All language subtitles for Law and Order SVU s18e02 Making a Rapist.eng

_

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.

My dad used to have an expression.

He said, "The greatest sin
any person can commit

is the abuse of power."

And the greatest abuse of power
was rape.

It takes a woman a long time to heal.

And when the victim isn't believed,

when she goes through
the invasive process

of having a rape kit put together,

and then it's stuck
on a shelf somewhere...

and then the rape kit
is never, ever tested...

we fail.

We fail her.

We fail so many women.

I'm proud to say
today we did not fail.

Thanks to the dedicated
efforts of law enforcement,

the whole legal system,
the victim's advocacy groups,

and particularly my friend here,

Lieutenant Olivia Benson of SVU,

congratulations, Lieutenant.

[applause]

Thank you.
Thank you.

Mr. Vice President,
we are so honored

to stand here today with you

to announce that in
beginning to clear

the national rape kit backlog,

we have taken rapists
off the streets.

We have prevented future crimes.
We have given victims closure.

And we have also righted
a terrible wrong.

16 years ago,

Sean Roberts was convicted of a rape

here in New York City
that he did not commit.

By processing an untested
rape kit in Detroit,

we were able to identify
the real rapist

and set Sean free.

[applause]

[camera shutters clicking]

I want to thank everyone
who tested the kits.

I've only been out
of prison for a month,

but it already feels like
a second chance at life.

I bear no ill will
towards Melanie Harper.

She's as much a victim
as I am in this.

This is a fresh start for me,

Melanie, and her daughter, Ashley.

We're looking forward
to the next chapter.

And my mother and I
want to make amends...

have Sean in our lives.

I'm getting married next month.

I've invited Sean to the wedding.

Thank you.

Thank you for everything.

Seems like you've all gotten close.

I'm just glad that
Sean's forgiven me.

It was a honest mistake, Melanie.

At the time,
you were sure it was him.

I was wrong.

We were both wrong.

- You ready to go, Mom?
- Yeah.

Last time I saw you,
you were six years old.

Now you're getting married.
Congratulations.

Thank you.

We're taking Sean out
for his birthday tonight.

It's the first time
I can legally drink.

Well, have fun, and...

stay safe.

Bye.

- You okay with all this?
- I'm good.

I'm just glad he's out of jail.

[exhales]

Me too.

[sighs softly]

- Thank you.
- Okay, yeah, um...

[dark music]

Detective Tutuola.

Melanie Harper asked for me?

Inside. She's a mess.

What are we looking at?

Mother was sleeping,

smelled smoke, called it in.

Girl was raped, strangled,

stabbed, doused in bleach, burned.

Okay, Momma's here.
Momma's here, okay?

Okay, it's gonna be okay.

We're going to the hospital.
It's gonna be...

Melanie, what happened?

Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.

I came down and I...
I found her like this.

Did you see anything or hear anybody?

Here, I'm right here.

I heard a man.

Did you recognize his voice?

[panting]

I think it was Sean.

Sean Roberts?

The guy we just got out of prison?

Yeah.

[siren wailing]

[dramatic music]

- sync and corrections by Zac -
- www.addic7ed.com -

Ashley Harper was raped and stabbed,

and you think that Sean Roberts
is involved in this... how?

Well, Melanie said she heard
Sean's voice in the house.

Well, we know that they went
out together last night.

Did you talk to him yet?

Well, considering the history,

we figured we should
talk to you first.

Okay, all right.

So what do we have?

Um, there's no sign of forced entry,

so Ashley probably did
know her attacker,

and there's a kitchen knife
that's missing.

CSU's running the scene.

Whoever did this,
they used bleach on her,

they burned her...
got rid of all DNA.

Who else was in her life?
She just got engaged, right?

Right, we're tracking
down her fianc?e,

and we're going through her texts,
we're going through her social media.

Okay, so run down every single angle.

Uh, security cams in the house...
in the neighborhood.

