In a violent 1999 home invasion, engineer Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is forced to witness the rape and murders of his wife and young daughter by cocaine addict Clarence James Darby (Christian Stolte) and his unwilling accomplice Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart). Prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is unable to use DNA evidence (which had been contaminated by police handling) to securely convict both accused, leading to a possibility that he might lose the case should he support Shelton.