History Main / ProppingUpTheirPatsy

Then, you have particularly insidious perpetrators, who, in a PlotTwist--often at first appearing to be [[BigBadFriend an ally]] to the unfairly suspected party--will [[ClearTheirName defend]] the [[TheScapegoat accused]] or [[FallGuy framed]] party to throw suspicion off of themselves, otherwise manipulate the situation to their advantage or further their own agenda. This can be an especially cruel way to twist the knife towards someone who has been subjected to wrongful [[ClearMyName accusations]] or [[MiscarriageOfJustice convictions]], particularly when nobody believes they are innocent until [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty the actual perpetrator is revealed]]. Sometimes, to twist the knife even further, the true perpetrator won't be revealed until [[AcquittedTooLate after]] the accused has [[DeceasedFallGuyGambit died]], potentially after being killed [[SuspectExistenceFailure by the actual perpetrator]].

** Dr. Tim Finch in Series 3 is the [[MurderersAreRapists rapist and murderer]] of young women who also killed Hayley Reid after she cleaned the house in which he and his friends were staying. Tim is also perhaps the "best" friend of the group, shown in his loyalty to them, especially to Chris, who lost everything after being falsely accused of accessing child pornography. After years of apparent devotion, he coldly tells the police he doesn't care if he ever sees any of his friends again. While it wasn't Tim who accessed it (Chris's accusation was a genuine mistake on the police's part), it's heavily implied that he maintained the friendship (especially with Chris) at least in part so they would come under suspicion for Hayley's murder, and deflect attention away from him.

** Dr. Tim Finch in Series 3 is the SerialRapist [[MurderersAreRapists and murderer]] of young women who also killed Hayley Reid after she cleaned the house in which he and his friends were staying. Tim is also perhaps the "best" friend of the group, shown in his loyalty to them, especially to Chris, who lost everything after being falsely accused of accessing child pornography. After years of apparent devotion, he coldly tells the police he doesn't care if he ever sees any of his friends again. While it wasn't Tim who accessed it (Chris's accusation was a genuine mistake on the police's part), it's heavily implied that he maintained the friendship (especially with Chris) at least in part so they would come under suspicion for Hayley's murder, and deflect attention away from him.

** Dr. Tim Finch in Series 4 is the serial rapist and murderer of young women who also killed Hayley Reid after she cleaned the house in which he and his friends were staying. Tim is also perhaps the "best" friend of the group, shown in his loyalty to them, especially to Chris, who lost everything after being falsely accused of accessing child pornography. After years of apparent devotion, he coldly tells the police he doesn't care if he ever sees any of his friends again. While it wasn't Tim who accessed it (Chris's accusation was a genuine mistake on the police's part), it's heavily implied that he maintained the friendship (especially with Chris) at least in part so they would come under suspicion for Hayley's murder, and deflect attention away from him.

** [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] during Dahlia Hawthorne's testimonies, where she ''does'' accuse her patsies of being killers, but claims that they were just acting in self-defense, that she "doesn't want to believe they could do such a thing", or some similar BlatantLies meant to make herself sound [[WoundedGazelleGambit like a reluctant loved one forced to testify]] so that even said patsy won't realize what she's doing. [[SurroundedByIdiots it always works on everyone but the]] PlayerCharacter [[OnlySaneMan defense attorney currently opposing her]].

*** Alita Tiala hires Apollo as a defense attorney when her fiancé is accused of the murder she committed.

* ''Series/BurnNotice'': In "[[Recap/BurnNoticeS1E1Pilot Pilot]]", Michael investigates an art theft from the mansion of a real estate tycoon named Pyne, who spoke up for his groundskeeper Javier when the man was investigated by the police. Michael breaks into Pyne's safe and discovers that he's involved in a massive real estate fraud scheme that's falling apart because of an economic downturn, and infers that Pyne had the art "stolen" by his security chief Vince to defraud his insurer and plans to make Javier the fall guy. He defended Javier's character to the police to deflect suspicion when he later frames him.

