Original subtitles

I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT JANUARY MORNING.

IT'S JUST SO UNLIKE ROSEANN TO MISS WORK.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS.

IT'S ALL RIGHT.

MISS QUINN?

BACK IN MY 20s, THE START OF A NEW YEAR

ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL SO OPTIMISTIC.

I'D THINK, MAYBE THIS WOULD BE THE YEAR

I'D GET A NEW BOYFRIEND OR FIND THAT PERFECT JOB.

BUT AFTER THAT MORNING...

MISS QUINN?

ROSEANN?

...I NEVER FELT THAT WAY AGAIN.

ROSEANN?

NOW THE NEW YEAR MAKES ME REMEMBER A GIRL I KNEW

NAMED ROSEANN QUINN...

MY GOD!

...NOT THE VERSION OF HER THAT WOULD BE WRITTEN ABOUT

AND BECOME FAMOUS...

BUT THE STORY OF A REAL GIRL, A GIRL A LOT LIKE ME,

MAYBE LIKE YOU...

AND HOW SHE ENDED UP DEAD.

THE GIRL WHO DIED WAS NAMED ROSEANN QUINN.

DOESN'T RING A BELL?

OF COURSE IT DOESN'T.

NO ONE SEEMS TO REMEMBER ANYTHING

ABOUT WHO ROSEANN REALLY WAS, INCLUDING HER NAME.

BUT I BET YOU KNOW THE GOODBAR MURDER.

NOW YOU REMEMBER.

"LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR,"

THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL ABOUT A YOUNG TEACHER

WHO SPENT HER NIGHTS HAUNTING SINGLES BARS,

LOOKING FOR ONE-NIGHT STANDS.

WELL, DIDN'T YOUR MOTHER EVER TELL YOU,

"DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ"?

I KNEW THAT WASN'T THE REAL STORY,

BECAUSE TWO YEARS EARLIER...

...I LIVED RIGHT DOWN THE HALL FROM ROSEANN.

ON JANUARY 3, 1973, THE POLICE ARRIVE

AT AN APARTMENT BUILDING ON WEST 72nd STREET.

- WHEREABOUTS WAS IT? - RIGHT ABOUT THERE.

THEY FIND A YOUNG WHITE FEMALE

SPLAYED OUT ON HER BED.

SHE IS NUDE.

A TURQUOISE ROBE HAS BEEN PLACED ON HER BODY.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THE POLICE NOTE

IS THE NUMBER OF STAB WOUNDS.

I BELIEVE THE COUNT IS 18.

IT'S JUST A TOTAL BLOODBATH.

IN ADDITION TO THE MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDS,

THERE WERE ALSO BITE MARKS ON HER UPPER TORSO.

AND SHE'D BEEN MUTILATED.

THE KILLER ACTUALLY INSERTED A BROOM IN HER VAGINA.

THAT WAS HARD TO -- YOU KNOW, TO SEE.

POLICE AND THE MEDICAL EXAMINER

MAKE A DETERMINATION

THAT SHE WAS KILLED AT LEAST 24 HOURS EARLIER.

IN THE BATHROOM, THE SHOWER HAD BEEN LEFT RUNNING

FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.

SEE IF YOU CAN GET A PRINT OFF THESE SHOWER KNOBS.

HEY, I GOT SOMETHING.

THIS IS WHAT "MAD AS HELL" LOOKS LIKE.

THE KNIFE WAS BENT AT A 90-DEGREE ANGLE, PRACTICALLY,

WHICH MIGHT SUGGEST TO THE INVESTIGATORS

THAT PERHAPS MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE STRUCK BONE.

THE APARTMENT IS DIRTY.

IT'S RANSACKED.

**

NO SIGN OF FORCED ENTRY. THAT FRONT DOOR IS FINE.

MAYBE SOMEONE FOLLOWED HER UP TO HER APARTMENT.

IT COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN WHAT IS CALLED TODAY A PUSH-IN,

WHERE SOMEONE OPENS THE DOOR AND THE INTRUDER ENTERS.

OR POSSIBLY IT WAS SOMEBODY WHO KNEW HER.

TELL US HOW YOU KNEW THE YOUNG LADY.

WE WORKED TOGETHER UP AT ST. JOSEPH'S.

I SUB FOR HER CLASS SOMETIMES WHEN SHE'S OUT.

**

SHE WAS A COLLEAGUE OF HIS

AT A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN THE BRONX.

DETECTIVES LEARN THAT HER NAME IS ROSEANN QUINN,

AND SHE'S 28.

SEEN HER RECENTLY?

NO.

THE DAY BEFORE, JANUARY 2nd,

SHE HAD NOT SHOWN UP AT WORK.

THE NEXT DAY, WHEN SHE DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR THE SECOND TIME,

THIS FELLOW TEACHER WAS DISPATCHED

TO SEE IF ROSEANN WAS ALL RIGHT.

DID YOU AND MISS QUINN EVER SEE EACH OTHER

IN A SOCIAL CONTEXT?

NO, NEVER.

WE WERE FRIENDLY, BUT JUST AT WORK.

HEY, YOU GOT ANYTHING?

STILL DUSTING. NOTHING SO FAR.

**

HELLO. NYPD.

