The characters of The Sleeping Beauty Killer. Be aware of potential spoilers.
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Carter / Hart family
Casey Carter
Katherine "Casey" Carter
A former art auctioneer who was convicted for the manslaughter of her fiance, Hunter Raleigh. She has always protested her innocence and approaches Laurie Moran to help her prove it.- Brainy Brunette: She has dark brown hair and is noted to have been a good student, getting excellent grades in both school and college, and going in to become an art auctioneer in her twenties. She can also be quite cunning when she wants to, such as lying to Laurie that they have a mutual friend in Charlotte Pierce so Laurie will hear her out (it's actually Casey's cousin who is friends with Charlotte). Casey points out to Laurie that if she'd really wanted to kill Hunter she wouldn't have been so sloppy about it, expressing disbelief that so many people thought she would be that stupid.
- Cassandra Truth: It's revealed Casey was telling the truth all along about her being drugged at the gala, Hunter's real killer framing her and the killer stealing a photo of Hunter and the President from his room, with no one truly believing her until the end, save for her cousin Angela and Laurie; the latter even had doubts about Casey's innocence for a time, while the former knew she was innocent because she's the real culprit.
- Clear My Name: Casey is the one who approaches and persuades Laurie Moran to feature the Sleeping Beauty case on Under Suspicion; unlike many previous participants, Casey was formally arrested and convicted for killing her fiance as opposed to merely being a suspect, but has never wavered in her insistence she was set up. Casey believes that participating in Under Suspicion is her only hope of overturning her conviction and finding her fiance's true killer, although for most of the novel it's left ambiguous as to whether she's truly innocent. She's proven innocent by the end.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Many people state that when it came to her fiance, Casey would get jealous of other women easily, especially because of Hunter's past reputation for dating one beautiful, sophisticated woman after another and women continuing to try and get his attention. Casey admits she did sometimes feel insecure about Hunter's previous relationships and that she was furious enough to knock down a vase when she saw a picture of Hunter and his ex girlfriend Gabrielle looking cosy together, but that she wouldn't have done anything violent over this and that it was more a matter of her feeling disrespected.
- Dehumanization: She felt this happened to her during her murder trial, especially because she was constantly referred to as "the defendant" rather than by her name and felt no one truly saw or understood her as a person, viewing her only as a potential killer. Prison certainly contributed, seeing as she was always being told what to eat and wear, what to do and when she could do it and so on.
- Disappeared Dad: Casey never saw her father again after she was sent to prison for manslaughter; he never visited her before dying a few years ago, with Casey not even being allowed to attend his funeral.
- Domestic Abuse: Her ex-boyfriend Jason claimed in his memoir that she could be violent when angered, including recounting an incident where he had to lock himself in their bathroom because he was terrified she'd threaten him with a knife. She was also convicted of shooting her fiance Hunter dead when he allegedly broke up with her. However, when pressed about it in his interview, Jason admits that while he and Casey had a volatile relationship, he exaggerated or made-up a lot of stuff to make her look worse. Casey has also continuously denied killing Hunter, insisting they had a loving, happy relationship. She's telling the truth.
- Fair-Weather Friend: She was on the receiving end; she had lots of friends but most of them abandoned her after she was arrested for murder, while the few who remained didn't stick around once she was convicted of manslaughter. It's to the point the Under Suspicion crew have a hard time tracking down any of Casey's old friends who are willing to appear on the show or offer even a more neutral perspective on Casey. She herself feels pretty betrayed that they were all so ready to believe she was a killer even before the trial.
- Hopeless with Tech: Downplayed; because she was in prison for fifteen years, from 1999 to 2014, Casey hasn't been able to keep up with advances in tech. It's mentioned that the last mobile phone Casey owned was a flip phone and she initially has no idea how to work her cousin's smartphone, with Angela showing her how to scroll up and down by touching the screen. It's also remarked that if Casey thought the scrutiny she got from online message boards were bad in the late 1990s, she has no idea what she's in for with modern social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- Hot-Blooded: She's noted for being quite passionate, outspoken and emotional, despite her efforts to keep herself under control. Her ex-boyfriend Jason says she would "feel things too strongly" (in his opinion) and she herself admits she can be hot-tempered, especially when she believes she's being treated unfairly. Unfortunately, this led to her being presented by prosecutors and the media as downright unstable and prone to violent mood swings; her outbursts during her interview also make it clear why her lawyer told her not to take the stand at the trial, because she struggles to keep her emotions in check when the questions don't go her way.
- I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Although she's emphatic that she didn't pull the trigger on Hunter, she says she still feels partly responsible for his death, as she'd been in the house passed out on the couch when he was murdered. Casey says that if she hadn't agreed to attend the gala or chosen not to drink that night, then maybe she wouldn't have been drugged and could've saved Hunter, or the situation could've been avoided altogether.
- In-Universe Nickname:
- She was dubbed "Crazy Casey" by the press due to her allegedly losing it and killing her fiance when he broke up with her. She's also known as "the Sleeping Beauty Killer" or just "Sleeping Beauty", both because of her good looks and her claim that she slept through her fiance's murder.
