A man named Edward Cullen (not that one) and his much younger girlfriend Alexandra Beckett are found shot and murdered while in bed. Cullen was separated from his wife Melanie; their son Jamie gives her an alibi. Alexandra's ex-boyfriend is initially charged with the murders, but Cerreta still thinks Melanie is the killer. The detectives soon prove that Jamie was not with her on the night of the murders, and she lied about not knowing Alexandra. Melanie is arrested.
Melanie's lawyer, Frank Lehrman, alleges "extreme emotional distress." Stone doesn't buy it, and won't agree to a plea. But the jury will be sympathetic to her. Melanie has never worked outside the home in her adult life; Cullen was seemingly broke, and if he divorced her, she'd have no way to support herself. But then Logan and Cerreta discover that Cullen had recently come into a million dollars. Stone intends to prove that Melanie planned the murder and it wasn't a sudden loss of control.
Stone convinces Jamie to testify by revealing that Melanie lied to him in order to obtain a copy of the key to Cullen's apartment. When Stone demonstrates to the jury that Melanie was stalking Alexandra, Lehrman wants to agree a deal. The least Stone will offer is 12 years for manslaughter, at which Melanie becomes enraged. She says it was wrong of Cullen to treat her as disposable, and she would rather take her chances with the jury. Things get worse for Stone when Jamie changes his story, saying that Cullen agreed to let Melanie have a copy of the key.
Against Schiff's advice, Stone decides to drop a manslaughter charge against Melanie, and just charge her with murder. He'd rather risk her walking free than allow her to serve just four years in jail for two murders. But the judge instructs the jury that they must be sure beyond all reasonable doubt that she had no prior intention to kill. Not willing to risk a hung jury, Stone and Lehrman agree a deal for manslaughter. Subsequently, members of the jury tell the press that they are disgusted at Melanie's manipulation of Jamie, and were prepared to convict her. Melanie insists to reporters that she loved Cullen and really doesn't remember what happened.
Tropes present in this episode
- Artistic License – Law Enforcement: The police do not announce themselves as such when they enter the place.
- A Deadly Affair: Mrs. Cullen murdered her husband and the woman he was having an affair with.
- Death by Woman Scorned: Subverted. Melanie wants to portray the murder as her snapping and killing the victims because she felt betrayed. It was actually planned so she could get her hands on Cullen's newfound wealth.
- Exact Words: Jamie says "My mother wouldn't kill my father", not "my mother didn't kill my father" - indicating to Cerreta that Jamie is giving her a false alibi.
- May–December Romance: Cullen was around 25 years older than Alexandra.
- Red Herring: Alexandra Beckett's ex-boyfriend, Doug Phillips.