THEY CANVASSED, KNOCKING ON NEIGHBORS' DOORS.

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE SOMEONE BEING KILLED THIS WAY

WITHOUT THERE HAVING BEEN A FIGHT.

DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING COMING FROM APARTMENT 715

LATE MONDAY, EARLY TUESDAY?

THERE'S BEEN A HOMICIDE.

ROSEANN? YEAH, ROSEANN QUINN.

THAT'S TERRIBLE. NO. I'VE BEEN OUT OF TOWN.

IT'S THE HOLIDAY PERIOD.

IT'S A HARD TIME TO DO A CANVASS.

THEY HAD NOTHING.

WITH THIS CASE, YOU STARTED FROM ZERO.

THE HOMICIDE DETECTIVES

ARE POUNDING THE PAVEMENT.

NEW YORK CITY IN 1973 IS HARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO IMAGINE NOW.

THERE WERE PEEP SHOWS,

XXX-RATED MOVIES, PROSTITUTES.

THE DRUG PROBLEM WAS SO BAD.

THE DRUG OF CHOICE WAS HEROIN.

ONE OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS PLACES WAS NICKNAMED NEEDLE PARK

BECAUSE OF THE HEROIN USE,

BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT ADDICTS WOULD HANG OUT THERE.

AND IT'S ON 72nd STREET.

IT'S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE THAN A BLOCK AWAY

FROM WHERE ROSEANN QUINN LIVED.

ARMED ROBBERY WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE.

IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS.

AND THE MURDER RATE IN NEW YORK IN 1973

WAS SKY-HIGH.

I REMEMBER HOW SCARED MY MOTHER WAS

ABOUT ME LIVING ALONE IN THE CITY BACK THEN.

AND BEFORE ROSEANN WAS KILLED, I ALWAYS SAID, "COME ON, MOM.

EVERYTHING IS FINE. I'M PERFECTLY SAFE."

BUT I GUESS SHE HAD A POINT.

NEW YORK CITY WAS A DANGEROUS PLACE IN 1973.

AND FROM A SEA OF POTENTIAL SUSPECTS,

THE COPS CAN ONLY DO WHAT THEY CAN DO, YOU KNOW?

JUST START CLOSE AND SLOWLY WIDEN THE SEARCH.

THE CANVASS THEN EXTENDS TO THE BUILDINGS ADJACENT.

DRY-CLEANERS, FOOD STORES, RESTAURANTS, BARS.

THERE IS A BAR RIGHT NEAR ROSEANN'S APARTMENT

CALLED TWEEDS.

AFTERNOON.

AND AT AROUND NOON, THEY TALKED TO THE OWNER.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME INFORMATION

ON A GIRL NAMED ROSEANN QUINN.

YOU KNOW HER?

SURE. ROSIE'S IN HERE ALL THE TIME.

YOU SEEN HER RECENTLY?

NOT FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS.

SO, MONDAY NIGHT, SHE WAS IN HERE?

YEAH.

SEE HER TALKING WITH ANYBODY?

I WASN'T AROUND MUCH.

I WAS BOOKKEEPING IN THE BACK.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

A TEACHER FRIEND OF HERS FOUND HER DEAD THIS MORNING.

HOMICIDE.

HAPPENED TUESDAY MORNING, MAYBE LATE MONDAY NIGHT, THEREABOUTS.

**

STEVEN RESNICK

ACTUALLY KNOWS ROSEANN REALLY WELL.

HE'S KNOWN HER FOR EIGHT YEARS.

THAT'S HER SEAT.

SHE WOULD SOMETIMES JUST COME IN WITH A BOOK AND READ BY HERSELF.

THANK YOU.

SHE LIKES TO WATCH.

SHE COMES IN AND OUT WHEN SHE'S NOT JUST READING BY HERSELF.

CHEERS.

CHEERS.

SHE WAS MUCH RESPECTED AND ADMIRED, FUN.

SHE'S A REALLY SWEET KID.

SO, YOU WERE IN THE BACK ON MONDAY NIGHT.

YOU HAPPEN TO NOTICE ANYBODY UNUSUAL?

MOSTLY REGULARS.

HEY...

I HAVE AN IDEA FOR SOMEONE YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT.

THIS REALLY ROUGH GUY.

SOMEONE ROSIE WAS HANGING AROUND LAST YEAR.

I HEARD HE BEAT HER UP PRETTY BAD.

**

**

HEY, I HAVE AN IDEA FOR SOMEONE YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT.

SOMEONE ROSIE WAS HANGING AROUND LAST YEAR.

HEY, PRETTY LADY.

CAN I BUY YOU A DRINK?

NO, THANK YOU.

WHAT?

YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK TO ME?

THIS GUY FREDDIE WATSON.

THIS REALLY ROUGH GUY.

HEY, I'M A PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU KNOW.

I COULD TAKE YOUR PICTURE.

ONLY IF YOU'RE TOPLESS, THOUGH.

COME ON, PRINCESS. I'M ONLY PLAYING WITH YOU.

HERE, COME ON. MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES.

LET ME MAKE IT UP TO YOU. I'LL BUY YOU A DRINK.

HEY, BARTENDER.

