Authors Note- This is my first SVU fic, just throwing that out there. I don't have much to say except enjoy.
Disclaimer- Law and Order: SVU as well as the characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC.
CENTRAL PARK
9:24 AM
Detective Elliot Stabler and his partner Olivia Benson pushed their way through the crowd of people that had gathered around the crime scene tape hanging loosely between thick green trees and bushes. A blue uniformed cop met them.
"Benson and Stabler, SVU," Olivia nodded to the officer, badge out. "What's going on?"
"I'm Officer Montoya of the Central Park Precinct. A jogger this morning called in when their dog ran off the path and started digging a body out of the bushes," the short Hispanic man explained as he led the two detectives towards a group of ME s and other officers crowding the scene. "DOA."
"Raped?" Elliot asked raising his eyebrows.
"No," Montoya shook his head coming to a stop.
"Then why were we called in on a homicide?" Olivia asked quizzically.
"Well… the vic was found nude and… well," Montoya trailed off running a stout hand through his short black hair. "Whoever did him in took a souvenir." Elliot and Olivia looked at Montoya, then one another, then back at Montoya.
"What do you mean by souvenir?" Olivia asked hesitantly.
"They cut off his… you know," Montoya shrugged. Benson and Stabler nodded knowingly.
"What do you guys have so far?" she continued.
"MEs looking at the body now. Pretty grisly. Face bashed in. It's a white male. Young. Wouldn't be able to tell you specifically. But this is all yours now, CP doesn't want anything to do with this."
"Thanks…" Elliot rolled his eyes. "We'll take over from now." Montoya nodded and walked away.
"Homicide is always so generous with these kinds of cases," Elliot sneered as he walked towards a familiar black woman kneeling over a sheeted body. Olivia paused.
"Elliot, do you know where we are?" she asked.
"Central Park, New York City…" he trailed off.
"No, no I mean we're at Strawberry Fields," she pointed to their side where a stone circle inscribed with the word 'Imagine' was covered in flowers.
"Coincidence?"
"An angry Beatles fan?" she asked skeptically. Elliot shook his head and walked over to the ME.
"What have we got?" Elliot asked, Warner lifted her head from where she was kneeling over the body.
"White male, 18-21 years old. Been dead about 8 hours. Definitely not a dump job, there's blood and an obvious sign of a struggle here. He had no clothes on, no ID as you obviously know from crime lab. No particular moles, birthmarks or tattoos. The only identifying mark is an eyebrow piercing on the left side of his face, the only side that's intact."
"What do you mean?" Olivia asked suspiciously.
"Your perp didn't just beat his face, he or she completely destroyed it. Shattered the skull, upper jaw, cheekbones, massive hemorrhaging in the eye socket."
"Was that the cause of death?"
"Yes. Blunt force trauma is what's going down on the death certificate."
"What about... you know," Elliot raised his eyebrow.
"The castration? Both his testicles and penis were removed. He was dismembered before he died. He got the crap beat out of him, then, he was castrated, then, judging by the hemorrhaging and clotting he died about an hour later. The removal was crude, done with a fairly dull knife. The group of people who did this to him wanted him to suffer."
"Wait, wait, group, more than one person did this?"
"Yes. He was first attacked by hand, someone slugged him in the face, pretty hard from the bruising patterns. Then he was attacked by heavy objects. My guess is a wooden baseball bat from the splinters in the wounds and a tire iron."
"So we're looking for two angry guys?" Elliot nodded to himself.
"At least one male. It would have taken a massive woman to deliver a punch that could knock this guy out. However, you're probably looking for a female also."
"Why?" Olivia cocked her head.
"Scratch marks all over his back, bruising patterns more consistent with slapping and shoving. He also has a puncture wound on the upper part of his foot that's probably from a high heeled shoe."
"So the guy knocked him out, a woman got a couple hits and kicks in, the guy bashes his skull in, the woman takes a few swings and then cuts off his package?"
