All language subtitles for Law.and.Order.S23E03.720p.HEVC.x265-MeGusta.en

In the criminal justice system,

the people are represented

by two separate, yet equally important groups:

the police, who investigate crime,

and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Celeste, wait up.

What are you doing? You scared me half to death.

I just want to talk to you.

What the hell are you doing?

Say you love me.

- What? - Say it!

Say you love me.

OK, OK. Just let go, please.

I love you.

Say it again.

I love you.

Liar.

Hey, Jalen.

Sorry, man.

I was up in Riverdale at my son's basketball game.

The traffic was a nightmare.

I think I got a bad taco or something.

Ugh. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln?

Yeah, the play definitely sucked.

How'd your son's team do?

Oh, man. They got smoked.

Spencer went 0 for 9.

Can't all be Steph, huh?

What do we got?

Female, white, age 27.

Appears to have been choked to death.

Appears?

You'll see.

Any witnesses?

One--saw a man running from the scene

wearing a red jacket, then she saw

the victim's body on the ground and she called 911.

See anything else? Hair color, race?

Mm-mm.

Oh, my God.

You weren't kidding, huh?

This play just got a whole lot worse.

Celeste was happy.

She was working at a big wealth management firm on 7th Avenue.

She loved it.

She just got promoted to vice president.

Was she dating anyone?

I don't know.

We didn't talk about her social life that much.

Is there a reason for that?

People her age...

they see the world so differently.

It was hard for me to relate.

So we just--

We didn't discuss her personal life.

That's all.

There are too many criminals out there.

And they just keep getting more brazen

because nobody cares.

It's like you're giving these animals a free pass,

telling them it's OK to rob someone.

Or kill someone.

Ma'am...

I get it.

We both do.

And for what it's worth, the two of us actually do care.

We do.

I promise you,

we will do everything in our power

to find the person that hurt your daughter.

You have my word.

If you should remember anything else,

we're here.

So...

how did she die?

You never told me how she actually died.

Just spoke to the ME.

Cause of death was asphyxiation.

I saw the crime scene photos.

Looked like a lot more than just asphyxiation to me.

Yeah. It was a violent end for sure.

Broken hyoid bone,

fractured cervical vertebra.

Though I'd never seen a head in that position before.

Takes a lot of hate and rage

to do something like that.

I just ran Celeste's texts and emails.

It all looks pretty typical, except for one sent yesterday.

Definitely filled with a lot of hate and rage.

Our guy's got a pretty good résumé for a murder suspect.

Harvard, Columbia, MBA, Goldman Sachs.

- Hey. - Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Stop! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Don't hurt me. Please.

I'll pay the money, I swear.

Hey. Relax, Mason.

We're not debt collectors.

Let's start with some basics.

When was the last time you saw Celeste?

I don't know. Um...

a week ago?

- Oh. - All right.

Well, that's you outside her apartment yesterday.

And that's you, too,

three blocks from the crime scene

seven minutes after she was murdered.

Wait, she's--

she's dead?

You're serious?

I loved Celeste.

Is that why you were stalking her?

No. I wasn't stalking her.

I can get a bit obsessive,

but she wasn't returning my texts.

People don't just stop returning texts.

I would never hurt Celeste!

Never.

Even so, we're gonna take a little ride

down to the precinct, OK?

This guy looks good for it, Lou.

He already admitted to being jealous and obsessive.

Plus, we got video of him

three blocks from the scene minutes after the murder.

An obsessive ex-boyfriend on a downward spiral.

Tale as old as time, right?

And one that never ends well.

Hey, um, I've been doing some research,

and it turns out that three other women in New York

were killed the exact same way

as Celeste all in the past three years.

Suffocation, broken hyoid bone,

and fractured cervical vertebra.

That is a very specific way to kill someone.

Hey, Lou. I dug up the files.

Theresa Potter, 24, Black.

Last known address, Red Hook, Brooklyn.

One prior arrest, larceny.

Was reported missing August 22, '23.

Body was found this year, October 27th.

And we have Angela Rice, 21, Black.

Last known address, Weeksville, Brooklyn.

Two prior arrests for drug possession,

was reported missing on November 11, '21.

Body was found April 3, '22.

And then we have Olivia Washington, 22, Black.