Traffic cams.
Canvass the neighbors.

We need to be sure
about every single detail on this.

[phone buzzing]

[sighs]

Okay, Carisi's here.

Loop him in.

Have him talk to the fianc?e.

Rollins...

Rollins, you talk to Sean.

Pulling me off the case?

No, actually,
I need to keep you on...

you know, optics.

What's that mean?

If you step away from the case,

it'll look like you have a...

something personal with Sean, right?

Give credibility to his lawsuit.

So just let Rollins take the lead.

Got it.

[sighs]

Ms. Harper,

I'm so sorry.

What did the doctors say?

She's still in surgery.

She lost a lot of blood.

The... the burns are...

It's okay.

My detectives said that

you heard Sean Roberts' voice
in your house last night?

Yes, um, he and Ashley were talking.

Do you remember what time
you heard them talking?

Um, must've been about midnight.

Okay.

And I took a shower, and then I...

- Right.
- I went to sleep.

So... have you talked to Sean?

I mean, maybe he saw...

We're gonna talk to him.
Listen to me.

Ms. Harper, can you think of anyone
who would want to hurt your daughter?

No. No one.

What about the fianc?e?
Was he at the dinner?

Zach? No.

No, he... he didn't like Sean.

He and Ashley were
arguing about that, so...

oh, I got to call him.

[gasps]

Oh...

What?

Ashley's engagement ring...

it wasn't on her finger.

[somber music]

[crying]

_

[rapping on door]

Sean Roberts!

Maybe we waited too long,
and he got spooked, ran.

This guy's got 30 million
reasons not to leave town.

[locks unlatching]

Hey, Sean.

Can we talk to you for a minute?

Why?

Mind if we come inside?

Yeah, I do.

What's this about?

Ashley Harper was raped
and murdered last night.

What?

Oh, my God.

W-what happened?
Ashley's dead?

Melanie must be freaking out.
I-I have to go.

Before... before you do,
can we just ask you a few questions?

You want to talk to me?

You don't think that I...

do I need a lawyer?

Why would you need a lawyer?

Anytime you talk to the cops,
you need a lawyer.

That's what you taught me.

Were you at Ashley's
house last night?

No, we... we had dinner together,
and then she left early.

You see her after dinner?

- No.
- What time did you leave?

11:00, 11:30.

Where'd you go?

Strip club.

Is there where you hurt your hand?

- Yeah.
- Right.

Did you go alone?

No, with a buddy.

- Ah.
- A buddy.

What kind of buddy?

A guy from the inside, okay?

Jeff Nichols.

Yeah, he was at my birthday dinner.

- He can vouch for me.
- Great.

Where can we find this Jeff?

Uh, Hell's Gate Diner.

Now, if you're not gonna arrest me,

then you need to leave,
because I need to call Melanie.

[door closes]

Sure ain't helping himself.

Mmmm.

Put a unmarked car on this block
in case he decides to run.

You think he really had
something to do with this?

I hope not.

Jeff Nichols?

Uhhuh.

Were you with Sean Roberts
and Ashley Harper last night?

Yeah.

Yeah, after dinner, we went
to the ballet on 10th Avenue.

Ask the stripper...
some Russian lesbian.

We were with her most of the night.

Sean told you to say that?

- No.
- Listen.

Ashley Harper was murdered
last night,

so you're gonna need to come clean.

I am. I swear.

Listen, dude.

You're on parole.

Don't lie to me.
I'll throw your ass back in prison.

Okay. Okay.

Sean just called me...
begged me to vouch for him.

Said you guys were jamming him up
just like last time.

Did he even come to the club?

Yeah.
[sighs]

But he came late... about 2:00.

Okay.

Uh, did you notice a cut on his hand?

I don't remember.

Look, all I know is,
Sean would never hurt that girl.

He adored her.

All night, he was a shoulder
for her to cry on.

Why was she crying?

Her fianc?e.

She, she... I don't know.

