Emmerdale actor Joe Absolom has spoken out after his character Ray Walters was brutally killed off in a mysterious storyline that has left fans guessing who the murderer is

Emmerdale star Joe Absolom has opened up following his character’s savage exit from the show.

The baddie made his entrance to the Dales last year and quickly emerged as a ruthless drug dealer, drawing Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle) and his partner April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) into his criminal network. He also manipulated April into thinking she had taken someone’s life.

During last week’s episodes, Ray murdered his adoptive mother, Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths), a fellow antagonist who masterminded their sinister drug empire and worker exploitation at their farm. Ray plunged a knife into his abusive mother’s back, ending her life before declaring he was now “free”.

With Celia eliminated, he harboured hopes of beginning afresh with Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy), but his dreams were shattered.

Disgusted by the trauma Ray and Celia inflicted upon April and Dylan, Laurel immediately ended their relationship, leaving him desperate, and barred him from entering her home, reports the Daily Star.

Monday’s episode (January 5) opened with a mysterious corpse being hauled across the ground, later confirmed to be Ray, launching a fresh murder mystery. Initially, there were no clues about the circumstances or perpetrator.

Audiences subsequently saw Ray’s lifeless body, eyes still wide open, partially concealed by the bag as an unidentified individual moved it. In a shocking twist during the explosive Corriedale episode, Ray’s body was discovered in the back of Jai Sharma’s (Chris Bisson) van amidst the fatal crash.

But the question remains: how did the corpse end up there?

Joe Absolom, who portrayed the character of Ray Walters, took to Instagram to bid farewell to his role.

Sharing a snap of himself as Ray on Instagram, Joe penned: “Over and out… but who dunnit? # Emmerdale #CorrieDale #Ray.”

The post was met with a flurry of goodbyes and speculation about the storyline. One fan speculated: “Laurels done it and Jai is covering it up for her.”

Another exclaimed: “I wanted you to stay! Such a good baddie! You and Jaye smashed it!”, while another lamented: “NOOOOOOOOO! Gonna miss Ray, favourite character.”

One follower praised: “Amazing actor. You will be missed, so I hope you have something in the pipeline for us soon! Good luck with your future”.

Following the demise of Ray, the ITV soap has hinted at potential murder suspects, including April, Laurel, Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) and his wife, Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), and Ross Barton (Mike Parr)

Will Emmerdale fans uncover the mystery behind Ray Walters’ death?