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.
Next.
The morning after pill.
I'm sorry. Could you speak up, please?
I need the morning after pill.
Have you talked to your doctor about emergency contraception?
Well, I thought I didn't need a prescription. You don't.
But it's best if you see your physician. Just give me the pill.
Have you considered adoption? What the hell is wrong with you?
Okay. Don't use that tone with me. Please.
I need it. Let go of me.
Security! I need it. No, I can't have his baby.
Then you shouldn't have let him get into your pants.
No. Please, no. Come on.
Please don't do this! Don't do this! Get her out of here.
No! No, you don't understand!
I was raped.
Mia? I'm Detective Benson, and this is my partner, Detective Stabler.
Are you taking me to jail?
You cuffed a rape victim?
She created a disturbance. It's store policy. Unhook her.
She assaulted me.
Unhook her. Now.
Fine.
Quickly.
Mia, we're going to get you to the hospital.
I'm pressing charges.
Don't press your luck.
Is Mia doing okay? Yeah. She's resting.
But she's pretty shaken up.
Rapist really worked her over.
And so did that pharmacist.
You know, too many of them think they have the right
to push their beliefs on their patients.
Maybe if they'd been raped, they'd be more compassionate.
Mia up to talking? Yeah.
Find him fast, will you, Detective?
I don't want to see any more of his handiwork.
It was getting light. I went out for bagels.
And I was on 97th Street when he grabbed me from behind.
It's okay, Mia. You're doing great. Just take a breath.
He had a knife.
And he said that if I screamed, he'd slit my throat.
Then, he dragged me into the alley,
and I tried to run, but then he knocked me down.
And he started punching me and kicking me in the stomach.
And I must have passed out,
because the next thing I remember, he was on top of me.
Inside me.
Can you describe him?
He was tall, white and big.
But he told me not to look at him.
All I could think is that my husband and I are trying to get pregnant,
and I'm ovulating.
I saw the pharmacy and I ran in.
I don't want to have his baby.
About time you showed up.
Oh, you're busting our balls?
Where's your team? Come and gone.
You already processed the crime scene? I didn't have to.
I just set up the tape and sent everybody home.
What's going on?
Someone dumped motor oil in that dumpster.
It leaked out, gave the pavement a lube job.
Nothing's better for trapping prints and fibers than a little grease,
but there's not even a shoe print.
So, if Mia was on her back, there would be smudges, signs of a struggle.
Yeah. And there would be oil all over her clothes.
Your victim lied to you. Well, not about being raped.
I mean, someone beat the crap out of her.
We saw photos of her injuries.
Which all happened to be in places covered by clothes.
So the bruises wouldn't show.
Classic DV. Our perp's her husband.
Mia! It's Detective Benson calling!
Um, now's not really a good time.
Is your husband home? No, Brent's still at work.
Well, why?
You know why.
Mia, you were assaulted, but it didn't happen the way you said it did.
Are you saying I'm a liar?
I'm saying that you're a victim,
and I can't help you unless you tell me the truth.
Hi, honey!
You're home early.
Well, I couldn't wait to see my best girl.
You going to introduce me to your friends?
Detective Stabler. This is my partner, Detective Benson.
We're investigating a string of residential burglaries in the neighborhood.
Oh, well, we have a great security system here.
Yeah. Like they say, protected by Smith & Wesson.
You have a gun?
Yes. Several.
All legally registered, of course.
Just make sure you keep those weapons secure, okay?
Why? So I can say, "Excuse me, Mr. Criminal,
"could you wait a moment while I take this frigging safety lock off?"
Thanks for the heads up, Detectives,
but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my own home.
Dinner ready? I'm starved.
Well, I wasn't expecting you until 6:00.
But why don't you relax with a drink while I finish cooking?
Fine.
If we don't stop him, that prick's going to use Mia for target practice.
He's got her on a tight leash.
And if she won't talk, we can't touch him.
Maybe there's another way.
Walls have ears.
Welcome. Welcome. This is a treat.
I'm a huge crime buff. See, over here, I have everything
from Wilkie Collins to George Pelecanos.