He was, like, threatening
to break off the engagement.

I can't believe Ashley's really...

What, uh...

what happened?

We're not sure.

We were hoping you could
help us out with that.

What are you talking about?

When was the last time
you saw Ashley?

Yesterday, before she went
to dinner with that convict.

Sean Roberts.

Let me ask, were you and Ashley
fighting about him?

- What? No.
- Ah, wrong answer.

'Cause you sent half a dozen texts.

7:10, "It's over."

7:30, "I want my ring back."

8:00, "I'm gonna get that ring."

- Should I go on?
- No.

Come on, you must have known

we were going to look through
Ashley's phone.

You see, when you lie to us,
it makes us curious.

I was pissed.

We made plans last night,

and she blew me off
for that guy Sean.

I get it.

He spent 16 years in prison, but...

and he was innocent, but that
doesn't make him a saint.

Well, that's fair enough,
but where were you last night...

after midnight?

I was at a bar... Dakota Bar.

The Dakota Bar.

That's two blocks
from Ashley's house.

And my apartment.

Ask the bartender.

I was there from midnight
until closing.

You were there the entire time?

Four solid hours at the bar?

- No.
- No?

Some girl spilled
red wine on my shirt.

I went home to change.
Then I went back to the bar.

Oh, that's very convenient for you.

I didn't kill Ashley.

Are you... are you guys crazy?

I have nothing to do with this.

As of now, who is our main suspect,
Sean or Zach?

- As of now?
- Both.

Or an unknown.

I've been searching through
Ashley's social media.

She's got a lot of male followers.

Okay, okay, so let's, uh...
What do we have on Sean?

So, the timeline is tight.

Ashley was attacked
sometime between midnight,

when Melanie heard her voice...

And Sean's voice.

And 1:20,
when Melanie called 911.

Sean claims he wasn't in the house.

But Sean doesn't have an alibi.

From 11:30, when we confirmed
he left the restaurant,

to 2:05 when he arrived
at the strip club.

And Zach doesn't
have an alibi either.

No, actually, he does.

The, uh, bartender at the Dakota Bar

confirmed somebody spilled
red wine on him.

He went home to change.
He was back in 15 minutes.

Okay.

So back to Sean.

Well, we got Sean's hair
at the scene,

but he's been there a lot
in the past few weeks.

There's no blood.

Even though he cut his hand?

Bleach and fire.
That's the point.

Well, there's also the missing
kitchen serrated knife,

which the M.E. thinks could be
the murder weapon.

Look, I know no one wants
to think Sean Roberts

is good for this...

Maybe he's not.

Just, I mean... look, two weeks ago,

Ashley got a private DM
from a guy named Charlie Dobkins.

She told him to stop looking in
her window and being "creepy."

Looking in her window?

A neighbor, an ex?

Find out.

_

Hey, we're looking for
Charlie Dobkins.

Yeah, he around?

Check the roof.

Roof, huh? Thank you.

Hey, Rollins, I think
I got something.

This looks right into
the Harpers' apartment...

right into Ashley's bedroom.

Uh, I got weed, pills,

hand lotion,
Coney Island whitefish...

- Hey.
- Underwear, women's jewelry.

You Charlie?

Hey!

Damn.

[suspenseful music]

- Hey!
- Hold up there, chief.

I didn't do nothing! I didn't!

No? No?

Then what's this?

So, Melanie, it looks like, uh,
we found your missing kitchen knife.

Where?

On the roof across the street,

with the neighbor's kid.

And he had pictures
of Ashley on his phone.

How well did you and
your daughter know him?

Not well.

I always thought he was a little odd.

Well, it looks like
he was stalking her.

We found a stash on his roof...

women's jewelry, underwear.

So it would be helpful
if you could identify

anything that... that may have
belonged to Ashley.

Did you find her engagement ring?

Uh, no, we're looking
for it now, though.

You think he did it?

He's the one that killed Ashley?

I promise, if he is, we'll find out.

