We got you now, boy.
You k*lled a white woman, and
now you're gonna fry for it.
You heard from Dovey?
No, but she'll be
here any minute.
I'm sure she's fine.
I'm sure you're right.
So, did you have a nice weekend?
It was all right.
I think I like weekdays better.
I like coming to work.
I know you do.
And I know why.
It's Dovey that makes
you feel that way.
Once again, I am
sure you're right.
Whew! I made it.
Good morning, Luna.
You should have called me.
I would have met you.
You're right, Ryle,
I should have.
Have you seen the paper?
Not yet.
They set a trial date in
the Pinchot Meyer case.
A xeroxes from the front page.
Are you having a problem
with that picture?
It just doesn't seem possible.
She looks so.
Fit and healthy.
- Yeah, and he looks so.
- Innocuous.
Exactly. I mean, I just don't
see him being capable of it.
So what exactly is the
theory of the crime?
The theory is that he attacked
her to rob her and
maybe r*pe her.
She gave him such a hard time,
he just k*lled her instead.
But that theory makes me cringe
because I don't see any monster
in him at all.
Well there's that.
And I agree with you.
But even a monster will
consider the practicalities of
his crimes.
There was nothing
practical about this one.
Roundtree Law Firm.
Would you hold a second, please?
It's Martha Crump, the
mother of Raymond Crump.
She says she knows you.
This is Dovey Roundtree.
Miss Roundtree,
please forgive me.
I know I said I know you,
but really, I know of you.
See, like you, I belong to the
Allen Chapel AME church, and
I've seen you there.
I see.
Please continue.
I am the mother of Raymond
Crump, who is accused of
k*lling Miss Maya.
Except he didn't do it.
My son has a heap of problems,
and he ain't no saint.
But he ain't no k*ller either.
I understand, mother. Go on.
The public defender is urging
him to accept a plea deal in
which he confesses to
m*rder and does 20 years.
Except he can't do it, Miss
Rountree, because he's innocent.
But I'm afraid he's going to
give in to the
pressure and do it.
So I'm asking you.
I'm begging you, please go down
to the jail and talk to him.
Try to help him.
I'll do whatever.
I'll sell my house.
I'll sell my cars.
I'll go and live with my sister.
Stop it, Mrs. Crump.
You're not going
to sell anything.
I will go to the D.C.
jail and talk to Raymond.
Oh. Oh, you will.
You will.
Thank you, Miss Rountree.
Thank you.
I'm so grateful.
I can't tell you how
worried I've been.
I've been worried sick.
And I want you to stop
doing that to yourself.
I just want you to calm
down because I'm on it.
Will you do that for me?
Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am, I will.
Good.
Well, I'm going to put my
secretary back on the line to
get your contact information.
Okay.
Yes, ma'am.
Thank you, Miss Roundtree.
And God bless you.
God bless you, too.
Luna.
Okay. Martha crump.
Your address please.
Sit down, boy.
Would you please
remove his handcuffs?
Ms. Dovey, we go
through this every time.
All prisoners are supposed to
stay in their handcuffs unless
they are in the cells.
Especially the darkies.
Well, it's making me
very uncomfortable.
So I ask you again.
Please remove his cuffs.
Anything else?
No, that will be all.
Thank you.
Knock on the door
when you're done.
My name is Dovey Roundtree,
and I'm an attorney.
I was asked by your
mother to come see you.
First. Did you
m*rder Miss Meyer?
Are you having trouble speaking?
No. I can speak.
I'm just scared.
You don't have to
be scared of me.
I've been scared for so long.
I can't shake it out of me.
I see.
Well, let's start
from the beginning.
What were you doing
at the towpath?
Why were you there that day?
Can I tell you a secret?
Okay. Tell me in secret.
I was there cavorting.
Cavorting with a woman.
Cavorting? Do you mean
having sex with her?
But you told the police you
went there to go fishing.
So why did you lie?
Because I'm married,
and so is she.
But at the time, did you know
you were being
suspected of m*rder?
No. They didn't tell
me that till later.
But when you found out,
why didn't you retract your
statement and tell
them the truth?
I didn't know what to say
or what to do about it.
Who was the woman?
Her name is Vivian Lacroix.
Do you have her address
and phone number?
No I don't.
Then how did you
arrange the date?
We met at a market and
talked for a while.
Then we arranged to
meet at the towpath.
Did you know her before that?
Yeah. She was a
friend of my wife.
Well, let's start,
from the beginning.
Tell me every detail.
You don't have to
tell me about the sex.
But I want to know
every other detail.
We met at a playground.
She brought some
snacks and drink.
Do you mean alcohol?
Yeah.
Then what?
We found a hidden spot
close to the water.
We ate, we drank,
we fooled around.
Then I must have fell asleep.
And she must have left.
What happened next?
When I woke up, I was
groggy and hungover.
I grabbed my jacket.
I put on my hat.
Then I headed up
along the shore.
But then I slipped on a rock
and I fell into the water.
It woke me up good,
because I can't swim.
But
I was able to climb out and
then cut my hand
on that sharp edge.
What happened to
your hat and jacket?
They floated away, so I headed
back to the towpath, and that's
where a policeman stopped me.
So he asked you what
you were doing there.
And that's when you
said you were fishing.
That's right.
He also asked where the spot
was, so I led him back to where
we was.
Did he mention the crime to you?
He asked me if I heard shots.
I told him I didn't
hear anything.
Then he asked me how I got wet.
I told him I fell in the river.
What about the refuse
from your picnic?
Was it still there?
No. Vivian must have
took it with her.
What did she say about
your fishing gear?
I told him it fell
in the river too.
Did you hear any shots?
No, I really didn't.
I must have slept
right through it.
Did you ever lay
eyes on Miss Meyer?
No. I never saw her at all.
The police asked you if you
were wearing any other clothes,
but you lied and
said you wasn't.
So why did you lie about it?
I don't know.
There was no time to think.
I just thought maybe I
shouldn't admit to anything.
Do you own a g*n?
- No.
- Have you ever owned a g*n?
No.
Have you ever been charged
with sexual as*ault or r*pe?
No.
Have you ever been charged
with any violent crime?
Never.
I'm going to file a petition
to become your attorney.
There'll be a brief hearing
about it, where you'll stand
before a judge and tell him
that you're firing your public
defender and you're hiring me.
Hiring you?
I ain't got no money.
What if we make it $1?
You're going to be
my lawyer for $1.
That's right.
But I want a written
contract with you.
My law office will draw it up.
You just have to sign it.
Will you do it?
Yes, ma'am.
Now that I'm your attorney,
I'm going to act fast.
I will file a petition with the
courts to have you undergo a
sanity evaluation.
The purpose is to get you moved
to a mental hospital, where
you'll be a lot more
comfortable than you are here.
I'll be more comfortable
anywhere than I am here.
I don't doubt it.
Now, Raymond, I know
you are distraught,
and I don't blame you for it.
But I am your attorney now.
I am on this now.
I need you to have confidence
in me because I'm going to
protect you.
Everything has
changed for you today.
You believe me, don't you?
If you say it.
I'll believe it.
Good.
Jailer. We're finished.
Well, Raymond was pitiful.
He was totally despondent.
He doesn't have an ounce
of aggressiveness in him.
And there really is
an innocence to him.
I mean, a childlike innocence.
Sounds like you're even more
convinced that he couldn't have
done it.
I am. It's unimaginable.
And ironically, he went there
to have consensual sex with a
woman named Vivian Lacroix.
Mm. I have to wonder
what she saw in him.
I mean, it's not that
he isn't good looking.
He is.
But he seems so helpless.
You got to remember, though,
that you're seeing
him at his worst.
At his lowest?
Yeah.
At least now you know
what you got to do.
Find Vivian.
She is his alibi.
How hard do you think
it'll be to find her?
