Question: I can't figure out the ending. After Ig kills Lee and turns to stone, it is implied that he and Merrin are reunited in the afterlife, but all we see is the opening scene of the movie. Is that the afterlife? If so, why would they say that they will love each other for the rest of their lives when they are dead?
Answer: Iggy as the narrator says he doesn't know if this is paradise. It seems he's reliving his fondest memory of when they were together. I got the sense it was his last thoughts before he died.
Answer: Most of these questions weren't answered in the film. 1: Eric (the police officer) goes with Terry to find Ig alive. It's unlikely he or Terry told anyone else at that point, so his name wouldn't have been cleared by the end of the movie. Whatever subsequent investigation occurred might have brought the truth to light, but we don't even know if Terry made it back alive. 2: Nothing is mentioned of Veronica after the attack. It's implied she didn't die though because Ig says it will be months before she tries to look pretty. Most likely her hopes or chance of becoming famous ended. 3: The things negative things they said we're only when Ig had his horns. His taped and murder accusations put a lot of strain on them. It seemed he never bonded with his Father like Terry did. They don't show enough of their reaction to gauge if they missed Ig, but it does seem they are heartbroken, but also focused on Terry after finding him strung out on drugs.
Bishop73