It's a storyline genre beloved by many of our favourite soaps, but could it be that Coronation Street was the first to launch a small screen 'whodunnit'? Well, back in 1968, eight years after the ITV soap was launched, having been created by Tony Warren, Steve Tanner's death occurred. While it was an off-screen storyline in September 1968, he was murdered by his fellow US Army soldier, Joe Donelli. Joe killed Steve during a violent altercation over gambling debts at the top of a staircase, where Joe smashed Steve's head against a wall and threw him down the stairs.
However, the incident sparked a massive mystery in Weatherfield. Elsie Tanner's friend and on-off lover Len Fairclough and Elsie herself fell under suspicion, though a coroner's inquest ultimately recorded an open verdict. The murder was finally solved more than two years later, in December 1970, when Joe returned to Weatherfield and confessed to killing Steve. He then took his own life during an explosive standoff where he held Minnie Caldwell and Irma Barlow hostage.
That being said, a 'whodunnit' these days often sees a murder or another shocking crime committed and the culprit's identity intentionally kept hidden from the audience until the very end, with many suspects revealed along the way. The first time Corrie did this on a grand scale was the death of Charlie Stubbs, which culminated in January 2007, after viewers were left to consider the culprit's innocence. The storyline followed the dramatic, premeditated murder of the villainous builder by his scheming girlfriend, Tracy Barlow, who killed him in revenge for his serial infidelity and psychological abuse.
During his time on the cobbles, Charlie gradually became the show's main antagonist. Among his many storylines, Charlie was seen striking up a relationship with local landlady Shelley Unwin, whom he eventually mistreated. He ended up clashing with her interfering mother, Bev Unwin, before she eventually jilted him at their wedding. Later, he had an affair with Jason Grimshaw's then-girlfriend, Maria Sutherland, and attempted to drown local teenager David Platt after he tried to blackmail him. Eventually, Charlie's downfall began when he rekindled his romance with Tracy Barlow, who, unbeknownst to him, was plotting her revenge after discovering the extent of his affairs and deceit.
She murdered Charlie by hitting him on the head with a statue after discovering his affair with Maria. She denied murdering him to the police and used David Platt as a false witness to the fact that she didn't kill him. David, however, blackmailed her, and she was eventually found guilty and sent to prison for a life sentence. Tracy did, however, get the verdict overturned four years later in January 2011.
Really, though, it was Frank Foster's demise five years later that would fit the 'who did it' theme viewers know, and sometimes love, when five of his neighbours were considered prime suspects in the slaying of the factory boss, who was found in a pool of blood back in early 2012. Frank was seen arguing with his enemies, associates and lovers in the days before he was bludgeoned to death, leaving police baffled as to the identity of his murderer. Carla Connor, who was raped by Frank, is in the frame along with the soap villain's ex-lover, Sally Webster.
His death also came after viewers saw Frank walk free from court after he was found not guilty of raping Carla. Carla's partner, Peter Barlow, her colleague, Michelle Connor and Sally's ex-husband, Kevin Webster, were also suspected. But in the end, it was revealed that it was actually his mother, Anne, who had stood by her son throughout his legal troubles, found out that he had, in fact, raped Carla and hit him over the head with a bottle of wine during a heated argument, subsequently killing him. And more than 10 million viewers watched the moment the truth was revealed.
Since then, Tina McIntyre and Joel Deering are among those to have met the same fate. It was back in 2008 that Michelle Keegan's cobbles character met a tragic end just six years after her arrival in Weatherfield. After Tina was cast aside by lover Peter Barlow, who wouldn't end things with Carla Connor despite their affair, Tina confronted Rob Donovan, Carla's brother, and threatened to report him to the authorities for his dodgy dealings. Tina was then pushed off the balcony of the Builder's Yard and beaten unconscious by Rob in an attempt to silence her, and she later died in hospital, leading to Michelle's exit in 2014.
Although Rob was the killer, Peter became the prime suspect in killing Tina and the character was arrested in July 2014 and held in remand until his trial. Peter was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime, but Rob confessed to his sister, Carla, on his stag night, which led to her calling the police on his wedding day to Tracy.
As for Joel, the dastardly solicitor created Corrie's biggest-ever 'whodunnit' back in 2024. He first went missing, with the news revealed when he failed to show up to court, where it was thought that he'd face comeuppance for some of his twisted crimes. But after transferring money to Lauren Bolton, his grooming victim and the mother of his son Frankie, and his ex-wife Emily, as well as leaving an emotional voicemail for his former fiancée Dee-Dee Bailey, it was believed Joel may have taken his own life after his car was found abandoned.
The police carried on investigating, and it wasn't long before the case became a murder investigation after Joel's body was found floating down a river. However, it was confirmed he'd been killed with a heavy weapon before entering the water, and several people went on to be put in the frame. Joel's wronged ex, Dee-Dee Bailey, her dad, Ed, and Uncle Ronnie are all on the suspects list. Bad boy Mason Radcliffe also found himself in the frame along with DS Lisa Swain, who was removed from the case after Joel's involvement with her daughter, Betsy, was revealed, and the detective investigating the mystery himself, DC Kit Green.
Eventually, Joel's murderer was revealed in an episode of Corrie which featured a series of flashbacks from the night of the killing, interspersed with Kit's police interviews. It revealed an eventful night for Joel, as after Ronnie and Ed Bailey went after him with a crowbar, he was attacked by scorned ex Dee-Dee, threatened by Kit and pushed into the river by Max. But not before Lauren had delivered the killer blow amidst their train track confrontation.
Now, this leads us to Theo Silverton, whose killer will be revealed in a dramatic episode of Corrie airing on Monday (June 22). As those who follow the soap know, the builder was killed in April, marking the end of a 13-month reign of terror over his partner, Todd Grimshaw, which saw the undertaker destroyed by physical and mental abuse. A horrified Betsy Swain was seen discovering Theo dead on the night of her mum Lisa and Carla Connor's wedding day. It comes after a flashforward episode of Corrie confirmed the storyline back in February, with Betsy seen being questioned by police over her discovery.
It wasn't until a week after the wedding actually took place, on April 23, that a horrified Betsy was seen discovering Theo dead, with a 'whodunnit' now underway as DS Connor-Swain and DC Kit Green line up who they think is responsible. With viewers not seeing the moment Theo was killed, it has left Todd and his loved ones, George Shuttleworth, Christina Boyd, and Summer Spellman among the possible murder suspects, alongside Gary and Theo's ex-wife, Danielle Silverton, who could also be guilty of Theo's demise.