- On a less grim note, Casey's full given name is Katherine Carter, but she tends to go by Casey, with even her family calling her this.
- I Won't Say I'm Guilty: Casey could've taken a plea deal for the death of her fiance and been out of prison in six years, which both her lawyer and her parents urged her to do given the overwhelming evidence against her. However, Casey insisted on pleading not guilty and going through a jury trial, saying she could never falsely admit to killing the man she loved. Even after being convicted of manslaughter, Casey has continued to protest her innocence. She's eventually vindicated.
- Not Helping Your Case: She's revealed to be innocent of killing Hunter, but she doesn't do herself many favours as she hides certain information or bends the truth to paint herself more favourably, to the point even Laurie is briefly convinced she is guilty.
- She insists that her and Hunter's relationship was perfect, only to admit when pressed that there were some issues between them; namely, Hunter had a habit of failing to shut-down romantic advances from other women, which exacerbated Casey's insecurities and jealousy. Casey says she downplayed and denied any problems in the relationship because she was ashamed of her jealousy and feared it would get used against her, but her hiding it until she's forced to come clean doesn't look good, either.
- Casey exaggerates how poorly her lawyer represented her - when she was actually doing the best she could under the circumstances - and hid the fact she shattered a crystal vase in a rage when she saw a photo of Gabrielle cosying up to Hunter, with both her lawyer and Laurie believing that this was an excuse to cover up that she'd broken a crystal photoframe with a picture of Hunter, which Casey (accurately) claimed the real killer took.
- When asked difficult questions in the interview, Casey also quickly becomes tearful and frustrated, begging people to believe she's innocent; while her reaction is understandable (as she is innocent), Laurie and Ryan both think it's obvious why her lawyer talked her out of testifying at her trial, as she makes herself look worse under cross-examination.
- Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: She was depicted as this by the prosecution, the media and her ex-boyfriend in his memoir, with many people believing that after her fiance broke things off, Casey went berserk and fatally shot him, then tried to cover it up by drugging herself with roofies. Casey was portrayed as unstable with a violent temper and a tendency to drink too much. However, Casey herself insists both the "psycho" and "ex-girlfriend" parts are untrue, saying that while she has a temper she would never harm anyone and that Hunter didn't break up with her. Lots of people believe she's still in denial or just trying to gain sympathy. She's actually innocent.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She's noted to be a strikingly beautiful woman, with "alabaster" skin and dark brown hair, which partly led to her being nicknamed "Sleeping Beauty".
Paula Carter
Paula Carter (nee Hart)
Casey's mother, who is one of the few people left who supports Casey following her manslaughter conviction.- Age-Gap Romance: It's mentioned she was twelve years younger than her husband Frank; she was twenty-six and he was thirty-eight when they got married. Paula's daughter Casey also fell in love with man over ten years her senior. Sadly, Paula also outlived her spouse; Frank died of a heart attack three years ago at the age of seventy-nine, while Casey never even made it down the aisle with Hunter (though age didn't have anything to do with his death).
- Angsty Surviving Twin: She was extremely close to her twin sister Robin (to the point she was initially reluctant to move away from Robin when she got married, with her husband getting Robin a job at his workplace so she could move with them to Washington DC). Paula was devastated when Robin died of breast cancer, taking care of Robin's daughter Angela in her absence.
- I Warned You: Right from the get-go she repeatedly tells Casey she thinks going on Under Suspicion is a bad idea and will only make her look worse. Casey's interview indeed goes terribly for her, making her look even more guilty and unhinged than she did at her trial (where she never took the stand), with Paula lamenting that she tried to warn her daughter this would happen. However, Paula ends up taking it all back when before the show finishes production, the crew's investigation uncovers that Angela is the real killer, unequivocally exonerating Casey.
- Mama Bear: She continually tries to talk Casey out of getting Under Suspicion involved in her case, believing it will only make things worse for her and that Casey is better off lying low. Following Casey's disastrous interview, Paula insists on seeing Laurie Moran and fiercely demands she put a stop to the production, saying that Casey has already been found guilty and served her sentence, and the last thing she needs is more public scrutiny when she has a chance to rebuild her life. She may not fully believe her daughter's claims of being set up, but she's still willing to protect her.
- Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal: Downplayed; Paula has always stood by her daughter despite her being arrested and convicted for killing her fiance, but doesn't vocally protest her innocence the way Angela does. She eventually admits that she always thought Casey was guilty and that it breaks her heart she's never truly accepted responsibility for her actions, but she doesn't believe Casey is evil and thinks that she should be given another chance as she's served her time. Paula feels awful when it turns out Casey really is innocent.
- My God, What Have I Done?: She's truly horrified when she sees news coverage of her niece Angela being arrested for Hunter's murder and the attempted murder of Charlotte Pierce, realising that her daughter was always telling the truth about her innocence and that she stopped believing her. She tearfully apologises to Casey, asking if she can ever forgive her; luckily for her, Casey forgives her right away.