Come on. Let's go.

I want to call my mom.

Okay, sure, Charlie.

But first you need to talk to us
about that love nest on your roof.

And then I can call her?

One thing at a time, Charlie.

Did you take this picture of Ashley
through her bedroom window?

She was always standing
in front of it,

like she wanted me to see.

Oh.

- Shyvon said it was wrong.
- Who's Shyvon?

My girl, the one I...

use the condoms with.

So you got two girls,
Ashley and Shyvon?

You're a ladies' man?

Shyvon's my girlfriend.

I just looked at Ashley.

And you took those photos, right?

Yeah.

So what about last night?

She was there posing, looking at you?

Thought, "Maybe she wants
to have sex with me?"

Right?

Do you think so?

Yeah, Charlie, I do.

I mean, why else would she be posing

in front of a window like that?

I know. It made me crazy.

And then that's what happened, right?

She kept teasing you.
Maybe she wanted you to come over.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

She definitely liked to tease me.

[chuckles]

I'm looking for Charlie Dobkins.

He got picked up by detectives.

Can I help you?

I'm Charlie's mother.

This is his girlfriend, Shyvon.

You have to let him go, now.

Can't do that.
He's being questioned.

Charlie will just say
whatever you want,

but he didn't hurt that girl.

You got proof?

Just tell him, Shyvon.

He was with me all night.

Lieutenant, he was
just about to confess.

Great.

Except he didn't do it.

Well, the kid admits
to watching Ashley,

taking pictures...

And getting aroused
by her last night.

He was having sex with his girlfriend

at the time of the murder,
and there's video...

lots of it.

You're crazy, Charlie.

They're gonna see us up here.
Yes, they are.

Girlfriend said they spent
the whole night together.

Time code's good...
alibi to 1:15.

There he is having sex, goofing off.

Charlie's on camera the whole time.

Okay, seen enough.

Okay, so how'd he get the knife?

Girlfriend says he picked
it up off the curb

after he saw the killer toss it.

So he's not a suspect.
He's a witness.

So take him back to that rooftop,

find out exactly where he was,

what he saw, and when he saw it.

You were standing here, right?

Now tell me... tell me exactly
who you saw.

I saw a white man.

- About his age.
- Right.

And he dropped something
in the trash bags,

and I wanted to know what it was,

so I went down and got it.

Right, the knife.

Right? That's great, Charlie.
We got that, all right?

So let's... let's think about
something else, maybe.

Like, what about the time?

You said you saw the man
after Shyvon got here.

Yeah.

Good, now was it before or after
you and Shyvon had sex?

Before, maybe.

- Uh...
- I need you to be sure.

You sure?

After. It was after.

- I'm not good with times...
- Okay.

Befores and afters like that.

Okay, you know what, Charlie?

I like you,

and I know you want
to cooperate, right?

Listen, so I need you to focus.

I'm gonna... I'm gonna show you
these pictures

one at a time.

All right, you just...
you let me know who you saw.

- I can do that.
- All right.

Because you want
to help Ashley, right?

You liked her.
We know you liked her.

Yes, I did.

- Okay.
- She was pretty...

like you.

[chuckles]

What about this guy?

Uh, if I say yes,

would... would that
be helping Ashley?

And you?

We just want the truth, Charlie.

Okay? That's all we want.

Don't say yes if you're not sure.

It's okay.

Yes, I'm sure.

[dark music]

Sean Roberts?
[banging door]

NYPD.

Open up.

This is harassment.

We need to search the premises.

- You have a warrant?
- Yes, we do.

My lawyer will be here
any minute, just so you know.

Yeah, that's your right.

Got something.

Looks like Ashley's diamond ring.

Found it in the sink drain.

How did it get there, Sean?

I don't know.

Sean Roberts, you're under arrest

for the rape and murder
of Ashley Harper.

You have the right to remain silent.

You have the right to...
I know my rights!

I've been through this drill before!