* ''Literature/AFeastForCrows'': Cersei frames her daughter-in-law Margaery for adultery to get her arrested by the Faith Militant. In front of the court, she pretends to be indignant that anyone would be telling "lies" about Margaery and pleads with the Faith to release her, while fully aware that they will not budge on the accusations.

* ''Literature/AFeastForCrows'': Cersei frames her daughter-in-law Margaery for adultery to get her arrested by the Faith Militant. In front of the court, she pretends to be indignant at the accusations and pleads with the Faith to release Margaery while knowing that they will not budge on the accusations.

* Many episodes of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' have the "genuinely trying to clear the other person" version, with a close relative or partner of the prime suspect adamantly insisting they couldn't possibly have done it, until Jessica convinces them that the only way to save them is to confess. (A few have also had the "just deflecting suspcion" version.) Some cases complicate it by having the innocent party realise who the real murderer is before Jessica and [[TakingTheHeat take the heat]] on purpose.

*** Kristoph Gavin planted a fake diary page on Phoenix to get him disbarred for presenting forged evidence. In order to avoid suspicion, he voted against disbarring Phoenix, the only member of the Bar Association to do so. Seven years later, he serves as co-counsel to Phoenix when he's accused of a murder committed by Kristoph.

--->'''Peter:''' The Free Dylan t-shirts. The [=GoFundMe=] campaign. Where those protests of passion for Christa, or an attempt to clear her guilty conscience?

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

** In [[Recap/ColumboS01E04 "Suitable For Framing"]], Dale Kingston is his aunt Edna Matthew's most ardent defender when she comes under suspicion of the murder of his uncle (and Edna's ex-husband) Rudy. That just makes it all the more heart-wrenching when a police search (encouraged by Dale so that Edna can be completely cleared as a suspect) discovers some of the missing paintings in Edna's house. Of course, then the police captain and Lieutenant Columbo to prove Dale was in possession of those same paintings ''after'' his uncle's murder...
** In [[Recap/ColumboS02E01 "Etude In Black"]], Alex Benedict announces to his orchestra's board of directors that Paul Rifkin couldn't possibly be responsible for the potential murder of pianist Jennifer Welles. Certainly, Paul ''does'' have a previous conviction of assault, but he's assuredly innocent of this crime! Alex should know, considering he killed Jennifer (and [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals her pet cockatoo Chopin]]).

* Many episodes of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' have the "genuinely trying to clear the other person" version, with a close relative or partner of the prime suspect adamantly insisting they couldn't possibly have done it, until Jessica convinces them that the only way to save them is to confess. Some cases complicate it by having the innocent party realise who the real murderer is before Jessica and [[TakingTheHeat take the heat]] on purpose.

* Several episodes of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' have a variant of the "genuinely trying to clear the other person" version: At the end of the third act, one of the suspects will [[TakingTheHeat dramatically confess]], only for a close relative or partner to adamantly insist they couldn't ''possibly'' have done it, until Jessica gently suggests that they should tell the police ''how'' they know that.

* In ''Film/TheWolfman2010'', Sir John Talbot leaps to his son's defence when Lawrence is accused of being the werewolf that's been preying on the village, even warding off a gang of vigilantes with a shotgun and threatening to have his manservant snipe them from the rooftop of his manor. Initially, this seems to be a case of John going PapaWolf, especially since Lawrence is a werewolf - he just hasn't killed anyone yet. However, Sir John is also a werewolf; unlike his son, he's a FullyEmbracedFiend and directly responsible for all the murders in the village over the last twenty years - including that of Lawrence's mother and (more recently) his brother - and he's just covering his tracks. So, when Lawrence turns up covered in blood after his first full moon, no suspicion falls on Sir John.

* In ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK'', Prime Minister Henry Collingridge falls under scrutiny when his brother Charlie is believed to have taken advantage of classified information to trade shares in a company about to benefit from government decisions, making Henry guilty of insider trading (as his brother's only feasible source of info). Throughout the whole scandal, chief whip Francis Urquhart is Henry's strongest supporter and defender, advising him on how to handle the press and helping him to get Charlie away from the press. Of course, as Urquhart is a shameless VillainProtagonist, the audience already knows that he was the one who bought the shares in Charlie's name for the sake of creating a scandal that would dethrone Henry. Sure enough, Henry is forced to {{resign|edInDisgrace}} disgracefully, but not before thanking Urquhart for his undying support - leaving the Machiavellian schemer to move easily onto the next stage of his plan [[KarmaHoudini without earning a hint of suspicion]].

