There have been many legendary detectives to grace the Law & Order universe, but Christopher Meloni's Elliot Stabler is one of the most iconic
Originally appearing in Seasons 1-12 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside the fearless Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Stabler is a bona fide fan favorite. Once Benson and Stabler got their hands on a case, it was game over for the perpetrators, and Law & Order fans couldn't get enough of watching them make the world a safer place.
Below, we look back on the events that caused Stabler's heartbreakingdeparture.
Stabler left the Manhattan SVU after becoming rocked by a case that required him to step in to halt a devastating shooting at the precinct.
Stabler's final episode of SVU prior to his franchise return was in Season 12, Episode 24 ("Smoked").
The episode centered on what would've have been a trial for the sexual assault of Annette Fox, a victim whose case had been delayed for years. A week before she was scheduled to testify, Annette was shot in cold blood in front of her teenage daughter, Jenna Fox.
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