The latest episode of Tracker introduced one of the series’ most disturbing villains yet. In Season 3, Episode 6, “Angel,” Colter Shaw’s search for a missing crime scene cleaner unravels a decades-long serial killer case. The mysterious murderer, who calls himself an “angel of mercy,” preys on vulnerable patients and their caregivers. Here is a complete breakdown of the killer’s identity, backstory, and motives.
The Killer’s Identity Revealed
The “angel of mercy” is Francis Gable, a man who worked as an aide at the Vorhees Physical Therapy Center. His job at the therapy center gave him direct access to his targets: pairs of caregivers and their patients. For over 25 years, Francis operated without detection, carefully selecting his victims and making their murders appear as accidents or natural deaths.
Colter Shaw pieces together the pattern after finding a specific clue: a drawing of angel wings left at multiple crime scenes. This symbol connected a series of deaths that had been incorrectly ruled as accidental. His investigation led him to the Vorhees Physical Therapy Center, where he discovered a memorial flyer for another victim pair, featuring the same angel wings and created by Francis.
The Tragic and Twisted Backstory
Francis Gable’s motivation for killing stems from a deeply traumatic childhood. He grew up in a household where his mother devoted all her attention and energy to caring for his disabled brother. Francis felt invisible and neglected. This experience warped his perception of caregiving relationships.
He developed a twisted belief that the patients were “alive, but not really living” and that their caregivers were trapped in a broken, unfair dynamic. He came to see their existence as pure suffering. Francis believed that by killing them, he was performing an act of mercy, releasing both the patient and the caregiver from their pain.
This belief was so entrenched that he even murdered his own mother and brother, keeping their bodies preserved in his home. He continued his killing spree for decades, seeing himself as a benevolent figure.
How the “Angel of Mercy” Operated
Francis was a meticulous and patient killer. He did not act on impulse but planned his crimes carefully. He often watched his victims for extended periods, sometimes from hidden rooms within their own homes, as was the case with the elderly Harden couple.
He used his position at the physical therapy center to identify vulnerable targets and gain their trust. His methods varied, making the deaths look like accidents, such as falls, carbon monoxide poisoning, or starvation. The angel wings symbol was his signature, a mark he left to signify his twisted form of “mercy.” Because his victims were often sick or elderly, their deaths rarely raised suspicion, allowing him to avoid capture for a quarter of a century.
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The Confrontation and Capture
Francis was finally exposed when Margot, the missing crime scene cleaner and a true crime enthusiast, noticed the connected angel wings symbol at multiple death scenes she was cleaning. Her online investigation into the Harden case made her a threat to Francis, leading him to kidnap her to protect his secret.
He kept Margot alive with the intention of using her to find and eliminate her online amateur sleuth partners, Gunther and Eddie, who were also close to uncovering the truth. Colter Shaw deduced this plan and raced to their location. A violent confrontation ensued, during which Colter stabbed Francis with a pair of scissors to stop him from killing Gunther. This ended the reign of the self-proclaimed “angel of mercy.”
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