Colored woman, D.C., named
Vivian Lacroix.
How many could there be?
I know a P.I..
He'll find her.
Raff Romano.
You just need to work on what
you're going to tell her.
What a day. What a day.
Oh. I'm tired.
Hi, Grace.
How are you?
I'm fine.
We got a call from the
church this morning.
They want to know if you can
accept another guest with or
without a child.
Just the woman.
Well.
I don't think we have
any empty rooms, do we?
I could set up a cot in the
sunroom for her.
Unless you want me
to give her my room
Jamar.
You're the sentry here.
And if a raging, drunken
husband shows up and tries to
barge in, we're counting
on you to stop him.
So you have to stay
in the front room.
Okay, I understand.
I was thinking I could sleep on
the long sofa in
the living room.
I'm sure I'd be comfortable.
But let's stick with plan A.
Grace, how did you leave
things with the church?
I told them we'd let
them know in the morning.
All right then.
Call them tomorrow morning
and give them the go-ahead.
And, Jamar, you can set up our
new guests in the sunroom.
I shall do it.
Consider it done.
Life is earnest
and life is real.
So don't take any foolishness.
Yes, ma'am.
Excuse me, are you
Vivian Lacroix?
Who are you?
I'm Dovey Roundtree.
I'm Raymond Crump's attorney.
How'd you find me?
I didn't find you.
My investigator did and
he has his ways.
What do you want?
I want to talk to you
about Raymond's defense.
He told me about
your little tryst.
Don't you want to
know how he's doing?
Okay. How's he doing?
Terrible. He's a nervous wreck.
Fortunately, I got him moved to
a mental hospital.
At the jail, he was in
solitary confinement.
Oh my God. Poor Raymond.
I want to confirm
what he told me.
He told me you ran into each
other at the market where you
planned your little date.
On the day of it.
You went to the playscape
and settled in near water.
You said you had
snacks, drinks, sex.
He fell asleep and you left.
That's all that true?
Yes it is.
Are you willing to
testify to it in court?
You are his alibi, Vivian.
No I can't.
If my husband finds
out, he'll k*ll me. I.
Do you mean that
literally or figuratively?
I mean it literally.
I'm afraid he'll k*ll me.
Well, that must mean
he's hit you before.
Then why do you stay with him?
Because I have a little girl.
His little girl.
And he supports us.
Doing what?
He's a welder.
Well, I have
experience with this.
Now that's a victim,
but as a lawyer.
And I can tell you
over time, it's not going
to get better.
It's going to get worse.
But listen, I can get a
restraining order against him.
I can give you and your
daughter a safe place to stay.
No, he'll find us.
He'll track us down.
He's a big man.
Well, I have a big man, too.
And he's not going to take
any gruff from your big man.
Look, Raymond is facing
the death penalty, and the
government is
determined to get it.
He needs you, and it
looks like you need me.
Will, you at least
think about it?
Okay, I'll think about it.
But I've got to know you aren't
going to force me to do it.
All right.
I won't force you to testify.
I won't subpoena you, I promise.
But tell me one last thing.
What drove you to have
an affair with Raymond?
What about him was
so compelling to you?
I just.
I don't know, I just wanted
to see what it was like
to do it with a man
who would be gentle.
So you say this guy is good.
Raff Romano. He's the best.
He's like a bloodhound.
While. It's good
to see you, man.
Likewise. Hey, this
is Dovey Roundtree.
This is an honor for me.
Miss Roundtree, I'm a huge fan.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
You're welcome.
So, Raff, give us your
take on what happened.
Okay, here it is.
All right, so crime happened
right here because
this is the window.
The window to Henry Wiggins.
So the k*ller grabbed
her from behind.
He let her scream and holler
for a while to attract Henry.
Then he took out his g*n
and shot her in the head.
Then he let her go because he
expected her to
fall to the ground.
But lo and behold, she stayed
on her feet and took off.
Of course, she
couldn't get very far.
I figure she collapsed
right about here.
So he took her by the arms and
he dragged her
back to the window.
Put her down, took out his
g*n and shot her in the back.
Then he fled.
And that's when the Ray Crump
lookalike came out dressed just
like him.
He stood over the body, waited
for Henry Wiggins to get there.
Made sure he got a
good look at him.
Then he took off.
Henry ran to get the
cops, and that was it.
But how did they choose
Ray as the patsy?
Look, they must have spotted
him and picked him because he
looked suitable and vulnerable.
They could see he was
poor as a church mouse.
Could never afford
a good attorney.
And frankly, I think they
picked him just
because he was black.
So how did they match
his clothes so fast?
They must have come
very well prepared.
So they.
Who were they?
You're talking about a very
sophisticated operation.
What I'm talking about
is an assassination.
So who could it have been?
Look, either it was organized
crime or some dark cell within
the government and
probably the CIA.
And I doubt that Mary was
involved with organized crime.
- Zoe.
- Hi, Dovey.
It's good to see
you out and about.
Yeah, I just went for a walk.
Are you sleeping any better?
It's still a bit rocky,
but bits and pieces.
I'm getting enough.
Well, you were traumatized
physically and emotionally, and
it takes time to heal.
It's just that I was so foolish.
Zoe, we all make mistakes.
And at least you were smart
enough to get out of that bad
relationship before
it did you in.
So don't be hard on yourself.
Yeah, it could have been worse,
but in some ways I've been very
lucky, especially
for being here.
So thank you for
that, I appreciate it.
I'm glad you are here.
Listen, why don't you and I
eat dinner together tonight?
I could really use your company.
Will you do it?
Yes. Of course.
All right then.
I'll see you later.
Okay. Okay.
Look, if we presume that Raff
is right, then we need to find
out all we can about Mary Meyer.
You're right to an extent.
But regardless, you still have
to fight this conventionally.
Your job is not to
determine who k*lled her.
Your only job is to prove
that it wasn't Raymond Crump.
I know, but I still feel like
we need to learn all we can
about her.
Because her secrets may help
us in ways we can't imagine.
And you're right.
So I'll get on that.
You just focus on winning this
case the old
fashioned way, okay?
By refuting their evidence and
propagating reasonable doubt.
Did you enjoy your food?
Yes, I was starving.
It was so good.
Good. I'm glad.
I do remember that
you like to eat.
Well, since you were married to
me for three years, you would
know that.
But don't tell anybody.
Just another one of
your many charms.
Oh, really?
Now you make me wonder why you
really called this meeting.
That's a fair question.
So I'll tell you.
Sometimes a man has to learn
his lessons the hard way.
And that's true of me.
And what I've learned is
there's no getting over you.
Being smitten by you
is a life sentence.
Wow. That's not a compliment.
A girl hears every day.
But tell me, did you
really try to get over me?
I went out on some dates.
Quite a few, actually.
But they all ended the same way
with me thinking,
she's no Dovey.
Well, I really appreciate that.
But you do remember
why we split.
You wanted children,
and I wasn't ready.
And now I'm involved with
children, but not my own.
I'm helping the children of
other women who need it, and
it's very satisfying.
I understand that, and
I applaud you for it.
That's just another thing
to admire about you.
Look, we both are lawyers.
And what lawyers
do is negotiate.
So what I want to do.
I want to make you a offer.
A highly motivated offer.
All right, counselor,
I'm listening.
What's your offer?
Okay, here it is.
You recall that when we were
married, I said I wanted to
have three children.
I do recall.
Well, I'm older now, and I've
come to realize that I can be
perfectly content with just one.
So I'm asking you to consider
marrying me and adopting a
child with me.
And preferably a baby.
If you did, it would make me
the happiest man on earth.
You could continue doing
all that you're doing.
I would buy a house for us
close to your shelter home,
which you could keep running.
You could continue
your law practice.
And my law firm
has grown so much
that I don't even have
to do trial work anymore.
I have so many lawyers
working for me.
