In New York City's war on crime
the worst criminal offenders are pursued
by the detectives of the Major Case Squad.
These are their stories.
All she has to do
is keep her head elevated. Explain that to her.
You can do that, can't you?
Going up again tomorrow, Doc?
No. Next Saturday.
That gives you a whole week to clean it.
Did my wife call?
If she does, tell her
I'll be in the office in half an hour.
I think people
who have children
to save their marriage are just kidding themselves.
Then why do you want to have children?
I just think that we lead a selfish life, Peter and me.
You know, with our dinners and our hobbies and...
You think you'd make a good mother?
I don't know.
My friends who have kids, they didn't know.
So you make this decision to have a child--
what would you have to change to make yourself ready?
I would need to cut out my little mood adjusters
once and for all this time.
Do you think you could do that, Valerie?
Peter. Hi, honey.
How was your flight?
Valerie, I've got six people here
plus a patient out cold on the table.
Okay, well, I just wanted to hear your voice.
Oh, I found a couch at Palizetti.
to pay for the couch If you want me
let me do my job.
We decided on Martinique
sometime in February.
Two weeks in the sun, a romantic holiday.
Oh, right.
Oh, Jen, don't start.
I have to be downtown in 20 minutes.
After all he's put you through.
-Oh.
Just be my friend, okay?
I've got enough judges.
Val, you need to leave Peter.
And that's not going to happen.
I wouldn't do that to my parents.
You want to grasp the loose skin on the upper arm
and make an incision extending from the elbow to the axilla.
Now, this is where you've got to be precise.
Steer clear of the ligaments, underlying musculature, or...
...or her arm could come off
like the wing of a Thanksgiving turkey.
You look good.
How long can you stay?
I've only got an hour.
We need to talk.
Here you are, Dr. Kelmer.
What's that?
Somebody left it for your wife.
Give it to me.
They said she has to sign for it.
Give it to me; I'll get her signature.
Peter?
In here.
I bought something for the Promise Ball.
It's a Judith Leiber.
If-if you hate it, I'll take it back.
It's nice.
I'm a mess.
I'll see you after my bath?
Forget something, Doc?
No. Going up.
I didn't get a chance to clean her.
Pull the chocks.
What about your flight plan?
Your flight plan!
She left just after 1:00, Sunday afternoon.
I went to the hospital around 2:00.
I was in surgeries all evening. I'm a cosmetic surgeon.
I called her, no answer.
When I got home early Monday morning
she still wasn't back.
When she left, she was going?
No. We'd had a fight.
We just needed to go
- to our separate corners. - You fight a lot?
No. Can I go in?
Have you talked to her friends?
Yes. Friends, family, everyone I can think of.
I made a list.
All of Valerie's friends, relatives
with their addresses and phone numbers.
On Tuesday, I filed Missing Persons.
Uh, it's been three days.
Nobody called, so mayor's office
suggested I come here.
What do you think happened to her?
Before we met, Valerie had had psychiatric problems.
She'd attempted suicide seven, eight years ago.
And you think she hurt herself?
She threaten something like that?
Not to me.
On the list, there's a doctor.
Nathanson, her therapist.
I called him and to talk to you.sion
That's very helpful, Doctor.
I got a copy of the report from Missing Persons.
They checked with hospitals and paramedics in all five boroughs.
There's another thing.
Occasionally, Valerie
did drugs with her girlfriends.
Cocaine, amphetamines, too.
We've had endless discussions about it.
You don't use drugs?
Of course not.
Anyway, if something happened to her
while she was on drugs...
Well, you wanted to know what I thought.
I put all my numbers
on that sheet.
As soon as we find something, we'll call you.
No. I want to get your numbers.
I'll be calling you.
I just don't want to be the last to know.
How do we like being an annex to the Missing Persons bureau?
This friends and neighbors list
it's, uh, alphabetized.
I should have him work on my sock drawer.
Guy obviously being a barrel of laughs
I'm taking bets she doesn't want him to find her.
Her cousin, Jennifer Barish filed
her own Missing Person's report
a day before Kelmer did.
She told them she suspects foul play.
I knew the minute he called me looking for her.
I knew Peter had killed her.
A gut feeling?
