Sloan is a 29-year-old medical fellow living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She holds a dual degree from Duke University and has dedicated years to her dream of becoming a medical examiner. Raised by loving adoptive parents in the dental profession, she feels secure in her identity until a forensic genealogy project unexpectedly links her DNA to a famous missing persons case. She approaches this shocking revelation with the same analytical determination she applies to her pathology work.

Eric is the current sheriff of Harrison County, Nevada, representing the third generation of his family to hold the elected office. He operates as an honest lawman in a town largely controlled by a single wealthy family. He carries the emotional weight of his father's unresolved death from 1995 and reaches out to Sloan in hopes of solving the interlocking mysteries that haunt their respective families.

Nora is a professional photographer and the wife of Ellis Margolis. She serves as the welcoming face of the otherwise intimidating Margolis family in Cedar Creek. As an avid amateur genealogist and local historian who photographs the town's major life events, she provides a warm presence and crucial background information about the family's past dynamics.

Ellis is a lawyer at the Margolis & Margolis law firm and the brother of Preston Margolis. Like other members of his powerful family, Ellis benefits from the extensive wealth and influence they wield over Cedar Creek and the surrounding state. He struggles with the pressure of family expectations and living in the shadow of his brother's famous disappearance.

Preston is a prominent junior associate at his family's law firm, Margolis & Margolis, in 1995. He is the biological father of Sloan and husband to Annabelle. Preston is a devoted family man whose sudden vanishing along with his wife and infant daughter on July 4, 1995, leaves behind a decades-long mystery in Cedar Creek.

Annabelle is Preston's wife and the biological mother of Sloan. A passionate amateur photographer, she struggles to find acceptance within the controlling Margolis family hierarchy. She is a devoted mother whose sudden disappearance in 1995 alongside her family becomes a national media fixation.

Ryder is the ambitious host of the popular true crime podcast Unsolved. Following a breakout success that landed her a major streaming contract, she relies on her dedicated fanbase to crowd-source investigation details. She is highly motivated to break new stories, often prioritizing exclusive access and viral content over the privacy of the individuals involved.

Sandy is the dedicated sheriff of Harrison County in 1995 and Eric's father. He is an intelligent, honest investigator who carefully deals with the immense political power of the Margolis family while trying to uncover the truth behind local crimes. His investigation into a hit-and-run quickly evolves into a complex search for financial fraud.

Livia is the Chief Medical Examiner and a highly respected forensic pathologist. As the youngest chair of the fellowship program, she is exacting but fair. She assigns Sloan to a forensic genealogy research project and provides crucial professional and personal guidance.

Todd is Sloan's adoptive father, who co-owns a combined dentist and orthodontist office with his wife, Dolly. He initially hoped Sloan would join the family business but fully supports her medical examiner ambitions. He provides a grounding, loving presence when Sloan's world is upended.

Dolly is Sloan's adoptive mother and a dedicated dental professional. She adopted Sloan through a private arrangement in the 1990s and has always been open about the adoption. She is fiercely protective of her daughter as intense media scrutiny begins.

Reid is the intimidating patriarch of the Margolis family and father to Preston and Ellis. He wields significant influence over Cedar Creek and takes a controlling approach to family matters, aiming to protect the Margolis dynasty from scandal and outside interference.

Tilly is the matriarch of the Margolis family, married to Reid. Despite her husband's intimidating demeanor, she presents a warmer front when reuniting with her long-lost granddaughter, though she holds strict standards regarding the family's social standing and wealth.

Marvin is a private investigator who works as a contractor for the Margolis & Margolis law firm in 1995. He uncovers sensitive financial irregularities at the firm and brings this evidence to Sheriff Sandy Stamos, forming a cautious alliance to expose corporate crimes.

Margot is a 52-year-old diner server who harbors deep guilt about choices she made in her twenties. When a true crime podcast brings a cold case back into the national spotlight, she is forced to confront the role she played in an adoption arrangement decades earlier.

James is a genealogist who works for the website Your Lineage. He assists Sloan with the technical aspects of her fellowship research and helps process her DNA, inadvertently triggering the discovery of her true biological identity.

Baker is a partner at the Margolis & Margolis law firm in 1995. His suspicious death in what initially appears to be a hit-and-run accident kicks off a chain of events that alters the town of Cedar Creek forever.

Stella is the woman Preston was engaged to before he met and married Annabelle. Coming from a wealthy family, she had the approval of the Margolis patriarchs and holds a bitter grudge regarding Preston's sudden change of heart.

Lester is the longtime handyman for the Margolis family. He handles properties ranging from their homes in Cedar Creek to their vineyard in Oregon, remaining a steadfast presence on the periphery of the family's drama over the decades.

Hayden is a second-year fellow at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh. He is paired with Sloan, guiding her through practical examinations, and later finds himself targeted by aggressive true-crime reporters looking for her.

Zoe is an assistant at the FBI handling sensitive case files. As a devoted fan of the true-crime podcast Unsolved, she struggles to maintain professional confidentiality when she encounters explosive information about a famous cold case.

John is a Special Agent with the FBI's National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He spearheads the federal investigation into Charlotte Margolis's sudden reappearance and coordinates with Sloan regarding the next steps in unraveling the cold case.

Avery is a respected television journalist and host for American Events. Known for her integrity and trustworthy reporting style, she represents a stark contrast to the sensationalist media storm surrounding the Margolis mystery.

Tom is a financial planner and former IRS worker who left Cedar Creek to build a career in California. He provides Sandy Stamos with expert assistance in analyzing complex financial documents from a law firm.

Rachel is the Chief Medical Examiner for Washoe County. She provides the initial, accurate autopsy results for a suspicious death before higher-ups interfere with the jurisdiction of the body.