Like many Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episodes, tonight’s is “ripped from the headlines.” A cold case reopens when a serial predator makes his return after 25 years. “Dear Ben” follows Lt. Benson as she suspects a career rapist who terrorized New York City in the ’90s has struck again. But when ADA Peter Stone takes the reopened case, he doesn’t realize that his father Ben (Law and Order‘s first ADA, played by Michael Moriarty) had spent most of his career trying to nail down a suspect. For the sake of his father’s legacy, Stone is determined to use any means necessary — including online DNA kits — to solve the case.
The premise is very reminiscent of the Golden State Killer, with a touch of Zodiac killer signs and Helter Skelter wall writings. Ahead of tonight’s episode, we were inspired to dig back through the SVU archives to bring you 6 other “ripped from the headlines” episodes — and what actually went down.
These are their stories. Dun dun!
[Warning: Some spoilers ahead]
1
“Caretaker” (S20 E07) – The Murder of the Krim Siblings
2
“Pathological” (S19 E10) – The Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard
3
“Glasgowman’s Wrath” (S16 E06) – Slender Man Stabbings
4
“Babes” (S10 E06) – Gloucester High School’s Pregnancy Pact
5
“Identity” (S6 E12) – David Reimer’s Transgender Experiment
6
“Slaves” (S01 E22) – The Kidnapping of Colleen Stan
Source : https://www.distractify.com/entertainment/2019/01/17/JUjbwUdtJ/law-and-order-svu-based-on-true-headlines