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.

You're not gonna believe this.

The mother of one of my patients calls,

and she wants an emergency session, right?

So their kid got wait listed at Cornell.

He's right on the bubble.

So the admissions office wants to do a phone call

with him, like an interview.

And then he's in.

It's great, right? -Yeah.

Okay. But the kid declines because of telephobia,

all right, the fear of talking on the telephone.

-That's a thing? -It's an epidemic.

Okay, Gen Z, Gen Alpha, they can do anything on their phone

except talk on it.

Anyway, so I say to him, would you rather go to Cornell

or not make a phone call?

And the kid says, "Cornell wasn't meant to be."

I couldn't believe it.

You know, in many cultures,

it's customary to say hello to someone when you see them

as a kind of greeting or...

-Hello. -Hello.

Sorry.

Oh, hang on.

Oh, I gotta...

You wouldn't believe what these kids come in with.

Crippling anxiety, social isolation.

What the...

I need to practice what I preach, don't I?

No judgment.

Maybe.

Okay, I'm putting this away now.

We're gonna go for a walk like people used to do

before we had mega computers in our pockets.

Nora, Todd, got a sec?

Listen.

This wasn't easy, but I can only choose one of you.

That's why they call it a solo.

Nora, I'm going with Todd.

-Perfect. -Don't be like that.

Todd hit that high C tonight.

Plus, he's a totally awesome guy.

I get you're upset.

Channel it into your trumpet.

We need everything we got this weekend.

Later, Mr. T.

Thanks.

We good?

Talk to me.

Three stab wounds to the upper back.

No sign of the weapon.

Who found the body?

A couple of people heard a scream.

Jogger got here first.

Kid died in his arms.

Robbery?

Doesn't look like it.

Wallet and backpack are here, but no cell phone.

I'll bet you my pension he had one, though.

Some kind of bead.

Let's bag it.

You got an ID on this kid?

Todd Feldman, 10th grade.

Same grade as my daughter.

This can't be happening.

Why was your son in the park?

He was walking home from school, Northwood Academy.

He stayed late for rehearsal...

big marching band competition on Sunday.

And had anything unusual happened lately?

Any problems?

No, he was just a regular kid.

He had a good head on his shoulders.

Todd struggled a bit in the social department.

Would anyone want to hurt him?

No.

Todd never had so much as a scuffle at school.

Hear anything from the ME?

Yeah, she said that the stab wounds

on the victim were weird.

Weird how?

The weapon's blade was super sharp,

but it made shallow wounds, Just 2 1/4 inches,

a full inch shorter than your standard switchblade.

-That is weird. -Yeah.

Any luck pinging the vic's cell phone?

It's either off or destroyed.

We've been scouring cameras in the vicinity of the park

for any suspicious activity, but no dice.

Can you please tell me you have something?

Parents found some pills that weren't Todd's.

And the pills, Adderall,

Todd had it stashed under his mattress.

And shocker, not his prescription.

Most of the label's ripped off,

but there's still an RX number and a DOB.

Yeah, yeah, there was enough on there

for me to call for a refill.

Pharmacist assumed I was the holder's father,

referred to me as a Mr. Colavecchio,

so I referenced that name

against the directory at Todd's school,

and I got a hit:

Dylan Colavecchio, 15 years old,

and according to the yearbook,

he's in some of the same AP classes as Todd

and also in the marching band.

Nice.

Do you think this was about drugs?

There's only one way to find out.

I should just keep the jacket on.

Dylan Colavecchio,

need to talk to you about Todd Feldman.

Hey, stop!

Hey, for a smart kid, that was really freaking stupid.

Okay, Dylan.

You understand your rights.

You don't have to...

Answer any questions I don't want to.

Yeah, I got it.

And your mom's on her way.

You called my mom?

You're a minor.

I had to.

And you know what I'm gonna tell her?

That you distributed a controlled substance.

And that's a Class D felony.

Yeah, I sold my pills to Todd.

You got me. But I didn't kill anybody.