"Probably something like that. That's I've got for now, I'll let you know if I get anything new from the autopsy.
Just then Eliot's phone rang.
"Stabler?" he asked walking away. Olivia thanked Warner then followed her partner. "We got a print match for the vic. Crime scene already sent the prints in."
"Who?"
"His name is Frank Hersetter. He's 18 years old and been on probation for felony vandalism since he was 14. His PO has an address for him in Queens, he lives with his parents."
HERSETTER RESIDENCE
12498 E MAPLEWOOD DR
QUEENS, NEW YORK
11:47 AM
Elliot and Olivia rang the doorbell of a moderate sized, well-kept, white single family home on a quiet street. Planters of pansies lined the walk, the grass was cut and a small painted angel proclaiming 'Welcome' was hung from a nail next to the door. Just as Elliot lifted his finger to ring the bell one more time, the door opened, revealing a middle-aged blonde woman. She was Olivia's height, and her graying blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore jeans and a pink t-shirt, but her youthful look was countered by a worn looking face. She was a pretty woman but looked exhausted.
"Hello?" she sighed, trying to smile.
"Hello ma'am. I'm Detective Elliot Stabler and this is my partner Detective Olivia Benson of Manhattan SVU. Are you Mrs. Hersetter?"
She nodded. "What has Frank done now?"
"Well ma'am, that's what we're here to talk about. May we come in?"
She nodded again, opening the door. Elliot and Olivia followed her through a narrow but warm crème colored hallway to a small family room. Dark wood was brightened with red furniture and a piano in the corner. Family pictures were on the mantle place, and hanging next to a school picture of a girl, who looked to be able 14, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes was a more formal picture of a boy who looked similar. He had short brown hair, piercing blue eyes and an eyebrow piercing. Olivia tapped her partner on the shoulder and raised her eyebrows towards the picture. Elliot nodded solemnly.
"Please sit down," the woman offered kindly as she took a seat on a loveseat adjacent to the couch. "Frank has been in a lot of trouble I know, but... he really is a good kid."
"What kind of trouble has your son been in?" Olivia asked kindly.
"Mostly drugs."
"His record doesn't mention that though," Elliot noted.
"I know. A lot of it has gone unreported, things that we've found. The other things were expunged from his record when he turned 18 two months ago. Everything except for the aggravated assault. That happened so long ago, he was 14 and in with a bad crowd. But because of that he's struggled with the system since. Almost got expelled from school his sophomore year. We haven't even been able to go on a family vacation since because he can't leave the city."
"He was almost expelled from school?"
"Yes. He was sent to P.R.E.P. instead. The district alternative school. He's graduating in a few weeks. Would you like some tea?"
"Oh no thank you Mrs. Hersetter," Olivia thanked her.
"Please call me Linda. Anyway, it's been tough. We've had to take out a second mortgage on our house to pay for his legal and court fees. My husband Tom, Frank's father, wanted to kick him out when he turned 18. I refused, we've been fighting ever since. It's even been hard on Elizabeth, our 14 year old daughter."
"Linda," Elliot asked. "When was the last time you saw your son?"
She bit her lip. "Yesterday afternoon. Around four. He was leaving the house with his two friends Shelby and Steven. In Steven's car. An old red Toyota. A lot of stickers. Anyway, I was bringing Elizabeth home from school... Officers, please tell me, what has Frank done this time? How can I help him?" she pleaded, tears in her eyes.
"Mrs.- Linda. I am so sorry, but your son, Frank, he was found this morning in Central Park. He was murdered," Olivia said gently.
"Oh my god," she said in shock, jaw dropping. "He- everyone said this- but, no..." she burst into tears. "H-how, w-why?"
"That's what we're trying to find out. Do you know why Frank and his friends would be in Manhattan?"
"A lot of the boys he knows go to Regis Jesuit, the boys Catholic school on the upper east side. But I don't know... his friends would. Oh my god," the sobs racked her thin frame.