I was innocent then!
I'm innocent now!

All right.

Buchanan sure swooped in here fast.

Guy's got a nose for the big cases.

What did you find?

Traces of blood on one of his shoes
that could be Ashley's,

and then, of course,
there's the ring.

And you're the one who found it.

Search warrant, by the book.

That's right.
I was just looking in his sink.

Checked the drain... there it was.

And we spoke to Zach,
Ashley's fianc?e,

who confirmed that it
was indeed her ring.

Good. We have a strong case.

My client's civil lawyer
extends his thanks.

The price tag for his lawsuit
just went up...

for harassment.

We've got Ashley's engagement ring.

We've got her blood in
his apartment and on his shoes.

But I'm sure there's
a reasonable explanation.

There is: Detective Tutuola.

He's the defendant
in Sean's civil suit.

He's the one who found
the ring, correct?

A frame-up, really?
That's your defense?

I-I hope you're
getting a discount,

because your attorney
isn't even trying.

Sean is not a murderer or a rapist.

He's never even committed a crime.

You think I would do that to Ashley?
She was nice to me.

She treated me like I was decent...
like a normal human being.

You raped and killed her.
It's a hell of a way to thank her.

I wouldn't do that to her!
I know what it's like to be raped!

I went in when I was 18, 140 pounds.

What do you think happened to me?

It's all right, Sean.
Take it easy.

We're done talking here.

Okay, then we'll be taking Sean
to be processed and arraigned.

Okay.

Is the jury gonna
buy this frame story?

He was innocent last time.

- The jury's gonna feel sorry for him.
- This case is different.

Let's hope we get the same verdict.

Ms. Harper.

I'm ADA Rafael Barba.

I'll be handling
your daughter's case.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[somber music]

I was hoping it was someone else.

We understand, but the
evidence is what it is.

I can't imagine what you
must be feeling right now.

You can't do this to me again!

Hey, Detective, do you think
I made you look bad?

- Is that it?
- Sean, enough!

Is it the lawsuit?
Hey, I won't take the money!

Melanie... Melanie, you know
I wouldn't hurt Ashley!

Don't let 'em do this!

[crying]

It's okay.

_

Ashley was crying about her fianc?e.

So Sean joked that
she should leave Zach for him,

that... that he was gonna
be a millionaire.

And how did she respond?

She was playing along.

She was... she was fine...

[sighs] Until Sean got drunk.

And then, uh, he started
acting a little stupid.

So Ashley and Melanie left.

Okay, so how did Sean react?

He felt bad.

Said he wanted to go
to her house to apologize.

Okay, so... Sean liked Ashley?

Yeah, he really liked her.

He... he thought she was hot.

[chuckles]
He thought she liked him too.

So is that the real reason
that Sean went to Ashley's house?

'Cause he really liked her?

'Cause he thought he was maybe
gonna have sex with her?

Objection. Leading.

- Sustained.
- Nothing further.

So, Sean never told you that, uh,

he thought Ashley liked him

or that he was interested in
having sex with her, did he?

Not exactly.

It just seemed that way.

So you're a mind-reader.

Any other special powers
we should let the jury in on?

- Objection.
- Nothing further.

Withdrawn.

Dr. Singh,
in your expert opinion,

how difficult is it to transition

from being a wrongfully
imprisoned inmate

to a free citizen?

It's exceptionally hard.
Almost impossible.

Why is that?

Exonerees' attempts to
reconcile their incarceration

with their innocence can
lead to intense suffering.

The trauma they experience
is similar to the trauma

suffered by veterans of war,
torture survivors...

I'm sorry to interrupt you.

What about an exoneree who has
been repeatedly raped in prison?

Well, these individuals
have even a harder time

adjusting to life on the outside.

The rage and shame caused by the rape

is unlikely to remain
locked in prison.

Would someone like this
have a difficult time

socializing with the opposite sex?

Dating and sexual relationships

for someone with this profile

are particularly challenging.

