| "Dear Ben" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 20.12 | → |
| Production number: 20012 First aired: 17 January 2019 | ||
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| Written By Julie Martin & Matt Klypka Directed By Jean de Segonzac | ||
Summary[]
A serial rapist strikes again after two decades of silence and the Special Victims Unit is determined to uncover the elusive criminal and bring justice to his many victims. Peter discovers that Stone worked on the case before it went cold.
Plot[]
Claire Newbury reveals her experience of how a man broke in and had her tie up her husband. The man tied her up and raped her, while making her moan to feign enjoyment. She is certain it was Infinity, because he told her that he was alive, meaning he saw her on television and he followed the same MO that she wrote. She soon reveals that he seemed like an old man, as he had the breath and movements of such. She voices her fear of him returning, like he always does. Watching, Stone declares that he wants this scumbag arrested.
Stone and Benson talk with her saying nothing has shown up from CODIS and Stone notes that he is starting to feel how his father felt with this case after no DNA was found. Carisi comes in and revealed that he had no luck running the DNA through the system, so he thought out of the box and ran it through a genealogy search on the Internet where he got a hit stating that the Infinity rapist has family in the city: a close female relative. Hearing this, Benson and Stone tell him to roll with this.
Carisi and Fin find the female relative Amy Gardner and she says that she has no brothers or cousins but does have an Uncle Edgar Noone who is around the same age as the rapist, but she denies her uncle would ever do anything bad, describing him as a sweet man but reveals he retired from his job as a cable repairman around the time Infinity stopped. Fin goes to track the suspect while Carisi makes sure Amy does not try anything to notify her uncle.
Noone was found by the detectives, and he is taken into custody. After notification of arrest, Carisi tells Amy of how her uncle might be the Infinity Rapist but she doesn't believe that, and she says she's going to get her uncle a lawyer.
Noone is interrogated with his DNA being taken for testing and questions are raised as to why he stopped raping and resumed. Noone denies the allegations but hints towards reasons of supposedly returning to a life of crime to make sure he wasn't forgotten. When Stone comes in, he reveals Roger Kressler was hired to represent Noone and he cuts the interview short. Noone recognizes Stone asking if he is the son of Benjamin Stone, as the latter confirms and questions this, but Kressler repeats his request of no questions. At the precinct, Carisi revealed that he processed a DNA sample obtained from a stamp used by Noone in one of his letters and matched it. The squad also note that because Noone worked as a cable installer in the past, this most likely gave him access to the houses of the victims he raped.
In court, Noone is represented by Kressler who had the evidence deemed inadmissible, leading to Noone's quick release. As he leaves out the room, Noone taunts Stone on not being as good as his father was.
Carisi meets with Amy at the precinct, and she reveals that she could not believe that her uncle would do such a thing but after a while of thinking that she finally put it together. She reveals in her childhood that her uncle Edgar had come to stay with the family for a while and some nights he would have screaming episodes, as she reveals that Edgar and her mother had abusive parents and believes that her grandfather raped her grandmother and forced Edgar and his sister to listen to it.
Carisi relays this to Stone, as the latter is shocked to realize his father was tortured by a man that was tortured by his own father. Stone is confident that they have Edgar right where they want him now.
Edgar is arrested for having several unpaid parking tickets. Stone and Benson go into the interrogation room and show Edgar the letters Benjamin Stone received from Infinity. Edgar is surprised that Benjamin kept the letters all this time, while Peter states his father was obsessed with Infinity. However, Peter states that the Infinity rapist had no idea that his father did not play golf he also reveals that his father only cared about the victims and wanted to stop the rapist. Edgar is driven to implicate himself by Peter and Lieutenant Benson, both of whom make Edgar realize Benjamin never really cared about him. Edgar reveals that he would watch Ben work every night from his office even stalking him to the parking lot, stating that all Ben cared about was him. Because of this confession Edgar is arrested while Benson tells Peter his father would be proud.Peter then shows Benson a letter that his father wrote regarding how he felt guilty for letting his work life interfere with his life with his children. Benson tells him it is likely time to forgive his father after he has seen how much Benjamin sought to do right and he leaves to reflect on this.
