Veronica Donovan



Veronica Donovan, (played by Robin Tunney), is a real-estate lawyer and a longtime friend of the protagonists of the series, who unsuccessfully tries to find evidence to exonerate Lincoln Burrows.

Background
She serves as the primary ally of the brothers in the show’s first season. Veronica had a relationship with Lincoln in High School and the two also dated each other after she graduated from Baylor law school. However, at the start of the show they have broken up since several years. When Lincoln is first framed for the murder of Terrence Steadman, Veronica assumes that he is guilty and moves on with her life. Sometime between the episode "Brother's Keeper", and the pilot, she gets engaged to Sebastian Balfour.

Season One
Although she is a real estate lawyer and not a criminal lawyer, Veronica defends her childhood friend, Michael Scofield at his trial. Initially, she doesn't believe Lincoln's innocence and is convinced by the security tape footage. However, after the disappearance of Leticia Barris, a witness who could prove Lincoln's innocence and the death of a bishop who opposed Lincoln's death penalty, Veronica is led to believe that Lincoln might have been set up. Thus, Michael’s arrest causes her to grow more involved with Lincoln’s case, straining her relationship with Sebastian. Following the disappearance of Leticia in the episode "Cell Test", Veronica decides to postpone the wedding as she claims that she can’t focus on it at the time. Sebastian is hurt by this and breaks off the engagement.

She approaches Project Justice for help with Lincoln's case, knowing that she herself doesn't have any experience in death penalty cases. However, they refuse to partake in her case. Nick Savrinn later offers his help after telling her that his father was similarly accused of a crime he did not commit. Together, they work tirelessly, trying to uncover the truth behind Terrence Steadman's apparent murder. The original security tape which they were looking for is destroyed and in the subsequent episode, "Riots, Drills and the Devil Part 2", they are threatened via a public phone call in Washington, D.C. and are targeted by Paul Kellerman and Daniel Hale, who are members of the conspiracy. They were nearly killed by an explosion in Veronica's apartment and in the following episodes, LJ Burrows joins both of them after escaping from the agent's clutches. All three of them go into hiding. Their lives are once again in danger when an assassin called Agent Quinn manages to find out their secret location. Veronica eventually manages to knock him unconscious and escape with LJ and a wounded Nick. Veronica is then contacted by a secret informant, who claims to be willing to provide information. Knowing that hiding is not the answer, Veronica decides to go out into the open and reveal the conspiracy to the public. Veronica meets with the informant, agent Hale, the following night, where he reveals that Steadman is still alive. Hale is executed by Kellerman before he can provide proof, and Veronica barely has time to hide shortly before Kellerman arrives.

Now left more or less empty handed, Veronica and Nick nevertheless goes back to the court on Lincoln’s execution day for one last time to appeal for Lincoln’s case, but this ultimately fails as the judge rules against them. Fortunately, someone slips in evidence in the last minute which helps to stall Lincoln's execution. Veronica and Nick decide to send someone to do a test on Steadman's body, but the dental records matched Steadman's past records. Following this, she decides to find out where the real Steadman is hiding. In "J-Cat", Nick, Veronica and L.J. return to New Glarus to visit the dead Quinn, where they obtain his cell phone. Eventually, they found out Terrence Steadman's hideout in Blackfoot, Montana. However, at the end of the episode "Tonight", Veronica is betrayed by Nick, who turned out to have made a deal with John Abruzzi to have her "ready and waiting" at the airport on the night of the escape in exchange for his father’s freedom. Nick is conflicted, however, and ultimately lets her go to the airport as he doesn't want Veronica to be killed. Now alone, she travels to Blackfoot, Montana and manages to sneak into Steadman's house and confront him face to face.

Season Two
Following her confrontation with Steadman (Jeff Perry), Veronica is executed in cold blood by secret service agents ordered to ensure that Terrence Steadman is kept hidden. Veronica becomes the first main character to be killed off in the series.