I can step back and manage
the practice even from home.
The point is, You don't
have to give up anything.
And I'll do the lion's
share of the work.
Does that include
changing the diapers?
Absolutely.
Listen,
I know you're a woman of faith.
Don't you think God
would smile on this?
Yes, but there are other ways
of serving God besides
having children.
But your words are
affecting me, William.
And you're painting
a beautiful picture.
Look, I don't want you to
give me an answer tonight.
I want you to take it home
with you and think about it.
With no time limit.
Just see if it grows on you.
Because I love you, Dovey.
I never stopped loving you.
And you and our child
will be my whole life.
Will you think about it?
Okay, I'll think
about it, I promise.
I had a really
great time with you.
You reminded me of
all the good we had.
That's the nicest thing
you could have said to me.
I'm going to think
about your offer.
I can't promise you anything,
but I'm going to think about it.
That's all I ask.
I can tell you this right now.
If I were going to adopt a
child with anyone, I would want
it to be with you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Jesus said unto him,
all things are possible.
Do you believe it?
- Yes.
- And now please welcome
with me Reverend
Dovey Roundtree.
- Hallelujah!
- Glory to God.
- Praise.
- Yes.
I'd like to thank you, brothers
and sisters, for staying after.
As some of you all may know,
I have decided to take on the
Raymond Crump case.
- Yes.
- Yes.
- Hallelujah.
- Like the pastor
said, it's according
to how you believe.
And I believe in the
innocence of Raymond Crump.
I believe he's being framed
for a crime he didn't commit.
And I'm asking the Lord to
empower me to stand against the
dark forces trying to frame him.
And so I ask that you pray
for the Raymond Crump family.
Mother Crump is with us today.
And now, I'd like to sing one
of my grandmother's
favorite songs.
Blessed Assurance.
Mother, would you join me?
Hallelujah! Glory to God.
Glory!
Hallelujah!
Blessed assurance
Jesus is mine
Oh, what a foretaste
Of glory divine
I'm an heir of salvation
Purchased by God
Born of his spirit
And I've been washed
in his blood
This is my story
This is my song
I'm praising my Savior
All the day long
I promise.
This is my story
This is my song
I'm praising my savior
all the day long
Listen.
You gotta crack lawyer here.
She's a fighter.
So you get ready
for some fireworks.
It's a nice suit.
My mama and her church
friends got it for me.
It's spiffy. You look good.
How are you doing?
I'm edgy, and I just
want it to start.
I know why you're edgy.
Bad breaks.
No preliminary Liminary hearing.
Writ of habeas corpus denied.
Hell, the hospital
sent him back to jail.
Your cunning came through.
You came out looking
like a cobra.
They're the ones running scared.
You're good.
Thanks, I needed that.
Yeah.
All rise.
The honorable judge
Howard Corcoran.
This court is now in session.
Y'all may be seated.
Let's see here.
First, I'm sure you are aware
of the notoriety in this case.
And I will not have any
bedlam in my courtroom.
So I made the decision not to
allow any spectators
at this time.
Do y'all have any
issues with that?
No, Your Honor, but I am
making a sidebar request.
All right, come here.
Your Honor, we object
to the presence.
Of that other man at
the defense table.
He is not a licensed attorney
in the District of Columbia.
Your Honor, that man over
there is Terrence Riley.
And he practiced law for
over 30 years in D.C.
and with distinction.
He is now my paralegal.
And I ask for your leniency on
this, if only for the sake of
balance and equity.
Mr. Riley's reputation surely
precedes him so he can stay.
Y'all step back.
Jurors, I want to thank you for
fulfilling this sacred duty.
Before I let opposing counsel
make their opening statements,
I want to emphasize to you
that the statements of counsel
do not comprise
evidence in this case.
And if, at the end of the
trial, your recollections
differ from that of the
statements of counsel, it is
your recollections
that should prevail.
Lawyers cannot testify.
Only witnesses can testify.
And you are the sole judges of
the facts and the issue of fact
in this trial.
You are also the sole judges in
the credibility of witnesses.
In our justice system,
the defendant is innocent
until proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt.
And it's that thought that
should prevail through the
entirety of this trial.
Finally, I must admonish you
not to discuss the details of
the case amongst yourself until
the trial has concluded and
jury deliberations have began.
That being said,
Mr. Prosecutor, your
opening statement.
Ladies and gentlemen of the
jury, you are tasked with
attaining justice for a woman
who is brutally m*rder*d
and doling out just punishment
to the man who m*rder*d her.
That man was Raymond Crump.
And we will prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that he did it.
First, we'll show you that
Raymond Crump lied
to the police.
Not once, but repeatedly.
And I'm sure you realize that
an innocent person has no
reason to lie to the police.
Three witnesses will testify
that they saw Raymond Crump at
the scene.
One is a park worker who saw
him standing over Mary's dead
body just seconds
after he k*lled her.
Another a police officer who
saw him during his
attempted escape.
And the third, a retired Army
officer who saw him stalking
Mary beforehand.
Then we'll show you that the
police closed off all the park
exits and only four minutes,
leaving Raymond Crump the only
suspect trapped.
I've been practicing law as
a federal prosecutor for 15
years, and I can tell you that
this one of the most compelling
cases I have ever seen.
Now you have an obligation to
Mary, to obtain
justice for her.
And you have an obligation
to the public to keep this
brutally violent man
out of the public domain
before another woman
suffers the same fate?
Thank you.
Defense counsel.
Your opening statement.
Jurors. You've heard
Mr. Hantman
explain to you how he intends
to prosecute this case.
Now, I should tell you how
he's not going to prosecute it.
He's not going to show you a
m*rder weapon because
none was found.
And they drained the canal and
dredged the river
looking for it.
They also used metal detectors
and other instruments to try to
find it on the land.
He's also not going to show you
any evidence that Raymond Crump
ever owned a g*n, because
there is no such evidence.
And you notice he didn't
say anything about Raymond's
supposed motive for committing
this atrocious crime.
And that's because
Raymond had no motive.
At least no plausible one.
But here's the most
important thing.
And again, it's something
Mr. Hantman omitted.
There isn't a speck of forensic
evidence against my client.
They didn't find one drop of
Mary's blood on him, nor a
strand of her hair, nor any
fibers from her clothes, and
likewise, they didn't
find any of Ray's blood,
hair, or fibers on Mary.
This case is a travesty.
And if Mr. Hattman finds
it compelling, he should
be disbarred.
Objection. Your Honor.
Sustained.
Ladies and gentlemen, we will
show you there is no case
against Raymond Crump.
And I trust you good people
will see it.
Mr. prosecutor, you can
call your first witness.
People call doctor Lynn Raiford.
Raise your right arm.
You swear to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Doctor Rayford, you are the
deputy coroner of the District
of Columbia.
I am.
And you performed the autopsy
on Mary Pinchot Meyer?
I did.
Describe what you found.
Mary was shot twice.
Once to the left
side of her head,
in front of her ear.
The b*llet traversed the base
of her brain and bounced off
her right skull before settling.
Then she was shot in the back
through the right shoulder
blade, six inches from the
spine, perforating her right
lung and severing her aorta,
k*lling her instantly.
Are you surprised that the
first shot didn't
k*ll her instantly.
I'm surprised it didn't
stop her instantly.
It's amazing she
could keep going.
Still, that first
shot was fatal.
She was definitely going to die
from it, with or without the
second shot.
What can you tell us about
the appearance of her wounds?
Dark halos surrounded each of
them, indicating that both were
shot from point blank range.
Was there much
external bleeding.
From the first shot? Yes.
She was bleeding profusely.
From the second shot. No.
What else did you find on her?
There were lacerations and
abrasions, cuts and bruises on
her face and body.
What does that tell you?
It tells me that she struggled
with her attacker, that she put
up a fight.
