y ▁and ▁j ail ▁guard ▁ ▁Sarah - J ane ▁Red mond ▁as ▁Sarah ▁M ills , ▁mother ▁of ▁Abb y ▁and ▁wife ▁of ▁the ▁sh er iff , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁mur ders ▁ ▁Michael ▁Rog ers ▁as ▁Dar ry l ▁R ig gens , ▁a ▁police ▁officer ▁from ▁Seattle ▁ ▁Dean ▁W ray ▁as ▁Cole ▁H ark in , ▁the ▁surv iv or ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁mur ders ▁and ▁the ▁sh er iff ' s ▁former ▁deput y ▁ ▁Development ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁CBS ▁ordered ▁a ▁ 1 5 - min ute ▁pilot ▁presentation ▁of ▁the ▁project . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁re to o led , ▁with ▁Jeff rey ▁Bell ▁coming ▁on ▁board ▁as ▁show runner ▁and ▁Jon ▁T urt elta ub ▁as ▁an ▁executive ▁producer . ▁Schloss berg ▁remained ▁on ▁board ▁as ▁a ▁co - exec utive ▁producer ▁along ▁with ▁Kar im ▁Z rie k ▁and ▁Dan ▁Sh ot z . ▁ ▁Bell ▁subsequently ▁re w rote ▁the ▁first ▁episode , ▁which ▁Jon ▁T urt elta ub ▁would ▁direct . ▁During ▁the ▁re tool ing ▁process , ▁six ▁of ▁the ▁pilot ▁presentation ' s ▁fifteen ▁original ▁cast ▁members ▁were ▁replaced , ▁including ▁Ryan ▁M err iman ▁( Hen ry ▁D unn ), ▁Sam anth a ▁No ble ▁( Tr ish ▁Well ington ), ▁Bill ▁Dow ▁( S her iff ▁M ills ) ▁and ▁Bill