03x07 - True Crime

[bunniefuu]

Check. Check. Is it good?

Okay. Thanks.

I don't want to knock
the light.

This here good?
Interviewer: That's great.

Alright.

Uh, when my son Henry
was born,

he had
a, uh, heart condition --

uh, Tetralogy of Fallot.

Um, it's actually a combination
of four heart defects

that are, uh, fatal, uh,
without surgery.

Multiple surgeries.

And...to watch your child
go through that,

it was...a tough time.

But one thing
that always cheered my family up

was the show "Paul's Place."

Mmm! Tastes good!

The star of the show,
the boy who played Paul,

was Corey Harris.

He was so funny.

Henry would do
the milkshake thing,

you know,
pretending to be Corey.

"Mmm!
Tastes so good!"

And he would make such a mess,
but...

how could you be mad?

I always said to myself
if I ever met him,

I would thank him.

You know,
just shake his hand.

That was before I found out
what he'd become.

Corey: I am
the Prophet Jedediah.

And tomorrow,
the 3rd of June,

is the day that we, the Worthy,
shall ascend.

Aurora: The time for questions
is done.

...get the hell out of my class
right now!

Robin Roberts: ...dr*gs,
alcohol...

Corey: I'm scared!
I don't want to die!

Aah!

Nolan: I just couldn't believe
what happened

to that sweet kid that my son
looked up to, you know?

I couldn't believe
that I was there for all of it.

Jackson: Sorry.
I'm just a little nervous.

That's -- I'm assuming
that's normal, yeah?

Interviewer: Oh, totally.
But there's no pressure.

We're just talking.
Okay.

Uh, where --
where should I start?

Tell me about June 3rd.

Yeah. It started off
like any other day.

A few mundane calls.

And then the world
went crazy.

Los Angeles was thrown
into chaos today

when the Emergency Alert System
inadvertently sent out

a text message stating

a nuclear m*ssile
was headed for the city.

It felt like
the end of the world.

We helped as many people
as we could

and then headed for shelter.

That's when we saw them,
standing on the ledge,

20 stories up,
waiting for their...

How do I put it?

Their ride, uh, from the aliens.

Turned out there was this dude
named the Prophet Jedediah

who told them that on June 3rd,

E.T. was coming
to embrace his followers

during their...ascension.

Group: All hail Children
of the Stars.

Lopez: And for the first time
in history, a cult leader

actually guessed the right date
for the apocalypse.

Turns out this prophet
had been predicting for years

that June 3, 2019, would be
the date for their ascension.

And it was just dumb luck

that the m*ssile alert happened
that day.

I mean, these people
were so brainwashed

that they were gonna jump
to their death.

Thank God
that Officer Lopez was there.

I mean, she saved
all of their lives.

You got to understand,
we had no idea

who this Prophet Jedediah was.

And in the crazy days
that followed,

he kind of fell
through the cracks.

Not that it would've made
any difference if...

Well, at least I don't think
it would've.

Dispatch: 7-Adam-15,
possible 207,

9901 Violet Drive.

RP is on scene.

Benjamin: ...my daughter
out here!

Oh, good. The cops.

Debbie!

Look, my daughter
is inside this house.

He's keeping her.

He won't let her leave.

He's brainwashing her.

Good morning, Officers.
I'm so sorry

you had to be bothered
with this.

I know you.
You're Corey Harris.

You're from that, uh...

"Paul's Place."

Yeah.
That was a lifetime ago,

but it's always nice
to meet a fan.

You want an autograph?

It threw me.

Uh, the thing about celebrities
is I think

they get locked in time
in your head, you know?

Whatever that show is
you loved them from,

that's the way
you always expect them to be.

Corey Harris had done
some other shows

since "Paul's Place"
but nothing that stuck.

You know, people called him
a child star,

as if that was
some kind of failing.

But even so, I, um --

I was definitely
a little starstruck.

I mean, it didn't really matter
to me that he was famous.

I mean, this is L.A.

Every other house is owned
by a superstar or a model

or...cult leader.

