In a "ripped-from-the-headlines" episode, overzealous reporter Cindy Marino accuses new mother Laura Kozowloski on national television of kidnapping and trying to kill her baby. That's the last straw for the despondent woman, who promptly commits suicide. Although everyone is under suspicion, including the mother and her ex-husband, Dan, the case takes an unusual emotional toll on Detective Stabler, who is drawn in by the mother and her past. The search for the baby Kendall seems to be at a dead end -- but DNA provides clues that help solve the case, and offer new questions for one of the detectives.