THE MYSTERY of who killed Lauren Bolton on Coronation Street will finally be revealed this week, here are some theories from fans who think they’ve cracked the case.
The girl (Cait Fitton) first appeared in the ITV soap back in November 2022 as a potential love interest for Max Turner (Paddy Bever).
Earlier this year, the teen went missing after losing her job at Roy’s Rolls, prompting a police search for her.
When cops inspected her flat they found evidence of a struggle, along with a bloodied weapon they suspect was used to hit her over the head.
Her former boss Roy Cropper was charged with her murder and jailed as Weatherfield police became convinced that he is a secret sexual predator who paid Lauren for sex before murdering her in a rage.
The teen had been struggling to make ends meet and earned extra cash by posting X-rated content on porn site Ovidz before her disappearance.
However, aside from this and her being sacked, the police have no evidence to suggest that Roy did kill her.
Now Corrie fans think they’ve figured out who is actually responsible for Lauren’s disappearance.
Joel Deering
ITV viewers became suspicious when they saw that seemingly nice guy Joel Deering is set to represent abuser Nathan Curtis as his solicitor.
Questioning why he would take on the role of defending a predator, fans began to wonder if he killed Lauren himself, and is planning to frame his client for it.
One person took to social media, sadly saying: “This reads as though it’s Joel I fear.”
Another chimed in: “Hearing Joel’s representing Nathan could be something actually.”
Some audience members already began to suspect him when they discovered his penchant for keeping secrets.
Dee-Dee Bailey ended her relationship with the man when she discovered he had intentionally not told her about his wife and daughter.
Someone suggested: “Joel……. he’s keeping Lauren captive and using DeeDee to get lowdown on Roy’s case.”
Kit Green
Last night, Sarah decided she needed to frame Nathan for Lauren’s disappearance and she tried to plant a hair tie with Lauren’s DNA on it in the back of Nathan’s van.
However, she was caught trying to frame Nathan by newcomer police officer Kit Green – Bernie Winter’s long lost son.
He hauled her into the police car and warned her she wasn’t helping the case by trying to frame Nathan.
But how is Kit so sure Nathan isn’t guilty of Lauren’s murder? Could he be involved with her disappearance.
Fans are beginning to doubt the newcomer’s story as one said: “Kit has planted that bobble in Nathan’s van. Tho could Kit be the one to harm Lauren? A corrupt cop? #Corrie”
Later, Bethany and Sarah got the news that Nathan had been arrested and forensics were looking at his van, leading them to be convinced he had been arrested for Lauren’s murder.
Could Kit have something to do with Nathan’s sudden arrest? Could he be the one that abducted or killed Lauren?
Daniel Osbourne
One character who came under suspicion is Lauren’s tutor Daniel.
Max has repeatedly put his name out there as being dodgy, and possibly harming Lauren, even to the police.
Daniel seems to be innocent, and he’s been trying to help find out what has happened to Lauren – only to be accused by Max again.
Viewers know that Daniel does has a violent streak after he pushed Max down a flight of stairs.
Could he have something to hide, or is he another innocent party wrongly accused like Roy?
Nathan Curtis
One theory on who might be Lauren’s ex could be the returning villain Nathan, especially since he has returned to Weatherfield after he was released from prison.
A new theory even suggests he is in cahoots with another suspect, Joel Deering, and that they have done something to Lauren.
Nathan groomed and sexually abused Bethany Platt on the soap in 2017, with him revealed to be part of a child sex grooming gang.
Viewers are now fearing teen Lauren was being harassed by Nathan, maybe even groomed, and he could be behind her death or vanishing act.
Max Turner
Lauren’s close friend and former love interest Max has been key to helping the search for missing Lauren.
But he’s also hindered the investigation, throwing the wrong people under the bus and holding back information from the police which has made viewers suspicious of him.
Fans are starting to speculate he knows more about her going missing than he has so far let on.
Might Max know where Lauren is and what really happened to her?
Roy even remembered a moment involving Max, that could suggest he knows something.
Bobby Crawford
Another one of Lauren’s friends and latest love interest Bobby could know more about Lauren’s disappearance as he was one of the last people to see her.
Bobby discovered Lauren’s bruises and online activity before she went missing – but what else could he have found out?
The newcomer was devastated when he believed Lauren to be dead, but was he too certain she wasn’t just missing?
He reported her missing to the police, before raising the alarm about the blood found at her flat.
Since then he has continued to search for her, but some fans are convinced he’s faking his concern.
Has Bobby hurt Lauren, and possibly followed in his killer father Rob Donovan’s footsteps?
Hope Stape
Eagle-eyed fans have conspired a new theory involving the unlikely suspect following her appearance in the trailer with the necklace which once belonged to Lauren.
One fan said: “I’ve just thought. That’s Hope with a necklace the same as Lauren’s. Wasn’t she chatting online some time ago to someone?????”
Another added: “Omg hope got necklace from Lauren.”
A third penned: “I’m calling it! Hope Stape killed Lauren! #Corrie.”
Hope has got a history of attempting to kill after previously starting a fire at the Underworld factory in 2019, and setting fire to Alina’s flat in 2021 killing her unborn baby. She also murdered her pet, Cilla the Chinchilla.
Her dad, John Stape, was also a serial killer who Hope recently has a fascination with when a book about his life got published. Could Hope be following in his footsteps?
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and is available to watch on ITVX.