Episode no. Season 1
Episode 9 Production code E2103 | Directed by Constantine Makris Original air date November 25, 2001 | |
Written by Dick Wolf (creator)
René Balcer (developer)
Geoffrey Neigher (story) | ||
"The Good Doctor" is a first season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Contents
Plot summary
Dr. Peter Kelmer, an egotisical cosmetic surgeon, shares an unpleasant marriage to Valerie, a recovering drug addict. Both partners are engaging in extramarital affairs, apparently unbeknownst to each other. Kelmer receives a package addressed to Valerie, showing him in the company of another woman; he hides the photos from his wife. Shortly afterwards, Kelmer hastily packs his single-engine aircraft and goes on an unscheduled flight.
Kelmer reports Valerie missing to the Major Case Squad, claiming that she has suicidal tendencies. Detectives Goren and Eames interview Valerie's cousin, Jennifer Barish, who believes she was actually murdered by the temperamental Kelmer. The detectives also question her boyfriend, who claims that she broke off their extramarital relationship. At Kelmer's apartment building, a neighbor recalls running into Kelmer in the parking garage, having just loaded something heavy into his trunk. The detectives seem to catch a break when a Columbus Avenue deli clerk claims to have seen Valerie two days previously; however, the witness' credibility is questionable since he is near-sighted.
Despite the absence of a body, Goren strongly believes that Valerie is dead. He persuades a judge to grant a search warrant for Kelmer's car, which has recently been detailed; the resulting search yields no material evidence, except for a fuel receipt from Kelmer's airfield.
Fact
This episode revealed many resemblances with the real-life case of Dr. Robert Bierenbaum, who was convicted of murdering his wife, Gail Katz Bierenbaum.