Original subtitles

This is the city, Los Angeles, California.

A great many city dwellers use a leg or two

of the freeway system at least twice a day.

Some say it's nerve-wracking.

Others navigate them with ease.

The living can be good in a modern apartment complex

or in your own home, but there are those,

no matter where they live,

that never quite become adjusted

to living a normal, useful life.

Some people start out with good intentions,

and they bring new people into the world,

and sometimes, these are the ones that need help.

When they do, I go to work.

I carry a badge.

It was Wednesday, October 18th.

It was warm in Los Angeles.

We were watching the day watch out of Juvenile Division.

The boss is Captain Jack Morris.

My partner's Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

Public Affairs had approved a speech on child abuse.

Captain Morris had assigned me the job

to deliver it at the monthly luncheon

of the Pacific Women's Club.

The talk was pretty stiff medicine.

Some of it wasn't going down too easily.

The story you are about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Now, the photograph of this little 2-year-old

I just showed you,

my partner and I handled that case.

The reason the mother gave us

for holding the child's hand over an open flame

was that she was trying to teach him fear of fire.

We never did find out what she was trying to teach her baby

when she fractured his skull.

Psychiatric tests revealed the mother was a sadist.

She was psychotic,

but the psychotic or the insane parent

represents the smallest percentage

of those who abuse their children.

Marked emotional immaturity

seems a predominant personality characteristic of such people.

More often than not,

these parents were themselves reared

with brutality and without love.

A significant number are young,

many times unwed mothers,

who openly resent having borne children,

or the young father resents the restrictions

imposed by having to raise a child.

Facts have also shown that those who torment

and kill their children come from all social,

economic, and ethnic groups.

Now, these pictures that we've shown you,

they were not taken in Dachau or Auschwitz.

They were taken right here in this city.

Some of these crimes might have taken place

right next door to you. Don't let that happen.

Help us help those infants and children

who cannot speak up for themselves.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ladies, I've just asked Sergeant Friday

if he had time for a brief question and answer period.

Now, are there any questions from the floor?

Yes, I see some hands. Mrs. Walters.

First, let me say I know there isn't a woman in this room

who wasn't deeply affected by your talk, Sergeant,

and we do want to help.

But what if we only suspected a case of child abuse?

Calling the police could be terribly embarrassing,

if it turned out our suspicions were wrong.

I mean, isn't there some other way?

I'd probably share your embarrassment,

if you called me, and it turned out you were wrong.

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to share your guilt,

if it turned out your suspicions were right,

and you hadn't done anything about them.

Oh, yes, that would be awful.

But what if there were no way I could prove

that the parents had actually done the beating?

A qualified physician may be able to prove

a beating actually occurred, but you're asking me

what happens if there isn't sufficient proof

to obtain a criminal complaint, aren't you?

Well, the law is twofold, Mrs. Walters.

We can protect that child by removing it from that home,

as a dependent.

At least the child will be safe.

That's our first objective.

Our laws are designed to protect the child.

They come first.

Excuse me.

- Better cut it short. - Yeah?

We've got a bad one, Green Pines Hospital.

1:50 p.m. The call Bill had gotten

was from Lieutenant Bongard,

watch commander at Juvenile Division.

He'd received a report from the Green Pines Children's Hospital

about an injured baby admitted there.

A police photographer was already on his way.

We were there in ten minutes.

Mrs. Bradley, Director of Social Services

at Green Pines Children's Hospital,

had made the verbal report

of the suspected child beating to Juvenile.

One of her prime functions was liaison

between the medical staff and the police department.

Male, Caucasian, age nine months.

His name is Andrew Marshall.

- When was he brought in? - About noon.

The mother had taken him to a doctor in her neighborhood,

who told her to bring the baby here immediately.

Dr. George Samson was on duty in Emergency here.

He was suspicious of the nature of the injuries,

so he called in the Pediatric Trauma Coordinator, Dr. Martin.

The baby's in a room down the hall, this way.

What's the mother say?

She says the baby crawled out

the front door of their apartment

and fell down a flight of stairs.

What's your opinion?

Wait'll you see the child, then you tell me.

He's sedated and sleeping now.

He's a very good little baby, and he's very hurt.

