...these Are Their Stories: The Law & Order Podcast

A murder victim may have been trying to leave a woman's empowerment group run by a charismatic man. "Accredo" offers expensive classes, blackmail photos, branded symbols, and sex with the leader. Can hot-mess Amanda Rollins convince the women to stand on their own and tell the truth? We're talking about SVU season 20 episode 5 "Accredo." Our special guest is Erika Villalba from the "That Aged Well" podcast. This episode is inspired by the case of the NXIVM cult. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

A triple murder leads Briscoe and Curtis to a psychotic homeless man (Denis O'Hare). Claire is feeling the heat from Schiff for letting James Smith off with a fine in an earlier case. Jack finds that Smith is a legal wiz when back on his medication. It takes the testimony of his sister (Ann Dowd) to finally break his spirit. We're talking about one of the most acclaimed episodes of Law & Order, season 6 episode 21 "Pro Se." Our special guest is writer and blogger Charlie Pierce. This episode takes cues from the real life story of David Riggins. Click here to read Charlie's article on L&O's 25th anniversary. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

The immolation and castration of a homeless man leads Stabler and Munch to a Catholic high school. A student says the death was revenge for the rape of his sister. But Benson learns the girl initiated the sex because she and her friends made a pact to all get pregnant together. We're popping out SVU season 10 episode 6 "Babes." (Speaking of procreation) our special guest is Rebecca's son, Henry Lavoie. This episode is inspired by the so-called pregnancy pact at Gloucester High School. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Someone is secretly videotaping ballerinas having sex. SVU then discovers the dancers are being blackmailed into getting prime roles if they sleep with the highest bidder at the gala auction. Cue the undercover sting! We're talking about SVU season 21 episode 17 "Dance, Lies and Videotape." Our guest is June Thomas from Slate's Working podcast. This episode is inspired by the controversary around the New York City Ballet.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

After the brazen murder of a travel agent, Mike Logan and Phil Cerreta are on the hunt for a Columbian hit man who's "sending a message." During the investigation, Cerreta is shot by a twitchy illegal gun dealer in an undercover sting gone wrong. By the episode's bone-chilling ending, virtually everyone is dead: the travel agent, the wife, the grandmother, the daughter, the gun dealer, the business partner, and even the hit man. We're talking about one of the great all-time episodes of Law & Order, season 3 episode 8 "Prince of Darkness." Our guest is Brady Carlson from the "Cool Weird Awesome" podcast. This episode takes cues from the real life story of Jhon Jairo Velasquez. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

A man in the subway gets his twig and berries cut off. The detectives learn he had been keeping women chained in a sex dungeon. One of the former captives reported the abduction years earlier, but Olivia didn't believe her story. When the kidnapper ends up dead, Stabler wonders if Benson is hiding something. We're talking about SVU season 5 episode 9 "Control." Our pinch hitting guest is Lily Flynn from the These Are Their Stories podcast. This episode takes cues from the real life case of John Jamelske.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

The detectives' raids on pop-up brothels keep getting foiled because the judge who runs the operation is tipping them off. Meantime, Fin hopes to make a love connection with his old partner, Phoebe Baker. Plus: a bonus discussion about the season finales of Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime. We're talking about SVU season 20 episode 15 Brothel. Our guest is Melanie Joy from the Ewing Barbecue podcast. This episode takes cues from the real-life story of former judge Tim Nolan. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

The victims are the rich twins suing a woman for stealing their social network idea and making millions. Is it her, her hipster boyfriend, or the coke-snorting former pornographer (played by James Van Der Beek). Meantime, Goren learns if he will keep his job after completing mandatory therapy. This is how it ends...We're talking about the series finale of Criminal Intent, season 10 episode 8 "To The Boy In The Blue Knit Cap." Our guest is Juwan Holmes from LGBTQ Nation. This story is inspired by the lawsuit between Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Mayoral candidate Alex Muñoz asks Barba to intervene in a case involving their childhood buddy, but Amaro suspects the politician actually is being extorted for trading nude photos with women. Barba refuses to believe his oldest friend would send dick pics...until Muñoz falls into Amanda's online honey trap. ¡Dios mío! We're talking about SVU season 15 episode 6* October Surprise. Our guest is the winner of the These Are YOUR Stories contest Briley O'Connor. This episode is inspired by the case of Anthony Weiner. Note: Because of a two-part season 15 opener, some streaming services list this as episode 5.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

A gay city councilman is gunned down. McCoy and Kincaid go after the victim's homophobic political rival, but when it looks like Councilman Crossley will get away with it, Logan socks him in the face and ruins his career. (Next stop: Staten Island!) We're talking about Law & Order season 5 episode 23 "Pride." Our guest is Kate Dawson from the podcast "Tenfold More Wicked." This episode is inspired by the assassination of Harvey Milk. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Her philandering deliveryman husband is murdered, but the gun Mrs. Byrne purchased was used to kill Mrs. Gardner's husband. Did the wives make a deadly deal? Meantime, Lenny Briscoe puts in his papers and retires from the 2-7. We're offering a tribute to Jerry Orbach while discussing Law & Order season 14 episode 24 C.O.D.. Our guest is Lisa Strawn from the "Don't Talk To Strangers" podcast. Plot points are inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock film "Strangers On a Train." For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