ANOTHER BEER FOR ME, AND THE LADY WILL HAVE...

JOHNNY WALKER RED.

JOHNNY WALKER RED.

NEXT DAY, SHE SHOWS UP WITH BRUISES AND A BLACK EYE.

WAS FREDDIE WATSON HERE ON MONDAY NIGHT?

I -- LIKE I SAID, I WASN'T HERE MUCH.

YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK TO MY NIGHT BARTENDER, KENNY.

HE KNOWS EVERYBODY. I'LL GIVE YOU HIS NUMBER.

WELL, THEY WEREN'T GONNA WAIT AROUND FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT

TO PURSUE THEIR FIRST REAL LEAD.

SO THE NEXT THING I KNEW,

THE DETECTIVES WERE RIGHT BACK AT OUR BUILDING,

ASKING AROUND ABOUT ROSEANN.

HAD SHE REALLY BEEN BEAT UP, OR WAS THAT JUST A STORY,

THE KIND OF RUMOR THAT GETS PASSED FROM PERSON TO PERSON

UNTIL EVERYONE BELIEVES THAT IT'S A FACT?

THEY CAUGHT ME AS I WAS HEADING DOWN TO THE BODEGA

FOR A PACK OF CIGARETTES.

BUT THEY WERE ASKING IF I KNEW ANYTHING

ABOUT ROSEANN GETTING BEAT UP A YEAR BEFORE.

AND I HAD ONLY MOVED INTO THE BUILDING SIX MONTHS AGO.

THAT'LL BE ALL, MISS. THANK YOU.

OKAY, WELL, LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING ELSE.

FOR GOOD OR BAD,

MOST OF US LIVING IN CROWDED NEW YORK CITY APARTMENTS

WERE JUST TRYING TO HAVE A LITTLE PRIVACY OF OUR OWN.

WE WORKED PRETTY HARD NOT TO GET INVOLVED

IN EACH OTHER'S PERSONAL BUSINESS.

EXCUSE ME, MISS?

ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.

BUT NOT EVERYONE KEPT THEIR NOSE OUT OF IT.

LAST YEAR, DID YOU HAPPEN TO HEAR ANY KIND OF COMMOTION,

SCREAMING, COMING FROM MISS QUINN'S APARTMENT?

SHE WAS BADLY BEATEN.

CAN YOU GIVE US A DESCRIPTION OF THE GUY?

NEGRO.

NOT OVERLY TALL. STOCKY.

I HEARD ALL THESE NOISES.

WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!

THIS IS CRAZY!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

YOU WANTED ME TO TOUCH YOU. YOU WANTED ME TO SLAP YOU.

THAT'S WHAT I DID. GET OUT!

YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND.

HE WAS RUNNING OUT AS I CAME IN.

ARE YOU OKAY? I'M FINE.

HER NEIGHBOR ACTUALLY FOUND ROSEANN

IN A CRYING HEAP ON THE FLOOR.

WELL, ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER,

I HEARD THE SAME SOUNDS COMING FROM HER APARTMENT.

SHE GOES ON TO TELL THEM

THAT TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT INCIDENT...

...SIMILAR NOISES, SIMILAR STRUGGLES,

WHAT SOUNDED LIKE ROUGH SEX, ESSENTIALLY.

PHYSICAL CONFRONTATIONS THAT HAD A SEXUAL ELEMENT TO IT.

SHE BELIEVED THAT EVERY TWO WEEKS IT WAS DIFFERENT GUYS,

AND THEY HAPPENED WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY.

TO THE NEIGHBOR,

IT SEEMED LIKE ROSEANN MAYBE WANTED TO GET BEAT UP.

DID THE POLICE TAKE THE STORY OF ONE NEIGHBOR SERIOUSLY

AND LOOK AT ROSEANN DIFFERENTLY AFTER THAT?

HOW SHOULD I KNOW?

BUT REMEMBER, THE GOODBAR STORY

WAS ABOUT A WOMAN WHO COURTED DANGER

BY PICKING UP ROUGH STRANGERS IN BARS

AND BRINGING THEM BACK TO HER APARTMENT.

SO MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM.

PERSONALLY, I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING

COMING FROM ROSEANN'S APARTMENT.

AND ON THE RARE OCCASION THAT SHE INVITED ME INSIDE,

I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO FRAGILE

FOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

DOES THIS LOOK OKAY?

YEAH. I LIKE THAT ON YOU.

IT LOOKS GREAT. THANKS.

HEY, I'M GLAD YOU FINALLY DECIDED

TO COME OUT WITH ME AND MY FRIENDS.

YEAH.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO MEET PEOPLE IN NEW YORK.

YEAH, IT'S A TOUGH PLACE IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYONE.

AT 13,

SHE HAD TO HAVE A VERY SERIOUS SURGERY ON HER SPINE,

AND SHE WOULD WALK WITH A LIMP FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN "GREASE" YET?

I REALLY WANT TO YOU, YOU KNOW.

I'M REALLY SORRY.

I'M STARTING TO FEEL A LITTLE SICK.

I THINK I'M JUST GONNA STAY IN TONIGHT.

OKAY.

