| "Selfish" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 10.19 | → |
| Production number: First aired: 28 April 2009 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Mick Betancourt Directed By David Platt | ||
Summary[]
When Ashlee Walker's daughter goes missing, detectives initially believe that Ashlee, a habitually irresponsible mother, is at fault. The discovery of Sierra's remains sends the case in a new direction, however, and another mother is placed on trial for her beliefs against vaccination, which caused her son to be infected with measles and in turn led to Sierra's death. The trial and its aftermath leave both families forever changed. Loosely based on the events of the Casey Anthony trial, this episode explores the intricacies of motherhood, in many ways.
Plot[]
When it is reported by Ruth Walker that her 11-month-old granddaughter Sierra hasn't been seen in four days, and that her daughter's car smells like death, Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler investigate. They visit Ruth's daughter, Ashlee, who claims that the baby was out with the babysitter. She also claims that the smell of death in her car is from spoiled food in a cooler. When they visit the sitter's apartment, there is no sign of Sierra or the babysitter, Maria.
An Amber Alert is issued, and a young girl is found in a car which matched Ashlee's description of the babysitter's car. However, the baby is not Sierra. The detectives go to Tompkin's Square Park to canvas the area where Ashlee claims to have left Sierra with Maria. Munch and Fin find Maria with a doll in a stroller and bring her in for questioning. She insists that the baby is real. They provide a receipt that shows she purchased a tarp and shovel with her credit card, but after checking her wallet, it is determined that her Visa was stolen.
They retrieve security camera footage from the store that reveals Ashlee Walker had bought the tarp and shovel, not Maria. They then shift their focus back to Ashlee and Ruth. Ruth claims that Ashlee has always been a problem, and she has a history of irresponsibility and partying. When pushed further, Ashlee admits to stealing Maria's credit card to buy the shovel, but says it was actually a present for her dad. Stabler, unconvinced, continues to push her to confess, but she states that she knows her rights and begins to leave. Stabler then arrests her for credit card fraud, and Ashlee gets a lawyer.
Stabler goes to visit Ashlee's father, Ralph. There, Ralph expresses regret toward being a bad, drunken parent for Ashlee's childhood. He shares that he got sober for Sierra, and that he does have the shovel Ashlee bought at the home goods store. Sierra's DNA was not found on the shovel, but they did find high levels of a chemical which turned out to be gasoline. Stabler and O'Halloran speculate that Sierra may have been buried near a gas station.
Stabler goes back to visit Ralph, who is drinking again. He questions him about which gas stations Ashlee may have gone to. Ralph provides a suggestion and they go on to search the premises. Cadaver dogs alert to a certain area and Stabler, with CSU Tech Dale, uncover a tarp containing a doll and the remains of a baby.
In court, Alex Cabot learns that Sierra's body was found and requests to add murder to Ashlee's credit card fraud charges. However, the case takes a surprising turn when it is discovered that Sierra wasn't murdered, but actually died of measles because she was unvaccinated. Ashlee knew her daughter was sick and was crying. She had spanked her, which quieted her, but when Ashlee woke up the next morning, Sierra was dead. Ashlee claims she panicked and buried the child because she felt responsible for her death.
Warner reveals that there are several measles cases in the area, so someone is spreading it and putting other kids in danger. Stabler goes to an Amish community to interview Dennis Faber, who reported to a hospital two weeks ago with a rash - the measles - which for religious reasons he was not vaccinated against. He confirms that he went to hang out at Tompkins Park, and upon further investigation into other families who had visited the park, one woman explains that a boy in their play group didn't show up recently because he was sick with the measles. The boy had contracted it recently from Monica Stewart's son, who was also unvaccinated, due to Monica's personal convictions against vaccination.
Ashlee sues the city of New York for the lack of safety at the park, and for political reasons, Cabot tells the detectives to arrest Stewart for her responsibility in Sierra's death. In court, Langan argues that it was Stewart's personal choice and she could not be forced to immunize her son, while Cabot argues that Stewart's lack of expertise and choice to not vaccinate her son, who then infected Sierra, consequently makes her responsible for Sierra's death. Stewart is declared not guilty, which causes an uproar from Ruth Walker. Ashlee is filled with regret and commits to living a better life. Ruth says she will not let Stewart get away with killing her granddaughter.
The agents are called to the Stewarts home, where Ruth and Ashlee have thrown a brick through the window & are stood outside screaming into the home. While the agents are busy restraining Ruth and Ashlee, Ralph runs into the Stewart house, and a shot is heard. The detectives storm in, and it’s revealed that Ralph has shot himself in front of a horrified Monica, while holding a picture of Sierra.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Michaela McManus as A.D.A. Kim Greylek (credit only)
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Noel Fisher as C.S.U. Technician Dale Stuckey
- Peter Hermann as Defense Attorney Trevor Langan
- Mike Doyle as C.S.U. Detective Ryan O'Halloran
- Tonye Patano as Judge Linda Maskin
- David Lipman as Judge Arthur Cohen
- Annie Potts as Defense Attorney Sophie Devere
- Tim Miller as Court Clerk
Guest cast[]
- Hilary Duff as Ashlee Walker
- Mike Pniewski as Ralph Walker
- Anastasia Barzee as Monica Stewart
- Marilyn Torres as Maria Gonzales
- Miriam Colon as Yolanda Gonzales
- Gail O'Grady as Ruth Walker
- Deirdre Goodwin as Nanny
- Tracy Griswold as Uriah Faber
- Ryan Rafferty as Dennis Faber
- Indio Melendez as Hispanic Male
- Amber J. Shirley as Yoga Woman
- Kent Cassella as Uni
- Lolita Brinkley as Forewoman
- Katie McGee as Female Reporter #1
- Todd Faulkner as Male Reporter #1
- April Armstrong as Female Reporter #2
- Joe Melendes as Male Reporter #2
- Tyree Simpson as Cop
References[]
- Black Plague
- Bernard Madoff
- Judge Judy
- Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Cabo, Mexico
- El Salvador
- England
- United States Department of Energy
- Venezuela
- Sierra Walker (died of measles)
Quotes[]
- Maria Gonzales: Don't wake him up!
- Munch: [holding doll] Lady, unless this is Pinocchio, he's not waking up.
- Stabler: Who called you in, Sofie?
- Sophie Devere: Ashlee's father Ralph. Apparently, he saw me on television.
- Stabler: And dialed 1-800-Weasel?
- Devere: For Heaven's sake, Alex, she coulda walked!
- Cabot: Yeah. But I'm giving her a chance to grow up.
- Benson: Are you shot?
- Monica Stewart: He pointed the gun at me. I begged him not to shoot. He said, "Now you've killed two people." And then he put the gun in his mouth and fired.
Background information and notes[]
- Another SVU episode that deals with measles is "Granting Immunity".
- Goof: During the interrogation of Maria, Tutuola accidently refers to Sierra Walker as Sarah Miller.
- Goof: Near the end of the episode, when Olivia and the Walker family are in the ladies room, all of the stalls have doors. However, a few seconds later, if you look to the right of the father (the stall next to where Ashlee was) you can see the empty hinge holes and the door is missing.
- Checking on the Sierra sighting tip, Stabler whistles at the baby in the car to get her attention to take the photo. Before the shutter clicks, the baby's photo is clearly shown as already taken, but then the shutter clicks and it shows up at the precinct a few frames later.
- Partly inspired by the death of Caylee Anthony.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Tompkins Square Park |
Walker Residence |
Walker Residence |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Rikers Island |
Faber Residence |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Baggage" |
"Selfish" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 10 |
Next episode: "Crush" |