Will you arrest him?

He's keeping my daughter
against her will.

He -- He's a cult leader!

It's not a cult.

It's a religious movement --
awaiting tax-exempt status.

Aurora is over 18
and here of her own volition.

Her name is Debbie.

Aurora has shed
her birth name,

like a moth
becoming a butterfly.

Caterpillar.

Moths don't become
butterflies.

Uh, can we speak
to Debbie, please?

Of course.

Aurora!

Yes, Prophet?

Can you tell
these nice officers

that you're here
of your own free will?

I'm here
of my own free will.

Harper: Oh, that was
convincing.

Debbie, please.
This is crazy.

You got to come home.

I am home.

You got to stop her.
Why don't you wait inside
while we talk to Debbie?

Harper: I can't, sir.
She's an adult.

Only if that's what
Aurora wants.

I have nothing else
to say.

I'm happy here,
with my real family.

But, D-Debbie --

Debbie, your mother's cancer --
It's back!

She's dying!

She's only got a couple weeks
to live!

She needs you.

Corey: Aurora?

Harper: It was like
a switch flipped.

Aurora w-- Um, not Aurora.

Uh, Debbie went back inside,

and she packed
all of her stuff

and then she left
with her dad.

I guess she just needed
a cold, hard dose

of reality
to bring her back.

Interviewer: You said earlier
you wanted to thank Corey

for helping you and your son,
shake his hand.

Did you?
No. No.

It felt, um, super inappropriate
at the time.

So we just headed out,

and I thought
that was the end of it.

Tim:
You the one who called?

Yes.
I garden for Mr. Harris.

I found blood
by the door.

Lucy: Did you go
in the home?

No. Okay. Go wait over
by your truck.

We'll check it out and come back
and get your statement.

Thank you.

Police!

Mr. Harris, are you home?

Lucy: Control, 7-Adam-19,
we've got blood

at 9901 Violet Drive.

We're gonna clear
the house.

Notify supervisor,
request additional units.

Blood.

Lucy: Tim.

We have major blood loss
at our location.

Send detectives
and TID.

Is this gonna take long?

Because, uh,
we got work to do.

Interviewer: Um...uh,
what can you tell me

about the crime scene?

Well, I mean,
that amount of blood,

if it came from one person,
then that's fatal.

Without Corey's body,
we had to treat it

as a missing-persons case
while the lab ran the blood

against Corey's DNA.

But no one was home?

We didn't know that yet.

We hadn't cleared
the house.

It -- Corey's disciples
were at a drum circle downtown.

They did it once a week
to recruit new followers.

Yeah. The house's
security camera

captured them all leaving
right before --

Oh, yeah.
We have a video of them

downtown
across from City Hall.

I'm sorry. I cut you off.
I'm sorry.

I was just gonna say that
the security system

was shut off
right after they all left.

It took three hours
to reboot.

So there's no video
of the crime.

This is fun.

Benjamin:
What is this about?

Look, I need to be
at the hospital.

My wife doesn't
have much time left.

We understand, sir.

Uh, you can take a seat,
please.

We will try
and make this quick.

Were you at the hospital
yesterday?

All day and night.

Was your daughter there
with you?

What do you think?

She hasn't seen her dying mother
in years because of that man.

D-Do you understand the whiplash
that Debbie's experienced

in the last two days alone?

Seeing her mother again
has j-- opened her eyes

to everything that she has been
missing in the world --

all the love,
all the joy

that Corey has withheld from her
all of this time.

Corey went missing
yesterday.

There were signs of v*olence
at his house.

Good.

He destroyed our family,
destroyed Debbie's life.

It was just supposed to be
an acting class.

You think the most
important quality

of a great actor
is talent?

Wrong!

It's the ability
to be mercenary,

to do whatever it takes
to get a part

and to use that role
to get the next one.

Trust me. I'm living proof
of what happens when you don't.

So when the acting jobs
dried up,

Corey started
an acting school.

And he basically just used it
to air his grievances

about Hollywood...

After "Paul's Place,"
I just assumed

that the starring roles would
keep coming, but they didn't.

