JD: The Vengeful Vigilante in The Color of Death

Overview

JD is a calculating and grief‑driven antagonist in Trey Gowdy’s The Color of Death. She orchestrates the kidnapping of defense attorney Frank Hastings, frames prosecutor Colm Truesdale for a murder she committed, and systematically targets everyone she blames for her brother Larry Stafford’s imprisonment. While the story is told primarily from Colm’s perspective, JD’s actions—revealed through surveillance, psychological intimidation, and a chilling rescue of her intended victim—paint a portrait of a vigilante who believes she is delivering justice. Her methods are precise, her patience unnerving, and her own history of trauma adds a tragic dimension to her cruelty.

Plot Role

JD operates as the primary architect of the novel’s central conflict. In Chapter 1, she and her accomplice Knox abduct Frank Hastings, force him to watch video of Colm’s trial closing argument, and coerce a false confession before planning a staged suicide. She explicitly states that Frank, his law partner, the judge, and Colm Truesdale will all die. As the investigation into Rachel’s murder unfolds, JD plants evidence in Colm’s house—ammunition and a box of .38 cartridges (Chapter 12)—and uses a trail camera to surveil his movements. She mails a torn King of Hearts playing card to Colm (Chapter 16), a signature taunt. Later, when Colm attempts suicide in his garage, JD rescues him (Chapter 60), not out of compassion but to prolong his suffering. In the final narrative chapter (70), JD is seen at The Junction diner, watching Colm with Belle, tearing another King of Hearts and drawing a noose on the Queen, vowing that “you’ll never be able to stop what’s coming next.” Her role is that of a persistent, methodical avenger who refuses to let her targets find peace.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

JD’s core motivation is revenge for her brother Larry Stafford. She believes Frank Hastings mishandled Larry’s trial, and she blames Colm Truesdale for prosecuting the case effectively. In Chapter 1, she tells Frank, “This is about seeking justice for Larry Stafford and our mom” and later refers to “our mother’s life savings” being wasted. She is hyper‑analytical, critiquing Frank’s courtroom performance with precision—noting juror reactions and the timing of the verdict. This shows a deep, almost obsessive familiarity with the trial.

Her actions also reveal a desire to make her victims suffer, not just die. In Chapter 16, she tells Knox, “Truesdale needs to suffer. Not just die, but suffer.” She delays killing Frank so he can “ripen.” She rescues Colm from suicide because she believes a failed attempt is worse than death (Chapter 60). JD’s own past attempt by the same method, which failed when her car ran out of gas and no one came to help, suggests her vengeance is rooted in unresolved personal pain. She is patient, methodical, and deeply manipulative, yet also vulnerable—her final scene in the diner shows her seething at Colm’s happiness, as if his recovery threatens the narrative of victimhood she has constructed.

Chronological Arc

JD’s arc begins long before the novel opens, with the trial of Larry Stafford. The first chapter shows her in full control: she kidnaps Frank, forces a confession, and threatens a wider conspiracy. In Chapter 12, she surveils Colm’s house and plants evidence, framing him for Rachel’s murder. Her plan escalates through the middle of the book as she watches Colm investigate the case she has created. The crucial turning point comes in Chapter 60: she and Knox find Colm unconscious in his running car. JD rescues him, and in a rare moment of disclosure, she admits she once attempted the same method and was abandoned. This revelation reshapes her from a pure villain into a traumatised figure who cannot bear to see the man she hates achieve the “easy way out.” In Chapter 70, JD is still active and threatening, now stalking Colm at the diner and planning future violence. Her arc ends unresolved—she remains a present danger.