- Thicker Than Water: Paula has always had doubts about her daughter's claims of innocence and later admits that deep down she and her late husband believed Casey did kill her fiance (albeit as a crime of passion rather than a carefully planned act), but she still loves and stands by Casey because she's her child. It's for this reason Casey decides to forgive Paula when it's proven she's innocent, saying her mother still supported her all these years rather than cast her aside.
Angela Hart
Angela Hart
Casey's cousin and Paula's niece. She's a former model who is now head of marketing at the women's clothing company Ladyform; she's one of the few people who has consistently proclaimed Casey's innocence.- Blaming the Victim: She blames both her victims for what she did to them. She says it was "Hunter's fault" she fatally shot him because he broke her heart by refusing to see they 'belonged' together and dismissing her. As for Casey, Angela says that she "deserved" to be framed and wrongly convicted for killing Hunter because she "stole" Hunter from her. When she's standing over her friend Charlotte - whom she just clobbered over the head and intends to kill - she also bitterly says that maybe she should blame Charlotte because if it weren't for Charlotte's friendship with Laurie, Under Suspicion wouldn't have begun investigating and none of this would've happened.
- Brainless Beauty: Subverted; she started out as a professional model, then went on to become head of the marketing department at a successful clothing company, which requires a lot of thinking and planning skills, not to mention an eye for design and detail. It's indicated that Angela did get treated as bit of bimbo; she states she never got good grades or went to college like Casey (who was praised for this) and when her aunt Paula brings up how proud she is of Angela for going from being "just" a model to a marketing head, Angela protests that she enjoyed modelling and worked even harder at it than she does at marketing. The way she set up her cousin for murder and kept her involvement concealed for over a decade also demonstrates her to be quite cunning.
- Disappeared Dad: Her father was never involved in her life; her mother raised her by herself with help from her sister Paula and brother-in-law Frank. Although she hides it well, Angela is revealed to have some insecurities and resentment about her father's absence including envying her cousin for growing up with a loving father.
- Entitled to Have You: Her Motive Rant and her response to a journalist indicates she felt entitled to Hunter's love. She is especially upset that Casey and Hunter bonded over losing a loved one to cancer - Hunter lost his mother, while Casey lost her maternal aunt, with Angela saying it was her mother who died and so Casey had no right to claim she had that in common with Hunter. Angela says that she felt she and Hunter belonged together and that Casey didn't "deserve" Hunter.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She's a blonde and is a sweet, optimistic person who has continually stood by her cousin no matter what, insisting she would never kill anyone. Or so it would seem; her kind, sunny facade actually hides a much darker and more deranged personality.
- Love Makes You Crazy: Her infatuation with Hunter persisted long after they broke up, to the point she still pined for him after getting into a new relationship and kept a secret collection of items centered around Hunter and their brief romance. She was fixated on the idea they belonged together and that she just needed to make him see that, which eventually led to her drugging her own cousin, Hunter's fiancee, in an attempt to break them up. When this failed, Angela snapped completely, with fatal consequences.
- Love Makes You Evil: Her unhealthy romantic fixation on Hunter ended in violence when after failing to convince Hunter to leave Casey for her, Angela shot Hunter dead. She then framed Casey for the killing and let her be locked up for fifteen years. Angela does imply that she regrets killing Hunter and that she just snapped when he rejected her (she didn't go to his house intending to kill him), but she had no qualms about letting Casey take the fall for it and remarks that she enjoyed watching Casey suffer. When a journalist asks why she did it, Angela's comments also suggest she feels Hunter and Casey drove her to it for not 'letting' her and Hunter be together.
- Meaningful Name: Her first name, Angela, means "messenger of God" and is related to the word "angel", which is fitting for someone who shows such compassion and support to others, especially her cousin; Casey says that Angela is only one who has always believed in her innocence and helped keep her sane while she was imprisoned. Her surname, Hart, technically refers to a male deer, but is also phonetically the same as "heart", which is also fitting given her kind nature and loyalty to her cousin. It becomes an Ironic Name given it's revealed Angela is a manipulative, jealous and unstable murderer; her crimes were also motivated by her obsessive love for her cousin's fiance and envy of their relationship.
- Missing Mom: Her mother died of breast cancer when she was sixteen, resulting in her moving in with her aunt, uncle and cousin.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After impulsively striking Charlotte over the head and knocking her out, Angela begins tearfully stating "What have I done?"; her later comment about how she didn't want Hunter to die implies she had a similar reaction after fatally shooting Hunter. As with Hunter's murder though, Angela doesn't feel so guilty that it prevents her from trying to cover up her crimes.
- Nephewism: Her aunt Paula and uncle Frank helped her mother raise her due to her father being out of the picture. After Angela's mother died when she was in her teens, Paula and Frank became Angela's primary caregivers. As a result, Angela is still close to her aunt, seeing her as a second mother, and she and her cousin Casey grew up viewing each other as sisters. Unfortunately, this arrangement also contributed to Angela's bitter jealousy of her cousin; although Angela was always treated just the same as Casey by Frank and Paula, from a young age she was keenly aware and insecure that Casey had something she didn't (in this case a loving, stable family), which persisted into adulthood.
