This recap contains unmarked SPOILERS per policy. You Have Been Warned
Directed by Charles CorrellWritten by Robert Nathan & Dick Wolf
Paige Bartlett dies in hospital after a severe beating. The detectives begin looking into her wealthy, well-connected ex-boyfriend Ned Loomis. DNA evidence proves he had sex with the victim before she died, and Stone quickly learns Loomis has a violent temper; but there isn't much more to go on with, until he finds out that an old girlfriend named Elise Brody once brought assault charges against Loomis. Brody reveals that Loomis violently attacked her when she refused sex. However, she can't testify because a defendant's previous behavior isn't admissible as evidence. Instead, Stone introduces her to Loomis' fiancee Rebecca. Subsequently Rebecca testifies that Loomis told her he'd hurt Paige, but claimed it was an accident. The jury convicts.
This episode contains examples of:
- Attempted Rape: Loomis' ex reveals that he did this.
- Bittersweet Ending: Lampshaded by Stone. Loomis was convicted, but he's still ruined many lives, and nothing can bring Paige back.
- Broken Bird: Elise Brody
- Broken Pedestal: Rebecca initially sees Loomis as the perfect man and refuses to believe he'd ever hurt anyone. After meeting Elise, this trope ensues and Rebecca agrees to testify against him.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Paige and her current, much lower class boyfriend.
- Domestic Abuse
- No Hero to His Valet: Ned Loomis's personality depends very strongly on who you hear about it from.Ben Stone: Loomis is never what he seems. To the girlfriend he's Mr. Wonderful. To Polly Norris, he's mean, he's frustrated. Snooty maitre d' called him, "Our kind of people," but the waitress, in ten minutes she knew he was a jerk.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Based on the trial of Robert Chambers; also the case that led to the conception of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
- Slut-Shaming: Greevey implies Paige could expect abuse or sexual assault because of having "too many" sexual relationships.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Lampshaded by Schiff and Robinette, who warn Stone that this will make the case difficult to prosecute.
- Starving Artist: Steve Feinstein