Relationships

• Knox: JD’s accomplice, physically imposing and impatient. He repeatedly urges faster action (Chapter 16). JD manages him by promising his part will come. She is the dominant partner, taking the lead in planning and psychological warfare.
• Larry Stafford: Her brother, whose imprisonment drives everything. He is never directly seen, but his trial is the central grievance.
• Frank Hastings: JD’s first target. She treats him with contempt, forcing him to relive his courtroom failure. She intends to kill him but delays, wanting him to “ripen.”
• Colm Truesdale: JD’s primary obsession. She hates him for his success in prosecuting Larry and for the grief he later carries. She watches him with trail cameras, studies his life, and deliberately keeps him alive to prolong his suffering. The rescue scene creates a twisted bond—she sees her own failure in his.
• Belle (waitress): In the final chapter, JD watches Colm and Belle together and feels jealousy or rage at Colm’s happiness. She introduces herself to Belle as “Jane” but does not reveal her hostile intentions.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Each decision stems from her need to control the suffering of those she blames. The consequence of rescuing Colm is especially ironic: she intends to make him suffer more, but by doing so she gives him a chance to eventually recover and find peace with Belle (Chapters 69–70).

Theme and Symbol Connections

• Grief and Loss: JD’s revenge is fueled by the loss of her brother (imprisonment) and mother (implied death from the financial ruin). Her own suicide attempt points to unresolved grief. She cannot let go of the past, mirroring Colm’s own struggle with family loss. Related theme page
• Justice Versus Revenge: JD explicitly frames her actions as “justice for Larry Stafford,” yet her methods—kidnapping, framing, psychological torture—are clearly revenge. The novel uses her as a cautionary example of what happens when the legal system fails and individuals take the law into their own hands. Related theme page
• Corruption and Power: JD exploits the corruption of Frank Hastings (malpractice) and Judge Martin Weber (affair, bribery). She sees herself as a corrective force but becomes corrupt herself. Related theme page
• The Nature of Closure: JD believes that making others suffer will give her closure, but she remains unsatisfied and angry. Even after rescuing Colm, she mutters “Maybe I should have let him die.” Her obsessive surveillance shows that revenge does not bring peace. Related theme page
• Symbol of the King of Hearts: Called the “Suicide King,” the card represents both JD’s desire for Colm to kill himself and her own identification with suicide. By tearing the card, she enacts a symbolic destruction of life. The Queen of Hearts with a noose suggests she is now targeting Belle or another female figure.

5 Book‑Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does JD target Frank Hastings specifically? JD blames Frank for losing her brother Larry’s trial due to malpractice. She believes if Frank had been competent, Larry would not have been convicted. In Chapter 1, she forces Frank to watch the trial video and points out his failures, telling him the case was unwinnable for him but Colm won it. Her motive is personal: “seeking justice for Larry Stafford and our mom.”

2. How does JD frame Colm for Rachel’s murder? In Chapter 12, JD breaks into Colm’s house while he is out, plants a box of ammunition in his nightstand, and steals family photographs. Combined with the murder weapon being a .38 revolver (the same type JD used in the cabin), and the placement of evidence, the police begin to suspect Colm had a motive. JD also uses a trail camera to monitor Colm’s comings and goings, ensuring she knows when he is absent.

3. What does JD’s rescue of Colm from suicide reveal about her? It reveals three things: (a) she wants Colm to suffer more than she wants him dead; (b) she herself once attempted suicide by the same method—carbon monoxide in a car—and failed when the car ran out of gas, with no one coming to rescue her (Chapter 60); and (c) she sees a reflection of her own trauma in Colm and cannot stand the idea of him “taking the easy way out.” This moment humanizes her while also deepening her cruelty.

4. What is the significance of the King of Hearts playing card? JD calls the King of Hearts the “Suicide King.” By tearing it in half and mailing it to Colm, she is taunting him with the idea of suicide, possibly also referencing her own past. The card becomes a symbol of JD’s psychological warfare. In Chapter 70, she tears another King of Hearts and draws a noose on the Queen of Hearts, suggesting her threats are escalating to include others close to Colm.

5. Does JD achieve her goal of making Colm suffer? Partially. Colm does suffer—he loses his job, spirals into alcoholism, and attempts suicide. However, by the end of the novel, Colm begins to recover (with Belle’s help and his own efforts) while JD is left still stalking him, muttering that she should have let him die (Chapter 70). The inability to see Colm’s happiness shows that her revenge has not given her peace; it has only deepened her own bitterness. The novel implies that her quest for vengeance is ultimately self‑defeating.

For a deeper look at the story’s themes and resolution, visit the ending explained and questions and answers pages.