They tend to misread social cues
and to act out in violent ways

when they feel rejected
or humiliated.

So in your expert opinion,

a man who'd been
wrongfully imprisoned

for 16 years, was a victim of rape...

What is the likelihood
that someone like this

would be able to live a normal,
law-abiding life upon release?

Unfortunately,
it's almost impossible.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Have you ever met Sean Roberts?

No.

So your expert opinions don't
apply to him specifically, do they?

They're based on other exonerees.

That's right.

So what you're saying is,

your testimony is totally
irrelevant to Sean

and a complete waste of time?

- Objection.
- Sustained.

Nothing further.

[tense music]

Counselor,

where would you like your witness?

How are you, Charlie?

- Nervous.
- All right.

Ah, you'll be fine.

Go have a seat over there.
I'll be right with you.

Right there.

How's he really doing?

He's okay. A little jittery.

The thing is, he's...
he's not the brightest bulb,

but if you...
if you take it easy with him,

he'll calm down.

You haven't been in the gallery.

Just in case you change
your mind and decide to call me.

You get why I can't, right?

Well, I get why you think you can't.

The DA put Sean away
for 16 years, not me.

I did my job.

I did it right then.

I did it right this time, too.

I know.

I just want you to know,
I have nothing to hide.

I believe you.

Doesn't seem that way.

My girlfriend and I had just had sex
on the roof,

and that's when I saw Sean Roberts

leave the house and toss
something in the trash.

What time was this?

1:15.

Then what happened?

I went to see what he tossed.

It was a knife.

I picked it up.

You saw Sean Roberts leave
the Harper residence

at 1:15 and throw
a knife in the trash?

Yes.

Okay.

The knife has been previously entered
as People's Exhibit A.

The same knife has been
determined to have

Ashley's blood on it.

Hello, Charlie.

So, you had a fun time on
the roof with your girlfriend.

Lucky you.

Can I ask you something?

Had you been smoking pot
or drinking alcohol?

[laughs] We smoked a little weed.

So, high on marijuana,

through the black of night
at 1:15 in the morning,

you're absolutely positive

you saw Sean Roberts
down on the street?

I think so.

It looked like him.

Plus, Detective Rollins, uh...

uh, yeah, I'm positive.

Plus Detective Rollins?

Did she tell you to say something?

No, not really.

I said I thought I saw Sean's face.

And she encouraged you
to say it was Sean?

Maybe she nodded or smiled.

She patted me on the shoulder
and told me it was okay.

I thought she wanted me
to say it was him.

Did she help you figure out
what time you saw him, too?

I guess.

I-I...

I wasn't sure if I saw Sean

leave before or after
Shyvon and I had sex.

But she... She what?

Sh...

Sh...

I know she's attractive.

But don't look to her for help.

Look at me, Charlie.

Why did you say what you did?

I thought she would like it
if I said after.

And she was really nice.

So Detective Rollins
encouraged you...

flirted with you...

to say you had seen Sean Roberts

leave Ashley's home at 1:15?

Objection: Mr. Buchanan
is putting words

in this witness's mouth.

Overruled.
Answer the question.

No.

I just wanted her to like me.

And she needed to solve her case.

So Detective Rollins encouraged you
to see Sean Roberts,

then you made her happy
by saying you had seen him

at 1:15 exactly?

That's a good way of saying it.

[scoffs]

Nothing further.

We got a guy on trial
who was wrongfully convicted

on bad eyewitness testimony,

and you don't tell me
that the kid waffled

on the ID or the time.

He waffled.
He did not lie.

There is a big difference.

Now you're parsing degrees of deceit.

Listen, Buchanan is gonna turn this into
you manipulating the kid to defend Fin.

Charlie's telling the truth.

He saw Sean leave the house,

toss the knife after he
and his girlfriend had sex,

which was around 1:15 or so.
That's the truth.

I can't help it if the kid
has a crush on me, or...

