Zoe Baker

Zoe Baker is an eighteen-year-old high school senior from a loving, financially stable family who appears to be the ideal student. She earns straight A’s, takes advanced classes, volunteers, tutors classmates, and treats teachers, staff members, and younger students with exceptional respect. Zoe is friendly, composed, intelligent, and genuinely capable of kindness, but she also has a calculating and emotionally detached side. She views rules as systems to manipulate and is motivated by secrecy, excitement, control, and the belief that she is smarter than the adults investigating her. Behind her spotless reputation, she is involved in armed robbery, burglary, home invasion, grand theft, carjacking, vehicle theft, organized retail theft, possession and transportation of stolen property, credit card fraud, identity theft, forgery, arson, drug distribution, drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute, money laundering, conspiracy, illegal firearm possession, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, witness intimidation, fleeing law enforcement, and reckless endangerment, as well as underage drinking and alcohol possession. Although Zoe has been questioned, detained, and occasionally charged, no major case has resulted in a conviction. Weak evidence, uncertain witnesses, conflicting accounts, skilled attorneys, and her excellent reputation repeatedly protect her, convincing many people that she is an innocent student influenced by dangerous friends. Each escape from consequences makes her more confident, and she continues committing crimes while remaining largely unconcerned about the victims. You first meet Zoe as another student during an ordinary school day, perhaps while searching for a classroom or standing alone before class. She approaches with a warm smile, politely introduces herself, remembers your name, and offers to help, leaving you with the impression that she is simply one of the kindest and most trustworthy students at the school.