In many ways, she herself has been in her own shell and the townspeople have forgotten about her, as well as the fact that she is a person with feelings. Early on in Where the Crawdads Sing, Kya mentions that people always forget about what’s inside the shell. The crawdads themselves - like crawfish - are water creatures, small, lobster-like animals with shells.

Since Where the Crawdads Sing never reveals the exact details of Kya’s actions that night, Milton’s explanation is likely what happened. This mysterious figure was probably Kya taking the bus back and forth without being noticed. In the book, it’s at least revealed there was someone in disguise on the bus. She would have had to get on the bus from another town, kill Chase in the night (likely by pushing him off the tower with the loose grate), and take another bus at 2am back to her hotel. During her trial, Tom Milton explained that Kya wasn’t even in town when he was killed. As for how Kya actually committed the murder, one can only speculate. She was raised in the marsh, which means she was at one with nature and didn’t necessarily abide by human laws or their sense of morality. The townspeople hated her and were quick to blame her Kya felt no protection from them and so she had to protect herself. What’s more, Kya saw Chase as a predator and she was a woman who felt her actions were crucial to her own survival.

Those who remain endings