Aaron Pritchard owns The Daily Alaskan now. Eileen Fitzgerald and Roz Friendly know for a fact that Reed Gallahorn didn’t kill Gloria Nanmac. So, the culprit is still out there, hiding in plain sight. “Alaska Daily” Episode 9 takes our journalist duo deeper into the case and brings more new intel to light. Gloria Nanmac’s murder seems to be part of a larger conspiracy that needs to be uncovered. Here’s what happens in Episode 9 of “Alaska Daily.”
Spoilers Ahead
Digging
Gabriel is back at The Daily Alaskan, thanks to Eileen, who managed to persuade him. However, a celebration of his return will have to wait for later, as Eileen needs to get back with Roz and look into Gloria Nanmac’s case. Roz has found out that Toby Crenshaw was arrested some weeks after they spoke to him (“Alaska Daily” Episode 2) after a bar fight. It is important that they get the affidavit for the arrest. As they are talking, Eileen receives a text from Stanley saying that Toby Crenshaw is about to be arraigned for the murder of Gloria Nanmac. Roz and Eileen arrive at the hearing, where Toby pleads not guilty. His bail plea is, however, denied following the prosecutor’s words addressing Toby as a danger to society. The DNA recovered from Gloria’s body was from Toby’s semen. Toby also provided the authorities with a written confession. Then why did he plead not guilty?
At The Daily Alaskan, Stanley tells Claire to go and get some aerial photographs of the area near the foot of the Hockley Mountains the next day, where Conrad Pritchard has bought the land. He sends Austin with her as well. They will be flying by coach till Fairbanks, after which they will get to Hockley in a helicopter.
Governor Thacker is holding a press conference at the State Office Building. Eileen and Roz arrive on time and are shocked at how Thacker takes full credit for the arrest of Toby Crenshaw, the person who killed Gloria Nanmac, after two years of investigation. However, he doesn’t answer either of their questions regarding the recovery and test of Gloria Nanmac’s DNA or those of the other indigenous kids.
Once back at The Daily Alaskan, Roz and Eileen are given only until the evening (6pm, to be precise) by Stanley to write up their piece on Toby Crenshaw’s arrest and Thacker’s press conference. It’s already 4.30 p.m. They write whatever they have found out and send the piece to Stanley just before the clock strikes 6. Meanwhile, Gabriel, despite continuing work, is still having trouble coping with the shock (“Alaska Daily” Episode 7).
Answers
The next day, Eileen and Roz visit Toby at the Anchorage Police Department and find out that he and Gloria were in a relationship. That explains the semen recovered from her person. He also tells them that the detectives forced him to sign the confession, threatening him with life imprisonment. It is as if they were in a hurry to hold someone responsible for Gloria Nanmac’s murder and prove to the media that they are doing right by the indigenous community.
Once back in the newsroom, Roz gets her hands on a copy of the affidavit of Toby’s arrest. She shows it to Eileen. The name at the bottom of the document is trooper Dawn Howard. However, the signature is that of Public Safety Commissioner Brenda Haynes. This is unusual.
Claire and Austin are on their way to hover over Hockley in a helicopter to get some pictures. They reach the area and come across large trucks carrying the name “Katona Resources.” Austin zooms in and takes a lot of pictures of the road, the trucks, and the area, which, by the way, is federally protected. They return to the Daily Alaskan and show Stanley the pictures. Katona Resources, Conrad Pritchard’s partner, deals in mining operations. This has heavy environmental issues and risks. Nothing legal can be done there unless there is a change in legislation. Stanley tells Austin to reach out to Frank Moses (“Alaska Daily” Episode 3) and sweet-talk him into giving more intel on the matter. In another corner of the newsroom, Gabriel still has trouble concentrating, and Yuna notices this. She then offers to help him vent out his anxiety, but he will have to join her the next night after work.
Roz and Eileen meet Dawn Howard at the Department of Public Safety, who reluctantly tells them that Toby was interrogated for almost 24 hours by the Anchorage detectives. She has no idea what happened inside, which is why she refused to sign the affidavit. They then meet Toby’s lawyer and find out that the recording of the confession, which is compulsory by law, is gone due to equipment failure. Toby will be changing his plea to guilty at the next hearing, which is in two weeks. There is no way he is getting out of prison, so the only way out is to try and decrease his sentence.
Course Of Action
Austin meets Frank Moses, who informs him of newly-elected Senator Brewster’s upcoming legislation. It might just be of interest to Austin. Moses doesn’t speak any further, probably because he doesn’t want to risk more than he already has. But from his words, it is clear that the legislation will ease mining in areas protected by the government. This will serve as Conrad Pritchard’s green light. Austin returns and informs Stanley about it. Conrad Pritchard has Senator Brewster in his pocket. Claire’s source has further told her that Brewster is going to file a bill to lift the protection against mining all around Alaska. Stanley decides to inform the environmental groups about it.
Eileen and Roz have published an article questioning the motives of the Anchorage detectives who interrogated Toby. But it is not picking up much readership, so they decide to go and talk to Brenda Haynes. Unfortunately, she refuses to help them anymore. That night, Yuna takes Gabriel on top of an empty building that has been closed for three years. She picks up one of the many bricks and throws it over the building. Gabriel follows her lead and starts feeling better. Problem solved. They spend the night throwing bricks from a terrace.
Stanley informs Aaron that The Daily Alaskan is going to publish an article about his father’s mining operation in the Hockley Mountains the next day. Now he has to confront his father about it because the reason his father sold him the newspaper is that he promised to keep the operation away from the newspaper.
Eileen and Roz visit Toby again at the Anchorage police department. He tells them that on the night she died, they had a fight, and Gloria went to Skeeter’s place (“Alaska Daily” Episode 2) all by herself to get some Oxy for her frostbite. She tried to reach Toby from there, but he didn’t receive her call. She then sent him a voicemail, which he later found out about. Eileen and Roz never came across any phone calls made from Gloria’s phone when they checked her phone records. Someone must have deleted them. They decide to check Toby’s phone, which is with his uncle Ned.
‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 9: Ending Explained – What Does Gloria’s Voicemail Say?
The whole office of The Daily Alaskan stares at the screen as environmental groups gather in front of Conrad Pritchard’s mining operation. A preliminary injunction has also been filed to stop the operations immediately. Claire confirms that Brewster is pulling back from his legislation bill.
Conrad Pritchard meets Aaron at his place. He is not happy at all and tells his son that if he wants to fight, he will get one. It is clear that Conrad will come after The Daily Alaskan with all he’s got. Aaron has to be prepared for the worst. Eileen and Roz arrive at Toby’s uncle Ned’s house and check Toby’s phone. There is a voicemail where Gloria is asking Toby to take her to Skeeter’s. Strangely, the voicemail isn’t from Gloria’s phone. The number is different. Roz tried to dial the number, but it was disconnected. Finding out who owns this number is imperative. It might belong to the person who killed Gloria Nanmac.
“Alaska Daily” Episode 9 has shed light on a lot of matters. Eileen and Roz have gotten a lot closer to the truth behind Gloria Nanmac’s death. Stanley has been able to compromise Conrad Pritchard’s operation and thus prevent a potential environmental disaster, even if temporarily. There will be consequences for all this, and we can be sure that “Alaska Daily” Episode 10 will take things up a notch.
