Cold Case 8-14: Abnormal Psychology

[valrush]

Rush and Valens circled Charlene Litman in the gray interview room. “To think I actually felt sorry for you at first,” insisted Valens.

“I don’t get your meaning, detective,” Charlene replied.

“The day Shawn had his fall was on a family support day at the hospital, and we just found out that you got a call from one of the doctors the day before suggesting that it was critical that you come to see him,” Lilly informed.

“You put a lot of faith in those shrinks to try to ‘fix’ your son. I just don’t think you would have gone against their advice at that point,” Scotty added. “Did you go to see your son that day or not?”

Charlene said nothing. “Mrs. Litman, I don’t have children, but I don’t see what is so wrong about going to a hospital to support your son. But your silence is telling me one of two things; you either didn’t go to see him, or you’re hiding something,” insisted Lilly.

“Like maybe you pushed him through a window that night!” Scotty shouted.

“That’s a lie!” Charlene fired back.

“Really? Shawn fell through double insulated glass; that would take some force to break!” Scotty explained.

“You’re daughter spoke to us; apparently she was the only one who would speak to Shawn when he was at the hospital. Shawn told her about all the ‘therapy’ he was receiving there,” Lilly added.

“They tortured people in that place, but back then you were in complete denial! I’m thinking Shawn tried to tell you what was going on there, but you wouldn’t listen! Then things got heated, physical!” Scotty yelled.

“No!”

“I’m sure you didn’t mean to kill your son; it was probably an accident, right?” Scotty demanded.

“I didn’t kill Shawn!” insisted Charlene.

“It’s not grief you’ve been feeling since this case started, is it? It’s guilt; it’s just easier for you not to think about him now, isn’t it?” Scotty shouted.

“For your information, I think about Shawn every time they talk about marriage equality on the news!” Charlene replied. “Maybe it’s accepted now; maybe if Shawn were alive now he could have it all—“

“But back in 1973 that wasn’t even a possibility,” Lilly added.

“All I saw for my son at that time was a life of pain and despair if he wasn’t made … normal. You think I’m some kind of monster, but back then I just wanted my son to have a normal life,” Charlene explained. “You’re not completely wrong though.”

“How is that?” asked Scotty.

“I have been feeling guilty, but it’s not what you think,” insisted Charlene.

“Then tell us,” Lilly urged.

Charlene sighed. “I couldn’t bring myself to face Shawn that day; I was just too damn scared. But I did go to the hospital, and that’s when I learned the truth…”

[valrush]

James Taylor: “Fire and Rain”


“I started to step through the front doors of the hospital when I saw a cluster of men in a heated conversation. I recognized two of them as Dr. Styles and Dr. Bryceman and the third as Barry’s father Carl. He wore a green shirt, tan shorts, and I recognized his heavy dark hair and mustache. ‘Mr. Jordan, we talked about this before! Results take time!’ insisted the doctor.

“’Shut up! I’m talking now!’ Mr. Jordan replied. ‘My son told me everything: the shock treatments, the drugging, and he says he doesn’t feel one bit different! He showed me scars! You said you would keep the treatments non-invasive!’

“Dr. Styles did not speak for any of this, so Dr. Bryceman filled the silence. ‘No, we said that different tactics work on different individuals! We need to figure out the best course of treatment—‘

“’’We’ don’t have to do a damn thing, doc! I have to go to work because I got stuck with the damn late shift again and I can’t afford to take a day off; otherwise I would be taking my son home tonight!’ Carl shouted. ‘You people are nothing but sadists and quacks! I want my son packed up and ready to leave first thing in the morning, and if he tells me that you did anymore stuff to him tonight I will bury you in court for so long that it will become your grave!’ I couldn’t listen to anymore, so I just left. I don’t even think they had time to notice I was there.”

[valrush]

“After Shawn jumped, or supposedly jumped, it was Barry’s family that recommended suing,” Charlene explained.

“So you just left your son there to rot! That must be some strong maternal instinct you have!” Scotty added.

“I already told you that I was a damn coward! You said you didn’t have children; then I’m guessing you have never dealt with a five-year-old who was about to get a shot! Shawn was always nervous when it came to doctors; I figured that’s all his complaints were!” Charlene explained. “But then I heard that argument, and I figured that Shawn, Barry, and Carl couldn’t all be making this up. So I talked to Barry’s family later, and we all made a plan to pick up our children first thing the next morning. Maybe Sharon was right; I abandoned my son when he needed me the most. How could anyone ever forgive that?”

