Original subtitles

NARRATOR: 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.

Good nannies are hard to find.

Mrs. Endsley offered to double my salary

if I went to work for her.

Lucy, go play with the other kids.

And keep your jacket on, I'm not telling you again!

Of course I told her, I couldn't possibly leave little Jack.

He's devoted to me.

Give me her number, I'll take the job.

She's looking for someone with more training and experience.

I can't work for Mrs. Prichard anymore.

Lucy is driving me nuts. She never obeys me.

That's because her mother spoils her rotten.

Have you tried using time-outs?

Mrs. Prichard won't let me.

She says it will stunt Lucy's creativity.

Nonsense.

I keep telling you, children need limits.

Call her over, I'll show you how to handle her.

Lucy.

Lucy?

I don't see her.

Lucy! Lucy, where are you?!

Lucy!

Missing kid is Lucy Prichard.

20 months old, red and pink jacket, denim jumper.

That's her nanny, Sarah Rendell.

The older nanny with her is Veronica Nash.

She says a freak has been hanging around here the past couple of days.

Figured if it was a pedophile snatch,

you guys would want to get an early heads up.

Okay. Thanks.

Tell the nannies to stick around.

Where's Olivia?

Emergency hearing on the Yeager case.

Going to take a few days. You're stuck with me.

So, you think this is a kidnap or she just wandered off?

Sounds like the real deal.

You've got a nanny here, says she saw a creepy guy.

Bushes are a perfect place for a perv to fantasize.

Hides up here, lures the kid over

and then carries her off to a waiting car.

Captain?

Call a bus!

Got it.

Stay with me, sweetheart.

Stay with me. It's going to be okay.

It's going to be all right.

Lucy's CT shows intracranial bleeding.

She has a laceration to the back of her head,

but no skull fracture.

She's on her way to surgery right now

to reduce the brain swelling.

Did you do a rape kit?

No time, her clothing was intact.

We did a quick LumaLite, no semen.

Give me a call after the surgery, please?

Sure.

I spoke to the mom, she's on her way.

Works at an ad agency downtown.

It may take awhile to get here.

And the dad?

Died last year, heart attack.

Hits just keep coming, huh?

Nanny's in the waiting room. Let's talk to her.

I only took my eyes off of her for a moment.

One minute she was playing and the next she was gone.

We heard about a strange guy

that's been hanging around the playground.

Did you see him there today?

No, but Veronica did.

She saw him a couple times before.

Have you?

No.

And I take Lucy to that playground every day.

STABLER: Where else do you two go?

Mostly to the park, the zoo,

or the museum if it's raining.

Her mom wants her to get lots of fresh air.

Anybody ever pay unusual

attention to Lucy?

No.

I see the same people all the time.

I'd remember any stranger.

Oh, God, Lucy!

STABLER: Mrs. Prichard.

Evelyn, I am so sorry.

Where's Lucy?

In surgery.

The doctor's are doing everything they can.

I'm Captain Cragen, Special Victims. This is Detective Stabler.

Who did this?

We've just started our investigation.

Sarah has been very helpful.

How could you let this happen?

Sarah, come on, let's go get some coffee.

What if she's not okay?

Oh, God.

This can't be happening.

I don't know what I'll do if I lose her.

Why is God punishing me?

I've seen lots of tragedies that I can't explain.

There's a chapel in the hospital here.

Sometimes going in can help.

( sniffling )

Elliot, I'll stay with Evelyn.

Go interview the other nanny,

see if you can get a description of the perp.

Okay. Call me when you hear anything about Lucy.

Sarah's a baby-sitter, not a certified nanny.

It's sad, but this happens

when children are left with unqualified caregivers.

Let's talk about what happened today.

My point exactly, Detective.

I was taught to observe my child's surroundings.

That's why I noticed that man and Sarah didn't.

Can you tell me about him?

White guy, mid 40s, short, dark hair.

Very stocky.

He's been lurking around

the playground the last few days.

He seem especially interested in Lucy?

I really couldn't say.

At first I thought

he was just one of the dads,

trying to get some good candid shots.

Photographs?

