When no one in the neighborhood wants to talk about having heard a rape being committed, Sgt. Greevey tells Logan that "we're living in the post-Kitty Genovese era." On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her apartment in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City: no one came to help, nor did anyone call the police while she was being stabbed to death. When the police later combed the neighborhood, it was alleged that 38 people admitted to hearing her cries for help. This behavior has become known as the "bystander effect" or "Genovese syndrome." The "38 witnesses" claim was later proven to be false: further investigation many years later turned up calls from at least a dozen neighbors. It was concluded that a New York Times reporter had exaggerated some details and falsely reported others. In 2015, the Times apologized for the false story.
At the time of the filming of this episode, Samuel L. Jackson was a relatively unknown actor. In the years following he would become a major Hollywood star, with nominations for several awards. Jackson's been nominated for an Academy Award, and a number of Golden Globes.
This episode appears to be based on two separate cases/incidents:
- The 1989 Trisha Meili (a.k.a. "The Central Park jogger") case. On April 19, 1989, Meili, a female jogger, was violently assaulted, raped, and sodomized in Central Park. It was thought to be related to attacks by a large group of teenagers on eight other people in the park that night, two of which left the victims unconscious. Meili was beaten so badly that she was in a coma for 12 days. Five of the teens were arrested and became known as the Central Park Five. They were found guilty and each received sentences ranging from five to 15 years for the crime. However, in 2001, Matias Reyes, a convicted murderer and serial rapist serving life in prison, confessed to officials that he had raped Meili and his DNA matched that found at the scene. In addition to providing other confirmatory evidence, Reyes said he raped Meili alone. However, Reyes could not be prosecuted for the rape because the statute of limitations had passed. Meanwhile, the Central Park Five were released, and in 2003, they sued the City of New York for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination, and emotional distress. The city eventually settled in 2014 with the five plaintiffs for $41 million. The five men also filed a lawsuit against the State of New York for additional damages; this case was settled in 2016 for a total of $3.9 million.
- The 1967 Maggie de la Riva rape case. Riva was a Filipina actress who was abducted in front of her home in New Manila, Quezon City on June 26, 1967, by four men, all of whom were sons of influential families, and taken to a motor hotel where she was abused and raped. Her rape case became one of the most publicized cases in Philippine history.
First appearance in an American TV series or movie of Canadian actor Gil Bellows, known later for his role in "The Shawshank Redemption (1994)" and other films.
This is Philip Seymour Hoffman's first acting credit in TV or film. In the credits rolled at the end of the show, he is listed as "Philip Hoffman" playing the character "Hanauer." Interestingly, another actor named Philip Hoffman appears in this episode and is listed in the end credits. His full name is Philip Hoffman, but he is listed in the final credits as "Phil Hoffman" playing the role of the "Hypnotherapist."