Last known address, Clinton--

Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

Right?

Three priors for possession.

Went missing early May 2020.

That was my case.

I was lead on that.

We couldn't find anything. We had no body, no evidence.

The thing just went cold.

Not quite.

February 11, 2021, somebody found her

buried in an industrial park in Long Island City.

I didn't know.

I was transferred out of the 3-4 in November.

That case got reassigned.

So three Black women died the same way Celeste did?

Strangled, broken hyoid bones,

and fractured cervical vertebrae?

Yeah.

And that would be quite the coincidence, huh?

There's no such thing. Not in this business.

Celeste doesn't exactly fit the same profile

as the other vics. - Yeah.

Well, maybe he wanted something more exotic.

Wouldn't have been the first serial killer

who changed lanes.

Look, I need you guys to go back in there

and try to find a connection

between Mason and these three victims, OK?

Done.

Oh, hold up.

Hold up.

The DNA under Celeste's nails just came back.

No match.

But based on the markers,

there's a 99.8% chance

it belongs to a white male with blue eyes.

So we're good? You believe me?

Yeah, we do.

OK, cool. Can I go now?

Yeah, but first, I just want to ask you a few more questions

about Celeste, if that's OK.

Sure. Anything to help.

Now, I know she worked in finance.

Um...

just to be blunt, was she also a sex worker?

Like--like an escort?

Vince.

Let him answer.

No. She wasn't an escort.

She work as an exotic dancer?

She go to swingers parties, sex clubs, that kind of thing?

Vince, let me holler at you.

No, no, no. It's OK.

He's right.

Celeste was definitely into the whole sex club scene.

But she wasn't a sex worker.

There was no money involved or anything like that.

You know the names of the clubs she liked to go to?

Look, obviously, I didn't know

Olivia Washington was a sex worker.

I missed that in the case file.

I just thought, you know-- - I was fishing for gossip?

So Olivia's case just went cold?

Yeah, no body, no witnesses.

I think it's strange nobody found anything.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

You've been working Homicide a few years, right?

Two.

So you know it's not that strange with a case like that?

Like that, huh?

A missing person case.

Look, you want to say something?

I'm saying it, bro.

Which is what?

Which is that poor Black girls don't get

the same kind of love that rich white girls get.

You know that. That's how it is.

Hey, man, maybe that is how it is.

But that is not how it is with me.

All right?

I worked that case hard, the same way I work every case.

Good to know.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Ms. Horn.

Of course.

I was literally just reading about

that poor woman in the "Post."

I didn't recognize her from the photo,

but if you say she was here...

Well, here's another photo. Maybe it'll jog your memory.

On a busy night, we have over 200 guests.

Tough to keep track.

You guys probably keep records though, right?

Of course.

Can you run the name Celeste Clark?

Sorry, we don't reveal our guests' names.

That's why they come here. Because they feel safe.

They know that they can express themselves

free of judgment and scrutiny.

Nothing's more important than that.

Except murder.

- What's this? - Subpoena.

Compelling you to hand over all business records,

surveillance video,

and receipts from the last two weeks.

You see, I knew places like this existed, but I--

But what?

I just can't process it.

I mean, I know some wild people.

I'm a fun guy, but I don't think

I've ever met anybody who would actually

go to a place like this.

That might not be true.

Well, you learn something new every day, huh?

Oh, hey. I think this is her.

Sure is.

And she's wearing a necklace there,

but we didn't find one on the body.

She's talking to this white dude and then she leaves.

And he follows her out 41 seconds later.

Let me see if I can get a clean angle on the face.

All right.

I'll send it to the Facial Identification Section.

Good work. As usual.

Bruce is a good man.

Runs one of the top investment firms in the city,

went to Stanford.

Very impressive.

Yet he treats people with respect,

which is even more impressive, if you ask me.

Most people like him don't give you the time of day.

That's great. Is he upstairs in his condo?

Not sure. I just clocked in.

But I'll call up. - Thank you.

He's not picking up.

Mind if we take a look at your surveillance video?

We just want to see what time he came in last night.

I think he got back around 11:00.

- Freeze there. - There he is.

I was close. 11:17.

Check out that jacket.

That's enough for a search warrant, right?

Sure is.

