[s4e18] Desperate (PRO ◉)

The episode begins when firefighters rescue a young boy, Tommy, from a tenement fire. Inside, they discover his stepmother, Jill Hoffman, who has been brutally beaten and sexually assaulted; she later dies from her injuries. Detectives Benson and Stabler discover that Jill and Tommy were living under an alias to hide from Tommy’s father, Dan Hoffman, a wealthy and well-respected real estate developer from Rye, New York. The investigation reveals a pattern of domestic abuse:

: Tommy witnessed the assault but is too traumatized and terrified of his father to identify the attackers initially. [S4E18] Desperate

: Dan uses his influence and a high-powered attorney, Priscilla Chaney, to block the detectives from questioning his son. The episode begins when firefighters rescue a young

: Dan Hoffman is a "pillar of the community," making it difficult for the detectives to find anyone willing to believe he is capable of such violence. The investigation reveals a pattern of domestic abuse:

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