Directed by Constantine Makris
Written by Rick Eid
Petty crook Dan Flood is fatally wounded in a shoot-out with police. Whilst dying, he confesses to raping and murdering Sarah Dolan, a child star who was killed ten years previously. The detectives trace Johnny Zona, whom Flood named as his accomplice. Fontana, who worked on the original murder case, thinks Sarah's father was guilty; he was the prime suspect but there was not enough evidence to prosecute. The case is re-opened when it's discovered that at the time of the murder, Flood was employed as a construction worker at the Dolans' house.
Zona's brother Nick reports that Zona once admitted to strangling a child, and a second autopsy of Sarah's corpse supports this. Fontana all but bribes Nick to testify, and argues with McCoy over the case. The prosecution starts to unravel when Nick lies on the stand, but McCoy is determined to proceed. Borgia realizes that an old mugshot of Zona matches the description of a man that Sarah's father reported seeing outside his house just after the murder. However, Mr. Dolan is still angry that he was accused of killing his daughter. He refuses to identify the photo or have anything more to do with the case.
McCoy has no choice but to offer a plea deal, and Zona confirms he and Flood killed Sarah. But when Dolan decides to co-operate, the trial proceeds. On the stand, Dolan rants about the incompetence of the police involved in the initial investigation - aiming this at Fontana, who's in the courtroom. The defense suggests Dolan is guilty and just trying to pin his own crimes on someone else. Nevertheless, Zona is convicted of rape and murder. Fontana visits Dolan and tries to apologize, but Dolan just shuts the door in his face.
This episode contains examples of:
- Bittersweet Ending: Johnny Zona, who raped and killed Sarah Dolan, got a one-way ticket to prison, and Dan Flood, his accomplice in the crime, is dead. Unfortunately, Sarah's father, who was previously accused of the murder, won't accept Fontana's apology for ever suspecting him in the first place.
- Deathbed Confession: The catalyst for the episode's plot.
- Hypocritical Humor: When Branch is reluctant to proceed with prosecuting Zona, McCoy says they have an obligation to Sarah Dolan. Branch warns that that's not good enough - then in the next scene repeats McCoy's exact same line at a press conference.
- It's Personal: For Fontana.
- Offing the Offspring: Mr. Dolan was falsely suspected of this.
- Only Bad Guys Call Their Lawyers: Mr. Dolan waited to report the murder until he could speak to his lawyer. At the time, this made Fontana suspect him; and the defence later brings it up in court to discredit him.
- Papa Wolf: Mr. Dolan for Sarah.
- Rejected Apology: How the episode ends. Fontana goes to Mr. Dolan's house to apologize for initially suspecting him of murdering his daughter. Dolan does not accept his apologize.
- Revisiting the Cold Case: Sarah Dolan's murder case is revisited in this episode.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Loosely based on the death of JonBenet Ramsey.
