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| “ | Herman took me in. He took care of me. That's why I shot those people... for once, I got to help him. | „ |
| ~ Justin explaining why he helped Herman Capshaw kill several people. |
Justin Capshaw is the secondary antagonist of the Law & Order episode "Sheltered". He is the teenage accomplice and surrogate son of serial killer Herman Capshaw, who helps him kill several people.
He was portrayed by Sebastian Stan, who also portrayed Nick Fowler in The 355, Brendan in Fresh, Chase Collins in The Covenant, Blaine in Hot Tub Machine, Lee Bodecker in The Devil all the Time, and the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Early life[]
Justin was born in New York City in 1988 to Jake and Megan Lafferty; he also had an older sister, Jennie. When he was three years old, Justin was kidnapped by Herman Capshaw, who wanted to find a "replacement" for his recently deceased wife and son. Capshaw told the boy that his parents and sister had died in a house fire, and that he was going to adopt him and give him his last name.
From then on, Justin and Capshaw lived in Capshaw's isolated cabin as if there was no one else in the world; Capshaw would not let Justin have friends, girlfriends, or hobbies, while Justin grew to hate and fear the outside world, believing that Capshaw was the only person in the world who loved and cared for him. The only extracurricular activity Capshaw allowed Justin to participate in was learning how to fire a rifle - Capshaw, a former U.S. Army sharpshooter, taught Justin to shoot in case "outsiders" appeared on their property.
When Capshaw got into a fight with his boss, Charlie Rodriguez, he feared that he was about to lose his job, and told Justin that, unless they killed Rodriguez, they would lose everything they had. Capshaw told Justin to stalk Rodriguez to his work site and shoot him dead, and to kill as many other people as possible in order to make it look like a random mass shooting.
"Sheltered"[]
At Capshaw's direction, Justin shoots and kills Rodriguez and four other people. He also writes several anonymous letters to the media taking credit for the murders and threatening to commit more in order to throw the police off his scent.
While investigating the murders, NYPD Homicide Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green find out that Rodriguez had been about to fire Capshaw; this gives them probable cause to search his cabin, where they find the murder weapon. When they arrest Capshaw, however, Justin insists that his "father" is innocent, and confesses to committing the murders. His guilt is confirmed by forensic tests proving he fired the weapon and wrote the letters. Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy and Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn charge Justin with the murders, and Capshaw with reckless endangerment.
McCoy and Southerlyn soon find out that Capshaw's wife and only child died years earlier, meaning that Justin could not be his son. While Justin admits that he is not Capshaw's biological child, he insists that Capshaw had "saved" him by taking him in after his parents and sister died in a house fire. McCoy and Southerlyn find no records of such a fire, however, and soon discover that Megan and Jennie are still alive, while Jake became an alcoholic after Justin was kidnapped and eventually killed himself. When McCoy and Southerlyn bring Justin's mother and sister to him, however, he refuses to acknowledge them, and insists that Capshaw is his only "real family".
Justin's lawyer enters an insanity plea on his behalf. Forensic psychiatrist Elizabeth Olivet examines Justin and finds that he is completely dependent upon Capshaw and will do anything he says. During his trial, Justin testifies that he committed the murders on his own; Capshaw, meanwhile, turns on Justin by testifying against him in exchange for being spared the death penalty. Ultimately, however, the jury finds Justin not guilty by reason of insanity, and he is institutionalized; Capshaw, meanwhile, is imprisoned for life.
Trivia[]
- Justin is loosely based on real-life serial killer Lee Boyd Malvo, who committed a series of murders with his guardian, John Allen Muhammad.
- Justin is the second character in the Law & Order universe to be based on Malvo, the other being Clay Turner in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
External links[]
- Justin Lafferty on the Law & Order Wiki