So do you think it's likely
that her attacker
was a small man?
Well.
I wouldn't go that far, but I
would definitely say he was not
a particularly big man.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Doctor Rayford.
You went to the crime
scene, didn't you?
Yes I did.
Didn't the sh**ter drag Mary's
body a rather long distance
between shots?
24ft.
How was that determined?
Well, we found her
blood on the ground.
24ft from where her body was.
And in between.
So you're saying there
was a trail of blood?
That's right.
What possible reason could
he have to drag her body?
Objection. Your honor, he is a
coroner, not a
crime scene analyst.
Sustained.
Doctor Rayford, you said both
shots were taken at a rather
close range.
So would you expect to find
powder marks on the hands of
the sh**ter?
It's likely. Yes.
However, D.C.
police did not perform
nitrate testing on my client.
Do you think that was negligent?
Well, I think it would have
been very reasonable to do it.
Doctor Rayford, you said the
second shot was taken at an
angle and that it
burst the aorta.
Do you think that shot
was taken with precision?
Yes. But wouldn't most people
just point and sh**t without
such precision?
Objection, Your honor.
- Speculation.
- Sustained.
Rephrase, Your honor.
How long have you been
deputy coroner of D.C.
- Doctor Rayford?
- 14 years.
Have you examined a
lot of m*rder victims?
Yes, I have.
Would you say, based on your
experience, would you say the
manner of sh**ting in
this case was atypical?
Yes, it was definitely atypical.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Next witness.
The people call
Joseph Rounsevell.
Please raise your hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Mr. Rounsevell, you are a
mapmaker for the
National Park Service.
Is that right?
I am.
This map I am holding
is one of Towpath Park in the
vicinity of Georgetown, where
the m*rder took place, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
What does it show about the
number of exits from the park?
Well, there are four.
There's the steps
at the Key Bridge.
The underpass at the Fletcher
Boathouse, the overhead walkway
at Foundry's branch, and then
the entrance from Canal Street.
So, with the police blocking
all four exits within four
minutes of the crime, would you
say that all egress from the
park was effectively curtailed?
Yes, I would say that.
Prosecution exhibit
one, Your Honor.
Your witness.
He never went there.
Ask him.
How did you make the
map, Mr. Rosenthal?
I made it from plants that we
have at the National
Park Service.
So you didn't actually
visit the park yourself?
No, I didn't.
Then how can you be
sure there are no other ways to
get out of there?
Well, adjacent to the canal
is the Potomac River, which I
don't think the sh**ter would
have crossed due to
its strong currents.
And then the brick wall
embankment along Canal Street.
It's too steep.
He wouldn't go out that way.
I see.
But do you know about the
rustic rope bridge
at Harper's Refuge.
It's private, but
anyone can use it.
No one guards it.
Did you know about it?
No, I did not.
Defense exhibit one, Your Honor.
And did you know that some of
the locks on the
canal are crossible?
Here's a young woman
standing on one.
She gave us permission
to take her picture.
She just scooted right across.
And it takes you to Mackey Road.
Did you give any thought
to that as an escape route?
No, I did not.
Defense exhibit two, Your Honor.
Objection! Your Honor, defense
counsel has concocted evidence.
Your Honor, the prosecution
has steered testimony to
categorically establish that
there are no other exits from
the park.
We have the right to refute it.
Overruled.
I'm going to allow it.
Mr. Ronsival, will you admit
that your map only shows the
known exits, but that you
didn't even attempt to try to
identify any of the uncharted
ones that the k*ller might have
used to escape?
I will admit that no
such effort was made.
Thank you.
No further questions.
All right.
We'll quit for today.
And since it's Friday, we will
reconvene on Monday at 9 a.m..
So the prosecution could
call its next witness.
This court is adjourned.
Please rise.
So how did your visit
with Ray go yesterday?
I have to think
he's deteriorating.
Poor guy.
So how do you know
this, Jim Trewitt?
Jim Trewitt is a journalist
who I defended once when he was
being sued for libel.
Did you win?
You know, I did.
And here he is.
Ryle. It's been a long time.
Yes. It has.
Jim, this is Dovey Roundtree.
It's an honor.
Miss Roundtree, thank
you for seeing me.
Thank you.
And you're welcome.
Please have a seat.
Would you like any lemonade?
I'm fine, thank you.
I want to show you something.
It's a photo.
You can't have it, but I want
you to know about it, okay?
It's whatever you say, Jim.
This is John F Kennedy
and Mary Pinchot Meyer.
So Mary knew JFK.
Was she more than knew him?
She was his friend, lover, and
closest confidant in this world.
Are you serious?
What about his wife?
It was a strange marriage.
A political marriage
that his father wanted.
It was like they put
Jackie on the ticket.
I mean, they had feelings and
they loved their kids, and they
kept up appearances.
But it was a strained
relationship.
He just couldn't talk to Jackie
the way that he
could talk to Mary.
For Jack Kennedy, Mary Pinchot
was the girl that got away.
They met at a dance when
they were teenagers.
Then they knew each other when
he was at Harvard and she was
at Vassar.
Why didn't they connect then?
It's a long story.
But after the w*r, Mary married
another injured w*r hero from a
well-to-do family, Cord Meyer.
Kennedy went into politics.
Meyer joined the CIA, and they
were actually neighbors in
Georgetown when
Kennedy was a senator.
So when did the affair begin?
After Cord and
Mary got divorced.
But remember, it was
more than an affair.
They were confidants.
They were soulmates.
How did they pull this off?
Mary went to the White House
whenever Jackie wasn't there,
and sometimes
they'd get even more daring.
So whose house is this?
It's the home of one of
my Secret Service agents.
That was very sporting of him.
Uh huh.
I thought Jackie was visiting
her mother this weekend.
I got put off to next weekend.
You couldn't wait?
Nope.
I needed my fix.
Have you ever thought about
fixing things permanently?
Yes, but that can't happen
till I'm out of office.
Well, you ain't but
a wait for that.
Well.
You know how concerned
I am about spoiling you.
But yes, I'll wait, because
I know you were the man I was
supposed to marry
in the first place.
That was very sporting of you.
So were Jackie and
Mary friends?
Did they get along?
I mean they
knew each other,
and it was cordial.
They weren't close friends,
but they got along.
Did Jackie suspect anything?
I don't know. She may have.
Well, if she did, how
did the marriage survive?
I guess the same way it
survived all his
other philandering.
But there was no other
philandering after Mary.
So, Jim, how did you
come to know all this?
My wife, Anne, was Mary's best
friend, and she would divorce
me if she knew I was
telling you this.
So why are you telling us this?
Because of my boss, Ben Bradlee
and what he did.
Ben Bradlee? Her brother
in law?
He said in his affidavit
that he went to the morgue to
identify her body.
That's right, but that's not
all he did that night.
He took Jim Angleton, head of
counterintelligence at the CIA,
to Mary's house to search
for and retrieve her diary.
Wait. Bradlee didn't say
anything about that
in his affidavit.
It was perjury by omission.
Right.
Let me tell you why
Angleton wanted that diary.
It was because JFK may have
confided things to Mary that
would have been
damaging to the CIA.
So how'd it go for Mary
after the assassination?
Oh.
I mean, she was devastated.
I mean, torn to pieces.
She never believed
the Warren report.
So you think the CIA k*lled her?
I think that the m*rder of Mary
Pinchot Meyer was the sequel to
Dealey Plaza.
All rise for the honorable
Judge Howard Corcoran.
All right, see, this
court is now in session.
Have a seat.
Mr. prosecutor.
You may call your first witness.
Your honor, the people
call Henry Wiggins.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
Yes I do.
Be seated.
Thank you.
Mr. Wiggins, you work for
the National Park Service.
That's right.
And you were working at the
Towpath Park last October 12th.
I was.
Tell us what happened.
