'True Detective' season 3: Is the killer really hiding in plain sight? 5 suspects who fit the bill

Although you may think that it is too early to spot the killer, here are the five people we think could have killed Will and kidnapped Julie Purcell. 

'True Detective' season 3 is turning out to be twisted in more ways than one and the clues to the killer appear to be hidden in three different timelines. Now the internet is crawling with many different theories of cover-ups and misinformation and although you may think that it is too early to spot the killer, here are the five people we think could have killed Will and kidnapped Julie Purcell. 

1.   Margaret 

 



 

 

The neighborhood's friendly lady is one of the top suspects on the case. She was one of the first few people to see the kids cycling away in episode 1. She smiled and waved at Will and Julie as they passed by her house as she held onto a Halloween decorative pumpkin. The investigation had earlier revealed that the kids met with their abductor on Halloween while they were trick-or-treating and that's where they got the DIY dolls. Now it may just be a coincidence since many homes in the town were celebrating Halloween but is it really also a coincidence that Margaret was friends with the children's mum, Lucy Purcell? Moreover, when Hays and West go on to question the family, Margaret implied that she didn't really think that Lucy was a good mother. She also implied that she thought that the kids weren't happy in their home - making us very suspicious about her involvement in the kidnapping and possible murder. Clearly, Margaret wasn't happy about Lucy and Tom's toxic lifestyle. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The former horror co-stars are now playing two different characters in the same television universe
2026-11-12T06:55:17.000Z
The Hulu spinoff follows nine MomTok creators in California, with Jen Affleck as the lone original star
2026-11-12T05:10:11.000Z
FX’s comedy series ‘Adults’ follows five friends sharing a home in Queens as they navigate adulthood
2026-11-12T04:36:21.000Z
'Chicago Fire' Season 15 Episode 6 reveals Violet's mother's heartbreaking condition
2026-11-12T04:24:26.000Z
A leadership change at DC Studios left the status of the Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre series in question
2026-11-12T04:05:49.000Z
'Chicago Med' Season 12 Episode 6, titled 'Lessons in Chemistry,' sees Freddy return to sign Margaret's estate papers alongside Charles
2026-11-12T03:18:28.000Z
Quinn Shephard and Gina Gammell's coming-of-age story blends horror with teen drama
2026-11-12T03:00:28.000Z
ABC’s new ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ spinoff puts one familiar Shondaland face in charge of a West Texas medical center as the series begins assembling its cast.
2026-11-11T20:25:11.000Z
Netflix's 'The Empress' explores the romance, royal politics and personal struggles surrounding Elisabeth and Franz Joseph I.
2026-11-11T19:18:12.000Z
Netflix's 'The Body' ends Season 1 with a disturbing, ambiguous finale, blending psychological tension and religious imagery.
2026-11-11T16:50:56.000Z