Homicide Phantom | Law & Order SVU

Detectives investigate the brutal murders of Elena and Jason Brette, uncovering that their financial firm, Brette Investments, was a high-end pyramid scheme laundering drug money for a Colombian cartel. The couple's financial troubles and illicit activities led to their deaths, orchestrated by Liam Connor, an elusive IRA hitman turned cartel assassin. As the detectives close in on Connor, they face a dangerous chase, ultimately apprehending him but revealing the deep entanglements of international crime networks and the lethal consequences of financial deceit.

• Victim Identification and Initial Observations:
  • Victim: Elena Brette, 27 years old, co-owner of Brette Investments.
  • Physical evidence: 17 deep incisions to the torso and breasts, indicating pre-mortem sexual assault.
  • Rigor mortis and environmental conditions suggest the time of death was no less than 48 hours prior.

"17 deep incisions to a torso and breasts premortem looks like a sexual satus time death She's in full rigor heat was turned down over the weekend so I'd say no less than 48 hours."

• The victim had been dead for at least 48 hours, with signs of sexual assault evident from the nature of the wounds.

• Witness Statements and Surveillance:

  • Last seen by her secretary, Patty Burner, on Friday night.
  • Surveillance cameras are only in the lobby, not on the victim’s floor.
  • Munch is currently reviewing the surveillance tapes.

"Victim was last seen Friday Night by who by her secretary Patty burner you got any surveillance here cameras are downstairs in the lobby none on this floor Munch is looking at the tapes right now."

• The last known sighting of the victim was by her secretary, and surveillance review is underway, limited to lobby footage.

• Business Operations:
  • Brette Investments, a Private Hedge Fund with $700 million in assets.
  • Achieved a 20% return last year, equating to a $140 million profit.

"What kind of Investments did your boss manage a Private Hedge Fund 700 million in assets how's business last year they posted 20% returns 140 million profit pretty impressive."

• The company was financially successful, managing substantial assets and yielding high returns.

• Personal Life and Relationships:

  • Elena Brette was supposed to attend a client’s party in Miami but stayed to complete quarterly reports.
  • Her husband, Jason, flew to Miami without her on a 6:00 PM flight.
  • Jason was booked to return the previous night but was unaware of Elena’s murder.

"Elena was supposed to go to Miami me for a client's party but she had to finish the quarterly reports so Jason flew without her on the 6:00 what time did you leave around 8 she was still working so I I offered to stay but she told me to go home her husband's still in Miami let me check he was booked to come back last night oh God Jason doesn't know."

• Elena’s work commitments kept her from traveling with her husband, who was unaware of her murder upon his return.

• Scene Examination and Evidence Collection:
  • No missing person report filed by Jason Brette, suggesting potential marital issues.
  • Jason Brette’s body was found at home, similarly tortured and killed.
  • Blood type matches between the two victims.
  • The crime scene was meticulously cleaned with bleach, indicating the killer's thoroughness.

"There's no missing person report on Elena brette strange that the husband wouldn't file one the marriage Isn't So Perfect Mr brette police luggage is here hello anybody home live Mr brette tortured like his wife field test the blood around the chair same type as the victim our Pur leave anything behind no Prince here or at the office killer knows friend whole place was wiped clean with bleach."

• The lack of a missing person report and the meticulous cleaning of the crime scene suggest careful planning by the perpetrator.

• Timeline and Cause of Death:

  • Jason Brette was killed approximately 12 hours before discovery, shortly after his return from Miami.
  • Same cause of death for both victims: throat cut.

"Who was killed first Jason or Elena Elena Jason's been dead only about 12 hours well this plane got in from Miami a 10 last night same cause of death yes his throat was cut."

• The timeline indicates Jason was killed upon his return, and both victims died from similar injuries, suggesting a single perpetrator or a coordinated effort.

• Jason was found tortured and murdered at his home.
• The perpetrator blitzed Jason, dragged him to a chair, and taped him up.
• A monogram keychain with initials "EB" (Elena Brette) was used to access the house.
• The perpetrator waited all weekend for Jason to come home.

"Jason comes home, the perp blitzes him, drags him to the chair, tapes him up."

• The quote describes the initial violent encounter between Jason and the perpetrator, emphasizing the brutality and premeditation involved.

"The guy waited all weekend for Jason to come home."

• This quote indicates the perpetrator's patience and determination, suggesting a planned and targeted attack.

• Jason was tortured for the combination to a high-security, pick-proof safe.
• The safe contained a significant amount of cash, estimated to be at least a million dollars.

