Assistant District Attorney Neal Loguidice questions Andy Barber before a grand jury. Months earlier, Andy is himself a respected ADA and lives a content, suburban life with his wife Laurie and their 14-year old son Jacob in Newton, Massachusetts. When a classmate of Jacob's, Ben Rifkin, is found stabbed to death in the park near their middle school, Andy is assigned the case over Loguidice's objections that Andy's presence could present a conflict of interest. Andy and Detective Pam Duffy question students at the school, but are unable to discern a motive for the murder. While questioning Jacob privately about Ben, Jacob tells Andy and Laurie that Ben was unlikable and later expresses frustration to Andy over the exaggerated false sympathy from his classmates over Ben's death. Duffy discovers a possible suspect, Leonard Patz, a convicted sexual predator, but Andy is advised against bringing him in until they find solid evidence. That night, Andy discovers an online message board memorializing Ben and becomes disturbed after reading a series of comments, including one from Jacob's friend Derek, accusing Jacob of murdering Ben. Andy searches Jacob's room and finds a knife fitting the description of the murder weapon hidden in a sock in his drawer.
