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

Briscoe and Curtis investigate the killing of a Central Park jogger. Her husband is the sleazy Michael Dobson (played with relish by Larry Miller), a club owner who tricked McCoy into dropping charges of murdering his first wife in an earlier episode. The hit man has connections to Dobson...but also to the mobster who Dobson owes money to. Is he guilty or not? McCoy and Kincaid fear he'll skate again for killing wife number two...until they unravel the mystery with the woman in line to be wife number three.We're talking about Law & Order season 6 episode 15 "Encore." Our guest is author and Emmy winner Edward Zuckerman, who also wrote this classic mothership episode.Plot points for this episode come from the murder of Maria Isabel Monteiro Alves.Check out Edward's new book, Wealth Management, a novel.

After a janitor (Peter Scanavino) assaults a coach he thought was molesting boys, Benson and Amaro look into the perpetrator's own abuse as a child at summer camp. They learn several of Coach Schultz's (Ed Asner) campers are now violent criminals, including death row inmate Reggie Rhodes (Mike Tyson). Olivia tries to get Reggie to disclose his abuse so they can build a case against Schultz. Meanwhile, civil rights attorney Bayard Ellis (Andre Braugher) uncovers misconduct that might get Reggie a stay of execution.An all-star cast populates Special Victims Unit season 14 episode 13 "Monster's Legacy." Our guest is Karyn Cooper from the Chick-Lit podcast.This episode takes some plot points from the case of Mark Valera. 

Benson and Stabler look for whomever broke into the Hudson cryobank and stole a tank of frozen embryos. As the clock ticks down on how long until the fertilized eggs perish, Olivia's biological clock is ticking even louder. The religious zealot behind the plot takes his case to the press at New York's most dangerous location: the courthouse steps.We're revisiting one of our favorite episodes: SVU season 9 episode 14 "Inconceivable." Our guests are Nick Capodice and Hannah McCarthy from the "Civics 101" podcast. The story takes cues from the real-life case of Ashley X. This show was recorded in front of a live audience at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord, NH. 

A youth hockey coach is found beaten to death. Briscoe and Green question a player who'd complained about not getting enough time on the ice, but discover it was his hot-headed father who delivered the fatal blows. McCoy and Carmichael seek a conviction, but the defense is claiming insanity. They say it's "sports rage."We're talking about Law & Order season 11 episode 8 "Thin Ice." Our returning guest is Mark Blankenship from the "Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs" podcast.This episode is inspired by the ripped-from-the-headlines case of Michael Costin.

Picking up a storyline from season 14, Lewis Hodda (again played by Tom Sizemore) recants his previous confessions to kidnapping and murdering boys. Barba's circumstantial case is hurt by accusations Lieutenant Benson coerced the confession, by a creepy auxiliary cop's obsession with the case, by Dr. Huang's testimony for the defense, and by Detective Carisi sitting second chair in court. Meantime, maternity staff rush to save Rollins's life because of complications during labor.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 17 episode 9* "Depravity Standard." Our guest is Kimberly from "A Date with Dateline" podcast.This episode is inspired by the real life story of Etan Pates.*Note: Because of a two-part season opener, some streaming services list this as episode 8.

A teen dies from drinking too much at a party.  High school tutor Becca lead Benson and Stabler to the cool kids who threw the bash and who can't follow Judge Donnelly's orders to stop drinking. The detectives discover Becca's mom is sleeping with one of the boys and suspect she's been supplying the booze. Can Novak use Becca's secret drinking problem to get mom to confess? Meantime, Elliot solves all of Kathleen's problems by burning her drivers license. We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 8 episode 18 "Responsible." Our guest is Rebekah Sebastian from the "Die-alogue" podcast.  This episode takes some plot points from the case of Debra Lafave. This show was recorded in front of a live audience in Columbus, Ohio. 

Green and Lupo investigate the murder of a lawyer whose opponent was suing a dry cleaner for $20 million for giving him the wrong pants. The other trousers belong to a SavingsMart executive who'll do anything to hide his office affair and save his job.  Van Buren's old boss, now SavingsMart's head of security, lies on the stand to sabotage the murder case. Why? Cutter and Rubirosa learn the suspect is blackmailing the company over their purchase of Chinese toothpaste filled with deadly antifreeze.  We're talking about original recipe Law & Order season 18 episode 4 "Bottomless." Our guest is popculture.com writer Daniel S. Levine.This episode takes cues from the 2007 lawsuit of Pearson v. Chung.

A homicidal rapist is shot in self-defense by a prostitute (Sharon Lawrence). Munch and Fin learn the gun was used in connection with a string of unsolved murders of johns. When Stabler tries to interrogate her, the woman climbs on the table and gives him a peek up her dress. Cabot fights with Lewin to seek the death penalty, but Benson uncovers a secret about her child that forces the defendant to rethink her position.We're getting an eyeful of Special Victims Unit season 4 episode 1 "Chameleon." Our special guest is Ronald Young Jr. from the Leaving the Theater podcast.This episode is inspired by the story of Aileen Wournos.

Goren and Bishop search for clues after someone poisons churchgoers on a secluded island.  They believe it's connected to the fatal drowning caused by a sabotaged rowboat and a gonorrhea outbreak from teen sex parties. The detectives home in on the reverend's charming nephew and a group of impressionable girls. During interrogation, Goren gets in the teen's face...and he gets in Goren's.We're talking about Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 3 episode 8 "Sound Bodies." Our guest is Katie Mitchell from the podcast A Date with Dateline.This episode is inspired by the 2003 case of poisoning at a church in New Sweden, Maine.

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.