...and to convince
these kids that, you know,

he was the only one
that could help them

navigate this evil world.

I'm not here
to teach you methods.

I'm here to teach you that
unless you're willing

to cross every line

and throw every inhibition
you have out the window,

then you should get the hell
out of my class right now!

But...if you stay,

I will help you.

I will nurture you.

I will give you a safe place
to become a star.

Harper:
And these twenty-somethings,

they fell for it,

and they paid thousands
of dollars for these classes

that slowly just turned
into pseudo-religious

character-building seminars.

Nolan: He made them
feel special.

You know, in a business
that makes people

feel like garbage
on a regular basis,

it wasn't long before Debbie
and the others

started treating him
like a...a guru.

You know, he literally told them
how to act,

and in their eyes,
he became infallible.

He could do no wrong.

He could commit acts
of unspeakable evil

yet still be their savior
from above.

I can't speak
to Officer Nolan's comments,

but what we discovered
at Corey's house that day

was pretty disturbing.

Lucy: Tim.

Police!

Come out
from under the bed.

Do it now.

Come out
with your hands up.

Holy crap.

Tim: What is it?
It's -- It's a --

A what?

A mummy.

In a suit.

What?

Is that...

It can't be.

It looks like, uh --

It was Charlie Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin's mummy.

That was -- That was
Corey's greatest treasure.

Lopez: And where exactly
did Corey obtain

this mummified body,
Debbie?

He stole it.

We stole it.

From who?

From me.
Yeah.

No. I bought Charlie
at a secret auction

I found out about from Nic.

Cage.

I owe my entire career
to Charlie.

He is my total inspiration.

I mean, that -- that tramp.

Oh, my God. I wouldn't be
who I am today without him.

You know?

So when I found out
I could own him --

Like, "Rainn, do you want to --
you want to own Charlie?"

It was like
how could I say no?

You know what I mean?

So when I found out
that I was robbed,

it's like I didn't care about my
vintage cowboy hat collection.

You know what I mean?

I don't care
about my solid gold retainer

or Catherine the Great's
speculum,

my SAG awards,
any of that stuff. No.

I care about...losing
my best friend.

Charlie.

Harper: No. Of course
it wasn't Chaplin's body.

So, apparently in the '70s,

there was someone who actually
did steal his body,

and they held it for ransom,

but eventually it was returned.

However, there are
conspiracy theories

that the real body was sold
on the black market.

So the mummy that we found
is just one of dozens

of fake Chaplins
floating around.

Celebrities are nuts.

Interviewer: How did you feel
when you learned

that Corey Harris
was behind the theft?

Listen. I choose to live
in a realm of total positivity.

I have nothing bad
to say about anyone,

even a vain, talentless
skid mark like Corey.

I've heard
that he targeted celebrities

he felt had wronged him
in some way.

Yeah. He -- He thought
the role of Backstrom

should've gone to him.

Anyway, so he sicced
his whole cult

of acting students on me.

And do you own
any other celebrity mummies?

No comment.

Tim: Before they became
a full-blown cult,

Corey turned his acting school
into a burglary ring

that targeted celebrities.

I caught a bunch of calls
back in 2018.

That was before I was
on the job.

We arrested a few people,
but no one would flip on Corey,

so he got away with it.

Yeah. Corey promised
his students everything --

money, fame.

But all he did
was insert himself

farther and farther
into their lives.

He made them think he could
control their destinies.

I don't know.
Maybe it's because

he didn't have any control
over his own.

What's that saying?
Those who can't do teach?

You were literally
my teacher.

What are you saying?

Aurora: My love! When I thrust
you with this Kn*fe,

why didn't you cry?

I've never seen a man die.

Charlotte: No, no.
No, no, no, no!

Enough. Stop.
Stop.

G-Get up right now.

What is this?

It's a-a Kn*fe.
No.

This is a vehicle
for the actor's soul.

It must convey
all of your anger,

all of your emotion.

You just used this Kn*fe
to take a man's life,

not chop onions in the back
of a fast-food restaurant.