He has a terrible temper.
Valerie was scared to death of him...
and she knew he had a mistress.
Did she know who?
No. She just knew there was someone.
And when's the last time you talked to her?
Saturday.
She came over for lunch.
Did she seem depressed?
Depressed?
What did Peter tell you?
That she was suicidal?
She wasn't depressed at all.
Dr. Kelmer told us
cocaine, uppers.
Not that much.
Who does she do them with? Girlfriends? Boyfriends?
This is unfair.
Valerie told me her shrink warned her.
He told her someday Peter was really going to hurt her.
I had to laugh
when I got the message from Peter
giving me permission to talk to you.
As long as she might be alive
Valerie is the only one
who can waive the confidentiality.
As a doctor, Peter bloody well knows that.
Are you concerned about her safety?
I am concerned about any patient
who misses two sessions without calling me.
I still can't discuss her situation with you.
I took a few psych classes in college.
How about I give you my opinion
if you agree, you let me know?
How? By coughing twice?
Coughing's good.
Here goes.
Kelmer's a control freak, she's self-destructive
and the more he tries to control her
the more she rebels.
She takes a lover. Kelmer panics.
He gets angry. He kills her.
Same scenario, except his efforts to control her
lead her to feelings of depression
hopelessness.
She suicides.
She ran away and joined the circus?
Oh, was I supposed to cough?
Any scenario is possible, Detective.
For now, I have to assume she's still alive.
All right, you have our number.
If you hear from her, please call.
Thank you.
Among her friends and family, even odds it's Kelmer.
Found more candidates in her cell phone records.
These four gentleman callers weren't on Kelmer's list.
This one, Warren D'Alacosta
Friday and Saturday alone
he and Valerie called each other half a dozen times.
I don't know
any Valerie whatever.
It must have been a wrong number.
You want to rethink that answer, Mr. D'Alacosta?
We looked into your pedigree.
Couple DUIs, couple dope pops
delinquent on your child support.
You drive too fast
drink too much, don't meet your obligations
don't give a damn about anybody.
My partner has a fancy word for people psychopath.
I call them screw-ups.
If you want to join
the two million of your fellow psychopaths
who are already in jail, just keep lying to the police.
Okay, so I know her.
Is there any reason why you're not inviting us in?
So, Warren
weren't you concerned
when you didn't hear from Valerie for a week?
No. She said she wanted to stop seeing me.
- Why? - She said she needed to get serious
about her life, her marriage.
Must have been a big
disappointment for you.
I knew it wasn't going to last.
Are one of these her?
Can we see it, please?
It's very nice.
You couldn't pay me enough.
I'll be there in a few hours.
What size shirt do you wear?
I have to go.
All done, Doctor.
Dr. Kelmer came in
around 4:00 on Saturday-- I gave him his mail
and the hand-delivered envelope addressed to Mrs. Kelmer.
When did she get home?
Um... a few minutes after.
Did you see her on Sunday?
- Uh, no. - How about him?
No, no, no.
Are there any other exits in here?
Uh, no, but the basement connects
to the garage next door.
He used to park
next to me.
Then he complained about these phantom dings
so he had the condo board move me over here
next to this beautiful column.
Were you down here Sunday?
Yes, around 2:00.
My wife and I drove back
from the farm in Pennsylvania.
Did you see Mrs. Kelmer or the doctor?
Just him. We were unloading the car, and I heard a noise
turned around, and there he was.
Where?
Over there, behind his car.
He'd just closed the trunk.
Did you see what was in it?
No. I heard this thunk
and then he got in his car and drove away.
Sure, could've been his wife's body.
Could've been a beach ball.
Could've been nothing.
There's no evidence she's even dead.
I have a strong feeling she is.
I stand corrected, then. She suicided.
This was a woman according to her phone records
she spent hours on the phone talking to her friends.
But from Saturday afternoon on, there's not a peep from her.
Maybe she had laryngitis?
I want to go at him with a search warrant
for his car, for his apartment.
- Goren. - What?
We worried about the noses he did at City Hall
getting bent out of shape?
Major Case, Eames speaking.
We'll be right there.
The two-oh caught a break.
I told the officers.
Her hairstyle was different.
More swept off her face, you know?
