Original subtitles

_

In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

Sam Conway, 15.

His gym coach saw blood on the back side of his shorts.

- What did Sam say? - He claims he fell.

So we're looking at sexual assault.

Yeah, the exam indicated anal penetration.

Give me names here. Who was he?

I'm fine with this, okay?

I needed this to happen. So now what?

See if anybody knows anything? The mother knows.

I heard sounds from Sam's room.

My husband was standing over the bed.

It looked like he was fastening his belt.

What the hell is going on?

Mr. Conway, turn around.

You're under arrest. For what?

The rape of your son.

Sometimes my mom, she just...

she doesn't know what she's saying.

Did he assault you, Sam?

No, no, that's ridiculous.

We find the defendant not guilty.

Juries can be unpredictable.

I'm not making excuses.

Yeah. I understand, sir.

What just happened?

The D.A. just asked the same thing.

Not as politely.

The family stuck together. That's a tough nut to crack.

Yeah. I should have used a bigger hammer.

Mr. Conway, do you feel validated by the verdict?

I'm glad the jury saw the truth.

What's next for your family?

I just want to get everyone home,

safe, resume our normal lives.

Well, I think the most important thing...

- Molly. - Is this family

to get back to normal, so...

Excuse us.

If you ever wanna talk...

Thank you, but I'm fine.

Tell your father I need to use the ladies'.

I'll meet you at the car.

Sam...

I know what you're going to say,

and you're wasting your time...

You don't have to go home with your husband.

- And you said it anyway. - We can open a case

with Child Protective Services.

Break up our family?

Get Sam out of the house, protect him.

That's been your instinct.

The best way I can keep Sam safe

is to stay with him.

How? You can't watch him 24/7.

John knows he crossed a line...

Crossed a line?

Molly, he raped your son.

And a jury found him not guilty.

Maybe I didn't see what I thought I saw.

Oh Stop, stop, stop.

All John ever wanted was to keep us safe.

Me, Brian, Sam.

And you believe that?

You believe him over what you know? As a mother...

I have to! I am choosing to!

Because, the alternative... court hearings,

legal and emotional battles for months, years...

that doesn't sound like what's best

for Sam, or my family.

Promise me, at the very least...

at the very least, you'll get Sam counseling.

And for Brian, and for yourself, Molly.

We don't need your help.

We don't ever need to speak again. Excuse me.

Sam!

Hmm?

It's 6:30, honey. It's time to get up.

You don't have to go to school today

if you don't want to.

I want to... and Dad said that I...

Oh... oh.

You sure you're not coming down with something?

You're a little warm.

- Yeah, maybe so. - Yeah?

You know what? Um... I think I feel fine.

I want to go to school.

So, you got baseball practice today.

Riverside Park.

Bus leaves at 3:15, should be back to school by 6.

How about I pick you boys up after?

We can go to Shake Shack.

Molly, they're teenagers, not toddlers.

We can take the subway. Right, Sam?

- Yeah. - Okay.

Next game is St. Andrews.

They're hitting 275.

I'm sorry.

It's okay, son. It's okay.

♪

Keep your head down, don't talk to anyone.

If somebody says something, text me.

We're not supposed to have our phones outside of our lockers.

You really think anyone's gonna give a rat's ass

if you have your phone in your pocket?

Jesus, Sam.

Hey! I'm not gonna let anything bad

happen to you ever again, okay?

Okay? I got this. We're family.

Catch you on the other side, brother.

What's up, guys?

♪

Sam! Sam!

♪

♪

♪

- sync and corrections by Zac - www.addic7ed.com

Do we know what we're looking at?

Single shooter. White male.

Semi-automatic hunting rifle.

A student?

As far as we know, but we haven't

apprehended a suspect yet.

Any victims?

Half a dozen, at least.

I get why you're here, Lieutenant.

I'm here to help.

We'll keep you posted.

This-this is Mrs. Chaster. She's the principal.

Principal Chaster... Lieutenant Benson, SVU.

Did you see the shooter?

I couldn't stop it. He just kept shooting,

this dead look in his eye! Who is it?

Sam Conway!

Is he inside? Do you know where he is?

I don't know. I told the police.