I've seen grown men in a street brawl that looked better.

A little tough for this one to fight back.

Yeah.

He can't make a very big fist with one of those.

2:20 p.m. Dr. Frederick Martin's official title

at the Green Pines Children's Hospital

was Pediatric Trauma Coordinator.

He examined all children

suspected of being abused or beaten.

The physical examination of the infant

shows old and new hemorrhages of the retina of both eyes,

subdural hematomas, accumulation of blood

on both sides of the surface of the brain.

That can come from repeated and severe shakings.

Close skeletal x-rays reveal a skull fracture on the left side,

tarsus fractures, injuries to the bones

at the ankles of both legs.

On the left, the injury is to the tibia.

On the right, the injuries

are both of the tibia and the fibula.

The long bone of each upper arm, the humerus,

shows thickening along the shaft cortex,

suggestive of old healed injuries.

The baby's been injured before?

Yes.

Some of the injuries could've been sustained

by a fall down a flight of steps, but not all.

Here's our written report on Andrew Marshall, Bill.

No question that the baby's been beaten?

Absolutely none.

May we use your phone, Doctor?

The doctor's medical opinion that the baby's injuries

were caused by other than accidental means

enabled us to officially place Andrew Marshall

in protective custody to prevent the mother

from removing the infant from the hospital.

2:50 p.m. We were told that the baby's mother

had not returned to the hospital.

We got her address, as well as the name and address

of the doctor who had instructed her earlier

to bring the child to Green Pines.

3:10 p.m. We drove to the address

the mother had given to the hospital admitting section.

It was an empty warehouse.

We drove to the office of the doctor

who had first examined Andrew Marshall.

Dr. Wingate was closing his office

and getting ready to go out on a call.

He remembered the baby's mother.

She had given him the same home address we had.

The doctor had never seen the woman before.

This is a poor community, Sergeant.

Transient neighborhood.

I don't get to know my patients very well.

She tell you how the baby was hurt?

Well, she said something

about his falling down a flight of stairs.

Did you believe her?

No. Well, let me put it this way.

I doubted her very much.

After she left, I phoned the admitting office at Green Pines

and told them to be on the lookout for her.

I know Dr. Martin's work there.

They have equipment I don't have for full skeletal X-rays.

Dr. Samson in Emergency called me a while ago

and said my suspicions were confirmed

and that Mrs. Bradley would report it to the police.

Nice little baby. How is he?

We don't know, Doctor. He couldn't say.

3:45 p.m. We got a call from the office.

Lieutenant Bongard told us

that Mrs. Bradley at Green Pines

was trying to contact us.

The mother of Andrew Marshall had returned to the hospital

and was demanding to take her baby home.

4:05 p.m. The volunteer worker told us

that the mother of Andrew Marshall

was waiting in the lounge.

We introduced ourselves

and advised her of her constitutional rights.

She said she understood them.

- Am I under arrest? - No, ma'am.

We just want to ask you some questions.

What's the matter?

You brought your son here this afternoon?

- Andy? - Yes.

I'd just come back to get him,

and they've kept me waiting here for almost an hour!

- Yes, ma'am. - I don't understand!

What do you want of me? I've got to take Andy home now!

You can't, Mrs. Marshall. He's under protective custody.

He's what?

He's under the jurisdiction of the Probation Department now.

I don't know what you're talking about!

Somebody's made a mistake!

I think you've got the wrong Mrs. Marshall.

You'd better get straightened out

with that lady at the desk!

Is that why they've kept me waiting?

That's right. We've been trying to locate you.

Why?

How did your child get hurt, Mrs. Marshall?

- I told them! - Tell us.

He fell down a flight of stairs!

Your baby's badly hurt and not from a fall down the stairs.

Well, nobody told me that!

You weren't here after your baby was examined!

- I'm here now! - And I'm telling you now!

What are you telling me?

That your baby's been severely beaten!

That's not so!

Why didn't you give your correct address

- to the admitting office? - I did!

You live in an empty warehouse, do you, Mrs. Marshall?

- No! - That's the address you gave.

I keep forgetting our new address!

I was so upset, I guess I got the address all wrong.

You don't know how upset I was!

Do you mind giving us your correct address?

