Who's the Easttown killer? All the Mare of Easttown theories and suspects

After college girl-turned-sex worker Missy Sager (Sasha Frolova) was violently abducted, “Gone Girl Number 3” (as cable news dubbed her) was unceremoniously slung into the same dingy basement as Katie Bailey - the local girl who, as the series began, had been missing for exactly one year.

Has Katie been held hostage here all this time? And did the kidnapper also murder 16-year-old Erin McMenamin, who we discovered had signed up with the same “escort” website? After all, the modus operandi were very different. Katie and Haley were both known drug users who turned to prostitution and suddenly disappeared, whereas teen mom Erin was found shot in the temple, stripped naked and openly dumped in a creek.

The kidnapper was certainly white, male and driving a Ford van, with access to a disused bar called Bennie’s Tavern. Was he working alone? As part of some trafficking ring or abuse network? After all, keeping multiple girls secretly imprisoned is quite a demanding job. Perhaps Erin was killed by somebody else - a jealous wife or girlfriend, maybe - then undressed to look like a sex crime and mislead the police.

With just three episodes remaining in the seven-part series, there’s a lot for downtrodden detective Marianne “Mare” Sheehan (Kate Winslet) to unravel - especially considering she’s currently suspended from duty. So let’s try to help the beer-slugging, junkfood-scoffing, chain-vaping cop with the case.

The drab Philadelphia satellite town, ravaged by opioid addiction, seems to be such a dysfunctional area that almost anyone could conceivably be the kidnapper-cum-killer. It’s like our own Broadchurch, relocated from the Dorset coast to suburban Pennsylvania - and seasoned with the salty flavours of Happy Valley, Fargo and Scandi-crime.

However, 10 characters in particular are emerging as potential culprits. Let’s run through all the suspects and theories.

**Spoilers below!**

Deacon Mark: the shifty priest

Erin's phone records revealed that her last phone call was to Deacon Mark Burton (Glaswegian actor James McArdle). He claimed he was counselling Erin in a time of crisis, having befriended her at the church youth group.

However, the creepy curate became uncooperative after police received an anonymous tip-off that the church transferred him to Easttown after a sexual misconduct complaint in his previous parish - filed by the parents of a 14-year-old girl. The Deacon also mentioned in a sermon that his first assignment as a deacon was at a college campus ministry. He appears to have, ahem, an affinity for teenage girls and mentioned how he was “battling human weakness”.

Deacon Mark was later shown removing Erin’s distinctive pink bicycle from his car boot and throwing it into a river. Had she cycled to visit him at the rectory? One theory is that he’s secretly the father of Erin’s baby and she called asking for money, otherwise she would expose him - so he arranged to meet and silenced her for good. Which frankly isn’t very holy. More tea, vicar?

Richard: the suave writer

Could the one-hit wonder novelist be a multiple murderer? Smooth-talking author Richard Ryan (Guy Pearce) recently moved to Easttown from Syracuse to lecture in creative writing at the local college. He arrived long after Katie disappeared, sure, but Erin’s murder and Missy’s disappearance swiftly followed his arrival.

After meeting at the Forest Lodge bar, he and Mare had sex (was anyone else reminded of Mike from Neighbours romancing “Plain Jane Superbrain”?). She insisted it was a “one-time thing” but Richard is keen for a fully-fledged relationship. Might he be getting close to Mare to keep an eye on her investigation and distract her from his guilt?

Comedian Mindy Kaling certainly thinks so, tweeting that Richard was “majorly sus. A huge grouch in a button-down corduroy shirt. Doesn’t add up, Memento guy”.

Roguish Richard is certainly a ladies’ man who laps up the attention of female fans. And do you really cast Emmy-winner Pearce just to play the love interest? As Mare asked “You don’t any bodies hidden under your porch, do you?” “Not yet, no,” replied Richard wryly. “But I’ve only been here since September.” Hmm. Anything to add, Jane Mangel? How about you, Bouncer?