But the minute I seen this poster outside
I knew that's the one was in here two days ago.
- Was she with anybody? - No.
Did she seem okay?
She ordered two pounds of Nova.
You have an excellent memory.
You wear those glasses while you work?
Only when I'm slicing.
When I'm talking to a customer, I drop them.
Anyone else see her? What about him?
Ah, he wouldn't know his own mother.
Listen, black leather coat
gray shirt with black trim was what she wore
when last seen, right?
That's what she had on.
Trust me, it was her.
I don't understand
your warrant application.
Wasn't his wife seen in a deli a few days ago?
Sighting's unreliable, Your Honor; the witness is nearsighted.
And what's your bedrock evidence?
Somebody who thought they heard a car trunk slam shut?
Your Honor, if we search his car and his apartment
and it turns out his wife is alive, where's the harm?
It's the Fourth Amendment, Detective
not the Three-and-Two-Thirds Amendment.
Dr. Kelmer is entitled to its full protection.
What? If his wife is dead
people won't see it that way.
They'll see a judge protecting a well-connected doctor.
If I were you, I'd hedge my bets.
I'll grant your warrant
but only for the auto.
If you want to poke around his apartment
you bring me probable cause on a platter.
I like the blue.
I do, too.
It matches your eyes.
I have to reschedule tomorrow afternoon.
I'm getting together with my in-laws
to figure out the next move.
Well, what about a private detective?
I mean, if the police can't do anything, maybe you should...
Their incompetence amazes me; I have to do everything.
Why Valerie's doing this to me...
My poor baby.
Don't furrow your brow like that.
Why, am I getting lines?
I can take care of them.
And I'm going to do something about those cheekbones.
Aren't I beautiful enough for you?
Well, why settle for beautiful when you can have perfect?
What room are you painting, anyway?
The bathroom.
No blood traces, no hair, no tissue.
Car was detailed recently, probably more than once.
You can still smell the shampoo on the floor mats.
It's a receipt for aviation fuel
from Westchester Airport from two months ago.
He's a fly boy.
Maybe he took his wife up for a spin Sunday afternoon.
Your doctor's bouncing off the walls
in the claims area.
You steal my car, you rip it apart.
Didn't you talk to the witness who saw Valerie?
-Well, -We're like dumb dogs.
We get a scent, and we follow it.
What scent is that?
The husband's the obvious suspect.
I've been nothing but cooperative with you.
If you wanted to search my car
all you had to do was ask.
We appreciate it.
Does that mean you'll consent to a search of your apartment?
You've exhausted my goodwill, Detectives.
Get a warrant.
A couple of weeks ago, huh?
Sunday, yeah, I think so.
Saturday he gave me crap about not cleaning the plane.
Can we see the plane?
Sure. It's over there.
You get that a lot-- pilots giving you a hard time?
Ah, recreational pilots, you know.
They all think they're Mercury astronauts.
Kelmer a good pilot?
Instrument-rated, but I wouldn't fly with him.
Why not?
Bad temper.
Can we see his flight plan for Sunday?
That's just it; he didn't file one.
I've got him running a plane that Saturday
then the following Saturday
nothing for Sunday.
You keep records on the computer?
I put them in the computer
when I have time.
I'm only one woman, sweetheart.
Are you in here alone everyday?
Yes, from 7:00 to 6:00--
except when I have to go to the little girl's room.
That's in the next building.
You lock up?
No.
to the vending machine. People got to get
Do you always keep the rental slips under there?
Where I can get at them.
And so can everyone else.
Thanks.
I'm going to hire more people, set up a phone bank
and I'm offering a reward of $10,000.
$10,000?
We'll find her, Eleanor.
What's wrong with her?
You think we believe this? This act you're putting on?
What did you do to my Valerie?
Me?
I can't look at you anymore.
That's it, that's it, go!
You raised her, with all her drugs
and mental problems, her screwing around
that's all on your head.
God will punish you for what you've done.
All I did was turn a shoe salesman's
daughter into a surgeon's wife.
Did I ever hear any thanks from you?
When do I get a little consideration
for what I'm going through?
If they make one accusation in public, I'll sue.
You do that, Peter.
Let the world see what a hypocrite you are.
