Original subtitles

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.

Bye.

Hey, be safe.

Lots of wolves out there tonight.

I'm not worried, even a little,

'cause I'm a bad bitch. - Please.

You're more like one of them little baby deers.

A fawn?

Right, a fawn.

I'm tougher than I look.

I promise.

All right.

♪ Tried to blame it on the city that I love ♪

♪ I point the finger at the people up above ♪

♪ Oh, babe, you'll be okay

♪ When you get lost in your head some days ♪

♪ When life ain't going your way ♪

♪ Keep it up, it up, it up

♪ Ah, ah

911 call came in 16 minutes ago.

Victim is female, white.

- How'd she die? - Painfully.

Excuse me?

Sorry, I didn't, uh--

this one's a little rough.

Multiple facial contusions and wounds.

Cause of death was likely--

Traumatic brain injury.

Got it.

What else do we know?

Phone and wallet were still on her person.

It's unlikely that it was a robbery.

Witnesses?

No.

But patrol officers are still canvassing.

Got a name?

We got two, actually.

Driver's license number one says Georgia Keller, age 22,

from Connecticut.

Driver's license two from Iowa says Georgia Kent, age 19.

My money's on Georgia Kent.

Not a bad fake, though.

Too bad she didn't get to use it very long.

Confirmed.

Her real name is Georgia Kent, age 19.

Originally from Iowa City, Iowa.

Appears to be a model.

No current address.

So she moves to the big city.

Becomes another stat.

Unfortunately.

Do we have access to her electronic devices yet?

Working on the warrant as we speak.

Witnesses, video, DNA?

Doing the best we can.

Okay. Notify the family.

Try to find out where she's been living.

So you're Georgia's roommate?

Yes, and I almost went with her to the club last night.

But I didn't want to drink.

Just trying to lose a few pounds.

Do you know if anyone was bothering her?

Threatening her?

Um, I definitely heard her yelling at someone,

yesterday, around 3:30.

She was telling him to leave her alone

and stop stalking her.

Hi.

I'm Melissa Kent.

And this is my husband, Charles.

Oh, hi.

I'm Perry.

So it's true?

My little girl is really dead?

I found the stalker Georgia's roommate was talking about.

This guy shows up at Georgia's apartment at 3:54 p.m.

And he doesn't leave until 6:59 p.m.

He's just standing there like a creep for three hours.

And then we see him there yesterday for 90 minutes

and the day before for two hours.

Did you figure out where he wanders off to?

We lucked out.

Running the plates now.

Okay.

Man, stalkers must wake up every day

and just thank God that a bunch of nerds

invented this thing called social media, huh?

Yeah, it definitely makes it easier for them, right?

But come on. It's--it's not all bad.

Oh, yeah?

Talk to me when you got a teenage daughter.

Yeah.

I think that's our guy right there.

Yeah, that's definitely him.

Randall Pike.

NYPD.

We need to talk.

About what?

Georgia Kent.

Pike!

Give me your arm.

Give me your right arm.

Hey, hey. On your feet.

On your feet. Come on.

Randall Pike, you're under arrest.

I heard about what happened.

I just--

seemed like the right thing to do.

Jumping over the fence and killing yourself?

- Yes. - How come?

I lost my way.

And it's humiliating.

I have a wife, two daughters.

So when you say you lost your way,

you're talking about Georgia Kent?

- Yes. - Mm-hmm.

Did you hurt her?

Is that why you tried to jump over the railing?

I can't stop thinking about her.

No matter how hard I try.

Why is that?

Because I loved her.

You loved her?

Very much.

We used to go out on dates.

So you two were dating?

- Sort of. - What does that mean?

I paid her.

Okay. So are you saying that she was a prostitute?

God, no. Nothing like that.

Sex was not involved.

It was purely companionship.

But I fell in love with her.

And let me guess.

She did not fall in love with you.

That's correct.

You couldn't make her fall in love with you,

so you killed her.

She was so beautiful.

So full of life.

I became obsessed.

When is the last time you saw her?

The day she died, at this café

in the West Village she goes to.

What time?

Late morning, around 11:00.

And what happened?

I yelled at her.

Why?

I'd seen her out a few nights earlier

with this young, attractive guy at this art gallery.

I had no right to be upset, but I was.

Where were you the night she was murdered,

around midnight?

Home.

Was anybody with you?

Yes.

My wife.

And now you're gonna contact her?

I really should have killed myself.

Pike's wife confirmed his alibi.

Must have been a fun call.

She had no clue.

Well, she couldn't have been looking very hard.