Do you have your driver's license?

I wasn't thinking straight.

Would you take it out of your wallet, please?

You don't know how it is when your baby gets sick.

- Here. - I do.

I've got four of my own.

Then you know it's even worse when your baby has an accident.

You blame yourself, and you get scared,

even though the baby doesn't cry.

You get scared!

I run to the doctor, and he tells me to come here.

I do just what he tells me to.

Then somebody makes up a horrible story!

Who said such a terrible thing about Andy?

A doctor on the staff here.

Well, he's wrong!

I never, never, never hit Andy! I never would!

He fell down a whole flight of stairs!

How'd he get out of the apartment?

- That dumb door! - Pardon?

The front door, it doesn't close right sometimes!

It pops open.

We live in this real nice new place, and it's very nice,

but a lot of things don't work.

You know how it is?

And the way Andy crawls around these days,

you turn your back, and he disappears.

Well, that's what happened this afternoon.

My husband had come home for lunch,

and I had gone to the store.

When I got back, he told me that Andy had crawled out the door

and had fallen down the steps!

Did anyone else in the building see or hear him fall?

No! At least I don't think so.

To go through an experience like that,

and then to have people say terrible things...

I want my baby back.

You just tell those people out at the desk

to let me have my baby, or they're gonna be sorry!

He isn't going to be released until we find out what happened.

- I told you! - Besides, ma'am,

the baby will get better care here.

You don't really know how badly hurt he is.

I do know! Just some bruises, that's all!

You don't understand.

When my husband comes home and finds out Andy's here,

well, he'll just kill me!

Well, now, in that case,

maybe we can offer you protection, too.

Me? From what?

Your husband.

Oh, that's crazy.

I was just using an expression.

Wally wouldn't hurt a fly.

How about a baby?

4:30 p.m. Protecting the child was our first responsibility.

Finding out who committed the assault on the child

was our second responsibility.

The second was going to take a little longer.

4:45 p.m. We drove to the address

Louise Marshall had given us.

We decided to check with some of the neighbors.

A Mrs. Ruth Fowler lived just below the Marshalls.

We decided to talk to her first.

You can sit down, if you want to.

I'm sure glad you're not wearing uniforms.

My name is mud around here already.

What you investigating?

There's plenty of things around here need investigating.

I got the fire department to look at the wiring

a month after I moved in.

What they found wrong cost the owners a pretty penny,

cost those tenants without leases, too,

because the owners raised the rents to cover the cost of rewiring.

That's why my name's mud around here.

I got blamed for the rents being raised, you see?

Afterwards, somebody painted a dirty name on my door.

They used that spray paint, you know?

Well, I'm just biding my time until my lease is up.

After I move out of here, I'm gonna say plenty.

We're looking into what may or may not have been an accident.

What accident?

Do you know Mr. and Mrs. Marshall who live upstairs?

I think he's the one who sprayed

that dirty name on my door, Mr. Marshall.

- Do you know them? - Well, hardly.

We don't even say hello when we meet outside.

Then nobody around here says hello to me.

I'm just biding my time.

You know the Marshalls have a baby, don't you?

- Yes. - Mrs. Marshall claims

her baby fell down the steps earlier today.

Would you know anything about that?

- No. - You didn't see

- or hear anything? - Today? No.

Have you been here all day?

Well, up until about 4:00 this afternoon,

when I went out for groceries.

Have you ever had the occasion to believe the Marshalls

might not be good parents?

I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna get involved in anything else

that goes on around here.

Once burned, twice shy.

Well, now, Mrs. Fowler, once burned, twice shy

might be fine if we were here to find out

about faulty wiring, but we're not.

We're trying to find out who beat up a helpless baby.

I don't want to have any more trouble with the Marshalls,

not while I have to live right below them!

You don't know what a terrible temper Mr. Ma...

What a terrible temper Mr. Marshall has.

I don't know anything. I will not get involved.

5:00 p.m. We went upstairs to the Marshall's apartment

to see if the father of the injured baby was home.

Oh.

We'd like to talk to you again, Mrs. Marshall.

Oh, we can't talk now. Please!

It's either here or down at the station.

But come back tomorrow after my husband's gone to work.