Valerie's the hypocrite.
I'm no fool.
There'll be hell to pay when she comes back.
He left his apartment around 2:00
and arrived at the hospital
just before 5:00-- roughly three hours.
We're giving him half an hour to Westchester
15 minutes to get the plane ready.
Assume the same on the other end
that leaves an hour and a half flying time.
A Cessna Turbo Stationaire makes 178 knots.
That means he could cover this area.
And we're going with an ocean dump.
Winds this time of year come from the north.
That means the currents are from east to west onshore.
Areas of search should be
Long Island, from Long Beach
to Bridgehampton and New Jersey
from Leonardo down to Cape May.
Dibs on Long Island.
Forgive the facilities.
Jersey Legislature hasn't been very generous.
A couple of joggers found her out
on the beach early Wednesday.
I was going to get around to an autopsy this weekend.
Any idea on how long she'd been in the water?
Two or three weeks.
Here you go.
Female Caucasian from the ribcage to the shoulders.
You found something, haven't you?
You found Valerie.
We're not sure.
That's why we need her DNA to identify her.
Oh, my God. What did he do to her?
We can't... talk about it, I'm sorry.
Did she ever leave a hairclip
a hairbrush, anything like that?
Last time she was here, she used one of my hairbrushes.
You'll let me know, won't you?
We will.
Please don't talk about this with anybody...
especially Dr. Kelmer.
The less he knows, the better.
There was only one hair root
on the brush, but it was enough.
Your bathing beauty is not Valerie Kelmer.
She died from inhaling saltwater
otherwise known as drowning.
As for the missing bits
the arms were wrenched from their sockets
and the neck and lower torso
were severed by crushing blows.
From what? An ax?
No. A ship's propeller.
So, let's check
no corpus delicti
no evidence of foul play
no evidence Dr. Kelmer's guilty of anything
except being a son of a b***h.
Did I miss anything?
Kelmer's mystery flight that Sunday.
There was no rental slip for it, no flight plan.
Kelmer could have nicked the rental slip from the office.
There's no flight plan because he didn't file one.
According to the mechanic, who made it clear
he was no fan of the doctor's.
Are you moving Dr. Kelmer out of the suspect column?
I don't think he should be the only one on there.
Well, he's the only one that matters.
The woman had boyfriends
coming out of her ears, she was doing coke
she had a history of suicide attempts.
He thinks we're idiots.
He's playing with us.
I want to shove a stick
in Kelmer's cage, see what he does.
What've you got in mind?
A leak to the media about finding a torso.
We're going to tell her family it's not her, though, right?
No. He could find out.
I made a promise to her cousin.
I've got to go with Bobby on this one.
The paper says it's her.
Might be her.
They said the body had surgical cuts.
Why did they say that?
Are you really stupid enough to believe everything you read?
Valerie's probably on a beach
with one of her cokehead boyfriends, having a big laugh
because my life's turned into a nightmare.
She's a vindictive b***h. Didn't I tell you that?
If you really think I'm capable of butchering her
maybe we should just end this.
No, Peter, please...
I've had it up to here with recriminations
and suspicions from Valerie.
I don't need it from my next wife.
Next wife?
I'm divorcing Valerie.
Once this is over, I'm moving my practice
to Boulder, and I want you to come with me.
Oh, Peter, this is so sudden.
Yes or no?
Yes.
Yes, I'll go with you.
Yes! Yes!
Dr. Kelmer's on his way up.
Sorry, uh...
Just give me a minute here.
Have a seat.
What did you want to talk to us about?
What was in the newspapers yesterday.
We apologize for that.
Somebody jumped the gun.
There's been no positive ID.
If there were one, you'd be
the first person we'd contact.
You haven't identified this body?
No.
It's a... difficult ID.
What about fingerprints?
It would help if there were fingers.
What, the arms were cut off?
We'd rather not discuss details right now
until we have an identification.
I could take a look and tell you in a second if it's her.
I'm a doctor, I'm not squeamish.
It's not necessary; We appreciate it.
Have you determined the cause of death?
Was it a suicide?
Doctor, as I... told you, until we have an ID...
Damn it, it's like pulling teeth.
I've told you everything I know, and you are telling me nothing.