In other news, I spoke to the ME,

and she found third-party DNA on the body

underneath the vic's fingernails.

That's good. Maybe we'll get lucky.

And in the meantime, why don't you try

to track down this handsome guy

that Georgia was talking to at the gallery opening?

Maybe he can tell us something. - We'll talk to Pike.

We'll get some more info on the guy.

All right.

I was definitely at the exhibit,

but I don't remember anyone named Georgia Kent.

It was crowded, loud.

There was a DJ.

Well, maybe I can jog your memory.

She's tall, white, beautiful, about 20 years old.

Yeah, actually, we got some surveillance footage

of the two of you speaking

on the sidewalk outside the gallery.

In fact, that's how we got your name in the first place.

We showed that video to the gallery owner, Megan somebody.

She brought you up.

I remember now. That's Georgia.

Yeah, yeah, she was-- she was really cool.

Come on back, guys.

Gotta be honest, man.

Life must be pretty good

if you're forgetting women like that.

I mean, beautiful, model.

Most guys I know wouldn't be able to get

a girl like that out of their mind.

I get it.

But I--I really don't know her.

We just met that night.

I'm not even sure she gave me her name.

We walked out at the same time,

and I offered to walk her to a cab.

So you guys weren't seeing each other?

Oh, no.

I have a girlfriend.

She was out of town. She's a lawyer.

Why? What's--what's going on?

Somebody killed her.

What?

Jeez, that's--that's awful.

It sure is.

I wish I could be more help, guys, but--

Yeah, well, if you remember anything.

Of course.

Thanks, guys.

You know, I don't see any name with Carter or Mills

anywhere in her texts.

Well, maybe this guy is telling the truth.

Maybe his life really is that good.

Well, no. Here's something.

Looks like the day before the murder,

she was texting with a friend called Nic.

Says, "Thanks for listening, Nic."

Nic responds, "Tell that pig what he did was wrong--

"no, evil.

Or better yet, just tell the police and let them handle it."

Sounds like maybe they're talking about some sort

of sexual assault?

The question is, who's the assailant?

Looks like Georgia was not our killer's first rodeo.

What do you mean?

The same DNA found on her body was found

on the body of another victim 12 years ago.

- We make an arrest? - Nope.

File's pretty thin too.

It was a John Doe.

Got a hit on the DNA?

Not a direct match, no, but we got a familial hit.

A familial hit? How'd we get that?

I ran the sample through a private database.

- Oh, boy. - What?

This prick is good for two murders.

You don't have to explain it to me, all right?

I'm good. - You're not?

People's right to privacy is a serious thing.

I'll get you some pearls to clutch.

Once a lawyer, bro.

Look, this guy, if he wasn't out there killing people,

none of this would matter.

You want your genetic material kept private, that's fine.

Just don't rape or murder anybody.

It's pretty straightforward.

Until it's not.

Until the government starts looking

at people's DNA for other reasons, fabricating--

All right. You may be right.

But right now, the most important thing

is nailing who did this.

So please, let's stop the debate

and go check out this guy's aunt.

Her name is Vanessa Burke.

She lives in Bronxville.

Thank you.

Wait. I'm confused.

You found someone's DNA on a dead girl's body,

and it matches mine?

Well, it's a 25% match,

so it's likely an uncle or a nephew.

Okay. So how can I help?

You have a nephew, right?

Dylan Burke.

- He's my brother's son. - Okay.

He lives in Brooklyn? - Not anymore.

He moved to Miami nine months ago.

Has he been back to New York recently?

No.

He's been on his honeymoon in Thailand.

You have any other male relatives that

live in the New York area?

Hey, Carter.

Need to speak to you.

Hey, detectives.

Sure.

How can I help?

Well, we got a few more questions about Georgia.

Of course.

You guys first met at the art gallery, right?

Yeah.

What about after?

After that?

Uh, nothing.

You never saw her again?

No.

It's like I said, I have a girlfriend.

Right. Right. The lawyer, yeah?

There's that.

And there's this.

That's you, walking into your condo with Georgia

the night after the art gallery.

No.

It's impossible.

That must be some sort of fake video or something.

No. No, it's not.

And the DNA that we found on her body,

that ain't fake, either.

That belongs to you.

Come on.

Turn around.

Carter Mills, you're under arrest

for the murder of Georgia Kent.

It's like I told those other cops.

I have nothing to do with this.

I know what you said.

I don't believe you.

We found your DNA on Georgia's body.

That's impossible.

I can let you read the report if you want.

No.

Because my DNA is not in the system.