Yes, he was taking pictures.

Where?

The man was standing right there on those rocks.

Thank you. We're going to have an officer take you down

to the precinct for a sketch.

I'm happy to help.

Detective, Ian Felson, from the Trib.

You got anything for me? Too soon to say.

But you're working it as a pedophile kidnap, right?

No comment. Oh, come on, Detective,

deep background is all I need to really get into this...

No comment.

Sorry, Elliot.

I told the guy to get lost.

Walk this way.

It's going to find its way to the headlines tomorrow.

Probably dub the guy the "Park Pervert."

Well, if he's got any information,

I'd like to read about it.

Area where you found the girl, it's clean.

Bagged all the trash nearby, but nothing pertinent.

We got a witness placing a guy up on these rocks

taking pictures of the kids.

Use a telephoto lens, you get great shots,

no one would know you're there.

We haven't searched up here yet.

Didn't have any indication the rocks

were part of the crime scene.

The ground's too uneven for footwear impressions.

But if the guy smokes, or chews gum,

we could get his DNA if he left anything behind.

Will that do?

Using film is unusual.

What do you mean? Pedophiles love photos.

No, I'm not talking about the pictures themselves.

I'm talking about how they were taken.

Most pedophiles have gone digital

to avoid getting caught when they get their film developed.

Your guy is a risk taker.

I think he proved that

by attacking the kid in broad daylight.

If he had been waiting for the perfect child,

then he wouldn't consider the danger,

he'd be compelled to act.

But the nanny realized that Lucy was missing

before he could do his thing.

Her panics, knocks the girl out and runs.

Leaving his prints behind on the film carton.

Dennis Papillion. One arrest, Burg Three.

Probation officer says

he works at a drugstore on Broadway.

43, stocky, short hair, sounds like Veronica's description.

Let's go.

You know this guy?

Yeah. He's right over there, in photo finishing.

Thank you.

You don't need a digital camera if you can print your own porn.

CRAGEN: Dennis Papillion?

Yeah. Why you want to know?

The badges mean we ask the questions.

Where were you this morning?

You got the wrong guy. I've been here since we opened at 7:00.

Check the security tapes. Now, can I ask what this is about?

STABLER: Your prints were found at a crime scene

on a box of film.

Now, there's a surprise.

You know how much I sell?

The customer asks for it, I hand it over.

You process it for them, too?

Sure, I do a couple hundred rolls a day.

Do you ever look at the photos?

Just to make sure they come out okay.

The guy we're looking for would have taken a lot of shots

of a playground in Riverside Park.

Oh, yeah, I ran those off this morning. Boring.

STABLER: He pick them up yet?

About an hour ago.

But he dropped off another couple of rolls.

He said he'd be back later to get them.

"Ronny Ickles." Address on 29th Street.

We'll make a special delivery.

Hold on, I'm no damn baby raper.

Right, hanging around a playground,

taking pictures of little kids

is a normal pastime for a grown man.

I was working. I'm a PI.

Where's your ticket?

I don't have my license yet.

If it was a legit job, why did you leave the playground

when the cops showed up?

I didn't want to get involved.

My client wouldn't like that.

You're working an illegal shop.

You cooperate or we collar you.

All right, all right.

My client is this rich guy, David Jeffries.

He hire you to shoot kiddie porn on commission?

I don't need work that bad.

Oh, yeah?

That's a six-month supply for a pedophile.

He wasn't into kids.

He wanted me to spy on his nanny.

Jeffries hired me to watch how his son

got treated when he wasn't around.

Worst thing I saw was the nanny was smoking.

Hey.

Picked up the rest of your PI's photos

on my way back from court.

Thanks. How's Lucy doing?

Last I heard, she's still in surgery.

Client confirms Ickles story.

So do these pictures once you sort them out.

You got a lot of shots of the kids,

but even more of the nannies.

Now, I got about ten photos of Lucy up here.

All of them time-coded.

These are the last three before she disappeared.

So, we got Lucy playing with

a little blonde girl.

The next is a minute later

and Lucy is wandering away.

She's headed right to the spot where we found her.