Linnie?
If we had a view, I'd be watching the neighbors
like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window.
And this is my Grace Kelly, Linnie.
Sweetie, the police are here.
Oh, the police? Is something wrong?
Actually, we wanted to ask you a few questions about your upstairs neighbor.
Did something happen to Mia?
Why would you ask that?
Because of her husband.
Jonah, please. We can't get involved.
Was there a disturbance in their apartment last night?
No. Linnie, I've got MS.
If you've got Alzheimer's, we're in big trouble.
There was an unholy ruckus.
It was like they were moving furniture.
Well, maybe they were. At 3:00 in the morning?
Did their fights ever get physical?
She had a broken arm last spring.
She said she tripped.
Hogwash. Linnie, the girl needs our help.
And who's going to help us if he kicks us out?
We'll never find another rent-controlled apartment
that has wheelchair access.
We'd have to leave the city.
Sweetheart. No, Jonah. I won't do it.
I'm sorry. My wife is afraid of everything.
She hasn't left Manhattan in over 30 years.
She's afraid of water. She won't go across a bridge or through a tunnel.
Mia's body is covered in bruises.
Husband really did a number on her.
She told you it was her husband?
No. No, we haven't been able to speak with her alone.
Then how do you know?
The same way you know.
The way she flinches when he comes toward her.
The way she has fear in her eyes when he speaks.
The way she wants to jump out of her skin.
Sort of the way you are right now.
Well, of course I'm scared.
This place is a godsend to me and Jonah.
He moved in here almost 40 years ago,
when he started using the wheelchair.
If we were to lose it...
There are laws that protect tenants from retaliation.
But if you don't help us, we can't protect Mia.
Brent's a monster.
All smiles and good looks.
But underneath, there's only ice.
He has no heart.
So, you've heard them fight before?
When he starts yelling, I put on my headphones.
I don't want to hear it.
But next day, I see the bruises.
So, help me help her.
Linnie? In here, dear.
I got your message. I thought you needed help getting Jonah out of the tub.
No. No. No. Please, Mia.
Talk to her. No, I have to go.
Mia, listen to me. If you go back upstairs, I can't protect you.
I don't need protection.
Sweetheart, you do.
Please.
Let me help you.
Listen to me, Mia. Listen to me.
Please. It's okay, Mia.
Mia, I want you to look. Okay?
Mia, look what he did to you.
Oh, my poor child. Look at yourself.
Look what he did.
He always says he's sorry. He brings me flowers.
Promises he will never hurt you again, until he does.
Mia, listen to me. He's not going to change.
You have to. Okay?
I need you to tell me what really happened. Okay?
He wanted to have sex.
"Let's make a baby," he said.
Because he knew I was ovulating.
He tracks it.
Takes my temperature every day.
But how can I have a child with him?
I told him I wasn't feeling well,
and he called me a selfish bitch.
And then, he started hitting me and kicking me.
And he raped you.
I'm so sorry I lied to you.
I just... I didn't know what to do.
Hey. Come here. I'll take care of her. Go arrest the bastard.
Detectives. Brent Latimer.
You're under arrest for rape.
Rape?
Where's my wife? Did you hear that, El?
You said rape. He says wife.
That sounds like a confession to me.
You're making a huge mistake, Detective.
Mia would never say a word against me.
You want to bet?
"Docket ending 0424.
"People of the State of New York v. Brent Latimer.
"Rape One. Assault Two. "
How does the defendant plead?
Not guilty.
Bail, Ms. Greylek? 500,000.
That's punitive, Your Honor. The People's case is weak.
Weak? The victim barely has an inch of un-bruised skin.
The injuries fully corroborate her story.
Which story? The one she spun out of stranger rape,
so she wouldn't get arrested for assaulting a pharmacist?
Or the tale of the big, bad husband she snookered Detective Benson with?
That's what the Grand Jury is for, Mr. Langan.
To sort these things out. Bail is set at 50,000.
Thank you, Your Honor. I'll post it immediately.
Then, the People request an Order of Protection
barring the defendant from contact with the victim.
Kim?