- Old Maid: Though not cited by name, this trope is brought up a few times in relation to Angela. She's forty-four and still regarded as a beautiful woman, not to mention having a successful career, but she comments that some people find it odd she's still single. She's had lots of relationships over the years and fifteen years ago she thought her then-boyfriend Sean might be 'the one', but none of them worked out. Angela tries to make light of it, but the way she continuously brings it up suggests she wishes she could find a long-term partner and feels insecure over it. It's revealed the reason she's never been able to hold down a relationship is because she's still hung up on Hunter Raleigh and thinks no other man could ever compare, not to mention she's dangerously unstable - she hides it well, but when Sean got a glimpse of this side of her, he didn't stick around.
- Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: It's revealed she's this to Hunter Raleigh. While she was open about having dated Hunter before he got involved with Casey, she downplayed it as a casual relationship that didn't last long. It turns out that Angela was actually desperately in love with Hunter, to the point she still obsessed over him even after getting a new boyfriend and grew increasingly resentful of his relationship with Casey, feeling that Casey didn't deserve him. This culminated in Angela drugging Casey at a gala in an attempt to 'prove' she wasn't worthy of Hunter; when this failed Angela snapped and killed Hunter.
- Remember the New Guy?: It's established that Angela is head of marketing at the women's clothing company Ladyform and is vice president Charlotte Pierce's best friend, though she neither appeared or was mentioned in All Dressed In White. This one is more justified than usual given that the previous novel was focused around people who could've potentially been involved in the disappearance of Charlotte's younger sister (namely, the wedding guests staying with her at a resort in Florida), so there would be little reason for Angela to be mentioned as she had no significant connection to the case.
- Stalker Shrine: Shortly after Hunter's death, Angela's then-boyfriend Sean discovered a box hidden in her wardrobe filled with things relating to Hunter, including some things he had given her when they were dating. Angela claimed it was a "memory box", but given the context (she and Hunter only dated for a short time years ago, they both have new partners now, she intentionally hid the box from Sean and completely lost it when he revealed he'd found it), it comes off as less than benign. And then Sean confirms with Laurie the box contained a photo of Hunter with the President, the same photo Casey says went missing the night Hunter died...
- Statuesque Stunner: She's six feet tall and noted to be very beautiful; she had a career as a model up until her early 30s.
Frank Carter
Frank Carter
The late husband of Paula, father of Casey and uncle of Angela. He ran his own law firm in Washington D.C. before his death three years ago.
- Death by Despair: Paula says she believes her husband Frank's fatal heart attack was brought on by the shame and heartbreak of his daughter being a convicted killer.
- Mama Didn't Raise No Criminal: Downplayed when it came to Casey. He thought the murder charges against his daughter were credible, though Paula says he believed that Casey just snapped due to immense emotional stress rather than being a cold-blooded killer; he begged her to take a plea deal so that she could get out of prison sooner and have a chance at rebuilding her life. When Casey insisted she was innocent and decided to go with a jury trial, Frank essentially cut her off, not even being present for the verdict announcement and refusing to see her in prison from shame.
- Posthumous Character: He died of a heart attack three years prior to the novel, never getting to see his daughter released from prison nor proven innocent.
Raleigh family and staff
Hunter Raleigh
Hunter Raleigh III
The eldest son and heir of James Raleigh. He was a philanthropist and aspiring politician who was fatally shot in his home fifteen years ago; his fiancee Casey Carter was convicted of killing him.- The Casanova: Downplayed; he developed a reputation for having short-lived relationships with lots of women. There's no evidence he treated his girlfriends poorly (Gabrielle is still enamoured with him over a decade after they broke up), but he did tend to go through them rapidly and wasn't interested in settling down. A lot of people were shocked (and some jealous) when he asked his last girlfriend Casey to marry him.
- Dead Guy Junior: His father named him Hunter III in honour of his deceased uncle Hunter II, who died before his nephew was born in the Vietnam War and never had children of his own. Also doubles as an Ancestral Name, as Hunter's paternal grandfather was the first to bear the name.
- Fatal Attractor: He had the misfortune of attracting mentally unstable women who became obsessive over him.
- His ex-girlfriend Gabrielle was stalking him short of turning up at his house and had convinced herself they were in a Secret Relationship (she had another ex-boyfriend file a restraining order against her).
- It's said that he and his fiancee Casey constantly argued (though some people say the arguments were more playful than aggressive) and that she had a drinking problem, humiliating him in public; she was convicted of killing him when he broke up with her and supposedly made up a wild story about being roofied by the real killer.
- It turns out Casey is actually the sanest of the lot because her story is true; the real killer was another of Hunter's deranged exes, Casey's cousin Angela, who despite not having dated Hunter very long and being in a new relationship tried to sabotage his engagement to Casey, then killed him and framed Casey when it didn't work.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Implied to have been the case with him and Casey. Andrew says that Hunter was used to dating women who kept their heads down, their voices low and catered to whatever he wanted, but Casey wasn't at all like that. After Casey and Hunter had been dating for two months, Hunter abruptly went on an overseas vacation and didn't think to contact or respond to Casey even though he could easily do so, simply not considering her feelings. When he got back home, Casey initially refused to take his calls and even slammed the door in his face when he came to see her until he apologised, with Andrew saying that Hunter knew then that he loved Casey.