Your aunt's is, Vanessa Burke.

She bought one of those genetic testing kits.

She wanted to find out where her ancestors were from.

Okay.

So my DNA was on her body.

But there's a reason.

And what's that?

- We had sex. - When?

The night after I met her at the art exhibit.

Ah, so you lied to the police about not knowing her.

Yeah.

I have a girlfriend who I care a lot about.

And I didn't want to-- - "Screw it up."

I know. I get it.

Listen, DNA does not hang around a person's body

for three days, especially a person who showers regularly.

So that means you were with her

the night she was beaten to death.

And I'll cut to the chase, Carter.

We know you did it.

The only thing we don't know at the moment is why.

Did you rape her?

Is that why you had to kill her?

A friend of Georgia's sent her this text

the night of the murder.

"Tell that pig"...

"What he did was wrong-- no, evil.

"Or better yet, just tell the police.

Let them handle it."

Are you the pig she's talking about?

I want my lawyer.

We think we have a strong case.

The suspect lied to the police

about his relationship with Georgia.

His DNA was found on the victim's body.

And when we searched his apartment,

we found trace amounts of blood on one of his shoes.

Okay. What about a motive?

Trying to cover up the fact that he raped her?

Can we prove that?

There is a text exchange between the victim

and her friend the night before the murder,

and it's clear that they're talking about some kind

of sexual assault.

So we followed up, confirmed with the friend,

and Carter Mills did rape Georgia

three nights before she was murdered.

We'll file charges later today.

Did you want to discuss anything else?

Uh, yes, but it's personal.

I wondered if we could go someplace private to discuss?

It's fine. We can talk here.

Um...

Carter's DNA was found on another homicide victim.

It's an unsolved case out in Queens from about 12 years ago.

And the victim was your sister, Christina.

Sam.

I'm fine.

I'm okay.

Just, uh--been thinking about this day for years.

You know, it's-- it's finally here.

It's just--pff-- out of nowhere.

You know, on one level, it's--it's good news.

It's great news.

At the same time, my sister is still dead, so.

I can't imagine what this must be like.

Just know that I am going to nail this guy

on both murders.

You're not saying that--

- You're too close to this. - No, no, no.

Nolan, I get it, but I want to be involved.

I need to be involved.

You can work on this behind the scenes.

That's all.

Okay.

Our preference is to join both cases together.

First and foremost, it would be judicially efficient.

That's ridiculous.

These two cases happened 12 years apart.

This will cause unnecessary confusion

while, at the same time,

creating a presumption of guilt.

Is there any overlapping evidence?

Only the DNA, which, as I mentioned

in my motion to suppress, should not be admissible.

On what grounds?

The NYPD violated my client's Fourth Amendment privacy right.

How so?

They uploaded DNA found at the crime scene

to a commercial genealogical database,

which returned a list of individuals

with similar genetic profiles,

relatives who had previously uploaded

their DNA to that database.

Based on this illegal search,

the police were able to identify potential suspects

and ultimately identify the defendant.

Mr. Price?

The police acted within the bounds of state regulations

and NYPD policy.

And yeah, they uploaded the DNA to a commercial database,

one available to any civilian.

This is DNA theft, Your Honor.

Companies are stealing customers' DNA

and then trying to monetize it any way they can.

- Not our problem. - But it should be.

Everyone has a right to privacy over their DNA,

more specifically, a right to privacy

over the segments of DNA they share with their relatives.

Maybe.

But there is no case law or statutory law stating

that an individual has a privacy interest

in the genetic makeup of a relative.

And if there were, the third-party doctrine

would clearly prevail.

Meaning what?

Meaning the people who upload their DNA

to these genealogical platforms do so voluntarily,

which, in turn, implies consent.

My client didn't consent to a damn thing.

He never uploaded his DNA to a DNA database.

So why on earth should he relinquish his privacy rights

just because some curious relative wanted

to find out how Scottish she was?

Okay. I've heard enough.

We're gonna try these two cases separately.

And the DNA is out.

Your Honor--

In what world is it fair or legal

for someone's relative to unwittingly waive

someone else's privacy rights over his own DNA?

There is no legal precedent--

Until today.

This decision is now officially precedent.

Your Honor, we also move to suppress

the victim's blood found on my client's shoe,

as it was based on a search warrant predicated

by the DNA found on the victim's body.

Fruit of the poisonous tree.

So ordered.

She threw out the DNA and the blood evidence?

Yeah. Other than that, we did well.

Did you get an adjournment?

Five days.

That's not much time to build a new case.

We don't need a new case.

