Did ‘True Detective: Night Country’ Finally Reveal Annie K’s Killer?

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for True Detective: Night Country Season 4, Episode 5, “Part 5.”]

True Detective: Night Country took some insane turns in the final moments of its fifth episode, which brings viewers one step closer to solving the mystery behind Annie K’s (Nivi Pedersen) murder and the deaths of the Tsalal Scientists.

After getting caught on camera crossing the borders of Silver Sky Mines territory, Detective Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) was given a strong warning from Connelly (Christopher Eccleston) to stop pursuing answers surrounding the scientists and Annie K. He also shared the official death report for the scientists, claiming it was an avalanche that took them out, but Danvers isn’t convinced, especially having learned that Tsalal’s research and the mines were so closely linked with pollution stats possibly being compromised along the way.

(Credit: HBO)

Meanwhile, Silver Sky Mining Company’s Kate McKitterick (Dervla Kirwan) has an interesting exchange with Hank (John Hawkes), telling him he needs to get Danvers off of a trail that will lead her to a cave. She mentions how he was paid handsomely for help in the past and that he must eliminate Otis Heiss (Klaus Tange) to keep Danvers from being led to this cave that could uncover the secrets of Annie’s death.

But while the episode seems to imply that Annie was killed by Hank for the mining company, those red herrings are blown to bits when he shows up at Danvers’. Aware of the fact that Danvers and Navarro (Kali Reis) had staged a murder-suicide when handling the Wheeler case, Hank vows to do something similar in Danvers’ home as he kills Otis and turns the gun to his fellow detective.

But it’s at this point that his son Pete (Finn Bennett) walks in, having heard gunshots as he’s staying in Danvers’ shed. Danvers pleads with Pete to think about what he’s going to do, but Hank takes a moment to fill them in on some information first.

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“I didn’t kill Annie K. I just moved her body,” he says bluntly. Turning to his son, Hank says, “Blood is blood, Peter. Remember that.” Just as the man goes to pull the trigger, aiming at Danvers, Pete shoots his own father in the head.

It’s shocking and horrifying, but ultimately the only move that could have been taken for Danvers and Navarro to move forward in the case. Luckily, Otis told Liz about the caves she’d have to navigate to find the site of Annie’s murder, according to the video they found on her phone. But what does this mean in regard to the murderer?

Considering they found the phone in Raymond Clark’s (Owen McDonnell) RV, he still remains the top suspect, but with the mines covering up Annie’s death as well, we can’t help but wonder if there are more individuals responsible for the killing. What are your thoughts now that Hank has been eliminated as a suspect? Sound off in the comments section, below, and stay tuned for the finale airing Sunday, February 18 on HBO.

True Detective: Night Country, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO and Max