Well, me and some other guys
was working on the
south, south canal.
We were laying pipe for
a drinking fountain.
Then all of a sudden, I heard a
woman screaming from the other
side of the canal.
Help, help!
Help me!
Then I heard a shot.
So I started running
to see what it was.
And all of a sudden,
I heard a second shot.
What did you see
when you got there?
I saw a white woman
curled up on the ground.
She looked like she was dead.
And standing over her was a.
Was this man, a colored man
with a light brown jacket and a
blue billed hat.
One moment.
Does this look like the jacket
and the hat of the man you saw?
They look exactly like
what he was wearing.
This prosecution exhibit two.
Your honor, I'd like to retain
it to show other witnesses.
Okay.
Mr. Wiggins, did you
get a good look at him?
Yes, sir, I did.
He was facing me straight away.
For how long?
For two seconds.
At least two seconds.
Was he holding anything?
Yes, in his right hand,
I saw a dark metal object.
I think it was a g*n.
Then what happened?
He turned and bolted
into the woods.
What did you do then?
I ran to my car and drove to
Esso station and
called the police.
They met me there.
We returned back to the
park and I showed them.
This colored.
Man that you saw standing
over Mary's body.
Do you see him in
this courtroom?
Yes, sir, I do.
He was the defendant.
Would you point to him, please?
And you're absolutely
sure it was him?
I'm absolutely positive.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Mr. Wiggins, you told the
police that the man you saw was
five eight and 185 pounds.
That's what I said at the time.
Can you see that description
doesn't apply to my client,
Raymond Crump.
I can see that now.
Yet you still maintain
that he's the man you saw.
Explain that.
Well, it was quite
a distance away.
I say 150ft.
It was 128ft.
The police measured it.
I only saw him for
a couple of seconds.
As far as his weight.
His jacket must have made
him look a little fuller.
The man you saw.
Did he have any
blood on his jacket?
I didn't see any.
Did he have any blood
on him anywhere?
No. He didn't.
Did the man you saw?
Was he out of breath?
No.
Was he disheveled?
Like he'd just been in a ruckus?
No. He looked pretty normal.
Was he scared or shaken?
No. Like I said, he
looked pretty normal.
Did he make eye
contact with him?
Yes he did.
Did he make eye contact with
anyone else in your party?
No. By the time the others got
there, he was already gone.
How exactly did you describe
what you saw to the police?
I saw a white woman curled up
on the ground, looking dead,
with a colored man standing
over her, facing me.
Did it seem strange to you that
a man would sh**t a woman and
then hang around,
waiting to be seen?
Objection. Your honor.
Counsel is testifying.
Sustained.
Rephrase, your honor.
Mr. Wiggins, did.
The man you saw standing
over Mary Meyer?
Was his behavior weird to you?
It seemed pretty weird.
Thank you.
No further questions.
The people call
Officer Roderick Sylvas.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Officer Sylvas, tell us what
you did on the
day of the m*rder.
Well, my partner, Frank
Benotti, and I got to.
Fletcher's boathouse at
12:35 to close off the exit.
Then about ten minutes later,
I decided to leave him there
while I went into
the woods to search.
I walked about a mile when I
saw the head of a n*gro man
peer out from behind a tree.
He was about 50 yards away.
I only saw him for about a
second because he
pulled right back.
Did he see you?
I think so.
Did you draw your g*n?
It was already drawn, so I
yelled for him to stop and
hastened over there.
I never saw him again.
I searched for a while and
went back to my partner.
Did you get a good look at him?
Yes I did.
Is he in this courtroom?
Yes he is.
Would you point him out?
It's the defendant,
Raymond Crump.
Thank you.
Your witness.
He lost track of time.
Sick him.
So, Officer Sylvis, if you got
to Fletcher's Just boathouse at
12:35 and waited ten minutes.
Then you started
your track at 12:45.
Is that right?
That's about right.
And you walked
about a mile, right?
Approximately.
How fast were you walking?
Earnestly. I wasn't racing
because I was looking around.
So how long would you say it
took you to walk that mile?
It might have been
about 20 minutes.
So that would make it 1:05
that you saw in my client.
Give or take.
And we know what time
Ray was arrested.
It says in the police report
that Detective Bernie Crooke
put him in handcuffs at 1:15.
I'm aware of that.
But are you aware that he was
with Detective John Warner
before that?
Warner had Raymond show him his
fishing spot before Crooke put
him under arrest.
So how could the man you saw
at 1:05 have been my client?
When surely he was with
Detective Warner at that time.
Well, it must have been earlier.
I wasn't looking at my watch.
Uh, maybe I only waited five
minutes before
starting to search.
Or only walked three quarters
of a mile before I saw him.
Or maybe.
You saw another man?
No. I am sure that the
man I saw was your client.
When did you first get
a look at my client?
Wasn't until the next day.
So even though you only
glimpsed the man that you saw
for one second from a distance
of 50 yards and had to compare
him to Raymond the next day,
from memory, you still insist
that they were the same person?
That's right.
No further questions.
All right.
Next witness.
The people call
Detective John Warner.
Your honor, my co-counsel, Kent
Ackerson, will be questioning
this witness.
Please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Yes, I do.
Be seated.
Detective Warner, and you were
the first to see the defendant,
Raymond Crump, when he was
walking along the railroad
tracks, weren't you?
Yes, I was.
So why don't you tell us
how you tracked down and
apprehended the suspect?
My partner, Henry
Schultz, and I.
Arrived at the.
Key Bridge entrance.
At 12:30.
Five minutes later, I left to
walk westward toward
the crime scene.
30 minutes later, I saw the
defendant walking alone along
the railroad tracks.
He was soaking
wet and shivering.
This was about an eighth of a
mile east of the m*rder scene.
Now, it was that close
to the crime scene?
Yes.
Well, that must have
aroused suspicion.
So what did you do next?
I went up to him and I
identified myself
as a police officer.
I asked to see his ID,
and he showed it to me.
Then I asked what he was doing
there, and he said
he had been fishing.
Fishing?
So. But now, what did he
say about how he got so wet?
I asked him and he said he
slipped on a rock and fell into
the river.
Then I asked him about his
injured right hand, which was
bleeding, and he said he cut it
on a sharp rock while climbing
out of the river.
Then I asked about the fishing
gear and he said it fell into
the river too and drifted away.
Let me ask you, detective,
might a worried criminal who
was concerned about blood
contamination or other forensic
contamination submerge himself
in water to wash
away the evidence?
Objection, Your Honor.
He's leading the witness.
Sustained.
So what happened
next, detective?
I asked if he heard any
p*stol shots, and he said no.
He said no.
But did he seem surprised
by the question?
No. He didn't.
So what did you make of it all?
I mean, did Raymond
Crump seem credible?
No, not at all.
And did you consider
arresting him on the spot?
No. I thought it best not to.
I told him I wanted him to show
me where he had been fishing,
and that I would help him
look for his fishing gear.
And did you find
any fishing gear?
No. There was no fishing gear
and no sign of any fishing.
There was simply nothing to
confirm that he'd ever fished.
Then what did you do?
I had him walk with
me to the crime scene.
When we got there, Henry
Wiggins was still there, and he
identified him as the man he
saw standing over the body.
Then Detective Bernie Kirch
charged him and put
him in handcuffs.
So Henry Wiggins confirmed that
it was Raymond Crump who was
standing over the
body of the victim.
Yes.
Just one last thing, detective.
Other than being soaking wet
and having an
injured right hand.
Was there anything else
unusual about his appearance?
Yes. His zipper was down.
His zipper was down.
So a beautiful,
white woman was attacked and
k*lled and right close by a
colored man,
Raymond Crump was found
with his zipper down.
How far down was it?
About halfway down.
At least halfway down.
So it may have been
more than halfway down.
It may have been.
That's a grim sight, I'm sure.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Your witness.
