A female student at an upper-class university is raped and murdered, and two of the college’s basketball stars are suspected. However, the college blocks their investigation at every turn because they are not willing to risk the negative publicity that the investigation could bring to the school and the upcoming championship.

A judge who fought for the rights of abused women is found shot in his car under sordid circumstances, and the detectives uncover a case of corruption that leads to the state parole board. The team soon turns their eye to a battered wife with a secret.

An exceptional teacher, who helped inner city kids get into college, led a dangerous double life as a sex addict. When she is murdered, there is a long list of suspects but the case hits a snag after the woman's illicit sexual history is exposed.

The detectives become a little edgy after working around the clock to find an abducted girl when clues point to a serial murderer and rapist who kills his victims on the third day. After trapping the killer, they are prepared to give him the death penalty until they find out that one of his victims was never found and he offers her location as a plea bargain.

A "Jack the Ripper" type murderer, who justifies his crimes with paranoid religious motivation set on by a rapidly deteriorating medical condition, is on the loose. After a citywide manhunt, Detectives Benson and Stabler are tasked with finding the killer.