are having trouble Locating where he took his victims.
Was there any place special that he liked to go? The docks.
He loved to see the ships leave.
He said he Liked the noise.
I never understood that.
Any connection to the waterfront? Not in moore's financials.
He's got one credit card, very few receipts, And he pays for everything in cash, Except for his rent.
Makes his movements untraceable.
Aliases? I haven't found any.
We need to look at this from a different angle.
Moore's a sexual sadist with an extreme paraphilia.
He craves the screaming.
Sheer terror is what gets him off.
He needs privacy for that.
He hangs, maims, Burns, then dry-Drowns his victims.
He needs a lot of room to do that comfortably.
This key has to open a storage facility Or a commercial space that would give him a lot of freedom.
Somewhere where there's foot traffic by day And empty at night.
There's a lot of commercial warehouses Between here and jersey.
He likes watching the ships go out.
How many on the waterfront? Too many to canvas.
You know what? I have a receipt here-- Here it is-- For an augusta cruises.
Is there a phone number? Let me see if i could find it.
I don't see moore taking a vacation With fanny pack tourists.
Reverse directory Shows the phone's no longer registered.
That means that it's out of business.
Cruise lines take up A lot of real estate on the docks.
Company goes bust, Those warehouses would have been auctioned off.
The maritime commission should know who bought them out.
Yeah, we bought most of augusta cruises' assets.
There wasn't much left.
You rent any of them out? Sure.
Ok, we need to know which space Matches this key.
You got a warrant? Without one, i can't help you.
This man's a serial killer, using your storage space To torture and murder women.
Now, sir, give us the damn location now.
Hang back until we breach the door And give the all-Clear, you copy? We'll come in behind you.
There may be another victim-- Negative--Until we know what's in there, You stay put.
He's already dead, l.
T.
Guy's on a slab in our morgue.
Let's go, boys.
Round 'em up.
I'd rather ask for a pardon than permission.
Hit it.
[Crash.]
(Man) go, go, go! [Woman screaming.]
(Officer) lights! [Screaming continues.]
(Benson) he left the tv on.
To terrorize a victim.
There's nobody here.
The table.
Oh, maybe it's on a pressure release.
Oh! [Shrieking.]
Shh.
It's okay.
[Whimpering.]
We need a bus! And a blanket, quickly! [Muffled screams.]
It's okay, it's okay.
We're gonna get you to the hospital.
We need to move her now.
No.
We cannot move her.
She could have a spinal injury.
We have to wait for the paramedic.
Shh.
We get the tape off her mouth.
Her skin will rip without the solution, okay? We have to wait.
It's okay, we're gonna get you to the hospital right now.
[Woman whimpering.]
it's okay.
We're police officers.
We're here to help you, honey.
Calm down.
Calm down.
It's okay.
[Screaming.]
What are you doing?! [Screaming.]
Shh! It's okay.
Look, look, shh.
We're the police.
It's okay.
You're safe now.
No one can hurt you.
No one can hurt you.
How long do you think she was in that drawer? The human body's resilient.
Three minutes without air, three days without water, Three weeks without food.
Moore's been dead three days.
How's she doing, doc? She's critical.
What the hell happened to this woman? Everything.
[Doctor sighs.]
The cuts, contusions, and electrical burns Caused septic shock.
The decreased blood flow necrosed her fingertips And toes.
What is this bruise? This wasn't here when we found her.
That's purpura.
Uh, her blood Is clotting abnormally Because of infection.
She's got abscesses that i'd like to drain surgically, But In her condition, she'd never make it.
Did she say anything? Her name.
Amy.
That's all we could get Before she lost consciousness.
So what are her chances? Wait and see.
Right now, We're pushing fluids and antibiotics.
I'm afraid it's all we can do.
Ready? Let's get this over with.
[Camera clicking.]
Are there any birthmarks or tattoos? No.
She's not gonna make it, lauren.
We need to find her family.
[Crying.]
what if she doesn't have one? You okay? [Crying.]
No.
Like i said, i'm not used to Dealing with victims.
Jersey's playing hard ball.
Won't release any evidence Found in moore's torture chamber.
Since his killing box was in new jersey, They think he was hunting there.
They just want the glory.
Where are we on identifying who sent the email? Otaro had to enhance some of the footage Around the internet cafe, So i'm still looking.
But when i find this hero, I'm gonna give the guy a medal.
Well, in case You've forgotten, detective, Homicide is against the law, No matter who the victim was.
No disrespect, captain, But the prick got what was coming to him.
And i'd rather have The woodsman alive to answer questions.
Lead us to bodies, bring closure to grieving families.
We both know serial killers don't cooperate Until they've run out of options.
