Presumed Innocent characters

Also known as Rusty

Appears from the start

The senior deputy prosecutor in Kindle County, married to Barbara and father to Nat. Controlled and respected in court, he is assigned to investigate the murder of colleague Carolyn Polhemus. He does not disclose that he had an affair with Carolyn, leaving his official duties entangled with grief, shame, and the approaching election that could remove his office's leadership.

Appears from the start

A prosecutor found murdered in her apartment before the novel begins. Ambitious, compelling, and guarded about her private life, she worked with Rusty and had ended an affair with him. The investigation must reconstruct both her professional connections and the relationships she kept separate from one another.

Appears from the start

Rusty's wife, a mathematician whose marriage has been badly wounded by his affair with Carolyn. Intelligent and outwardly composed, she remains in the family home with Rusty and their son while the murder investigation forces the affair into the open.

Appears from the start

Rusty and Barbara's young son. Both parents are strongly protective of him, and his need for stability binds them together even as the investigation and Rusty's infidelity threaten the family.

Appears from the start

The Kindle County prosecuting attorney and Rusty's longtime superior. Facing a difficult reelection campaign, he orders Rusty to handle Carolyn's murder quickly and visibly. Political survival, loyalty to his staff, and his own knowledge of Carolyn all affect his response to the case.

First appears in chapter 2

A homicide detective assigned to work with Rusty on Carolyn's death. Dry, observant, and less impressed by official rank than by evidence, he becomes one of the few investigators whose personal loyalty Rusty can rely upon.

First appears in chapter 3

A prosecutor aligned with Nico Della Guardia and a former colleague of Rusty and Carolyn. Once the election changes control of the office, Molto takes a central part in building the murder case against Rusty.

Appears from the start

Raymond Horgan's challenger for prosecuting attorney. He campaigns as an opponent of the established office and is prepared to reinterpret Carolyn's investigation once he gains institutional authority.

Also known as Sandy Stern

First appears in chapter 15

A formidable defense lawyer retained after Rusty becomes the murder suspect. Courteous, methodical, and highly alert to weaknesses in both evidence and procedure, Stern constructs a defense that forces the prosecution to account for every gap in its case.

First appears in chapter 25

The judge assigned to Rusty's trial. An experienced and authoritative figure in the county courts, he demands orderly advocacy and becomes increasingly concerned by the prosecution's evidentiary problems.

First appears in chapter 5

The medical examiner whose conclusions about Carolyn's body and the biological evidence form an important part of the investigation. His work becomes vulnerable to close challenge once the case reaches court.

First appears in chapter 10

A criminal defendant whose earlier case was handled by Carolyn. Questions about how that prosecution was managed open a path into concealed relationships and possible corruption within the courthouse.