The Closer

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

Would you please state and spell your name

and give your occupation?

Brenda Leigh Johnson.

B-r-e-n-d-a.

L-e-i-g-h.

J-o-h-n-s-o-n.

Deputy Chief L.A.P.D., Major Crimes division.

The Closer 7x16 Hostile Witness Original Air Date on July 9, 2012

Ms. Baldwin. Direct?

Thank you, Your Honor.

Good morning, Chief Johnson.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

You may think you're walking away from this a free man,

but I assure you, you are in more trouble

than you could possibly imagine.

I hope that's not a threat.

I know the women you raped and the woman you murdered.

I don't know what you're talking about.

What is it you hope to accomplish?

To see you on trial for murder, Mr. Stroh.

Chief Johnson?

Yes.

Good morning.

Chief Johnson, on the morning of February 15th of this year,

while Major Crimes was covering for Hollywood Homicide,

were you called to room 116

of the Crystal Motel on Sunset Boulevard?

I was.

And can you tell the court what you discovered in the room

registered to the defendant, George Harris?

I found the dead body of Gwennyth Adler.

People's exhibit 34-B.

That's a nasty bruise above her eye.

Not nasty enough to kill her.

How'd she die?

Not sure, but it didn't happen very long ago --

maybe five, six hours?

Chief, the housekeeper started her shift at 6:00 a.m.,

noticed the front door of the room slightly open.

When she went to close it, she saw the body and called 911.

I don't see any luggage.

Doesn't look like she was planning a long stay.

Well, Crystal Motel clientele

typically don't need a room more than an hour.

Yeah, but her blouse is ripped.

Her jeans are torn.

I mean, wouldn't a prostitute take better care of her clothes?

Well, if she was a hooker, she wasn't a pro.

There's a wallet, driver's license, credit card, some cash,

and a work I.D. -- Gwennyth Adler.

She was a nurse at St. Leo's children's hospital.

She's got a receipt here

from Stella's nightclub over in Culver City --

10:32 p.m. last night.

One drink on her tab.

That's kind of sad.

Yesterday was Valentine's, and she went out alone?

Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

Maybe she found him.

I did, too, Chief. His name's George Harris.

The manager said he signed in last night around 10:00 p.m.

Requesting two room keys.

Two keys? Two.

Using his driver's license and a $100 cash deposit,

which he hasn't come back to claim.

And we have his driver's license right here.

Yeah, but he got the room at 10:00 p.m.

Gwennyth was still at the club after that.

So Harris books the room,

planning -- or hoping, maybe -- to bring someone back here.

Lieutenant, did the manager remember

seeing Gwennyth and Mr. Harris together?

No.

But I ran Harris up.

12 months ago, he was arrested for rape.

The D.A. dropped the charges, never went to trial.

Oh, and the manager said Harris was driving a cab.

Oh, convenient -- book a room and then troll the neighborhood

looking for drunk girls coming out of bars.

But he asked for two room keys. Why two?

It was his partner who raped those women.

Maybe he had a partner.

Ah, let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Detective Sanchez, I want a want out on Mr. Harris.

I want to talk to him.

Lieutenant, find out everything you can

about his previous arrest.

Detective Gabriel, please speak to the employees

on duty at Stella's last night.

See if anyone remembers Gwennyth or saw her with Mr. Harris.

Maybe he's the type of cabbie that liked to drink and drive.

Kendall -- you want a rape kit.

I do. I also want to know how she died.

That's a good question.

26-year-old female in otherwise perfect health.

No severe trauma.

It screams overdose, but I won't be able to tell you for certain

until I look at the tox screen.

What about these bruises on her arms and her head?

Don't look like signs of assault.

More like, I don't know, she was...handled, maybe?

Like she passed out and someone could have helped her up?

More like dragged her into position. Her shoes looked fine.

Well, they could have been pulled off of her,

along with her clothes,

because I also found semen on her neck and stomach.

So, I'm guessing she was drugged and raped.

Objection!

Ms. Baldwin has not presented any evidence of rape.

My client admitted to consensual sex,

and at the time, the coroner found no proof of drugs.

The pathologist's report

has already been entered into evidence without objection,

and Dr. Morales found Rohypnol in Ms. Adler's blood.

He could not, however, testify

as to how the drug was administered,

and neither can anyone else.

Rohypnol is called "the date rape drug" for a reason.

Objection. Your Honor, please.

Sustained.

Sidebar, up here.

This is the sixth time I've had to object to the manner

in which Claire strays from the boundaries you laid out.

Your Honor, I'm trying to establish that Miss Adler

was unable to give consent in her drugged state,

which is the precondition for rape.

And I am warning you, Claire, stick to the evidence.

What is the name of your partner?

It's my lawyer. It's Mr. Stroh.

I promise you my objections will end up much worse than his.

I will hunt relentlessly to tie you to these crimes

until the day you die.

Chief Johnson, I'm rephrasing the question.

Based on your years of experience,

the evidence collected at the motel,

and the preliminary autopsy report,

what kind of investigation were you conducting?

The circumstances led me to believe

that Gwennyth Adler had been murdered.

And why were you so interested in talking to the defendant?

He seemed to be the last person to have seen her alive.

Also, he'd run off and left his driver's license behind.

I didn't want him driving around without it.

Yes, Lieutenant Provenza. Any progress?

Well, no luck finding Harris.

Sanchez parked two uniforms outside his house,

but he hasn't shown up.

Well, he can't disappear forever.

Well, he may want to.

- You remember Harris' - Hello.

previous arrest for rape?

Well, exact same scenario.

Woman woke up in a motel room

and realized that she'd been sexually assaulted.

Rape kit came back with a DNA match to Harris

and a second unidentified assailant.

That's why he asked for two keys to the motel room.

He had a partner.

Yeah, now, the previous victim -- her name's Natalie Gilbert,

claimed that she "came to" during the second assault.

Identified Harris, said she might be able to do the same

for his partner in a line-up.

So why was he let go?

Okay, Chief.

Just got off the phone with the D.A.'s office.

Before they could get to court, Ms. Gilbert disappeared.

They couldn't prosecute the rape case without the victim.

So all charges against Harris were dropped,

along with the search for his partner.

Oh, and get this, Chief.

Guess who represented Harris in his first rape case?

Who?

Hold on to your hat.

Phillip Stroh. Phillip Stroh.

What?! Why'd you tell her that?!

What? She's going to find that out!

Don't tell her things like that on the phone!

Chief?

Chief?

Phillip Stroh defended Harris?

Now, Chief, there is absolutely no proof

that Stroh is the second rapist.

You know that he was always very careful

not to leave any DNA behind.

Plus the fact

he specializes in representing sex-crime defendants.

Yes, I know. I remember.

He said it gave purpose to his life. It gives purpose to my life.

If he defended Harris in his first case,

the he probably knows where he is now.

And I know how to find Stroh.

Huh?

Damn it, Chief.

How long you been tracking Stroh's car with a GPS marker?

Since the day after the Johnson rule went into effect.

Don't worry. I have a warrant.

And look -- there's Stroh's car and the suspect's taxi.