We just need to fill in some gaps.

We need to figure out how to connect the dots.

Figuring out a way to put this bastard at the crime scene

would certainly help.

I heard the news.

I did what I could, Sam.

So the DNA evidence for my sister's case is out as well?

We'll file an appeal, but probably.

Which means Christina's case just disappeared.

Okay.

Um...

there's only one thing left to do,

and it's to bury this piece of crap right here and now.

This is our only chance.

So I'm gonna head to my office, get to work.

How's it going?

Good. Good.

I'm still looking.

Don't work too late.

Richwood.

So what is this all about?

How can I help you?

My name is Samantha Maroun.

I'm an assistant district attorney.

Reason I'm here is because I think you can

help us identify a man who recently killed someone.

Killed somebody?

We think that's you with the killer eight nights ago.

I mean, yeah, that's-- that's definitely me.

But what exactly do you want?

Do you remember talking to him?

Sure. Sort of.

Why?

We need you to identify him

since we can't see his face in the video.

I don't know. That all happened pretty fast.

I'm not sure I remember what he looks like.

Okay, um--

Peter, we need you to at least try.

It's very important.

I wouldn't be here otherwise.

I've got good news.

I found a potential witness--

a doorman at a place called the Richwood.

He was walking to work on the night of the murder,

and he just so happened to cross paths with Carter Mills.

Asked for a light.

How does this help us?

Because he asked for a light one block

from the scene of the murder,

15 minutes before the 911 call came in.

So you've already talked to this doorman?

Yes, just now.

And how did you find him?

Surveillance video.

He was wearing his doorman uniform,

and the name of the building was on it.

Okay, it would be nice

if you would loop me in a little earlier--

For God sake's, Nolan, he and I barely talked.

Okay?

Just wanted to make sure that he remembered interacting

with Mills that night and that he was open

to trying to identify him.

And he is?

Yes.

All right.

So, like I said, the suspect may or may not be there.

So if you don't see him, you don't see him.

Uh, no, I see him.

That's him, Number 5.

Are you sure?

Yeah. Positive.

Mr. Price,

you may proceed with your opening.

Georgia Kent was a beautiful, idealistic young woman

from Iowa who dreamed about hitting it big in New York.

In many ways, she was a symbol of this great city,

a proxy for every young person who moves to Manhattan

in search of a rich and meaningful life.

Things were going her way too.

She was finding work as a model,

making new friends.

But everything changed on the night of March 14th,

when the defendant followed her home

and pummeled her to death.

I know these photos are graphic and hard to look at,

but they are important.

They show the depths of the defendant's anger

and his deep hatred of women.

You see, the defendant not only killed Georgia Kent,

he also raped her a few nights prior to the murder.

He then became nervous that she might file a police report.

So rather than risk standing trial for rape,

he did this.

It is as simple and repugnant as that.

Ms. Potter.

I feel terrible about what happened to Georgia Kent.

She had a long and fruitful life ahead of her

until someone killed her.

But that someone is not Carter Mills.

Quite simply, the police arrested the wrong man.

And rather than search for more evidence,

the prosecution chose to move forward with a murder trial,

despite the glaring lack of evidence.

By the time this trial is over, two things will be clear--

Carter Mills did not kill Georgia Kent,

and the prosecution should be reprimanded

for having the hubris to actually bring

this case in the first place.

Nolan.

Your opening was terrific.

Thank you.

I thought you wanted to stay away from the courtroom.

I can't. I'm sorry.

It's okay. If that's--

I think we need to find more evidence of Carter

near the other crime scene, so I've been reviewing more video.

I've been--

I can't believe this bastard actually got released on bail.

What are you looking at?

Huh?

I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about your sister.

And Georgia too.

I had nothing to do with either one of these crimes.

I swear, you got the wrong guy.

Oh, I have the wrong guy?

Sam. Sam.

God's sake.

Are you okay?

Yeah. Sorry.

- No, no. - Just--

I understand.

But I just--

I think maybe you should stay away from the courtroom...

Until the verdict, anyway.

We have a deal?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Thanks for coming down, Mr. Dagnello.

- Yeah, sure thing. - I just wanted to talk

about what's gonna happen tomorrow.

Yeah, sounds good.

All right.

So court officer will bring you into the courtroom.

You'll take a seat on the witness stand.

I'll then show the jury the video footage of you

and Carter Mills talking that evening.

I'll ask what happened.

I'll ask about you picking him out of the lineup.

And that is pretty much it.

Sounds easy enough.

It is.

Until the defense lawyer tries to spin you upside down

and accuse you of lying.