Throw my client out of his own home?
Well, if he made bail, he can afford a hotel room.
We also request the defendant surrender his firearms to the NYPD.
Your Honor, I have a Second Amendment right to bear arms.
I'll sleep better knowing they're in a gun safe at the precinct.
You'll turn them in. Call the next case.
I can't believe they're letting him go.
Mia, he's not allowed in this house.
If he comes within 50 feet, he'll be arrested.
Well, if he gets that close, I'll be dead. He'll shoot me.
We're taking away his guns.
You think that's going to stop him?
Look, is there any family that you could stay with?
No. My parents are dead. I'm an only child.
The only people we see are Brent's friends. They'll never believe me.
Okay. So, maybe you should check into a hotel for a few days.
I went to the grocery store last night,
and my credit card was cancelled.
So was my ATM card.
Brent cut me off from all our money.
I think you should go to a shelter.
Like a homeless person?
For domestic violence. They'll find you somewhere safe to live.
Okay. Then, what am I supposed to live on? Welfare?
You know, I grew up poor,
and I made it to the Upper East Side.
Now, I'm back to eating government cheese.
Mia, you'll file for divorce, and you'll have enough money to start over.
No, I won't. I signed a prenup.
I met Brent when I was 18. He convinced me to drop out of college.
No. He made you depend on him, so he could control you.
Well, it worked. I mean, I've never even had a job.
How am I supposed to live?
Mia, listen to me.
It's not going to be easy, but you're going to make a new life.
I had a friend whose husband beat her.
He said it was her fault.
If she wasn't so stupid and worthless, he wouldn't have to hit her.
And she believed him.
But she escaped, and she found a man
who would rather die than hurt her.
That's what you deserve, Mia.
Yeah.
So, what now? Okay. You pack.
Let's get your ID,
any important papers, anything that can't be replaced.
You can't disclose the location of the safe house.
You're going to need to sign in and out each time you leave.
Be back for curfew at 9:00 p. m.
You'll have daily chores, plus group and individual therapy.
You can't have any contact with Brent.
If you do, you'll be asked to leave the shelter.
Brent's free, and I'm in prison.
I know that it's strict here, but the rules are meant for your safety.
I know all about rules. Brent has lots of them.
Knowing where I am every minute,
looking pretty all the time,
always wear makeup, no sloppy sweats.
The house has to be so clean, it sparkles.
My dad was the same way. Always ordering me around.
There's never been a time where someone hasn't told me what to do.
Hey. How did it go with Mia?
Lousy. She's in a shelter, but I pushed her into it.
It's better than staying home and being a sitting duck for Mr. Guns & Ammo.
It should have been her choice, not me telling her what to do, like her batterer.
She's in no shape to make any decisions. She needed your help.
Now she's safe, and Brent's going to prison.
I don't think so.
Mia came to me, recanted the charges against my client. On video.
Brent must have gotten to her.
No, her guilty conscience did.
Let's go play this for Greylek and drop the charges.
I'm talking to Mia first.
Go ahead. She's at home with her husband.
Good morning, Detective.
Beautiful day, isn't it? Where's Mia?
She's making me brunch. We're having a lazy day in bed. So long.
I need to talk to her. I have a legal right to check on her well-being.
So, interfere, and I will arrest you for obstruction.
You're a piece of work.
Why? Because you can't order me around?
Mia, come here!
Please.
Hey.
Mia, are you all right?
Yeah. Everything's fine.
You don't look fine. Come here.
Look, Mia, maybe the shelter wasn't the best way to go,
but I know that there are other ways that we can keep you safe.
I want to be home with my husband.
Satisfied?
Think about this. Are you sure?
I made a mistake. But Brent forgave me,
and now we're going to get on with our lives.
And our breakfast.
Goodbye, Detective.
Oh, and tell your partner I'd like my guns back. He can drop them off anytime.
Linnie. Linnie.
Sorry. Jonah let me in.
So much for helping Mia.
Look, she wasn't ready to leave her husband.
I pushed her. It was my fault.
Oh, spare me the self-pity.
Okay. Linnie, I know that you care about Mia's safety.