Lilly stood in thought for a minute. “You were going to pick up Barry the next morning.”

Charlene nodded. “That was the plan until I got a late night call from the hospital saying that Shawn committed suicide, and I went from wishing he would come home with a girl … to wishing he would come home. I don’t care what he was anymore; I don’t care who he loved. I just want him to come home.”

Miller and Vera were observing behind the two-way mirror in the next room. “So Barry was there when Shawn fell,” Miller spoke up.

“He told us he got pulled out of there before Shawn’s death,” said Vera. “It sounds like his timing is a little. Let’s bring him in and see if his memory can be jarred back into place.”

[valrush]

5

Scotty and Lilly took seats in the observation room and looked through the glass at John and Andrew standing over Barry Jordan the next morning. “Scotty, have you ever been to Positano Coast on Walnut St.?” Lilly asked.

“I’ve heard of the place; I can’t say that I’ve ever eaten there,” Scotty responded.

“You made some good points. I think we need to go on a few actual dates, and see if this thing has a future before we uproot everyone’s lives,” Lilly explained. “I will be seated at a table for two near the entrance at 8:00 tonight in case you get hungry.”

Scotty froze. “They look ready to start.”

“It seems you didn’t tell us the whole story, Barry,” Stillman began. “Your parents didn’t take you home until the morning after Shawn fell.”

“My parents are long gone. How could you possibly know that?” Barry asked.

“So it’s true,” Darius added.

Barry folded his arms. “So I was off by a few hours. What difference does it make?”

“It makes a big difference considering those few hours were around the time that the supposed love of your life hit the pavement!” Andrew shot back.

“I didn’t kill Shawn! I had no reason to hurt Shawn!” insisted Barry.

“But Shawn had a reason, jealousy!” Stillman added.

“What?” Barry asked.

“The dream was about to come true for you: your dad was going to take you home the next day! But as far as Shawn was concerned his own mother had quit on him!” Andrew explained.

“Shawn stood up for you in that place! He tried to protect you and let you lean on him the whole time you were there! But you were just going to leave him behind; as far as he was concerned you were just another person he couldn’t trust!” insisted Stillman. “Things got pretty desperate in there! I’ll bet he tried to restrain you when he found out you were leaving!”

“I didn’t kill Shawn! You’re wrong about Shawn; he didn’t blame me for wanting out of that place! Who the hell could?” asked Barry. “I wasn’t even near Shawn when it happened! I was in my room on the first floor when I heard a bunch of sirens outside!”

“Alone?” Stillman added.

Barry shrugged. “Yes.”

“Then how can we believe that you weren’t there?” asked Stillman.

“Because it’s true!” yelled Barry.

“You’re doing an awful lot of sweating for somebody who is innocent,” Andrew added. “Shawn thought you loved him, but you were about to leave him locked up in hell! I know that would piss me off!”

“Well, you didn’t know Shawn! He didn’t hold any grudges against me!” insisted Barry.

“And how can we possibly believe that?” asked Stillman.

Barry jumped forward. “Because we talked that night! … … That night was our last conversation. We came up with a plan that in retrospect I realize sounds pretty crazy, but we were going to try and convince my family to let Shawn stay with us. Of course it all wound up being meaningless, and so it’s not a night I like to talk about.”

“Well, I think you are out of options, Barry,” insisted Andrew.

“That was the lowest night of my life, and not just because of what happened to Shawn,” Barry explained. “I saw something that night; it made me realize those so-called ‘professionals didn’t have one damn clue between them…”

[valrush]

The Edgar Winter Group: “Frankenstein”

 
“Security was lower at night so I was able to see Shawn for a few minutes on the third floor. ‘Shawn, I think I need to tell you something. My dad came to see me today; he’s getting me out of here in the morning.’

“Shawn shrugged. ‘That figures. You have a family that gives a crap about you, and I have a family. My mother didn’t even come today. I guess I can’t blame you, but what is going to happen to us?’

“’I don’t want to leave you, Shawn, but I won’t last much longer here. These people will not give up,” I insisted.