Did you make the exchange with Todd Feldman

in Central Park yesterday?

And did he forget to pay you?

No.

I gave the pills to Todd at school last week,

and he paid me

with his Nintendo Switch.

Real gangsters.

Half our school is on Adderall.

It's... Todd's just one of the few who didn't actually

have an ADHD diagnosis.

So why did he need the drugs?

To keep up.

Todd's juggling AP classes, rocketry,

and he's going to war with this girl, Nora.

Why is he going to war with this girl, Nora?

Over marching band stuff,

who was going to play the solo at the band competition.

You can't be serious.

I know it sounds stupid,

two kids fighting over a trumpet solo,

but it got nasty.

Okay, Nora, there you are after school.

That's you giving Todd Feldman a piece of your mind.

Then 20 minutes later, he was murdered.

I promise you, I went straight home from school.

And I FaceTimed all the way home with my friend.

You can check my phone.

So what was this beef about, huh?

Trumpet solo?

Nothing to do with that.

Well, what then?

I always thought Todd was just a decent guy,

but...

I heard he sent around a nude photo

of a girl at our school.

This crap happens every day at our school.

It happened to my sister.

It was awful.

Nora, it's very important that you tell us

who was the girl in the picture.

Mr. Moore?

We need to speak to your daughter.

Why?

We're investigating the murder

of one of her classmates.

What's Cassie got to do with it?

Can we speak inside?

Is Cassie here?

No, she's at school.

Actually, she's not.

Hey, excuse me.

Sir, we just came from there.

She never went to school today. -What?

That's the first I've heard of it.

You got FindMy?

Hey, Lieu.

Missing bead from the scene.

You know, Cassie, I don't usually do this,

but I've got a daughter your age.

I've seen what she's been through at school.

And to be honest,

I think she's been pretty lucky.

What happened to you, what Todd Feldman did to you,

some might say that he deserved it.

My daughter would never hurt anyone, period.

Mr. Moore, you are allowed to be here

to support your daughter,

but you are not to answer questions for her.

Do you understand me?

We're only looking for the truth, Cassie.

This is from your bracelet.

We found it next to Todd's body.

And that puts you at the crime scene.

That's not true.

I lost my bead, like, two years ago.

Cassie, come on.

I'm telling the truth.

Just got off the phone with Maroun.

She doesn't think we have enough to charge Cassie.

She's only 15.

We can only hold her for six hours.

I got something.

Accessed Cassie's Uber account.

Toyota Camry picked her up near the west side of Central Park

300 yards from the scene, 11 minutes after the murder.

Something that puts her in the area.

Did you get a hold of the driver?

Dude can hold a grudge. Gave Cassie two stars.

What did she do?

Made him make a pit stop on the way to her apartment.

Pit stop for what?

His exact words,

"You gotta go, you gotta go."

We need to check your restroom.

Okay.

Nothing in here.

Where is everything?

Where's what?

Your trash, where do you put it?

Oh, there's a dumpster out back.

When's trash day?

God, we gotta find you a damn partner.

Yo, how long is this going to take?

Ask me that again, I swear to God, all right?

Hey.

What, I got to sift through the trash and take crap for it?

No, no, no, no, no, dummy, look.

Oh.

Oh, yeah, I got some kind of credit card here too.

Wait.

It's not a credit card. -No?

I've seen these.

Women use these for self-defense.

Huh.

Looks like blood.

Would match with the ME said, too, right?

The wounds were sharp, but really shallow?

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Salt and vinegar.

You like?

Cassie, I know I told you you are under no obligation

to talk to me.

Truth is, I'm under no obligation

to talk to you either.

So we found this group chat on Todd's phone...

Todd, a few of his friends.

Check out the last message he sent.

"The photo of Cassie was fake."

Now, we have a witness who found Todd unresponsive,

dead, and then made a call to 911

at 6:37 p.m.

And the funny thing is, when Todd sent this message

that the photo was fake, it was 6:41 p.m.

So he was already dead.

Here's what I think.