Hold on, so you were aware
that he had an affection for you...

that he had a desire
to make you happy?

Lieutenant, listen.
I was there, all right?

Rollins didn't lead him.

Don't make excuses for her.
That's not what the jury thinks.

Oh, come on.
You know what, Counselor?

It's not Rollins's fault

that Buchanan spun
that kid upside-down

and you didn't know how to stop him.

Okay, thank you. We're done.

[sighs]

Okay.

So where do we go from here?

They're not gonna convict
on Charlie's testimony.

Not anymore.

We need to double down
on the physical evidence.

How do we do that?

_

I entered the defendant's
apartment with several officers

and we began a search.

I looked in the sink.

I stuck a pencil in the drain

and pulled out the diamond ring.

How many of the police officers
were present at that time?

At any given time, six to ten.

Okay.

Detective Tutuola, um...

how do you know Sean Roberts?

I arrested him for rape 16 years ago.

He was found innocent of that crime

and released from prison a month ago.

Does that bother you?

Sure it does.

But we went with the evidence we had.

Do you have, um, any kind of...

I don't know... grudge, vendetta
against the defendant?

I do now he killed Ash.

- Objection!
- Sustained.

Please refrain from drawing
conclusions, Detective.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

I mean, honestly,

I have no grudges against the man.

If anything, I was rooting for him
when he got out.

Thank you.
Nothing further.

You must be embarrassed about
putting an innocent man

in prison for 16 years.

I didn't put him there.

I just arrested him.

And no, I'm not embarrassed.
I just did my job.

You say you're not embarrassed,

even though convicting
an innocent man

obviously reflects poorly on you
as a police officer.

Your job is to arrest guilty people,

not innocent ones.

That's correct.

But it doesn't always go that way.

That's just the way it is.

Right.

It's just the way it is.

So given what's transpired,

you'd obviously feel
better about yourself,

your reputation,
the department's reputation,

if Sean was found guilty
of this crime, right?

It would be vindication.

You've buried an innocent man,

but that's no big deal,

because he's a criminal.

And like I said before,
I did my job right then

and now.

By doing your job right,

do you mean framing
Sean Roberts again?

Objection!

Withdrawn.

[tense music]

How'd it go?

[sighs] As well as it could have.

Jury looks at a guy
who was put away innocent,

they hesitate.

They should.

Not this time, Melanie.

He's guilty.
There's no question about this.

No, but that's what
you said last time.

None of us saw what happened.

I mean, if you really
think about it, I mean,

we're all just...
we're just guessing.

We're just filling
in the blanks and...

and connecting the dots.

I found Ashley's ring in his drain.

How else could it have gotten there?

According to Sean's lawyer...

I did not plant that ring, okay?

Why would I? Think about it.

I'm sorry, I'm just...

I was just...
I was so sure last time,

and then I was wrong, and I just...

I just can't trust myself.

Did you hear Sean and Ashley
speaking that night?

Yes or no?

I'm not sure now.

That's not what you told me
that night at the crime scene.

No one's asking you
to say if he's guilty.

That's the jury's job, not yours.

He already served 16 years.

What if I'm wrong again?

What do you mean, she won't testify?

She told me she's not sure
she heard Sean's voice...

not anymore.

What the hell did you say to her?

You putting this on me?

You're the last person she talked to.

Hold on.

Fin was trying to help.

It's not his fault
that she got cold feet.

I feel for her. I really do.
But she needs to testify.

After the Charlie debacle,

she's the only one who can
put Sean at the scene.

She won't cooperate.

Then I'll have to call her
as a hostile witness

and compel her testimony.

- [sighs]
- Look, guys.

This isn't about Melanie.
It's about her daughter.

We need to get justice for her...

with or without cooperation.

I told you, I don't want to do this.

Permission to treat the witness
as hostile, Your Honor?

Permission granted.
Proceed.

You must answer the questions,
Ms. Harper.

The night of your daughter's
rape and murder,

you heard the defendant's
voice in your house.