Use it.
Detective Warner.
When you first saw my client,
Raymond, you immediately
suspected him, right?
That's right.
You knew the k*ller was armed
unless he discarded his g*n.
So why didn't you pat him down?
Well, he was soaking wet, and
his clothes were
clinging to him.
I didn't see the prominence of
a g*n in his shirt or pants.
So you were content with that,
even though it would have been
easy to pat him down,
just to be sure.
Yeah, I guess I was
content with it.
So on a gut level, you weren't
afraid of him being
armed, were you?
I guess I wasn't.
Did he seem to be afraid of you?
Not particularly.
Was he nervous?
Uncomfortable or apprehensive?
A little.
Was he evasive?
His story about the fishing in
the water that was evasive upon
finding him.
Did you relate any
information about him?
Did you have a radio?
No I didn't.
It was just him and me.
So let's talk about
the down zipper.
I know it's not every day you
see a man with his zipper down,
but it's something you have
seen from time to
time, isn't it?
I suppose.
And isn't it true that men
make jokes about these things?
For instance, there's.
Hey, buddy, you left
the barn door open.
You've heard that
one, haven't you?
Yeah, I've heard it.
And there are
others, aren't there?
Yeah. There are.
Care to share any?
Not really.
They're not for mixed company.
But when men kid each other
that way, they don't assume
that the man with
the downed zipper
is bent on r*pe, do they?
No. They don't.
Detective Warner, my final
question to you is, do you
agree that all the fuss the
prosecutor made about the down
zipper was silly nonsense, that
you can't conclude that a man
was bent on r*pe because of it?
Yes, I agree with that.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Next witness.
The people call
Officer Fred Byers.
Please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
- Yes.
- Be seated.
Officer Byers.
You were in your patrol boat on
the Potomac when you received a
radio call to search for a
light brown jacket and a light
blue cap.
Is that right?
- Yes.
- What time was that?
That was at 1:10.
Tell us what happened.
I began searching for
the items, and first I found
the jacket.
It was tangled in some river
brush and was located 1000ft
from the crime scene.
The cap, which I found along
the shoreline, was located at a
spot 700ft from the crime scene.
Are these the clothes you found?
Yes. That's them.
Do you know if any forensic
testing was done
on these garments?
Yes, but not at first.
What caused the delay?
The defendant refused
to give us a hair sample.
So we went to the court to ask
permission to take the sample
forcibly, which was granted.
And what did it show?
It showed that a hair found
within the cap was a match to
the hair of Raymond Crump.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Officer.
You said you got the order to
search for the hat and jacket
at 1:10.
Yes. But Raymond wasn't seen
without a hat or jacket until
Detective Warner
found him at 1:05.
So how could you have
gotten a call at 1:10?
Warner didn't relay
any information.
He had no radio.
So how did things
progress so fast?
I can't answer that.
From whom did the order come?
It came from our
dispatch office.
Were any of the hairs of Mary
Pinchot Meyer found on the hat
or jacket?
They were not.
What about any fibers
from her clothes?
They were not either.
Were you also involved in
the search for the g*n?
I was.
This search included divers who
scoured the bottom of the river.
Yes it did.
And the river was
dredged, wasn't it?
Yes it was.
And the canal was
drained, wasn't it?
Yes.
And the land was explored
inch by inch, wasn't it?
To the best of our ability.
And was there any weapon found?
No, it was not.
Thank you.
No further questions.
All right.
We will end the day there.
We will reconvene at 9 a.m.
tomorrow morning.
This court is adjourned.
All rise.
Did Raff say what he
wanted to talk to us about.
Nope. Just said he didn't want
to discuss it on the phone.
Well, I hope he gets here soon,
because I'm beat and we're back
in court tomorrow.
That's him. Come in.
Well, I have a surprise for you.
It's not a good one.
Vivian Lacroix has gone missing.
She and her husband vanished.
They vacated their apartment,
left no forwarding address.
What about his job?
Dovey said he was a welder.
He quit.
This is awful.
I fear for her.
Look, I can try to find her if
you want me to, but I have to
think this is where the law of
diminishing returns sets in.
He's right.
She's not going to testify.
And I promised her I
wouldn't force her.
So now the question is, do
I put Raymond on the stand?
Because he's the only one who
can establish what he was doing
there at the towpath.
There's no one else.
Well, what's the problem
with having him testify?
I mean, what's the
worst that can happen?
The worst is the prosecutor
will trip him up and cause him
to contradict himself.
He'll lose all
credibility with the jury.
His mental state isn't good.
It doesn't help that they
send him back to the DC jail.
No it doesn't.
You guys will have to excuse me.
- I need to go talk to him.
- Now?
Yes. Right now.
How are you, Raymond?
I feel tired.
I felt better at the hospital.
I know, and I'm sorry I
couldn't keep you there.
Tell me again.
How did you get
all wet that day?
I fell in the river
while I was fishing.
No. You mean there
was no fishing?
You went to the park to
have sex with Vivian?
Oh,
right.
Tell me again.
How did you get
all wet that day?
I had sex with Vivian.
And I fell into the water.
Didn't you fall asleep first?
That's right.
I had sex with Vivian.
I fell asleep.
Then I fell into the water.
Listen, you couldn't have been
that close to the water when
you had sex.
You had to have
been in the woods.
Isn't that where
you fell asleep?
So tell me again.
How did you go from being
asleep in the woods to waking
up and then falling
into the river?
I can't remember.
I'm sorry.
I just can't remember.
Okay, Raymond.
It's alright.
I won't make you testify,
I promise.
All rise for the honorable
Judge Howard Corcoran.
Court is now in session.
Please be seated.
Mr. prosecutor, you may
pick your first witness.
The people call
William L Mitchell.
Raise your right hand.
You swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Mr. Mitchell, you are a
retired Army lieutenant.
Is that right?
I am.
You went to the CNO towpath on
October 12th to go
jogging, correct?
Yes. That's correct.
Tell us what you saw.
I parked on Canal Street and
started running east after
running a mile and a half,
I passed the victim who was
walking the other way.
We acknowledge each other.
I gave her a wave.
She gave me a nod.
And then about after 100
yards, I passed the defendant.
He seemed preoccupied, like
he was focused on something.
I had no visual exchange with
him because he never gave me
eye contact.
He was in his own world.
How was he dressed?
He had on a brown work
jacket, blue billed hat
and he wore black pants.
Are these the clothes
you saw him wearing?
They appear to be the
exact articles he wore.
And are you sure the man
you saw was the defendant?
Yes, I am.
I recognize his face.
It wasn't me.
I wasn't even there.
No further questions.
I don't trust this guy.
Go fishing.
Mr. Mitchell.
How long were you
in the military?
20 years.
So were you in combat
in World w*r II?
Yes. And in Korea.
So now you're
collecting a pension?
That's right.
So, do you work at all anymore?
- Sporadically.
- Doing what?
Private security.
What do you mean?
Like if a high profile person
is traveling in a volatile
area, we provide security.
Who's we?
Whichever company
I'm working for.
Do the companies you work for,
do any of them do any work for
the US government
and its agencies?
Objection Your honor,
Mr. Mitchell is not on trial.
Sustained. Move on, Counselor.
No.
So you went to the
towpath to go jogging.
Starting out from where?
From where I live in Bowie.
Bowie?
That's got to be 15 miles to
the towpath in Georgetown.
Why would you drive out so far
just to go jogging?
Changing up the terrain is what
keeps it fresh and interesting.
Mm.
So you parked on
canal and ran east.
What can you tell us about Mary?
Was she carrying anything?
- No.
- So she had no purse.
Was she wearing any jewelry?
Not that I could see.
So would you say that she
didn't quite look like
attempting robbery
subject?
Objection, Your honor.
Rank speculation.
Sustained.