That's the last one.

Lucy is almost out of sight.

And then Sarah is panicking, and these shots

are only about a minute after the last one with Lucy.

Not a lot of time for an attack. ( phone ringing )

There's something just not right here.

There's no one anywhere near her.

Benson.

Maybe there is no crime.

This could be an accident.

Lucy tripped, conked her head on the way down.

Yeah, kids her age fall down all the time,

but they don't knock themselves out and need surgery.

BENSON: Elliot, that was the hospital.

Lucy's doctor wants to see you.

Lucy's out of surgery. She's stable but still unconscious.

Any chance she could have fallen?

No. She's has bilateral subdural hematomas, with retinal shearing...

Shaken baby syndrome.

Yeah. She was shaken with enough force

to cause severe trauma.

What are her chances?

Oh, it's hard to say, but if she does recover,

she'll probably have permanent brain damage.

Are you sure about this diagnosis?

There's no way this was an accident?

Oh, I'm sure.

Shaken baby syndrome refers to a constellation of injuries,

most commonly, bilateral subdural hematomas.

BISHOP: Which means...?

STABLER: Massive bruises to the brain.

Shaking causes the baby's head to snap back and forth.

Let's say this egg is the baby's brain and the jar is its skull.

When the two collide at high speed from shaking...

the injury is devastating.

BISHOP: So you'll testify

that shaken baby syndrome

can be the only cause of Lucy's brain injuries?

Yes.

I read her doctor's reports.

Her eyes show distinctive retinal shearing

and small hemorrhages.

Plus, she has compression fractures of the ribs

from where the perp grabbed her.

That's pathonomonic for shaken baby.

How can this happen on a playground without anyone noticing?

Based on the amount

of blood in the skull cavity,

I'd say the attack happened between 12 and 48 hours

before you found her. She would have been sleepy,

lethargic, maybe even vomiting, but ambulatory.

So the perp could be anyone who had contact with Lucy

in the last three days.

MRS. PRICHARD: I don't understand.

When I left for work yesterday,

she was fine.

She was walking and talking.

Did the doctors explain

that her brain could have bled out so slowly

that she would have seemed fine for a few days?

Yes.

It's just hard to believe that she was hurt

and that I didn't know it.

Who does Lucy spend most of her time with?

Adults.

Just me and Sarah.

Mm. You have a boyfriend?

( mirthless chuckle )

I... I haven't dated

since my husband died.

How did Lucy seem Monday night?

I worked late.

By the time I got home, she was asleep.

I try to get off work early,

but I need all the overtime I can get.

So Lucy was alone with Sarah all day Monday and Tuesday,

right up until the time they went to the playground?

Yes.

You happy with Sarah?

She's all right.

I wanted somebody with more experience,

but I can't afford it.

She ever rough with Lucy?

I caught her yelling at Lucy once

but if she ever would have hit her, I would have fired her.

You ever notice any marks or bruises on her?

Yes. Sometimes. I ask Sarah about it,

and she'd say that Lucy fell down, or that she...

got hit by a kid in the playground.

You think Sarah hurt Lucy?

Do you?

I'm only supposed to work from 8:00 to 6:00,

but Evelyn never gets home until after 9:00.

Long hours.

Lot of responsibility for a young woman.

Lucy an easy kid?

I wish.

She was a colicky baby and now she's a screamer.

Throws huge tantrums every time her mother goes out.

You couldn't pay me enough to do what you do.

I hear a kid scream, it makes me insane.

I don't know how you stand it.

It's so hard.

Sometimes I get...

Frustrated?

She's just a little girl,

but she can make me so mad.

I understand.

A couple of months ago, Lucy threw a toy at me,

and I spanked her,

even though Evelyn told me not to.

Well, when we get mad, we lose control.

We all have our breaking point.

Are you saying I hurt Lucy?

Sarah, you were the only one with her

all day Monday and Tuesday.

I didn't hurt her, I swear.

So how did she wind up on life support?

That day she fell down a lot.

But the injuries Lucy has

couldn't have been caused by a fall.

Then I don't know.

You willing to take a polygraph?

