ITV / EmmerdaleInsider Share By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 Ray’s dead, but who killed him? All the potential Emmerdale suspects and motives from Ross Barton to Laurel Thomas There are a lot of shifty villagers Features Joe Absolom Laurel Thomas Ray Walters Ross Barton Share By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 Emmerdale has just confirmed that Ray Walters is dead, but who it was that murdered him remains to be seen. For the last lot of months, Ray has been manipulating April and Dylan into dealing drugs for him and Celia. And on top of that, he has been helping Celia run the farm full of forced workers. There are quite a lot of people who want him dead. And in tonight’s episode (January 5) we saw multiple characters look a bit shifty – and they all have motives. So, let’s have a look at the suspects so far. And why they would want Ray dead in Emmerdale. Laurel is a suspect (Credit: ITV) 1. Laurel Thomas Throughout tonight’s episode, Laurel gave off quite a few signs that she was definitely guilty of something. She was seen cleaning scissors, and appearing like she was about to break down in tears. article continues below Read all the latest spoilers Laurel would obviously be against Ray at the minute, as she just found out what he was up to with April and Dylan. So, appalled that she let him into her home, and near her children, could Laurel have taken the final blow? It certainly looks like a possibility. Let’s face it, she hasn’t been used as much as she should have been over the last few years. So, murder would definitely give her a chance to shine. Ross gave April a lift home (Credit: ITV) 2. Ross Barton It’s absolutely a given that Ross would do literally anything for April, considering how much he loved Donna. And over the years, we have got to see his protective nature come out around her. For a while, many fans have wondered why Ross wasn’t involved more in the storyline. But that all changed tonight. April had been missing for a few days, and tonight, she reappeared after Ross gave her a lift home. And while they were in the car, he reminded her that he has her back – before asking that they keep what happened between them. Then, when she got out of the car, he looked into the backseat, where a gun was. Marlon has looked suspicious (Credit: ITV) 3. Marlon Dingle Ever since Marlon found out what Ray had been doing to April in Emmerdale, he wanted him dead. So, it’s no surprise that he would be one of the suspects. While there wasn’t anything that indicated he committed murder, there was a brief moment where he looked suspicious. Marlon is a Dingle. So, it wouldn’t be hard for him to find someone to help him. Or, if he wanted to go the full Dingle way, then he may have just killed Ray himself. Rhona made a suspicious phone call (Credit: ITV) 4. Rhona Ghoskirk Just like Marlon, Rhona was appalled when she found out what had been happening. And she quickly became another Emmerdale character who wanted Ray dead. Tonight, she made a mystery phone call, asking someone if it was done. What she was referring to is unknown. But could it be murder? Ray was supposed to kill April (Credit: ITV) 5. April Windsor April hasn’t been seen by her family in a few days. And the last we saw, Ray was telling her to do a runner as he didn’t actually want to kill her. But perhaps the whole situation was too much for the youngster and she snapped. Maybe, April realised that if Ray was dead then she could try to live as much of a normal life in Emmerdale as possible. Of course, she is much smaller than Ray, so trying to lug his body around may have been a challenge. So, could she have teamed up with someone? Dylan was run down by Ray’s car (Credit: ITV) 6. Dylan Penders Dylan also just found out that Ray was wanting April to leave with him and Celia. So, could he have snapped and killed the man he once looked up to? There wasn’t much to make him look guilty in this episode. But the fact remains that he was groomed and manipulated by Ray. And so, maybe he killed him just like Ray killed Celia. Whoever the true culprit is remains to be seen. But 2026 has started off with another murder in the Dales. Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale in 2026? A complete guide to departures, returns and new arrivals in the Dales Share Good to Know Share By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 By Rebecca Sayers Jan 5 2026 Previous Story Next Story
