Darren Wilden

Biography
Darren Wilden is a detective who arrests Hanna for shoplifting. Mrs. Marin was sleeping with him to get Hanna off the charges and they were in a relationship. He later investigates Ali's murder. He is a former student of Rosewood High and a police officer. Hanna remembers he was a big partier in high school.

Season 1
In "Pilot," Detective Darren Wilden goes to Hanna's house and arrests her for shoplifting. Mrs. Marin sleeps with him to get Hanna off her charges. Ashley's and Darren's relationship lasts longer than one night, however, to Hanna's guilt and dismay. Hestarts staying over so much that he goes as far as to open the fridge shirtless. Later, at the end of "Pilot," when Alison's case switches from that of missing person to murder mystery, Officer Wilden is assigned to take the case. He is very suspicious and accusing of the girls. He questions the veracity of their stories constantly.

He harrasses Hanna by cornering her after she goes shopping in Rosewood Mall with Mona in "The Jenna Thing." He uses evidence that he finds in the Marin household against Hanna. Hanna calls him out on the invalidity of such investigative techniques. Ashley finally ends it with Darren in "To Kill a Mocking Girl" when he starts sifting through her daughter's purse without a search warrant, to better examine Alison's friendship bracelet to Hanna.

He makes an appearance at Alison's memorial dedication in "Please, Do Talk about Me When I'm Gone."

Eventually, even Emily is accused of murdering Alison. The last we see of Officer Wilden is in "The Perfect Storm" when he goes so far as to take Emily's purse without a search warrant, endanger the girls lives by separating them from their classmates amidst a hurricane, and interrogate the minors without an adult present. Veronica Hastings blasts Darren for being unprofessional and breaking the law. (Officer Cooper replaces Darren on the case.)

Season 2
We learn from Veronica in "Over My Dead Body" that Wilden was suspended, but has been reinstated as head investigator. He catches the girls with the murder weapon (a shovel) and arrests them on suspicion of murder. He seems to be friendly with Garrett because they are on the force together.

In "The First Secret," Darren gives Ashley a ride home from The Grille after she has one too many martinis there. He seems flirty with her and returns the next day to offer "his assistance." Ashley flatly refuses, and he ominously warns her to watch herself. When Hanna questions his presence, Ashley writes him off as a "horny cop."

When the Liars spot Darren at the Halloween party, they think that he is dressing up as a cop, but Hanna lets them know that the uniform is real. When they ask her how she knows, she lies that she saw him directing traffic.

Wilden is next seen in "CTRL: A." He confiscates Caleb's computer, shows Garrett a photo of Hanna, Spencer and Emily breaking into the morgue office, and later brings Hanna and Ashley in to question them about it. He becomes extremely frustrated when the incriminating files mysteriously disappear from Caleb's laptop.