I'm afraid.

Sarah, if there's something

you're not telling me, now is the time.

( crying )

Evelyn pays me so little,

and I work so hard.

It makes me really mad.

I know it was wrong... but I did it.

What did you do?

I took money from her purse.

Five, sometimes ten dollars.

( sniffling )

I don't think Sarah did it.

Based on what? My gut.

That's not admissible.

Look, Huang says Sarah fits the profile.

Overwhelmed, cooped up long hours with a difficult child...

She's torn up about ripping off a couple hundred bucks.

I don't think she's lying about hurting Lucy.

It could be she's a clever sociopath.

Admits to a meaningless infraction, gains your sympathy.

So give her a polygraph.

It'll prove she didn't do it.

Hate to rain on your parade, but it looks like you're wrong about Sarah.

What do you got? A call from the Tribune. They got the story,

plus a source who saw Sarah abusing Lucy.

Who's your eyewitness?

They didn't say.

Ian Felson wrote the piece.

Your office said I'd find you here.

Make it quick.

Perp walk starts any minute.

I need your witness in the Prichard case.

I know it's confidential.

You help me out, I'll make it worth your while.

( camera clicking )

Exclusive on the arrest?

Done.

Let me make a call.

It's Ian Felson, from the Trib.

The police would like to talk to you.

Thanks.

She says it's cool.

Who's she?

Veronica Nash.

That's the other nanny. I already talked to her.

I guess you didn't ask the right questions.

How in the hell did you forget to tell me

that Sarah had abused her?

You didn't ask.

I thought that pervert from the park hurt Lucy

until that reporter started asking me questions.

What exactly did you tell him?

Lucy is a difficult child-- willful, defiant.

Sarah has a hard time controlling her.

She gets frustrated

and hits Lucy.

You've seen her do that? More than once.

Can you remember any specific incidents?

Will I have to testify?

Ma'am, you just told millions of Tribune readers.

I think you can handle 12 jurors.

A few weeks ago,

Sarah and I took the children to the museum.

Lucy started running around like a little maniac.

Then she started throwing things.

One of the staff yelled at Sarah for not controlling her.

Then she smacked Lucy across the face, hard.

WOMAN: Sure, I remember that kid.

She's a very active little girl.

She was very excited by the artwork.

She ran around touching everything.

Is that a problem?

No. Our exhibits are designed to be interactive,

and we encourage the children

to express themselves. It was the nanny who got upset.

She was rough with the child.

Hit her pretty hard.

Did you report her?

I went and found the security guard,

but when we got back, they were gone.

It's just a formality.

Do you recognize this woman?

Sure. She was there that day, too.

What do you mean, "too"?

Well, she didn't hit the kid.

It was this other woman.

Lady...

you are either stupid or out of your mind.

What did you think? I wouldn't go to the museum

and check on your story?

What are you talking about?

You hit Lucy, not Sarah.

Museum staff picked you out.

Lucy deserved a spanking.

Well, sweetheart, the way I hear it,

you gave her a lot more than that.

She needs discipline.

Her behavior is atrocious.

So is yours, sweetheart! You're sick, you know that?!

What is it, you need attention so badly,

you run to a reporter and lie to him

just to see your name in the paper?

I have years of training, Detective.

And I've got a witness who saw you hit that child.

You shake her, too?

I hadn't seen Lucy for days

until Tuesday morning at the playground.

I was with my employers

at their country home all weekend.

Call them.

Veronica Nash's story checks out.

She didn't shake that baby.

CRAGEN: We can still charge her

for assaulting Lucy at the museum.

Good. Do it.

The papers crucify her. She'll lose her job.

That's something.

Are you mad at her

or at yourself?

Look, I've got a little girl in the hospital

who's not getting any better.

I just wasted a whole day on that idiot's lies.

I'm no closer to making a collar here.

I got one you can rule out. Polygraph results.

Sarah passed with flying colors.

Well, any consolation, your gut instincts were right.

I should have trusted them instead of that crap in the Tribune.

The only thing that paper is good for is lining my bird cage.

CRAGEN: Where you going?

