American Tragedy

"American Tragedy"
←	SVU, Episode 15.03	→
Production number: 15003 First aired: 2 October 2013
	th of 432 produced in SVU
←	th of 432 released in SVU	→
	th of 1185 released in all
Teleplay By Julie Martin & Warren Leight Story By Jill Abbinanti Directed By Fred Berner

A celebrity restaurateur claims self-defense in a racially-charged murder case.

Summary

A string of rapes on the Upper West Side raises concerns across the city, and while Detectives Tutuola and Rollins question everyone who fits the suspect's description, celebrity chef Jolene Castille fears she's the next victim when someone follows her home. The SVU arrests her for shooting and killing the unarmed teen, and her attorney faces off against ADA Barba in a trial that tests the limits of the jury’s moral and legal responsibilities. Meanwhile, Detective Benson continues to struggle with the aftermath of her traumatic ordeal.

Plot

Cast

Main Cast

• Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
• Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
• Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
• Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
• Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
• Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
• Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen (credit only)

Recurring Cast

• Jeffrey Tambor as Attorney Lester Cohen
• Pablo Schreiber as William Lewis
• Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
• Bill Irwin as Dr. Peter Lindstrom
• Leslie Odom, Jr. as Reverend Curtis Scott

Guest Cast

• Cybill Shepherd as Jolene Castille
• Kevin Carroll as Cory Carter
• Cindy Katz as Chloe Lesedi
• Allison Mackie as Bethenny Dunstan
• Sonja Sohn as Mrs. Carter
• Alice Barrett Mitchell as Aubrey Trisler
• Francis Jue as Judge Steven Ong
• Joshua Boone as Willie Smith
• Albert M. Chan as Lloyd Chang
• Gregory Konow as Craig
• Patrick Byas as Shawn
• Joshua Rivera as Darryl
• De'on Ragin as Tyrone
• Kal Parekh as Doctor
• Moise Morancy as Mehcad Carter
• Andrew Rein as Reporter #1
• Sope Aluko as Reporter #2
• Bill Kocis as Reporter #3
• Rhonda Ayers as Jury Foreperson

References

Episode references

Quotes

Episode quotes

Background information and notes

• This episode is partly based off the 2011 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager who was walking down his street when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Zimmerman claimed he committed the shooting in self-defense, and was later acquitted of second-degree murder.
• The case also draws inspiration from the earlier 2013 revelation that white, southern celebrity chef Paula Deen had a history of calling the black employees at her restaurant racial slurs.
• The episode was ultimately seen as a fusion of the Martin and Deen cases.

Episode scene cards