Law & Order: CI Season 2 Episode 11 Baggage
- January 12, 2003
- 44 min
-
8.0 (411)
Detectives Goren and Eames are called to investigate a suspicious death on a private airport runway. The victim, a wealthy businessman, was found in the cargo hold of his private jet with a severe head injury. The initial investigation suggests that the murder weapon was a piece of baggage that was found at the scene.
As they dig deeper, Goren and Eames discover that the victim, Arthur Danzinger, had a number of enemies - including his business partner, his estranged wife, and a number of disgruntled employees. One employee in particular, a baggage handler named Jerry Klein, becomes the prime suspect when it is discovered that he had access to the murder weapon and had recently been fired by Danzinger.
However, the case takes a surprising turn when Goren and Eames discover that Danzinger's wife, a renowned actress named Lorraine Bracco, may have been involved in the murder. Bracco had a motive for killing her husband - he was in the process of cutting her off financially and had threatened to reveal embarrassing details about her past if she contested his will.
With the help of Bracco's personal assistant, Goren and Eames are able to piece together a timeline of events that suggests that Bracco was in the cargo hold shortly before the murder took place. However, Bracco denies any involvement in the crime and suggests that Klein was responsible.
As the detectives continue to investigate, they discover that Klein had a history of mental illness and had been under psychiatric care in the past. Goren uses this information to his advantage, and in a classic interrogation scene, he is able to get Klein to confess to the murder.
The episode ends with Goren reflecting on the idea of baggage - not only the physical baggage that can be used as a murder weapon, but also the emotional baggage that people carry around with them. The parallel between the baggage that Klein used to kill Danzinger and the emotional baggage that Bracco and Danzinger carried serves as a reminder that everyone has their own demons to face.