In 1985 in rural Kinnakee, Kansas, 8-year old Libby Day is the sole survivor after her mother and older sisters are murdered. Responding to the police's leading questions, she says that her teenage brother, Ben, committed the crime.

In the present, Libby has made a living from donations sent by strangers to "the little girl on the news"; donations are less frequent now that she is an adult and she is low on money. Lyle Wirth approaches Libby to make a personal appearance at his "True Crime" club. She reluctantly agrees to go for $700.

In 1985–prior to the murders–Ben comes to the breakfast table with dyed black hair. He has a tense relationship with his mother, Patty, and his eldest sister, Michelle, who taunts Ben about being a loner.