The Incident

In 1944, the town's only doctor, George Hansen, is murdered at the US Army Camp Bremen, which houses German POWs. The killing triggers an investigation and sows wartime suspicion in Lincoln Bluff. This event becomes the catalyst for the legal and covert inquiries that follow.

Judge Bell pressures Harmon Cobb to take the defense of German prisoner Geiger. Cobb has little desire to see Geiger acquitted, yet he is compelled by the judge’s demand and the wartime climate. The arrangement foreshadows a contested legal battle under heavy external influence.

Cobb attempts to build a defense by asking several of Geiger's POW subordinates to testify as character witnesses. When all refuse to testify, Cobb tries to press Geiger to pull rank to procure them on the stand. Geiger refuses, wary of exposing the POWs to potential consequences and the camp’s illicit activities.

Cobb pushes Geiger to compel testimony from the subordinates, but Geiger declines, emphasizing the risk to the men and the larger implications. The refusal underscores Geiger's principle and the complexity of prosecuting the case under wartime pressures. The defense remains nominal and heavily constrained.

Sergeant Riefenstahl testifies that Geiger is a member of the Nazi party sworn to kill Americans. The testimony intensifies wartime prejudice in the courtroom and complicates Cobb's defense strategy. It also deepens the emotional stakes for Cobb, who has a son serving abroad.

During the proceedings, Cobb receives word that his son has been killed in action, triggering a two-week delay in the trial. The personal loss sharpens Cobb's motivation to uncover the truth behind Hansen’s death. The pause allows space for further investigation into the camp's operations.

Officer Wallace approaches Cobb with a letter Hansen wrote on the day of his death. Cobb starts to suspect that Hansen's demise is part of a broader pattern of illicit activities at Camp Bremen. The discovery shifts the focus from a single murder to systemic wrongdoing.

During the hiatus, Cobb digs deeper and seeks a subpoena, challenging Judge Bell's control. Bell warns Cobb that he expected him to fail, signaling the court's corrupt environment. Despite the pressure, Cobb presses on to uncover the truth behind the camp.

Cobb and Wallace visit Camp Bremen to review Hansen's medical records for eight prisoners who died of 'natural causes'. Corporal Sweazy reveals Major Lilly tolerates gangs inside the camp that terrorize prisoners. The visit exposes a brutal underground system and hints at systemic abuse.

Sweazy explains that Lager Gestapo prisoners patrol inside the camp and that Riefenstahl leads them. Lilly's complicity allows these abuses, linking the cover-up to the trial at hand. The revelations heighten the stakes for Geiger's defense.

Back in the courtroom, Cobb attempts to present exculpatory evidence, but the judge orders him into chambers while the prosecutor objects, threatening a mistrial. The judge suggests a grim bargain: Geiger could be hanged in exchange for three American airmen. The ethical rot within the trial becomes increasingly evident.

With Domsczek's complicity, Cobb presents witnesses and evidence to expose the Lager Gestapo and the beatings and murders of prisoners, including Hansen's. Riefenstahl killed Hansen and then framed Geiger for the murder. Geiger is subsequently found innocent, vindicating Cobb's relentless pursuit of the truth.