"He tortured Jason for the combination and cleaned him out."

• This quote highlights the extreme measures taken by the perpetrator to access the contents of the safe.

"Even in small bills, there got to be at least a million bucks."

• This quote underscores the large amount of cash involved, suggesting a high-stakes motive.

• New technology can identify the contents of the safe through chemical and organic compound signatures.
• The smell of money, specifically the dye in the ink, was detected.

"Every chemical or organic compound has a unique olfactory profile that's the signature."

• This quote explains the forensic method used to identify what was in the safe.

"The smell of money, well specifically the dye in the ink from the concentration of the sample."

• This quote details the specific evidence found, indicating the presence of a large amount of cash.

• The Brette family was in severe financial distress, with both houses mortgaged and significant credit card debt.
• Despite their financial struggles, they had a large amount of cash hidden, possibly to avoid IRS detection or creditors.

"Both houses mortgaged to the hilt, credit card debt in the six figures."

• This quote highlights the Brette family's financial problems, providing a possible motive for hiding cash.

"Maybe they were hiding it from the IRS or their creditors."

• This quote suggests potential reasons for the large amount of cash being kept in the safe.

• Brette Investments was a high-end pyramid scheme.
• They took money from one client to pay others' dividends and kept the rest for themselves.
• One of their investors likely became angry enough to commit murder.

"Brette Investments is nothing but a high-end pyramid scheme."

• This quote reveals the fraudulent nature of the Brette family's business.

"All those huge profits were phony."

• This quote confirms that the profits reported by Brette Investments were fabricated.

• Brette Investments was laundering drug money and skimming it for themselves.
• They were involved with a shell company out of Columbia called Casa Vega Enterprises.
• The drug lord, upon discovering the theft, would need to act quickly to set an example.

"They're laundering drug money, yeah, and skimming it too."

• This quote exposes the illegal activities Brette Investments was involved in, adding another layer to the motive.

"Shell company out of Columbia called Casa Vega Enterprises."

• This quote identifies the specific entity involved in the money laundering scheme.

"Drug lord finds out somebody's been ripping him off, he'd have to hit him quick to set an example."

• This quote suggests a likely motive for the violent crime, indicating the involvement of dangerous individuals.

• Check with narcotics to see if Casa Vega Enterprises is known to them.
• Consult a trusted contact within the narcotics division for further information.

"Check with narcotics, see if Casa Vega rings any bells."

• This quote outlines the next step in the investigation, focusing on verifying the connection with narcotics.

"Got a guy over we can trust."

• This quote indicates the involvement of a reliable source within the narcotics division to assist with the investigation.

• Forensic Accountant's Findings:
  • Provided a list of transactions involving "cocaine to dirty cash to clean checks."
  • Described the money laundering process as "capitalism at its best."

"The forensic accountant gave us this list from cocaine to dirty cash to clean checks. You launder it through Wall Street, water it back to Bogotá, capitalism at its best."

• Involvement of El Castilla:
  • Known figure in Jackson Heights connected to a family Bodega.
  • Involved in money laundering by writing checks for illegal money.

"This is a name I know, El Castilla, Jackson Heights. I call it her son for selling weed at the family Bodega."

• Check Writing Scheme:
  • El Castilla wrote checks for a cousin who wanted to invest illegal money.
  • Received a profit of $50 for each $450 check written.
  • Approximately 15 to 20 checks were written for this purpose.

"He came to me, said he had a cousin who wanted to invest some money but he was illegal. So he asked you to write a check to Brette Investments for $450. He gave me back $500 cash, so $50 profit for you. How many times did you do this favor for the cousin? I wrote 15 maybe 20 checks."

• Montoya Homicides:
  • Mr. Montoya was killed; his body was still warm when found.
  • The killer did not face the victim, indicating a lack of remorse.

"Senor Montoya Poli. Mr. Montoya, police. Dead. Been not for long; the body's still warm in here. Bastard kills a kid, doesn't even have the balls to look at him."

• Ballistics Evidence:
  • Bullets from Mr. and Mrs. Montoya matched, indicating the same gun was used.
  • A triple twist pattern was identified in the bullets.
  • The same pattern was found in a bullet from an unsolved homicide case involving Alexander Cavitt.

"Ballistics results from the Montoya homicides. Take a look on the left, the bullet taken from Mrs. Montoya, three twists in a left groove. On the right, the slug taken from Mr. Montoya, the same gun. It makes sense that they're identical. And now look at this, it was a perfect match. Same triple twist. Is that the bullet from Antonio's bed? No, from an unsolved homicide. What case? Murder of Alexander Cavitt."