You know what I see
when I look at you?

Hmm?
I see an amateur,

a nobody going nowhere.

Corey: Charlotte.
Charlotte, thank you.

Aurora.

What Charlotte means to say
is anyone can simply memorize

or recite lines onstage.

But only a few dare
to push themselves

where their minds
won't allow them to go.

That's what makes
a true actor.

I can help you
get there.

What do you say?

Laurie: Hey!

Turn that off!

What did I tell you about
filming in my son's school?!

Corey was such a special boy.

Everyone's best friend.

Well, he didn't have
too many friends,

come to think of it,
but that's because

he was so dedicated
to his craft.

He was a natural leading man,
even as a boy,

and I knew he could succeed
at whatever he chose in life.

And he and Charlotte together --

You couldn't ask
for a better duo.

A better duo
to brainwash people.

Corey always made Charlotte
play the bad cop --

no pun intended.

So Corey could swoop in
and be the savior.

Together they would brainwash
a student

to the point where they would do
anything to please him.

Yeah. And that's when he would
induct them into his Bling Ring,

telling them
that the only way to get

into the mind of a criminal
was to become one.

He ruined people's lives.

Interviewer:
Including someone you know.

What?

It's up here on the right.

Oh. Can I help you?

Interviewer:
Sterling Freeman.

Is it true that you were
once a student

of notorious acting teacher
turned cult leader Corey Harris?

What? No.Okay. You can leave now,
thank y--

In fact, your real name
isn't Sterling Freeman, is it?

It's Skipper Young,
and you participated

in a ring
of celebrity burglaries in 2017

at the direction
of Harris.

Okay. What the hell is he
talking about?

Your name is Skipper?

How the bloody hell did you find me?

Whoa. Why are you talking
all British?

So, I have a-a bit of
a confession to make, Jackson.

I'm not really
from Tampa.

Get out. Get out!

Well, you have to understand
that when I first arrived

in L.A. six years ago,
I was a nobody.

Just a weird kid from Melbourne.

I had never even been
to the States before.

But all I knew was
I wanted to be a star.

Interviewer: And tell us
how you first met Corey.

I knew who he was,
of course.

"Paul's Place" was big
in Australia.

Corey was a real actor, and
so I just thought, "Why not?"

And I went to one class...
and he hooked me.

He believed nothing in
this business is given to you.

Whatever you want in life,
you have to take it.

He said the burglaries
would help us

internalize that mind-set.

Corey wanted to help us
learn to conquer our fears...

push our boundaries.

And do you still believe
in Corey's teachings?

No. No. Not at all.

Alright?

Well, we fell out
right before my arrest,

and that's when things
were getting really weird.

You know, over time, you could
tell he was getting delusional,

talking about spirits,

calling us -- his students --
"the Worthy,"

calling himself
a prophet.

Well, it got to a point where...

I told myself one last run
with the crew

and then I'd leave.

Then I got caught.

No, I was not aware
that my boyf--

Sterling --

Skipper was a felon.

Or Australian.

Yes, yes, I'm aware
that cops are not permitted

to fraternize with felons.

Y-- This is
an actual active matter,

and I have no further comment
at this time.

Interviewer: Officer West --
I said I have no further comment.

Thank you.

Officer West,
come on back.

Jackson: How could you
not tell me?

Hey,
I am still Sterling.

No,
y-you're not Sterling!

You're Skipper Young
or whoever the hell that is!

No.

After I was caught, I served
four months' probation

and I changed my name.

I'm different now.

Please.

That part of my life,
it's -- it's behind me.

Do you believe me?

I don't know.

Jackson.

Nolan: Obviously, uh,
we knew that Sterl--

uh, Skipper had nothing to do
with it.

He was in Prague sh**ting
a movie when it happened.

So we still had a mystery
on our hands --

a missing cult leader
and a bloody crime scene.

That was when we became aware
of Corey's connection

to someone who was
a lot more dangerous

than a bunch of wannabe actors.

