Original subtitles

I need an ambulance. Hurry.

My mom-- she's fucking dying, okay?

Just get over here.

Hey. Who's there?

Fuck. Who the hell are you?

Take that.Chris Keller was here the day before

looking for money.Hold on.

Hold on, Mr. Fisher.

Please.

Her arms.

A little more towards you.

There you go.

Down there.

Sunlight is 256 times brighter than interior light.

He couldn't see her, Russ.

Not through there. Too much glare.

The problem is none of the neighbors

saw Chris Keller.Well, Mary told me that he came by.

Asking for work.

She said she didn't have any, so he got pissed off.

A pissed-off drug addict.

Okay? An-And he's violent. Eric's roommate.

Listen, he--

The next morning, he comes by, he's desperate.

He breaks into the house to steal something.

Mary comes home, she surprises him.

She tells him to get the hell out...

And Chris kills her.

Eric comes home right after to fix his car,

looks through the window, sees his mother on the floor.

Yes, and-and he breaks in and tries to save her.

There's no sign of a break-in.

Well, Mary left the door unlocked.

And Keller's mother says that

he was out of the state March 10.

Well, of course she does. She's protecting him.

What else is she gonna say?

That's why we're looking into it.

No parent wants to believe that their son

could do something like this.

Detective.

We'll be out of here soon.

Fisher, Eric Henry.

Stand up, face the wall.

What are you doing?

Face the wall.

Tower Records, video store, Mark C. Bloome.

Wild guess, no one remembers him

looking for a job March 10?

And Chris Keller.

What about him?

Arrested a couple nights ago.

New Mexico, Silver City. Home break-in.

Came through a window with a knife.

Vic was an older woman. Sound familiar?

Yeah. And if Chris Keller was in town on March 10,

I'd take a real hard look at him.

March 8, he goes to his mom's

in Thousand Oaks.

His mom sends him to his dad in New Mexico.

That's the thing.

Grant County Sheriffs like him for a burglary there

on March 10.

The kid alibied out.

He said he was here?Backed it up with receipts.

Some Hollywood dive motel.

Fuck me!

Gotta go.

New Mexico.

Gotta exclude him as a suspect.

If you can't rule Keller out,

Fisher's lawyer's gonna make an issue of it.

Look, you know me, I like to keep an open mind.

Maybe this single-killer theory of yours

was a little premature.

It's a crime of passion, all right?

You saw what he did. You were there.

He strangled her,

stabbed her, crushed her skull in.

Only a son does that to his mother.

Keller doesn't factor. It was all Eric.

Just like he told you the day of the crime,

when you got the cop-out.

I forgot, you didn't get the cop-out.

Yeah, not yet, but who knows?

Maybe someone else will get it for me.

7000 unit. Ever heard of it?

Excuse me.

Henry Fisher...

for my son Eric.

Psst.

Eric isn't gonna show.

Right before you got here,

two sheriffs put him on a transport van.

Where the hell are they taking him?

I checked the transport sheet.

No official orders.

But I'm thinking downtown.

County jail.

Fresh... fish.

Here, fishy, fishy.

Enjoy your stay.

You can't just leave me here.

It's county jail, Eric; you won't be here long.

It's the city saving gas for your court appearance this week.

What court appearance?

Lawyers, they never tell you shit.

Hey, let me out!

Aw, let me out. Let me out!

I didn't do it either.

You can't do this!

You can't do this. Aw...

Mommy, Mommy, please help me.

Is someone there?

Eric, you okay?

How do you know my name?

I heard the sheriff when you came in.

I'm no psychiatrist, but it's not a stretch to say

that unexplained transfers while incarcerated

lead to hypervigilance,

increased anxiety...Fuck, man.

Indeed.

It's nothing to trifle with. Not a lot of options.

But thankfully, there's always

good old-fashioned talk therapy.

And lucky for you...

I'm a good listener.

Your turn.

What are you in for?

Don't say a word, kid. Ed's a snitch.

He'll smooth-talk you, find his way in,

open you up like a can of soup.

Shut up, Paulie.

He wants you to confess.

Hey, you're the fucking snitch, Paulie!

Save it! No, save it!

This is the snitchiest bitch of 'em all.Stop fucking with me!

That was loud.

