A unit of Baltimore homicide detectives struggle with an overload of cases and the curves life throws them. Detective Stanley Bolander pushes his reluctant partner, John Munch, to follow up on a dead case involving a murdered druggie. Detective Meldrick Lewis and Steve Crosetti uncover one Calpurnia Church who has been killing off husbands and relatives for the insurance money. Flamboyant loner, Detective Frank Pembleton is forced to partner with rookie Tim Bayliss, whose first case is that of a brutally murdered eleven year old, Adena Watson.