Okay, well, what about Brian?

Brian... I saw Brian.

I passed him in the hallway.

- Is he okay? - He's all right, I think...

I don't know! Okay, it's okay.

I got this.

I don't know where Sam is, I swear to God...

I've been telling police that! He must be inside!

He's not. We recovered the rifle... no sign of Sam.

He must have gotten out in the crowd.

Now listen; All right, he's not at your house.

He's not at your father's work.

Is there any other place that you can think of

- that Sam might have gone? - I don't know.

None of this makes any sense.

- You had no idea? - God, no!

I just sat down at my desk... home room.

And there was this noise... pop, pop... it sounded like

someone brought firecrackers to school.

And then you heard the screams.

All right... Brian, Brian, look, what happened then?

What happened then?

Everyone just... just froze.

The teacher was yelling for us to get down,

there was more shots, more screams... it was horrible.

There Sam was, standing in the doorway

with a .22 in his hand.

What'd you do?

I ran up to him, I said,

"Sam, what the hell are you doing? Just stop it!"

He pointed the barrel at me, he said,

"Are you happy now?"

But he didn't shoot?

No. No, he squinted, he said,

"I need to concentrate. You don't concentrate,

you lose the game."

Then he dropped the rifle, walked out.

Okay. Brian, I want you to sit tight, all right?

Where are you going?

I think I know where Sam is.

- Tell the ESU... - No! He makes one

wrong move they're gonna kill him, Fin.

Maybe they should.

♪

Hey, Sam, it's Detective Carisi.

Put your hands where I can see them!

- Go away! - I can't do that!

Just let me die.

I can't do that either, Sam.

Now come on, let's put that gun down.

No! Why should I be able to play baseball, huh?

Or eat chocolate-chip waffles, or kiss a girl.

Or go to college... I don't deserve that!

I deserve to die!

Okay, listen. I'm gonna put my gun down.

All right, you say you deserve to die, maybe you do.

But killing yourself is not justice

for what you just did, Sam.

That is taking the easy way out.

Do you understand me?

No. No, I should die. I shot my friends.

No, no, no... whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on!

Hold on! Answer one question for me then, okay?

Because all this baffles me. I mean, I can understand

if you shot your dad, if you shot your brother...

It wasn't their fault!

It wasn't their fault, but it was

the kids at school's fault?

- No. - No?

I guess there's only one person left, Sam.

I guess this is all on you.

Hey! Maybe you're right. Why don't you go ahead?

Kill yourself, take responsibility for your actions.

It's gonna destroy your dad,

but, hell, it's gotta be easier than facing him,

the state that he is in right now, Sam.

What? You talked to him?

Yeah, yeah, I talked to him,

and he's worried about you, Sam.

He's worried sick.

But hey! Go ahead. Kill yourself.

Then he's gonna know how much you really hate him.

I don't... No, I don't hate him, I love him.

You love him? All right, well, then maybe you wanna

tell him that yourself, huh?

Maybe he wants to tell you that, Sam.

Yeah... see, that's the thing about dads...

no matter how bad you screw up, they still love you.

I should have...

- I... I should... - You should have what, huh?

I should have just shot the rabbit!

I should have just shot the rabbit!

- How many? - There's two DOA.

Heather Lewis, 16, Justin Cruz, 17.

Five gunshot victims. Four were students,

one critical, and one was a teacher.

Sam Conway's in custody?

Yes, with his mother, waiting for the father and a lawyer.

Good. I don't want any statements thrown out later.

The weapon was a Remington .22 semi-automatic rifle.

CSU found six bullets at the scene.

Plus the seven victims, this gun holds at least 15 rounds.

He only fired 13 times?

He's a lousy shot. It could have been worse.

Well, it was bad enough.

He was also carrying a Smith & Wesson 9C.

Never fired. Both guns are legal

and registered to the father.

And the mother swears that both guns

were in a locked safe.

Well, even if that's true, the kid

figured out the combination.

All right, what about the victims?

Were they targeted? Not that we know of.

The only one that he had a specific relationship

was Gillian Wray.

- Girlfriend? - It's not about that.

Witnesses say he wasn't aiming at anyone,

just firing at random.

