Presumed Innocent Season 1 Ending Explained: Who Really Killed Carolyn Polhemus

Warning! Contains spoilers for Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent season 1.

Presumed Innocent season 1’s gripping finale not only walks through the final verdict of Carolyn Polhemus’ murder trial but also reveals the truth about who killed her. Before delivering its final reveal, Presumed Innocent’s finale highlights how the defendants wish to rest the case because they do not have any other evidence or witnesses to present in court. However, Rusty still surprises Raymond and Winslow by saying he wishes to give the closing argument himself.

Although Raymond is initially apprehensive about his decision, he and Winslow eventually agree to let him conclude their side of the case. During the final day of the trial, Rusty delivers an emotional and powerful closing argument where he tries to convince the jury that all evidence against him is only circumstantial and Molto has been prosecuting him with a visible bias. Molto, too, ends his side of the case with a few plausible arguments, making it hard not to wonder who will win the case. Once the verdict is announced, Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent finally reveals the killer’s identity.

Carolyn Polhemus’ Murderer Reveal In Presumed Innocent’s Ending Explained

Rusty’s Daughter Jaden Was The Real Killer

After the verdict in the central trial concludes that Rusty Sabich is not guilty of Carolyn Polhemus’ murder, everything seems to go back to normal for the Sabich family. However, a few days after the trial, Rusty confronts Barbara when she reminds him of all the pain he put their family through. Rusty tells her he knows she killed Carolyn and has solid evidence to back his claims. While Barbara stays in denial, Rusty says he had always suspected she had killed Carolyn because she knew about his affair with her and had the motive to commit the crime.

He reveals that his doubts were further confirmed when he tracked her car’s GPS and found she had driven to Carolyn’s home on the night of her death. After disclosing how he revisited the crime scene moments after Carolyn’s death and helped cover up the crime, Rusty also accuses Barbara of leaving the murder weapon, a fireplace poker, at Molto’s place. This is when Rusty’s daughter, Jaden, steps inside the room and confesses she killed Carolyn Polhemus.

Why Rusty’s Daughter Jaden Killed Carolyn

Jaden Visited Carolyn To Confront Her

For obvious reasons, both Rusty and Barbara are shocked by Jaden’s confession. She recalls the night by revealing that she visited Carolyn right after Rusty left her place. Her intention was only to warn her to stay away from Rusty because she could see how the affair affected her parents’ relationship. Carolyn initially offered her tea and peacefully sat down to talk to her. However, things started taking a heated turn when Jaden asked her to stay away from her father.

Instead of agreeing to distance herself from Rusty, Carolyn informed Jaden she was pregnant with her father’s child, which would prevent her from avoiding all contact with Rusty. In response to Carolyn’s seemingly vindictive reply, Jaden had a dissociative reaction, and she killed Carolyn with the fireplace poker. Jaden’s confession and actions can be traced back to an early scene from Presumed Innocent, where she tells Rusty about how people can have a dissociative reaction to a situation.

It seems likely that she looked up the term after she killed Carolyn because she, too, was shocked by her own actions. The fact that Jaden was the killer also explains why she constantly asked Rusty for updates surrounding the trial. Another interesting detail in Presumed Innocent is that Rusty’s son Kyle was also spotted near Carolyn’s house before her murder. This suggests that he might have told Jaden that Rusty was at Carolyn’s place, prompting her to visit her home. However, it seems unlikely that Rusty and his wife will ever tell Kyle the truth about what happened.

Related

Is Presumed Innocent Based On A True Story?

Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent has been praised for its character development and plot, making many wonder whether it might be based on a true story.

Rusty’s Cover-Up & The Bunny Davis Connection Explained

Rusty Intentionally Tried To Connect Carolyn’s Murder To The Bunny Davis Case

Moments after Jaden left Carolyn’s home, Rusty revisited her, probably hoping to apologize for their previous argument. However, to his surprise, he found her dead. He initially considered calling emergency services but realized it was too late to report what had happened. Rusty’s guilt for cheating on his family eventually got the best of him, and he assumed his wife Barbara must have killed Carolyn. He did not have evidence to prove Barbara’s involvement. However, in the heat of the moment, his thoughts were skewed by his intense feelings of remorse and desperation.

Therefore, to protect Barbara, he tied up Carolyn just like Bunny Davis was found after her murder, hoping to make the scene look like it was connected to a case he and Carolyn had worked on. He believed he would convince Reynolds to give a false confession to the crime in return for a reduced sentence. This aspect of his plan did not work out as expected but diverted suspicion away from his family. Rusty’s involvement in the cover-up explains why the crime scene was a mess, but the way Carolyn was tied up seemed meticulous, according to forensics.