So when you got to the man
you saw, you thought he was
engrossed with something?
Yes. That's how it looked.
But what could it have been?
He wasn't engrossed
with a rock or a tree.
And the only person in
front of him was Mary.
Right?
As far as I know.
So if you thought he was
following her, as
in stalking her.
Why didn't you stop and
protect her if you felt you had
suspicions about him?
Why didn't you stop and make
sure no harm came to her?
It didn't rise to that level
of concern at the time.
At that time? That was the only
time that mattered.
I know, and I wish
to God I had stopped!
Wasn't that an awful
miscalculation for a man with
your military experience?
Yes.
Thank you.
No further questions.
The people call FBI
Agent Warren Johnson.
Your honor, attorney Keith
Shanley will be
questioning his witness.
Please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Agent Johnson, you're a
firearm expert for the FBI.
I am.
And you examined the
b*ll*ts taken out of Mary Meyer?
I did.
What did you
determine about them?
That they came from a
38 caliber revolver.
Do you think there would have
been gunpowder residue on the
sh**ter's hands?
I consider it a low probability.
Why is that?
Because the angle and location
of each shot tell us they were
probably taken with
different hands.
He was behind her for the first
shot, sh**ting with his left
hand and above her for the
second shot, sh**ting with his
right hand.
So you think the first shot was
taken with the sh**ter's left
hand because it entered the
left side of her head, and the
second shot with his right hand
because it entered the right
side of her back.
That's right.
And since each hand was only
exposed to one shot, the amount
of nitrates may not have
reached a significant level.
You see, there are nitrates in
the environment, and in this
case, the defendant's
hands got wet.
So I doubt anything was
lost by not testing him.
So the first shot because
he shot her in the head, he
obviously intended
to k*ll her, right?
Yes, absolutely.
And it's amazing she remained
mobile for as long as she did.
And after she fell, and the
sh**ter dragged her back.
24ft.
He needed both.
Hands to do that, right?
Yes. I presume he used both
hands, so he must have tucked
the g*n in his pants or in
his pocket to free his hand.
Right?
He had to
tuck it somewhere.
All right.
So he could have taken the g*n
that was in his left hand and
then put it under his belt.
And then after dragging her,
he could have easily grabbed it
again with his right
hand and shot her.
Yes, that's what
I think happened.
It makes the most sense.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Mr. Johnson, isn't the window
for paraffin testing considered
to be within 72 hours?
That is standard protocol, yes.
But just about everybody's
hands are going to get wet
within 72 hours.
So doesn't that mean that
wetting them doesn't matter?
Well, 72 hours is just
an arbitrary cutoff.
The sooner you do the test
after the sh**ting and the
drier you keep his
hands, the better.
Still, it wouldn't have hurt to
do the paraffin testing on my
client, would it?
No, it wouldn't have hurt.
All right, moving on.
So you think the sh**ter
was ambidextrous?
I do.
How common is that?
It's not very common.
Isn't it true that most people
who sh**t g*ns never even think
about switching hands?
I think that's a
fair assumption.
Would you say that being
ambidextrous with a handgun
shows an advanced degree
of aptitude and experience?
Most likely.
Since there's no evidence that
my client ever owned a g*n or
ever fired one beyond the
assumption that he fired one in
this case.
Don't you think it's unlikely
he would have the ability to
sh**t ambidextrously?
Objection, Your honor.
Speculation. Overruled.
The witness will
answer the question.
Well, at a glance, he doesn't
look like the type of person
that can do it.
Stranger things have happened.
One final question, Mr. Johnson.
Why do you think the sh**ter
dragged Miss Mire back to where
it began?
Why not just sh**t her
again where she collapsed?
Objection. Your honor.
Again, it calls for speculation.
And again overruled. Please
answer the question.
I honestly don't know.
Thank you.
No further questions.
The people call
Detective Bernard Crook.
Please raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Be seated.
Detective Crook, you are the
one who placed Raymond Crimp
under arrest, aren't you?
Yes, I am.
And that occurred at the crime
scene after Henry Wiggins
identified him as the man he
saw standing over the body.
That's right.
Mr. Wiggins was certain that
Mr. Crump was the
man that he saw.
So he didn't have to
study him or deliberate.
He had no hesitation at all.
No, not at all.
He was instantly sure
that that was him.
What was Mr. Crump
saying at this time?
Very little.
As soon as Mr. Wiggins
identified him, Mr.
Crump said nothing.
I understand that you're the
one who visited Helena Crump,
the wife of Raymond Crump, to
show her the jacket and the hat.
Is that true?
Yes, I did.
Is this the jacket and the
hat that you showed her?
Yes it is.
Tell us what happened.
Well, she immediately
identified the cap and jacket
as belonging to her husband.
Exhibit two, your honor.
Detective Krook, did you
ask her about anything else?
Yes.
I asked her if her husband
owned any fishing gear.
She said he did.
I asked her if I could see it.
She took me around back
there in a little shed.
There was a rod, a reel, a
tackle box, a net
and a mesh container.
And now this was the very
afternoon of the sh**ting,
wasn't it?
Yes it was.
Did she say if he had any
other fishing equipment?
She said that he didn't.
Did you ask her anything else?
Yes. I asked her where Raymond
said that he was going the
morning of October the 12th,
and he said that he went to the
brown construction hub to
try to get on a work crew.
Mm.
Thank you.
Your witness.
Lay your trap.
He'll fall right in.
Detective crook.
Weren't you one of the first
to arrive at the crime scene?
Yeah, I was the first
detective to arrive.
Uh, Bob.
Officer Bob Decker.
He met with Mr. Wiggins at
the Esso station, and they got
there before I did.
Why wasn't the ambulance called?
Wiggins said he heard shots,
saw a woman on the ground, but
she could have still been alive.
So why wasn't an
ambulance called?
I don't know, I
just can't tell you.
Back to when Ray was arrested.
Did you ask him how he got wet?
Yeah.
Uh,
he said that he went fishing.
And while fishing, he fell
asleep and fell into the river.
And what did he say about
how he cut his hand?
He said he cut it
on a fishing hook.
And when you told him he was
under arrest, what
did he say then?
He didn't say anything.
When you took possession of
Ray's hat and jacket, did you
check them for blood?
Yeah, I looked him over.
Wasn't any blood.
Then were his clothes
forensically tested?
I don't think so.
Probably because your client
dunked himself in the river.
Well, I want you
to read something.
It's from the Journal
of Forensic Examination.
Just read the
highlighted portion.
These results prove that
blood can still be detected on
clothing even after
a week of submersion.
So again.
I ask you, detective,
why wasn't Ray's clothes
forensically tested for
the blood of Mary Meyer?
- Objection, your honor!
- He's a cop.
It wasn't my call!
Order! I will remind counsel to
treat this trial with decorum.
Detective,
when you went to visit Mrs.
Crump, did you inform her that
as the wife of the defendant,
that she did not have to answer
your questions.
Yes I did.
No further questions.
The witness may step down.
Mr. prosecutor.
Prosecutor. Your next witness.
Your honor, the
prosecution rests.
Okay. Well, since that's
the case, we will reconvene
tomorrow morning to where the
defense can call
her first witness.
This court's adjourned.
All rise.
So, are you sure about what
you're going to do tomorrow?
Yes. It's just those three
character witnesses, friends of
his mother who will say
he's always been a good boy.
Shame you couldn't get
his wife to say that.
Are you kidding me?
She's done enough damage.
I would have objected to what
crook said had she not signed
an affidavit.
So much for spousal privilege.
What about that other matter
you said you were looking into?
I got two people.
Working on it.
Do you think they'll come
up with something in time?
I don't know.
But with or without it.
You are going to win this case.
I got to go meet Raff
down at the towpath.
Something he wants to show me.
Found this secret tunnel
that goes under the canal.
It's not far from the
crime scene either.