The Southland Stalker
was a serial k*ller

that terrorized L.A. County
starting in the fall of 2010.

He had no type.

He would hit single people,
couples,

uh, even had a rampage
in a hotel once.

m*rder*d three people
that night.

But the Stalker got sloppy,

and one of his victims escaped,

went to a neighbor's home,

and Dan Marcie was caught
in the surrounding area.

There had always been rumors

that the Stalker
didn't work alone,

that he had an accomplice.

But Marcie maintained in court

that he did it all by himself --

a performance
that we later learned

he had a little help with.

I met Corey in 2017
at one of his acting classes.

I was looking for ways
to up my game,

gain people's trust.

Interviewer:
And why was that?

So it'd be easier
to get my victims

to come with me willingly.

You see, for people like me --

psychopaths --
there's a short circuit

in the part of the brain
that feels empathy.

At least that's
what the prison shrink tells me.

Without that part, it makes it
difficult to relate to people,

to convince them to trust you.

I got tired of bashing people
over the head,

dragging them to the car,
so I thought it'd be much easier

if I could just charm them in
myself.

So I asked Corey to help me.

And did he teach you
how to fake empathy?

Oh, yeah.

It opened up a whole new realm
of possibilities for me...

victim-wise.

There's a rumor
that Corey also helped you

prepare for your trial,

to better connect
with the jury.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's true.

I had the jury eating
out of the palm of my hand.

But they still convicted you
of first-degree m*rder.

Yeah. Well, once they saw the
photos of her head in my fridge,

it was kind of over for me.

Dan Marcie was convicted
of m*rder

months before Corey
went missing.

But even though he wasn't
a suspect in the disappearance,

his association with Corey
definitely made us

take a closer look at who else
was taking those acting classes.

And in the end,
it wasn't a student

that gave us a break in the case
that we needed.

It was Corey's old co-star
and fellow teacher,

Charlotte Luster.

Well, no one had heard
from her

since the day Corey
went missing,

and we were about
to find out why.

Been parked here a week,

and there's a really bad smell
coming from the trunk.

Tim: Would you mind stepping
away from the vehicle?

It belongs to a suspect
in a violent crime.

Corey Harris
and Charlotte Luster.

You played childhood sweethearts
for eight seasons

on "Paul's Place,"

and now I hear you've become
partners in real life.

You know, Robin, when you
grow up with someone on TV,

it just...

it bonds you.
Mm.

Charlotte was always
like family.

And when she and Corey
started dating,

I couldn't have been happier.

I treated her
like my own daughter.

And if I'm being frank,

she was the luckiest girl
in the world

to be able to date my son.

Corey, it's no secret that you
struggled after the show ended.

dr*gs, alcohol,
even an arrest

for indecent exposureat an Emmy party.

Oh, that was all
a misunderstanding.

But what is true is that when
"Paul's Place" was canceled,

I was a --I was a mess, adrift.

It was Charlotte
who brought me back.

She saved me.

News anchor: Breaking news --
Charlotte Luster,

the former child star known for
the '90s sitcom "Paul's Place,"

has been missing
since Sunday.

She is the prime suspect
in the bloody disappearance

of Corey Harris.

Lucy: Even though we found
Charlotte's car at the airport,

we couldn't find
any recent records

of her boarding a flight
at LAX.

Uh, Detective Harper and I
were dispatched

to Charlotte's apartment
to begin a search,

try to find some indication
of where she might've gone.

Interviewer: And did you?
No.

But we did find something
that shed some light.

What was that?

A screenplay.

For a movie.

It's L.A.
It's not the first time

I've found a script
at a crime scene.

I've only been on the job
for a year,

and I've already
found three.

Interviewer: Have either of you
ever written one?

God, no.

It was for a class.

It was the title
that caught everyone's eye --

"The Worthy."
Aurora: ...the Worthy...

...the Worthy......the Worthy.

Same as Corey's cult.

This script is...

...500 pages long.

So we assigned three
of our rookie officers

the task of reading it.

Interviewer: What did you think
of it?

Look,
I'm no screenwriting expert,

but I thought
it was, uh...dense.

