In the explosive finale of Tracker Season 2, the long-standing mystery surrounding the death of Colter Shaw’s father, Ashton Shaw (played by Lee Tergesen), finally gets an answer—but it’s not the one Colter or viewers were expecting.
Titled “Echo Ridge,” the 20th episode takes Colter (Justin Hartley) back to his hometown, not only to help solve a missing person case but also to confront painful pieces of his past. The episode opens with diner owner Bill (Brian Keane) heading into the woods, trying to track someone down. Moments later, he’s ambushed and knocked out. Meanwhile, Colter drives to Echo Ridge to talk to tech expert Randy (Chris Lee) about a mysterious number in his father’s journal.
That number once belonged to David Pearson, a scientist connected to a now-defunct California research facility. Pearson supposedly died by suicide in 2003—the same year Colter’s dad died. Pearson’s history, tied to locations with “government vibes,” suggests Ashton Shaw’s death wasn’t a random tragedy. Still, Colter puts that lead aside to deal with the missing person case that brought him back home.
At his mother Mary Dove Shaw’s (Wendy Crewson) home, Colter is greeted with pancakes and laundry—a warm, but strained reunion. Mary insists he let go of the past, but her nervous energy hints that she’s hiding something. Despite her pleas, Colter presses on with both cases.
At the Little Fork Restaurant, Bill’s sister tells Colter that her brother was obsessed with a man and child who visited six months earlier. Bill suspected the child was in danger. When the man returned to Echo Ridge days earlier, Bill tried to intervene, but then vanished.
Using clues Bill left behind, Colter follows a trail that leads him to Ronnie Yates (Artine Tony Browne), linked to a meth operation. After confronting Ronnie, Colter finds out Bill was actually after Carl Murphy, a truck driver and registered sex offender. With help from Reenie (Fiona Rene), Velma (Abby McEnany), and hometown friend Joe (Drew Powell), Colter locates Murphy’s property—and finds Bill’s lifeless body hidden in a car.
More disturbing than Bill’s death, however, is what Colter finds inside the trailer: disturbing photos of young boys, suggesting Murphy was part of a child trafficking ring. Colter immediately recognizes the wooden carving that bears the name “A. SHAW” as being the work of his father, which is even more unsettling.
Colter calls his mom. She denies knowing Murphy, but confesses she saw the box of Ashton’s old belongings in Colter’s trailer. She warns him not to jump to conclusions and insists their family has no connection to Bill’s fate.
The hunt continues, and with Murphy’s burner phone tracked, Colter and Joe discover a barn filled with abducted boys. After a tense confrontation, Colter rescues the children and shoots Murphy, who reveals he got the carving from Otto Waldron (Alex Fernandez)—Murphy’s uncle.
Colter pays Otto a visit. Otto initially pretends not to know anything, but his attitude shifts when he learns Colter is Ashton’s son. He admits he met Ashton when the county asked him to run power to the Shaw property. Instead, he helped Ashton install a wind turbine off-grid. The two bonded, and Ashton gifted him one of his carvings.
Then comes the bombshell.
When Colter shows Otto the carving and demands to know if he was there the night Ashton died, Otto calmly says, “I was.” Otto says a chilling “Yes” in response to the question of whether or not he was the one who pushed Ashton off the cliff.
Why did he do it?
“She asked for my help.”
Otto doesn’t work for the government. He didn’t have a vendetta. He says he killed Ashton Shaw because Colter’s mother asked him to.
The episode ends on this shocking note. Mary Dove Shaw, the woman who baked pancakes and folded laundry for her son, may have orchestrated her husband’s murder.
The final scene throws everything into question. Was Ashton Shaw really a threat to someone? Was he part of something larger—government secrets, maybe? And why would Mary ask Otto to kill him? Was it to protect the family, or something even darker?
As Tracker heads into Season 3, Colter’s journey is far from over. Now, it’s not just about finding the truth—it’s about facing it, especially when it’s buried within your own family.
Stay tuned, because the mystery surrounding Ashton Shaw’s death has only just begun.
Don’t miss what happens next—come back to tvacute.com soon for more Tracker updates, secrets, and full recaps.
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