The 'Presumed Innocent' Meter of Murder: How all possible killers rank, and Rusty isn't even #1
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Apple TV+'s ongoing courtroom drama, 'Presumed Innocent,' exhibits the power of storytelling as the show expertly keeps its primary enigma wrapped in mystery even after six episodes.
The television series, which is based on Scott Turow's book of the same name, follows Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a prosecutor suspected of killing his colleague and secret girlfriend, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), as he struggles to establish his innocence.
However, Rusty is not the only one accused of the murder; with each episode, a new suspect emerges, thickening the narrative even more.
1. Barbara Sabich
The show's core mystery is identifying who killed Carolyn, and Barbara Sabich (Ruth Negga) appears as the number 1 suspect on this list since she has valid motives to kill her husband's mistress.
Barbara has been shown as suffering from her husband's infidelity and the strain to preserve the appearance of a perfect household.
Her inner distress might be a motivation for her to kill Carolyn as it is possible that she was left heartbroken after discovering Rusty's affair.
Perhaps, she chose to give him another opportunity but upon discovering that her husband was chasing Carolyn and had gone to see his mistress even after the separation, it may have hurt her.
Barbara may have confronted Carolyn and murdered her out of fury.
2. Rusty Sabich
Rusty is a primary suspect in Carolyn's murder, and he deserves to be ranked second on the list of suspected murderers in Apple TV+'s series. Despite his claims of innocence, which might be truthful, he ranks below Barbara because he had profound feelings for Carolyn.
Initially, Carolyn wanted to end their relationship, but Rusty opposed the idea. Instead, he pursued her, hoping to prolong their time together.
Furthermore, Carolyn's pregnancy with Rusty's kid at the time of her death adds another layer of suspicion, as he may have intended for Carolyn to abort the baby, but her refusal may have upset Rusty, who did not want to interrupt his family life, so he killed her.
Another aspect corroborating this theory is that Carolyn's corpse was hog-tied, similar to Bunny Davis, a former victim whose case they worked on, and this was only known to them.
Rusty being at Carolyn's residence on a tragic night is an additional indication that Rusty is a likely murderer.
Rusty's psychological condition, defined by fixation and despair, fits the description of someone capable of executing such a crime.
His refusal to let go of Carolyn, despite the consequences, indicates a mentality prone to excessive behavior.
3. Kyle Sabich
Kyle Sabich (Kingston Rumi Southwick), Rusty's son, ranks third among the suspects in Carolyn's murder because of his suspicious behavior in recent episodes.
Firstly, it was revealed that Kyle was aware of his father's romance with Carolyn but decided to keep quiet despite Rusty's revelation to the family.
Additionally, Barbara's thorough cleaning of his bicycle shows an effort to hide anything.
Kyle's desperate attempt to dispose of the bike, which may have been used during Carolyn's murder, adds to suspicion.
His psychological struggle over Rusty's infidelity, as well as his probable confrontation with Carolyn, complicates his involvement in the story and hints at a link to the murder.
4. Tommy Molto
Tommy Molto (Peter Sarsgaard), Rusty's professional rival, appears as a possible suspect in Carolyn's murder, ranking fourth owing to his strong desire to implicate Rusty before investigating other possibilities.
While their antagonism has been clear throughout the series, recent episodes have shown Tommy's deep-seated hatred for Rusty, which is motivated by jealousy, resentment, and a desire for retribution.
A revealing flashback depicts Tommy's contentious encounter with Carolyn, in which his dislike of Rusty becomes clear when she expresses a desire to work closely with him.
This revelation casts doubt on Tommy's motivations, suggesting a love interest in Carolyn and subsequent anger upon learning about her relationship with Rusty.
In the most recent trial episode, Rusty and Tommy's colleague Eugenia (Virginia Kull) discloses that Carolyn filed an HR complaint against Tommy, which surprises everyone in court. Eugenia also reveals that Carolyn avoided working closely with Tommy owing to discomfort.
Tommy's position in the trial takes a darker turn as this fresh information reveals his damaged relationship with Carolyn and calls into question his ethics and personal involvement in the case.
5. Liam Reynolds
Liam Reynolds (Mark Harelik) is the fifth most likely suspect in Carolyn's murder since he is imprisoned with little chance of release, making it unlikely that he would carry out the murder personally or coordinate it from inside the jail.
However, Rusty's repeated link between Carolyn's case and the unsolved death of Bunny Davis creates fascinating similarities, suggesting that Reynolds may be involved.
Rusty speculates that Reynolds may have hired someone outside to perpetrate the crime, citing Reynolds' past threats against Carolyn before his sentence as more damning evidence.
6. Brian Ratzer
Brian Ratzer (Marco Rodríguez), associated with the Bunny Davis murder case, is a less probable but potentially surprising candidate.
Detective Alana Rodriguez's (Nana Mensah) parallel investigation indicates that spermatozoa samples from two separate people were discovered on Bunny Davis after her murder, one of which was identified as belonging to Liam Reynolds and the second guy as Brian Ratzer.
When they approach Ratzer at his house, emotions rise rapidly as Ratzer responds aggressively to Rusty's claims, denying any participation in Davis's death or knowledge of Reynolds.
Despite Ratzer's denial, Rusty remains skeptical, thinking Ratzer had a reason to quiet Carolyn, maybe because of a secret or danger she presented to him.
However, in the most recent episode, he did decline any connection to Bunny Davis's murder but Rusty is still confident about this theory.
With just three episodes remaining in the series, the complex network of suspects continues to expand, promising further twists in Carolyn's unsolved murder case.
How to stream 'Presumed Innocent'?
If you have a streaming subscription to Apple TV+, you may watch a series that transports you to the fascinating world of courtroom drama.
Paying $9.99 a month for Apple TV+ gives users access to every episode and movie on the device.
'Presumed Innocent' trailer