Bringing a hunting rifle to school...

This is about the father.

Excuse me. Excuse me!

I need to see my son.

Mr. Conway.

I wanna see my son. Where is he?

What are you doing here, Stone?

Can't wait to lock Sam up too?

We will be arraigning him.

Whether he is remanded is up to the Judge...

Your wife and your son are in interrogation one.

This way.

Anything he said without the presence

of his lawyer is inadmissible.

He already confessed.

Plus, we have dozens of eye-witnesses.

Sam's lawyer is here.

Let's go, Sam.

I want to go with him.

I'm sorry, that's not possible, Mrs. Conway.

- Please. Please, please. - Dad, I'm so sorry...

What did you do? What did you do?

You son of a bitch! This is your fault!

Putting sick ideas in my boy's head!

Please escort Mr. Conway out of my squad room. Now!

♪

Reactions to the tragedy on social media

have been overwhelming... outpourings of support

for the two victims who lost their lives,

16-year-old Heather Lewis and 17-year-old Justin Cruz.

Your cell phone died?

How'd you find me?

Carmen and I go way back.

I'd fire her if she wasn't the best assistant I ever had.

People screaming and just running

and just panic everywhere.

You punishing yourself?

Somebody has to.

You heard people screaming. I was...

I might actually have to take this kid to trial.

He pleaded not guilty.

I heard.

Remanded to Horizon Juvenile.

Suicide watch.

You see, their lawyer will get a shrink,

and then we... we will get a shrink also.

And then, round and round we'll go.

Ring around the goddamn rosie...

Peter, this is not your fault.

I made the decision to cross-examine him.

I could have stood up, and said, "No questions, Your Honor."

I could have looked in that boy's eyes

and seen how fragile he was, and damaged.

I should have seen past the brave face,

thought about sparing his soul any more pain,

instead of winning my case...

Peter. You were trying to save him.

I didn't have to cross-examine him.

Yes, you did. His father raped him, for God sakes.

And then I raped him

all over again up on that witness stand.

You okay?

You know, aside from not sleeping.

You worry, you know?

You worry about your kid getting sick

or breaking a bone or, God forbid, getting hit by a taxi.

And then it's like you're... holding your breath

underwater, every day.

Then you, uh...

You get to tuck them in and kiss them good night.

You get to breathe out again.

But this... this, you can't...

you can't imagine that...

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, it's all right.

Crazy... I'm...

It's all right, it's all right.

You can tell me, it's okay.

You here to see the State Psych for Sam Conway?

Uh yeah.

Lisa Abernathy.

Detective Carisi. What happened to Dr. Olivet?

They didn't tell you? She's at a wedding in Tuscany.

I'm filling in. Am I interrupting something?

- No. - No.

Good. Let's talk about Sam.

Do you have any questions you wanna ask me?

We can start with some easy ones

like my favorite color or my favorite song

or my favorite vegetable... although,

I don't have a favorite veg...

Do you have kids?

Kids?

Yeah. Because if you... if you do have kids,

then I know you already hate me,

so this is a waste of time.

I don't hate you, Sam.

My wife and I have a boy and a girl.

You know, my dad... he told everyone

that I was gay, but I'm not.

And what about your dad?

Do you wanna talk about him?

He's a good dad.

Okay, let's talk about that.

He looks out for us.

He's done that ever since we were little.

What do you remember?

I remember, I was four maybe...

and I was trying to stick one of my little soldiers' swords

in the electric socket.

And Dad found out.

He wasn't angry, but he was serious.

And he told me, he said...

He said, "This is gonna hurt me more than you."

But I never want you to forget."

And then, he told me to...

pull my shorts down,

and lay on the bed, and I can...

I can hear his belt

coming off...

- Son of a... - It's okay.

And he hit me.

And it hurt so bad, you know?

And I was crying.

But I never forgot. I never forgot.

And I never tried to play with that...

electric outlet ever again.

My clinical evaluation is Sam is not legally insane.

He wasn't insane during the time of the shooting.

He knew that firing the gun was wrong.

He knew the consequences. He has remorse.

Two kids are still dead.

Did he say why?

I mean, in a round-about way.

I mean, this is not rocket science.