What's the use? She doesn't care.
Where does that staircase lead?
It's the old servants' steps.
When they converted the house into apartments, they left it in.
We share the laundry.
You are not staying here.
It's the only way that I can protect her.
She made her bed. She'll have to lie in it. Go home, Detective.
You told Mia about your friend who was battered.
Did you help her leave?
No.
She didn't tell anyone what he did to her.
She went through hell to get out.
So, if you had known,
wouldn't you have done anything you could to protect her?
Don't you run from me!
You made a mistake, and now you have to pay for it. Now, get on your knees!
Brent, please! I said I'm sorry!
Sorry. You're sorry? Sorry's not good enough!
Let go! You're hurting me!
Don't you tell me what to do!
Put your hands on your head!
I didn't... She attacked me!
Hands up! She attacked me, okay?
Get on the floor, face down!
Linnie, call 911! Call 911!
Mia. Mia, hang on. You hang on.
Oh, God.
Oh, God. Mia!
How you holding up?
How do you think?
You did everything you could.
I could have collared her for filing a false rape report.
I have never seen you lock up a victim.
At least she'd still be alive.
For how long?
Sooner or later, she would have gone back to him.
Mia made her choice, Liv.
You saying it's her fault?
No.
But it's not yours, either.
Come on. Let's get out of here.
Was it worth it, Olivia?
Linnie, stop it.
Liv, don't.
You couldn't leave her alone. Linnie.
You just pushed and pushed. And for what? That?
Detective? Don't let him get away with it.
So, how does it look? My evidence solid?
Like a rock. And Warner did a suspect kit on Latimer.
He didn't have a scratch on him.
He can't claim self-defense.
Brent Latimer's going away for life.
And you might even close another murder.
He's killed before?
Not unless he started young and had a sex change.
We found fingerprints on the kitchen phone that matched an old homicide.
In 1974, a guy named Vincent Cresswell
was shot six times in his sleep in his apartment in Greenwich Village.
His wife, Caroline, was arrested at the scene.
She escaped just before trial
and has been a fugitive since the early '70s.
I've been dreading this for 34 years.
What's going on?
Linnie? What's that?
You never told him?
Told me what?
I don't understand. When were you arrested?
1974.
We were living together in '74.
I met you three weeks after I escaped from jail.
Escaped?
I had nowhere to go.
I slept in churches, on the subway.
I stole food. Even a wallet.
And one night, it was pouring, and I went into a diner
and spent my last dollar on a bowl of soup to get out of the rain.
I remember her sitting there. Wet, cold, shivering.
She told me she'd just arrived on vacation.
Said a con man had hustled her at the airport.
She lost her suitcase, her money, and all her ID.
Jonah took me home.
He saved my life. I had no money, no friends.
I was thinking about suicide. And then, there he was. Kind and generous.
Like the answer to a prayer.
And you never told him about your past.
She was like a character out of Dickens.
She had no family, grew up in an orphanage.
My parents disowned me when I was arrested. I couldn't go home.
Jonah is all I have.
Did you ever want children?
We tried for years. Linnie couldn't get pregnant.
She saw a doctor who told her she was infertile.
I was on the pill. I wanted a baby.
But if I was caught, I'd be sent back to jail and lose my child.
Every choice I made was out of fear.
Would somebody recognize me? Would today be the day?
Well, she couldn't travel because she'd need ID.
She couldn't work without a social security number.
My God. Is our marriage even legal?
I don't even know her real name.
My name is Linnie Malcolm.
Caroline Cresswell died a long time ago.
Right after Vincent Cresswell died.
So, tell me what happened.
We met when I was 17 at an anti-war protest.
Vincent was standing on the stage, reciting his poetry.
It wasn't very good, but...
He was so, so passionate.
I fell in love, with him and the movement.
And after the Vietnam War ended?
The world moved on.
But Vincent, he couldn't.
He was still angry,
and no one wanted bitter poems. No one listened, so...
He took it out on me.
So, you fought.
Constantly.
The rejection letters kept coming, and...
Well, he blamed me. He said I was stifling his muse.
