Mushrooms (26 Feb. 1991)

A twelve-year-boy is injured and his infant brother is killed by gunshots. The investigation reveals they were the accidental victims of a hit ordered by a drug dealer against a real estate broker.

Director:

Daniel Sackheim

Writers:

Dick Wolf (creator), Robert Palm

Stars:

George Dzundza, Chris Noth, Dann Florek

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
George Dzundza	...	Sergeant Max Greevey
Chris Noth	...	Detective Mike Logan
Dann Florek	...	Captain Donald Cragen
Michael Moriarty	...	Executive A.D.A. Ben Stone
Richard Brooks	...	A.D.A. Paul Robinette
Steven Hill	...	D.A. Adam Schiff
Brad Sullivan	...	Joe Anson
Michael Mantell	...	Edward Kay
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Denise Winters
Malachi Throne	...	Judge Real
Tom Mardirosian	...	Brian Doxsee
Victor Raider-Wexler	...	Harold Morton
James McDaniel	...	Michael Ingrams
Justin Cozier	...	Franklin 'T-Ball' Howard
Terrance Telfair	...	Dizz Williams

Storyline

Det. Sgt. Greevy and Det. Logan investigate the death of 11 month old Andrew Winters and the wounding of his 12 year-old brother Gregory who were shot when a gunman burst into their home and opened fire. The killing makes no sense, all the more so after the investigation of 12 year-old Gregory confirms him to be a good kid with no drug or gang connections. They eventually trace the shooter, a young teenager by the name of 'T-Ball' Howard. When it turns out that Howard was hired by major drug dealer Michael Ingrams to eliminate a property developer who swindled him out of $300,000 - Howard got the address wrong - Executive ADA Stone charges Ingrams with murder, even if the victims were unintended.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 1991 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actress S. Epatha Merkerson appears as Denise Winters, the mother of the shooting victims. She would later join the cast as a long-time regular, playing police lieutenant Anita Van Buren.

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Connections

Featured in Law & Order: The First 3 Years (2004)

User Reviews

The Worst Kind Of Homicide

S. Epatha Merkersen who later joined Law And Order as Lieutenant Van Buren plays a distraught mother as George Dzundza and Chris Noth catch the worst kind of homicide. Some kid sprayed an apartment with automatic weapon fire and killed an infant and wounded his brother.

The shooter is young Terrance Telfair who has a smart mouth and a real attitude. A little investigation will reveal that drug dealer James McDaniel who would later be Lieutenant Arthur Fancy on NYPD Blue set the hit up. The theme of underage shooters would be used a few more times in the history of the Law And Order series.

As McDaniel is brought to trial though the question of motive looms large as Merkersen and her family are clean. In one of the series most poignant moments Michael Moriarty in questioning young Telfair brings out to the court that the kid is illiterate, that he read the printed address wrong on the slip of paper that McDaniel gave him.

Poignant for me because many years ago I knew and was involved with a young man who also was illiterate. It's a horrible state to be in, to not even be able to read want ads so that you can get a job, or read a restaurant menu to order food or hundreds of other situations that people with reading skills can deal with.

This episode is one to check out.