I don't know why I'm here.You're here...

so they can get a confession out of you.

Anything you say,

anything... he'll piece it together

and use it for a reduction on his sentence.

I got a piece of something for you, Paulie.

You want to see blue skies? Keep your mouth shut.

Aw, come on.

Shut your own fucking mouth.

Fine, we're all snitches.

Don't talk to anyone, not even me.

"Don't talk to anyone, even me."

Shut the fuck up!You lie when you breathe.

No one's listening to you, asshole!

I understand. Thank you.

The county jail says he's not there.

Well, where the hell else could he be?

Subject's in transit.

Destination isn't listed yet.

You need to get a real criminal defense lawyer.

Great, you're quitting.

Yeah, you think he did it.

I- I think you need a real lawyer, Hank.

A better one.

I made some calls.

Robert Sullivan. He's top-notch.

You know, Gary, a lot of people have turned their back on me.

Never expected you to be one of them.

At least this will be quick.

I fly to New Mexico, I get the alibi and I'll fly back.

The Mary Fisher murder.

That's the only thing you'd miss this for.

Miss what?

Fuck...

Come on. I'm not gonna miss Buster's first picture.

This is gonna be a very quick, easy trip.

Hello.

Well, if it isn't the Los Angeles Police Department?

Detective Dave Russell. Deputy Boyd?

Used to be. Detective now.

Arresting officer on Keller, Chris.

Looks like your big case and my little case got synced up.

Anything I can do to help you,

just let me know.

The air is so dry.

Can you do something about that?

I'll put in the request, sir.

I can hit the ground running on this thing, Detective.

I studied up on your Fisher case.

Went to the library, read the L.A. Times.

Then you're up to speed.

Read to me like Fisher's your only suspect,

but I'm thinking Chris Keller may have some intersect.

I mean, it makes sense.

Third-party culpability.

That's a problem, no?

You bring Keller in,

it could blow up your case on Fisher.

One suspect turns on the other, add a couple big-time

piece of shit defense lawyers, could lose them both.

Maybe you do things differently in Grant County, Detective.

In L.A., we don't lock in and lock out.

We keep an open mind.

Open mind?

Yes, sir. Copy that.

What Fisher did to his mom's head.

Opened it up like a hatchet on a honeydew melon.

For what? Grocery money?

Say anything about the murder?

Mention Eric Fisher?

Not a word.

Any visitors?

Just the public defender.

One phone call, to his dad.

The number was out of service.

In this situation, what's your general approach?

Can you track him down for me?

The father, Mark Keller.

Be a big help.

Detective Dave Russell, Los Angeles Police Department.

Today's date is the 25th of March, 1983.

Approximate time's 4:04 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

What is your name?

Chris Keller.

Christopher Keller?

Age 16, date of birth is 5/1/66?

Yes.

Okay, very good.

I think you already know why I want to talk to you.

A lady by the name of Mary Fisher was murdered

back on the 10th of March in Sherman Oaks, California,

and the victim's son Eric Fisher is in custody for the murder.

You lived with him.

He was your friend, you knew Mary.

So, your friend Eric

says that you killed her,

and that he had nothing to do with it.

So, let's not waste each other's time.

Your mother says that you showed up at her place on March 8?

California. Yeah.

I thought I was going home.

Hon, you got a visitor.

Christopher.

Who's that?

It's a friend of your mom's.

W- What are you doing here?

You going to Zuma?

Haven't been there in a while.

My ninth birthday, you-you hired a fucking beach clown.

Um...

I don't think today is a good idea.

That's cool.

I just wanted to ask

for some money for a place.

I- I could pay you back.

How about the Presbyterian?

They've got a really nice shelter.I'd rather stay with Dad.

Hey. Come on.

Sorry, honey, I got to go.

I'm coming.

Then where'd you go?

I hitched back to the Valley.

Did you see Eric Fisher?

Chris? Fuck.

Hey.When did you get back?

Just a couple days ago.

It's good to see you.Yeah.

You, too, man.

Where, where you staying?

Just a place off Balboa.

It's got free Z Channel.

Cool.

Launch time, baby.

Your rocket ship awaits.Yeah, yeah.

Okay, um... All right.

I'll see you around.

Yeah.

See you.

You sure you didn't stay

with Eric?

