'Sons of Anarchy' Season 3: Who Killed, Who Died

Death at a Funeral

''SO'' (season 3, episode 1)

RIP: David Hale

Death by: Hit-and-run

Reason: As season 3 began, SAMCRO had a lot on its plate: relations with the Mayans motorcycle club were tense. VP Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) had no idea where True IRA member Cameron Hayes (Jamie McShane) had taken his kidnapped baby Abel. And the club was mourning the loss of prospect Half Sack (Johnny Lewis), whom Hayes had stabbed after overhearing ATF agent June Stahl (Ally Walker) falsely report that Jax's mother, Gemma (Katey Sagal), had killed his rat son instead of her.

Result: Outside Half Sack's wake, there was a drive-by shooting. A young boy was seriously wounded, and Charming PD's David Hale (Tayler Sheridan) returned fire and was mowed down by the fleeing vehicle.

Reverberations: The incident gave David's brother Jacob Hale (Jeff Kober) ammunition in his mission to turn the town of Charming against SAMCRO, which was supposed to keep it safe and drug-free. We'd learn the drive-by was carried out by the Calaveras MC, whose president Hector Salazar (Jose Pablo Cantillo) was tormented until he revealed the Mayans were patching the Calaveras over to help move heroin through Lodi to Stockton.

*Click here to start from the beginning of SOA's death tally or here for a glimpse of season 2's carnage.

The Mercy Killing

''Oiled'' (season 3, episode 2)

RIP: Cameron Hayes

Death by: Strangulation

Reason: Cameron took Abel back to Belfast and handed him off to his cousin, Maureen Ashby (Paula Malcomson), to watch. Maureen's brother, Father Kellan Ashby (James Cosmo), was the consigliore to the leaders of the True IRA. Like the Council, Father Ashby had a tough time believing that Cameron didn't know his son had been pressured by the ATF to rat on True IRA recruiter Jimmy O'Phelan (Titus Welliver).

Result: Not wanting to cause more trouble with SAMCRO, and knowing what Jax and Jimmy would do to Cameron if either of them found him, Ashby opted to have his muscle man Michael Casey (Glenn Keogh) strangle Cameron in his church after he'd read him the last rites and kissed his cheek.

Reverberations: Ashby made sure Cameron's body was marked with an army tag and dropped where all would see. A member of the Sons of Anarchy's Belfast charter (SAMBEL) sent SAMCRO a photo. When Maureen called Gemma and told her that Abel was in Belfast, they knew Jimmy had been feeding them bad intel because he didn't want them to come to Ireland. Jax would go to Stahl in episode 5, ''Turning and Turning,'' and pitch a deal—if she cleared his mother of the murder charges, pushed the club's bail hearing so they could sneak off to Belfast and find Abel, and secure them a short jail sentence on the gun charges when they return, he'd get her Jimmy. She accepted. The first step was having Gemma claim Stahl's partner/lover Agent Amy Tyler (Pamela J. Gray) was the one who shot Cameron Hayes' son.

The Wanted

''Caregiver'' (season 3, episode 3)

RIP: Amelia

Death by: Stabbing

Reason: Having learned that her mother had died, Gemma, who was on the lam for that murder she didn't commit (and one she did, that of Hayes' son's girlfriend), went to see her dementia-addled father Nate (Hal Holbrook) and transition him into a home. SAMCRO's Sergeant-at-Arms Tig (Kim Coates) was her escort. Tig hit it off with Nate's caregiver, Amelia (Monique Gabriela Curnen), and the two had sex. Nate momentarily confused Amelia for his late wife and shot Tig during the act. When Tig wouldn't go to the hospital because of weapons charges pending against him and the club, Amelia did some snooping and discovered the bounty on Gemma was up to $25,000.

Result: Amelia lost a standoff with Gemma and was tied to a wheelchair in the basement. Gemma called Jax's girlfriend Tara (Maggie Siff) to help with Tig's wounds, and when Tara tended to Amelia, she knocked Tara out. Upstairs, she put a knife to Gemma's throat asking for Nate's car keys. Tara struck Amelia, and when Gemma shoved her against the wall, the knife went in to Amelia's chest. ''I leave you girls alone for 10 minutes,'' Tig said when he later ran the knife under bleach.