Back to the hospital.

She almost looks like she's sleeping.

Any news, Detective?

Sarah Rendell's been cleared.

Then who hurt Lucy?

You tell me.

You're crazy.

I love my daughter.

Only you and Sarah were with her

the last two days.

Your own words.

I-I should have told you before.

There was someone else.

Who?

I didn't think he could have done it.

I was only gone for a little while.

That's your daughter lying in the crib.

A machine's breathing for her.

You really want to protect the person who put her there?

It's a man I've been seeing.

Drew Farmer.

He's married.

I left him alone with Lucy.

How come we're hearing just now

about Evelyn Prichard's mystery man?

Because this Drew Farmer is her boss.

They've been having an affair for the past couple months.

The overtime Evelyn works.

You got it-- Sunday night, Drew's wife was out of town.

Evelyn gave her nanny the night off, invited him over for dinner.

Any idea how Drew feels

about kids? According to Evelyn, doesn't have any,

doesn't want any.

CRAGAN: How long was he alone with Lucy? 20 minutes.

Mom's not gone that long-- why would he shake the kid?

HUANG: Kids get shaken when they're crying.

Research shows that a child's screams

can provoke extreme stress in some people.

Maybe Drew was trying to shut Lucy up.

Bring him in.

Evelyn's an employee, nothing more.

Well, no one on the support staff

of the ad agency works overtime but Evelyn,

and she only does it when your wife's out of town.

Oh, this is absurd-- I'd like to call my lawyer now.

You got it. You just put yourself in the jackpot, pal.

You're crazy! I never touched the girl.

So you admit you were there?

Look, my wife finds out,

she will cut my balls off in divorce court.

If you keep jerking me around,

criminal court's going to do a lot worse to you.

I don't know what happened to Lucy. Yeah, you do.

Look, it's turning into a beautiful night,

just you and Evelyn, and then all of a sudden,

she's got to go to the store.

And the kid starts screaming.

Well, you know, you got to shut her up,

because you know, Mommy comes home

and that kid is still crying,

Evelyn will be taking care of her needs instead of yours,

so you pick her up, try to quiet her down,

but she keeps crying, and she's crying, and she's crying...

I just wanted her to go back to sleep.

Of course you did, but she wouldn't, would she?

And you don't know what to do, you don't have kids, so you shake her, huh?

You shook her, and then you just laid her down,

'cause she's quiet now. No, you're wrong.

You shook that baby. You shook that baby, Drew,

and then you got your rocks off with her mother

while her baby lay dying a few feet away.

No, I didn't shake her! I picked her up, that's all.

She must have been sick.

What do you mean, she was sick?

She puked all over my jacket, and I put her right back down.

Evelyn never said Lucy threw up.

I didn't tell her.

I didn't...

I didn't want to spoil the mood.

Oh, geez.

CRAGAN: It's not enough for an arrest.

We've got to cut him loose. I know, I know,

but I'm telling you, it pisses me off.

Somebody almost killed that little girl.

She can't speak, but all the adults in her life

are lying their asses off?

Then we go back to the medical evidence.

We'll put it all together, and let it tell the real story.

This is the timeline

of the last three days.

Tuesday, Lucy collapsed, but according to Sarah,

she was lethargic and clumsy on Monday.

Ataxia and decreased motor skills are common

after a shaking incident.

So you're saying the attack happened Sunday.

Yes. Lucy vomiting Sunday night

is a classic sign of head trauma.

So Evelyn shook Lucy earlier, and that's why she threw up on Drew.

Well, who knows what came first?

Getting puked on could've pissed Drew off enough that he shook the kid.

There's no medical reason

for Lucy's sudden emesis without the shaking.

I could be wrong, but the symptoms

and the time frame point to Evelyn.

Any way to connect Evelyn to Lucy's wounds?

Lucy has rib fractures from where the perp grabbed her.

A different hand size would cause

a different fracture pattern.

If I shook you, I would leave an impression here,

but the captain's hands are bigger...

and would cause a different fracture pattern.

Find the hand, find the perp.

Evelyn?

Detective. Have you heard something?

No.

