Homicide: Life on the Street: Season 4

With Bolander and Felton suspended, the squad struggles to pick up the slack. Pembleton and Bayliss investigate a body found at a burned-out warehouse and cross paths with arson detective Mike Kellerman, whose theories of the crime put him at odds with the pair. He believes it to be an insurance fraud ploy, while Pembleton and Bayliss suspect it to be a murder. Soon a second building is set on fire, with another body found in the rubble. Munch and Howard both sign up for promotion exams. First a

The arson/murder investigation continues, and Kellerman surprises everyone with his successful interrogation of the prime suspect. Giardello offers him a chance to join the homicide unit. Kellerman accepts after visiting his father at the distillery where he works. Howard takes the promotion exam, but Munch is a no-show.

The department moves into an old bank building when a gas leak forces them to evacuate headquarters. Detectives Lewis and Kellerman partner up to investigate the murder of an old woman; a young news cameraman named J. H. Brodie risks his job to help them solve it. Pembleton is thrown off balance by the change of scenery and the fact that he will soon become a father, while Howard (recently promoted to Sergeant) gets off to a bad start in her attempts to supervise the other detectives, Lewis in p

A shooting at a mall leaves a 10-year-old boy brain-dead. As his parents struggle with decisions about keeping him on life support or donating his organs, Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the case and wind up questioning their own moral and spiritual convictions. The parents ultimately decide to donate their son's organs, asking to spend his last moments with him. The boy was accidentally shot during a dispute between two brothers over a girl and the detectives manage to apprehend the killer. A

The department returns to their headquarters. As Lewis and Kellerman quickly solve a drug-related death, they get a tip on another case: a man who was immured behind a brick wall 10 years before. Munch and Howard suspect a drug dealer obsessed with Edgar Allan Poe, relying on psychological manipulation to get him to confess. Despite failing to obtain a confession, the man is still tortured by guilt, ultimately cementing himself behind the same wall as his victim. Munch's stab at a relationship w

After a man is killed by skinheads outside a gay bar, Pembleton and Bayliss find their investigation into the hate crime complicated by conflicting information about his sexual preferences. They identify the two suspects, but find it hard to locate them due to neonazi groups collaborating and harboring members across the country. After speaking to the victim's fiancé, the detectives conclude that he likely wasn't gay, but was killed because he was perceived sexual identity. Lewis and Kellerman c

The homicide unit works with the FBI to catch a thrill-killer who is working his way north along Interstate 95. Pembleton and Bayliss conclude that the murders occur every time the suspect stops for gasoline. Russert authorizes a roadblock, but the killer leaves the car and escapes on foot. Eventually, he's surrounded at a gas station after hiding in the back of a woman's car. In the Box, he insists that he isn't the killer despite video and forensic evidence. Bayliss receives a call from a myst

The start of 1996 brings a clean board that is soon covered with red names when a series of sniper attacks leaves nine people dead and puts the entire department on red-ball alert. A game of hangman is found drawn in chalk at every scene. A handwriting expert identifies the suspect, leading the detectives to his house where Bayliss attempts to reason with him. Finishing his game of hangman, the suspect kills himself even while his house is surrounded and filled with policemen. Dissatisfied with

As the sniper attacks resume, the exhausted detectives return to work – including Russert, whom Giardello calls in despite Barnfather's order that she stay out of the case. Pembleton believes that the new shooter (who eventually racks up five kills) is connected to the first, while Russert believes him to be a copycat killer. After an overly helpful witness attracts the detectives' attention, Russert draws on recent experience to extract a confession from him. At a coffeeshop, Bayliss expresses

Lewis and Kellerman investigate a shooting death at the seedy New Moon Motel on the outskirts of Baltimore. The fact that nearly every tenant has a criminal record, and the victim is missing both a boot and vintage motorcycle, leave the pair awash in potential suspects but short on evidence. Kellerman has a deep conversation with a prostitute that reminds him of an old flame. The detectives arrest a suspicious couple and solve a different murder after interviewing the motel owner, but the New Mo

As detectives from Baltimore and New York City connect a pair of poison gas attacks in the two cities five years apart, the prime suspect's wife is murdered to keep him from giving up any more information. His son tips off the police, leading to the arrest of an anarchist ex-Special Forces colonel who is trying to start a race war. The suspect is extradited to New York despite the Baltimore detectives' protests. While handing off the suspect at the train station, the colonel passes away from a h