Is it because you're not making any progress?
Fine.
You really want to help us?
How about answering a few questions?
Go ahead.
Uh... the Sunday your wife disappeared
you were seen in the garage putting something in your trunk.
What was it?
My, uh, briefcase.
I was going to work.
I, uh, I think I told you that.
What time did you get
to the hospital?
I... I don't remember.
Is this an interrogation?
If it were one, we'd be in the interrogation room.
When did you get your pilot's license?
Six years ago. What does that have...?
Do you fly every weekend?
Yes, to relieve the stress.
Sunday, after you put
your briefcase in your trunk
you drove out to Westchester Airport.
Isn't that right?
Now you are interrogating me.
I feel I should have an attorney.
Why?
You don't want to be helpful anymore?
No, no, that's not it.
Are we getting into an area
that's making you uncomfortable?
No. The questions are fine.
Okay.
I didn't go to Westchester.
About this body--
- you really want to help us identify it? - Yes.
We need a sample of your wife's DNA.
Well, she hasn't had any bloodwork in...
Could be anything.
Strands of hair from her brushes or...
She cleaned her brushes and combs every day.
It was almost compulsive.
Ah.
Well, I'm sure our technicians could find something
in your apartment.
You want to search my apartment?
You said that you wanted to help us identify the body.
As long as I can be there, be my guest.
Fresh paint. You had this room painted?
Yes, last week.
Valerie hates what was there before
but I thought-- it's going to sound stupid--
but I thought if I painted it
the way she likes, she'll come back.
She hates the bath mats, too? I noticed these are all new.
Valerie dropped a bottle
of nail polish before she...
I just got around to replacing them.
What are they doing?
Checking the plumbing for your wife's hair.
Do you mind?
Long as they don't break anything.
Pipes look as new as the day they were installed.
Same story with the grouting.
Either he didn't cut her up in here
or he went over this place with a toothbrush
and some heavy-duty cleansers.
The kind of cleanser that might be used in an operating room.
Yeah, like that.
They have stuff that'll eat anything.
It's called Virex 256.
There's dozens of bottles of it in the O.R. prep.
Dr. Kelmer have access to it?
He has access to whatever he wants.
Uh...
You want to tell me about it?
He has women coming into his office
all day long, taking their clothes off.
He takes advantage.
Somebody thought he did.
What do you mean?
A few weeks ago, I met Kelmer for lunch
for my biannual review.
After he dropped me off at my car
while I was getting in
I saw a man writing down my license plate number.
I guarantee you, no one's following me.
Valerie wouldn't hire a detective to follow Peter.
Didn't she think he was cheating?
Well, she wasn't sure.
That's not what... you told us.
You said
that she knew there was someone.
How did she know?
Maybe I overstated.
Miss Barish.
You hired the detective, didn't you?
I thought if Valerie saw the truth
that she'd have to end it with Peter.
What did the detective find out?
He saw Peter kissing another woman--
someone at the hospital.
I don't know who.
The detective told me on Friday
that he had the photos.
That was the Friday before Valerie...
I told him to send them to her.
I don't know if she ever got them.
The doorman at Valerie's building said he gave Dr. Kelmer
a large envelope addressed to her that Saturday.
He gave it to Peter?
He must have seen the photos and...
Oh, my God...
What did I do?
Lisa Voight?
I'm Detective Eames.
This is Detective Goren.
And this is a warrant
allowing us to search your apartment.
What are you looking for exactly?
It's all on the warrant.
Do you know a Dr. Peter Kelmer?
Yes.
I'm an administrator
at the hospital where he works.
I don't mean to be rude; are you intimately involved with him?
We work together.
Any relationship we have is strictly business.
We got these photos from a private investigator.
This thing you're doing to the doctor with your tongue--
what business is that, "strictly"?
Gray T-shirt with black trim
and...
Been to Sarni's Delicatessen lately?
Peter said if someone saw Valerie
the police would have to stop wasting their time
looking for murder suspects.
He's convinced you she's alive.
Of course she's alive.
She's hiding.
She likes torturing Peter.
In your apartment, we found
a real estate pamphlet for Boulder.
Are you moving there?
Yes, with Peter.