This is Dr. Warner. She'd like to conduct an examination.

Hold out your hand like this, please.

I don't understand. Just...

help us out.

It's a match.

Drew Farmer's hands are much bigger.

You shook Lucy.

No. I'm her mother. I love her.

I love my little girl. I would never hurt her.

I'm putting you under arrest for assault and attempted murder.

This is a mistake. You have the right to remain silent.

I am a good mother. If you give up that right, anything you say

can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You get a confession? She lawyered up.

I look forward to trying her.

She's going to be sympathetic.

I can't believe a jury'll feel sorry for a parent

who scrambled her kid's brain.

And I'm telling you, every parent has been there.

A baby's crying can make you lose your mind.

You'll pick them up, you rock them.

I mean, hell, you'll beg them, and...

sometimes nothing works.

It sounds like you're speaking from personal experience.

Ah, the unholy cabal.

Planning on how to railroad the next innocent person?

I'm planning on locking her up for life.

What a pity.

A few months in Special Victims, and you're already a zealot.

An injured child comes in, and you scream abuse.

Lucy wasn't spanked. She's in a coma, close to death,

because her mother shook the life out of her.

What happened is a devastating tragedy, but...

it's not Evelyn's fault. Temporary insanity

brought on by the stress of raising a child with permanent live-in help?

No excuses. I meant what I said.

She's innocent, and I'll prove it.

So, in your expert opinion

Dr. Warner, who is responsible

for the injuries to Lucy Prichard?

The defendant, Evelyn Prichard.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Are you saying that the only possible cause

of Lucy's injuries is shaken baby syndrome?

Yes.

The subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages

are classic signs.

Are you familiar with

hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis,

or HLH?

It's a rare blood disorder that disrupts

liver and bone marrow function.

Isn't it true

that HLH also causes bleeding of the brain and eyes?

Yes.

Was Lucy's blood tested for HLH?

There's no blood test,

but HLH could not have caused her rib fractures.

CPR was performed on Lucy in Riverside Park.

CPR requires chest compressions, correct?

Yes.

So isn't it possible

that the lifesaving treatment caused the fractures?

No.

CPR is administered with the patient lying on her back.

Chest compressions could have caused

the frontal rib fractures but certainly not

the posterior ones. But couldn't those

have been caused by Detective Stabler,

who testified that he, quote, "grabbed Lucy

and ran"?

Why didn't you rule out

a diagnosis of HLH?

Because the only way

to distinguish between HLH

and shaken baby syndrome is an autopsy.

So for all you know right now,

Lucy's injuries could have been caused

by a natural disease and not a criminal act.

Yes.

The day my daughter was born,

it was the happiest day of my life.

And then your husband died.

It must be very difficult raising a child without him.

Yes, it is.

I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom,

but now I have to be the breadwinner.

For the child's sake?

Evelyn...

did you ever spank Lucy?

No.

I don't believe in corporal punishment.

Have you ever shaken Lucy?

( laughs ): No.

I know what shaking can do to a baby.

I would... never hurt my daughter.

Thank you.

Your witness.

You say you love your daughter, Mrs. Prichard.

How much time during the last few months

did you actually spend with her?

Not as much

as I wanted.

My husband's death left a lot of bills.

I had to work very long hours just to make ends meet.

So you relied on Sarah to be her primary caregiver.

I take care of my daughter.

But you would leave

before she got up in the morning

and come home after Lucy went to bed.

Yes.

So who hugs Lucy when she gets up in the morning?

Sarah does.

And who puts Lucy to bed?

Sarah.

And who takes her to the park, and to the zoo?

And who comforts her when she cries,

and who puts a Band-Aid on when she skins her knee?

I wanted to be there.

Lucy was crying that night,

and you didn't know how to comfort her.

She was ruining your romantic date.

That's why you shook her.

No!

I... I could never hurt Lucy.

Why don't you believe me?

Nothing further.

Judge is going to turn it to the jury after lunch.

Then, hopefully, it'll be a quick verdict.

I think they're with us. I'm telling you,

you can't tell with these cases.

You preparing me for an acquittal?