He grew up in a household with a very traditional

view of masculinity... taken to the extreme.

Like a toxicity.

To be a man, you have to kill animals,

Win ball games, you don't cry,

you tough out whatever comes your way.

Even your own father, sexually assaulting you.

Thank you, Doctor. You'll testify, if need be?

Yes. But I hope need won't be.

This boy is on the verge of a collapse.

A lot of kids are assaulted,

abused, and humiliated. They don't shoot up

schools and murder other kids.

I hear you, Detective.

Mr. Stone, the Conways are here.

Thank you.

What can we do for you?

We, um... wanted to tell you in person...

Sam will plead guilty.

That's his choice?

Going to trial would be a... would be wrong.

For everybody. No more lawyers, no more excuses.

Whatever you think of me,

I take responsibility for my son's actions.

We do. We both do.

More importantly, Sam does.

As a family, we've decided

we can't put anyone through anymore pain.

You know... the parents, the students.

And Sam.

And Brian.

Okay.

I'll call the D.A. and the judge.

Sam will have to plead in open court.

How long will he be in prison?

He'll likely be charged as an adult.

The time will be substantial.

Thank you.

Okay, then. I can let the victims' families know?

Yeah.

So that's it?

It's over?

Sam goes to prison, probably for life.

I get that. He deserves it.

But the father...

the father just gets to walk away?

No. This isn't over.

Not by a long shot.

♪

Hey, Sam.

Look, I'm pleading guilty. What more do you want from me?

Mind if I sit?

Just want to hear for myself

that you're okay with all this...

firing your lawyer, and taking a plea...

I am.

You're gonna go to prison, Sam.

And there's a good chance

it'll be for the rest of your life.

Well, what do you want me to do? You want me to

try to get away with it? Plead not guilty?

I can't tell you what I think you should do.

That's not how it works.

Well, it's my decision.

- Not your father's? - No!

So... can you please leave me alone, now?

Okay.

Heather Lewis.

I went to a party at her house once.

She played Rihanna like the whole night.

Justin Cruz, um...

I didn't really know him, but...

Apparently he was like, a math genius, I guess.

And he had a little sister.

She's only five.

My mom went to the funerals,

and she said no one even looked at her.

I'm sorry, Sam.

You're sorry?

Don't you know only pussies apologize?

- No, I didn't know that. - Look, I didn't even

wanna go to school that day.

All right? I kept saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

And he just said, "No apologies, no regrets.

That a man looks at the future, not the past."

What else did your dad say, Sam?

He said, "I don't even know why I bothered."

To assault you?

I guess I was a waste of his time.

Because it didn't work.

Is that when you put that rifle in your baseball bag?

Look, I gotta go, okay? We only get

30 minutes a day outside.

You can make that case?

Yeah, whatever you need.

Okay, let me know.

Guys, Stone thinks that there's a way

that he can go after John Conway.

What can we do?

I visit Sam every day. My one hour.

How's John dealing with all of this?

Like he always does, stiff upper lip.

That's what his father taught him.

Is that what he taught Brian?

What he tried to teach Sam?

Molly...

We think your husband should be prosecuted.

Didn't you try that already?

We believe he should be prosecuted for the shooting.

I told you, the guns were locked up...

It's not about the guns.

But for creating an environment

where Sam believed

that shooting made him a man.

Who is that gonna help?

Sam?

Those dead teenagers?

What about Brian?

He's 17 years old.

I can't help anyone anymore!

Not Brian. Not Sam.

This happened because I went against my husband.

I testified about what he did to Sam!

If I hadn't done that,

none of this would have...

If just made Sam stay home from school...

why didn't I keep him home from school?

Home with me.

All my husband ever wanted was for his boys to become men!

My dad is a great father, and I'll tell you what,

he would never... he was so messed up about what Sam did.

Sam shot his classmates and aimed a gun at you.

Why would he do that?

I don't know, okay? I don't know!

Yes, you do. Sam wanted to prove to your dad

that he could shoot. This isn't about that rabbit,

okay, that stupid rabbit... No, it's about how your dad

made Sam feel... ashamed, humiliated...

how he punished your brother. I know you're not stupid.

I know you know what was going on.