Later that day, Benson returns home where Noah starts to protest until Benson asks him what is really the reason of his behavioral problem. He explains his friend Jeremy asked Noah at school where his father was, and Noah told him his father was in heaven. He then asked Benson if his father ever loved him, and she replied that he did, then promised to tell him all about his father. The pair hear a knock, it is Stone who has arrived to invite Noah to another baseball match. Benson permits this and smiles when the two leave.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin Tutuola
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Philip Winchester as A.D.A. Peter Stone
Recurring cast[]
- Ryan Buggle as Noah Porter-Benson
- Ned Eisenberg as Attorney Roger Kressler
- Michael Mastro as Judge D. Serani
- Steve Rosen as Attorney Michael Guthrie
- Barbara Miluski as Judge Lisa Peck
- Sarah Ellen Stephens as Officer Selena Gaines
- Lauren Noble as Carmen
- Dewey Wynn as CSU Tech
Guest cast[]
- John Raymond Barker as Karl Patton
- Jude Ciccolella as Edgar Noone
- Eden Malyn as April Baker
- Rebecca Creskoff as Claire Newbury
- Jake O'Connor as Gavin Baker
- Elizabeth Stahlmann as Amy Gardner
- Carol Ann Bell as Mae Patton
- Steven Marcus as Mike Vernon
- Sinem Nejla Gulturk as Teresa Graf
- Mark DeMayo as George
References[]
- Johnny Drake
- Benjamin Stone
- Pamela Stone
- Zodiac Killer
- Son of Sam
- The Golden State Killer
- Katz v. United States
Quotes[]
- April Baker: Ahh. Home sweet home.
- Gavin Baker: Mm-hmm.
- April Baker: Thanks for coming with. I know my father was happy to see you.
- Gavin Baker: I love my old man-in-law. He's a lot more fun on New Year's Eve than my father ever was.
- Benson: So, April Baker says the attack happened around midnight. She managed to free herself - untie herself three hours later.
- Tutuola: Husband says son of a bitch stacked plates on his back.
- Benson: So while he's raping her, he can hear if the husband moved.
- Tutuola: Exactly.
- Benson: Let's get inside.
- Carisi: So, whoever did this disassembled the door latch, then jerry-rigged it back together so that nobody would notice.
- Tutuola: The perp staked out the place when they were out of town?
- Benson: We're looking at a pro.
- Carisi: Maybe worse.
- Benson: Surveilling the apartment, breaking the door lock, stacking plates...
- Carisi: I didn't want to believe it either. How long has it been?
- Benson: Twenty-five years. The Infinity Rapist.
- Benson: So, Infinity's last rape was January 2, 1994. I was a rookie in the 55. Everyone in the five boroughs knew about that case.
- Rollins: Well, not so much in Georgia. How many rapes was he good for?
- Carisi: 22, in Manhattan and Brooklyn from '81 to '94. This guy targeted couples. He'd case out the place, jimmy open a door or window. Then he'd lie in wait, break in a second time.
- Tutuola: He'd tie up the boyfriend or husband, then he'd stack plates on their back and he said if he heard a rattle, the woman was dead.
- Carisi: He took trophies. Small personal items. After the fifth rape, he started leaving messages. "Infinity: 5. NYPD: 0".
- Benson: You know, if this is him, he's been out of commission for over two decades, which makes him middle-aged or older.
- Rollins: So do we alert Crime Stoppers?
- Benson: Uh, no. Until we know what we're dealing with, 1PP wants to keep it on the DL.
- Tutuola: Okay, no DNA in April's rape kit. CSU found two hairs in the bed, but they're not a match to the Bakers and no match in CODIS.
- Benson: Okay, so check that DNA against old evidence. Have Stone do some digging.
- Stone: 25 years later. Did they get a sense of this guy's age?