- The Lost Lenore: For his fiancee Casey, who is adamant she was wrongly convicted of killing him. She insists that she was deeply in love with him and still mourns him; she says that while part of her motive for appearing on Under Suspicion is to clear her own name, she also desperately wants to find the person who actually killed Hunter so her fiance can finally have justice.
- Non-Idle Rich: Although he was born into a rich upper-class family, his father instilled into him the importance of using his position and resources to better the lives of others. In adulthood, Hunter was heavily involved in charitable causes and greatly increased the Raleigh Foundation's profitability. Before he died, he was intending to begin a career in politics, with lots of people who knew him saying he would've been a great mayor, or could even have potentially become president some day.
- Posthumous Character: He was shot dead in his own home fifteen years ago and never appears alive on-page. Everything we know about him comes from the accounts of other people. Figuring out if his fiancee was rightfully convicted of killing him or if someone else was responsible drives the plot.
- True Love is Exceptional: His brother Andrew states that until he met Casey, most of the women he dated were very similar: in Andrew's words "Beautiful, but boring". Many of them also tended to be glamorous women raised in wealth and privilege, with demure, even submissive demeanours, and more conservative political leanings. Casey, on the other hand, was an art auctioneer whose parents had worked their way up, and she was outspoken and fiery with liberal political views. Out of all the women he'd been with, Hunter ended up proposing to Casey despite his father's disapproval.
- Uptown Girl: He was a gender-flipped example to Casey; she came from a modest background and worked in the art department of Sotheby's, while Hunter was born into a rich and powerful family, with the Raleighs even being compared to a smaller version of the Kennedys, and aspired to go into politics. Many people, though especially Hunter's father, thought that Casey was a completely inappropriate choice of spouse for Hunter, but he appeared determined to marry her until the night she allegedly shot him dead. Casey says she was unfairly painted as ruthless gold-digger because of her and Hunter's differing backgrounds.
James Raleigh
General James Raleigh
The head of the Raleigh family and father of Hunter and Andrew. After retiring from the military, he became an ambassador and head of the Raleigh Foundation.- It's All My Fault: He privately admits he feels some responsibility for Hunter's death, believing he should've done more to keep Casey away from him; he also thinks that because he had pushed Hunter to just break up with Casey, it caused Casey to snap and murder his son when he finally did so. He lets go of some of his guilt over this when he learns Casey didn't kill Hunter, though it's then replaced with guilt over badly misjudging the woman his son loved.
- Jerkass Realization: He has huge one and tells Laurie as much after it's revealed Angela killed Hunter and set Casey up. He swallows his pride and apologises to Casey for treating her so badly throughout her relationship with Hunter and for organising a smear campaign against her; he says he now sees the qualities in Casey that his son loved when Casey swiftly forgives him. He tells Laurie he will come clean about this on her show too, as a way to atone. He also tells Laurie he sees now that he's been far too hard on his remaining son Andrew, especially when it comes to constantly comparing him with Hunter, and that he's going to try and be a better father to him moving forward.
- Knight Templar Parent: He's willing to do just about anything to protect his sons, even if it's morally dubious and underhanded. The team discover that James arranged for Casey's ex-boyfriend Jason to write and publish a scathing memoir about her to further destroy her reputation, due to his belief she killed Hunter. They also learn that he threatened to destroy Mark Templeton's career in order to coerce him into covering up Andrew's misuse of the Raleigh Foundation's funds. Laurie - a mother herself - says she doesn't approve of James' tactics, but she does understand his determination to defend his sons.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His eldest son Hunter was killed fifteen years ago. James still deeply mourns Hunter, saying that while he'd also had to endure the premature deaths his eldest brother (whom he also considered his best friend) and his beloved wife, the death of his son was his most devasting loss; he never imagined he would outlive his son and mourns the loss of everything Hunter could've gone on to achieve. Hunter was also his favourite son and heir, with James regarding his remaining son Andrew as a disappointment.
- Parental Favouritism: It's blatantly obvious that he always preferred his eldest son Hunter to his younger son Andrew. He lavished praised and affection upon Hunter for being the perfect heir he envisioned, while he's contemptuous of Andrew for failing to live up to his expectations, even saying he hasn't done anything to earn his family name. To be fair, Hunter actively contributed to the family's foundation and other acts of public service, while Andrew's attempts to help out are performative at best, damaging at worst, and he prefers to indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle; it's understandable why James sees Andrew as a disappointment, though at the same time a big reason Andrew turned out the way he did was due to his father constantly comparing him with his brother and never giving him the time of day.