Lewis and Kellerman are sent to Pennsylvania to pick up Rose Halligan, a fugitive wanted in Baltimore for the murder of her husband. The trip turns into a disaster after she escapes their custody and is later found outside the home of her husband's mistress, whom she has just killed. A case investigated by Munch falls apart in court when Brodie's videotape shows a key piece of evidence missing from the crime scene. Anticipation in the squadroom comes to a head with the announcement that the open

Investigating the case of a man found dead in the driver's seat of a borrowed car, Pembleton and Bayliss question whether an emergency room doctor's bias against criminals led her to perform shoddy surgery that caused his death. Lewis and Kellerman make several attempts to apprehend a suspect wanted for the murder of his parents, but he fights them off. After they finally catch him and he's determined to be schizophrenic, Lewis reveals that he has a mentally ill brother who has been institutiona

Munch and Russert take the case of a retired cop, Edgar Rodzinski, found strangled at his wife's grave. His son Jake is a BCPD detective who knew Lewis from the police academy, and he starts pressing Lewis to give him information and get involved so he can do a little digging of his own. However, his efforts only hinder the other detectives' work. A suspect is arrested and brought to trial; after he is inexplicably acquitted, Jake stays behind at the courthouse to threaten him. Guest star: Bruce

As Jake Rodzinski struggles to cope with the acquittal of his father's killer, a new case comes in: that same killer has been found shot in the head. Kellerman picks up the case and is ordered not to share information with Lewis because of the past relationship between Lewis and Jake. Lewis explores a drug-related angle that only leads to dead ends. As the evidence increasingly points to Jake's involvement in the shooting, Gee reflects on the changed culture of the police; in the old days, cop k

After the detectives learn the name of the man responsible for a long string of abductions and murders, they begin round-the-clock surveillance at his neighbors' house, waiting for him to come home so they can arrest him. As everyone on the shift takes a turn, three topics keep coming up: the personal lives of the homeowners, Giardello's indecision about flying to California for his daughter's wedding, and rumors that Bayliss plans to leave the homicide unit or quit altogether. Pembleton manages

A high-profile divorce lawyer is found dead in his own swimming pool, and a man named Richard Laumer claiming to be his son shows up in the homicide office with evidence to incriminate himself. The man that raised him left a trust fund that would only become Laumer's if his biological father died. Pembleton and Bayliss find themselves in a face-off with the National Security Agency that Laumer works for. Following the agency's involvement, a second suspect makes a sudden confession that seems a

A young girl is found murdered in a manner very similar to Adena Watson. Remembering how that investigation spiraled out of control, Pembleton insists on working the current case alone and without the usual "red ball" treatment. Bayliss’ conviction that the two cases are connected leads him into a clash with Pembleton and jeopardizes the latter’s efforts to get a confession from a suspect. Ultimately, Pembleton extracts a confession and Bayliss, after speaking with Giardello, begins letting go o

Kellerman becomes the primary on a rash of drug-related killings that prove to be part of a turf war between two rival dealers, "Drak" Fortunato and Luther Mahoney. Each points the finger at the other until a standoff with Drak and a surprise confession of the hired killer convince Kellerman that Mahoney is responsible for the murders. Kellerman almost shoots Drak at his apartment, instead walking away humbled with a battle wound. He also becomes close to the godmother of a little girl that was

Lewis surprises the squad by announcing that he will be getting married at the end of the day's shift, and asks for their help in organizing the reception. Everyone is skeptical, especially Munch, but the wedding turns out to be genuine - and Pembleton's wife Mary goes into labor afterward. Howard's fun-loving sister Carrie comes in from Florence for a visit, prompting Bayliss and Kellerman to vie for her attention. With most of the squad otherwise occupied, Giardello and Howard team up to inves

Lewis and Kellerman investigate the death of a drug dealer in a housing project, but are hampered by the interference of a private security force run by Black Muslims. The case puts the two detectives at odds with each other and pits Giardello against Barnfather, who insists that nationwide politics trump the search for the killer. Giardello goes behind the bosses' back to the press, leading to the leader of the security force revealing the identity of the killer. A double shooting in another ho

Mary has given birth to the Pembletons' daughter Olivia and Bayliss demands to visit their home for the first time and see her. Lewis confesses to Kellerman that his marriage is already in trouble. The pair investigate a literal "red ball" case — a man killed by a red bowling ball thrown from a freeway overpass — as Giardello frets over the bosses' upcoming review of his earlier self-defense shooting. Pembleton and Bayliss take a robbery/murder at a fast food restaurant; once they get an accompl