“’So, what do I do while your home?” Shawn asked.

“’I don’t know,’ I said.

“That’s when Shawn came up with a thought. ‘What if we didn’t have to split up? You said your dad is coming for you tomorrow; maybe that means he’s okay with this. Maybe he’s accepted us,’

“’I highly doubt that, Shawn,’ I replied.

“’Well, tell me what other option we have,’ Shawn said.

“’I’ll think about it, but I should head back downstairs before the catch us and charge the stun guns again. I don’t know how they haven’t busted us by now,’ I told him.

“I started to head back down, and that was when I saw those two doctors involved in a discussion. I ducked behind a wall and waited. I was just hoping that they would leave and not see me, but they didn’t move. So I just stood there listening. ‘What do you mean ‘you can’t’?’

“’I mean I can’t do this anymore, Robert! We’re not helping anyone here!’ insisted Dr. Styles.

“’Results take—‘

“’’Results take time’ I’ve heard that one before! Well, we’ve been at this for six years, and how much success have we had? Assuming that there is a way to change someone’s sexuality, this clearly isn’t it!’ Dr. Styles asked. ‘Buy me out!’

“’What?’ asked Dr. Bryceman.

“’You heard me; I’m done! I’m tired of torturing people for nothing!’ Dr. Styles replied.

“’I can’t run this place without you!’ insisted Dr. Bryceman.

“Dr. Styles shook his head. ‘I understand why you are so committed to this, but that doesn’t mean it’s right! I’m not doing this anymore!’

“Dr. Bryceman walked away. ‘So you’re not doing our treatments anymore! That’s fine, I can do it myself!’

“Dr. Bryceman ran off into one of the empty therapy rooms. Dr. Styles tried to chase after him, but he locked the door. The next sound I heard was the sound of electricity and screams that I knew all too well. ‘AHH! HAHH! AH! AH! HAHH!’.”

[valrush]

“I never told anyone else our plan; it didn’t seem to matter once Shawn was dead. Even so, I doubt we would have lasted,” Barry insisted. “You would think that when they removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses that it would have solved everything, but then years later a little disease by the name of AIDS hit the news as ‘gay cancer’. It took a long time for me to accept who I was and that there was nothing wrong with me.”

Stillman leaned across the table. “You’re saying Dr. Styles was ‘treating’ Dr. Bryceman?”

“I’m saying I saw a light go on and there was nobody else in there, but everyone in that place knew what those rooms were for,” Barry explained.

Darius looked up. “I knew there was something I didn’t like about that guy.”

[valrush]

The phone in Stillman’s pocket began to vibrate. He touched the screen and brought up a text message. He showed the message to Andrew. “Miller just told me all I needed to know,” he said before they entered the office.

“Detectives, are you here for more information?” asked Robert.

Andrew placed a file he was holding on the desk. “This is an interesting office, Dr. Bryceman. I can see that you are not a big believer in clutter. I don’t see any pictures of a wife and children anywhere,” insisted Andrew.

“I guess I never found the right girl,” Robert responded.

“I had a partner like you once. It was right after I graduated from the academy, but he at least kept a picture of his mom and dad on his desk. I don’t even see that here,” Andrew added.

“It’s like you said; I don’t believe in clutter,” Robert explained.

“Well, to each his own, but we do have a reason for being here. We’re here about Barry Jordan,” Andrew said.

“And I already told you that I can’t talk about him. It’s privileged,” Robert replied.

“For the doctor, not the patient. Barry Jordan is talking to us, and your professional ethics are about to do you in,” insisted Stillman.

“I don’t understand,” Robert responded.

“We sent another detective to talk to Dr. Styles. I just got this message from her,” said Stillman. He showed his phone to the doctor. It displayed a message’ HE’S CLAIMING PRIVILEGE’. “He shut her down right from the start and that pretty much confirmed everything that Barry told us,”

“I’m a little confused. Why are you here?” asked Robert.

“He told us that he saw you and Dr. Styles having a conversation on the night that Shawn fell. He also told us that you lied to us from the start,” insisted Stillman.

“What?”

“You weren’t catching up on paperwork that night! You were in one of those therapy rooms giving a shock treatment to yourself!” Andrew shouted. He opened the file on the desk. “Don’t try to deny it; we did our homework on you this time! It seems that in 1962 you were forced to go to a foster home after your parents kicked you out of the house when they caught you kissing a boy. Why does that story sound so familiar to me?”