- Parental Marriage Veto: He made it crystal clear to his eldest son that he didn't approve of his romantic partner Casey and was appalled when he proposed to her. James felt that Casey was far too coarse, outspoken and opinionated to be a good politician's wife, not to mention Casey came from more of a working class background and had a career in the arts, a far cry from the wealthy political dynasty Hunter was born into. It's also implied that the more conservative James disapproved of Casey's liberal political opinions. James insisted that Hunter break up with Casey and find a more suitable wife, with Hunter's brother Andrew even believing it might've resulted in Hunter distancing himself from the family if he hadn't been killed. After Casey was arrested for Hunter's murder, James was instantly convinced of her guilt.
- Tough Love: He says the reason he's so harsh towards his younger son Andrew is because he wants him to buck up his ideas and do something meaningful with all his wealth, especially because with Hunter dead and James not getting any younger, Andrew is the future of the Raleigh family.
Andrew Raleigh
Andrew Raleigh
The youngest son of James and younger brother to Hunter, who has always been in Hunter's shadow.- The Alcoholic: He's been a heavy drinker for over a decade, with it being all but stated he drinks to cope with his low self-esteem and strained relationship with his father; ironically, Andrew's excessive drinking is yet another thing James criticises about his son. Casey says that when he drinks he almost becomes "a different person" and wonders if, under the influence of alcohol, he would've been willing to hurt his brother, especially as he got pretty hammered the night Hunter was killed.
- Backfire on the Witness Stand: As applied to true crime interviews, as opposed to courtroom testimony. Andrew's father orders him to do whatever he can to portray his brother's convicted killer and their relationship in the worst possible light, not wanting anyone to doubt Casey's guilt when the episode airs. Andrew does his best, but he lets slip some details that paint Casey and her relationship with Hunter more favourably than intended.
- Andrew reminisces fondly about Casey, saying he liked her best out of all Hunter's girlfriends and admitting he didn't initially believe she was guilty of killing Hunter until the trial (unlike his father). He also says he got the impression Hunter and Casey's frequent 'arguments' were more akin to playful banter, as opposed to genuine hostility.
- He reluctantly corroborates Gabrielle's account that the night Hunter died, he drunkenly said that he might soon be the only son his father had left. He explains what he really meant was that Hunter and James had been arguing a lot about Hunter's engagement, with Andrew believing Hunter was prepared to choose Casey over his family if his father wouldn't accept her. It's pointed out to him that this contradicts the prosecution's theory that Hunter and Casey's relationship was so troubled, he broke up with her that night and she killed him in retaliation.
- Idle Rich: Unlike his brother, Andrew is only nominally involved in the Raleigh Foundation and tends to spend his days relaxing or partying, and has no career plans. It's indicated he tried to be more involved in the Foundation in his younger years, but he gave up because he didn't have much of a head for business and nothing he did was ever good enough in his father's eyes.
- Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: It's revealed he ended up misusing the foundation's funds so badly it nearly landed them all in serious legal trouble, though Mark Templeton doesn't think Andrew was intentionally and maliciously embezzling funds; he borrowed too much money trying to impress potential investors and couldn't pay it back.
- The Un-Favourite: He's always felt he was this in his family and not without justification. At the age of fifty, he says he can "count on one hand" the number of times his father has praised him and as a child he even thought he wasn't truly related to the rest of the family because he was never able to fit in. It's obvious to him and the reader that his brother Hunter remains their father's golden child, while Andrew is constantly seen as a screw-up. He's all but given up on the idea of ever earning his father's approval.
Betsy Raleigh
Betsy Raleigh
The late wife of James Raleigh and mother of Hunter and Andrew.- Deceased Parents Are the Best: Hunter and Andrew both loved her very much, with it being implied that Andrew was much closer to her than he ever was to his father, as she was more supportive and less harsh towards him than James. After Betsy died, Andrew felt even more alienated from the family and even Hunter's relationship with his father became increasingly strained.
- Nice Girl: By all accounts, she was a loving wife and mother, with her husband and surviving son still missing her greatly, and her deceased son Hunter breaking down in tears when recalling her death. She was also Nice to the Waiter, as the Raleigh's housekeeper gets upset and expresses pity for Betsy dying such a slow, drawn-out death from cancer while discussing her with Laurie.
- Posthumous Character: She died of breast cancer over fifteen years before the main events of the novel; she'd only been gone a few years when Hunter began dating Casey, who empathised with him as her aunt (with whom she was close) also died of cancer when she was a pre-teen. It inspired Hunter to set up a cancer research and treatment fund within the Raleigh Foundation in her memory, which continues to this day.
Others
Jason Gardner
Jason Gardner
Casey's ex-boyfriend, who she broke up with shortly before meeting Hunter; he wrote an unflattering memoir about their relationship titled My Days with Crazy Casey after her arrest for Hunter's murder and testified against her at the trial.- Based on a Great Big Lie: He admits in his interview that his memoir greatly exaggerated Casey's volatile behaviour, with it being implied that some events (such as an incident where he locked himself in the bathroom because he was afraid Casey would come at him with a kitchen knife) were completely made up. Jason defends himself by saying the memoir sold better because of the exaggerations, not to mention by this point Casey had been convicted for killing her fiance, but while their relationship was dysfunctional, it's indicated they were both to blame and that Casey was nowhere near as bad as the memoir made out. Jason also all but admits James Raleigh, who got him the publishing deal, encouraged him to paint Casey in the worst possible light.