He's gonna be home any minute.

Please! It'll be much better tomorrow.

Sorry, it can't wait.

Oh, I don't know what to do.

Mrs. Marshall, this the door that doesn't latch every time?

What? Please close that door.

If someone sees you, they're liable

to ask me about you in front of Wally!

I'll turn this off.

You must think it's funny of me

having music on at a time like this,

but Wally likes music when he comes home,

and martinis ready.

I was just making them.

Your being here is gonna make it difficult.

Wally's not gonna like it.

Why? Because his son's being well taken care of in the hospital?

You twist everything around! You have no right!

We haven't twisted a battered baby

into a case here, Mrs. Marshall.

Now, we want to find out who beat that child!

- I didn't! - Then who did?

Nobody! He fell down those stairs!

Now, look, we've seen X-rays.

The last time wasn't the first time your baby's been beaten.

We want to know who did it.

Your husband, maybe?

Wally's a wonderful husband!

All you have to do is look around here

and see the kind of a home he gives me.

Look! Go ahead, look around!

That's color TV!

Look in the kitchen.

There's a brand-new electric can opener

and a thing that makes shaved ice and...

If, if you don't want to see the kitchen,

just look at my beautiful furniture and my ring.

Just take a look at that engagement ring.

Wally gave it to me three years ago.

Wally gives me everything!

I never had things before like he gives me.

You people, all your big talk about kids and babies!

Well, where were you when I was born?

I don't even know who my mother and father are,

and I really don't care!

You try living in an orphanage

and get bounced from one foster home to another!

Wally was the first good thing that ever happened to me.

And I'll tell you something else.

He says I'm the first decent thing

that ever happened to him, too!

So, you just don't know anything,

what it's like around here.

And that's the kind of husband Wally is!

Now, would you mind telling us what kind of a father he is?

I told you.

No, you told us what it's like around here,

but I don't see where the baby fits in.

- Baby? - Yes, your baby.

- Wally likes the baby a lot. - Likes?

Well, it's not so easy when you're young.

I mean, we didn't really plan to have him,

and, well, well, when you're young,

sometimes you don't want a baby right away.

How do you feel about the baby?

- Me? - Yeah.

Well, how do you think a mother feels?

When he's warm and asleep and pink,

he's so cute, like a little doll.

How do you feel about him when he's hungry,

or he's gotta be changed,

or he wakes up in the middle of the night,

or he's got colic and starts to cry,

or his teeth coming in hurt him, and he's cranky?

I see to him right away, so he doesn't bother Wally.

I didn't mean it the way it sounded.

You see, I try to keep Andy real quiet,

so it's almost the same as it was before.

Before the baby was born?

Yes.

But sometimes you don't succeed.

No, you, you don't, you don't understand.

The baby was an accident!

Now, that's not Wally's fault!

What's the use? You don't understand!

I couldn't help it!

Louise, I could hear you

coming all the way up the stairs.

What's going on here?

They're policemen, Wally.

You're Walter Marshall, are you?

Yeah, that's right. What do you want?

What is this?

I had to take Andy to the hospital.

You what?

They say he's hurt bad.

- What have you done? - That's enough of that.

I asked you a question!

What hospital?

Green Pines Children's Hospital.

What happened to him?

That's exactly what we're here to find out.

After we advised him of his rights,

we told Walter Marshall what Dr. Martin had discovered

from the physical examination and the skeletal X-rays

of the Marshall baby.

He fell down the stairs. Tell them, Louise.

- I did tell them. - See?

They don't believe me.

If she says Andy fell down the stairs,

- then he fell down the stairs. - It's no use!

- You shut up! - No!

- I told you! - I tried, Wally.

I tried!

Now, I know you never meant to hurt Andy.

- Listen to me! - It's no use!

The first doctor made me take Andy to the hospital.

Now, there was nothing else I could do!

What if Andy had died on us, Wally?

You did right, honey.

He falls down the stairs, you've got to get help.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to blow up.

You know how it is.

You come home, tired out. I sell.

It takes a lot out of you, selling electrical equipment.

I work for this electrical supply house.

Ah, you can have a bad day, nothing goes right.

Today was one.

So I come home and take it out on Louise.