Whenever a crime is committed in fiction, the actual perpetrator has a tendency to make it look like [[FrameUp someone else did it]], or [[AbominationAccusationAttack outright accuse someone else]].

Then, you have particularly insidious perpetrators, who, in a PlotTwist--often at first appearing to be [[BigBadFriend an ally]] to the unfairly suspected party--will [[ClearTheirName defend]] the [[TheScapegoat accused]] or [[FallGuy framed]] party to throw suspicion off of themselves, otherwise manipulate the situation to their advantage, or further their own agenda. This can be an especially cruel way to twist the knife towards someone who has been subjected to wrongful [[ClearMyName accusations]] or [[MiscarriageOfJustice convictions]], particularly when nobody believes they are innocent until [[GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty the actual perpetrator is revealed]]. Sometimes, to twist the knife even further, the true perpetrator won't be revealed until [[AcquittedTooLate after]] the accused has [[DeceasedFallGuyGambit died]], potentially after being killed [[SuspectExistenceFailure by the actual perpetrator]].

A possible variation involves a guilty party legitimately trying to clear the person blamed for the crime, but not draw a suspicion to themselves at the same time.

Since this is a trope involving the alleged innocence or guilt of suspects--discussions of which have a tendency to become controversial--[[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease this trope does not allow real life examples]].

* ''Manga/BeautyAndTheBeastOfParadiseLost'': Princess Belle sticks a pin in the dress she had Belle (the protagonist) sewn for her marriage to the Beast. When she wears the dress, [[WoundedGazelleGambit she hurts herself with the pin and screams in pain, making everyone rebuke Belle by her carelessness]]. Then the princess "defends" her, saying in front of her fiancée that it wasn't Belle's fault to be distracted, because she loved Beast, too! Of course, that makes everyone think that Belle hurt the princess on purpose. Fortunately, Giselle lies that she wanted to mess up with the marriage, so she told Belle to pretend she was in love with him and had Isolde sticking the pin.

* One ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' story has Archie freaking out over Mr. Weatherbee wanting to meet his father, believing he's in big trouble. After failing to sabotage their meeting several times, he has Reggie barge in their meeting to confess to a list of potential wrongdoings that might have warranted this meeting, then defending those wrongdoings in hopes to reduce the sentence. While he's at it, Reggie adds some of his own wrongdoings to Archie's "confessions".

* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'': In a private discussion with Harry, Professor Quirrell declares that it's ridiculous for anyone to believe that Hagrid was responsible for Myrtle Warren's death fifty years ago, and that the evidence points toward Voldemort being responsible. Not that he feels any need to tell Harry who and where Voldemort currently is, of course...

* In ''Film/TheFugitive'', when [=U.S.=] Marshall Gerard, and a deputy go to interview Richard's closest friends, he interviews Dr. Nichols, Richard's best friend since medical school, who admits that he had an encounter with Richard that morning, and gave him some money. When Gerard asks what he thinks of Richard, Nichols tells Gerard and his deputy that Richard is a smart man and innocent of all charges. He should know, [[FrameUp he's the reason why Richard was sentenced to death for the murder of his own wife]].

* ''Literature/LancelotTheKnightOfTheCart'': Lancelot came into Guinevere's bedroom last night, first moving aside the iron bars that barred her window and cutting his finger in the process. Both are too horny and distracted to notice his injury, and he bleeds on her sheets a little as they have sex. The next morning after Lancelot has gone back to his own bed, their host sees the blood on Guinevere's sheets and concludes that Kay (known to be injured) was the one in Guinevere's bed last night. Guinevere swears up and down that there was no one in her bed, she just had a nose bleed. Lancelot likewise swears it was not Kay, and goes so far as to volunteer to be the champion in a TrialByCombat to defend Guinevere and Kay's honor.

