Plot summary
Two brutal machete slayings of entire families of affluent art owners has Detectives Logan and Barek looking for a young suspect, Antonio Mattini ( Octavio Gómez ). They find was raised by a strong-willed foster mother, Chesley Watkins ( Whoopi Goldberg ), and the detectives track him down to the burger joint where he works. However, during an altercation when the other three suspects arrive, Logan unknowingly shoots an undercover policeman dead. Captain Deakins supports his Logan, who stays on the case and he learns that the youths are all foster children of the manipulative Watkins, including the dead officer.
After Mattini is killed in hospital, Logan and Barek manage to catch the three other foster boys they suspect of the slayings, and also charge Watkins with complicity. However, when the one boy they have convinced to testify jumps to his death from a courthouse window, their case falls apart and Watkins is released.
Credits
Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 5. HTML formatting and reference markers removed.