Both of us growing up... me and Sam,

my father treated us exactly the same,

raised us the same way, and I never went and...

Shot anybody?

Just because you took it better,

okay, that makes what your dad did right?

You're saying this is my dad's fault?

Then it's my fault, too.

I was there in the woods. I was there with Sam

right before he walked into school.

I should have figured it out!

No, this is not your fault, Brian.

You're just a kid, okay?

My life...

my life is over.

My friends are dead, my mother's a mess,

and my brother's locked up forever.

This is because of you.

You want someone to blame? Hmm?

Blame yourselves! Blame yourselves!

Bad news?

There's no way that Molly Conway

is gonna testify against her husband.

I can subpoena her.

And she will lie. Look, she's had enough, Peter.

And, in my heart of hearts, I gotta tell ya... I understand.

Brian?

He's already lost his brother.

He doesn't wanna lose his dad, too.

We've got the shrink, the principal,

two of Sam's friends, none of which make the case.

And that leaves Sam.

Who's on suicide watch.

So much for fighting the war we can't win.

The last time he testified...

Isn't this time.

Children are dead, Peter.

Two sets of parents are mourning a dead child.

And Sam's in prison for it.

We already lost Sam, Peter.

This is about the next Sam Conway.

John Conway,

put that gun down and step away.

When are you gonna leave my family alone?

My son's taking a plea.

We're not here about your son, we're here for you.

Put your hands behind you back... you're under arrest.

On what charges?

Murder.

You have got to be kidding me.

My wife's yoga pants don't stretch this much.

I'm just following the statute, Mr. Karey.

How was I negligent? My guns were locked up.

But your son wasn't.

What the hell is he talking about?

Think of it this way, Mr. Conway:

Pit bulls are actually very good pets.

It's their owners that turn them into killers.

You think I made Sam

walk into that school and start shooting?

I think that, A, you failed to perceive

a substantial and unjustifiable risk

that he would harm others. And B, such a failure

constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care

that a reasonable person would observe,

under the circumstances.

You put them together, and what have you got?

C... criminally negligent homicide.

Is he saying I didn't bring my boy up right?

It's a snowflake defense, Johnny.

"Daddy made me do it."

Come on.

I thought you were better than this.

You know, I heard if you stare long enough,

a cheesecake will magically appear.

How long do I have to stare for a slice

with strawberry topping to show up?

You okay?

When we sat with Sam Conway, we talked to him.

We saw where he was brought up,

how he was brought up.

Amanda, this is not our fault.

I'm just saying, under Stone's theory...

Yes, and we did not put guns in Sam Conway's apartment.

He could have gotten a gun anywhere.

He could have used a knife, a bomb...

Please don't go all Second Amendment on me.

Okay, all right. I mean...

What?

No, it's just in Georgia, you'd be the odd man out.

Yeah, and that wouldn't change my opinion.

Just explain this to me.

Why is Roe v. Wade sacrosanct

and the Second Amendment disposable?

Maybe because one kills.

In Georgia, they both do.

You know?

Jesus, what is worse?

I mean, to have your kid killed, or...

Have your kid be the one that's killed somebody else.

Mm.

Amanda, you're...

you're not thinking of...

I don't know if I need another baby.

I don't know if I want another baby.

All I know is, if I was back home,

the choice would be a lot easier.

There'd be no choice.

Give me your phone.

What?

Just unlock it and give it to me.

♪

That's playing dirty.

I distinctly remember when you showed that to me.

You told me that was the best moment of your life.

This is your decision to make... alone,

and I will defend to the death

your right to make it.

But regret is...

An awful thing to live with.

You had one? You had an abortion?

I loved my boys the same.

I treated them the same.

You were tough on both of them?

I was firm with them, when I had to be.

Whatever I did, it was for their own good.

So they'd be strong. So the world wouldn't

chew them up and spit them out.

Look, when your son is born,

nobody hands you an instruction book.

You do what you think is right.

Such as?

The thing is... I know a lot of dads

who are so tired when they get home from work,

all they can do is get out of their suits

and sit in front of the tube.

Not me.

No matter how tired I was,

I always went to the park, tossed a ball with my boys.

I went to their games, whatever.