Reverberations: When Jax finally found out about it, it only fueled his growing worry that Tara didn't belong in this life. Gemma was going to turn herself in to Stahl, asking only that she get weekly visitation with her family. But Gemma's heart problem flared as she heard from Maureen that Abel was missing, and she collapsed. Gemma was taken to the hospital and missed her appointment with Stahl. Stahl killed that deal, which is why Jax had to cut the new one promising Jimmy.

A Second Truce

''The Push'' (season 3, episode 6)

RIP: Pozo

Death by: Cyanide

Reason: Wanting peace with the Mayans, led by president Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera) and to belittle the Calaveras yet again, SAMCRO snatched some of the heroin the Calaveras were supposed to move for the Mayans to Stockton and presented it to Alvarez. Jax suggested the more capable Lodi-based Grim Bastards protect the Mayan heroin. The Grim Bastards would negotiate their own percentage, while SAMCRO would just have the Mayans pay a toll.

Result: For Alvarez, SAMCRO would also off the Calaveras rat Pozo (Chad Guerrero), whom Jax had put in the hospital after he was left behind at the drive-by shooting. Tig and his Son frenemy Herman Kozik (Kenny Johnson) posed as maintenance men and put cyanide in his IV.

Reverberations: When Charming PD showed up at the clubhouse afterward, it wasn't for that: Jacob Hale had heard Jax and Tara had sold prescription HIV drugs to a clinic (to help fund the club's upcoming trip to Belfast). So Tara would accept their breakup and he wouldn't destroy her career, Jax cheated with porn star Ima (Kristen Renton); Clay and Jax secured passage on a cargo jet courtesy of mayoral hopeful and empathetic dad Elliott Oswald (Patrick St. Esprit) when they introduced him to Alvarez, who confirmed the bloodshed was over.

The Retaliation

''Widening Gyre'' (season 3, episode 7)

RIP: Lander Jackson

Death by: Bullets, followed by posthumous knife

Reason: In addition to losing Pozo, the Mayans' peace with SAMCRO meant the Mayans wouldn't patch over the Calaveras, which was another shot at Hector's leadership and badassery. Juice (Theo Rossi) had also been allowed to beat up Hector in front of everyone in retaliation for the Calaveras jumping him and taking his SAMCRO cut earlier.

Result: Hector ordered a hit on Grim Bastards VP Lander Jackson (Marcello Thedford). Bastards President T.O. Cross (Michael Beach, pictured), who'd known Lander since they were kids, called SAMCRO in tears.

Reverberations: See next slide.

The Trigger

''Widening Gyre'' (season 3, episode 7)

RIP: Calaveras Sergeant-at-Arms

Death by: Bullets

Reason: SAMCRO had to handle the situation delicately because the Mayans still had ties to the Calaveras and any retaliation could jeopardize the truce with Alvarez. Alvarez arranged a meeting in a park men's room during a Mayans-sponsored racing rally.

Result: Clay (Ron Perlman) and Alvarez both put their guns to Hector's head until he gave up his Sergeant at Arms, who T.O. promptly shot in the head.

Reverberations: Alvarez stripped Hector of his president's patch, and Jax took off Hector's cut and flushed it down the toilet. Hector said he'd kill Jax for that. Clay punched Hector, and, as he lay on the bathroom floor, Hector overheard Jax tell Alvarez that members of SAMCRO were heading out of town for a week. As Tara stormed out of Jax's house following their breakup, Hector and his girlfriend Luisa (Tara Macken) parked and watched. Hale had previously reached out to Hector to rough up a local boxing gym owner, Lumpy Feldstein (Michael Fairman), who wouldn't sell his property to Hale, who had plans to redevelop Charming. Lumpy later died off-screen from his injuries, and Hector blackmailed Hale into telling him where Tara worked. Hector and Luisa kidnapped Tara when she was driving with her boss, hospital administrator Margaret Murphy (McNally Sagal), in episode 9, ''Turas.''

