History Recap / LawAndOrderS7E21Passion

Joannie Timberman is shot at the home of Professor Charles Evans, for whom she worked as an editor. Joannie had recently had an abortion, and Evans admits he was the baby's father. He says that his girlfriend Diane Posner doesn't know about his affair with Joannie. But on the night of the murder, Evans and Posner suddenly cancelled plans to spend the weekend together. Evans went to a conference, and Posner supposedly drove to her vacation home. However, an electronic toll gate shows she drove back a few hours later, and was in Manhattan at the time of the murder. She is arrested when forensic evidence places Joannie in the car.

Evans now says that he told Posner about his affair, and broke up with her. Posner denies this, but witnesses indicate that she's obsessed with Evans; even sending her son Austin to boarding school because Evans didn't get along with him. Subsequently, Posner attempts suicide and leaves a note for Evans, saying she is trying to protect him. When her phone records show she really was at her vacation home at the time of the murder, she says Evans drove out to see her, and she lent him her car. He later told her he'd killed Joannie. Evans is arrested, but then [=McCoy=] learns that Posner (who is a lawyer) was reading up on case law about when a prisoner's mail is admissible as evidence. He realizes that she wanted Evans to look guilty to protect someone else - Austin. Austin is charged with murder.

Joannie Timberman is shot at the home of Professor Charles Evans, for whom she worked as an editor. Evans is the second bestselling author who'd recently left his previous editor, Timothy Stevens, to work with Joannie. Timothy is prime suspect until the detectives learn Joannie had recently had an abortion. Evans admits he was the baby's father, and says his girlfriend Diane Posner doesn't know he was cheating. But on the night Joannie was killed, Evans and Posner suddenly cancelled plans to spend the weekend together. Evans went to a conference, and Posner supposedly drove to her vacation home. However, an electronic toll gate shows she drove back a few hours later, and was in Manhattan at the time of the murder. She is arrested when forensic evidence places Joannie in the car.

Joannie Timberman is shot at the home of Professor Charles Evans, for whom she worked as an editor. Evans is the second bestselling author who'd recently left his previous editor, Timothy Stevens, to work with Joannie. Timothy is prime suspect until the detectives learn Joannie had an abortion and called Evans after. Evans admits to fathering Joannie's baby, and says his girlfriend Diane Posner doesn't know he was cheating. But a little more investigation shows that on the night Joannie was killed, Evans and Posner suddenly cancelled plans to spend the weekend together. Evans went to a conference, and Posner drove to her vacation home but an electronic toll gate shows she drove back a few hours later - so she was back in Manhattan at the time of the murder. Forensic evidence places Joannie in Posner's car, so Posner is charged with murder.

Evans admits he did tell Posner about his affair, she became "hysterical", and they broke up. Posner denies this, but several witnesses indicate that she's totally fixated on Evans; even sending her son Austin to boarding school because Evans didn't get along with him. Subsequently Posner attempts suicide and leaves a note for Evans, saying she is trying to protect him. Phone records show that Posner really was at her vacation home at the time of the murder. Under pressure she says Evans came out to see her that weekend and she lent him her car, then later he told her he'd killed Joannie. Evans is arrested but then [=McCoy=] learns that Posner, a lawyer, was reading up on case law about when a prisoner's mail is admissible as evidence. He realizes that she wanted Evans to look guilty to protect someone else - Austin.

Austin is charged with murder. In court he confesses that he visited his mother, borrowed her car, and drove back to her home. He thought he could make her happy by convincing Evans to take her back, but Evans wasn't there and instead Joannie showed up. Austin blamed Joannie for his mother's problems so he killed her in a rage. Although the jury is sympathetic, Austin is convicted of manslaughter and receives ten years in jail. Posner tries to speak to Evans after the verdict but he hastily leaves; Ross surmises that Posner would have just begged him to get back together with her again.

* YourCheatingHeart: Evans' affair with the victim drives the plot.

Joannie Timberman is shot at the home of Professor Charles Evans, for whom she worked as an editor. Evans is the second bestselling author who'd recently left his previous editor, Timothy Stevens, to work with Joannie. Timothy is prime suspect until the detectives learn Joannie had an abortion and called Evans after. Evans admits to fathering Joannie's baby, and says his girlfriend Diane Posner doesn't know he was cheating. But a little more investigation shows that on the night Joannie was killed, Evans and Posner suddenly cancelled plans to spend the weekend together. Evans went to a conference that he hadn't even registered for, and Posner drove to her vacation home but an electronic toll gate shows she drove back a few hours later - so she was back in Manhattan at the time of the murder. Forensic evidence places Joannie in Posner's car, so Posner is charged with murder.