I think you killed Todd.

You took his phone,

scanned his face to unlock it,

and then you sent that message to his friends.

And this is why.

That picture Todd passed around school was fake, wasn't it?

And this is the original you sent him.

And I'm guessing he used one of those stupid apps

to turn it into a nude, which is disgusting.

So what happened?

I had to go to this pool party

with these popular girls.

And I wasn't feeling so good about myself, you know?

So you took a selfie of your suit,

and you sent it to your friend for reassurance.

He was really nice about it.

He said that I looked great,

and that I had nothing to worry about.

But then he turned on you.

Why?

There's this group of guys, these popular boys.

And they were teasing him about being a virgin.

And he was just so desperate to fit in.

So he told them that he hooked up with me,

sent them that photo of me nude.

Well, you had every right to be angry,

to hate him.

So I waited for him in the park.

How'd you know where he'd be?

'Cause we'd walk home from school together every day.

And we always cut through the same way in the park.

And I... I waited for him.

And when I saw him, I...

I stabbed him.

I was just so angry.

And hurting him was the only thing that made sense.

Thank you for being so honest.

Can I go now?

No.

I'm afraid not.

Well, the victim's blood is a match

to the blood found on weapon.

Plus, we recovered Cassie's fingerprints on the weapon

and on the phone she stole from the victim.

Right. And in addition to a full confession, of course.

The question now is, do we charge her as an adult?

It's a tough call.

Cassie Moore planned this.

She laid in wait.

She is also 15 years old.

And the jury will hear what was done to her, which was cruel.

I hear that.

I read Cassie's confession, though.

This was a sophisticated and premeditated crime,

just like that kid in Hunts Point committed

a few weeks ago.

We charged him as an adult.

I don't really see much difference aside from the fact

that he's Dominican.

Yeah, he was the same age as Cassie.

But that kid also had known gang ties, five priors.

We need to be consistent, Nolan.

And let's not forget the victim, Todd Feldman.

When that fake photo started circulating,

she never told the police.

She didn't tell the authorities at her school.

She never talked to her father.

She just went straight to murder.

Well, lots of victims don't report crimes like this.

Cassie may have felt too humiliated to come forward.

You're right.

But I'm afraid that's irrelevant.

Cassie brutally and viciously killed this kid in cold blood.

She needs to be tried as an adult.

-Grace, hi. -Hi.

Come in.

I'm fine, thank you.

Hey, you're charging Cassie Moore as an adult?

The defense are challenging it, which is standard.

But yes, we're gonna try.

Also, you know I can't talk about this.

Although I am curious how you even know.

Cassie is my patient.

She has been since she lost her mother.

And her defense attorney has asked me to testify

on her behalf at the hearing.

Well, I think...

Please don't do this.

She's just a kid.

She's just a screwed up little girl.

Ms. Hall, are you suggesting all teenagers are mentally ill?

Yes, sort of.

From the age of 12 to 17, the body is in a state of flux.

Teens are flooded with hormones

that make them miserable, reactionary.

But their prefrontal cortex isn't

yet developed enough to override

those emotions with reason.

And Cassie Moore?

There are aspects of our work that Cassie has asked me

to keep private, but I can tell you that developmentally,

Cassie is a very young 15.

COVID stole her mother.

That led to severe anxiety.

Cassie lacks impulse control and sound judgment,

even by the standards of a 15-year-old.

She needs help, not prison.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Mr. Price.

Ms. Hall, here is the law.

Age is not a shield from accountability

when the mind demonstrates adult-level intent

and understanding.

So let's talk about that.

Are you aware that Cassie Moore acknowledged

to police that this was a premeditated act?

No, I'm aware that Cassie discussed her actions

with the police, but I'm not prepared

to label it a premeditated act.

Or that Cassie has confessed that she took pains

to learn Todd's schedule that day,

so she'd know when he'd be in the park,

that she scouted the park earlier

to choose a secluded area?

No, I was not aware of that.

She set out that day with lethal intent.