Said some kids
told him about it.
It was smart of him to ask kids.
Yeah. I got to go
before it gets too late.
I want you to go home and
get some rest, please.
Okay I will.
You promise?
I promise.
But you promise me you're not
going to go crawling
through no tunnel.
I promise too.
Let's see if we can
stop that bleeding man.
So? So how did I do?
You shocked the hell
out of him, man.
You hit him.
You did too.
And they're feeling
it, believe me.
You know, for a second there, I
thought I was too old for this.
You?
Nah. No way.
So.
So where did you find that pipe?
Just found it lying in the dirt.
It was a gift from Providence.
Oh, well.
Those are the best kind, right?
Yep.
So who do you think they were?
I have no idea who those guys
were, but I have a good idea
who their bosses are.
It's the people who are
upset with you and Dovey.
So I'm going to take that as
a sign that we're winning.
You should.
So do you think you
can stand?
I can try.
All right.
How does it feel?
I'm spinning.
All right, well, lean on me.
Lean on me.
All right, come on.
I got you.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to
the court and ask the judge to
declare a mistrial.
And if he won't do it, I'll
file a complaint against him.
Dovey, you don't
want a mistrial.
You got the prosecutor
by the throat.
Just squeeze.
Grace. Does he need
to be hospitalized?
No, no, no.
No hospital.
He's not showing any
signs of brain damage.
And you can leave him here.
I'll take care of him.
I'm a nurse, you know.
Unless you think it's not safe.
Oh, he'll be safe,
I guarantee it.
Fine. But you're not
going to court tomorrow.
You're just going to
stay here and rest.
Whatever you say, Dovey.
Lord, no other help do I know.
I'm going to trust you, Jesus.
Like I always say, if
you have a wish to do, God will
somehow make a way for you.
It's okay.
All rise for the honorable
Judge Howard Corcoran.
This court is now in session.
Y'all may be seated.
At the request of the
defendant's family, I have
given them permission to attend
the remainder of the trial.
Defense counsel, you may
call your first witness.
Your honor.
The defense rests.
Approach the bench.
Is this some kind of trick?
Is this something you're doing
in case you need
to win an appeal?
There isn't going to be an
appeal because I'm
not going to lose.
And that's a promise.
All right, we'll see.
Step back.
Defense counsel, you may make
your closing
statement to the jury.
Jurors.
I know you must be wondering
why I didn't put Raymond on the
stand to profess his Innocence.
And the reason is because I
knew how much the prosecution
wanted me to.
You see, Ray is challenged.
He is mentally challenged.
Consider that he told one
officer that he fell into the
river because he slipped.
But then he told another
officer that he fell in because
he fell asleep.
He said he cut his
hand on a rock.
Later he said he cut
it on a fishing hook.
Why couldn't he keep
his story straight?
And that's because he's
mentally challenged.
Now, the prosecution did a
good job of establishing.
Ray did not go fishing.
So why did he lie about it?
I can't tell you, because
that would be testifying.
But lying about
fishing is one thing.
And attacking and k*lling
a woman is something else.
Ray had no prior
history of violence.
Why would he start with this?
I didn't put Raymond on the
stand because he's been sitting
in front of you this whole time.
This little man is exhibit A.
How could he have done this?
He had no motive.
Robbery? If he had a g*n, he
would have pointed his g*n at
her and said, give
me your money.
He didn't have to grapple
with her.
And r*pe.
Does he look like he could
have attacked Mary with the
intention of slamming her to
the ground, ripping off her
clothes and raping her
right there on the towpath?
Isn't it preposterous?
Look at him.
There is no forensic evidence
against Raymond at all.
No blood, no hair, no fibers.
So no blood, no hair, no fibers
of Mary were found on Ray and
no blood, no hair, no fibers
of ray were found on Mary.
And supposedly they struggled
and Mary bled profusely.
That is a lack of evidence.
And Henry Wiggins said that the
k*ller was five eight
and 185 pounds, which Ray
doesn't even come close to.
Raymond Crump does not have the
physical, mental or criminal
capacity to do this.
Now,
six of you,
are white.
And six of you are black.
And I admit, I chose
all the black jurors,
and Mr. Hatman chose all the
white jurors, but I approved of
all the white jurors.
I could have objected to any
one of you, but I didn't,
because I sense you are good,
decent,
honest people.
You all know about the Civil
Rights Act that was passed last
year that was spearheaded
by President Kennedy.
But you may not know
that prior to that,
I practiced law in this building
for nine years, and I
couldn't relieve myself.
I had to ride the elevator down
six floors, exit the building,
go to the annex next door,
and go down to the basement,
where they had
colored bathrooms.
It was 1964.
99 years after the
Civil w*r ended.
And yet the persecution of
black people was still the law
of the land.
Well, this trial is another
persecution of a black person,
Raymond Crump.
And it is based on
the same systematic,
cultural, racism.
I appeal to you.
Not,
as a lawyer.
Not as a black woman,
but as a woman.
As a human being.
There is an innocent man who
needs help, and you are the
only ones who can help him.
The only ones who can save him
from a malicious,
prosecution.
That should
have never happened.
So please,
please,
save him.
Mr. prosecutor.
The closing statements.
Ladies and gentlemen, this
case is not about racism.
The star witness for the
prosecution, Henry Wiggins, is
a black man, too.
And yes, he said the k*ller
appeared to be 185 pounds,
but he saw him from a
distance of 128ft.
Mr. Mitchell, the retired Army
lieutenant, ran right past him,
and he put his weight at
145 pounds, which was spot on.
But he too put his height
at five foot eight.
So let's talk about that.
The DC police measured
Raymond's height, and they
found him to be five foot
5.5in, but that was in his
stocking feet.
The fact is that Raymond's
shoes, the ones he wore on the
day of the m*rder, were
platform shoes, which add an
extra two inches of height.
Now you add 2in to 5 foot
5.5in, and you get
5 foot 7.5in.
That's only half an inch
shy of five foot eight.
Now, Raymond Crump lied to the
police about why he went to the
park that day and about
what he was wearing.
He told multiple and
conflicting stories about how
he got wet and how he
injured his right hand.
Three people, three upstanding
people told you that they saw
Raymond Crump where he wasn't
supposed to be, and one of
those places was standing right
over the dead body
of the victim.
Now, I realize the United
States has an appalling history
of racial injustice.
Including the colonial period
that is over 250
years of sl*very.
And Miss Roundtree is right.
The abuses have continued
long after that.
And I apologize to her,
for what she personally
had to endure.
But we all have a duty
here, and that is to confine
ourselves to the facts of this
case And the facts that I have
shown you prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that Raymond
Crump did it.
It would be a threat and
a danger to everyone,
including black people.
To leave him on the
streets and in the parks.
So please.
Please.
Convict him.
Mr. Foreman, has the
jury reached a verdict?
We have not, Your Honor.
The jury is deadlocked.
Approach the bench, please.
What is the tally?
11 to 1 to acquit.
11 to 1 to acquit.
All right, then, I'm going
to need you to go back and
deliberate some more.
All right, John, I understand
the one juror is pretty
obstinate, but we'll keep going.
Okay. So look.
Any day, counselor.
Your honor, we have evidence
that William Mitchell lied.
He once worked for a company
that did do work for the CIA,
doing surveillance,
political sabotage, and more.
Judge, I haven't had
a chance to vet this.
If defense counsel thinks that
- they can bring evidence into.
- Stop.
I'm going to take the word.
Of the 11 jurors that said
you haven't met your burden.
Now, both of you, step back.
With the jury deadlocked,
I am declaring a mistrial.
Okay. With no further
prosecution of Raymond Crump.
Mr. Crump, you're free to go.
This court is adjourned.
Yes. Thank you, God!
Thank you, Lord!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Oh, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yes. Yes.
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Dovey's Promise (2025)
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