Yes, I took them fishing and hunting... that's what

my dad did for me, that's what I do for them.

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me

why it's wrong to want your boys to grow up to be men.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good men?

- What? - What most fathers would say...

they want their son to grow up to be a good man.

Good, bad... that doesn't seem to matter to you.

Of course I want them to be good men.

A good man plays sports?

Both my boys made varsity.

Teaches teamwork, self-confidence.

A good man shoots rabbits?

He sure as hell isn't afraid to.

You don't have a boy do you, Mr. Stone?

No, I don't.

You got a lot of nerve criticizing how I raise mine.

You mean I've got balls.

Objection!

It's okay, Jed. I got this.

As a matter of fact,

if we weren't in a courtroom,

that is exactly what I would have said.

As opposed to what?

Excuse me?

If I don't have balls, what do I have?

I'd have the lifelong shame of a boy

who could never live up to his dad's

perverse idea of manhood, isn't that right?

- Your Honor! - Mr. Stone...

I'd be a little girl, wouldn't I, Mr. Conway? And there's

nothing in the world worse than that, is there?

That's enough, Mr. Stone.

♪

- What do you think? - You saw it.

Actually, I didn't. I'm sorry, I just couldn't

stomach listening to, "the world according to John Conway."

- Well, it didn't go great. - Meaning?

I'm calling Sam as a rebuttal witness.

- Of course I loved him. - And you tried to make him

proud of you? Yeah.

- Why? - 'Cause he was my dad.

You wanted to make him happy?

Yeah, what's wrong with that?

Not a thing, if it makes you happy, too.

Did it?

Look, if he was happy, I was happy.

What if he wasn't?

This important, Sam.

How did your dad act if he wasn't happy with you?

- He'd call me names. - Like what?

- He'd call me a baby. - What else?

He'd say, um...

What else?

He'd say... he'd say I was a fag or a pussy, okay?

Like when you couldn't shoot the rabbit?

Yeah. Yeah, that's right.

So, he wasn't proud of you then?

No.

No, he said, "Until further notice, I was... "

a little girl."

Called me "Samantha."

Threw one of my mom's dresses at me, told me to wear it.

Did he hit you?

No.

He said I deserved it, though.

But he would "never hit a girl."

So, what did he do?

Objection! This has already been litigated.

Nice try, Mr. Stone. The objection is sustained.

In that moment, before you shot your schoolmates,

what were you thinking?

Would you speak up, Sam?

"Be a man!"

A voice in my head kept saying, "Be a man!"

Be a man! Over and over again. Be a man!

How's that, Dad? I didn't flinch! Am I a man now?

Huh?

♪

Did John tell his son to shoot up the school?

No, he didn't.

Did he put the gun in his hand? Didn't do that either.

Did he stand by and watch as Sam pulled the trigger?

Sorry. He was at his office in another borough.

If we're gonna start making parents liable

for the independent acts of their kids,

we better all start losing weight, because...

there's going to be a tight squeeze in Attica.

Men are strong. They're the hunters, the fighters.

The spear-throwers, the sword-swingers,

the gunslingers.

They sit in bars and they toss back shots,

regaling other men with tales of their sexual conquests.

That's what makes them masculine,

that's what makes them men.

You get in a fistfight? That's okay.

It'll make you a man.

You grab a little ass?

Hey, that's what men do.

But what if you cry?

Or show empathy? Or, God forbid,

you can't shoot a little rabbit?

Well, I'm sorry, you just don't deserve to be my son.

The problem is, Sam is John's son.

The problem is, Sam just wanted to make John proud.

The problem is, John wasn't preaching strength.

He was preaching power over others,

and that's not being a man...

That's being a criminal.

Have you reached a verdict?

- We have. - How do you find?

On the sole count of the indictment,

Criminally Negligent Homicide...

we find the defendant, John Conway, guilty.

Take the defendant into custody.

But I don't wanna go to bed!

But you don't have a vote, mister, okay?

No!

Noah!

Don't ever do that again.

- But... - I don't...

Get in your bed, right now.

We're gonna talk about this in the morning.

Good night.

I love you.

Noah, I love you.

- sync and corrections by Zac - www.addic7ed.com

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