IF ROSEANN'S HANG-UPS ABOUT HER BODY

WERE DRIVING HER TO A DARK PLACE,

WELL, I KNEW MORE THAN A FEW GIRLS

WHO COULD RELATE TO THAT, MYSELF INCLUDED.

SO EVEN IF OUR NEIGHBOR'S STORY WAS TRUE,

I FIGURE WHATEVER A GROWN WOMAN DOES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

IS NONE OF ANYONE'S BUSINESS.

THE PROBLEM WAS, SHE HAD DIED BEHIND THAT CLOSED DOOR.

SO AFTER LOOKING FOR INFO

ON THIS FREDDIE WATSON CHARACTER ALL DAY,

IT MADE SENSE TO SWING BACK BY ROSEANN'S APARTMENT

TO SEE WHAT THE FORENSICS TEAM HAD DUG UP.

- HEY, YOU GOT ANYTHING? - THERE'S NO PRINTS.

IF THE GUY TOUCHED ANYTHING,

HE WIPED THE PLACE CLEAN AFTERWARDS.

OKAY, LET'S CALL CLEARY TO START A SEARCH ON FREDDIE WATSON.

HELLO?

Hello. Is Roseann there?

WHO'S CALLING? A friend.

I had heard that she wasn't feeling well.

YOU HEARD SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL.

Is she okay?

SIR, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

**

Hello. Is Roseann there?

WHO'S CALLING? A friend.

I had heard that she wasn't feeling well.

YOU HEARD SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL.

Is she okay?

SIR, WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

TELL ME YOUR NAME.

AND THE CALLER HANGS UP.

WITH TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY, WE COULD CALL HIM BACK.

IN 1973, THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO

TO DISCOVER WHO THE CALLER IS.

YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE NOSTALGIC

FOR YOUR 20s.

GOSH, YOU REMEMBER, RIGHT?

YOU'RE YOUNG AND EXCITED.

IT WAS AN AMAZING TIME TO BE IN NEW YORK,

WHETHER YOU WERE DOWNTOWN CATCHING A DULL SET

THAT DIDN'T EVEN START UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT

OR KEEPING A BAR STOOL WARM UNTIL CLOSING TIME.

YOU WERE HAVING FUN.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT ROSEANN WAS DOING THE NIGHT SHE DIED.

AND THE POLICE HOPED THAT THE NIGHT BARTENDER FROM TWEEDS

MIGHT BE ABLE TO FILL IN SOME OF THE DETAILS FOR THEM.

SO, KENNY, WHEN YOU WERE WORKING AT TWEEDS ON MONDAY NIGHT --

NEW YEAR'S DAY IN THE EVENING --

DID YOU SEE FREDDIE WATSON AT ANY TIME?

NO.

FREDDIE, NO. HE STANDS OUT IN A CROWD.

NO, I-I DIDN'T SEE HIM.

ACCORDING TO THE NIGHT BARTENDER,

ON JANUARY 1st, FREDDIE WATSON WAS NOT AT THE BAR.

SO IT WAS MUCH LESS LIKELY

THAT HE WAS THE KILLER OF ROSEANN QUINN.

BUT YOU SAW ROSEANN, RIGHT?

SURE. ROSEANN, SHE WAS THERE ALL NIGHT.

WHAT HE REPORTS IS IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT, AS USUAL.

ROSEANN WAS THERE READING AT FIRST

BUT THEN KIND OF ENTERED THE CROWD

AND BEGAN TALKING TO THE PEOPLE SHE KNEW, THE REGULARS.

BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF GUYS THAT I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE.

THEY WERE BOTH BLOND HAIR.

ONE WAS A LITTLE OLDER THAN THE OTHER.

HIS GENERAL IMPRESSION WAS THAT THIS MAY BE TWO BROTHERS.

ACCORDING TO THE BARTENDER, THE STRANGERS PART.

AND ONE STAYS TO TALK TO ROSEANN.

WHICH ONE WAS TALKING TO HER?

THE YOUNGER ONE?

I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER THAT MUCH ABOUT THEM.

WE WERE BUSY THAT NIGHT.

TWEEDS WAS THE LAST PLACE THIS GIRL WAS SEEN ALIVE.

NOW, MOST OF YOUR REGULARS WERE THERE THAT NIGHT, RIGHT?

YEAH, SURE. MOST OF THEM WERE THERE.

ALL RIGHT, I'M LOOKING FOR SOME INFORMATION

ON A COUPLE OF GUYS THAT WERE HERE AT THE BAR ON MONDAY NIGHT.

NOW, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE REGULARS,

SO I'M HOPING THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE STUCK OUT TO YOU.

YEAH, I SAW TWO GUYS WITH BLOND HAIR.

I KNOW THEY BOTH HAD BLOND HAIR.

THE YOUNGER ONE HAD DARKER HAIR.

ONE WAS A BIT TALLER THAN THE OTHER ONE.

NEITHER GUY WAS TALLER THAN THE OTHER.

THEY WERE ABOUT THE SAME HEIGHT.

POLICE INTERVIEW PEOPLE AT THE BAR

AND TRY TO DEVELOP A COMPOSITE.

ALL RIGHT, DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE THE GUY

SPEAKING WITH ROSEANN QUINN?

