...these Are Their Stories: The Law & Order Podcast

A domestic violence victim keeps letting her abuser back into her life, until she stabs him to death. Even though he's still on the outs with Benson, Barba agrees to defend the woman. After the trial, the two have a frank conversation about Olivia's feelings for Stabler and Barba's feelings for her.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 23 episode 22 "A Final Call at Forlini's Bar." Our guest is Princess Weekes from PBS's "It's Lit" and the Netflix "Geeked" podcasts.Some plot points for this episode were taken from the 2010 case of Marissa Alexander. 

After a Hudson classmate is suspended for raping his niece, Carisi wants to arrest him. When the case fizzles, Mia admits to her uncle she lied about not giving consent. Later the boy she accused actually rapes her. At trial, it comes out Carisi urged Mia to stay quiet about the first rape to win a conviction for the second one. It's up to new ADA Peter Stone to draw a confession out of the defendant on the stand. We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 19 episode 15 "In Loco Parentis." Our guest is Sarah Carradine from the Crime Seen podcast.This episode is inspired by the ripped from the headlines case of Nikki Yovino.

Lenny Briscoe and his new partner Ed Green look for a mass shooter who killed 15 women in Central Park. They discover the suspect is a misogynist who easily modified his weapon to make it an automatic machine gun. McCoy and Carmichael learn the firearm's selling point was its ease of illegal modification. Jack charges the CEO with murder, but his least favorite judge is ready to throw out the case.We're talking about Law & Order season 10 episode 1 "Gunshow." Our guest is Margo Donohue from "Book vs Movie" and the "Dorking Out" podcast.This episode is inspired by the 1989 mass shooting at the École Polytechnique in Montreal. Note: this episode deals with a fictional mass shooting of college students.

Benson and Lake are joined by a young FBI profiler as they hunt for a sadistic serial killer named The Woodsman.  Huang suspects something's wrong with the case. Things take a turn when The Woodsman ends up dead - and the profiler appears to have sent the email telling cops where to find his body.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 9 episode 12 "Signature." Our guest is Sarah Snyder from the "Adulting with ADHD" podcast. Plot points for this episode come from the case of Todd Alan Reed, also known as The Forest Park Killer.

A woman says she was drugged, filmed, and raped by a celebrity plastic surgeon and his girlfriend. But the couple - and the many other women with which they made sex tapes - say the sex was consensual.  Fin and Carisi find an encrypted video that links the doctor to a missing girl, a skeleton in a wall, and a tearful reunion for a father and daughter.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 20 episode 11 "Plastic." Our guest is Josh Duggan from the Munch my Benson podcast. This episode is based on the case of Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley.

Briscoe and Green investigate a fatal dog attack in Central Park. They trace the killer canine to a dog fighting ring controlled by a prison inmate. McCoy and Southerlyn bring manslaughter charges against the convict's lawyer, who owned the dog. McCoy tries to convince the jury by showing them the murder weapon: the snarling, barking pit bull.We're talking about Law & Order season 12 episode 1 "Who Let the Dogs Out?" Our returning guest is comedian Brandi Brown.This episode is inspired by the 2001 death of Diane Whipple. 

A boy says a rich toy store owner molested him during a children's party and paid his parents hush money. Novak is thwarted when the victim recants and leaves town. Then a woman tells Benson and Stabler her dying granddaughter was also molested by the billionaire. Her story falls apart when it's learned the girl doesn't  have cancer; she's being poisoned by her grandmother who suffers from Munchausen syndrome. We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 5 episode 19 "Sick." Our guest is Adam Schwitters from the "Munch my Benson" podcast.Some plot points of this episode come from the story of Beth Thomas.   

Hollywood stylist Lily Walker is gunned down at a stop sign. LAPD Detectives Ricky Morales and TJ Jaruszalski question those who had a beef with her...including Khloé Kardashian. As they prosecute designer Jill Jennings - a former friend who slept with her husband - prosecutors Joe Dekker and NYC-transplant Connie Rubirosa learn her beef with Lily goes further back than anyone suspected. We're talking about Dick Wolf's failed attempt to transplant the show to the west coast. We're looking at Law & Order: LA season 1 episode 12 "Benedict Canyon." We're joined by five-time guest Sarah D. Bunting.This episode takes cues from the story of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen.

The body of a girl is found in a suitcase along with a doll. Despite statistics to the contrary, sex therapist-turned-consultant Cap Jackson (played by Jeremy Irons) thinks the killer is a woman. After getting a confession from the child's piano teacher, Benson and Stabler learn shocking details about her mother and sister. We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 12 episode 20 "Totem." Our returning guest is Irish broadcaster Chris Greene.Plot points for this episode are taken from the 2009 murder of Sandra Cantu.

Benson takes a 911 call from a little girl locked in a room without food or water. The squad is frantically searching the city, but the cell signal keeps changing locations and some details the girl provides don't add up. Cragen worries the call is a hoax, but Olivia believes it's real and won't quit until the girl is rescued. We're talking about Mariska Hargitay's Emmy-winning performance in the highest ranked episode in the Law & Order franchise: SVU season 7 episode 3 "911."  Our guest is Sarah Devin from the Special Survivors Unit podcast.This episode takes some cues from the controversy around a fake 911 call made to New Jersey police in 2004. 