And now we'll never know.
Captain! I think we just stepped in a very big pile.
(Cragen) that's agent cooper.
Leaving the internet cafe A few minutes after the email was sent.
What's so urgent? Close the door.
Where's agent cooper? She's running our victim's prints Through a.
F.
I.
S.
Why? Because she sent the email from the internet cafe.
Uhwell, there's gotta be some explanation for this.
I think the image explains everything.
[Telephone rings.]
what? Make sure the search is by the book And notify agent cooper's superiors Before you interrogate her.
You're acting like she's a cold-Blooded killer When what she did was put one down.
She executed a man without benefit of due process.
That's not what we do.
You don't know her.
Neither do you.
That was the hospital.
Amy doe just died.
[Door opens.]
We gonna stare at each other all day, Or are you gonna tell me what this is about? Well, i'm waiting for a senior f.
B.
I.
Officer.
It's procedure.
Pass.
Ask me your questions.
Did you send an email to the parks department About a dead dog? How do you expect me to answer that? Well, i want you to say no.
But you can't, can you? Must get a lot of confessions in here.
Can't wait to unburden the soul, Confirm your deepest suspicions.
They want absolution.
They wanna be able to sleep at night.
Can you sleep at night, lauren? I sleep just fine.
Did you murder larry moore? I have the right to remain silent.
Anything i say can and will be used against me In a court of law.
Lauren, was there a struggle? Did you panic and try to cover it up? Give me something.
I'm trying to help you.
What happens next, you control.
Spare me.
You're executing a search warrant On my apartment right now.
I'm gonna blow your freakin' brains out.
You better not be talkin' to me.
I'm gonna track you down.
And put the gun To your dome and boom.
I do all that I'm gonna wanna remember The satisfaction.
Look at it every day.
From the second i wake up Till i close my eyes at night.
What are you looking for?  a trophy.
Agent nickerson.
Detective benson.
Have you been questioning agent cooper In my absence? I tried, but i can't get a straight answer.
I've been cooperating.
You've been stonewalling.
I'll file a formal complaint later.
What have you got? I would just like a plausible explanation For agent cooper's presence at the internet cafe.
Can't say i blame you, But she doesn't have to answer.
That photo proves nothing.
It's a coincidence.
You stalked moore.
You killed him.
And then you left his last victim to die.
That's not true.
Yeah, well, your little act may have worked On your precious mentor, But i'm gonna tell you something, I'm not buying it.
Leave tillman out of this.
How can i? This whole thing is about tillman.
He put a bullet in his brain Because he couldn't take the stress.
And now you put one in moore Because you wanted to make him pay.
You must be pretty desperate To use a bush-League tactic like that.
Yeah, well, you seem pretty rattled by it.
I can see you don't like me talking about him.
Now just exactly how close were you two? He was like a father to me.
Oh, is that what they're calling it now? I swear If you publicly malign dr.
Tillman in any way I guarantee the federal building Will fall on you like a ton of bricks.
If you don't have any more questions, We're leaving.
The missing fragments from moore's skull.
And the shell casing it came in.
You're gonna need a lawyer.
And a good one.
You better do this by the regs.
Procedure.
[Handcuffs clinking.]
Let's go.
(Female judge) the charge is one count murder In the second degree.
How do you plead? Not guilty, your honor.
R.
O.
R.
, your honor.
That's smart.
Too bad you didn't have enough sense To decline filing in the first place.
Don't bait me.
Clearly, the defendant shot a man in cold blood.
Agent cooper was defending herself Against a serial killer who brutally tortured And murdered 23 women.
Your honor, Executive a.
D.
A.
Lydia ramos For the people.
We'll be dismissing the charges without prejudice.
So ordered.
You're free to go.
[Bangs gavel.]
The prosecution yanked our trousers Around our ankles And staged a retreat on the cooper case.
What do we got for evidence, don? More than enough to convict.
The d.
A.
Doesn't agree with you.
I have agent cooper at the internet cafe In possession of the round that killed larry moore.
Did forensics find the serial killer's tissue On the ammunition? Agent cooper has an advanced degree in forensic science.
In other words, no.
C.
S.
U.
Found traces of liquid soap and bleach On the ammo.
Cooper boiled the evidence to get rid of moore's dna.
Did she shoot him in fear of her life? Did she act in self-Defense? Noshe executed mr.
Moore.
You mean the serial killer.
It doesn't matter what he did.
Larry moore was murdered.
That's a class "a" felony.
I presume you live on planet earth.
Where are you gonna find a jury pool that doesn't think The guy deserved to die? That has on bearing on the law.
Explain that to john q.
Public.
There'll be months of media spinning, Trotting out the murdered woman's family members In support of a rogue f.
