One of the most enduring mysteries in Red Dead Redemption 2 is whether Micah Bell was truly the only informant within the Van der Linde gang. While the game eventually confirms Micah’s betrayal, several moments throughout the story continue to fuel speculation that someone else may have quietly helped the law — intentionally or not.
Three characters are often cited in fan theories: Abigail Marston, Mary-Beth Gaskill, and John Marston. Each presents circumstantial evidence that, taken alone, means little — but together raises uncomfortable questions.
Abigail Marston: Escaping Saint Denis
Abigail Marston frequently appears in discussions about a second snitch because of her survival during the disastrous Saint Denis bank heist. While Hosea Matthews is captured and executed almost immediately, Abigail is arrested and later released.
To some fans, that contrast feels suspicious. Abigail’s primary motivation has always been protecting Jack, and it’s not difficult to imagine a scenario where she might cooperate — even minimally — if it ensured her son’s safety. However, the game offers no direct evidence that she betrayed the gang, and her later hostility toward Dutch aligns more with moral exhaustion than guilt.
Her escape may be coincidence, but it remains one of the earliest moments where players begin questioning who the law might already be watching — or talking to.
Mary-Beth Gaskill: The Unlikely Link
At first glance, Mary-Beth Gaskill seems like the least likely candidate. She rarely commits crimes, avoids violence, and spends much of her time listening rather than acting. That low profile, however, is exactly why some fans view her with suspicion.
One often-cited moment involves the train robbery mission tipped to Arthur by Mary-Beth. The job appears promising, yet John later remarks that the law showed up far too quickly, suggesting the robbery may have been a setup. The speed and coordination of the response raise questions about how authorities knew where and when to strike.
Mary-Beth’s role here doesn’t imply malicious intent — she may simply have passed along bad information or unknowingly repeated a rumor already compromised. Still, it places her, however briefly, at the center of a job that went wrong in a way that felt uncomfortably precise.
Mary-Beth also exits the gang with surprising ease as everything collapses, slipping away without pursuit or consequence. While this could be chalked up to her nonviolent nature, it adds another layer to the theory. Ultimately, though, her compassion, lack of motive, and later life strongly argue against her being a deliberate informant.
John Marston: The Missing Months
The most controversial theory involves John Marston himself. After being captured, John disappears for months before rejoining the gang, offering little explanation for what happened during that time. His survival — and eventual distance from Dutch — has led some to wonder whether he was coerced into cooperation.
The idea isn’t that John willingly betrayed the gang, but that he might have given up small pieces of information under threat. Yet this theory struggles against the broader narrative of Red Dead Redemption. John’s story is defined by loyalty, regret, and consequence. Making him a snitch would fundamentally undermine his redemption arc across both games.
The More Likely Answer: The Gang Was Already Doomed
As compelling as these theories can be, the most convincing explanation is that there was no second snitch at all. By the time things begin to unravel, Dutch’s recklessness, escalating violence, and public crimes have made the gang impossible to miss. The Pinkertons don’t need perfect intelligence — the Van der Linde gang has become loud, predictable, and desperate.
Micah’s betrayal accelerates the collapse, but the foundation was already crumbling.
In the end, Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t asking players to identify hidden traitors so much as to confront a harsher truth: sometimes, downfall doesn’t come from betrayal alone, but from mistrust, pride, and a world that has moved on. The question of a second snitch lingers not because the answer is hidden, but because the gang itself was already lost.