YEAH, THE OLDER ONE.

BOTH OF THEM WERE TALKING TO MISS QUINN.

- BOTH TALKING TO ROSEANN? - YES.

IT'S NOT A SCIENCE. IT'S AN ART.

BUT OFTEN HELPFUL IN A WAY OF A GENERAL PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

OF WHAT A POSSIBLE SUSPECT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

KIND OF HAD A ROUND FACE.

HE HAD, LIKE, A STRONG JAWLINE.

HE HAD BLUE EYES. DIRTY-BLOND HAIR.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE COPS ARE NOT EXTREMELY CONFIDENT

IN THE COMPOSITE.

IT MIGHT AS WELL BE ANYBODY.

BUT NOT ALL OF ROSEANN'S BARROOM FRIENDS

WERE COMFORTABLE SPEAKING TO THE COPS

OUT IN THE OPEN LIKE THAT.

AND THERE WAS ONE GUY IN PARTICULAR

WHO WANTED A MORE PRIVATE CONVERSATION.

I'D SEEN HIM A FEW TIMES AT THE PARK WITH HIS SKETCH PAD,

AND EVERYONE JUST KNEW HIM AS "THE ARTIST."

YOU THE COPS I SPOKE TO?

YEAH, THANKS FOR GIVING US A CALL.

YEAH, WELL...

NORMALLY, I DON'T TALK TO COPS.

BUT...

WHAT THEY DID TO THAT GIRL, THAT WAS REALLY MESSED UP.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A COUPLE OF GUYS

THAT WERE AT TWEEDS ON MONDAY NIGHT.

THEY BOTH HAD BLOND HAIR.

DO YOU REMEMBER TALKING TO THIS GUY?

**

THE ARTIST SAYS THAT, IN FACT, HE DOES REMEMBER.

THE MAN SAT, AND THEY BEGAN A CONVERSATION.

HIS NAME WAS CHARLIE SMITH.

AND HE WAS FROM OUT OF TOWN, AND HE WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB.

CHARLIE SMITH ASKS HIM WHAT HE DOES,

AND HE SAYS, "I'M AN ARTIST."

SO CHARLIE SMITH SAYS, YOU KNOW,

"WELL, DRAW ME TWO PICTURES, AND I'LL PAY YOU $6 EACH."

WHAT'D YOU DRAW, THEN?

IT WAS...

DONALD DUCK AND MICKEY MOUSE.

**

WHAT?

CARTOON CHARACTERS.

ROSEANN HAD CHARLIE SMITH'S DRAWINGS

IN HER APARTMENT.

OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THAT CERTAINLY PIQUES THEIR INTEREST.

SO THE POLICE HAVE A SUSPECT OR A WITNESS.

IT WAS A REAL LEAD.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE

THAT MEN GIVING OUT FAKE NAMES IN BARS

DID NOT START YESTERDAY.

AND BACK IN A TIME BEFORE YOU COULD TRACE DEBIT CARDS

OR TRACK CELLPHONES,

LOCATING A CHARLIE SMITH IN NEW YORK

WAS LIKE TRYING TO FIND A NEEDLE

IN A HAYSTACK OF OTHER NEEDLES.

IN 1973, IT COULD BE IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT

TO FIND SOMEONE IN NEW YORK CITY.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ON FRIDAY, TWO DAYS AFTER THE BODY'S DISCOVERED,

THE STORY FINALLY HITS THE NEWSPAPERS.

MEDIA COVERAGE OF CRIMES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

WAS VERY TABLOID.

THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF OPINIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW,

HER LIFESTYLE, HOW SHE LED IT, WHAT SHE DID.

THE NEW YORK TIMES WROTE THAT,

"THE ESSENTIAL FOCUS OF CONCERN IN THE CASE

IS THE GIRL'S LIFESTYLE.

'IN A SENSE, ' CAPTAIN McMAHON SAID,

'A DEATH LIKE HERS SHOULD BE EXPECTED.'"

EVEN THOUGH A KILLER WAS STILL ON THE LOOSE,

THE STORY WAS ALREADY MORPHING INTO SOME KIND OF MORALITY TALE

ABOUT HOW A SINGLE WOMAN WHO DARES TO HAVE A SEX LIFE

IS REALLY THE ONE TO BLAME WHEN SOME LUNATIC KILLS HER.

I DIDN'T THINK THE PAPERS COULD SINK ANY LOWER

IF THE RATS UNDER THE 6 TRAIN HAD MADE A NEST OUT OF THEM.

LUCKILY, THE POLICE HAD A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

THAN I DID ABOUT THE PRESS,

BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THE PAPERS

COULD ALSO BE A TOOL IN THEIR INVESTIGATION.

AND AS GENERIC AS THAT SKETCH OF CHARLIE SMITH MAY HAVE BEEN,

ALL IT WOULD TAKE TO CHANGE EVERYTHING

WOULD BE FOR ONE PERSON, THE RIGHT PERSON,

TO STUMBLE UPON IT.

SIX DAYS AFTER THE BODY IS DISCOVERED,

THEY RELEASE THE SKETCH,

AND IT'S IN THE NEWSPAPERS SUNDAY MORNING.