Convoluted.

The worst thing
I have ever read.

"Exterior, rooftop, day."

"Aurora, 19,

beautiful
but doesn't know it,

speaks the prophecy aloud."

"Heed ye
the Noon Star Harvesters,

for they shall descend
from the heavens

so the Worthy can ascend."

"So sayeth
the Prophet Jedediah."

"All hail Children
of the Stars."

Group: All hail Children
of the Stars.

Tim: Yep.

He based his freakin' cult
off a bad sci-fi script.

That Charlotte wrote
with him.

I've been a film producer
for like 25 years, okay?

This is the strangest thing
I've ever seen.

Well, second strangest.

Anyway,
it was like five years ago,

and I heard about this script
making the rounds.

And listen. It's not uncommon
for actors to, you know,

try their hand at writing
when the roles dry up, right?

And P.S. -- everyone thinks
they got the next "Rocky."

But a 500-page space opera
written

by two former child stars
raised a few eyebrows.

I took the meeting.

I mean, out of morbid curiosity
more than anything, right?

It was...uncomfortable.

And Charlotte,

she seemed totally willing
to receive feedback, you know?

Corey, he just flatly refused
to make any cuts to the script.

I told them as politely
as I could.

"It's a pass."

Interviewer:
And then what happened?

Well, then I forgot about it
for a long time.

And then things got weird.

Today, police rescued
five people

from a Mid-Wilshire rooftop.

The group identified themselves
as members of "the Worthy"

and were preparing
to commit ritual su1c1de

based on the teachings
of their leader,

known simply
as the Prophet Jedediah.

You want to know why Corey
wasn't on that rooftop

ready to jump
with the rest of his followers?

Because he was filming it.

Sheila: The day after
the m*ssile alert,

I get an e-mail from Corey.

The subject line --
"Proof of Concept."

I...I couldn't believe
what I was seeing.

Five people almost d*ed

because
some washed-up narcissist

thought that the world
he dreamed up

in his screenplay
had become real.

Along with the video,
Corey also sent Sheila

a revised version
of his script.

Yeah. W-With Charlotte Luster's
name removed.

He was trying
to cut her out --

from the script, the cult,
and the money.

Hell hath no fury
like a woman scorned, right?

Cool.

Way to trivialize
female anger.

Hey,
I'm not trivializing.

All sorts of crimes
are motivated

by jealous ex-partners.

And how many of
those ex-partners are men?

Most.

Interviewer: I heard
it was Officer Chen

who broke the case
wide open.

I d-- I don't know

if I'd describe it
quite that way.

How would you describe it,
then?

Her addiction to social media
finally paid off.

T-That is hurtful.

I...

Can you tell us
what happened?

I was on my phone,
doing...research

when I got a notification.
Ah.

And -- You know what?

I-I still have the video
on my phone.

Just let me...

Look at that.

That's -- Uh, that's --
Sorry.

That's not what --
No.

You are never gonna believe

the celeb sighting
I just made

during my Malibu
silent retreat.

That's Corey Harris.

He was alive.

Harper: You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say can be used
against you in a court of law.

You have the right
to an attorney.

If you cannot afford one,
one will be provided for you.

Do you understand?

Do you understand, sir?

Corey?

Uh, he took the "right to remain
silent" part real seriously.

Very seriously.

Interviewer: How long
did he stay quiet?

Five and a half hours.

Wow.

That was invigorating.

72 hours
of silence.

You guys should try it.

Now, what'd you want
to ask me?

What a putz.

So, Corey, while you were, uh,
playing your little quiet game,

we were getting
the forensics report

back from the lab.

Do you care to guess
what it said?

That I'm innocent.

No. That the blood that we found
at your house

and in Charlotte's car
belong to the same person.

Who?

Charlotte.

Oh, my God!

That's horrible!
My -- My poor girl.

Harper: Wow. You're right.
He is a good actor.

Nolan: I told you.
Mm-hmm.

So what happened
to Charlotte?

I have no idea.

I haven't seen her
in weeks.

