Charisma - Recap

A twelve-year-old girl (Melanie) is admitted to the hospital with late term pregnancy complications. The SVU detectives are called because of the obvious situation. Detective Olivia Benson questions Melanie and discovers that the little girl is part of a religious cult and is "married" to the leader, Abraham Ofinian, the father of the child she is carrying. Benson finally persuades Melanie to give her the address of her home and goes there to question Ofinian about the situation. Benson is greeted at the door of the Ofinian residence by several young children and finally by Ofinian, himself. He refuses to speak with Benson and slams the door in her face. Seconds later, shots are fired at Benson and the uniformed officers with her. Benson calls for back-up and then shots are heard fired within the home, itself. The other SVU detectives arrive, along with a special team to enter the Ofinian residence, break down the door. The sight that greets them is one of abject horror. Four young children lay shot to death, along with two older, teenage girls. Ofinian has disappeared and it is later learned, he escaped through a tunnel under the residence that led to an abandoned building.
Back at he police station, the SVU detectives undergo evaluation by Dr. Wong. It is decided that Benson's partner, Elliot Stabler, will be taken off the case for psychological reasons and Finn removes himself from the case. Benson fears she will also be removed, instead, is made lead detective. Evidence found at the scene indicates that Ofinian was also running a con game with forged checks and that his real identity is one, Eugene Hoff. Hoff built up his flock of cult followers from a church he used to attend and after talking to former members, the detectives find that Hoff eliminated all the men from his following and kept around only the women. Further investigation leads the detectives to the bank where Hoff is cashing the forged checks. It is also found that Hoff has a partner inside the bank. Hoff's partner tells the detective when he is next to come in and detectives set up a trap to catch him. Hoff arrives at the bank and is captured by the SVU detectives after a half-hearted suicide attempt.
Under interrogation, Hoff admits to nothing and his attorney has him freed. It is found that he cannot be held on any charges. The dead children in the house were shot by one of the older teenage girls, who then had turned the gun on herself. Hoff walks out of the station a free man. Sarah, Melanie's mother has been captured by now and is questioned by Benson. She finally reveals where Hoff may be hiding after Benson proves to her that Hoff murdered her husband years before. Hoff, having taken Melanie from the hospital, is on the run with her. Melanie is due to inherit a fortune from her grandparents when her first child is born. Hoff impregnated Melanie for this reason. He now plans to keep Melanie until their child is born and then claim the inheritance. Detective Benson and the squad have other plans for Hoff.
Finding Hoff's hiding place, the detectives also find Melanie. She is frightened and with a gun given to her by Hoff, she wounds one of the officers there. Benson is trying to get the gun away from Melanie when Hoff comes in and tells her to shoot Benson. Melanie is caught between Benson and Hoff, until Hoff makes the mistake of saying that he is greater than God. Melanie then shoots Hoff and gives the gun to Benson saying, that no one is greater than God.

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