**

THE RELEASE OF THE SKETCH

RESULTS IN EXACTLY WHAT THE POLICE WERE HOPING IT WOULD.

**

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE MURDER OF ROSEANN QUINN?

LOOKING BACK ON IT NOW, I UNDERSTAND WHY,

BUT AT THE TIME, ALL I COULD THINK WAS,

"IT'S BEEN ALMOST A WEEK SINCE THEY FOUND ROSEANN.

WHY ISN'T ANYTHING HAPPENING

EXCEPT FOR SOME GENERIC SKETCH?"

BUT IF THE PAPERS HAD REPORTED THAT SOME MYSTERY MAN

HAD ARRANGED A SECRET MEETING WITH THE POLICE,

WELL, THEN IT WOULDN'T BE VERY SECRET, WOULD IT?

HE TELLS DETECTIVES THAT HIS NAME IS GEARY GUEST.

AND THAT HE KNEW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT ROSEANN QUINN'S MURDER.

SO, MR. GUEST, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US

ABOUT THE MURDER OF ROSEANN QUINN?

WELL, I WAS AT TWEEDS A WEEK AGO,

LAST MONDAY NIGHT, WITH A FRIEND.

* TO THE OCEAN *

ONE MORE PICK. IT'S GOT TO BE JOHN LEE HOOKER.

MR. GUEST SAYS THAT HE AND A FRIEND

WHO WAS STAYING AT HIS APARTMENT NOT FAR FROM 72nd STREET

DECIDED TO GO TO TWEEDS,

ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT A PLACE EITHER OF THEM WERE KNOWN.

THEY HAD A DRINK,

AND GEARY DECIDED TO GO HOME AND LEFT HIS FRIEND BEHIND.

NOW, THIS FRIEND OF YOURS, WAS HIS NAME CHARLIE SMITH?

WHO DID HE TELL THAT NAME TO?

SO WHAT'S YOUR PAL'S REAL NAME?

JOHN WAYNE WILSON.

HE'S 23 YEARS OLD.

HE'S FROM INDIANA.

HE HAD KIND OF A ROUGH CHILDHOOD.

HE NEVER FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

HE JUST PICKED UP AND HITCHED TO NEW YORK.

YOU LOOK GOOD, JOHN.

IT'S HARD TO GET WORK WITHOUT A DEGREE.

AT LEAST MAKING THE KIND OF MONEY THAT HE NEEDED.

SO...

...HE HUSTLED.

**

JOHN WAYNE AND GEARY MEET IN 1970.

CLASSIC "I'M ON THE STREET, AND HE SMILES AT ME,

AND I SMILE AT HIM, AND THE NEXT THING, WE'RE MAKING A CONTACT."

THEY GO HOME TOGETHER THAT NIGHT.

SO, YOU TWO HAD A "MIDNIGHT COWBOY" KIND OF RELATIONSHIP?

SEE, I WAS ALWAYS A RUNNER.

PROBABLY NOT HARD TO BELIEVE, I IMAGINE.

GEARY FALLS IN LOVE WITH JOHN WAYNE.

FOR JOHN WAYNE WILSON,

HE'S DEPENDENT ON GEARY FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

YOU'RE CUTE.

THE WAY I SEE IT, ALL RELATIONSHIPS ARE COMPLICATED,

AND THEIRS WAS NO EXCEPTION.

SO EVEN THOUGH JOHN WAYNE HAD SEX WITH MEN FOR MONEY...

I'LL SEE YOU SOON, OKAY?

...HE ALSO HAD A YOUNG WIFE DOWN IN FLORIDA.

BUT GEARY STILL CARED FOR JOHN

AND WAS HAPPY TO SHARE HIS HOME WITH HIM

IN EXCHANGE FOR A LITTLE COMPANIONSHIP.

L-LET'S GET BACK TO MONDAY NIGHT.

YOU LEFT THE BAR.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

I LEFT JOHN AT THE BAR, AND I WENT HOME.

HE WENT TO SLEEP, AND HE SAYS THAT HE WAKES UP LATER...

...AND JOHN WAYNE WILSON IS SITTING ON THE COUCH.

REMEMBER THAT GIRL FROM THE BAR LAST NIGHT?

I KILLED HER.

MR. GUEST DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS BEING IN TOTAL DISBELIEF.

HE SAID THE NEXT DAY,

HE WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND BOUGHT THE NEWSPAPERS,

COULDN'T FIND ANY REPORT OF ANY HOMICIDES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MR. GUEST DECIDES TO DO

TO TRY TO DETERMINE IF WILSON IS MAKING THIS STORY UP OR NOT...

Hello?

HELLO. IS ROSEANN THERE?

WHO'S CALLING?

...IS TO CALL ROSEANN QUINN.

IS SHE OKAY?

I HAD HEARD SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL.

YOU HEARD SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL.

Sir, what is your name?

TELL ME YOUR NAME.

SO HE IS ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO PHONED THE APARTMENT

THE DAY THE DETECTIVES ANSWERED.

SO WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TO THE POLICE?

BECAUSE BY MY COUNT, IT TOOK YOU SIX DAYS

TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

HE NEVER HURT ANYONE BEFORE THAT I KNOW.

