Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Territory season 1!
The murder of Daniel Lawson is the biggest mystery throughout Netflix’sTerritoryseason 1, and here are all nine major clues that hint at who the killer is throughout the show.Daniel’s death takes place at the beginning of the very first episode ofTerritory, with all of the details about the killer’s true identity not being revealed until the very end of the season. All kinds of different suspects are highlighted throughout the events ofTerritoryseason 1, and here is a breakdown of every potential suspect and what led to them being a potential killer.
Netflix’s new Australian Western drama seriesTerritoryis finally here, withNetflix’s newYellowstonereplacementacting as a mix of the hit Western series andSuccession. The show centers on the Lawson dynasty’s Marianne Station, with the family having to fight over who will take over the world’s largest cattle station after the death of Daniel Lawson. The fallout of Daniel’s death causes the entire family to turn on each other, leading to massive consequences that involve outside companies, murders, environmental destruction, shootouts, gangs of armed gunmen, and more. So, here is every clue about the identity of Daniel’s killer.
9Daniel Was Eaten By Dogs In The Wilderness
But Colin Doesn’t Think It Was An Accident
The first piece of evidence in the death of Daniel Lawson is the manner of death itself. In the premiere episode ofTerritory,Daniel’s death is shown to the audience. Daniel Lawson is riding his horse in the wilderness, with his horse seemingly being spooked by something. The horse bucks, leading to Daniel falling off and injuring his leg. The horse runs away, leaving Daniel stranded. Soon, a pack of wild dogs approaches Daniel. The dogs attack, killing Daniel and leaving his body in the middle of nowhere.
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Sometime later,Daniel’s brother Graham Lawsonand two Marianne Station trainees are out in the wilderness hunting. Graham spots Daniel’s body and calls Colin Lawson, Daniel’s father. Graham supposes that Daniel’s death was an accident, guessing that the horse got spooked by something like a snake and knocked Daniel off. However, Colin knows that Daniel was one of Marianne Station’s most experienced horse riders, with him refusing to believe that his son’s death was an accident. This sets up the possibility that Daniel’s death was actually a murder.
8Marshall Ran Away After Daniel’s Death
And Nobody Knows Why
Marshall Lawson is a member of the Lawson family, although he has always kept his distance from the cattle farming dynasty. Although he briefly returns home due to Daniel’s death, he soon disappears, with theLawson family learning that Marshall ran away. Colin then sends Emily to track Marshall down and bring him back home, a storyline that spans most ofTerritoryseason 1.
Since Marshall wasn’t at Marianne Station before Daniel’s death,it would have been difficult for him to be behind Daniel’s murder. However, Marshall’s disappearance in the immediate aftermath of Daniel’s death is suspicious, setting up the possibility that he knows something. It is later revealed, however, that Marshall was not involved in the murder, with him leaving the Lawsons due to his disgust over how they have handled the transfer of power.
7Rich Was Seen Snooping Around Marianne Station
Trying To Break Into The Lawsons' Safe
Rich Petrakis is one of the most compelling characters inTerritory, as his motivations are incredibly unclear throughout the series.Rich is one of the friends of Marshall,although he is a bad influence, with his criminal tendencies leading him to do things like stealing cattle. Early inTerritory, Emily catches Rich snooping around Colin’s office, with him attempting to break into one of the Lawson family’s safes.
It is never revealed what Rich was trying to steal from the Lawson’s, but his criminal activity surrounding Marianne Station makes him an instant suspect in Daniel’s death. This becomes even more apparent in theTerritoryseason 1 finale when Rich shoots Marshall in the hand, showing how violent he can be. However, Rich was later revealed not to be the killer, although he still committed a lot of violent crimes throughoutTerritory.
6Campbell Miller Needed Daniel Out Of The Way
In Order To Gain Power Over Marianne Station
Another major player inTerritoryseason 1 is Campbell Miller. After Daniel Lawson’s death, Campbell Miller becomes the head of an association of cattle station owners and employees that Daniel once ran. Campbell beat Graham in the election, giving him a massive amount of power that allowed him toattempt to destroy Marianne Station and the Lawson dynasty throughoutTerritory.
Campbell Miller’s deals with outside companies and plot to destroy Marianne Station means that he very well could have been behind Daniel’s death. After all, he couldn’t have continued his plan unless he was the president of the cattle farmer association, with him only being able to take over upon Daniel’s death.Campbell Miller and his men attempt to kill several of the Lawsonsat the end ofTerritoryseason 1, although by this point the true killer of Daniel has been revealed.
