Primal Fear Page #5

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Do not be fooled by the defendant's

innocent appearance and demeanour.

Aaron Stampler sat injudgment

ofArchbishop Rushman

and determined

that not only should he die,

but he should die the most brutal...

We all saw Aaron being arrested

minutes after the Archbishop's death.

But why? Because he was convenient

and the police were under pressure...

The evidence will show that Aaron

Stampler stalked, ambushed

and savagely murdered

this great man.

The Prosecution doesn't want you

to hear about

the other altar boys who have

mysteriously disappeared.

At the close of evidence,

you will learn

that Aaron Stampler

had everything he needed

for the perfect assassination.

Using this knife...

..Aaron Stampler repeatedly stabbed

at the Archbishop's chest,

his genitals and his eyes.

They don't want you to hear

that the Archbishop

invested on behalf

of the Roman Catholic Church.

Investments resulting in huge losses

for some very powerful people.

They don't want you to hear about the

20 death threats he received this year.

And they really don't want you

to hear about their theory of motive.

Why is that? Very simple.

They don't have one.

Inspector Woodside, explain to the

court where the sneakers came from.

They were taken off the defendant

when he was apprehended.

What was the result

of the blood-stain analysis?

They proved to be human blood

matching the blood type and DNA

characteristics of the Archbishop.

What did the bloody footprints

surrounding the body tell you?

The killer left a pattern of footprints

around the area of the struggle,

as indicated by the spread of blood

through the room.

Yes or no, inspector. Could there have

been a third person in the quarters?

- There's no evidence to suggest that.

- No evidence proves there wasn't.

No.

What happened after the struggle?

Our analysis suggests

the killer was startled and ran

from the bedroom and down the stairs.

Is it possible, inspector...

that the real killer, the third person,

who maybe was smart enough not

to tramp a whole freeway of blood

through the whole place,

couldn't this third person have placed

the defendant's prints on the knife...

- ...while he was passed out?

- Anything is possible.

Clearly the victim suffered

a great number of stab wounds.

Yes, he did. 78.

He tried to defend himself, that

explains cuts on hands and forearms.

Doctor, isn't it a fact

that you can't be sure

whether more than one person inflicted

these 78 stab and incised wounds?

It could have been more than one,

but I doubt it.

From your analysis

of the knife wounds,

do you have an opinion whether

the killer was left or right-handed?

The wounds to the throat

and most of the chest wounds

were made from an angle that strongly

suggests a left-handed person.

- Is the defendant left-handed?

- Yes, he is.

It's possible a right-handed person

could have used his left hand.

Yes, I suppose that's possible.

Then it's reasonable to assume there

was a third person at the crime scene.

Reasonable, no. But it is possible.

...then following opening statements

it was a day ofstrong testimony

from the Prosecution's first witnesses,

Forensics ChiefHarvey Woodside

and Medical Examiner Emile Weil.

It was also tough cross-examination

of Woodside and Weil

by Stampler defence attorney

Martin Vail.

Captain Stenner, thank you

for the time you've given us.

But finally, I'd like to turn your attention

to the symbol carved into the chest.

Would you please tell the jury

about that, captain?

Yes, the letter and the numbers

B 32.1 56 were carved

into the Archbishop's chest.

Have you been able to find

an identical reference anywhere?

I believe so, yes.

The symbol B 32.1 56 is actually

catalogue code for a book

discovered in a private reading room

located in the church basement.

That particular number, the B 32 part,

refers to a book, The Scarlet Letter,

by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

When we opened the book

to page 1 56,

we discovered an underlined passage.

Could you please read

this underlined passage to the court?

"No man, for any considerable period,"

"can wear one face to himself

and another to the multitude"

"without finally getting bewildered

as to which may be the true."

Thank you.

What does that passage mean to you?

Objection. He's a policeman,

not an English professor.

His interpretation will be

speculative and irrelevant.

She didn't ask for an expert opinion.

Witness can answer.

Well, to me it's simple.

The killer thought his victim was

two-faced, dishonest in some way.

In your experience, captain,

do killers ever intentionally

leave clues to their motive?

Not often, but it happens.

Thanks.

- Thanks, man.

- Yeah, sure.

Did you underline that book?

- What?

- Did you underline that book?

- No, Mr Vail.

- No?

No, Mr Vail. I never even opened

The Scarlet Letter.

I don't like Hawthorne.

We had that one about the house with

the seven somethings in high school,

I couldn't even get past page 1 0.

I wasn't the only one

using Bishop Rushman's library.

Everybody borrowed books

from Bishop Rushman.

He encouraged it. Altar boys, staff,

everyone was in there.

Guard.

You don't give up, do you?

- You didn't know anything about that?

- No.

- What about the impact...?

- I can't talk right now.

My office will call you, right? OK, bye.

- Thanks.

- See you.

Bye.

What the f*** happened in there?

I guess that 8 was a B after all.

You think this is funny?

We're losing this case.

What happened?

How could you've missed that?

There are 50 of them,

plus the entire Chicago PD.

How was I to know he had

a reading room in the basement?

- It's your job.

- You want my job?!

- No, I want you to do your job!

- Marty, come on.

I'm working on a third-man defence.

Figured that out yet?

I don't have a third man. Why?

Because you can't f***ing find him!

- Is it that hard to find one indigent kid?

- Maybe we already got the kid.

We have to at least consider

the possibility that he did it.

The evidence points towards him,

and you refuse to look at it.

I'm not refusing to look at anything!

I don't think he did it!

We're up there in a couple of days,

and we got dick!

- Do your f***ing jobs!

- F***!

It must have been hard to come

to Chicago. You didn't know anybody.

Nobody.

Did you have any money?

No, nothing.

I wanna talk more about

your girlfriend, Linda. Can we, Aaron?

- No.

- Why not?

Aaron.

Oh, I'm sorry.

D-d-do you think

we can do this later?

- No, I wanna stay with this a while.

- I'm just a li-li-little tired.

I know. Why does talking about

Linda Forbes upset you?

It d-d... It doesn't.

I just don't want

to talk about it right now.

- Why not? Are you all right?

- No, my head hurts.

OK, I'm sorry. Let me just fix this.

- You know what I can do with this?

- No, how the f*** should I know?

Jesus Christ.

Aaron?

What? What were you saying?

What do you want? I'll kill you!

I don't think so, Alex. Drop it.

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