She carried out this murder.

She covered her tracks by disposing of the weapon

and stealing the victim's cell phone.

Ms. Hall...

in your professional opinion,

do those sound like the actions of a child?

Or does that sound like adult-level intent

and understanding?

I heard we won the hearing.

And that your friend was a witness.

Not ideal.

Uh, Nick,

I think we should offer Cassie Moore a deal.

The facts of this case say murder.

The facts say adult crime.

But I'm looking at this defendant,

and I see a wounded 15-year-old girl.

Is this you talking or Grace?

Me.

It is my job to win this thing.

What I'm telling you is that if I see that side of Cassie,

how are 12 people on the jury going to respond,

12 human beings?

Even with the facts on our side.

All right.

I'll offer it up.

Man One, 12 years, nothing less.

We are not without sympathy for your client.

The circumstances, the strain she was under

when she carried out this attack,

her age, of course.

So we're open to discussing a deal.

If she pleads guilty to Man One,

we'll recommend 12 years, first six in juvie.

Then when she's 21, she'll transfer to adult prison.

She's probably out when she's 22, 23.

She can have a life.

No, we're not interested.

Erin, this is a good offer.

My client and her father are committed to trying this case.

They believe she did nothing wrong.

So "only" eight years in prison is not an option.

Okay, that's fine, but just know this is a one-time offer.

And the evidence against your client is overwhelming.

Well, not for long.

Motion to suppress Cassie's confession.

It's true that Ms. Moore did not have

an adult present when she confessed.

But that's irrelevant here.

To question a minor, law enforcement's only

legally required to notify an interested adult

and confirm the minor understands

their Miranda Rights.

And the police did both of those things.

Your Honor, Lieutenant Brady deliberately waited

until Cassie's father left the room to question her.

There is no evidence of that.

And even if it were true,

it still would not violate the law, Your Honor.

She knew if she could get Cassie alone,

she could exploit her youth, her vulnerability.

Lieutenant Brady wasn't actively questioning her

at that moment.

Lieutenant Brady had food brought in for the defendant.

Then Cassie started talking.

Your Honor, please.

It wasn't some stupid bag of potato chips

that got Cassie talking.

It was evidence.

Lieutenant Brady is a decorated veteran officer

who knew exactly how it would unfold

after she happened to show that photograph

to this emotionally shattered 15-year-old girl.

It was a cynical and intentional ploy.

It worked.

It doesn't mean the court has to stand for it.

I agree. It's out.

Your Honor...

That's your cue to leave, Mr. Price.

Okay, so the confession is out.

Not that big of a surprise.

No, but this is.

Cassie's attorney is now alleging self-defense.

Makes sense.

Once the judge kicked out the confession,

this case becomes she said, he said.

And "he" is dead.

So they invented this self-defense claim.

Now we know why they rejected the plea.

Good news is, the evidence is in our favor.

Cassie clearly planned this attack.

She stabbed the victim in the back,

hid the murder weapon.

Make that the focus of your case,

the evidence, the facts.

Despite her age and the unfortunate circumstances

leading up to this crime,

those jurors need to realize this was a cold-blooded murder.

Lieutenant Brady, could you read

the highlighted portion of the medical examiner's report

regarding the victim, Todd Feldman?

Decedent sustained three sharp force injuries

to the neck and upper back.

Cause of death is massive hemorrhage

from bilateral vertebral artery transections.

Layman's terms?

Mr. Feldman was stabbed three times.

And the blade severed the arteries that provide blood

to the brain and spinal cord.

How many homicides have you investigated in your career?

145, give or take.

In your experience, do those who are defending themselves

stab people in the back?

No, they do not.

This bead detectives discovered

at the crime scene near the body,

when you explained to Ms. Moore

that you had found her bead, what did she do?

She claimed that she had lost hers two years prior.

Obviously, that bead put her at the crime scene, so she lied.

Objection. That's speculation.

Sustained.

When you first questioned Ms. Moore, did she tell you

that Todd Feldman had threatened her?