THAT SKETCH LOOKS LIKE ME.

**

IT WAS ALMOST A WEEK AFTER THE BODY IS DISCOVERED

THAT HE DECIDED TO CONTACT THEM

BECAUSE THE COMPOSITE WAS, IN FACT, OF GEARY, NOT WILSON.

I DON'T WANT ANYONE THINKING

THAT I HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT GIRL'S MURDER.

THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO THE POLICE,

SO THEY'RE SUSPICIOUS.

SO, WHERE'S WILSON NOW?

HE LEFT TOWN.

YOU GUYS IN TOUCH AT ALL?

HE CALLS SOMETIMES.

GUEST ALSO SAID THAT NIGHT

THAT HE THOUGHT THAT MR. WILSON HAD TRAVELED TO INDIANAPOLIS,

WHICH WAS WHERE HIS BROTHER LIVED.

SO, THE DETECTIVES CAUGHT THE FIRST FLIGHT THE NEXT MORNING

TO INDIANAPOLIS.

BUT WHEN WILSON CAME TO THE DOOR AT HIS BROTHER'S HOUSE,

HE DIDN'T SEEM TO THEM LIKE A PERSON WITH SOMETHING TO HIDE.

IN FACT, HE SAID IT WAS NO TROUBLE AT ALL

TO SPEAK WITH THEM DOWN AT THE STATION.

AND ALL THEY HAD AGAINST HIM WERE SOME CRUMPLED CARTOONS

AND THE WORD OF HIS ABANDONED LOVER.

I'M NOT TOO ANXIOUS TO SEE

HOW THE D.A. LIKES A "HE SAID, HE SAID" CASE.

DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT GUEST SAID?

DO YOU THINK THIS COULD BE A SETUP?

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU BEEN TO NEW YORK RECENTLY, JOHN?

SAY, JANUARY 1st?

NO. NOT SO MUCH.

I'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN FROM FLORIDA, ACTUALLY.

MY OLD LADY, SHE LIVES DOWN THERE.

YOU WEREN'T AT A BAR CALLED TWEEDS?

NO, SIR, I WASN'T.

YOU NEVER MET A GIRL NAMED ROSEANN QUINN?

NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, DETECTIVE.

YOUR FRIEND GEARY GUEST SAYS OTHERWISE.

**

GEARY'S A GOOD GUY.

YOUR FRIEND GAVE YOU UP, JOHN.

GUEST SAYS YOU MURDERED MISS QUINN.

I KILLED HER.

AND THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR HIM TO CONFESS.

GEARY MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE PERSON WHO CARED FOR

AND SUPPORTED JOHN WAYNE THE MOST.

AND WHEN GEARY GAVE HIM UP,

I GUESS JOHN REALIZED THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT TO FIGHT FOR.

WHAT HAPPENED, JOHN?

**

SHE INVITED HIM BACK TO HER APARTMENT.

AND HE WENT BACK WITH HER.

WHAT?

NOTHING.

YOU'RE CUTE.

BUT THAT WAS NOT THE END OF THE MYSTERY.

WHAT JOHN WAYNE WOULD TELL THE POLICE THAT DAY

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND HER CLOSED DOOR

WOULD RAISE QUESTIONS THAT LINGER TO THIS DAY.

**

ROSEANN QUINN WAS A TEACHER

WHO DEVOTED HER LIFE TO DEAF CHILDREN

AND WAS MURDERED IN HER APARTMENT.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THOSE ARE THE FACTS, YOU KNOW?

THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HER.

I REMEMBER HER AS SWEET AND A LITTLE TIMID.

BUT MEMORIES ARE TRICKY.

THEY'RE LITTLE FRAGMENTS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER

INTO OUR OWN STORY ABOUT A PERSON.

AND MAYBE NO ONE PERSON COLORED HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT ROSEANN

MORE THAN JOHN WAYNE WILSON

WHEN HE TOLD THE POLICE HIS STORY

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY LEFT TWEEDS BAR,

WALKED ACROSS THE STREET...

AND WENT INTO HER APARTMENT.

JUST ONE SECOND, OKAY?

I JUST NEED TO CLEAR MY MIND REAL QUICK, YOU KNOW?

JOHN WAYNE WILSON STATED HE COULDN'T PERFORM SEXUALLY.

SHE WOULDN'T LAY OFF ME.

WHY'D YOU COME UP HERE?

WHAT'S THE MATTER? CAN'T YOU DO IT?

DON'T -- DON'T -- DON'T PUSH ME.

WHAT?

YOU DON'T LIKE IT WHEN I DO THAT?

COME ON. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

SHE KEPT BITCHING.

HE TELLS POLICE THAT ROSEANN SNEERED AT HIM, INSULTED HIM.

SHE RIDICULED HIM.

I DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.

YOU GONNA SHOW ME WHAT A MAN YOU ARE?

PLEASE. COME ON.

DON'T TOUCH ME, ALL RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

I TOLD YOU JUST TO BE QUIET. SHOW ME WHAT A MAN YOU ARE!

COME ON! JUST BE QUIET FOR ONE SECOND!

COME ON! COME ON! JUST -- JUST --

BE A MAN! COME ON! COME ON!