The Protector

''Turas'' (season 3, episode 9)

RIP: Michael Casey

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Father Ashby had his muscle Michael Casey watching over Fiona Larkin (Bellina Logan) and Kerrianne (Q'orianka Kilcher), her daughter with her ex, SAMCRO's Chibs (Tommy Flanagan), at his sister Maureen's house. Chibs had been booted out of the IRA long ago by Jimmy, who'd then married Fiona and raised Kerrianne. Jimmy wanted to retrieve his family.

Result: Jimmy put a bullet in the head of Michael Casey, who stood in his way. Gemma, who'd broken out of the hospital and custody to come to Ireland and help find Abel, was able to get a gun on Jimmy. She wanted to shoot him. But Fiona, knowing that Jimmy's crew would wipe out Gemma and her entire family for it, forced Gemma to hand the gun over to her. That gave her two weapons—one to put on Jimmy and one to put on his second Donny (Joel Tobeck), so they'd leave.

Reverberations: Returning Fiona and Kerrianne to Father Ashby gave Gemma a chance to talk with him about the friendship he'd formed with Jax's late father when John was cheating on Gemma and his family with Maureen. John had been with Maureen when Gemma's late son Thomas had slipped into a coma. Kerrianne didn't want to leave her home in Ireland, and Chibs wasn't going to make her. To keep her and Fiona safe, Jimmy would have to die.

The Nephew

''Turas'' (season 3, episode 9)

RIP: Chibs' nephew Padraic

Death by: Explosion

Reason: SAMCRO arrived in Belfast in episode 8, ''Lochan Mor,'' and viewers knew SAMBEL president Keith McGee (Andy McPhee) and his Sergeant-at-Arms Liam O'Neill (Arie Verveen) were working with Jimmy before Jax and Clay did. Jax had heard through Father Ashby that Jimmy wanted to sever ties with the Sons of Anarchy in Ireland and abroad and was recruiting young boys to run protection to keep that expense in-house. Now that SAMCRO was in Ireland, the Council wanted Jax to kill Jimmy so it'd look like a vengeful dad had murdered him and not True IRA leaders who couldn't control one of their own. If Jax killed Jimmy, Father Ashby would make sure Abel went home with his loving family.

Result: SAMCRO asked to go on a protection run with SAMBEL so they could talk to Jimmy. Jimmy had his boys lock members of both clubs inside the gun barn, where a truck was rigged to explode. O'Neill detonated the bomb after the truck ran down the door. Still, there were five casualties, including Chibs's nephew Padraic (Lorcan O'Toole).

Reverberations: If Ashby could prove Jimmy was behind that blast and had gone rogue, the Council would openly support Jax's execution of Jimmy.

The Traitors

''Firinne'' (season 3, episode 10)

RIP: O'Neill and McGee

Death by: Bullets, preceded by torture; a fall from a building

Reason: Knowing Jimmy would put a hit on O'Neill—and that O'Neill could finger McGee for being in Jimmy's pocket—McGee told O'Neill to go underground. To get O'Neill to talk once they found him, SAMCRO called on Ashby's other muscle, Sean Casey (Dan Hildebrand), to torture him. O'Neill came clean and added that he hadn't told McGee about the explosion portion of the plan, which was true. But not exactly helpful.

Result: Once the camera taping the torture and confession was off, Jax shot and killed O'Neill. As SAMCRO searched for McGee on the roof, Jimmy and his men entered the building. Clay set a fire, and one of Jimmy's men presumably died in the blaze. Jimmy and the others were smoked out, and a shootout started on the roof. While some took bullets, Jimmy escaped. Clay caught up to McGee, who'd been trying to pad his retirement (something that would get Clay in trouble in season 4). Clay asked for McGee's cut. The two men hugged as McGee apologized. Clay kissed his cheek—and then pushed him to his death.

Reverberations: Jax and Clay met with the Council, who told Jax that they wouldn't be turning Jimmy over to him now because they wanted to deal with him. Jax was in the need of some comfort and found it in Trinity (Zoe Boyle)—Maureen Ashby's daughter, whose stepfather McGee was the only father figure she'd ever known. Gemma and Maureen interrupted their makeout session before it turned serious and were forced to tell Jax and Trinity they're actually half-siblings: They have the same father, John Teller.

The Means to an End

''Baine'' (season 3, episode 11)

RIP: Sean Casey

Death by: Bullets, after torture

Reason: Desperate to get out of Ireland, Jimmy had Donny torture Sean Casey by removing his teeth for an address.

