Emmerdale residents will learn of Pierce Harris’s death in upcoming scenes on the soap, after his son Marcus Dean made a surprise return to the village.
ITV spoilers have revealed that news of the abuser's death spreads on the soap after it is reported on in the local newspaper the Hotten Courier.
Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) was left shocked when she learnt that her former husband Pierce (Jonathan Wrather) had died in jail, while serving time for raping her and killing her boyfriend Graham Foster.
News of the death came shortly after she finally met Pierce's long lost son Marcus (Darcy Grey).
In upcoming scenes of the soap next week, Rhona's partner Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) spots the news of Pierce's death in the Hotten Courier.
Unaware that Rhona already knows her attacker died behind bars, Marlon readies himself to break the news to her.
In later scenes, Rhona and Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) tell Paddy (Dominic Brunt) and Marlon that they already knew Pierce is dead.
But Rhona admits she’s uneasy about sharing the full story with Marlon and doesn't mention Pierce's son Marcus.
Marlon picks up on Rhona's distant mood and quickly apologises for making everything about him lately.
But when he suggests a mystery meeting at the cafe, Rhona's guilt about Marcus weighs heavy.
Later on at the cafe, Rhona is grateful and surprised by Marlon's romantic dinner.
She then decides to come clean and tell him the whole story about Marcus, who first arrived in the village earlier this month.
However, fans have been left unconvinced by Marcus - with many saying he is not who he says he is - and are concerned about the situation Rhona could be getting herself into.
Adding to the suspicion, actor Darcy Grey has teased there could be more to his character than first meets the eye.
The 30-year-old soap star explained to Lorraine Kelly: "It's one of those things where it's such a strong storyline to come into, so you've gotta be very careful treading those sorts of waters.
"We'll definitely find out a bit more about who he is. I think that's the really lovely thing about Marcus, he's coming in with this presumption of who he is, but only time will tell exactly who that person actually is.”
These scenes air on Emmerdale on ITV from Monday, February 21 to Friday, February 25.
