[s4e18]: Desperate

The episode begins when firefighters rescue a young boy, Tommy, from a tenement fire. Inside, they discover his stepmother, Jill Hoffman, who has been brutally beaten and sexually assaulted; she later dies from her injuries. Detectives Benson and Stabler discover that Jill and Tommy were living under an alias to hide from Tommy’s father, Dan Hoffman, a wealthy and well-respected real estate developer from Rye, New York. The investigation reveals a pattern of domestic abuse:

: Dan Hoffman is a "pillar of the community," making it difficult for the detectives to find anyone willing to believe he is capable of such violence. [S4E18] Desperate

is the 18th episode of the fourth season of the procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , which originally aired on March 14, 2003. Plot Overview The episode begins when firefighters rescue a young

Adjust the (e.g., a brief summary vs. an in-depth analysis). The investigation reveals a pattern of domestic abuse:

: Dan uses his influence and a high-powered attorney, Priscilla Chaney, to block the detectives from questioning his son.