He didn't offer,

so I didn't ask.

He was your friend, you lived with him.

Did you have a fight?

About what?

Dope, money. Okay.

Tuesday. Wednesday, what'd you do Wednesday?

I went to the Galleria again.

I... roamed around a bit, I...

Then, I-I went to visit Mr. Fisher.

Ask for work? Money?

No. No.

Just to say hey.

There he is.

Hello.

I thought we lost you to New Mexico.

I'm not that easy to get rid of.

It's nothing but cactus

and country music.

And it-it, it wasn't so easy, with my dad out there.

Well, we are glad to have you back.

Cookies.

Wow. So,

you saw Eric last night?

How is he?

You know, Eric has that thing...

...no matter what happens,

he'll always land on his feet.

My goodness. Look at the time.

I've got to go.

No, I-I got to get going, too. Um...

Thank you for the cookies.

For the road?

Okay. Thank you.

And then you left.

I caught a bus to Hollywood,

hiked up Laurel Canyon, slept in the woods.

Why? Why not stay at a motel?

I was conserving my budget.

Plus, I don't mind sleeping outside.

Well, when the bugs aren't biting and when the sun

doesn't wake me up at 5:00 a.m.

So, the next morning,

I hitched back down Laurel, and then I got a motel.

Okay. What time did you check in?

Some time that morning.

11:00, maybe?

Five dollars for the key, refundable,

$21 for the room, $26 total.

Twenty-six.

11:00 a.m.?

You're sure about that? You checked in at 11:00

on March 10, day of the murder?

Young and Restless starts at 11:00, so...

You need some more champagne.

The Young and the Restless?

Just fucking kiss her already.

Used to watch it with my mom.

After my dad split. Just the two of us.

And then what?

Then, I ran out of weed,

I was hungry.

I walked down Sunset,

I- I bought some pot.

I got into a knife fight with some black dude.

A knife fight? Yeah.

Tell me about the knife fight.

Okay, um...

So this black dude comes up to me.

He's fucking dirty and he's asking for money.

and I don't have any.Help a brother out?

I'm not your fucking brother.

What'd he look like?

The guy you stabbed?

You got him good. You saw him, right?

A black guy...

Was he young? Old? Dirty...

Short? O- Old?

Dirty. Fat? Thin?

What kind of knife was it?

Jackknife? Stiletto?

Okay. So, Thursday night.

I went back to the motel.

So, how'd you pay for it?

The motel. Where did you get the money?

I had about 40 bucks left.

Fuck.

Tuesday and Wednesday,

you slept on the street, and then Thursday,

you spring for a room. Why is that?

It was my last day in L.A.

I was fucking sick of it. All of it.

That's-that's

why I came back here.

Friday.

The day after the murder. Okay.

We're going off tape.

This interview with Christopher Keller is concluded.

It is 5:07,

Mountain Time.

Everything you just told me does more to implicate you

in this crime than to rule you out.

So, I need names, places, times.

Checkable facts.

And you better pray that you checked in

to that motel at 11:00.

Good. I've got your attention.

When I come back, checkable fucking facts.

If you could do me a favor and check all Hollywood area

ADW, robbery and injury reports involving a black male victim

around 30, dreadlocks, with a knife wound

over a 48 hour period starting 1800, March 10.

His hotel on Sunset,

Tropicana.

He claims to have checked in at 11:00 a.m.

Yeah. Okay, thanks, partner.

Do you know how many Kellers

with no phones live around here?

Works the nights, though,

so we can't talk to him till the morning.

You like that?

My daughter, she,

she loves fishing.

Debbie. She's five.

That's, great work. Okay? Thank you.

Hello?

No Chris Keller checked in

around 11:00 a.m. on March 10.

Somebody who looked hell of a lot

like him did at 3:00.

under the name Mark Smith.

Open mind, Russ.

Open mind.

You've reached the Russell residence.

We can't answer your call right now.

You know the drill.

Hey, it's me.

Good, you're asleep.

So I have a little more work to do down here

and I don't know if I'll be back

in time for the doc, but I'm gonna try.

Talk tomorrow, babe.

Kiss the girl for me.

I love you... to the moon.

Psst. Hey.What?

Come on, Eric, I got something for you.

It's a little something to help pass the time.