And Nobody Knows How
Dezi is a young Aboriginal boy who is taken under Nolan’s wing early inTerritory, although he does raise a few suspicions early in the show.Nolan takes Dezi in due to him being a troublemaker, with him being told that he will go to a juvenile detention center if he doesn’t go along with Nolan. Dezi does have some destructive moments throughoutTerritoryas well, such as when he lights Nolan’s car on fire at the end of episode 3.
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InTerritoryepisode 3, Nolan discovers that Dezi has Daniel Lawson’s saddle, the one from the missing horse that led to Daniel’s death. Nolan is shocked to discover this, with the audience immediately wondering if Dezi could have found Daniel’s horse. It turns out that the men Dezi was hanging out with found another strange man who was with Daniel’s horse, leading to them buying the saddle and giving it to Dezi.
4Daniel’s Saddle Was On Hank’s Property
Causing Graham To Immediately Become Suspicious
After Dezi shows Nolan Daniel’s saddle, Nolan immediately brings it to the Lawsons and explains what happens. This leads to them discovering that the saddle was found on the property of Hank Hodge, Emily’s brother and Graham Lawson’s brother-in-law. Hank Hodge has very little to do with the Lawson family, with him instead being known for doing a form of legal cattle robbery that the Lawsons detest.
Hank’s conflicts with the Lawsons alongside the fact that the saddle was found on his land causes Graham Lawson to immediately assume that he was involved with Daniel’s death. This suspicion becomes so heated thatGraham even shoots at Hank, landing Graham in prison. It is eventually revealed that Hank had nothing to do with Daniel’s murder, although he is still seen as suspicious throughoutTerritory.
3Daniel & Sandra Were Supposed To Meet About Selling Marianne Station
Making Everybody A Suspect
One of the biggest reveals surrounding Daniel’s death occurs later in the series. Near the end of the show, the Lawsons learn that shortly before Daniel’s death, he was supposed to meet with Sandra Kirby. Sandra Kirby is a billionaire head of a mining company,with her disliking the Lawsons and having a plan to take over Marianne Station and use it for her own good. This meeting was purportedly meant to be about Daniel selling Marianne Station to Sandra Kirby, a massive move that the other Lawsons wouldn’t have supported.
This reveal means that anybody in Marianne Station could have killed Graham, with them having the motive of saving their family’s cattle station. This is one of the most impactful bits of information inTerritory, as it divides the Lawson family even further and continues to raise tensions within Marianne Station.
2A Strange Man Saw Emily Shoot Daniel
Confirming Who Was Behind Daniel’s Death
ThroughoutTerritory, small scenes centered on a strange man in the wilderness are shown, although it takes a while for the audience to fully piece together who he is. At the end ofTerritoryepisode 1,this man can be seen with a gun and Daniel’s horse, at first making him seem like a suspect. However,it is later revealed that this man lives inTerritory’s “Sorry Place,“a piece of sacred wilderness. This man merely found Daniel’s horse, but it wasn’t by chance.
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As it turns out, this man was nearby when Daniel died, with him seeing everything. He saw Emily Lawson shoot Daniel’s horse after a heated argument. This is what caused the horse to buck, knocking Daniel off and injuring him. Emily saw that Daniel was injured but chose to leave him in the wilderness, allowing him to get eaten by wild dogs.
1Colin Learns That Emily Was Behind Daniel’s Death In The Territory Finale
Setting Up Territory Season 2
Eventually,Territoryreveals that Emily was behind Daniel’s death, although she didn’t mean for him to die. When Emily meets the man who found Daniel’s horse, he tells her that he knows she was behind the murder. He then attempts to make a deal, saying that he will keep her secret if she can protect the “Sorry Place” from Sandra Kirby and the others who want to destroy it. She agrees to the deal, although she fails to secure the “Sorry Place” by the end ofTerritory.
Territory’s final scene sees this man bring Daniel’s horse back to the Lawsons. Although it isn’t heard, the viewer sees the man tell something to Colin Lawson, with him then painfully looking over at Emily. It is clear that the man told Colin that Emily was behind Daniel’s death, meaning that everyone will know she is the killer atthe start ofTerritoryseason 2.
Territory
Cast
Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest cattle station, this drama follows the intense generational conflict that ensues when a clear heir is absent. As rival factions compete for control, the series examines themes of legacy, power, and the struggle for dominance over the land’s future.