Frank: the ex-husband

Mare’s seemingly cuddly ex Frank Sheehan (The US Office alumnus David Denman) is a schoolteacher who briefly taught Erin algebra. So let’s put two and two together.

He unexpectedly came into the frame in episode two’s cliffhanger as Erin's friend Jess confessed that she believed Frank was the real father of Erin's child. When Mare confronted Frank, he admitted he’d driven Erin home a few times, she’d confided in him and he’d helped her out by buying “diapers and formula” (nappies and powdered milk to us Brits).

However, he strenuously denied any sexual relationship or involvement in her murder. Frank appeared to have an alibi, having hosted his engagement party on the night in question, before boozing with buddies at Forest Lodge bar. He was apparently carried home at 2.30am singing Uptown Girl and almost urinated in a closet. Sounds like a great night out.

A paternity test proved he wasn’t baby DJ’s father but his relationship with Erin was still closer than he let on. Frank’s unmasking as the killer would also echo Broadchurch, where the culprit turned out to be the female detective’s husband. Cue Olivia Colman’s face crumpling.

Kenny: the drunkard dad

Kenny McMenamin (Patrick Murney) is the droopy-‘tached father of murder victim Erin. He resented having to support her and the baby, yelling: “I’m not paying for another goddamned thing!” Kenny seemed to still be stumbling around inebriated the morning after Erin’s death, as if he’d been up all night. His grief and anger at hearing the tragic news seemed genuine but could he have been blackout drunk and blocked out that he’d killed her?

He immediately seemed convinced the culprit was Erin’s ex, so ambushed Dylan and shot him. ”I killed him for killing my little girl,” he told police. Except he didn’t. Hapless Kenny only succeeded in hitting Dylan in the backside. Sorry, his “posterior flank”.

Still, the very fact that he tried to kill Dylan only proves that he could be capable of murder. Kenny has a violent temper and a gun which he’s not afraid to wield in anger. Did he kill his daughter during another shouty row, then go after Dylan for getting her pregnant in the first place?

Forget “Oh mi god, they killed Kenny”. In this case, Kenny could be the killer himself. Mare is a cop and you will respect her authoritah!

Zabel: the new police partner

“I don’t want some county s**t-head coming in on my case,” said Mare with her customary charm. Unlucky, Sarge. Much to Mare's initial chagrin, Detective Colin Zabel (Evan Peters of Pose, WandaVision and American Horror Story fame) was brought in to assist her.

The gawky county detective is considered something of a hotshot, having solved the cold case of a missing 10-year-old last year in the neighbouring jurisdiction. Mardy Mare soon thawed in the face of her new sidekick’s puppyish enthusiasm and endless supply of free coffee (two creams, no sugar).

When Mare ran into a slurring, drunken “Zabes” at a bar in episode three, he ranted incoherently about his life's disappointments and unsuccessfully propositioned her. He sort-of-asked her out again in episode four and seems sweet enough.

However, he’s a loner and loser who still lives with his mother, which is always suspicious. Evan Peters is also about to play serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in a Netflix miniseries. A sinister sign?

Dylan: Erin’s moody ex

As the only person with an obvious motive for Erin’s murder, her ex-boyfriend Dylan Hinchey (Jack Mulhern) was the first suspect. “He never wanted her to have that baby,” growled Erin’s father Kenny. “He hated her for it.” The teenagers shared custody and fought bitterly over money, especially over who would pay for son DJ’s ear surgery.

Under questioning, Dylan denied killing Erin but neglected to mention that he’d been in on his ghastly new girlfriend Brianna’s plan to lure Erin to the woods with a catfishing set-up, then brutally beat her up. He was soon rumbled when a phone video emerged - then humiliatingly hospitalised after being shot in the buttock by vengeful Kenny. However, it must be noted that even when held at gunpoint, Dylan didn’t confess.

When DNA tests proved he wasn’t DJ’s biological father, it raised the possibility that Dylan could have killed Erin in rage. It also looked for a horrifying moment in episode four that he was going to smother the crying baby with a pillow but thankfully he cuddled DJ instead. Phew. Still, let’s keep an eye on him as he sulkily stomps around like Kevin The Teenager in a plaid shirt.