It's good shit, man.

The kind.

Don't do it, Eric.

World goes slow. We go fast.

Fuck, man.

I just quit this shit.

Then you're going supersonic.

Don't.

Yeah.

You ever shoot it?

When was the last time you got high?

When was the last time you got high, man?

Fuck, what?When'd you quit?

Yeah, the-the-the-the day my...

my mom died.

The day my mom died, I- I-I haven't done it.

Don't talk.

- Since... - Shit, man.

Don't talk to him.

You killed her high.No!

He's a snitch.No, no.

I- I... I-I-I... I tried...Don't say anything.

I tried to help her, okay?

Sure, after you killed her.

Shut the fuck up! Shut up!

...condition was rapidly deteriorating

and he was moved to the intensive care unit

a little before 5:00 p.m.

At 10:02 p.m. Mountain Standard Time,

Barney Clark, the world's first recipient

of a permanent artificial heart,

passed away. And though...

Well, he's here.

Guard just saw him.

Let's go get him.

He's not on the sheet. He's not officially here.

But he is here, right?

7000 unit. Lot of confessions

have been coming out of there lately.

It's a snitch tank.

Jesus.I'll file an emergency motion

to move him back first thing in the morning. That'll work.

Henry, it's okay.

A, he's innocent.

B, I know just from meeting you,

he's smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

You're in good hands.

You know what I'm doing now?

I'm praying.

I'm praying for you, Eric.

I fucked up, Paulie.

I fucked up.

I fucked up so bad.

Don't tell me.

Tell Jesus.

Jesus forgives everything.

Mr. Keller.

He ever mention a friend named Eric Fisher?

I don't know.

Maybe.

We didn't swap diaries.When Chris returned

March 11,

did you notice anything unusual?

He paid for breakfast.

That was real fucking unusual.

I get him at the bus station, he says he's hungry for waffles.

Check comes, he picks it up.

Peels a 20 off a flash roll,

leaves a big fat tip.

He say how he got the money?Didn't need to.

He stole it,

like he stole from me second we got home.

I leave my wallet in my work pants.

Go to work that night, take it out to buy some smokes,

it's fucking empty.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Keller.

Yeah.

How'd it go?

Take me to Chris Keller.

You claim you checked in to the motel at 11:00 a.m.

You lied.

You checked in at 3:00 as "Mark Smith"

with money that you stole from Mary Fisher's purse.

I didn't steal anything.

Sure you did. You stole it the day before.

No, I didn't.

All right.

Going off tape.

10:51 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. Bathroom break.

Hey. You're gonna give me a sworn statement

that you stole that money

from Mrs. Fisher's purse on March 9.

But I didn't.

Sure you did, and you spent it on dope,

motel the next day,

Greyhound bus out here...No.

...to buy your dad a fat waffle breakfast when he picked you up.

You spoke to him?He told me

you came back from L.A. with a big flash roll.

No, that's-that's bullshit.

So let me tell you what your status is, okay?

You're either gonna go back with me to L.A.

where you're gonna be in a heap of trouble,

or you're gonna be a goddamn great witness for me.

Okay?

Now you are not either/or.

You are one or the other.

I'm gonna offer you immunity for your sworn statement.

Hey, that's a world-class offer.

Back on the record with Chris Keller.

Bathroom break is over. It is 11:02 a.m.,

Mountain Standard Time.

So this is what I think happened, Chris.

You tell me if I'm right.

March 8,

two days before the murder,

you go over to Eric's place,

and the two of you do dope together.

Right? But you split because he runs out and you need more.

That's not true at all.I'm not done.

You try to score,

but it's hard 'cause you have no money.

You can't go back to Eric's, so that night, yeah,

you-you sleep in a carport.

And the next day, March 9,

the day before the murder,

you go back to Mrs. Fisher's.

And while she's being all sweet and baking you cookies,

you steal 150 bucks from her purse.

No, I didn't.And then you head off to Hollywood

where you score, and then the next day,

Mrs. Fisher finds her empty wallet.

Naturally, she blames Eric.

He's stolen from her lots of times before.

So when he comes over, she fucking blows up at him.

They fought all the time, right?

Yeah. They fought.

And he snaps,

and he attacks her,

and he crushes her skull.