* In the Creator/AgathaChristie novel ''Literature/TowardsZero'', the murder frames first himself, which is easily discovered to be a frame-up, then his ex-wife. When she is accused, he is quick to defend her, partly to throw off suspicion from himself and partly as his plan to make her feel guilty for leaving him.

** Season 1: The story centers around an incident of vandalism, and Dylan is the one expelled for it. Christa is one of Dylan's most outspoken supporters. She starts a campaign on [=GoFundMe=] and sells "Free Dylan" t-shirts to raise funds for his legal defense. She even publicly announces that it was her (though that turns into an IAmSpartacus moment where ''everyone'' says it's them). It's suggested that she could be the vandal, though at other times it's treated like a RedHerring. In the end it's implied that she ''was'' the true vandal.

** Season 2: Grayson Wentz, a former St. Bernadine student who was expelled over a minor prank, is interviewed early on in season 2. He believes Kevin [=McClain=] is just the school administration's scapegoat for the pranks, and implies that the culprit is an athlete who the school is [[SlaveToPR covering up to save face]]. Both cases are true. Grayson is the mastermind behind it all, and manipulated both Kevin and star basketball player [=DeMarcus=] Tillman into carrying out individual pranks.

** In [[Recap/ColumboS02E01 "Etude In Black"]], Alex Benedict announces to his orchestra's board of directors that Paul Rifkin couldn't possible be responsible for the potential murder of pianist Jennifer Welles. Certainly, Paul ''does'' have a previous conviction of assault, but he's assuredly innocent of this crime! Alex should know, considering he killed Jennifer (and [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals her pet cockatoo Chopin]]).

* In the ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977'' episode "Of Guilt, Models and Murder", the Hulk is suspect of murdering a woman. As David Banner doesn't retain the memories of when he's the Hulk, he fears the suspicions can be true. However, a victim's friend, Sheila Cantrell, tells David that the victim was dead when the Hulk arrived and the creature was saddened for arriving too late to save her. It turns out that Cantrell was the murderer.

** In Series 1, David's brother Phil takes him in after his release from prison and defends his innocence on multiple occasions. This is because he killed David's wife, Tara, after she insulted him following him hitting on her.

** Dr. Tim Finch in Series 4 is the serial rapist and murderer of young women who also killed Hayley Reid after she cleaned the house in which he and his friends were staying. Tim is also perhaps the "best" friend of the group, shown in his loyalty to them, especially to Chris, who lost everything after being falsely accused of accessing child pornography. After years of apparent devotion, he coldly tells the police he doesn't care if he ever sees any of his friends again. While it wasn't Tim who accessed it (Chris's accusation was a genuine mistake on the police's part), it's heavily implied that he maintained the friendship (especially with Chris) at least in part so they would be come under suspicion for Hayley's murder, and deflect attention away from him.

* ''VideoGame/AmongUs'': A potential strategy for throwing suspicion off of oneself involves coming to the defence of another player who is being accused of being the imposter, potentially by asking for proof. It's less suspicious if there is either only one imposter, or any other imposters are proven to be dead, because then the player has no apparent motive for coming to the defence of an accused imposter when they cannot be co-conspirators.

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': After the Phantom Thieves are framed for murdering Kunikazu Okumura, Akechi joins the group, claiming he wants to help them find the real culprit before the cops arrest a scapegoat. However, Akechi is actually an assassin for Shido, responsible for killing Okumura along with numerous other targets, and him joining the Thieves was all part of an elaborate scheme to murder Joker. Thankfully, it fails: turns out the Phantom Thieves were suspicious of him from the start due to how he over-played his hand and set up their own scheme to counter his.

** [[DecoyProtagonist Kaede Akamatsu]] has a noticeably sympathetic example. During the first trial, Shuichi Saihara and Miu Iruma come under suspicion due to proximity to the crime scene and having developed cameras used in the murder, respectfully. Kaede, the actual blackened, comes to their defence, since she is actually perfectly willing to confess and face execution, and the only reason she doesn't do that immediately is because she wanted to use the trial as an opportunity to find out the mastermind, her actual intended murder target, and end the DeadlyGame. Upon realising she can't find them, she fully confesses, and proceeds to FaceDeathWithDignity.