NYPD.

Bruce Elliot!

NYPD.

No, stop.

Oh, my God, please.

NYPD.

What's going on? Who are you?

- Police. Where's Bruce Elliot? - He just went to the bank.

- Who are you? - His friend.

- His friend? - Yes.

All right, friend, time to go.

Get your stuff. Let's go. Come on. Here.

- OK. - Come on, let's go.

What's going on?

Yo, Vince.

Think I found something.

Oh, man, we got him.

Now we just got to find him.

Hey, so the surveillance camera had a clean angle.

Elliot made a withdrawal from that ATM

exactly seven minutes ago, started heading south.

So I say if he's moving, say, a block a minute, right?

That's seven blocks, maybe eight

if he's moving faster than usual.

I say we move the canvass south to Franklin.

I like how you're thinking.

But there are three subway stations

within a ten-block radius here.

This bastard could be anywhere by now.

Yeah, Yee ran his credit cards, man.

He doesn't have a Metro app or a card.

Not necessarily. That doesn't mean--

He's a rich prick who doesn't take the subway, OK?

There's no way he's gonna change his habits now.

He's walking, man, somewhere.

- Call it in. - Yeah.

Hey, Vince.

That's our boy.

We got Elliot moving south on Greenwich.

NYPD!

Hey, hey, hey!

Whoa, whoa.

Out of the way!

- Hey, hey, hey! - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

- On the ground! On the ground! - Stop right there!

Stay back! Stay back!

- No, don't do it! Don't do it! - Hear me? Stay back!

- No, no, no, no. - No, no, no, no.

Don't do it! Don't do it!

Don't. Don't!

I'll call for a negotiator.

No, man. We don't have time for that.

Wait, what are you doing?

Hey, I'm gonna go in and I'm gonna talk to him.

That's a bad idea.

He's desperate, he's armed,

and there's too many people inside.

Which is why it's a bad idea. Look, look, look.

I know why you're doing this. You don't have to.

I'm gonna go in.

We're going in there.

Bruce!

NYPD. Hit the exit. Move, move, move, move.

Exit. Go, go, go, go.

Everybody, everybody, hit the exit.

Bruce, this is Detective Vincent Riley.

Stay back, or I'll shoot this bitch!

All right, listen, Bruce, you got to let her go, man.

You don't want to make this any worse than it already is.

Get me a car now, or I swear to God, I'll shoot her!

I'm gonna work on that,

but the best thing that you can do

to make that happen is to let her go.

She's not going anywhere! Not till I get the car!

OK, how about this, Bruce?

How about you exchange her for me, OK? All right?

I'm worth a lot more than she is, right?

I'm a cop. She's a civilian.

- Stop walking! - All right, all right.

- Now! - OK. All right. I've stopped.

We are gonna work this out.

I promise you.

You and me, OK?

Now, please, let her go.

Come on. Let her go.

You need to let her go, Bruce.

OK, you, come here.

- OK, OK, OK. - Now. Now!

OK. OK. I'm coming. I'm coming, all right?

I'm taking it slow, and we're staying calm.

We're gonna work this out. All right?

'Cause the guys outside, they get anxious.

They don't want to hear a gunshot.

Bruce Elliot, you're under arrest

for the murder of Celeste Clark.

Next case.

Calling docket ending in 9612.

People versus Bruce Elliot, murder in the second degree.

Your Honor, we plead not guilty.

Ms. Maroun, I'll hear you on bail.

People seek remand, Your Honor.

The defendant's DNA was found under the victim's fingernails.

And the necklace she was wearing

on the night of the murder was found inside his condo.

The defendant also took a woman hostage,

held a gun to her head.

We'll be adding kidnapping charges later on today.

It's also important to note that the defendant

is a suspect in three other homicides.

Given the severity of the charges

and the defendant's financial means,

he is definitely a flight risk.

Your Honor, my client has no prior arrests,

and he is an upstanding

and philanthropic member of the community.

Moreover, the evidence is weak.

This is a witch hunt designed to generate headlines--

Defendant is remanded.

Your Honor, my client is willing to post

a $5 million bond.

You can post a $5 billion bond, it won't matter.

This is about safety.

Next case.

Excuse me. Sir?