I've worked enough battered kid cases

to know-- giving birth doesn't make you a mother,

( cell phone ringing ) but juries...

they believe what they need to believe.

Stabler.

When?

Okay, I'm here

with Novak-- I'll tell her.

Tell me what?

Lucy just had a stroke.

They don't think she'll live.

A massive brain hemorrhage

destroyed Lucy's cerebral cortex.

She'd be dead already if she wasn't on life support.

How long can the machines keep her alive?

We don't know-- could be days, or months.

Explain her condition to me.

Uh, Lucy is in what's called a persistent vegetative state.

She has minimal brain stem function

that keeps her heart beating, her blood circulating,

but she can't move, speak, hear or see.

She feel pain?

I'm afraid that's all she feels.

Her EEG shows no active thoughts,

but her primitive brain functions are still intact.

Her body senses and responds to painful stimuli.

Is there any hope she'll get better?

No. Her condition will only continue to deteriorate

until some infection kills her

or life support's turned off.

I've got rounds.

The jury needs to know this.

Summations are over.

The judge is getting ready to charge them.

Then ask for delay.

I don't have any legal grounds.

This baby's suffering is not irrelevant.

I'll see what I can do.

Your Honor, the facts in the case have changed,

and the jury has a right to hear them.

What's changed?

Lucy was in a coma then, she's still in one now.

She's brain-dead-- a ventilator is breathing for her.

That's tragic. But you don't have grounds to reopen the case.

Evelyn Prichard is on trial for assault,

but when Lucy dies, which she soon will, it'll be murder.

A murder charge is only proper

after life support is turned off,

and Evelyn Prichard has no intention of doing that.

Your Honor, the jury should be allowed

to consider newly discovered evidence.

Only if offered by the defense.

The prosecution just gets one bite of the apple.

She's right. I'm sorry, Counselor,

the jury will have to render its verdict

based on the facts already in evidence.

I got your page. What's the verdict?

Hung jury, hopelessly deadlocked.

So you'll be retrying Evelyn.

Yeah, we start on Monday.

The jury's going to hear that Lucy's brain dead.

Yeah, but I don't think that it'll make a difference.

You were right.

Evelyn's too sympathetic.

I'll never get a jury to convict her.

This woman's a murderer.

Not as long as Lucy is technically alive.

"And good night to the old lady

"whispering, 'Hush, good night, stars,

"good night, air,

good night, noises everywhere.'"

Why are you here?

To see Lucy.

Do you have children, Detective?

I do. I have four.

And I can't imagine

the pain you're going through to see your baby like this.

What do you want from me?

Let her go.

So you can charge me with murder?

So we can end Lucy's pain.

( sniffles )

I believe that's up to God.

So do I.

I love my children,

and if one of them was sick,

I would do anything in the world to make them better,

but I would also pray to God that if all hope were gone,

he'd give me the strength just to end their suffering.

I love my daughter.

If I lose her, I might as well be dead, too.

Detective Stabler, your captain said

you wanted to talk to me about the Prichard case.

I think the D.A.'s office should fight to turn off life support.

And what makes you think

Judge Preston would grant such a motion?

I read the papers. A similar request was made in California successfully

when a father shook his son.

And it was unsuccessful

in Florida. Parents are winning the fight

to keep their comatose daughter alive

despite legal precedent.

Lucy's doctor says she'll never recover.

What's this really about, Detective?

You fighting for Lucy

or bringing Evelyn Prichard to justice?

I don't know if she's a grieving mother who can't let go,

or if she's just trying to beat a murder rap.

What I do know...

is a little girl is in constant pain

and there is no hope of her ever getting better.

Okay, Detective.

But Evelyn gave birth to her.

Lucy is her flesh and blood.

You be careful or they'll paint us as baby killers.

Why did you go over my head?

I'm trying to do what's right for that child.

So am I.

But it's my case now, and it's my choice, not yours, okay?

You should have come to me first.

I apologize. You're right.

You've every right to be pissed at me.

Now, you tell me, you think it's wrong to stop life support?

I'm not a mother,

I don't know what I'd do if she were my child.

