This episode appears to be based on the Chad MacDonald case. On January 5, 1998, 17-year-old MacDonald was arrested (methamphetamine possession) in Brea, California, and agreed to become a police informant. Brea Police Dept (BPD) told MacDonald that if he volunteered to work as a drug informant, they would explain to the DA that he was fully cooperating, thus increasing his chance for a reduced sentence. MacDonald provided information about drug sales, and made one undercover methamphetamine purchase. On January 19th, police arrested Daryl William Hood and Ryan Patrick McGreevy in their "meth lab" based on info from MacDonald. When BPD discovered MacDonald using and selling methamphetamine outside the agreement, they terminated his CI status. Ten days later, on March 1st, MacDonald and his girlfriend (whose name was withheld due to being a minor) went to a Norwalk home where she was raped and shot, but survived. MacDonald was found dead in a Los Angeles alley on March 3rd. Cindy MacDonald, Chad's mother, claims that her son was forced into becoming a CI out of fear of a harsh sentence. She signed a police waiver allowing Chad to act as a CI. Taped conversations between MacDonald and BPD indicate that Chad felt endangered by his reputation as a CI shortly before he was killed. BPD suspected three other people that Chad informed on: Jose Ibarra, Michael Martinez and Florence Noriega, of kidnapping him and his girlfriend, and forcing him to watch her be raped and killed, as payback.
Update: Shortly after this episode was filmed three people were arrested and charged for MacDonald's murder, and the attempted murder and rape of his girlfriend. Jose Ibarra, 21, Michael Martinez, 22, and Florence Noriega, 30, were arraigned in California Superior Court for the County of Norwalk on charges of robbery in the first degree, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, accomplice to kidnapping and rape, attempted murder in the first degree, and murder in the first degree with special circumstances of using a firearm, use of a deadly weapon, and inflicting great bodily harm, which qualified all three defendants for the death penalty. In November of 1999 a jury found all three defendants guilty of all charges, however they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the death penalty. In January of 2000, a Superior Court judge sentenced Jose Ibarra to four consecutive terms of life in prison, plus 45 years for rape and kidnapping; Florence Noriega was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, plus 51 years for kidnapping, accomplice to rape, and attempted murder; Michael Martinez was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, plus 38 years for robbery and accomplice to kidnapping. The judge commented on how the defendants had shown no remorse at all, and on the fact that during the sentencing hearing the three of them were talking to each other and laughing, the judge also commented prior to pronouncing his sentence that he felt it was unfortunate the jury could not reach a consensus on the death penalty, because rarely had he seen three people who so richly deserved the harshest punishment the law allows. Their lawyers appealed their convictions to the California Court of Appeals, who denied their motion for appeal, and appealed the sentence to the California Supreme Court, the court declined to even review their case; they also unsuccessfully filed a writ of habeas corpus with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the court agreed to review the writ, but found that none of their civil rights under the U.S. Constitution were violated and ordered the convictions and sentences to stand. With no avenues of appeal remaining the three will die in prison.
Update: Shortly after this episode was filmed three people were arrested and charged for MacDonald's murder, and the attempted murder and rape of his girlfriend. Jose Ibarra, 21, Michael Martinez, 22, and Florence Noriega, 30, were arraigned in California Superior Court for the County of Norwalk on charges of robbery in the first degree, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, accomplice to kidnapping and rape, attempted murder in the first degree, and murder in the first degree with special circumstances of using a firearm, use of a deadly weapon, and inflicting great bodily harm, which qualified all three defendants for the death penalty. In November of 1999 a jury found all three defendants guilty of all charges, however they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the death penalty. In January of 2000, a Superior Court judge sentenced Jose Ibarra to four consecutive terms of life in prison, plus 45 years for rape and kidnapping; Florence Noriega was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, plus 51 years for kidnapping, accomplice to rape, and attempted murder; Michael Martinez was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, plus 38 years for robbery and accomplice to kidnapping. The judge commented on how the defendants had shown no remorse at all, and on the fact that during the sentencing hearing the three of them were talking to each other and laughing, the judge also commented prior to pronouncing his sentence that he felt it was unfortunate the jury could not reach a consensus on the death penalty, because rarely had he seen three people who so richly deserved the harshest punishment the law allows. Their lawyers appealed their convictions to the California Court of Appeals, who denied their motion for appeal, and appealed the sentence to the California Supreme Court, the court declined to even review their case; they also unsuccessfully filed a writ of habeas corpus with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the court agreed to review the writ, but found that none of their civil rights under the U.S. Constitution were violated and ordered the convictions and sentences to stand. With no avenues of appeal remaining the three will die in prison.
During this episode Briscoe reveals that McCoy's father was a cop in Chicago, not New York.
Sara Teasdale, the name of the female shooting victim in this episode, is also the name of a well-known 20th century American poet.