“You say you never met the right girl, but I think there is no right ‘girl’ for you,” Stillman added. “You could still get married though. Maybe not here yet, but in Massachusetts or Connecticut. I think New York is about to make it legal. California is still trying to figure things out, but I think Iowa might be an option if you like better weather.”

“You talk about your politics, your science, and your proof, but at the end of the day you’re nothing but a damn cliché! You go on and on about how homosexuality can be cured, but all the while you’re the one that’s gay!” Andrew added.

“Do I need a lawyer?” asked Robert.

“It probably wouldn’t hurt!” Andrew replied.

“We know you’ve been lying to us; we know you were alone with Shawn on the third floor before he fell. So what happened?” asked Stillman.

“I didn’t kill Shawn,” insisted Robert.

“Shawn was already losing faith in your ‘therapy’ from what we hear! Seeing you in that therapy room must have sent over the edge! He was growing more and more stubborn by the day; you couldn’t risk him exposing you for the fraud that you were!” Andrew shouted. Robert said nothing.

“If you ask me, the saddest part of this whole mess is that you and Shawn were so much alike. These days you could probably be a mentor to kids like Shawn and tell them all about how you struggled growing up, but instead you still choose denial,” Stillman added.

Robert shrugged. “My parents are both gone now; I don’t know why I still can’t face the truth. I didn’t mean it; things just got out of hand.”

“What was it like to get kicked out of your own home at sixteen?” asked Andrew. “I’ll bet you were just a scared kid like he was! Your stories are so similar yet you couldn’t see yourself in Shawn; I would think that would make you more sympathetic than anything!”

Robert shook his head. “I did see myself in Shawn. I saw myself in every young male that entered that place; that’s why I wanted to fix them.”

“You thought if you could fix them then you could fix yourself, but Shawn wouldn’t let you,” Stillman replied.

“That place was my hope. I would have given anything to get my family back; and I just couldn’t understand why Shawn was giving up…”

[valrush]

Cold Case Soundtrack: “Carl’s Recollection”

“I came out of the therapy room on the third floor and saw Shawn in the common area. He was facing the large window, but he must have seen my reflection. ‘I saw Barry tonight. He’s going home tomorrow and we talked about me moving in with his family.

“’Okay, and that brought those feelings up again. We can talk about that while we go for an emergency therapy session,’ I told him.

“Shawn turned around. ‘I’m not doing anymore therapy with you!’

“’I understand why you’re angry, and for what it’s worth I can’t believe nobody showed up for you today! But you have to keep at it; you can’t give up hope! You have to believe that you can change and be made normal so you can get your family back!’ I said.

“’You still don’t get it! I’m the one who suggested the idea! Maybe this is ‘normal for us! Your therapy hasn’t changed me or him, but maybe something is changing outside of this place!’ Shawn yelled. ‘Barry’s family is letting him come home; maybe that means something! Maybe they’ve been able to accept him now! And if his family can learn to accept him, then maybe my family can learn to accept me! Maybe not, but either way I am not doing anymore therapy with you you sick little freak!’

“Shawn tried to leave, but I stepped in front of him and back him up against the glass. ‘I can’t let you give up on yourself, Shawn!’

“’Get out of my way!’ Shawn yelled.

“He tried to charge past me again, but I shoved him backwards into the glass. ‘I know that things look bleak right now, but you have to trust me! You’re going to be made normal, and you’re going to get your family back! Trust me; we’re going to get our families back!’

“’What?’

“’I said you’re going to get your family back!’ I shouted.

“’That’s not what—‘

“I panicked. I kept pushing Shawn backwards against the window shouting. ‘I can’t let you quit! You’re going to get your family back! I’m going to get my family back! I’m going to get my family back!’ Shawn tried to break free of me again. I shoved him into the window again; only this time the glass shattered. I watched as Shawn crashed into the ground below.

“I tried to call out to him. ‘Shawn! Shawn!? SHAWN!’ But he wasn’t moving. I realized that he was dead and I had to come up with a story. I went back to my office and placed a call, ‘Chet, this is Dr. Bryceman. I’m calling from the hospital. We need you to come in early today to replace a window. … There’s been an accident.’.”

