Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from the Tracker season 2 finale, "Echo Ridge."The Tracker season 2 finale has finally made significant progress in the case of Ashton Shaw's murder, but there are still so many questions left unanswered. The mysterious circumstances behind Ashton's death have been a major plot since the show's premiere. While season 1 only offered hints here and there about what happened to Ashton, Colter discovered that Ashton had been having an extramarital affair and that, before he ed, he had given a box of files to his affair partner.

Tracker season 2 ending, which revealed Ashton's killer.

Ashton Shaw Was Killed By Otto Waldron

Otto Confesses In The Final Moments Of Tracker Season 2

While Tracker season 2 continued the quest into Ashton Shaw's death and possible murder, it was not until the finale moments of the finale that Colter found out who killed his father. While searching for a missing person, Colter discovers a wood carving that he recognizes as his late father's. The carving then leads him to Otto Waldron, who confesses that he killed Ashton.

The confession was not the only information that Colter got out of Otto. The mysterious man also revealed that he was not alone in his actions, as Mary Dove Shaw had asked Otto for his help. How exactly Otto and Mary are connected is still unclear as of the Tracker season 2 finale, but it is clear that she was much more involved in Ashton's death than she has revealed.

Mary Dove Shaw Knows More About Her Husband's Death Than She's Letting On

Mary Was Likely Involved In Her Husband's Murder

Otto's confession that Mary is tied to Ashton's murder is not a complete surprise given her strange behavior. However, it does add an element of shock to the already complicated Shaw family mystery. Technically, Mary is not a major character in Tracker, as she has only appeared sporadically so far, but her appearances bring more questions than answers as she is quite elusive with some of her responses about her husband's death.

The fact that Mary never encouraged the brothers' reunion heavily implies she knew there was another man involved in Ashton's murder all along and did not want Colter to find out.

Mary's desire to keep Colter and Russell apart also hinted at her involvement in Ashton's death. For years, Colter had assumed it was Russell who had pushed his father off the cliff, accidentally or not. The brothers only recently reconnected and Colter found out Russell was not to blame after all, but if the pair had just spoken, their animosity could have been resolved years ago. The fact that Mary never encouraged the brothers' reunion heavily implies she knew there was another man involved in Ashton's murder all along and did not want Colter to find out.

Ashton Shaw Was Having An Affair With Lizzy's Mom & Gave Her A Secret Box

The Box Could Contain The Answers To His Murder

The Tracker season 1 ending revealed some heavy information regarding Ashton. Ashton was not only having an extramarital affair with Lizzy's mother, but he had also given her a box of files to keep shortly before his death. The box was sent to Colter's sister, Dory, but Colter did not learn about the box or its contents at all until his meeting with Lizzy. Dory's involvement and decision not to tell Colter added another element of mystery regarding Ashton's death.

While the affair and the box could be unrelated to Ashton's death, it could also be the key to uncovering the truth. Otto may have confessed to killing the Shaw family patriarch, but the motives behind his actions, and Mary's actions, are still unclear. As a result, it is still very possible that Mary could have been driven by Ashton's infidelity to recruit Otto for his murder.

The box remained a mystery for a long time, but season 2 finally connected it to a scientist who was killed in the same year as Ashton, who had ties to the government. The fact that Ashton hid the box away from his family might point to the kind of work he was doing or the kind of danger he was in. In any case, it is clear that Otto's confession is just the tip of the iceberg and that much more is going on beyond the surface.

Colter's Dad Abruptly Left His Position At Berkeley To Go Off-Grid

Ashton's Decision Could Point To What He Was Doing Before The Move

Ashton's decision to quit his job as a professor at Berkeley and live off-grid with his family also hints at there being something more than meets the eye. Ashton did not just quit and move, but he also raised his children to learn how to survive and fend for themselves in the wilderness, something that only someone who is terrified of the future might do. The abrupt nature of this move might then partially explain the box that he had given to Lizzy's mother.

If Ashton was researching something that would make powerful people angry, then he knew he and his family would be in danger if the news came out. The context behind who Ashton is and how he raised his children then makes me question Otto's confession. While Otto is likely the man that Russell claims he saw that day, his actions could not have been isolated given all the other information we know about Ashton. There is most likely a larger force behind Ashton's murder that persuaded Otto to push him.

The Government Likely Had Something To Do With Ashton Shaw's Murder

Ashton's Fear Could Only Come From A Major Threat

One of the most likely explanations for why Ashton moved his family into the woods and why he was killed is that the government was after him. Early on in Tracker season 2, a black ops officer hints to Russell that he knows all about Ashton and heavily implies that he knows how he died and why he went on the run in the first place. Ashton's ties to the government are also speculated about throughout seasons 1 and 2, with the biggest piece of evidence being the connection between the box and the scientist doing work for the government.

If Ashton's research was really something negative about the government, it would explain why he left Berkeley and why he was killed off.

While there may be many reasons why Otto was killed, such as his infidelity, there is really only one reason as to why he ran, and it is because he was scared. Only a powerful organization like the government could exert enough pressure and terror to frighten Ashton into turning his family into survivalists. If Ashton's research was really something negative about the government, it would explain why he left Berkeley and why he was killed off. Season 2 has only begun to scratch the surface, but hopefully, Tracker season 3 will finally provide all the answers.

Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for our weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.

SIGN UP NOW!