- Better Partner Assertion: When he tried to get Casey to take him back, he told her she'd never be truly happy with her fiance, insisting Hunter was a "stuffed shirt" who would suck the life out of her and that she had more in common with him. Casey dismissed this, bluntly telling Jason that they brought out the worst in each other and were never truly in love.
- Functional Addict: Downplayed. He has problems with alcohol and drugs, which contributed to both his marriages falling apart, but he's just functional enough to keep his business treading water (barely). He's depicted popping painkillers from a stash he keeps in his office to deal with stress.
- Grand Romantic Gesture: He admits that he intentionally went to the Raleigh Foundation gala because he knew Casey would be there, proclaiming his love for her in a last-ditch attempt to win her back (he even uses the term "grand romantic gesture" to describe his actions). It failed miserably, with Casey saying that with Hunter she finally felt she'd found true love and that Jason had made her feel "crazy" (in a pejorative sense), which meant Jason was subsequently stuck at the gala watching Casey and Hunter together.
- I Was Quite a Looker: Laurie knows from the photograph at the back of his memoir that he was very handsome and youthful-looking in his twenties, but fifteen years on he's not aging well and looks pretty rough, to the point he's barely recognisable.
- Never My Fault: When Laurie first meets him and asks about his relationship with Casey, his response smacks of woe is me; he goes on about how he loved Casey but she felt he was never good enough for her and constantly nagged him about why he wasn't doing better at work, then abruptly dumped him for a rich philanthropist and aspiring politician, which broke him so badly it sent him into a downward spiral and caused him to lose his cushy job. He gives Laurie the impression of blaming all of his problems on Casey with no acknowledgement of his own failings or mistakes. Jason also tries to deflect responsibility for writing the unflattering and inaccurate memoir about Casey, insisting his publisher forced his hand and that he badly needed the money after what Casey put him through.
- Not Good with Rejection: From their research, the Under Suspicion team find that Jason has a pattern of not taking break-ups well. Both his ex-wives reported that he'd drive by their houses after they separated and he got into a fight at a restaurant with his second wife's new boyfriend. Even though they'd been broken up for about a year and Casey was now engaged to Hunter, Jason still came to a gala organised by Hunter's family to try win Casey back, only to be turned down. It's speculated whether Jason was angry enough over this to kill Casey's fiance and frame her. Jason didn't kill Hunter, but it's implied that he took revenge on Casey via his court testimony and memoir, painting her as a vicious and deranged gold-digger; he claims he still loved Casey, yet he was happy to jump on the "Crazy Casey" bandwagon and tell lies about her while presenting himself as a victim.
- Relationship Revolving Door: He states that he and Casey repeatedly went through a cycle of breaking up and getting back together; the last time she broke up with him he assumed she was just taking another temporary break and they'd get back together, but not long after she began dating Hunter Raleigh instead, eventually getting engaged to him. This came as a shock to Jason; he claims it was because he thought of him and Casey as "soulmates", though it's indicated it's more because it never occurred to him she might find something better.
- Serial Spouse: It's noted that in the fifteen years since Casey's imprisonment, Jason has been married and divorced twice, with both his ex-wives citing his instability, jealousy and issues with substance abuse as major contributing factors.
- Was It Really Worth It?: Following Laurie's visit to his office, Jason privately questions whether throwing Casey under the bus in the public eye to get sympathy and money for himself was really worth it. He got his fifteen minutes of fame and his memoir did well at the time, but the money he made is mostly gone on drugs, divorces and propping up his failing business. His personal life is a mess, he's addicted to pills and booze, and consumed with guilt over what he did to Casey. It's implied Jason isn't even fully convinced Casey is guilty of murder and he just tried to make her look guilty out of selfishness and spite, which did nothing to improve his life in the long-run.
- Younger Than They Look: He's forty-two during the main events of the story, but when Laurie first meets him she thinks he looks at least ten years older, with deep lines on his face. It's indicated his addiction to booze and drugs took a toll on his appearance.
Gabrielle Lawson
Gabrielle Lawson
A socialite who dated Hunter Raleigh prior to his engagement with Casey Carter.- Attention Whore: She loves to be in the spotlight, to the point of feeding private information to Mindy Sampson for her gossip column and arranging for paparazzi to take pictures of her. Mindy notes that Gabrielle has an almost pathological need to be noticed by others. She quickly agrees to participate in Under Suspicion given it's a popular TV show and she'll have the opportunity to tell millions of people about her supposed tragic romance with Hunter, even more so than at Casey's trial.
- Believing Their Own Lies: The team get the sense from Gabrielle's interview that she had truly convinced herself she and Hunter were in love and that he was going to leave his fiancee for her, despite there being no evidence of this, up and including zero confirmation of this from Hunter himself. She ends up sounding completely delusional.
- It's All About Me: When she talks about Hunter's death, she tends to frame it in how awful it was for her to have lost him. She also has a tendency to present things in the way she wants them to be, regardless of any evidence to the contrary.