Result: Once they got it, Jimmy interrupted Sean telling him he'd see him in hell by shooting him. Blood splattered all over the cross on the wall.

Reverberations: When SAMCRO found Sean, they assumed Jimmy had gotten the address of where Ashby was keeping Fiona and Kerrianne. They were wrong.

The Good Catholic Parents

''Baine'' (season 3, episode 11)

RIP: Mark and Katey Petrie

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Father Ashby had told Jax that he'd heard his father's confessions and he knew John Teller hadn't wanted his son to follow in his footsteps with the gunrunning outlaw club. Ashby couldn't save John's son, but he could save his grandson. He said Abel was awaiting adoption, but when Jax got to the mission, Abel was already gone. Gemma held a gun to a baby's head until they told Jax which hotel the parents were staying at while they made sure the adoption was a good fit. Jax followed the new family at a market, and they looked so kind, loving, and safe, Jax let Abel go.

Result: When a confused Gemma asked where Abel was, Jax said, ''He's with a father who didn't torture and murder a man yesterday.'' But what would Jax tell Abel's brother, Gemma asked before breaking the news to Jax that Tara was pregnant. Father Ashby realized Sean had actually been tortured for the location of the address where he'd find Abel, who Jimmy would use as leverage for safe passage to the States. Jax and the boys rushed to the hotel and found the young couple, Mark Petrie (Matthew Alan) and Katey Petrie (Lilly McDowell), shot dead. Abel was gone. '' I did this,'' Jax said. He lifted Katey from the floor to the bed and placed her hand atop Mark's.

Reverberations: The Council agreed to let Jimmy travel to America in exchange for him handing Abel back to Jax. But they wanted something in return: Jax had to kill Jimmy in the U.S. while he was waiting for his Russian contacts to get him somewhere safe. The Irish would expand their gun business with SAMCRO, giving them access to their full arsenal and Jimmy's contacts in the western U.S.—which would mean pulling up more charters, making more alliances. Clay said yes. At the meet, Jimmy told Jax that he'd wanted to return Abel right away, to keep SAMCRO out of Ireland, but Father Ashby had pushed the situation. Perhaps as penance, Father Ashby had agreed to be Jimmy's hostage so the Irish wouldn't kill him after the trade was made. Jax told Ashby that Jimmy would kill him. ''Be well my son,'' Ashby said to Abel. He'd never be seen again. As SAMCRO packed to leave Ireland, Maureen put letters John Teller had written her about his vision for the club—and his fear of Gemma and Clay—in his bag.

The Bad Calaveras Couple

''Baine'' & ''June Wedding'' (season 3, episodes 11 & 12)

RIP: Luisa and Hector

Death by: Stabbing2

Reason: Hector and Luisa had kidnapped Tara and demanded that SAMCRO kill Alvarez and steal money from him to get her (and Margaret) back. Tig, Kozik, and Piney (William Lucking) convinced Alvarez to play dead for a day, and Agent Stahl helped with the money so a still clueless Jax could stay focused on Abel and Jimmy. After a botched drop, Alvarez knew ATF had been called. Luisa drew her gun on Tara, and Tara slashed her neck with broken glass from a bathroom mirror. Tara said she'd keep Luisa alive if Hector let Margaret go. Luisa bled out on the side of the road, and when the Mayans and reunited SAMCRO found two bodies, they thought he'd killed Tara. But he'd murdered a woman for her ride.

Result: Jax returned home in time for Hector to request his presence after he'd taken Tara and Hale hostage. He claimed he'd trade Jax for Tara, but really, he wanted Jax to watch as he killed Tara. Hale stabbed Hector in his side with a pen and Jax chased after Hector when he ran. Jax told Hector he'd walk him out alive—if he ratted out Hale. Hector put down the fire axe he'd acquired and Jax stabbed him and killed him. Jax cut himself on the arm with the axe to make it look like self-defense.

Reverberations: Hale would play the hero card and eventually be elected mayor. So it was a good time for Charming PD chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie) to retire since Hale would make Charming the jurisdiction of the San Joaquin County Sheriff. Jax and Tara were back together at their first sonogram appointment.