I was dull, ugly, boring.
It wasn't me. It was the drugs and the booze.
And he could barely walk, let alone write.
Did he beat you?
All the time.
Mostly, it was just bruises.
Occasional black eye.
One time, he choked me until I passed out.
And then, he bought the gun.
Did he threaten you with it?
When he was drunk, he would talk about suicide.
And then, one day,
he said he was going to shoot me, and then kill himself.
And I know he meant it.
He was in this downward spiral,
and he was going to take me with him.
Why didn't you leave?
I was planning to.
I'd been stashing away change from the groceries.
I kept it hidden in a shoe.
I had almost $50 when he found it.
He said I must be selling myself to have so much money.
And if I wanted to be a whore,
he was going to treat me like one.
He raped you.
Over and over.
He did every vile thing that he could think of.
And then, he went to sleep,
so I took that gun from under his pillow,
and I shot him.
I don't know how long I stood there looking at his body.
I heard the siren.
I knew the neighbors had called the police.
I still had the gun in my hand when they broke down the door.
Did you tell them that he raped you?
Until now,
I've never told anyone.
Marital rape wasn't a crime until 1984.
Today, it would be ruled self-defense.
We wouldn't even charge her.
She'll have to face the original indictment.
But if we can corroborate her story,
she's probably looking at probation.
Over my dead body.
Judge Donnelly.
Not anymore.
I've taken a leave of absence
to return to the D.A.'s office.
Why?
Unfinished business.
Hello, Caroline. Remember me?
You were the prosecutor on my case.
I still am. Arrest her.
The charge is Escape in the First Degree.
Your Honor. If you won't do it,
I'll bring in another detective who isn't personally involved.
Your choice.
Stand up.
Linnie Malcolm. Her name is Caroline Cresswell.
Caroline Cresswell, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to an attorney.
If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.
"Docket ending 1116.
"People of the State of New York v. Caroline Cresswell,
"AKA Linnie Malcolm.
"One count Murder in the Second Degree. One count Escape. "
How does the defendant plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
I assume the People request remand?
Unless you want to give her another 34 years on the lam.
Your Honor, we request home confinement
with electronic monitoring.
My client is her husband's sole caretaker.
His disability requires round-the-clock assistance.
Hire a nurse. She won't shoot him in his sleep.
Elizabeth. I expect better of you.
Under the circumstances, remand is appropriate.
Any motion practice?
Uh, notice that we will be pursuing an affirmative defense.
My client was a battered woman who used reasonable force
to protect herself against imminent danger.
A sleeping man poses imminent danger?
He beat my client on a daily basis.
Can you provide documentation?
You know, photographs, medical records, eyewitness testimony?
She never disclosed the abuse.
Because it never happened.
The victim had no history of violence toward his wife or anyone else.
To have his reputation smeared by his murderer is repugnant.
Save your moral outrage for the jury. I'll allow the defense.
Anything else? Next case.
Come to show me the error of my ways?
You've spent your entire career protecting abused women.
And now, you're going after one.
You don't know, do you?
Know what?
Did you ask Linnie how she escaped?
No. Does it matter?
She asked for a meeting to discuss a plea bargain.
I let her use the bathroom. She crawled out the window.
So, you took the fall.
For years,
whenever a rookie A.D.A. Pulled a stupid move,
it was known as "Doing a Donnelly. "
You have no idea
what it was like in law enforcement back in those days.
I fought to get assigned to the Homicide Bureau,
but the D.A. Didn't think it was a suitable job for a woman.
So, what made him change his mind?
Well, he knew a male prosecutor beating up on poor little Caroline Cresswell
would get sympathy points with the jury, so he gave me the case.
After he called my husband and asked for his permission.
So, all of this because she made you look bad?
She made me look like a fool,
and she set back the image of women prosecutors.
I never made it back to the Homicide Bureau.
So, you want revenge.
No. Please.
I got over being bitter a long time ago.
I'm speaking for the victim, Vincent Cresswell.
That man beat the crap out of her every single day.
She had nowhere to turn.
They didn't have a single battered women's shelter in the city.