- Parent-Preferred Suitor: Hunter's father James would've preferred Hunter get back with Gabrielle and marry her over Casey, feeling she was superior due to her prominent and wealthy family background and her more refined and deferential demeanour. It was to the point he even fed her rumours Hunter was still interested in the hopes of getting them back together, despite Hunter's engagement to Casey. Ironically, Gabrielle turns out to be almost as unhinged, manipulative and possessive as Casey is claimed to be, including her multiple failed marriages and the restraining order against her.
- Serial Spouse: She's been married three times, with all her marriages ending in divorce. She claims it's because she never got over the loss of Hunter, her one true love, though it's implied her self-centered, clingy and obsessive behaviour - particularly when it comes to relationships - had more to do with it.
- Socialite: She's a glamourous member of New York's upper crust, frequently making appearances at red carpet events and high end hang-outs. She's unemployed and has never done any real work throughout her life; she was born into a rich family and lives off her childless uncle's generous trust fund and the settlements from her three divorces.
- Stalker with a Crush: She has a pattern of becoming obsessive and delusional about men she has romantic feelings for. She even had a restraining order filed against her by a director she briefly dated, after she anonymously told a gossip column they were shopping for apartments together (which was definitely untrue). She still followed Hunter around and flirted with him long after they'd broken up and he'd gotten engaged to Casey. Gabrielle claims that she and Hunter still had feelings for each other and that Hunter was going to leave Casey for her, but when Ryan brings up the lack of evidence pointing to this, it becomes clear that their romance existed only in Gabrielle's mind, such as her insistence they had an "unspoken understanding" and that Hunter was keeping his feelings "subtle" for the sake of propriety.
Sean Murray
Sean Murray
Angela Hart's ex-boyfriend, who was in a relationship with her at the time Hunter was killed.- Chekhov's Gunman: He's initially brought up as someone Under Suspicion could potentially interview to get a more neutral first-hand perspective on Hunter and Casey's relationship, with the team not considering it that big a deal when he declines to participate. Much later, Laurie decides to try talking to him in person just to clarify a few details before they wrap-up production. It's a good thing she does, because Sean provides Laurie and the reader with some vital information about Angela and her relationships with both him and Hunter that paints a very different picture to the one Angela presented. It also turns out Angela initially persuaded Sean not to talk to the producers, because she was aware Sean might blow the whole case open.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Sean uses this an excuse to not appear on Under Suspicion, saying that his wife would get jealous from him merely crossing paths with his former flame, who is an attractive and still-single former model. Sean later confesses to Laurie this is untrue; his wife "doesn't have a jealous bone in her body" and the real reason he refused to take part was because Angela talked him out of it.
- Love Martyr: Even after Angela confessed to him she was still in love with Hunter despite now being in a serious relationship with him, Sean stood by her, telling himself that her honesty brought them closer and admiring Angela's supposed selflessness for not telling her cousin she had feelings for her fiance so as not to ruin their marriage. Sean stuck it out despite feeling Angela pulling away from him and was even willing to forgive her for hiding a memory box devoted to Hunter from him, provided she got rid of it. However, the final straw for Sean was when Angela not only refused to get rid of the box, but made it clear she'd never see him as Hunter's equal.
- Ship Sinking: He and Angela were quite serious, with Angela even saying she once thought they might get married, but Sean tells Laurie he knew their relationship was over after he found out Angela was still infatuated with Hunter, to the point of keeping a memory box centered around him stashed in her closet, and he gave her an ultimatum about getting rid of it; Angela had a complete meltdown and screamed at Sean he'd never be as good as Hunter, with Sean saying there was no coming back from that.
Mindy Sampson
Mindy Sampson
A veteran gossip columnist who runs a gossip website, Chatter. She's been targeting Casey Carter in her columns even prior to Hunter Raleigh's death and mysteriously has access to many intimate details of Casey's life.
- Girlboss Feminist: When she found out she was being made redundant from the newspaper she'd worked at for years, she threatened to sue the paper for sexism and ageism, before agreeing to go quietly provided they paid her off and let her keep the Chatter name so she could set up a website. A lot of Mindy's columns are centered around spreading rumours and making scathing, judgemental comments about other women, especially in regards to their love lives and appearances (nor does she care how factual she is or who gets hurt). She also doesn't seem to truly care about championing any kind of feminist causes, being only concerned with getting attention for her website; she's only demonstrated using the "language" of feminism to benefit herself.
- Immoral Journalist: She specialises in writing and publishing scandalous stories about people - the more famous or infamous the better - regardless of how accurate her information is and without any care over the potential fall-out for the people involved. She will also bend or twist information to present certain people or situations in the worst possible light. This includes claiming that Casey allegedly confessed to Hunter's murder while the trial was ongoing, which was both untrue and could've gotten the whole trial derailed, especially as a juror happened to have seen the story (which is potential grounds for a mistrial) and spreading false rumours that Hunter was going to leave Casey for Gabrielle (which the prosecution used as evidence against Casey). She never bothers verifying the validity of her sources, either.