- Carisi: Uh, no. They said that he, uh... he spoke in a low voice, he told the wife to keep quiet. They didn't fight back, so there's no sense of his physicality, either.
- George: Here you go. Infinity, '81 to '94. There's over a dozen of them. I'll get you a dolly.
- Stone: All right, thanks, George.
- Stone: This is gonna take forever.
- Carisi: [taking a case file] Hey, you never told me your dad was on the case.
- Stone: What?
- Carisi: [showing him] Yeah, "Ben Stone, District Attorney's Office. Joint Infinity Task Force."
- Stone: I didn't know. I was in school. We never talked about his cases.
- Stone: I had no idea how haunted my father was about this case.
- Carisi: Yeah, a lot of people in law enforcement lost sleep over this guy. He was like the Zodiac or the Son of Sam.
- Benson: Okay, we have unmarked cars on the Bakers' block, right? We're monitoring their calls?
- Tutuola: Nothing so far. This guy was and continues to be a ghost.
- Carisi: [entering with Stone] Nope, not a ghost. A copycat. We've been going through the old case files. Ben Stone was the lead ADA in the case.
- Benson: I didn't realize that.
- Carisi: And whoever attacked the Bakers was definitely not Infinity. The signatures, the reconnaissance, the-the plates. That was all in the papers, plus three books.
- Stone: What wasn't made public and what was consistent with each victim: he forced them to pretend they were enjoying the assault. Lovely.
- Rollins: For the tied-up husband to hear.
- Benson: And this guy made April keep quiet.
- Carisi: His name's Karl Patton. He posts on all the Infinity message boards and belongs to all the online fan clubs. This guy is obsessed.
- Tutuola: You mean "sick freak."
- Odafin Tutuola: [refusing to cuff Patton] I ain't touching this guy.
- Tutuola: Tell me about this woman.
- Karl Patton: Sweet, sweet April.
- Tutuola: Just answer the question.
- Karl Patton: She smelled like roses. Fresh out of the shower.
- Carisi: Okay, let's... let's start with why you were in her bedroom. Your side of the story.
- Karl Patton: You're playing with me, right? Good cop/bad cop?
- Tutuola: Look, the game's over, Karl. And wipe that stupid smirk off your face.
- Karl Patton: I am Infinity!
- Claire Newbury: I interviewed your father years ago. I've written three books on Infinity.
- Stone: Sorry, I never read them.
- Claire Newbury: Oh, but you must have been interested in his cases. Your father's white whale.
- Stone: Look, is there something I can help you with?
- Claire Newbury: I'm working on my fourth book. I've already set up an interview with Mr. Patton. I mean, the psychological, mental state of that guy has got to be fascinating, in-in its own weird way.
- Stone: Take your word for it.
- Claire Newbury: I was also hoping that I could interview you, what it was like growing up with a father obsessed with a psychopath he couldn't bring to justice.
- Stone: Like I said, my father and I never discussed his cases. I wouldn't have anything to tell you.
- Claire Newbury: [giving him a business card] Well, maybe you'll change your mind.
- Stone: I won't.
- [after Claire Newbury is raped]
- Tutuola: Another copycat?
- Carisi: Or we just baited the real Infinity out of retirement.
- Peter Stone: [after Infinity resurfaced] I want this son of a bitch!
- Stone: The lab actually pulled DNA from Infinity memorabilia?
- Benson: Saliva residue from a stamp. A letter mailed back in '83.
- Stone: Back before Infinity got careful.
- Benson: Yeah. The bad news is there's no hits in CODIS.
- Stone: I'm starting to understand how my father must have felt.
- Carisi: [entering the office] Hey, sorry to interrupt, but the, uh, DNA from the stamp? I got a hit.
- Benson: How?
- Stone: I thought there was nothing in CODIS?
- Carisi: No, from learnmylineage.com.
- Benson: You sent Infinity's DNA to a genealogy website?
- Carisi: It was a shot in the dark. I figured it was easier to ask your forgiveness than your permission.
- Stone: And?