B.
I.
Agent.
Agent cooper stalked and shot a man in central park.
You wanna give her a pass? This office is not gonna let you spend $2 million On a case you can't win.
We got evidence we can Shove down the d.
A.
'S throat.
And then get this f.
B.
I.
Agent to plead out.
With what? A confession.
The smoking gun with her prints on it.
Find something that'll make her cop a plea.
Lydia, you're tying my hands.
Then she walks.
If agent cooper confesses, I can drop the charges down to man two.
That's ten years, casey.
A minister's wife killed her husband with a shotgun And got 67 days.
Where's the justice in that? You want her to walk.
Moore was a monster, And you didn't see the tapes of what he did to those women.
He documented every single scream, Every single terror-Filled moment.
So don't tell me that lauren cooper Deserves to rot in a cage.
And who should answer for amy doe? Because of agent cooper's actions, We found the victim too late.
If moore was sitting in a cell, He'd be looking at 23 counts of murder.
Do you really think that he would have led us to her? I think that he would have taken pleasure In our frantic attempts to save her.
It's up to you, casey.
Look, i'll recommend leniency.
But we need evidence to force her hand.
Well, cooper's not the confessing type.
Sowhat's our plan? Profile the profiler.
She acted like any serial killer.
She staged the crime scene.
She inserted herself into the investigation.
And she took a trophy.
Well, how did she find the woodsman? Every murder brought new information That she didn't enter into the profile.
And nobody noticed, because the victims were found In three different police jurisdictions.
Once she knew that the killer was a park employee With connections to west virginia, Ohio, and pennsylvania, She found larry moore.
Is there any chance she kept the gun? That weapon's at the bottom of the hudson.
That's what i'd do.
Well, maybe not.
What weapons are registered to dr.
Tillman? [Shuffling paper.]
A government-Issue glock and sig sauer .
45.
And what happened to the .
45? He used it to commit suicide.
It was returned to his widow after the investigation.
How can i help you, detectives? We need to know what happened To your husband's off-Duty weapon.
This is about lauren cooper.
Do you stay in touch with her? Yes.
Where's the gun, mrs.
Tillman? I gave it to lauren As a keepsake.
I don't like guns.
I never have.
We'll need you to sign a statement.
I'm well aware of what you need, young man.
But you're not going to get it.
You could be charged with obstruction, Withholding information from the police.
How about accessory after the fact? You might even make a conspiracy case If you tried.
Sounds like you helped lauren plan the murder.
No, i didn't.
Then why won't you cooperate? My husband obsessed over the woodsman.
Every victim he killed took a little bit more out of carl.
It crushed him.
He never would have let that vicious killer Sit in a cushy cell for the rest of his life.
I guess lauren felt the same way.
Did agent cooper Tell you that she was gonna use your husband's gun To shoot larry moore? I won't lie.
But i certainly won't help you put her away.
Now, please, go.
We need to hurry.
Why? Because tillman's widow is up there Calling cooper right now.
You think she'll run? Yeah, we have everything we need To force her to plead out.
Mrs.
Tillman confirmed she gave cooper the gun, But we have no proof it's the murder weapon.
Yes, we do-- We ran a ballistics match Against the lands and grooves on the shell casing you found.
But we don't have the gun to compare with ballistics.
We don't need it.
Tillman used the same gun to commit suicide.
A full autopsy was performed Including a ballistic match To prove that he pulled the trigger himself.
Open the door, lauren.
It's benson and lake And we need to talk to you.
Maybe she already skipped.
She's in there.
(Benson) where's dr.
Tillman's gun, lauren? It's in pieces.
All over the city.
Didn't need it anymore.
Where did you dump it? You don't need it to force me to make a deal.
Guess i'm going to jail.
Proud of yourself? I would have been proud to help you collar the bastard Who murdered 24 women.
That would have satisfied me.
That wasn't good enough.
Why not? You know why.
How many dead babies have you stood over? How many rape victims? You can't tell me you never wanted To put your gun under the bastard's chin Who raped a two-Year-Old.
I have too much to lose.
I don't.
But amy did.
Why didn't you think about her Before you killed larry moore? You knew that he had A victim.
You knew what he was doing to her.
I did everything To save her.
Even after i I put that gun to his head He wouldn't give it up.
That's why you sent the email.
I needed help To find her.
You have to believe that.
I can't condone what you did.
But i understand it.
So the d.
A.
'S gonna go easy on you.
I'm sorry.
I can't.
Take the deal, lauren.
It's a way out.
No.
Why the hell not? Because Those who fight monsters Should make damn sure They don't become one.
Gun! [Gunshot.]
aah! [Sobbing.]

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