In Presumed Innocent, Carolyn Polhemus, played by Renate Reinsve, is a prosecutor whose murder leads to Rusty becoming a suspect.
Like Rusty, Carolyn is one of the top prosecutors working for Raymond, the district attorney. Raymond describes her as a woman with her own political aspirations.
One day, Carolyn is killed in her home. Her murder is very similar to that of Bunny Davis, whose murder case Rusty and Carolyn prosecuted.
As the show begins with the event of Carolyn’s murder, the audience learns about her character through the recollections and perspectives of other characters in the show.
Rusty’s feelings for Carolyn
Rusty married Barbara and had two children with her at a young age. As he grows older, Rusty’s feelings for Barbara change.
Eventually, he starts having an affair with Carolyn, who is nothing like Barbara. Unlike Barbara, Carolyn is attracted not just to Rusty but also to his power.
Rusty’s life with Barbara is full of responsibilities and concerns about their lives and children, while his time with Carolyn is devoid of those responsibilities and concerns.
Carolyn is strong and smart. The passionate arguments she prepares for the courtroom leave Rusty in awe. Additionally, she is gentle and kind.
When Rusty works with her on the sexual assault case of a young girl, he sees Carolyn treat the girl with tenderness and care.
After witnessing this, Rusty falls in love with her. Carolyn does not want to hurt anyone, so she tries to break up with Rusty.
However, Rusty is unwilling to end their relationship. He keeps texting and visiting her. He even goes to her house on the night of her murder, which leads to him becoming the lead suspect in her murder case.
A woman shrouded in mystery
While Rusty is in love with Carolyn, it is only after her death that he realizes that he did not know much about her.
Carolyn had a son named Michael, but she never told Rusty about him. Michael did not get along with Carolyn and believed that his mother did not want him in her life.
Michael was curious about his mother’s life and resorted to snooping around her house to learn more about her life, which she refused to share with him.
Rusty and Michael were not the only ones kept in the dark about Carolyn’s life. Carolyn’s ex-husband also knew very little about her.
After Carolyn’s death, Rusty discovers that she was pregnant with his child. He also learns that Carolyn might not have been the person he thought she was.
In the Bunny Davis case, Carolyn chose to hide certain evidence to ensure Liam Reynold’s conviction, a fact that surprises Rusty.
During Carolyn’s murder trial, it is revealed that she did not want to work with Tommy. She preferred working with Rusty, who was the chief deputy prosecutor, because it was better for her career.
She had told Michael that she was becoming scared of a colleague, but like many aspects of Carolyn’s life, the identity of the colleague remains a mystery.
Carolyn’s murderer and their motives are yet to be revealed. These revelations could expose more hidden aspects of Carolyn’s personal life.
Also Read: Raymond Horgan: Presumed Innocent character explained