Lying?

Hey, I didn't--

It's not personal.

In fact, you know, it's the opposite.

Right? It's part of her job.

She gets paid to create reasonable doubt.

And in this case, all the focus will be on the identification.

So Carter's lawyer will drill down on everything

connected to that.

Were you drinking that night?

Doing drugs?

No.

Did someone tell you there was irrefutable evidence

that Carter was guilty or show you

a picture of Carter beforehand, describe what he looked like?

Well, um--

she did sort of do that, though.

Excuse me?

The woman prosecutor.

She told me that you knew for a fact

that this guy was the killer.

That he'd be easily recognized 'cause he looked like a model.

Hey, Sam. It's me. Open up.

Nolan. Hi.

What did you say to Dagnello?

Uh, the doorman?

Yeah, no. Don't--don't do that, Sam.

Not now.

What did you tell Dagnello about Carter Mills?

Did you say, um...

We know for a fact that he was guilty?

Or that he looked like a model?

I--I told him that he was doing a good thing,

that the man we were trying for murder

was a known predator.

And I may have said something like

he's handsome and charming, but deep down, he's a monster.

Something like that.

I was emotional, right?

And I was just trying--

You--you were trying to stack the deck,

to ensure that he would ID Carter Mills.

But we know he's guilty, Nolan, right?

We have his DNA all over the victim's body.

That doesn't mean we can just ignore the law.

Nolan.

For God's sakes, this is me.

You know the kind of person I am,

the kind of prosecutor that--

I mean, yeah, maybe, I guess I went a little bit too far,

but does it really matter?

Does it really matter?

Sam--Sam, principle aside, you have undermined his testimony.

Okay, he would have picked Carter

out of that lineup regardless.

Maybe, but so what?

- So what? - That's not how this works.

You know that.

Nolan, this is my sister we're talking about.

Okay? My sister.

So maybe forget about the law and think about me.

Think about my family.

We should be finding ways to-- to win the damn case, Nolan,

not lose it.

I agree.

There's no question about it.

Sam went too far.

She revealed too much about the defendant,

and she tainted the identification.

Which means I'd have to disclose all this

to the defense, which, of course,

would probably cost us the case.

You're right.

On a theoretical level, anyway.

Meaning what?

Years ago, I was trying this monster from Queens.

He'd raped and killed a seven-year-old girl.

Stabbed her to death.

We knew he did it.

The police found her blood on his shirt, on his pants.

But the judge didn't allow it.

Cops had entered his apartment without a search warrant.

They claimed the manager had given them consent.

Anyway, the blood evidence got tossed,

so our case went from a slam dunk to a jump ball.

And then...

On the morning of my closing,

I found this note on my desk.

It said, "I need you to know that I killed that little girl.

It was me. Not Jim Cooney."

I had no idea how it got there.

No idea who wrote it.

It was just sitting there on my desk.

Now, theoretically, that's exculpatory evidence.

I have to turn it over to the defense.

Theoretically?

That is practically the definition

of exculpatory evidence. - Yeah.

If I actually saw the note.

Now, I knew with 100% certainty

that the defendant killed that little girl.

And the man who wrote that note, if he even existed,

had absolutely nothing to do with the case.

So I ignored it.

I turned around.

I went about my day like it had never happened.

I thought the point of all this

was to avoid those kind of human choices,

to avoid playing God.

It is.

That is the goal, 100%.

But there are certain times in life

when it's impossible to do that,

when the right thing to do

is to actually look the other way.

This might be one of those times.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I've been trying to reach you.

I know.

You're not gonna call Dagnello?

No, I can't.

I would have to reveal your conversation with him,

which would destroy our case.

Nolan, can't you just look the other way, just for once?

It's over.

I made up my mind.

Nolan.

Mr. Mills, please rise.

Madam Foreperson, have you agreed on a verdict?

We have.

How do you find?

We find the defendant, Carter Mills,

not guilty of murder in the second degree.

You okay?

I admire your decision, Nolan.

You did what you thought was right.

I'm not sure it was right.

I just did the only thing I could.

The truth is, I tried.

I tried to look the other way.

I just--I couldn't.

I know.

That story you told me about the little girl

who was raped and killed--

I couldn't find any news articles about the murder,

the arrest, the trial.

Have a good night, Nolan.

Hello?

What?

When?

Jalen.

Nolan.

What do we have?

Hell of a thing.

Dogwalker called it in about 20 minutes ago.

It's a gunshot wound to the chest.

Please tell me you had nothing to do with this.

Oh, for God's sake, Sam.