No.

Did she tell you she was afraid for her life,

that she acted in self-defense?

No, she did not.

Ms. Coleman, like Todd Feldman,

you're a member of Northwood Academy marching band, correct?

Right, we both play trumpet.

So on the evening of September 4th,

you had reason to stay after school with Mr. Feldman?

We had a long practice after school

to get ready for a competition.

Did you receive messages from Ms. Moore while you were there?

Yes, on Snap.

She asked me to tell her what time practice was over,

so I did.

Did she say anything else?

No.

She was just acting really weird.

I'd seen her earlier in the day at school.

She was crying in a stairwell about the picture and stuff.

We're friends, so I just kind of asked her if she was okay.

What'd she say?

No.

But I will be soon.

I thought I could trust Todd.

I had for years.

I mean, we started at kindergarten at the same time.

And it was only a few years after that,

once we realized how close we lived to each other,

that we started walking home from school,

cutting through the park every day.

And as the years went on, we kind of knew

everything about each other.

And we taught each other how to ride bikes, all that stuff.

He was the brother I never had, basically.

Your Honor, I would like to show the jury privately

the image Mr. Feldman manufactured using AI.

Go ahead.

What happened after this altered photo

circulated at school?

My life ended.

Todd sent it to three kids.

Someone put it on Snap, and it was everywhere.

And our school can be so mean.

People were... were laughing at me, calling me a slut.

I mean, I've never even kissed anyone before.

Why did you go to the park that night, Cassie?

I texted Todd three or four times

to try to get him to tell everyone

that the photo was fake, but he left me on read.

Just thought that if I could see him in person,

if I could just have a heart-to-heart

without anyone else around,

if he could just see what I was going through...

everything just felt so out of control.

What did he say that night?

He said he couldn't.

He said he didn't want his friends to know the truth.

So I told him that I would tell the cops, and...

And the next thing I knew, his hand was around my neck,

squeezing hard.

And I told him to stop, but he wouldn't.

And I just... I just panicked.

But I didn't mean to kill him.

I'm so sorry.

If you were defending yourself,

why did you stab Todd in the back?

When I went to stab him, he turned his back on me.

And why did you have a knife with you?

For protection.

My... my dad got it for me.

I carried it all the time.

I walked through the park by myself a lot.

You carried it for self-defense.

And then you used it in self-defense

because you were reasonably afraid for your life.

Yeah.

I mean, Todd was twice my size.

And he said he was going to kill me.

Nothing further.

When you were afraid for your life,

did you... did you run and scream?

No.

Then... and after you plunged a knife

into Todd Feldman's back three different times,

did you call 911, the police?

No.

Why not?

Because I knew how it would look.

Yes, real bad.

If you were truly acting in self-defense,

why go through the trouble of stealing Todd's phone?

Why go through the trouble of posing as Todd,

texting his friends four minutes after Todd was dead

and telling them to delete the doctored photo?

You have no idea what it is like

to have a photo of yourself passed around like this,

everyone laughing at you,

enjoying your humiliation.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Court is adjourned until 8:30 a.m.

We are losing the jury.

So the self-defense claim is working?

They're attacking the victim,

turning him into something he wasn't.

A bully.

And Cassie is a compelling witness.

A very good liar, of course.

Are you saying the jury's on her side?

It looks that way.

I mean, we're asking the jury to go to bat for a boy

who violated one of his oldest friends

to curry favor with a bunch of girl-hating idiots.

There's an "I told you so" in there somewhere.

I'm just trying to get the result you want.

She murdered this kid Feldman,

stabbed him repeatedly.

Yes, he did something stupid, something cowardly.

But he was just a kid too.

Yeah, it's a complicated case.

We offered Man One.

They said no.

I get it, I do.

I'm just trying to do my job.

And right now, we need evidence to rebut

the self-defense claim, or she's gonna walk.

So get to work.

This is hopeless.

I don't know how we're gonna get this jury back.

Oh, ye of little faith.

