In 2001, the cops search for a missing kid in Central Park. A cop tells Garland kids this age never get found. The investigation is interrupted by the news about the Sept 11 attack.

20 years later, remains are found in Central Park.

Meanwhile, a woman runs out of a hotel room. It turns out she stole thousands of dollars of watches from a wealthy guy. He met her on the Sugar Babies website. The cop who questions him doesn't approve. She used a fake name and the guy says he was helping her get over being sexually assaulted.

Garland is watching the news about the remains of a child having been found.

The victim is shocked to discover his girlfriend stole the watches from him.

Garland meets with Benson. He tells her he thinks the remains are the little girl he was investigating on 9-11. In the squad room, he talks to the rest of the cops and also reveals he is now working for the mayor's office.

The original cop on the case is on oxygen and doesn't remember at first. He says the case was pushed away because of 9-11. He says he's luckier than most, as he got lung cancer in 2016 but is still here. He crosses himself when he hears the body might be the child's.

It turns out the thief was brutally assaulted by Henry (the psychopath kid from a previous episode), and now she's stealing from rich guys to support herself. Benson says Libby needs an advocate.

The ME can't tell them much because of the decomposition of the body. It is possible she has been in the water 20 years. Also there were fetal bones -- the girl was pregnant.

Aretha's grandfather says he can't forgive himself for letting her go get her scooter by herself. The mother says the watch looks just like one she gave her daughter. They need to do DNA sampling to confirm that the body is Aretha's. The mom thought Aretha ran away.

Libby says that she doesn't know how she ended up in the system. She used different names with each man she dated. Benson realizes that the cops used the rape kit to ID her. Benson comes to talk to the detective to find out how Libby was identified. The detective won't tell her.

Benson shares her suspicions with Carisi and he says that he can't imagine the ME's office would allow the rape kit to be used this way.

The remains are Aretha's. They were able to get DNA from the fetal bones and it was a boy and the father was African American.

The cops make the notification to Aretha's family. Cora wants her daughter's remains. They tell her that Aretha was 5 months pregnant. Cora and her dad think that can't be true.

Victim DNA is not supposed to be uploaded to any databases. Benson questions some doctors. There was a request from Major Crimes. The detective had been told that there was an assault victim in 2021. The doctor thought it was appropriate because he got it from Major Cases. The supervisor says that she will be launching an investigation. So will the DA's office.

Cora comes to see the cops. She says this makes no sense. Aretha was a good girl who was all about her studies. When she wasn't home, her father was., so how could Aretha have gotten pregnant?

Velasco interviews the grandfather, who says that Aretha always came straight home from school and had boys over to study but he was there. He admits he went for a walk once in a while, but only when Red was there. Valesco doesn't know who Red is. It turns out Red was Cora's boyfriend that nobody knew about.

Cora says Red would never... what difference does any of this make when her baby is gone? Garland tells her he believes there's a reason they found Aretha. Cora says her boyfriend was married so that's why she didn't mention him to the cops. They worked at the hospital together and then he moved to Uniondale after Aretha disappeared.

Maxwell is disgusted, especially as there are three cases that were based on stolen rape kit evidence. All six requests were made by Szabo to Kent.  Benson thinks Libby was on a downward spiral since her rape. Carisi says they have other evidence besides the DNA. Benson doesn't care.

Rollins and Valesco talk to Cora's boyfriend. He wanted to reach out but was still married. He says he used to help Aretha with her science homework. She wanted to be a doctor. He says Aretha was all about schoolwork. They ask him for his DNA. As long as his wife and kids don't hear, he'll do a DNA sample. He also thinks about Aretha's sister Nina. No one knew about her.

Szabo comes to yell at Benson. Benson informs her that she violated NYPD protocols. Szabo says getting raped doesn't give someone free pass to commit crimes. Benson says that rape victims already don't want to come forward. Szabo accuses Benson of putting her finger on the scales too. Benson throws her out.

Nina was traumatized by the murder and now is a drug addict.

Nina is in a rehab facility but seems to have run away after Cora's father came to see her.

Libby doesn't want to be like Henry and play the system to get off. Benson says this is a dangerous precedent. Queens grand jury has handed down an indictment against Libby. Libby is released ROR after arraignment. Szabo tells Benson the girl should have pled out. Maxwell informs her that all of  her arrests will be reviewed. Maxwell introduces Benson to a judge who will get someone to call her back about this.

Maxwell and Benson talk to a DA who doesn't want to drop the case because it will send a message. She thinks they should go back to the OCEME.

Rollins and Velasco stop a drug dealer who says Nina didn't have the cash to buy from him. THe cops catch up with Nina who is trying to prostitute herself.

Nina says she knew that Aretha was pregnant but never wanted her mom to find out. Grandfather said it would kill her.

It turns out the grandfather impregnanted Aretha. He's not her biological grandfather.

Grandfather says his girlfriend said he was Cora's mother when she got pregnant. It turned out she wasn't. He says when Aretha told him she was pregnant he didn't want her to tell Cora. He shook her and she fell against the tub and hit her head. He never meant to kill her. He loved her. She was the light of his life. She wasn't his biological grandchild so it was not a sin.

Grandfather has pled guilty. Maxwell tells Garland she misses him around here. Maxwell then tells Benson that the judge is asking for a bench trial for Libby. Also the DA had forged his signature on some wiretaps. Now the DA has a press conference saying they discovered a flaw and are dropping the charges because privacy is paramount.  She is also calling on other DAs to join her in new legislation.

Cora has heard enough. She never wants to hear her "father's" name ever again. She and Nina have been reunited and she doesn't blame her for not telling her.