Magnificat (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)

"Magnificat"
Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 7 (#73 overall)
Directed by	Frank Prinzi
Written by	Dick Wolf (creator) René Balcer (story and developer) Diana Son (story and teleplay)
Production code	E5414
Original air date	November 11 2004
Guest stars
Sam Robards Carrie Preston Pamela Burrell Kenneth Kimmins Peggy Gormley C. S. Lee
Episode chronology
← Previous "In the Dark" Next → "Silver Lining"

Magnificat is a fourth season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Plot summary

In this episode, Detectives Goren and Eames investigate the deaths of three boys and injury to their mother and older brother when a car exploded. It leads to a very questionable family relationship with the father.

During the investigation, forensics discovered the car blew up because of a pipe bomb put under the car. Initially, they thought it was the work of suspected Middle East terrorists targeting the father, an engineer who invented a type of landmine being used in the Middle East, but the suspects turned out to be innocent civilians. As investigation grows, the detectives look at the father, but later deduce that the mother was responsible for the bombing. She breaks down during questioning and confesses that because of the pressures put on her by religious beliefs and the fact she was denied needed anti-depressants by her husband, she attempted to kill herself and her children, saying that "she'd be a better mother in Heaven". She and the oldest boy only survived because he was playing with the power windows in the car at the time of the explosion and the open windows saved their lives.

In the end, the woman is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, and one count of attempted murder. Goren, who had not been able to get any charges filed against the husband for his part in the crime despite his guilt and obvious indifference, makes sure that the father will not get custody of the surviving son by getting the grandmother an attorney.

Cast

Vincent D'Onofrio	Det. Robert Goren
Kathryn Erbe	Det. Alexandra Eames
Jamey Sheridan	Capt. James Deakins
Courtney B. Vance	A.D.A. Ron Carver

Facts

• This episode revealed many resemblances with the case of Andrea Yates, considering it was aired after the murders, but it is supposedly connected to the trial.

External links

• IMDb entry
• Official Website