Not to mention that raping your wife wasn't a crime.
You don't need to remind me how hard it was for women.
Linnie snowed you, Olivia.
But don't feel bad. She snowed me, too.
"Dear Ms. Donnelly. Please help me.
"I want to plead guilty, but I have a terrible problem and only you can save me.
"I have to speak with you in private. "
So, what was the problem?
It was a ruse to get me to bring her down to my office.
I wanted to help her, just like you do.
Linnie plays the victim quite well,
but she's really a very smart, manipulative woman.
What more do you want from me, Olivia?
The truth.
I've told you everything.
No. You haven't.
Why did you escape?
I didn't plan to.
There I was in the bathroom, and the window was open.
So, it just happened?
Yes.
Well, then, why did you write this letter to Donnelly?
What was so important that you had to meet with her alone?
Don't remember.
Then, you're going to go to jail for the rest of your life.
It's what I deserve. I shot a man six times in cold blood.
In self-defense, Linnie.
Linnie, I know how much you cared about Mia.
And I know how much you love your husband.
And a cold-blooded killer isn't capable of that.
You have to tell the jury what really happened.
No.
Why did you run away, Linnie?
I can't tell you.
Well, if you won't help yourself, then do it for Jonah.
He won't forgive me.
He loves you, Linnie,
but you've been lying to him for 34 years.
Doesn't he deserve to know the whole story?
After Vincent raped me,
I was crying.
And he told me to shut up so he could get some sleep.
He put the gun under his pillow,
and he said he knew I liked it.
And if I was a good girl,
he was going to give me some more in the morning.
And I could hear him breathing softly, like a baby.
What he did to me didn't bother him a bit.
He was relaxed.
Hurting me was the only thing that made him feel good.
And I pulled the trigger.
I kept seeing him slap me
and kick me and rape me.
And I kept shooting until those images went away.
The next thing I remember was the blood, everywhere.
Thank you, Linnie. Nothing further.
So, you were scared and you shot him?
Yes. Did you tell the police that he beat you?
Well, they could see the bruises.
They didn't document them in the arrest report.
Did you tell them that you'd been raped?
No. Maybe if there had been a woman there...
But, of course, there were no female police officers in those days.
Your story is very convenient. It tugs at the heart strings.
But there's no proof.
It's the truth.
Well, why didn't you tell that to a jury 34 years ago?
We're all waiting.
Please answer the question.
I can't.
You mean you won't.
You ran because you knew you'd be convicted.
There was no beating.
No rape.
No self-defense. You're guilty and you knew it.
I was pregnant.
Oh, so, now hormones made you do it.
Did they make you run, too?
I ran so I could get an abortion.
I couldn't get an abortion in prison,
and I couldn't have that baby.
I didn't care if I spent the rest of my life in jail,
but the thought of his child growing inside me...
That's why I came to see you.
To say I'd plead guilty, if I could just end the pregnancy first.
But you were so strong,
so self-confident.
I was ashamed of my weakness.
I couldn't tell you.
How could a woman like you
ever understand a woman like me?
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please rise?
As to the first count of the indictment, Murder in the Second Degree,
how do you find the defendant?
Not guilty.
As to the second count of the indictment, Escape in the First Degree,
what is your verdict?
Guilty.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, thank you for your service.
You are excused. I'll see you in two weeks for sentencing.
At which time, Your Honor, the People will be recommending probation.
I look forward to hearing your reasoning, Elizabeth,
but I tend to agree with you.
Why?
Because back then, I was trying so hard to be one of the boys,
I forgot why I became a lawyer.
Thank you. Thank you.
You'll be home in a couple of weeks.
Jonah. It's over.
It's over.
I'm happy for you, Linnie. But...
Oh, no.
Please don't say it.
When did you have the abortion?
The week you went to the conference in Seattle.
You left me money.
Every decision you and I made was based on a lie.
I wanted children, remember? And grandchildren.
And I'll never have them. You stole them from me, Linnie.
I'm sorry.
I don't know you.
I'm still the woman you married.
Can't you forgive me?
I don't think I can.