Dark Winds Season 3: Whose body was found in the culvert in the premiere? Explored

Dark Winds Season 3 premiered on AMC on March 9, 2025, bringing another intriguing case to light. The new season focuses on Navajo Tribal Police officers, Joe Leaphorn and Chee, as they investigate the disappearance of two young teenagers, Ernesto Cata and George Bowlegs.

While George is found safe and runs away from the police, the officers spend the entire first episode looking for Ernesto. Meanwhile, Leaphorn faces a terrifying threat in the form of a supposed monster named Ye'iitsoh.

At the end of Dark Winds Season 3 episode 1, the officers reach a culvert pipe after following clues. They are shocked to find a dead body in the culvert, which is revealed to be of Ernesto Cata, confirming the child’s tragic death.

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Ernesto Cata’s body is found in the culvert in the Dark Winds Season 3 premiere

Ernesto Cata is at the center of the narrative in Dark Winds Season 3. He is a 14-year-old boy who goes missing along with his friend, George Bowlegs. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and his team start searching for him, but they soon realize this case is more complicated than they expected.

The night before he disappeared, Ernesto was with George. George’s father, Shorty Bowlegs, has a bad reputation, so people quickly suspect George. But before Leaphorn and Jim Chee can talk to him, George runs away. When the team searches for clues, they find a bicycle with blood on it and signs of a struggle.

Some people even think Ernesto’s disappearance could be linked to Ye’iitsoh, a scary monster from Navajo folklore. With the help of George’s younger brother, Cecil, Leaphorn and Chee learn that Ernesto and George have been working at an archaeological dig site.

The site is run by Teddi Issacs and Dr. Reynolds, who had hired the boys to help find ancient lance points. But neither of them has seen Ernesto or George in days, which makes their connection to the dig site even more suspicious.

Later, Leaphorn and Sheriff Gordo Sena follow some tire tracks and bloodstains to a drainage tunnel. Inside, they make a horrible discovery of Ernesto’s dead body with a lance point stuck in his mouth. What started as a missing persons case has now turned into a murder investigation.

The discovery of the spear tip makes Leaphorn and Sena think that Ernesto’s death might be related to what is being uncovered at the dig site, and someone might be trying to hide something. Things get more mysterious when Leaphorn starts seeing strange signs, like a coyote heading north, which is considered a bad omen in Navajo culture.

Meanwhile, FBI agent Sylvia Washington arrives in town and starts asking questions about missing people, including businessman BJ Vines, adding more pressure on Leaphorn. With the discovery of Ernesto Cata, Dark Winds Season 3 episode 1 ends on a surprising note, setting the course for the rest of the season.

Dark Winds Season 3 stars Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn, Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee, Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito, Jenna Elfman as Sylvia Washington, A Martinez as Sheriff Gordo Sena, Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn, Tonantzin Carmelo as Eleanda Garza, and Alex Meraz as Ivan Muños.

New episodes of Dark Winds Season 3 are released on AMC and AMC+ on Sundays.