- Carisi: I got a familial hit. A close female relative. She's got an address in Brooklyn, and she gave the site permission to contact her with any matches. So now I'm, uh... I'm asking your permission.
- Benson: Go, run with it. Go.
- [after a DNA swab is taken]
- Edgar Noone: Now what happens?
- Benson: We wait for the DNA match and then we arrest you for 23 rapes.
- Edgar Noone: I'm not Infinity.
- Tutuola: Let's agree to disagree.
- Carisi: Noone's DNA matched the DNA on the back of the stamp, and Claire Newbury made a voice ID.
- Stone: That's just enough for an arrest warrant for the one rape.
- Carisi: What about the 22 other rapes?
- Stone: Well, defense will argue that Noone may have licked the stamp and mailed the letter, but that doesn't prove he's Infinity. What about the apartment? Any trophies?
- Carisi: No, now we're going through his financials. Maybe he's got a storage unit somewhere.
- Stone: Does his niece know anything?
- Carisi: Nah, to her, he's just a sweet uncle.
- STone: What about the profile you sent the website?
- Carisi: Uh, I used my name. [Stone snickers sardonically] No, relax, the guys who caught Golden State did not identify themselves as police. Now, I did the research on this, and there is legal precedent in California and Florida.
- Stone: Yeah, but not New York, which is what defense will argue.
- Carmen: [entering and giving Stone a blueback] This just came for you.
- Stone: Thanks. [giving it a once-over] Defense motion to exclude Noone's DNA.
- Carisi: Eh, good for them, but on this one, the law's on our side.
- Stone: Let's hope a judge thinks so.
- Amy Gardner: [to Carisi] My uncle hasn't called me back.
- Carisi: What do you think that means?
- Amy Gardner: DNA doesn't lie, does it? Oh, God. Oh, my God. He used to pick me up from school, take me to the park. How is this possible?
- Edgar Noone implicating himself: I would wait outside the DA's office until the light in his office went out. Some nights, he wouldn't even get in his car until after midnight. It was me, he cared about not you. Me! It was me he loved!
- Stone: I found this in my father's notes. Uh, "Peter's game today. Don't be late. He's the starting pitcher." I was in junior high. It was the first game of the season. He never showed. I hit a homer in the last inning. I went home and, uh... I could tell he wanted to talk, but I was so angry I just went to my room. I'll never forget the disappointment in his eyes.
- Benson: You were a teenager.
- Stone: Yeah. The next day, he wrote this: Uh... "Peter's team won. Maybe he'll forgive me someday." We never talked about that game. It was September '93. Turns out... Infinity had struck again the night before.
- Benson: Peter. It's time to forgive him.
Background Information and Notes[]
- The trawling of a genealogical website for a familial genetic match of a suspect seems to be inspired by the Golden State Killer out of California.
- Along with searching the genealogy sites for DNA, also the use of threats, knife, rape, bondage, and stacking plates on other people in the house also seems to point to a tie to the Golden State Killer.
- The Infinity Rapist had not struck since January 2, 1994. Coincidentally, later in 1994, Benjamin Stone, the attorney Infinity had been so obsessed with, leaves the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. (L&O: "Old Friends")
- A deleted scene has Rollins and Carisi discussing the case over video conference and her mentioning what it's like living with Dr. Al Pollack. Amy then comes to the precinct and asks Carisi if she could buy him a coffee.[1]
- Another episode that deals with an imposter taking over the identity of a long time infamous serial rapist is the episode "Scavenger".
- Another episode in the Law & Order franchise that centers on a serial killer found by familial DNA match is the Law & Order: LA episode "Ballona Creek".
- This marks the final appearance of Roger Kressler, due to the death of his actor, Ned Eisenberg, in 2022.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Office of |
Patton Residence |
Apartment of |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Arterial Curiosity Shop |
Apartment of |
Home of |
Motions Court |
Footnotes[]
| Previous episode: "Plastic" |
"Dear Ben" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 20 |
Next episode: "A Story of More Woe" |