* ''WesternAnimation/ClueClub'': Double-Subverted. In one episode, Pepper and Dottie's Uncle "Salty" Boggs is accused of stealing a diamond from a display in a museum from which he was recently fired. Also suspected is the woman who owns the museum, as she is fully knowledgeable about the security systems that were protecting the diamond. The actual culprit was the man who owned a local lighthouse, and who had been forced to fire Uncle "Salty" from working the lighthouse due to budget cuts. He had expected his plan was foolproof, and would have been a baffling mystery, never intending either Boggs or the museum owner to come under suspicion, and sincerely and earnestly pleads their innocence without revealing that he was the guilty party.
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': Lila steals the answers for a test, hides them in Marinette's bag and uses an anonymous note to inform the teacher. When the answers are found with Marinette, Lila quickly tries to "defend" her. Marinette immediately realizes what Lila did and accuses her defender which only makes her look even worse.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': After the Phantom Thieves are framed for murdering Kunikazu Okumura, Akechi joins the group, claiming he wants to help them find the real culprit before the cops arrest a scapegoat. However, Akechi is actually an assassin for Shido, responsible for killing Okumura along with numerous other targets, and him joining the Thieves was all part of an elaborate scheme to murder Joker. Thankfully, it fails.

** Season 1: The story centers around an incident of vandalism, and Dylan is the one expelled for it. Christa is one of Dylan's most outspoken supporters. She starts a campaign on [=GoFundMe=] and sells "Free Dylan" t-shirts to raise funds for his legal defense. She even publicly announces that it was her (though that turns into an IAmSpartacus moment where ''everyone'' says it's them). It's suggested that she could be the vandal, though at other times it's treated like a RedHerring. In the end it's implied that [[spoiler:she ''was'' the true vandal]].

!Indexes: SpoileredRotten? (under "Character Fate Tropes")[[note]]Seeing as you hypothetically cannot see this trope on a character page without knowing that the character who it is listed under is the actual culprit of a plot-driving crime, with or without context.[[/note]]

!Indexes: CrimeAndPunishmentTropes, BlameTropes, BetrayalTropes, CynicismTropes, MoralityTropes, PlotTwist, GambitIndex, NoRealLife.MoralityTropes?, SpoileredRotten? (under "Character Fate Tropes")[[note]]Seeing as you hypothetically cannot see this trope on a character page without knowing that the character who it is listed under is the actual culprit of a plot-driving crime, with or without context.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamOrigins'': {{Discussed}}. One of the blackmail tapes obtained from Enigma [[spoiler:alias the future Riddler]] shows that the late [[DirtyCop Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb]] was talking with Harvey Bullock about setting up one for a potentially troublesome newcomer to the GCPD, one James Gordon. The plan in question would have made it seem like Gordon was having an affair, or at least giving Loeb potential blackmail on Gordon to shut him and his anti-corruption crusade up.

!Indexes: MysteryTropes, CrimeAndPunishmentTropes, BlameTropes, BetrayalTropes, CynicismTropes, MoralityTropes, PlotTwist, GambitIndex, NoRealLife.MoralityTropes?, SpoileredRotten? (under "Character Fate Tropes")[[note]]Seeing as you hypothetically cannot see this trope on a character page without knowing that the character who it is listed under is the actual culprit of a plot-driving crime, with or without context.[[/note]]

!Indexes: DirtySocialTricks, MysteryTropes, CrimeAndPunishmentTropes, BlameTropes, BetrayalTropes, CynicismTropes, MoralityTropes, PlotTwist, GambitIndex, NoRealLife.MoralityTropes?, SpoileredRotten? (under "Character Fate Tropes")[[note]]Seeing as you hypothetically cannot see this trope on a character page without knowing that the character who it is listed under is the actual culprit of a plot-driving crime, with or without context.[[/note]]