And I've been at the silent
retreat since last Monday.

I-I'm sure
they have a record.

Yeah. An employee
recalls checking you in

at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday morning.

Unfortunately, no one else
remembers seeing you

until the welcome bonfire
that evening.

That leaves an eight-hour window
that is unaccounted for --

plenty of time for you
to leave the retreat,

go back home,
and k*ll Charlotte.

Do you have any proof
of that?

Of course not,
because I didn't do it.

I could never hurt
another person.

What about your followers,

the ones you almost persuaded
to jump off a roof for you?

For me?

They were doing it
for themselves,

for their own
enlightenment,

so they could ascend
into a higher state of being.

I wouldn't expect someone
as limited as you to understand.

Is that what you call
the people

who can see through
your little act?

Was --
Was Charlotte limited?

In some ways, yes.

Is that
why you k*lled her?

I think I need a lawyer.

Because she saw
the real you.

Because she had the power

to send your house of cards
toppling.

Lawyer.

Wesley: I can't talk
about clients.

I told you that
when you called yesterday.

Interviewer: Even given what happened?

Yeah.

Corey built
his whole empire

on a script he stole
from Charlotte,

and she was gonna
expose him.

That sounds like motive
for m*rder to me.

Hey,
speculate all you like.

There was never
any evidence.

There was video.

Which did not show
my client.

Now leave me alone.

Nolan: Enter the "momager."

Mom and manager.

It's all a hybrid.

I thought that was clever.

Anyway, once we saw the footage

of her tampering
with the evidence,

it was clear to us
that Laurie Harris played

at least some small
or, shall we say,

behind-the-scenes role
in the crime.

Interviewer:
I don't get it.

I'm not gonna make
any more jokes.

Harper: So, Mrs. Harris,
what happened to Charlotte?

Last I heard,
she was flying to Cabo.

So...soakin' up the sun,
sippin' on margaritas?

Charlotte is not in Cabo,
Mrs. Harris.

Was it Cancun?

You drove her car
to the airport,

and then you left it there
to make it look like

she had left town.

Oh.

That?

She asked me
to leave her car there.

Really? That's weird,
because we found her blood

at your son's house

and then also in the trunk
of her car.

And we also just found
what remains of her body

dumped heartlessly

20 miles
up Interstate 5.

T-- My God.

That's...awful!

Poor Charlotte.

Clearly, Corey
did not get his acting talents

from his mother.

Seriously.
That wasn't even believable.

But you have bigger problems
than your lack of acting chops.

Charlotte's car
had GPS tracking.

You should've disabled it
before you dumped her body.

You can't prove I was anywhere
but the airport.

Did you k*ll her,
Mrs. Harris,

or were you just
cleaning up

another one
of your son's messes?

I have no idea
what you're talking about.

I think Corey checked in
at the retreat

and then he left
to go meet Charlotte.

He k*lled her and called you
to clean it up.

Then he went back
to his silent meditation

while you dumped the body
of a woman you'd known

since she was a child
like so much trash.

Corey had nothing to do
with it.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

I k*lled her
all by myself.

Interviewer: Can you blame her
for trying to protect her son?

Uh, yeah.

She k*lled somebody.

Sure. But if your son
had done something

that would destroy
his life,

wouldn't you try
and protect him,

throw yourself
on the grenade?

Your job as a parent
is to protect your children

as much as you can.

But that also means
teaching them right from wrong.

And there has
to be consequences.

Doesn't mean you love them
any less.

It just means...

parenting is hard.

Harper: His mom confessed.

And Corey Harris passed
the polygraph,

so we had to release him.

Interviewer: Doesn't sound like
you believe he's innocent.

My belief or lack thereof
is irrelevant.

The decision to charge lies
solely with the D.A.'s office,

and they didn't think
it was a case they could win.

Does that
make you angry?

No. I mean, a high-profile case
like this

and a guilty plea
ready to go?

I wouldn't have charged him
either.

That doesn't mean I think he
should've gotten away with it.

Well, but he didn't actually
get away with it, did he?