I asked TARU to do another deep dive on Cassie's devices.

Turns out, she has a finsta account.

A finsta?

Yeah, it's like a hidden, alternate Instagram account

designed to fly under the radar.

Cassie used a fake name, Lizzie Bennet.

Like "Pride and Prejudice."

She's got good taste, I'll give her that.

That explains why the techs couldn't find the account.

Yeah, it looks like she used it to send some DMs.

You won't believe who she sent them to.

You and I, we were together that day,

the day of the murder.

You were telling me about the kid who

couldn't go to Cornell because he was terrified of telephones.

And Cassie, she was the kid who was calling you

and texting you all the...

Nolan, slow down.

Cassie called and texted you repeatedly

minutes before the murder.

Is that right?

Yes, she was venting.

Venting about what?

About the fake photo, about Todd?

Yes, she was very upset.

She was traumatized.

What did she say?

What were her exact words?

You know I can't tell you that.

Grace, she was en route to murder someone.

And she called you and texted you on the way.

Hell, she might have already been

waiting for him in the park.

Nolan, please, please.

I really need you to understand

just how much I care about Cassie.

How is that relevant?

When her mother died, I...

when she got her period for the first time,

I was the one who went to the drugstore.

I taught her how to shave her legs over FaceTime.

I...

I was... I was supposed to protect her.

She told you she was gonna kill him, didn't she?

Look, I never thought she'd actually...

Why... why didn't you tell me?

Because she's been through...

I don't want to send her to prison.

If you have information that Cassie set out with the intent

to kill Todd Feldman, you have to testify.

No, I can't.

I'm afraid that's not up to you.

Or me, for that matter.

Ms. Hall, could you please explain to the jury

what it means to be a hostile witness?

It means I don't want to be here.

Why are you here?

You told me if I didn't comply with your subpoena,

that a warrant could be issued for my arrest.

How long have you served as Cassie Moore's psychiatrist?

I started seeing Cassie shortly after the death

of her mother in 2020.

Cassie ever send you messages through Instagram?

Yes, she would message me on occasion.

I discouraged it.

Boundaries are an important part of any relationship

between a mental health professional and a patient.

So I preferred to talk in regular session,

but sometimes she needed more.

Did the defendant send you a series of messages

through Instagram on the evening of September 4th,

the evening Todd Feldman was killed?

Yes.

Do you still have those messages?

No, they were automatically deleted after 24 hours.

Can you recall what Cassie said?

Objection.

Communication between my client and Dr. Hall is

protected by therapist-patient confidentiality.

Your Honor, we've been through this.

Duty to warn is the exception to therapist-patient privilege.

Overruled.

Dr. Hall, please answer the question.

She said...

She said, "I'm going to make him pay.

I'm going to kill him."

Did you reply?

Yes.

I told her that she had every right to be angry.

I said, take some deep breaths

and we would talk it out tomorrow.

Tomorrow was too late.

Yes, it was.

Ms. Hall, uh...

Why didn't you do more?

Contact the authorities?

You have no idea.

I'm sorry, could you please speak up?

You have no idea how much kids suffer today.

Anxiety, body issues, stress, social media,

every day, kids come to me with death on their mind.

Suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation.

I have to make a judgment call every time.

If I didn't, if I wasn't discerning,

then I might as well just move my practice

right into the NYPD.

So instead, I try to offer

a safe space, a...

a haven.

And I got this one wrong.

And two lives were ruined as a result,

Todd Feldman's and Cassie Moore's.

And I'll never forgive myself.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have.

In the charge of murder in the second degree,

we find the defendant, Cassie Moore...

Guilty.

Oh, God, Cassie.

Members of the jury, thank you for your service.

No rush, but do you want to order some dinner?

Uh, you know what?

I'll give it another minute. -Okay.

-Thank you. -Just let me know.

Yeah.

Hey, it's me.

Uh, I'm at the restaurant.

If you're not up for dinner, I totally get it.

But let me know.

I just want to make sure...

Hi.

Sorry I'm late.