We're getting married
after he divorces Valerie.
These other pamphlets about cosmetic surgery--
is that for you?
Yes.
Dr. Kelmer's idea?
Yes.
Before you met Dr. Kelmer
did you think you needed surgery?
Peter has an eye for this kind of thing.
You're a very beautiful woman.
Did you try telling Peter that he's wrong?
He's never wrong, is he?
Of course I tried Lisa at home.
Look, if she calls in
you tell her Dr. Kelmer's looking for her, all right?
Hello, Doctor.
You're under arrest for the murder of your wife.
What the hell are you doing?
I'm going to handcuff you, Doctor. Just relax.
Don't tell me what to do.
Hey, hey, down, boy.
- You're hurting me. - Settle down.
You stupid idiots.
Sticks and stones.
Let's go.
Okay, Doc.
This is an interrogation.
First thing...
you... sit here.
You want the people on the other side of that mirror
to see my face?
That's okay.
I don't have anything to hide.
Doctor, you're a very smart guy.
Do you recognize this?
It's a gray T-shirt with a black trim.
It looks like what my wife was wearing
when she disappeared.
How about that?
This wig?
Okay, you found these things at Lisa Voight's.
You have her under arrest, is that it?
I'm sure she explained our little ruse
and why it was necessary.
Yes, you trained her very well.
I beg your pardon?
Peter, let it go.
No. He insulted a close friend of mine.
And she believes everything you tell her.
She's giving up her life to follow you to Colorado?
I mean, she's even letting you hack into her face
because you have an issue with her... cheekbones.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Lisa Voight is in love with me.
She's enthralled with you.
She's like a little puppy in your hands
pissing all over herself with excitement.
How dare you?
But Valerie...
Valerie didn't need you to feel alive.
She had her own boyfriends...
You have no idea...her own drugs, her own bad habits.
You couldn't push her around.
Where do you get these ridiculous ideas?
You couldn't push her around.
Not like Lisa; she's under your thumb.
That's where you like your women.
Now you just shut up!
Valerie was a... she was a...
Okay, that's it.
I'm not saying anything else.
I got a case without forensic evidence
a case without...
I can't even prove beyond a reasonable doubt
the victim is even dead.
Everything he's done to cover his tracks
is evidence of a guilty mind.
Is there anything we might have missed?
We took apart his car, the plane.
We checked with air traffic control
along the eastern seaboard
in case he turned up on somebody's radar.
Short answer is, what you have now
is all the case you're ever going to have.
"Trust me"-- hell of a closing argument.
He did it; you saw him.
You saw his rage.
I did, Detective, but the jury never will
and his lawyer is no fool.
She'll never put him upon that stand.
You put me on the stand.
I'll get him up there.
Dr. Kelmer made a point of telling us
about his wife's
previous suicide attempts, drug use.
He then gave us a list of his wife's family and friends--
over 200 names and addresses in alphabetical order.
I found this odd.
Why is that?
Well, the man's wife was
allegedly missing.
Any normal person would be far too upset or distracted
to make alphabetical lists.
Objection. He isn't qualified
- to offer his opinion. - Yes, sustained.
The jury will disregard the witness's last response.
After interviewing Dr. Kelmer
what did you do next?
We interviewed the victim's cousin, Jennifer Barish.
She told us that Valerie's therapist had warned her
that someday her husband was going to harm her.
Objection. Hearsay.
Sustained. Detective I know this isn't
the first time you've testified in court.
The jury, again, will disregard.
Detective, did there come a time when you had the opportunity
to search Dr. Kelmer's apartment?
Yes.
And what, if anything, did you find?
The bathtub drains in the master bathroom had been cleaned
with Virex 256
the same detergent used to clean the operating rooms
at Dr. Kelmer's hospital.
And this was confirmed by one of Dr. Kelmer's nurses
who also accused the doctor of cheating on his wife...
Objection. Your Honor, this is unbelievable.
Yes, yes, Ms. Barbera.
Detective, one more like that
you're off the stand.
Again, the jury is instructed to disregard
the witness's comments.
Go on, Mr. Carver.
Detective, I'm directing you
to confine your answers to my questions.
- Yes, sir. - Now, what else,if anything
did you find in your search of Dr. Kelmer's apartment?