Well...

Good evening, Worthy ones.

Welcome to my evening sermon,

streamed across
all my social platforms.

You know, we are so blessed.

So blessed to shine in the light
of Our Saviors Above.

You don't know the comfort
I've drawn

knowing that one day soon,

they will come
to lift us all up.

Hello?

Nobody's supposed to be here.

Uh...where was I?

Um...right.

Our Saviors.

They spoke to me last night.

The stars seemed to part
as I was out in the night sky,

and I could hear their voices
just as clear as you hear mine,

and they said --

What the hell?

The electric bill's
on auto-pay.

Hello?

Aurora Number 2, is that you?

This isn't funny!

Come on.

Be right back.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Aah! How is this so heavy?!

Oh, my God!

Oh, no, no, no.

Siri -- Siri, dial 911, please.

Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.

Operator: 911.
What's your emergency?

Help.
Someone's in my house.

I'm in danger.

I am the savior,
the Prophet Jedediah.

I can't die.

Sir,
are you still there?

Oh, no!

I'm scared!
I don't want to die!

Nolan: Police!
Don't move!

Drop your w*apon!

Hands on your head.

Interlace your fingers.
Now!

You got him?
Harper: Yeah.

Don't move.

Give me your other hand.

Ronald Sanchez.

Harper:
Where's Corey Harris?

Most of him's inside.

Except his eyes.

You just found those.

Harper.

You got to bag them
as evidence

and we got to clear
the house.

What happened here,
Ronald?

My coming-out party.

Yeah. It turned out
the Southland Stalker

had an accomplice after all,

and he was pissed
that Corey convinced Dan

to take all the credit
during his trial.

I'm sorry.
Can I say "pissed"?

Look, I know it's crazy.

But, I mean, this dude's
a freakin' serial k*ller who --

who puts eyes in his pocket.

He's not exactly f*ring
on all cylinders.

Control,we got one in custody.

Going back inside
to look for the homeowner.

Ready?
Harper: Uh-huh.

Oh, no.

Control, we got a 187.

Mobilize detectives,
a supervisor, and TID.

I think...

I think this thing
is still on.

Lucy: It was.

By the time Harper and Nolan
secured the scene,

Corey's live stream
had 400,000 viewers.

Okay. Look. The case
was definitely weird.

But I mean, come on.

All this?

This feels
so exploitational.

The low-hanging fruit
of celebrity scandal and m*rder.

You should be making
serious documentaries

about things
that really matter.

Interviewer: My last film
was about climate injustice

in Puerto Rico.

It won a BAFTA.

Oh.

Well, alright, then.

I j-- I just want to say
this has been so fascinating.

I love true crime,
and to be in a documentary,

it's just --
it's a dream come true.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much
for doing this.

Yeah.

You got -- You got something
in your hair.

What?
It's kind of --

Has it been there
the whole time?

Yeah. It's pretty big.
Let's get out of here.

I would tell you if you had
broccoli in your teeth, man.

What the heck?

Interviewer: Were you surprised
that Ronald k*lled Corey?

No, no. Not at all.

Guy's out of his mind.

He was always super jealous
of my fame too,

so I guess he needed
to get some for himself.

The eyes thing was a nice touch,
though, I will say.

Do you have a takeaway
from this experience?

Um, I'm honestly
still processing

everything that happened.

And have you talked
to Skipper?

Who?

Oh, um...no.

No. We, uh...

We've gone
our separate ways.

Interviewer: Was this
your craziest case?

Oh, yes.

This was definitely the craziest
case I have ever worked.

Oh, it's nowhere
near the craziest.

Interviewer: Really?
Can you tell me more?

No.

Uh, we're done here.
I'm gonna go.

Actually, I have
a few more questions

if you had an extra minute
or two,

Detective Harper.

D-D-Detective Harper?

Mmm!
Tastes good!

You know what I want to
be when I grow up?

An ice cream sundae.

Silly.

You can't be an ice cream sundae
when you grow up.

Then I never want
to grow up.

Still funny.

m*rder*r.