How come you're only charging this man with one murder?

Paper said he killed three other girls.

Why not charge him with those murders too?

There isn't enough evidence.

But the police are still investigating.

If you will please excuse us? - No!

You don't get to walk off

and pretend those other girls didn't exist.

That my Theresa didn't exist!

Sir.

Of course, your daughter existed.

But all we're saying is, we don't have enough evidence

to move forward on those three cases at the moment.

And why is that?

You'll have to talk to the police.

And they'll tell me

the same nonsense they've been telling me.

Just admit that y'all don't care about poor Black people.

'Cause if you did,

you'd already have all that damn evidence

you keep telling me you need.

If there's no evidence, there's not much to discuss.

No, there's evidence.

Is there any that actually

ties Bruce Elliot to these three other victims

besides the manner in which they were killed?

He sent a few vague texts to a phone registered

in the name of victim three.

There's a statement from a friend of victim two

saying he bought her drinks the night she disappeared.

And there's surveillance video

of Elliot's Range Rover three blocks

from the industrial park where victim one's body was found.

Smoke, no fire.

I suppose, but the police also found jewelry

in Elliot's condo, trophies.

One of the pieces belonged to Celeste

and the other three presumably belonged

to the other three victims.

Police have been trying to find

evidence to support that assertion,

but so far, no luck.

These women didn't have much of a social footprint.

The odds of success here are remote.

We can try to push back the start date,

find more evidence, and try all four cases together.

It'll give the families of the other three victims

a more thorough sense of justice and closure.

It will definitely show the jury

what kind of person Mr. Elliot is,

assuming the police can eventually

find enough evidence.

The Celeste Clark case is much stronger than the others.

We're dealing with a different type of victim here too.

Joining the three other cases will muddy the waters.

It will enable the defense

to focus on their drug use, their prior arrests,

the fact that they were sex workers.

I'm not sure that's fair to the other families.

If you're certain we can nail this monster

for Celeste Clark's murder, then do it.

Let's not complicate matters.

It might not be fair, Ms. Maroun,

but it's the right move.

Ms. Horn, have you had an opportunity

to review the footage recorded by surveillance cameras

located inside your club

from the night Celeste Clark was murdered?

Yes.

When you reviewed this footage,

did you see Celeste Clark

and the defendant together that night?

Yes. I found video of them talking to one another.

- How long did they talk? - About a minute.

Did it appear that they were involved

romantically or sexually?

No. They were just talking.

What happened after their brief chat?

- Celeste left. - What about the defendant?

He left 41 seconds later.

Nothing further.

Ms. Horn, the club you manage provides a forum for...

"adults to engage in

adventurous and unconstrained sexual activity."

Correct.

And this is a bondage room?

Yes.

"A comfortable and clean dungeon

where the choking and whipping of"--

Objection. Relevance.

Ms. Stanley, where are you going with all this?

The victim was choked to death

30 minutes after leaving a club that celebrates BDSM,

a fetish that oftentimes involves choking.

Every single person in that club or any other sex club

she ever visited is a potential suspect.

That's preposterous.

There is no evidence that Celeste enjoyed

or participated in any type of sexual activity

that involved choking.

More importantly,

whether she did or didn't enjoy that type of sexual behavior

is irrelevant to whether Bruce Elliot killed her.

Not so sure about that.

Your Honor.

Her lifestyle exposed her to a certain level of risk.

That's fair game to explore. It's admissible.

So back off, Mr. Price.

Please continue.

Your club offers a clean and comfortable dungeon

where the choking and whipping of submissives

takes place, correct?

Yes.

There's also a cuckold room

where patrons watch their partners

have sex with strangers.

And you said you saw Celeste Clark and my client

talking to one another inside the club that evening.

Yes, on the surveillance video.

Surveillance video inside a club

where many patrons were having sex.

Some. I'm not sure how many.

You don't have video cameras inside the rooms

where people actually have sex?

Yes, that's correct.

So the fact that you didn't see my client and Celeste

having sex doesn't mean they didn't have sex.

Correct.

Judge Pappas was way more liberal than I was hoping for.

And Stanley was way more effective

than I was hoping for.

It was too easy. Sex club, the fetish rooms.

She couldn't help herself.

When in doubt, shame the damn victim.