I'm real sorry, honey.

There's got to be some mistake here.

We don't think so. There's got to be!

Stop it! Wally, stop it!

I can't pretend it didn't happen anymore!

Every place I've gone to today,

the look in the people's faces when they don't believe you,

when they think you've done something terrible to your baby!

You don't know what those looks are like, Wally!

Your skin begins to crawl! You want to hide!

Honey, I tried so hard. Honest, I did.

You mean more to me than anything in the whole world.

I'd do anything for you,

but I couldn't just let him lie there,

little Andy lie there and look at me,

no crying, just that look.

I didn't think he was hurt as bad as they said,

but I had to do what I did.

I tried to keep you out of it.

People don't know how good you are to me.

I had the music on, martinis ready, everything.

I was gonna try to explain to you

how you don't know you're hurting someone

when you hit them sometimes.

Everything was gonna be all right after I told you that.

I've been making up lies all day and running and hiding.

If they hadn't found out,

everything would've been all right after tonight.

Like now, officers, see?

Now that Wally knows, it would never happen again,

would it, Wally?

Tell them.

Tell them it wouldn't, please!

Then they'll let us alone,

and things will be all right again.

You'll be more careful.

Tell them, Wally!

Oh, God, what can I do? Tell them, Wally!

How could you do a thing like this to me?

- How could you? - I'm sorry.

Look at everything I gave you,

and you had to spoil it with him.

That's not so!

Oh, yeah, you can't fool me.

You're always thinking of Andy.

Maybe it's time she did.

6:30 p.m. We took Walter Marshall and his wife Louise to the office.

Louise Marshall signed a crime report.

How could she do that to me?

Signed a complaint, too, huh?

That's right.

- You bullied her into it. - No, you did.

You want to give us a statement or not, Marshall?

- No! - Okay.

I've got my rights.

Yeah, even you've got your rights.

On November 30th, Walter Marshall was tried and sentenced

to one year in jail for 273DPC, child beating.

Louise Marshall was convicted as an accessory

and placed on probation.

Three months later, she started divorce proceedings

against her husband.

The baby, Andrew Marshall, was returned to her custody.

March the 7th.

A year and five months went by.

4:42 p.m.

Gannon speaking. Yeah, hold on, please.

For you.

Thanks. Friday.

Yes, Miss Fowler.

No. We'll be right over.

Ruth Fowler.

Who's she? The Marshall case?

Oh, yeah, the woman who didn't want to get involved.

Well, she does now.

She thinks somebody's beating the Marshall baby.

Before we left, we reported Mrs. Fowler's call to Lieutenant Bongard.

He called Communications and asked that a radio car

be dispatched to the Marshall address.

5:05 p.m. Two black and white units were there

by the time we arrived.

Bedroom.

The baby's dead.

He's dead.

How did it happen?

I called a doctor right away this time.

How did it happen?

After Wally got out of jail,

he started coming to see me again.

And you wanted to see him, did you?

Yes, I'm sorry, but yes.

Go on.

He was just going to spank Andy, that's all.

He was mad, but he was just going to spank him.

After what happened last year, didn't you try to stop him?

Oh, yes. When, when Andy started to cry in there

and Wally got mad,

I said, "Now, Wally, you be careful!"

I did. I did say that.

Ask Wally. He'll tell you.

Are you still on probation?

No.

I didn't think I was lonely with Andy,

but, you see, when Wally came to that door one day,

oh, I was so lonely inside.

I couldn't let him go away again.

Wally?

Andy's all right, isn't he?

What?

This man says that Andy isn't all right!

You murderer, murderer!

Oh, I'm sorry.

I love you. I'm sorry.

I didn't mean that.

Everything's gonna be all right, you'll see.

Not this time. Yes, it will!

Without the baby, it'll be just like it was in the beginning.

Tell them, Wally.

You see how it is, don't you?

No, I don't see how it is.

The baby, that's what caused all the trouble.

We just didn't want him.

That's too bad, isn't it?

How do you mean?

He didn't have a choice.

The suspect was found guilty of murder

in the second degree,

which is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison

for a period of five years to life.

Since no criminal complaint could be filed

against Louise Marshall, she was not held.