Law and Order season 24 episode 20 recap: Who killed Sunny Zhen?

In the latest episode of Law and Order season 24, titled Sins of the Father, the 2-7 detectives unravel a web of secrets, betrayals, and drug-related violence in the wake of a young man's murder. The victim in this case is Sunny Zhen, a hardworking mechanic with a background in chemistry, striving to rebuild his life.

He is shot point-blank at his workplace by someone connected to a dangerous criminal empire. Through investigation, it is revealed that Sunny's killer is Omar Nunez, a gang enforcer and relative of a major drug kingpin. He murders Sunny after luring him into making fentanyl for the cartel.

The truth behind Sunny’s death unravels further as police discover a hidden drug lab, thirteen bodies, and a family betrayal that would finally bring down one of the city’s most wanted criminals.

Disclaimer: The article ahead contains spoilers for Law and Order season 24 episode 20.

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Law and Order season 24 episode 20: What was Omar Nunez’s role in Sunny's murder?

In Law and Order season 24 episode 20, Sunny Zhen, a former chemistry student at Hudson University, is found shot point-blank in the head at the autobody shop where he worked. The investigation reveals that Sunny was wrongfully accused of being a Chinese spy, lost his academic career, and turned to manual labor to repay debts tied to his disgraced father.

His background in chemistry and desperate financial state eventually drew the attention of a dangerous drug crew led by Antonio Ruiz. Sunny was likely recruited to help refine fentanyl, but when he became a liability, either unwilling to continue or simply knowing too much, he was murdered.

Omar Nunez, Antonio’s nephew and a trusted enforcer, is identified through surveillance footage and forensic evidence as the one who pulled the trigger. The police arrest him, hoping he’d testify against Ruiz, but he is murdered in prison before he can talk.

A prison lifer, manipulated through his pregnant daughter, carries out the hit in a carefully staged cover-up. Later revelations expose that Omar had overseen fatal drug testing on vulnerable victims. His role was more than that of a killer, as he was a key figure in protecting the secrecy of Antonio’s deadly drug operation.

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Law and Order season 24 episode 20: Antonio Ruiz is brought to justice with Ernesto's help

In Law and Order season 24 episode 20, with Omar dead, the case against Antonio Ruiz nearly collapses. However, the daughter of Omar's killer leads police to another man, Alfred Arroyo. When confronted, Arroyo fires on officers and is killed in a shootout near the shore, where police make a disturbing discovery.

Behind the drug lab Alfred was protecting, there is a dumping ground for overdose victims. Ruiz has been testing his fentanyl supply on s*x workers, addicts, and undocumented immigrants, people he considers expendable.

Desperate for a breakthrough, detectives turn to Antonio’s son, Ernesto Ruiz. A schoolteacher with no ties to the drug trade, Ernesto had unknowingly given Omar a ride the night of Sunny’s murder. When threatened with arrest and shown proof that his father had ordered Omar’s prison hit, Ernesto agrees to help.

He is equipped with a wire and confronts his father at home, only for Antonio to attack him. This provides police with the final piece of evidence on video. Antonio is arrested, charged with murder, drug trafficking, and multiple counts tied to the deaths at the shore.

Ernesto enters witness protection, having sacrificed everything to do the right thing. His final request to see his mother is also denied. She chooses loyalty to her husband over her son’s courage.

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Stay tuned for more updates on Law and Order season 24.