Turn her into a sex freak.

Social norms have changed, Nolan.

People my age don't view sex

with the same level of judgment you do.

Um--uh-- first off, "people your age"?

Second. I'm not that judgmental.

OK. If you say so.

Good news is, I deliberately picked the youngest,

most liberal jury for this very reason.

I know. But that might not be enough.

We need to let the jury know that Bruce Elliot isn't just

another fun-loving sex club patron

who happened to have a bad night.

- Are you suggesting-- - We don't have a choice.

Your Honor, this is outrageous!

There is absolutely no evidence that my client

had anything to do with those other murders.

If there were,

Mr. Price would have already charged him with those crimes.

These three other homicides

clearly constitute prior bad acts.

More specifically, they show a unique pattern of conduct.

All three women were killed the exact same way

as Celeste Clark.

Also, contrary to Ms. Stanley's assertions,

there is evidence tying Elliot to these three other women.

Not enough to indict at the moment,

but enough for them to be admissible under Molineux.

I agree.

Your Honor, this is unduly prejudicial.

By Mr. Price's own admission, the evidence is scant.

Four women were killed in the exact same horrific way

within five miles of each other.

That's good enough for me.

Given the uniquely violent behavior in this case,

we decided to search our database

to determine if any other homicide victims

had been killed in this same manner.

And what did you find?

Three other women were killed the exact same way,

strangled to death, their hyoid bones

and cervical vertebrae broken.

No further questions.

To be clear, Ms. Dixon--

Lieutenant Dixon.

My client has not been charged

with those three murders?

Correct.

My client's DNA was not found on their bodies.

Correct.

So there's no proof

that Bruce Elliot had anything to do with those three deaths.

She's lying!

Don't believe a word out of her damn mount!

Sir, sit down and be quiet!

That son of a bitch right there killed my baby girl!

Don't believe a word out of her damn mouth.

Sir, sit down and be quiet.

That son of a bitch right there broke her damn neck!

Have him removed!

He needs to pay for what he did!

You killed my baby!

I have no idea what you're talking about, sir.

I never met your daughter.

Look at me! Look at me, you sorry son of a--

Look at me!

You are instructed to ignore the assertions and statements

you heard from the person

who was removed from the gallery.

His daughter's death and his beliefs

as to who may have murdered her are irrelevant

and may not be taken into account during deliberations.

Ms. Stanley, please call your first witness.

We call Detective Vincent Riley.

Did you interview the defendant in connection

with a missing persons report involving Olivia Washington?

I did.

Did the police ever find Olivia?

They found her, but she was dead.

Has anyone ever been arrested in connection with her death?

No.

How long did you speak with Mr. Elliot that day?

About 30 minutes.

And what was the result?

Uh, I don't think I know what you mean by the word "result."

After talking with him for 30 minutes,

did you arrest him?

No.

Did you consider him to be a suspect?

No.

And your official rank?

Detective, First Grade.

That is a prestigious position, correct?

One reserved for only the NYPD's best and brightest.

Yes, it is.

Is this your handwriting?

Yes.

And those are your notes?

Yes, they are.

Can you please read what you wrote down

after interviewing Mr. Elliot?

"Talked to Bruce Elliot at approximately 2:30 p.m.

"on May 13th.

"His demeanor was calm,

"no overt signs of anxiety or guilt.

Alibi was credible."

Detective Riley, you are considered

to be one of the best detectives in the entire NYPD.

And you concluded that Mr. Elliot was a kind,

law-abiding citizen who had absolutely nothing to do

with-- - Objection.

Sustained.

Withdrawn. Nothing further.

You really think the jury

bought Stanley's song and dance number?

It was pretty convincing.

I was staring at the jury the whole time.

So now what?

We need to counteract Riley's testimony.

How?

By impeaching his credibility as a detective.

Excuse me?

The defense painted him out to be a hero

and one of the best detectives in the entire police force.

If someone of his ilk thinks Elliot is a prince,

then damn it, he must be a prince.

Exactly.

You want to turn Riley into the court jester?

It turns out,

Riley was suspended for six months

three weeks after he interviewed Elliot.

Our relationship with the police

is already fraught, as you know.

So going after Riley on a case with this much publicity--

We're talking about a serial killer here, Jack.