• Security Footage from Brette Investments:
  • Security footage is the best lead.
  • Over 200 employees, messengers, and janitorial staff excluded.
  • 75 subjects remain to be identified.

"Our best lead is the security footage from Brette Investments. We've excluded over 200 employees, messengers, and janitorial staff. We got about 75 subjects left to identify."

• Connections to the Cartel:
  • All employees at Brette Investments and those involved in the money laundering scheme are being investigated.
  • DEA's HIDTA computers will be used to find links between cases.

"Now we got a lot of names, all the employees at Brette, everybody involved in the money laundering scheme. Somebody has got to connect back to the cartel. DEA can help us out with that. Their HIDTA computers are programmed to find links between cases."

• Christine Torres:
  • A person of interest from Brooklyn, New York, associated with sold checks.

"Christine Torres, First Street, Brooklyn, New York, sold checks."

• Montoya owns a laundromat and has two kids, Calvin and Jose.
• Montoya was born in Puerto Rico and has no Colombian connections.
• No links to any other names associated with criminal activities.

"Montoya owns a laundromat, two kids Calvin and Jose, born in Puerto Rico, no Colombian connections, no links to any of your other names."

• Montoya is a regular individual with no apparent criminal ties.

• A child witness claimed a ghost (El Fantasma) killed his parents.
• El Fantasma is a known Contract Killer involved in numerous assassinations in Colombia.
• Real name: Liam Connor, born in Belfast, former IRA Hitman.

"Our kid witness said a ghost killed his parents. Satan's Spanish El fantasma."

• The term "El fantasma" is linked to a notorious hitman.

"El fantasma, the ghost Contract Killer names come up in dozens of assassinations in Columbia."

• El Fantasma is associated with many killings in Colombia.

• Born in Belfast, former IRA hitman.
• Disappeared from Northern Ireland about 5 years ago.
• Resurfaced in Bogotá, Colombia.

"Real name's Liam Connor, born in Belfast, IRA Hitman did some time in the Maze, disappeared from Northern Ireland about 5 years ago, resurfaced in Bogotá."

• Connor has a history with the IRA and has been active in Colombia recently.

• Post-ceasefire in Northern Ireland, many out-of-work IRA members moved to Colombia.
• They train narco-terrorist groups and assist in combating US anti-drug activities.

"Since the ceasefire in Northern Ireland, a lot of out-of-work IRA guys are down there training narco-terrorist groups, helping them combat US anti-drug activity."

• Former IRA members are involved in training and supporting Colombian narco-terrorists.

• Connor is called "The Ghost" because he is elusive.
• Known for his ability to kill targets without being seen.

"Because he walks through walls to get his targets, no one sees him coming, no one's Left Alive to see him leave except our kid."

• His nickname underscores his stealth and deadly efficiency.

• A rental car was parked in a loading zone outside Brevit Investments.
• The car received a parking ticket late Friday night.
• The car was rented by Doyle Shanahan, a Bronx-based IRA fundraiser.

"Rental car parked in a loading zone outside Brevit Investments got a parking ticket late Friday night. Liam Connor rented the car? No, it's a Bronx guy by the name of Doyle Shanahan."

• The investigation links the car to Doyle Shanahan, not directly to Connor.

• Shanahan raises funds for the IRA in bars around New York.
• Claims to raise money for Sinn Féin, a legitimate political party.

"I raise money for Sinn Féin, a legitimate political party fighting for peace in IR."

• Shanahan distances himself from violent activities, claiming political fundraising.

• Connor killed an 8-year-old and five others.
• No longer works for the IRA, now a contract killer for the cartels.

"How do shooting an 8-year-old in the head bring peace along with five others? Connor killed them all."

• Connor's current activities are violent and mercenary in nature.

"Liam Connor doesn't work for your people anymore, he's a contract killer for the cartels."

• Connor has shifted allegiances from the IRA to drug cartels.

• Police pursue Connor along the canal and towards the Carol Street Bridge.
• Connor is eventually cornered by the police.

"Police Connor still off the outside get the car we're in pursuit of homicide suspect Liam Connor headed south along the canal."

• The police chase highlights the urgency and danger of capturing Connor.

• Connor is told to show his hands.
• He warns that drinking a mouthful of something will result in death within a week.
• Connor claims to be unarmed.

"Let see the hands Connors see your hands now drink a mouthful of that you'll die in a week. I'm unarmed."

• The pursuit ends with Connor cornered and making a cryptic warning about a deadly substance.