Welcome to Special Victims.

It's not always black and white.

Removing Lucy Prichard from life support

is the only ethically responsible option.

This is reprehensible.

She wants to kill the child so she'll have a stronger case.

It's my duty to represent Lucy Prichard's best interest.

It's hardly in her best interest to be dead.

Every night I pray she gets better,

but Lucy is in God's hands, not yours.

BALTHUS: We vehemently oppose withdrawing life support.

The prosecution wants to execute a helpless child.

Enough, Ms. Balthus.

What grounds do you have

to judicially supersede a parent's right

to make decisions for the minor child?

Mrs. Prichard's right is nullified

by her legal predicament. Her judgment is biased

because her own future rests on her child's survival.

Then prove to me that cessation of life support

is truly in Lucy's best interests.

Lucy has violent pain responses and little more.

When we touch her, she has a seizure.

What are her other medical problems?

Lucy's bones have become demineralized.

Can you tell us what that means?

They're very brittle.

Yesterday when a nurse changed her diaper,

it fractured her hip.

Thank you, Doctor, nothing further.

JUDGE: Your witness, Ms. Balthus.

Dr. Morella,

are you familiar with the case of Estelle Sanchez?

No.

Richard Youst?

Francine LeMott?

No. They're not my patients.

Well, thank God for that,

because Estelle Sanchez was in a coma for ten years,

woke up and asked for pancakes.

Richard Youst...

Objection, Your Honor.

Sustained. You've made your point, Counselor. Move on.

Isn't it true, Doctor,

that people awake from so-called persistent vegetative states

years after the doctors

have told the families to give up hope?

Every case is different.

But miracles happen.

I wouldn't call them that.

What would you call them, then?

Can science explain the sudden recovery

of all function in previously non-responsive patients?

No, but...

It happens, doesn't it?

It can.

Thank you.

Redirect, Your Honor?

You may proceed, Counselor.

Dr. Morella,

can Lucy awaken as the defense implies?

No. She suffered permanent and irreparable brain damage.

Life support is mechanically keeping the shell

of what was once Lucy Prichard alive.

Is there any hope she can recover?

No.

So, in addition to seizures and breaking bones,

how would you describe Lucy's life?

I believe she's in constant, excruciating pain.

Enough!

Evelyn...

No, no, no!

I... I don't want Lucy to suffer anymore.

Please, please turn off the machines.

JUDGE: Ms. Balthus, explain

to your client that if she does consent

to a cessation of life support,

she wi face a murder charge.

I don't... I don't care!

I don't care.

I did it.

I'm so sorry.

I love her.

Please, please turn off the machines.

Detective, you have to know

I love my baby.

Everything I did, I did for her.

That night, I-I just wanted a chance at a normal life again,

with a man I loved.

I've been so alone.

I just wanted a night to myself.

At first,

Lucy was sleeping peacefully,

but then she woke up and she wouldn't stop screaming

and I was so angry.

I shook her... over and over

until she stopped crying.

Then I put her down and she smiled up at me.

She seemed okay.

After the doctor told me that she'd been shaken,

I just kept telling myself that it couldn't be my fault!

Oh, God, I never meant to hurt her!

( crying )

Is it over?

They turned the machines off.

Ten minutes later, Lucy was gone.

It was peaceful.

Evelyn there?

Corrections sent her down from Bedford Hills.

Give me your keys. I'll drive you home.

That's Maureen, about Lucy's age.

I'd just gotten out of the Marines.

I was unemployed.

Kathy was pregnant again.

One night she went out

and I was home alone with Maureen.

She spilled grape juice

all over this brand-new carpet we just bought,

which we couldn't afford to buy.

( sighs )

I grabbed her arm to spank her,

and she twisted away, and I slapped her in the face.

As my hand was coming down the second time...

this voice in my head said, "Stop."

So, I'm standing there, in the middle of this room,

holding the limp body of my little girl.

She starts crying and... and I pick her up...

and I just keep saying over and over, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

( choked up ): I could have killed my kid over a lousy carpet.

( sniffling )

Come on.

( wolf howling )