[valrush]

The Eagles: "Desparado"


John Stillman placed the cuffs on Robert Bryceman. He led him out of the office with Andrew Darius following behind. The charge would be first degree manslaughter.

Vincent Styles buzzed his next appointment into his office. Two men, one with dark hair and glasses and the other with blonde hair, sat down on the couch across from him. Vincent stared briefly at his rainbow flag before they began.

At the station, Nick Vera crossed out the word ‘Suicide’ on Shawn Litman’s file and replaced it with ‘Manslaughter’. He then put the file in a box, placed it on a shelf, and marked it ‘CLOSED’.

Barry Jordan sat on his blue recliner looking over his old high school yearbook. He came to a picture of his baseball team, and his face went flush when he came to Shawn’s face.

Kat Miller met Sharon, Arthur, and Charlene Litman in front of their home. She explained to them about the final moments leading up to Shawn’s death. Charlene looked past them to the ghost of her son standing next to the mailbox. A slight smile came to her face before he faded from view.

Lilly sat near the entrance of the Positano Coast restaurant checking her watch. She looked up when she saw a shadow hovering over her to face its source. It was Scotty.

[valrush]

Audio PowerPoint slides also available.

[valrush]

AFTER THE SHOW

This will undoubtedly prove to be one of my more controversial episodes.  As such, I wanted to make sure I researched it thoroughly when I wrote it three years ago.  Even so, with a subject as sensitive as this I knew I was going to run into a lot of crackpots and wildly varied stories.  For a long time I wondered just how accurately I portrayed a group like this.  Then I saw "Boy Erased" about a year ago.  Now I am certain that I did not exaggerate this story in the least.  Seriously, every time I think our society is passed something, a story like this comes along to prove me wrong.

There is a reason why I am still obsessed with this show 9-10 years after the fact.  It did not pull punches, but rather it portrayed an honest view of history with a variety of perspectives.  It shows how far we have come and also how far we need to go.  Regarding this particular episode, it is my understanding that even today conversion therapy IS STILL LEGAL IN 36 STATES! I suppose the major difference between then and now is that back in the 1970s you had legitimate medical professionals spouting that this was in fact a genuine therapy whereas now conversion therapy is largely the stuff of religious extremist groups.

In either case, it is clearly a crock and will only do harm.  From the stories I have seen, conversion therapy groups make participants sign insane confidentiality contracts, they take the most friendly forms of human contact such as a hug or handshake and convince the participants that they are somehow dirty, and they only make participants more frustrated often leading to suicide.  Originally, I might have said that at least the tactics employed by such groups were less physically brutal today, but the Bible beat down scene in "Boy Erased" showed me that that is still not true.  I also just assume that these groups are run by complete phonies anyway; it was no surprise that the "Boy Erased" counselor turned out to be gay.

I had to place this episode in proper time context.  If you consider that an 8th season of Cold Case would have fallen on the 2010-2011 season, you can now look at the entire virtual season 8 as a cold case.  Note in particular the scene where Stillman lists states that recognize same sex marriages.  That is because this episode would have taken place 4 years prior to marriage equality being formally made universal by the Supreme Court.  You can see how far we have come as well as what still needs to be done from this episode.  It may have been off the air for 10 years, but this series is still relevant today.

I always give some notes on my music choices.  There was no doubt that I was going to use Elton John to start with.  Another obvious must use song was The Kinks's "Lola" which is largely believed to focus on a chance male-to-male encounter.  While David Bowie is another legendary LGBTQ icon, I am honestly not sure about James Taylor.  I ended with The Eagles's "Desperado" because it mirrored the silent struggles of conversion therapy survivors like Barry who have stayed silent for so long.  I also felt it offered solid advice to those like the doctor still coming to terms with how they feel: "Let somebody love you before it's too late".

Lastly, some people may be wondering about where my own leanings are.  Plain old straight, white male boringness I'm afraid, but with my disability I know what it is like to be discriminated against.  I also know what it is like to not fit into some socially-accepted gender mold.  I have never been what anyone would call a macho man; growing up, most of my friends were girls.  You may remember a list of DVD collections owned by Albert Dent from 8-12; those were all collections I owned at some point in my life.  It is for these reasons that I am sympathetic to this cause.