The killer of villainous Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) will be revealed on Emmerdale later this month.
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The ITV soap aired a dramatic first few episodes for 2026 as Ray murdered his crime boss mother Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) before going on to turn up as a corpse himself in the episode preceding the big Corriedale crossover event.
What exactly happened to Ray before this is a mystery, and the soap has presented several suspects as to who could have killed him – from the loved ones of exploited teens April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle), to Ray's love interest Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy), and many more.
Now, series producer Laura Shaw has confirmed that answers will be on the way regarding Ray's exit.
Who killed Ray Walters (Joe Absolom)? ITV
"Following the discovery of Ray’s body, villagers' secrets will come out as the mystery surrounding Ray’s death is finally solved," revealed Shaw.
"Before the end of January, a special week will flashback to the night of the murder, revealing which of the multiple suspects is responsible for Ray's demise."
The promotional image released by the soap also confirms five key suspects: Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brent), Dylan's guardian and the son of Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards), who Ray had kept in modern slavery; Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), April's stepmother; Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock), April's father; Laurel Thomas, Ray's girlfriend who discovered his true nature; and Ross Barton (Mike Parr), the lover of April's late mother, Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth).
Is one of these five villagers the person who killed criminal Ray?
Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) was trapped in modern slavery for months. ITV
Of course, if that wasn't enough, Paddy will have to face a dark truth as he searches for answers about his missing dad, Bear. Celia previously gloated to Ray that she had killed Bear, and Ray was seen observing a lifeless Bear in a follow-up scene.
Shaw notes: "While Paddy is still out searching for his missing father, the bleak truth is that Bear has been killed by the villainous Celia.
"This emotional search and tragic discovery will bring Paddy's mental health problems back to the forefront."
Fans know that Paddy has struggled with his mental health in recent years and was close to suicide at one stage. Will any of those hurt by Celia and Ray ever recover?
Lewis is the News and Trends Editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.