The Verdict Of The Carolyn Polhemus Murder Trial Explained

The Jury Concludes Rusty Is Not Guilty

Rusty’s closing argument before the verdict is almost in tandem with his speech from the opening moments of Presumed Innocent‘s season 1. He reminds the jury that they are responsible for looking beyond all biases and prejudices before seeking the truth. His opening speech in the Apple TV+ show’s episode 1 highlights that he understands that truth prevails over everything else. His closing speech and involvement in the crime’s cover-up reveal he knows how to manipulate the truth in his favor.

From the show’s opening moments, Rusty was established as a brilliant attorney who has never lost a case. His win towards the end of the season further reinstates this by showing how he was always aware of Molto’s resentment towards him and admiration towards Carolyn. Instead of letting that weigh him down, he used it to his advantage by understanding how Molto would overlook several obvious details in his pursuit to take Rusty down. Although Rusty faced many hiccups with his plan, the verdict eventually favored him, proving his legal acumen and strategic thinking.

Who Left The Fireplace Poker At Molto’s Home In Presumed Innocent Episode 7’s Ending?

The Real Killer, Jaden, Left It There

After Jaden killed Carolyn Polhemus, she left the crime scene with the murder weapon. The next morning, she told her parents she was not well. After they left for breakfast without her, she cleaned her mother’s car and buried the fireplace poker. She seemingly left the poker at Molto’s place in Presumed Innocent‘s episode 7 because she feared that her father would get convicted for a crime she committed.

What Presumed Innocent’s Ending Means For The Sabich Family

Rusty Realized How It Was All His Fault

Jaden’s confession helps Rusty realize that he triggered the chain reaction of events that led to Carolyn’s murder. Therefore, instead of confronting his daughter, he comforts her and asks her to keep the truth about the murder a secret. In the show’s closing moments, while other characters like Molto and Raymond seemingly move on from the trial, Rusty and his family remain affected because of their direct involvement in the murder. Rusty’s son, Kyle, seems clueless about what happened.

However, the fact that Rusty helped manipulate evidence at the crime scene makes him an active accomplice. After Barbara learns the truth about how her daughter killed Carolyn, she, too, becomes an accomplice in the crime by not coming forward to take legal action. However, since the prosecution will avoid pursuing the case further, it seems Rusty’s family has avoided legal repercussions. The family’s dark secrets will also likely keep them bound together, but their guilt will probably haunt them for the rest of their lives.

How Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent’s Ending Differs From The 1990 Harrison Ford Movie

The Show Changes The Identity Of The Killer

In the Presumed Innocent movie, which accurately adapts Scott Turow’s book, Judge Lyttle dismisses the charges against Rusty because almost all evidence against him becomes inadmissible. Towards the end of the movie, Rusty’s wife, Barbara, confesses that she killed Carolyn out of jealousy and even intentionally left enough evidence against Rusty but was not expecting him to get charged with the murder. Like the show’s Rusty, the one in the movie also feels guilty about Carolyn’s murder because his unfaithfulness towards his family triggered the events leading to it.

Rusty also has a young son in the movie who seems to have nothing to do with the case. Apple TV+ Presumed Innocent does an incredible job of making viewers believe it is treading the same path as the movie. Several initial clues in the series point in Barbara’s direction. Even Rusty’s interaction with Barbara in the finale leads one to believe she did it. However, the twist, which reveals that Jaden was the killer, catches one off-guard because she was not even a character in the film.

How Presumed Innocent Season 1’s Ending Sets Up Season 2

Presumed Innocent Season 1’s Ending Is Conclusive

Presumed Innocent season 1 ends on a well-rounded note where the jury concludes Rusty is not guilty. Only Rusty and his wife know that Jaden killed Carolyn, and no one else will likely even guess what happened at the crime scene. Owing to this, it seems unlikely Presumed Innocent season 2 will revolve around the same characters. However, since Presumed Innocent season 2 has already been confirmed, it will focus on new characters and, as announced, revolve around a whole new murder mystery case.

This would mean that season 2 could unfold in the same universe as season 1 and have some potential crossovers. Or, it could unravel its courtroom drama in a completely different world. Regardless of what happens in Presumed Innocent season 2, it would be interesting to see how it will adopt True Detective‘s anthology approach and bring new fascinating casting choices with each season.

Presumed Innocent (2024)

An eight-episode limited series  based on the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name by Scott Turow. Starring Gyllenhaal in the lead role of chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich, the series takes viewers on a gripping journey through the horrific murder that upends the Chicago Prosecuting Attorney’s office when one of its own is suspected of the crime. The series explores obsession, sex, politics, and the power and limits of love, as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal , Ruth Negga , Bill Camp , Elizabeth Marvel , Renate Reinsve , Peter Sarsgaard , O-T Fagbenle , Chase Infiniti , Lily Rabe , Nana Mensah , Matthew Alan , Kingston Rumi Southwick

Release Date

June 12, 2024

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Apple TV+

Writers

David E. Kelley

Directors

Greg Yaitanes , Anne Sewitsky

Creator(s)

David E. Kelley

Where To Watch

Apple TV+

Expand