Peeping Tom: the faceless prowler

The series opened with neighbourhood busybody Betty Carroll (Phyllis Somerville) calling out the sighing, eye-rolling Mare to investigate when her granddaughter was spooked by a “creepy peeper weirdo” watching her through the window as she undressed for a shower.

There’s “a pervert on the loose”, Mrs Carroll declared, describing a rat-faced male in a hood. Late one night, Mare saw a similar figure lurking in an alleyway and gave chase to no avail. She promptly put up Katie Bailey missing poster on a lamppost instead. Could this have been a cop’s instinct that she’d just encountered Katie’s kidnapper?

Father Dan: the other priest

On the surface, there’s little reason to suspect Mare's cousin and local priest Father Dan Hastings (Neal Huff). Well, except for the fact that he gets a suspicious amount of screen time - forever hanging around, mixing Manhattans and smiling beatifically.

It’s so far been hinted that Deacon Mark is the wrong-doer at St Michael’s church but could he be the scapegoat for his fellow clergyman? As an authority figure, Erin would doubtless trust Father Dan. Perhaps he overheard her sounding upset on the phone to his Deacon and took the opportunity to prey on her.

Neal Huff is one of the more experienced actors in the Easttown ensemble, so may yet have a bigger part to play.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

Freddie: the drug addict

We first met junkie Freddie Hanlon (comedian Dominique Johnson) when he burgled his long-suffering sister Beth (Chinasa Ogbuagu). Mare gave chase and sprained her ankle, hence her limp in the early episodes.

Now a mystery caller contacted Dawn Bailey (Enid Graham), claiming he’d got her missing daughter Katie and demanding $5000 to let her go. Luckily, Dawn was savvy enough to take fake cash to their shady midnight rendezvous. It turned out to be a scam by Freddie, desperately trying to make some drug money.

Is he a suspect? Only an outside bet. Not only did the kidnapper appear to be white but Freddie doesn’t have the wherewithal to pay his heating bills, let alone commit serious crimes. Besides, Beth would probably sock him in the face again if he did it. And she’s got quite the punch on her.

John: the best friend’s husband

Two of the cast’s bigger names are Julianne Nicholson, who plays Mare’s shaggy-haired best friend Lori Ross, and Joe Tippett, who plays her bearded husband John. Could this couple come to the fore in the home stretch?

Brothers John and Billy Ross (Robbie Tann) are cousins of Erin’s father Kenny, so would know her well. They were both out boozing with Frank on the night of her murder but could have snuck off in the small hours after Frank passed out. Both were all too willing to go break the tragic news to Kenny, perhaps because looking supportive would throw suspicion elsewhere.

Could John be the father of Erin’s baby? Did Lori find out and wreak revenge, or did John kill Erin for her silence? Billy always looks slightly haunted and sullen beneath his trucker’s cap, so don’t rule him out either. Perhaps the brothers are in it together.

Next week’s action…

Where did Erin’s missing journals go and what might they reveal? What’s the significance of that heart-shaped pendant with a date (19th May 2017) engraved on the back? With reporters now on Deacon Mark’s case, what scandal will emerge? And most importantly, what’s the deal down at Bennie’s Tavern?

Elsewhere in episode five, Mare opens up in her mandated therapy session about her family's mental health history. Lori’s son Ross (Cameron Mann) had an uncharacteristic outburst at school and Mare meets with a semi-retired source to probe a possible connection to her three cases.

We’ve also got a sneaking feeling that the documentary that Mare’s daughter Siobhan (Spider-Man’s excellent Angourie Rice) is making about her dead brother Kevin might soon throw up a vital clue.

See you back here to sift through the evidence and see if poor gran Helen (the mighty Jean Smart) ever gets to enjoy her secret stash of Häagen-Dazs in peace.

Mare of Easttown continues on Sky Atlantic on Mondays. Check out our TV Guide to find something to watch, or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news.