Tracker season 3 episode 8 ending explained: Who kidnapped Audrey and why?

In Tracker season 3, Colter Shaw once again steps into a case that local authorities have long written off, this time involving the disappearance of a young girl named Aubrey. The CBS procedural, created by Ben H. Winters, inspired by Jeffery Deaver’s The Never Game, has built a firm identity around standalone mysteries that still push Colter’s personal arc forward. Season 3 has leaned even further into cold cases, moral gray areas, and emotionally charged investigations. The latest episode, titled Eurydice, follows that thread closely.

The episode begins with a mother whose life has been shaped by guilt and suspicion, a police force convinced they already know the truth, and a small town that refuses to let go of its assumptions. What emerges is not another tale of neglect or violence but a deeply twisted attempt at protection. As Colter digs through misleading trails, family secrets, and abandoned evidence, he uncovers the shocking truth behind Aubrey’s disappearance, one that challenges the very idea of what it means to “save” a child.

Leading into the central mystery, the episode slowly reveals just how many people failed Sierra, and how one man believed he had the right to rewrite the life of a little girl.

A year-old disappearance case and a grandfather’s desperate decision

When Tracker season 3 reaches the turning point of episode 8, Colter learns that Aubrey wasn’t taken by a stranger or harmed by her mother. Instead, the truth leads directly back to Arthur Poness, the retired detective who originally handled the case.

At first, Arthur appears helpful and cooperative. He listens to Colter’s observations, asks the right questions, and claims to want Sierra to find peace. But once Colter traces the clues to a storage shed, uncovers the body of Trevor Flint’s brother Derek, and discovers that the land is owned by Arthur’s trust, everything shifts.

Inside Arthur’s home, Colter finds a child’s bedroom filled with toys, photos of Aubrey with Arthur and his wife Iris, and drawings of her “Grandma” and “Grandpa.” The truth snaps into place: Arthur kidnapped Aubrey. He believed Sierra’s struggles with alcoholism made her unfit to raise a child, especially after the death of his own son, Jason, who was Aubrey’s biological father.

Arthur had investigated Trevor and Derek a year earlier and discovered Derek had taken Aubrey with the intention of harming her. Instead of returning the child to her mother or involving child services, Arthur and Iris took her in and told her Sierra was dead. Their justification was simple but disturbing: they believed they could give her a better life.

When Colter confronts him, Arthur tries to flee with Iris and Aubrey, even shooting Detective Tyson to slow Colter down. At the dock, Colter corners them before they escape. Iris, shaken, convinces Aubrey to come out of hiding and ends their desperate run.

The emotional aftermath belongs to Sierra and Aubrey’s reunion, guided carefully by Reenie and child services. Sierra is overwhelmed, not angry, and even attempts to understand why Arthur acted as he did. It’s here that the episode delivers its final thematic beat with Colter’s reflective line:

“I suppose sometimes people do the wrong things for the right reasons.”

The statement speaks not only to Arthur’s misguided attempt at protection but also subtly mirrors Colter’s own complicated family history, something the season continues to build toward.

Recap of Tracker Season 3 Episode 8

CBS’ Tracker season 3 episode 8, titled Eurydice, opens with a flashback to the night Sierra’s daughter disappeared. A year later, Sierra, sober and trying to rebuild her life, finds Aubrey’s favorite dress hanging on her clothesline. Afraid the police still suspect her, she hires Colter instead of calling them first.

Detective Tyson West quickly zeroes in on Sierra again, but Colter sees something different: bike tracks, a smudge on the fence, and a small figure caught on a neighbor’s security camera. With Randy’s help, Colter identifies the cyclist as Spencer, a local teen terrified of his abusive father, Trevor.

Spencer reveals he found the dress in a shed and believes his father might be involved. Trevor denies everything but unintentionally leads Colter and Tyson to the shed, where they find Aubrey’s belongings and evidence that Derek Flint had taken her.

Randy’s tracing of Derek’s last known location leads Colter to a shoreline two miles away from Trevor’s house, where he pulls up Derek’s skeleton. A financial search ties the land to Arthur Poness, whose involvement becomes undeniable. Arthur ambushes Tyson and attempts to disappear with his wife and granddaughter. Colter reaches Tyson in time to stabilize him and intercepts Arthur at the boat. Iris convinces Aubrey to reveal herself, and the ordeal ends without further violence.

The episode closes with Sierra embracing Aubrey while beginning the long path to rebuilding their relationship. Colter, reflecting on the case, acknowledges the tangled motivations that led to the abduction, offering Sierra a measure of understanding and closure.

Tracker season 3 finale will air on CBS on December 14, 2025, at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET, and will be available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.