A car bomb kills Kathy Stabler while she and Elliot return from Italy to NYC. While SVU looks for who's behind the attack, Olivia works on her feelings about Elliot walking out of her life a decade ago. Later, Stabler's organized crime task force zeroes in on a mob boss behind the bomb...but it's his son who's been pulling the strings all along. We're doing a special episode covering the crossover event welcoming back Chris Meloni. We're talking about SVU season 22 episode 9 "Return of the Prodigal Son" and L&O: Organized Crime season 1 episode 1 "What Happens in Puglia." Our guest is Sonia Sells from the "Rewind the Love" podcast. These episodes take plot points from the real life case of the ’Ndrangheta crime syndicate. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Goren and Eames learn a murdered man had been spending money on an inspirational teen dying of ALS. Though despite her rabid fanbase and her best-selling book, no one has ever seen the girl face-to-face. Would someone kill to keep up the charade? We're talking about Criminal Intent season 1 episode 21 "Faith." Our guest is comedienne and podcaster Brandi Brown. This episode takes cues from the case of Debbie Swenson. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Benson and Stabler hunt a religious fanatic who's killing prostitutes. A pregnant call girl is their only witness, but before she can identify the suspect, her baby is born prematurely. As the severely disabled child clings to life, the mother gives power-of-attorney to Olivia who must decide her fate. We're talking about SVU season 11 episode 14 "Savior." Our guest is Repy Hattersley from the "Hell and High Horror" podcast. A plot point for this episode is inspired by the sex scandal of former NY governor Eliot Spitzer. Sign up for our "These are YOUR Stories" contest for your chance to guest host a future episode. Fill out this form and listen for us to call your name.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Benson and Stabler think a teen plucked from the river is a Ukrainian sex slave, but learn she's actually a prep school mathematics champion with an abusive father. Attention turns to her class rival (played by Sarah Hyland) who's been awake for days on pills to help her study. We're talking about SVU season 10 episode 12 "Hothouse." Our special guest is TATS promotions director Lily Flynn. Plot points for this episode come from the controversy around treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder in school children. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

The mother of ten adopted children with special needs is murdered. Lupo and Bernard find she was reluctant to star in the reality show her husband (played by Jim Gaffigan) wanted to do...and next in line is another mom of ten - including septuplets - determined to get the show. Later, Rubirosa gets burned by reality TV. We're talking about Law & Order season 20 episode 4 Reality Bites. Our guest is Tara Ariano from the Extra Hot Great podcast. This episode takes some inspiration from the story of the so-called "Octomom," Nadya Sulema.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Joe Biden visits the squad to praise SVU for their work - which includes exonerating a man Fin wrongfully arrested for rape 16 years ago. When he becomes the suspect in a new murder, is it possible all those years of hard time turned an innocent man into a killer? We're marking the peaceful transfer of power with SVU season 18 episode 2 "Making a Rapist." Our guest is actress and comedian Janet Varney of The JV Club podcast. This episode is based on the real life case of Steven Avery.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

In one day, the detectives investigate a murder on lover's lane, a deadly stick-up, a drug shooting, a cold case, and a woman who cuts off her husband's penis. Logan commits police brutality with a bagel and Briscoe just wants to get to the Knicks game. All of this because Michael Moriarty went crazy on the set. We're talking about the classic, format-breaking Law & Order season 4 episode 17 "Mayhem" with our guest Erin Fox. One of the many ripped-from-the-headlines cases that inspired this episode is the story of Lorena Bobbitt. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Tucker convinces SVU to help bust cops raping the drunk women they escort home. Cassidy goes undercover to expose the sexual misconduct...and has to do things during the sting that strain his new relationship with Olivia. We're talking about SVU season 15 episode 4* "Internal Affairs." Our guest is Nettie Smith from the Get Wasted on South of Nowhere podcast. This episode is inspired by the real life case of NYPD officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata. *Note: Due to a two-part season opener, some streaming services list this as episode 3.For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia

Briscoe and Curtis learn a marriage counselor may have been killed in a dispute over an annulment. The Kilpatricks hate each other, but not as much as their divorce attorneys hate each other. McCoy and Ross think Mrs. Kilpatrick's lawyer set up her own client for murder just to win the case. We're talking about L&O season 8 episode 16 "Divorce." Our guest is RTÉ 2fm host Chris Greene. This episode takes cues from the annulment case of Congressman Joseph Kennedy. For exclusive content and more, sign up on Patreon.: https://www.patreon.com/partnersincrimemedia