BROOKLYN NORTH HOMICIDE SQUAD: DOING GOD'S WORK {EPISODE 1} (TV)
Summary
One in this television documentary mini-series detailing the daily lives of the homicide investigative unit of North Brooklyn. The Brooklyn North Homicide Task Force is led by Lieutenant Joe Heffernan, who notes that their work is emotionally strenuous and requires them to “keep an open mind.” They investigate over 130 murders every year. One night, at 9:45 PM, detectives Richie Sullivan and Pete Sloan respond to a call that shots have been fired on Jefferson Avenue in the 83rd Precinct, noting that such calls are “routine.” They find the body of the shooting victim at the base of the stairs into an apartment building, shot five times. Sergeant Dennis Singleton arrives on the scene soon thereafter, leading the investigation as they secure the crime scene and search for possible witnesses. By 10:50 PM, two suspects are rounded up and brought to the 83rd Precinct headquarters for further questioning. At 11:20 PM, the suspects are questioned, and the squad comes to suspect that one of them may be at least related to the killer in some way. By 1:45 AM, the repeated questioning has yielded no progress, but a new witness appears, claiming to be the fiancée of the victim. She identifies one of the suspects as the killer’s brother, and explains that her fiancee had a repayment agreement with the killer after he accidentally crashed his car. By 3:50 AM, the police’s round of questioning yields more progress, and the detectives inform the fiancée that they intend to call the district attorney’s office. The head office sends photographs of the man they believe to be the killer, nicknamed “The Dread,” having previously been arrested several times for possession of marijuana and robbery. At 7:30 AM the detectives awaken, having spent a few hours sleeping in the station. Singleton meets with Heffernan to explain their progress on the case so far. At 8:30 AM, Sullivan and Sloan, assisted by detective Chris Monzert, identify the suspected killer and plan a search for him. They travel around the neighborhood and interview residents, some of whom recount that The Dread dealt drugs near their homes. Meanwhile, at the 90th Precinct, work continues on a string of unsolved murders from the previous year which may be the work of a serial killer. All of the victims are young women, all killed via strangulation. The killer often employs shoelaces as his strangulation tool, and the victims are likely sex workers of some sort. At 3:00 PM the search for The Dread continues, but progress stalls as his whereabouts remain unknown. The next day, at 8:00 AM, detective Sullivan takes time out to receive an award for his work in capturing a notorious murderer in what was previously dubbed an unsolved case. He and Lieutenant Heffernan arrive at One Police Plaza in Manhattan, along with Sullivan’s family. Sullivan comments on the role his family plays in his life and what he hopes to accomplish for them. That night, detective Monzert travels to a stakeout for The Dread at a location where he is purported to frequently sell drugs. However, as midnight approaches there appears to be no activity. Sullivan and Sloan pursue The Dread’s phone records and get in contact with his ex-wife, who spoke to him on the phone shortly after the murder. Finally The Dread appears and Monzert leads several men out to catch him. They obtain identification for The Dread’s cell phone, allowing them to track him if he calls again. They spot what could be a taxi with The Dread inside and follow behind in their police cars. However, it is a false alarm and none of the occupants turn out to be The Dread. At 3:00 AM they call off the stakeout for the time being, although they are confident that they will eventually catch The Dread and that the key, often times, is luck. At 9:00 AM, a witness calls the office claiming that he spotted The Dread in the Bronx. They send people out to investigate, and soon they locate and arrest The Dread, bringing him back to the station. Investigation continues on the unsolved strangulation cases, Lieutenant Heffernan takes detectives Luis Martinez and Jeannie Valentin to see the location of the first strangulation murder, the elevator room on a building rooftop commonly used as a location for sex and smoking cocaine. Martinez and Valentin have already questioned the occupants of every apartment in the surrounding area, but none of them appear to have seen anything. Monzert leads the questioning of The Dread, who claims that he wasn’t at the scene of the crime and had nothing to do with it. Martinez and Valentin interview the family of the first strangulation victim, regretful that they are no closer to solving the case. At 11:30 PM that night, Heffernan and several other officers respond to a call, discovering a dead baby in a cardboard box on the street. A postscript notes that The Dread has been indicted on murder charges and is in jail awaiting trial. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Court TV
- DATE: December 5, 2000 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:65998
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: Court TV - TV miniseries, 2000-2001
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Marie Thomas … Executive Producer
- Robyn Hutt … Executive Producer
- Daniel Elias … Producer, Director
- David Houts … Producer
- Joel Goodman … Music by
- Joe Heffernan … Interviewee
- Dennis Singleton … Interviewee
- Richie Sullivan … Interviewee
- Pete Sloan … Interviewee
- Chris Monzert … Interviewee
- Jeannie Valentin … Interviewee
- Luis Martinez … Interviewee
- Louis Savarese … Interviewee