The short answer to who killed Alison in Pretty Little Liars is simple: nobody did, because Alison DiLaurentis didn't actually die.
For years, the core mystery driving the show's plot centered on the discovery of a body in Alison's grave and the identity of her murderer. Viewers sat through countless red herrings, false accusations, and elaborate twists involving half the town of Rosewood. The reality of that fateful night is far more complicated than a straightforward homicide. Multiple people played a role in the sequence of events that left Alison buried alive, but she survived the ordeal.
Unraveling what happened the night Alison disappeared requires separating the actual culprits from the layers of cover-ups, hallucinations, and mistaken identities that populated the series.
The Night Alison Disappeared: What Really Happened
On the night of Labor Day in September, Alison disappeared after hosting a sleepover with her friends Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily. Throughout that evening, she snuck out to meet several people, including Ian Thomas, Ezra Fitz, and Toby Cavanaugh.
The climax of the night involved a tragic case of mistaken identity. Charlotte Drake (then known as CeCe Drake) escaped from Radley Sanitarium and headed to Alison's house. Wearing the exact same yellow top as Alison, Bethany Young had also escaped from Radley with the intention of harming Alison's mother, Jessica DiLaurentis.
Charlotte spotted Alison in the backyard. Mistaking Alison for Bethany in the dark, Charlotte struck her hard over the head with a rock, rendering her unconscious.
The Cover-Up: Who Buried Alison?
Witnessing the attack from a window, Jessica DiLaurentis saw Charlotte hit Alison. Believing her daughter was dead and desperate to protect Charlotte from the consequences, Jessica didn't call the police. Instead, she dragged Alison's body into the backyard and buried her alive in a shallow grave.
Alison wasn't dead; she was merely unconscious. The dirt and oxygen deprivation didn't kill her because Carla Grunwald (Mrs. Grunwald), a psychic living in Rosewood, sensed Alison was in danger. Mrs. Grunwald pulled Alison from the grave and took her to a hospital, from which Alison subsequently fled. Realizing that whoever tried to kill her would keep trying if they knew she survived, Alison chose to go into hiding and faked her death with the help of Mona Vanderwaal.
If Alison Survived, Who Was in the Grave?
The body pulled from Alison's grave during the first season belonged to Bethany Young. Bethany's death, unlike Alison's attempted murder, was an actual homicide involving two different perpetrators:
- Mona Vanderwaal encountered Bethany outside the DiLaurentis house that same night. Believing Bethany was Alison—whom Mona hated for years of bullying—Mona hit Bethany over the head with a shovel in a fit of rage.
- Melissa Hastings stumbled upon the scene shortly after. Believing that her sister Spencer had struck the fatal blow during an argument, Melissa buried Bethany alive to protect Spencer, not realizing Bethany was still breathing.
An autopsy later revealed that Bethany died of suffocation from being buried alive, making Melissa and Mona the indirect parties responsible for Bethany's death.
Common Suspects and Red Herrings
Before the truth came to light in later seasons, the show pointed fingers at nearly every major character. Understanding why these theories failed helps clarify the timeline:
- Toby Cavanaugh: Blamed early on because of the "Jenna Thing" and his animosity toward Alison, Toby had motive but no connection to the actual attack.
- Ian Thomas: The N.A.T. club videos and his secret relationship with Alison made him a prime suspect, but he was merely guilty of statutory relationships and blackmail, not murder.
- Melissa Hastings: While Melissa did bury a body that night, it was Bethany Young, and she acted out of a mistaken belief that she was protecting her family.
To dive deeper into the series background, you can read more about the production history on IMDb or check out character profiles on Fandom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did anyone actually go to jail for Bethany Young's murder?
No. Because the web of secrets involved Mona hitting Bethany and Melissa burying her under a false assumption, the legal system never properly prosecuted the homicide, and many of the secrets died with the characters involved.
Why did Bethany Young target Jessica DiLaurentis?
Bethany harbored intense anger toward Jessica because Jessica had an affair with Bethany's father, which shattered Bethany's family and led to her institutionalization at Radley.
How did Alison manage to stay hidden for so long?
Mona found Alison shortly after Mrs. Grunwald rescued her, drove her to the Lost Woods Resort, and helped her take on the alias "Vivian Darkbloom" so she could figure out who was stalking her.
Who was "A" when Alison was gone?
Mona was the original "A" who tormented the liars to punish them and keep Alison's secret, but the game was later stolen from her by Charlotte, who used the moniker to exact her own revenge.