A white socialite had given up her Black baby for adoption before being thrown from her balcony. Briscoe and Curtis learn her husband has been passing as white for years. Is he - or someone else - willing to kill to keep the family secret? We have thoughts about Law & Order season 8 episode 7 "Blood." Our guest is Pulitzer Prize winning author/podcaster/professor Marcia Chatelain.This episode takes cues from the real-life story of author Anatole Broyard.

After her baby is kidnapped, Stabler and Cragen wonder if the mom is responsible. When a reporter accuses her on television of murder, the mother kills herself. The baby turns up unharmed and DNA leads to a biological father with a violent past. Their efforts to protect the child get Stabler and Novak sued, so they get Judge Donnelly to represent them in court.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 8 episode 15 "Haystack." Our guest is Nettie Smith from Oh Hell Yes: A Girlfriends Podcast.This episode is inspired by the real-life story of Melinda Duckett.

The mothership is back!A singer who drugged and raped dozens of women is murdered. Detective Kevin Bernard and his hot-headed new partner Frank Cosgrove trace the crime back to a rape victim. Uneasy with the ethics of Cosgrove’s interrogation, prosecutor Nolan Price tells DA Jack McCoy he won’t use the confession. The trial ensnares a familiar face: ADA Jamie Ross.  We’re talking about the first new Law & Order episode since 2010: season 21 episode 1 “The Right Thing.” Our guest is Brady Carlson from the Cool Weird Awesome podcast.This episode is based on the legal turns in the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby.

A seven-year-old boy shoots a classmate during recess. Benson and Stabler learn the gun was used in a previous homicide. The detectives hope solving the first shooting will answer questions about the second one. Meanwhile, Cabot doesn't want to prosecute a second grader for murder, but her politically-ambitious boss orders her to throw the book at him. We're talking about SVU season 2 episode 5 "Baby Killer." Our guest is Lauren van der Meer from the "Drinks with Death" podcast.This episode is based on the real-life story of Kayla Rolland.

Briscoe and Curtis investigate the murder of a magazine publisher. A lawsuit over a bad review has placed his rich family in financial peril. His brother is charged, but when the judge dismisses the case, Schiff becomes suspicious of his old friend. Now McCoy and Kincaid have to prove the judge was bribed and find a way to get around double jeopardy and retry the killer.We're talking about Law & Order season 6 episode 4 "Jeopardy." Our guest is Sarah Marshall from the "You're Wrong About" podcast.This episode is inspired by the real life case of Harry “The Hook” Aleman.

The squad is looking for a man who murdered a whole family and kidnapped two children. When Stabler has a chance to rescue the boy, he instead rushes to help a wounded Benson - a choice that costs the child his life. Later, during an armed standoff, Olivia refuses to shoot their suspect because it may endanger Elliot. Realizing they are choosing each other over doing the job, the partners split up.We're looking at Special Victims Unit season 7 episode 19 Fault. Our guest is Anita Flores from the "Caretalkers" podcast.This episode is inspired by the real-life case of Joseph Edward Duncan.

A sniper takes out a man reenacting the Hamilton-Burr duel. Goren and Eames learn the men had switched costumes right before the shooting. Was the target actually the cheating, embezzling real estate developer who's dragging down his wife's political career? We're talking about Criminal Intent season 6 episode 13 "Albatross." Our guest is Katie Mitchell from the "Date with Dateline" podcast. This episode is inspired by the real-life scandals of Fox News commentator Jeanine Pirro and her husband, Albert. 

A prisoner bleeds out after being sodomized while in custody. The cop who arrested him quickly confesses to the assault, but Benson and Fin suspect he's covering for other officers who might have held the victim down during the attack.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 4 episode 13 "Rotten." Our special guest is Teddy Lavoie.Plot points for this episode were inspired by the 1997 police brutality case against Abner Louima.

Madman William Lewis escapes from a prison hospital and goes on a rape and murder spree. But what he really wants is Benson to confess to brutally beating him before she arrested him. As SVU combs the city for Lewis, Liv agrees to go with him for one final confrontation and a game of Russian roulette. We're looking at the classic SVU season 15 episode 20* "Beast's Obsession." Our guest is Kimberly from the "Date with Dateline" podcast. This episode takes cues from the real life story of Gillian Guess. Note: Because of a two-part season 15 opener, some streaming services list this as episode 19.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

A member of a powerful racist prison gang is found murdered hours after his release. Fontana and Green arrest a guard whom the inmate had targeted. Now members of The Brotherhood are hoping the guard will end up on their side of the bars...and they aren't above threatening a judge (played by Candice Bergen) to make sure he's convicted. We're talking about Law & Order season 15 episode 3 "The Brotherhood." Our guest is Lauren Milberger from the "Murphy Brown podcast." This episode takes some cues from the real life story of Judge Joan Lefkow. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia