In the previous episode of Joe Pickett Season 2, we came close to uncovering the truth behind the horrifying murders of hunters that had been occurring in the town for the past few weeks. Joe Pickett and his wife, Marybeth, thought they had already managed to identify the killer and ascertain the motive behind these killings. However, when Joe and his entire team confronted the suspect, Klamath Moore, it turned out that he was innocent. Tragically, he was killed at the hands of Barnum, raising significant suspicion about the sheriff, but Barnum claimed it was an accident. However, the true killer did emerge from the woods and target Randy Pope, who had been used as bait to capture the killer. The killer was revealed to be none other than Klamath’s wife, Shannon Moore, who had been a victim of the hunters’ group’s depravity several years ago. Shannon sought revenge on these men who had once destroyed her life. But there was more to the situation than initially met the eye. Let’s see what twists Episode 8 brings.
Spoilers Ahead
Where Is Marissa?
Marissa Left Hand was the missing girl from Saddlestring, a fact that had already been revealed in previous episodes. Even in the last episode, it was revealed that Marissa’s disappearance was somehow linked to the hunters’ group. The eighth episode sheds light on the tragic fate of Marissa. Six weeks prior, Marissa had been hired as a camp cook for the group of hunters. After finishing her cooking duties and cleaning up, Hank Scarlett offered her a drink and encouraged her to join their party.
After having one or two sips, Marissa started feeling dizzy, and the next thing she knew, she woke up inside a cabin with her clothes undone. Overwhelmed by shock and disoriented, she waited until morning before making her way back home. Upon arriving home and researching her symptoms on the internet, she discovered that she had been sexually assaulted. Determined to seek justice, Marissa gathered contact information for other girls who had worked as camp cooks for the group and reached out to them to inquire if they had similar experiences.
The responses were affirmative, and she managed to collect testimonies from eight women, all indicating that the hunter group regularly brought in girls, drugged them, and subjected them to sexual abuse. Marissa approached Shannon and requested her help in providing testimony regarding the assault, but Shannon firmly refused, citing that she had tried to report the incidents to the police and had been threatened with a five-year prison sentence in return.
Shannon expressed her fear for her life and career, indicating that she had been gravely threatened by influential individuals in positions of power. Despite this, Marissa refused to back down from doing what was right, which ultimately led to her downfall. She ultimately went to the sheriff’s department to file a complaint against the hunters’ group, along with a document signed by eight other women and her signature in their testimony. She didn’t include Shannon’s name, but she went ahead for justice. Unfortunately, she didn’t get any.
Who Was The Seventh Man In The Hunters’ Group?
After Shannon was arrested and imprisoned, Joe Pickett and Marybeth met with Marissa’s devastated father, who feared for his daughter’s well-being. Marybeth and Joe discovered a total of twelve women who had endured similar experiences to Marissa’s. One of them shared details of the incidents but admitted that she hadn’t even realized she had been raped. With the testimony of these twelve women, Joe believed he should arrest the remaining individual from the group, believing it to be Hank Scarlett. However, Marybeth corrected him, revealing that there was another man involved who had taken a picture of the group. A seventh man whom Joe and Marybeth had initially overlooked.
The couple went to the sheriff’s department to discuss their suggestion of arresting Hank Scarlett with Sheriff Barnum. However, Barnum informed them that they lacked sufficient evidence to make an arrest. This restriction from Barnum infuriated Joe, causing him to lose his temper and consider confronting Hank alone. Marybeth intervened and managed to calm him down, persuading him to reconsider. Though enraged, Joe ultimately decided not to pursue Hank on his own and returned home.
Eventually, Marybeth discovered from Marissa’s call records that she had made her last call to a certain number, which turned out to be Shannon’s. Marissa had left Shannon a voicemail that could only be heard once Shannon’s phone was retrieved. While McLanahan was searching and emptying Shannon’s apartment, Marybeth managed to retrieve her phone. Marybeth and Joe listened to the voicemail in their car, and its shocking revelation left them stunned.
The voicemail revealed that on the day Marissa had gone to the sheriff’s department to file a complaint, she encountered the seventh member of the group inside the sheriff’s office, shockingly revealed to be Sheriff Barnum himself. Marissa fled and left a voicemail for Shannon, disclosing to her that Barnum was chasing her to silence her. Unfortunately, before Shannon could listen to the voicemail or anyone could come to her aid, Barnum ruthlessly shot Marissa to death. Learning from the voicemail that Marissa had exposed Barnum as a member of the hunters’ group, Joe and Marybeth resolved to prevent Barnum from killing Shannon as well.
What Happened To Shannon?
In prison, Shannon plotted to bring an end to Barnum’s life, unaware that he had similar plans for her. Barnum threatened her, warning that he would kill her if she spoke up. He then managed to secure a transfer order for Shannon, intending to execute her during the journey under the pretense of an escape attempt. Shannon had a hidden blade in her hand, prepared to strike back, but she didn’t get the opportunity. However, while on the road, Barnum encountered a truck blocking his path. As he stepped out of his vehicle to confront the truck driver, Marybeth emerged from the truck, aiming a rifle at Barnum. It appeared that Marybeth, in an effort to save her husband from impending disaster, had taken matters into her own hands, contemplating either murdering Barnum or taking him to the police station to expose his true identity. However, we are certain that Joe Pickett would eventually come to Marybeth’s aid, putting an end to Barnum’s tyranny. Let’s wait for that to unfold in the upcoming episode.