We found the bath mats had been replaced
and the bathroom repainted.
Did the defendant offer an explanation?
Just a lot of double-talk, Mr. Carver.
There's really only
He tried to hide the evidence of a horrible crime--
the murder and dismemberment of his wife...
- There's no other explanation. - Objection!
Detective... If there is
- Step down! - I'm sure we'd all love to hear it.
Do you take me for a moron?
They heard what they heard.
If I was on that jury
I'd convict me!
I want to respond.
I want to tell the jury my story.
No.
I can't advise you more strongly against this.
The prosecutor will crucify you.
He's a civil servant, Lauren.
How tough can he be?
Now help get me ready.
I felt the police had just given up
on finding Valerie alive.
I felt I had to do something to keep them looking for her.
I didn't care how suspicious it looked.
I'd been totally open with the police.
I'd given them all the information I had.
I allowed them to search my apartment...
and still, Valerie is missing
and no one knows what happened to her.
You didn't tell the police you had a mistress.
No.
It's not easy to admit that--
in spite of my feelings for Valerie--
our marriage was in trouble.
Dr. Kelmer, did you kill-- or cause to be killed--
your wife, Valerie Kelmer?
No.
As God is my witness...
no.
Doctor...
an earlier witness quoted you as saying
that with a couple of well-placed cuts
you could remove an arm...
as effortless as a wing on a Thanksgiving turkey.
Would you mind showing us
where those cuts would be?
Objection. Relevance?
I'll allow it, subject to connection.
Go ahead, Doctor.
Across that group of muscles right there.
The deltoid, teres and pectoralis muscles?
Yes.
The People's Forty-Seven through Sixty-Four.
These are the knives that the police found in your apartment.
Now, to cut those muscles
what's the best knife?
The serrated one?
Or the boning knife here?
Which one, Doctor?
Either one, I guess.
I don't want you to guess.
The boning knife would be fine.
As a surgeon, what's the right stroke? Like this?
Well, only if you want to sprain your wrist.
Ah...
Please demonstrate the proper technique.
You find this amusing, Doctor?
Show us.
You put a lot of thought into your surgeries
don't you, Doctor?
Every incision is mapped out.
Yes, of course.
You bring the same attention to detail to your flying
even to making lists...
Now, that's not fair.
I'm methodical and thorough
but you can't draw inferences from that.
But if you're so methodical and thorough
how did you end up married to a promiscuous, suicidal
drug addict?
I resent that.
Marrying Valerie was not a mistake.
Well, she's missing
and you're here on trial for her murder.
Wouldn't you say something went wrong?
I did not make a mistake.
She's the one
doing the drugs and the sleeping around.
She's the one who walked out on the marriage.
How about severing a leg at the knee?
What muscles would you cut?
What?
What muscles would you cut?
The gracilis and vastus muscles.
Before she met you
Valerie had never traveled outside the country. Isn't that right?
The furthest she'd been was New Jersey.
Never been to a charity ball or eaten at
a four-star restaurant?
No, of course not.
Marrying a well-respected plastic surgeon
was a big step up.
I would think so.
And she showed her gratitude
by buying drugs with your money
having sex with strangers...
You'd have to ask her.
...painters, personal trainers...
See what I put up with?
Well, you're no angel yourself, Doctor.
You have affairs with all the hospital staff.
I...
Just with one individual.
Her behavior drove you to have an affair?
Yes, of course.
She made you do this?
Yes.
When you saw this, you thought
how dare she have you followed...
how dare she question what you do?
Yes, yes.
She is trying to get power over you.
This ingrate, this nobody
who had never been anywhere.
How dare she?!
This is all your fault!
Stupid cow!
You and your low-rent family!
You just couldn't mind your own damned business.
You just had to meddle!
Madam Foreman, on the sole count of the indictment
murder in the second degree
how do you find?
We the jury in the above-entitled action
find the defendant Peter Kelmer guilty.
Did you see his face?
He couldn't believe it.
He's not the only one.
He wasn't convicted on the evidence.
He was convicted because the jury didn't like him.
Well, I make my living
putting my trust in juries.
Now is not the time to stop.
I'll take them any way they come.