Putting him away for life.

It is more important than our relationship with the police.

Or embarrassing Riley.

It just is.

Give Dixon a heads-up.

Thanks for meeting me.

You're really gonna do this?

You're really gonna impeach Vince?

I don't have a choice.

Sure you do.

You're just making the choice that's best for you.

Best for the case.

Same thing.

I need to know why Riley was suspended.

For God's sake, Nolan. There's got to be another way.

There isn't.

I can subpoena the official records, if you prefer.

Listen, Riley is a good man.

He is a great cop.

And for you to just tear him apart is--

Look, he had a really rough go.

His father was dying.

He couldn't bear the thought of putting him in a home,

so he worked all kinds of crazy overtime

just to pay for the caretakers.

And he tried to cope, like we all do.

And then one day while all this was going on,

he overheard a huge argument I was having with my captain.

And that sexist son of a bitch

called me something that he shouldn't.

I'm just gonna leave it at that.

And, uh...

Vince walked in...

And he knocked his ass out. One punch.

Yeah. And he'd been drinking.

So... not good.

OK.

I'm gonna send you over the official report.

But, Nolan.

He threw a punch for me.

Who does that?

And as stupid and reckless as it was...

I appreciate what he did.

Shortly after interviewing the defendant,

you were suspended from the NYPD.

That's correct.

For attacking a captain while drunk.

Not exactly. Um...

I punched him once in the face,

and I wasn't drunk.

But you'd been drinking.

I had had a few sips of alcohol

earlier that day, yeah.

You drink alcohol while you're on the clock

working as a police officer?

For a short period of time, I did, yes.

And during this short period of time,

you interviewed the defendant in connection with

Olivia Washington's disappearance?

Correct.

Also, during that period of time,

your father was ill and...

your wife and kids had moved out of your house?

Yes.

That's obviously incredibly stressful.

Yes, it was.

So when you interviewed the defendant,

you were under incredible stress,

you were drinking.

I didn't drink that day.

Even though you admit to drinking during the day

while on the job? - I never said

that I drank every day.

I-I-I don't know what that means.

It means that I didn't drink every day.

OK, but the point here, Detective,

is that you drank while at work during this period of time

and you were under extraordinary stress,

which means your assessment of the defendant's guilt

or innocence is absolutely meaningless.

Objection!

Sustained.

Nothing further.

Hey. You doing OK?

I know it wasn't pleasant, but...

you did the right thing for Celeste.

And for the other three victims.

Yeah. Well, it'll all be for naught

if we don't get a conviction.

Let's dig into the file, get to work.

You got a minute?

Yeah, sure.

Come on in.

Look, I'm sorry about today.

I get it.

You did what you had to do.

So why are you here?

Well, I kept on digging into those other three murders.

And I made some phone calls, found some photos,

and I found something that

I think is gonna be pretty helpful.

Is this what I think it is?

Defendant is a psychopathic misogynist

who derived pleasure from killing defenseless women

with his bare hands.

The night of December 4th, he met Celeste Clark at a club,

and later that night, he killed her,

choked her to death, and then

viciously broke her neck and her hyoid bone.

Not easy to break a hyoid bone.

In fact, it's extremely difficult and--and rare.

Hyoid bone fractures represent only 0.002% of all fractures

because it's so well-protected by its location in the neck

behind the mandible in front of the cervical spine.

In other words, it takes tremendous force

and tremendous violence

to break someone's hyoid bone.

The defendant then snatched Celeste's necklace

as a trophy.

Police found it inside his condo the next day.

But Celeste is not the only woman to die

at the hands of this hateful man.

His killing spree began

three years before Celeste's murder.

You heard the testimony.

You saw what the detectives found

inside the defendant's condo.

That ring and those two necklaces.

The defendant robbed these four women of their lives.

And then he stole their jewelry

to commemorate his despicable acts.

Bruce Elliot is a vile,

cold-blooded killer

and must be held accountable for his actions.

So please, analyze the evidence carefully.

And then convict this monster of murder.

In the matter of People v. Bruce Elliot,

has the jury reached a verdict?

- Yes, we have, Your Honor. - How do you find?

We find the defendant...

guilty.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

we thank you for your service.