All of those horrible things

that he did to her.

This, and this, and this.

And this, and this.

I'm right. Look at me, Chris.

Am I right?

You know him. You know what he does to women.

You know what he's capable of.

Kim Decker. You know what he did to her.

This is Eric.

All you did..

...was steal a little dope money, that's all.

I- I saw Eric the first night,

and that's it.

I didn't steal anything.

Eric couldn't do this.

So, if you don't tell me the truth,

I'm gonna take you back to L.A.

and make sure you go down for this.

Last chance.

11:05 a.m. Mountain Standard Time,

we are terminating this interview with Chris Keller.

Sure, it's cleaner if Fisher did it alone.

But if Keller's involved, he's involved.

You'll have to bring him back to Los Angeles,

even if it screws with your case.

Like you said...

Open mind.

Turns out the old lady who shot at Keller

is blind as a bat.

Couldn't make a positive ID

if you dunked him in red paint.

You got a point?

I may be small town,

but I know how to lose a piece of shit like Keller

in the system for a week or so.-

If you think you might need him.

Unlawful detainment, that how you do things around here?

No. But I thought you might be open to it.

Actually, I thought it was a world-class offer.

Yeah.

Thanks for the help.

Detective Russell.

For your daughter.

Thanks.

Safe flight.

I'm supposed to be at Sylmar. It fucking says.

Yo, Sylmar's for juveniles.

I'm 17, man.

No, you're not. Minor in adult jail,

that's against the law.

Hey, if you're 17, I'll get you out.

Someone lets a juvie in here, he's getting fucking fired.

Then get me out.

Shit.

1965.

You're right. Yeah.

Thank you, Jesus.

Deputy!

Deputy!

We got a juvenile in here!

Garry Shandling is here tonight.

He is one of the brighter young comedians

that's emerged in the past several years.

He's currently appearing at the Universal Amphitheatre

in Los Angeles with Donna Summer.

Garry Shandling! Gare?

Well, thank you, sir.

Babe? Hey.

You're home.

Honey. What's going on?

I lost it.

I lost the baby.

Right after you left.

I was at work.

Shh... Hey.

You didn't tell me.

What?

I- I-I-I called last night.

Right.

You weren't here.

I'm sorry.I was alone.

It's okay.

Did you tell them?

I sure fucking tried.

You didn't say anything.

No, I told them that, Eric didn't do it.

You know, they got the wrong guy.

You told them about Chris.

I started to, but he didn't want to hear it.

He was, you know, just...

Fucking kicked me right out,

like he thought I was high.

They're fucking cops, Amy. Come on.

We could go back.

Together.

Make them listen.Let me tell you something.

I would never let anyone treat my baby

the way that these motherfuckers just treated me.

You understand that?

Yeah. Come on, you're gonna be late for work.

Let's go.

Stand up, face the wall.

What are you doing?

Taking you back to Sylmar.

I don't know why, and you know what,

I'm not asking.

It's all right, Sheriff.

We know why.

We don't have all day.

Thank you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for you, Eric.

How'd it go?

Fine.

It's all good.

All good.

So Keller was here on March 10,

but he wasn't at the house.

But you couldn't rule him out.

Eric Fisher did this.

Look, Russ... I get it.

Your first big case as primary.

Your history with the kid.

How you locked in at the post.

If the facts don't fit your theory,

you don't change the facts.

Eric Fisher did this.

You got something else?

D.A. called.

Judge read him the riot act over moving a 17-year-old

to the 7000 unit at county.

Fuck! They put him back?

This morning, yeah.

Fisher's new lawyer filed an emergency motion.

Aw, shit.

That 7000 unit, that's a tough place.

Inmate got injured there just this morning.

For some reason, this inmate

wants to speak with you.

Wants to tell you all about it.

Thank God. Thank God.

You okay? Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay.

Robert Sullivan. Hi.

Nice to meet you, Eric.

You didn't talk to anybody in there about your case?

Wh-- No, no.

I did-- I didn't say a word.

Those guys are--

Those guys are all snitches.

Good.

Good?

Then let's get started on your defense.

Okay.

Mr. Manning. Detective Dave Russell.

I hear you've been talking to Eric Fisher.

Eric's been talking to Jesus.

I've just been listening in.

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org