Cassidy Casablancas tells Veronica that on the weekend of Lilly's murder, he had gone surfing in Mexico with Logan and Dick Casablancas however, Logan had driven back to Neptune to see Lilly. When a reporter writes an article about Koontz's innocence, Duncan demands the truth from his parents, Jake Kane and Celeste Kane, who tell him that they arrived home one night to find Duncan covered in blood and holding Lilly's body. Veronica is shocked and goes home, only to find her mother Lianne has returned from rehab. Veronica spends time with her boyfriend Logan in his pool house, but discovers a hidden video system linking to cameras focused on the bed. Veronica, who believed that she had been raped the previous year at a party, discovers that she and Duncan had sex while under the influence of GHB Duncan left that next morning because he believed Veronica was his sister. In the previous episode, Keith proves the innocence of convicted murderer Koontz, who had falsely confessed to murdering Lilly. Things get more complicated when Veronica falls into a relationship with Lilly's ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls, who for a time held Veronica partly responsible for Lilly's death and went out of his way to harass her. As Veronica delves deeper into the murder case, she also works on other investigations, seeks her mother's whereabouts and deals with the aftermath of being drugged and raped during an "09er" party. Veronica discovers new evidence which suggests that Abel Koontz, the man imprisoned after confessing to Lilly's murder, is innocent. Veronica helps her father solve cases and conducts her own investigations on behalf of friends and acquaintances at school.
Veronica's "09er" friends-wealthy students from the fictional 90909 ZIP code-forced her to choose between them and her father Veronica chose her father.Īfter being voted out as sheriff, Keith opens a private investigation agency, Mars Investigations, where Veronica works part-time. Veronica's mother, Lianne Mars, developed a drinking problem and left town. This provoked Neptune's wrath and Keith's ousting as sheriff in a recall election.
After Lilly was killed, Veronica's father, County Sheriff Keith Mars, accused Lilly's father, popular software billionaire Jake Kane, of being involved in the murder. Prior to the murder, Veronica was dumped by her boyfriend, Duncan Kane who was also Lilly's brother. The first season revolves around Veronica's investigation of her best friend Lilly's murder.