SHE WOULDN'T SHUT UP.

COME ON!

SO...

...I CLEANED UP...

AND LEFT HER THERE.

"SHE TAUNTED ME. SHE PROVOKED ME.

SHE PUSHED ME TOO FAR."

JOHN WAYNE WILSON DID EVERYTHING HE COULD

TO SUGGEST THAT ROSEANN WAS ULTIMATELY TO BLAME.

AND WHEN YOU COMBINE HIS STORY

WITH THE RUMORS SPREAD BY ROSEANN'S NEIGHBOR,

YOU GET A CHARACTER THAT LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE THE ONE

IN "LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR."

BUT WHAT I READ LATER

ABOUT ALL THE THINGS HE SAID TO THE POLICE THAT DAY,

WELL, SOME OF IT REALLY GOT ME THINKING.

DO YOU HAVE ANY KIDS?

YEAH, I GOT KIDS.

SO THEN YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS, RIGHT?

WHEN MY WIFE WAS PREGNANT, THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE,

AND I WASN'T PREPARED.

SO I TRIED TO GET OUT -- HUSTLING.

YOU KNOW?

JUST A RéSUMé?

HE'S UNEMPLOYABLE.

HE HAS NO RECORD OF EMPLOYMENT.

AND HE HAS NO SKILL OTHER THAN SEX.

IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME, AND NOBODY DID,

I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER WAY THINGS MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.

THIS DOESN'T NORMALLY HAPPEN TO ME.

IT'S OKAY.

IT'S MY FAULT.

NO, NO, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.

NO, IT IS. IT'S OKAY.

WELL, THE ROSEANN I KNEW

SEEMED LIKE SHE MIGHT TAKE REJECTION PRETTY HARD.

THE FACT THAT HE COULDN'T GET AN ERECTION

WAS JUST CONFIRMING HER WORST FEAR,

WHICH WAS THAT SHE WAS NOT SEXUALLY DESIRABLE.

WILSON COULDN'T SUPPORT HIS WIFE AND UNBORN CHILD.

THE ONLY THING HE EVER EXCELLED AT

WAS HAVING SEX WITH STRANGERS,

AND NOW HE HAD FAILED AT THAT, TOO.

AND MAYBE SOMETHING INSIDE HIM JUST SNAPPED.

AND ON TOP OF THAT,

THE EVIDENCE THEY FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE

CHALLENGED WILSON'S STORY, AS WELL.

JOHN WAYNE WILSON SAID HE COULDN'T EVEN GET IT UP.

BUT THERE WAS SEMINAL FLUID

IN THE BODY OF ROSEANN QUINN.

SO, WILSON WAS LYING

WHEN HE SAID HE'D NEVER HAD SEX WITH ROSEANN.

WHY WAS HE WILLING TO ADMIT THAT HE HAD KILLED HER

BUT TRYING TO HIDE THE FACT THAT HE'D SLEPT WITH HER?

PERHAPS AFTER HER DEATH, HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER.

REMEMBER THAT SHE WAS FOUND

WITH A BROOM IN HER VAGINA.

THERE'S NOTHING THAT COULD JUSTIFY

WHAT ROSEANN QUINN WAS SUBJECTED TO IN HER HOME.

"LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR" WAS A WORK OF FICTION,

BUT IT WAS THE STORY IN THOSE PAGES THAT STUCK.

THE BAD-GIRL STORY IS PERHAPS MORE TITILLATING.

ROSEANN BECAME KNOWN AS A GIRL WHO HUNG OUT AT BARS

LOOKING TO BRING MEN HOME,

WHO LIKED SEX AND WAS AGGRESSIVE ABOUT GETTING IT.

IN 1973, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT PEOPLE WOULD SAY,

"WELL, WHAT THE HELL WAS SHE DOING?

SHE ASKED FOR IT."

THE WORLD TURNED HER INTO A CAUTIONARY TALE

IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF FICTIONAL WOMEN

WHO NEED TO BE PUNISHED FOR TAKING THEIR CLOTHES OFF.

BUT ROSEANN WAS A REAL PERSON,

AND THERE WAS NO MORAL TO BE TAKEN FROM HER DEATH.

ONE THING WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE NIGHT

NOR THE WAY ROSEANN QUINN WANTED TO END HER LIFE.

WHAT KIND OF SEX SHE LIKED IS IRRELEVANT.

THE WOMAN WAS MURDERED.

SO IF YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME YOU THINK SHE ASKED FOR IT,

THAT'S GONNA TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOU THAN IT IS ABOUT ROSEANN.

I THINK PEOPLE WERE TERRIFIED BY WHAT HAPPENED TO ROSEANN.

I KNOW I WAS.

SO THEY WANTED TO BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS A RISK-TAKER,

BECAUSE IF SHE BROUGHT IT ON HERSELF,

THEN IT'S A SIMPLE THING TO AVOID HER MISTAKES.

AND YOU CAN REST EASY AT NIGHT,

KNOWING THAT, UNLIKE HER, YOU'LL BE SAFE.

RIGHT?

* IF I'LL GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY *

* SING THE SHIMMY DOWN ON MONDAY *

* AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS IF I DO *

* IF I DO *

**