Is [Spoiler] Really Erin’s Killer on ‘Mare of Easttown’?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Mare of Easttown Season 1, Episode 6, “Sore Must Be the Storm.”]

Mare of Easttown is ramping up the drama with its latest installment, “Sore Must Be the Storm,” which resets the story following a harrowing shoot-off between Kate Winslet‘s titular detective and the man who was holding Kaite Bailey (Caitlin Houlahan) captive.

Now with the full focus on Mare’s own trauma following son Kevin’s (Cody Kostro) suicide and Erin McMenamin’s (Cailee Spaeny) murder, the suspects in her ongoing case are becoming clearer. The installment essentially names a killer, pegging the possible blame on Erin’s cousin Billy Ross (Robbie Tann).

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Billy was seen covered in blood by his father Pat (NYPD Blue‘s Gordon Clapp) on the night Erin was killed, and he seemingly confessed to brother John (Joe Tippett). But in a show filled with twists and turns, it is fair to be unconvinced by the claim.

Sure, there’s a strong likelihood he is the father of Erin’s baby DJ since she clearly had a close relationship with him as she stayed with him following her mother’s death as well as in his cabin during the family retreat unveiled in this latest episode. Billy’s erratic behavior makes him suspicious, especially when he tries to brush off certain details and deflect from his involvement with Erin.

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But, despite the circumstances, it is still possible Billy didn’t kill her. He might have “confessed” to his brother John, but it felt coerced.  “It’s only a matter of time,” John told his brother, adding “Billy, you’ve got to say it. I need to hear you say ‘I killed her.'”

The sentiment feels force-fed, and then John goes directly to his estranged wife Lori (Julianne Nicholson) to report this revelation but then proceeds to tell her she shouldn’t say a word to her best friend Mare. When Billy plans to confess, John pushes his brother to take one last fishing trip at a spot that Lori reveals to Mare.

It almost feels like John knew Lori would tell Mare everything he said to her before, and that Mare would follow him and Billy to the fishing spot. Could he be orchestrating a way to tie up loose ends? What John’s motivation for killing Erin would remain a mystery of sorts unless he was just trying to keep her and Billy’s relationship from reaching the light of day.

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When he tells Billy he needs to hear him say that he killed Erin, John could have been recording the conversation, gathering enough evidence to deflect any blame or involvement on his part. We already know John is deceitful considering he copped to cheating on Lori more than once in their marriage. If he can keep that kind of secret, what others is he hiding?

There’s something suspicious about John as well as Erin’s ex Dylan Hinchey (Jack Mulhern) who threatened Jess (Ruby Cruz) with a gun in this episode, telling her to keep quiet about anything she saw in Erin’s diary. She eventually goes to the police with a photo that won’t be uncovered until the finale episode, but it will likely answer the mystery behind Erin’s murder.

Who knows, maybe Dylan shot Erin after learning about her ties with Billy? Could it have been a mistake? Maybe Billy met up with Erin in the park and Dylan got angry when he saw them together. Could he have let off a shot that ended up killing Erin?

(Credit: HBO)

Perhaps Billy’s admission of guilt stems from feeling as though his actions caused Erin’s death and not that he actually pulled the trigger. As for the blood all over him, he could have agreed to move Erin’s body so Dylan wouldn’t snitch on the fact that Billy and Erin were in an incestual relationship? The possibilities are endless when it comes to Mare of Easttown.

Let us know what you think about the question of who killed Erin McMenamin? Was it Billy, John, Dylan, or someone else? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Mare of Easttown, Sundays, 10/9c, HBO