Although it doesn’t specify who killed him in the movie, there are hints. The man who lives across from them killed him. First off, the neighbors are seen skinning a dead deer carcass when the police arrive to look for Jessup. I believe this signifies them in a darker light, perhaps symbolizing murder. Also, the female neighbor seems intent on wanting to know what the policeman said when he left. In fact, this is the only time she really came to visit the family throughout the whole movie. She intently asks if the main character gave information to the police, she most likely knows her husband is the killer. Thirdly, the neighbors seem to always be present and interested when the police show up, and the stand and watch in a cold manner. And lastly, the main character seems to have a underlying dislike toward the neighbors even though they give her food. Perhaps, she can sense something about them. Ree’s neighbor Sonya does visit Ree more than once, bringing Ree painkillers after she has been beaten by Thump Milton’s women, and Blond appears to be too minor a player in the extended family “organization” to kill without approval. It’s far more likely in terms of both plot development and emotional impact that Teardrop himself is his brother’s killer. The neck tat that is his namesake is visible several times and can be construed as the mark of Cain, linking back to one of the oldest stories of fratricidal jealousy. It may also explain why Teardrop, despite many inferences to his volatile and ruthless nature, assumes guardianship of Ree and helps her preserve what is left of her family and dignity. Ree seems to recognize this truth at the end of the film by offering Jessup’s banjo to Teardrop to keep, which he then briefly picks and hands back, saying his brother was always better. As he leaves Ree’s porch, Teardrop makes the decision to reveal he knows the killer after all, an admission that may be both confessional and penitential....
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