He was talking to Ashley
around midnight.

He was talking to Ashley
around midnight...

I can show you the police report
to help refresh your memory.

Okay, okay, yes.

I...

I heard Sean's voice.

I... well, I thought I did, anyway.
I'm... I'm not sure now.

You were sure then...
sure enough to tell the police.

I don't think that Sean
would kill Ashley.

He cared about her.

He had his whole future ahead of him.

And yet you said you heard his voice

in your house the night
of the murder.

Well, yes, I said that, but...

But you didn't hear him leave,

and you didn't hear
anyone else come in.

No, but that's what
I thought last time,

and I was wrong.

What I did to Sean was unforgivable.

I told the jury he did it.

I pointed at him, and I said,

"That's the man who raped me."

And I was wrong.

That's why you're hesitant
to identify him now...

because if you were wrong then,

you might be wrong again now.

If Sean was there,
then that would mean...

That means he killed her.

Is that what you were about to say?

- Objection!
- Let me rephrase.

Ms. Harper, you blame yourself
for your daughter's death, don't you?

Excuse me?

You caused Ashley's death.

[tense music]

You sent him to prison,

where he was victimized
and abused for 16 years.

Thanks to you, he learned how
to become a killer and a rapist.

Objection... is there
a question anywhere here?

Get to the point, Mr. Barba.

The point is, if you had not
made that false identification

16 years ago,

he never would've gone to prison,

which means he never
would've killed Ashley.

That's not true.

That's not true, or you don't
want it to be true?

Because, in your mind,
if he killed Ashley,

you killed her.

And that's too painful to accept.

That's why you don't want to testify.

[crying]

I-I sent him there.

Every time he was

beaten or raped,

it was my fault.

I turned him into a rapist...

a monster.

And it was my fault.

I'm the...
I'm the guilty one here.

To feel this guilty,

you obviously believe
he killed your daughter.

Which means you are certain

you heard Sean's voice in your house

the night of the murder,
around midnight.

Correct?

Yes.

Unpleasant and tragic, but well done.

Let's hope the jury thinks so, too.

Looks like Buchanan got the message.

Mr. Barba?

Mmhmm?

I am open to discussing a plea.

It's too late.

We'll plead guilty to manslaughter.

He serves five years
for a brutal rape and murder?

Don't waste my time.

Wasted time?

Ask Sean about that.

16 years of it.

If he serves five, that's 21 years.

You want to roll the dice
with the jury, go ahead.

Murder two.

He serves a minimum of 15 years.

- Done.
- And he allocutes.

Everybody needs to know that
we got it right this time.

[somber music]

_

Sean Roberts,your lawyer tells me

you'd like to plead guilty.

Is that correct?

Yes, Your Honor.

Do you make this plea knowingly
and voluntarily?

I do.

Has anyone induced you
or coerced you in any way

into pleading guilty?

No, Your Honor.

I understand you'd
like to make a statement.

Proceed.

Melanie...

I'm so, so sorry.

I know how much you loved Ashley.

But I cared about her, too.

She gave me hope I could start over.

She wasn't afraid to be alone with me.

She didn't look at me
like I was dirt,

like everyone else.

Then that night, I was drunk.

I wasn't used to that.

I went over there to talk to her,

to say I was sorry
for how I acted at dinner.

And I told her how much
I liked her...

And she just sort of laughed.

And that was it.

[crying softly]

You can't let people laugh at you.

16 years, that's what I learned.

Things happened to me in prison...

things I swore
I'd never do to anyone else...

I ended up doing to Ashley.

I didn't want to do it.

It just happened.

Melanie.

I'm sorry.

I know.

At least I know he did it this time.

It's not your fault.

Then whose is it?

How are you?

I'm good.

Bad guy went down.
That's all that matters.

Well, if you ever
feel like talking...

Talking's overrated.

Justice sure isn't pretty some days.

Damn ugly this time.

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