The Fix

''June Wedding'' (season 3, episode 12)

RIP: Agent Tyler

Death by: Bullets

Reason: Gemma threatened to tell the U.S. Attorney that her statement saying Agent Tyler had killed Cameron Hayes' son was a lie fed to her by Stahl—and Gemma assumed Agent Tyler would back her.

Result: During the Hector Salazar standoff, Stahl took Tyler to cover the back exit, so she could blame Salazar for killing her. With Salazar contained, Stahl had to shoot Tyler in the neck and blame it on three Mexican men. ''Just go, baby. Just go,'' Stahl told Tyler, stroking her face. When she passed, Stahl faked tears and yelled for help. When Stahl gave her statement, she revealed she was in a relationship with Tyler and said Tyler had confessed that Gemma's statement on the murders of Hayes' son and his girlfriend were accurate as she was dying.

Reverberations: It was time for Jax to hold up his end of the deal and deliver Jimmy. The audience cared even less for Stahl, who'd set up Opie to look like a rat in season 1, resulting in the death of his wife.

Karma

''NS'' (season 3, episode 13)

RIP: Jimmy O'Phelan

Death by: Stabbing

Reason: Jimmy and Donny had secured enough funds to convince Jimmy's contact Viktor Putlova (Keith Szarabajka) to get them to South America, where he'd run guns for the Russians. Through incarcerated SAMCRO brothers Otto (Kurt Sutter) and Lenny (Sonny Barger), the club learned they could buy Jimmy from the Russians for $2 million—and get them to shoot and kill Donny. Stahl gave SAMCRO the real cash she'd used for the ill-fated drop with Salazar to pad out the counterfeit dough they'd lucked into. It bought them enough time to get away. Stahl's team waited down the road to scare off the Russians and intercept Jimmy.

Result: SAMCRO had transferred Jimmy into Tara's trunk, so Stahl had to meet with Jax first. He signed his deal saying he'd cooperate, but before she signed the document recommending a three-year term for the club's outstanding gun charges, she wanted to see Jimmy. Jax took her back to the clubhouse, where she arrested Jimmy—and informed the club that Jax was a rat. They were furious. Unser pulled Stahl over to warn her of a report that some of Jimmy's men were waiting up the road. She sent her team ahead to check out the threat and waited with Unser. Piney, Opie, Chibs, and Kozik pulled up in a school bus. Chibs got Jimmy out of the car. ''Take care of our girls, Phillip, yeah?'' he said. ''Oh yeah,'' Chibs answered. He pulled out two knives and slashed Jimmy's face where Jimmy had once slashed Chibs. Then he stabbed him in the chest with the bloody blades.

Reverberations: SAMCRO had fulfilled the Irish's orders, so they were good. We'd learn in the season 4 premiere that Putlova had Jax nearly killed in prison for screwing him out of that money. And that wouldn't go unanswered.

Karma, Part II

''NS'' (season 3, episode 13)

RIP: Agent Stahl

Death by: Bullets

Reason: As previously mentioned, Stahl had made Opie look like a rat in season 1, and Clay ordered Tig to execute him in a drive-by that they could blame on a rival gang. Clay found out that Opie was innocent, but he couldn't reach Tig in time. It was only afterward that Tig realized he'd shot Opie's wife Donna (Sprague Grayden) in Opie's truck.

Result: After Jimmy was killed, Opie placed Stahl in the driver's seat of the car she'd been using to transport him. ''Put your hands on the wheel,'' he said. She begged him to show her mercy as he'd done once before. ''This is what she felt,'' he said before he fired into the back of her head.

Reverberations: Jax's deal to turn rat was ripped up. Kozik punched Unser in the face so it'd look like he was overtaken by members of the True IRA, who'd then written their symbol in Jimmy's blood on the car's back window. When the prospects riding alongside the truck transporting Jax, Clay, and the other jail-bound SAMCRO members rode past the truck tooting, Jax and Clay smiled at each other. The club had known Jax's plan all along—he was never going to rat. Gemma and Tara received letters from Jax explaining everything. Tara unpacked Jax's bag from Ireland and found his father's letters: One of them said John Teller was worried Gemma and Clay were going to kill him.

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