Defending Jacob ending explained: Who is the actual killer?

Defending Jacob is an American crime drama miniseries on Apple TV that is based on a 2012 novel of the same name by William Landay. Created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum, the eight episode series first aired on April 24, 2020, and concluded almost a month later.

Chris Evans plays the role of Andrew "Andy" Stephen Barber, Michelle Dockery portrays Laurie Barber, and Jaeden Martell plays Jacob "Jake" Barber in this series. Defending Jacob follows Andy and Laurie Barber as they deal with the consequences of their son Jacob allegedly murdering one of his classmates, Ben Rifkin.

Dealing with the aftermath of Rifkin's death, the family is engulfed in chaos as more evidence points towards Jacob. Laurie also begins to question her own son. However, by the end of the series, Leonard Patz, a convicted s*xual predator, takes the blame for the murder.

Despite being acquitted, Jacob is involved in an accident that leaves him in a coma and Laurie with several injuries. The reason behind the accident remains cloaked in mystery until the end of Defending Jacob.

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Defending Jacob: Who is the killer?

In Defending Jacob, the plot is full of uncertainty, making people wonder the characters are innocent. It portrays different people as possible suspects. Chris Evans plays Andy Barber, Jacob's father and assistant district attorney who is investigating his own son's case.

What makes Defending Jacob unique is that it doesn't clearly say whether Jacob is guilty or innocent. The writer, Mark Bomback, intentionally weaved the story in a way to keep viewers uncertain right up until the end.

"In a purely storytelling way, I'm not sure a definitive answer one way or the other would have been necessarily any more satisfying," said Bomback to Entertainment Weekly.

He further added,

"What I was most interested in, just as someone doing the writing, was really creating this subjective experience on the viewers' part with the parents. What I wanted to leave you with is the same sensation the parents have, which is, 'We'll never really know.'"

Jacob's trial ends with an unexpected announcement of his innocence when Leonard Patz, played by Daniel Henshall, who is shown as a pedophile, admits to murdering Ben, as evidenced in the suicide note he wrote before killing himself.

However, Andy quickly learns that Patz's confession was coerced due to some terrible things his own father—a murderer with a criminal record—did to protect Jacob.

The Barbers planned a trip to unwind and spend some family time after the trail ended, but it presented them with yet another issue. A young girl named Hope disappeared out of nowhere, and people started doubting Jacob. Laurie and Jacob then met in an accident that left the latter in a coma.

Surprisingly, apart from Jacob or Patz, another possible suspect responsible for Ben’s murder could be Laurie. She had heard Jacob say that Ben had been bullying him. When she confronted Ben at the park, she might have lost her control after receiving an unpleasant reaction from him, leading to her stabbing Ben. But all these are speculations, as there's nothing evidently said or shown in Defending Jacob.

The finale has left many unanswered questions, including those related to Jacob's accident and Ben's murderer, a harrowing event that underscores the central theme of Defending Jacob.

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Defending Jacob is streaming on Apple TV.