New York - Section criminelle Masquerade (2001–2011) Online

Its pretty obvious what real-life story inspired this episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

John Mark Karr was arrested in August of 2006. Supposedly, he was the confessed killer of child pageant queen Jon Benet Ramsey. As you all remember, it turned out to be a fraud. Karr knew a lot about the crime but he didn't do it. To this day, this famous Boulder, Colorado, case is unsolved.

This Law & Order program aired later in 2006, not too long after the Karr debacle. They even have the man here - "Simon Fife" (Matt McGrath) - being arrested in an Asian country and brought to the United States, where "Det. Goren" and "Det. Eames" meet him at a West Coast airport and then fly together across country back to New York. "Fife" is pictured as prissy and weird as Carr appeared.

From that point, after Goren, naturally, figures he's not the man. (Eames did think so, as did others) further questioning leads to other suspects and eventually to the real killer. Unlike Jon Benet's murder, this case is solved.

Liza Minelli guest stars as the mother of the murdered child. She acts strange and.....well, if I were Mrs. Ramsey (who died of cancer in June of 2006) I would be considering defamation charges against Law & Order, although I'm sure the TV program's lawyers were careful. Still, it's not a flattering picture of the mom, although they don't paint her as guilty....just odd. Minelli does a fine job in the role.

As much as I usually enjoy "Criminal Intent," I almost laugh at the way most programs end, with the guilty party suddenly confessing. In the case, the killer had kept quiet and hushed things up perfectly for 14 years.....until Goren questions him, and then he slowly confesses? This happens all the time! No, I don't think that would happen....but they have to wrap up the episodes, so you just go along with it.

Yes, like her mom,(and me) maybe a bit too much partying, but look at that actress. She's a legacy Judy and Vincent would be proud of today, truly a legend in her own time! Her appearance on 'Criminal Intent' (here on New Zealand television- 23rd July 2007) headlined the previews of the week's coming shows! More Liza More!!!!!!!!!!!!Just found out from IMDb I need to write more for this to be accepted. OK. I became a huge Judy Garland fan after finding out my dad proposed to my mom at a Judy Garland concert on September 4th 1958, Chicago. Judy is a Goddess, and after all of the reading and research I've done;... Liza, from her appearances with Judy in concert and on television, as well as her own career, has matched her mom's charisma!!! Thanks Liza. Hope to see a lot more!!!

Liza Minnelli tops the bill of guest players on this Criminal Intent episode. She plays the mother of a young beauty queen like Jon Benet Ramsey who was killed and her murder never solved.

I'm not sure what Detective Robert Goren thought of getting a simple extradition assignment. He's got the job of bringing back Matt McGrath a known pedophile who was in Southeast Asia, but who confessed to the murder that occurred on Halloween.

McGrath knows a lot, but certain things in his statement confession that Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe leave his confession suspect.

Still he knows a lot about the crime details so where is his knowledge coming from?

A prestige cold case is what Goren and Eames now have. Would that Jon Benet's murder be solved the way they solve this one.

There are a couple of nice performances from Bill Irwin who plays the next door neighbor best selling novelist who since the murder and his book on the case has become a cottage industry for him, his son Dashiell Eaves who was a kid himself when the murder happened and Kristin Rohde as the first officer on the scene.

I guess this one just needed the eclectic mind of Robert Goren to get it solved.