Protagonist and sharecropper's son. Returns from a six-year chain gang sentence after taking the fall for a fatal car accident. Rekindles an affair with Melinda, which leads to him being shot by her. He is subsequently killed by the sheriff on the Colonel's orders but is later exonerated when the truth emerges, allowing him to secure a farm deed for his father.
Initially aligned with the Marquand family's plot to eliminate Lonnie, Mrs. Marquand later realizes the truth.
Ned and Lonnie are adversaries due to the affair and Ned's initial confrontation.
Lonnie and Melinda rekindle their past romantic relationship upon his return.
Zuba is Lonnie's father, a sharecropper who dreams of land ownership.
Explore the full interactive character relationship map of Desire in the Dust