Momma let the girl die, thinking she overcame that temptation.
The hiker is specifically important here, as his arrival proves that people regularly hike in these woods.
That is why The Evil commonly looks like Momma’s mother or husband.
There is no indication in the movie that Momma knew a woman who looked like her.
It would then not make sense for The Evil to take this form.
That’s why she fears leaving the house or letting go of the rope.
Custom Image by Cooper Hood
That extends to not fully trusting her sons if she is given the slightest reason not to.
So she let an innocent person die because of her fear
