Who was rapist Pierce in Emmerdale and how did he die?

| Soaps Reporter Published October 20, 2026 8:37am Updated October 20, 2026 10:11am Pierce put Rhona through a horrific ordeal (Picture: ITV) During today’s episode of Emmerdale, Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) reflects on the ordeal she went through at the hands of Pierce Harris. After learning that Belle Dingle’s (Eden Taylor-Draper) abuser Tom King (James Chase) is being released from prison, Rhona attempts to help her by discussing how she felt when she discovered that Pierce was placed on parole. But who is this man? Here’s everything you need to know about who Pierce Harris is: Who was rapist Pierce Harris in Emmerdale? Pierce began showing possessive behaviour towards Rhona (Picture: ITV) Actor Jonathan Wrather played the role of Pierce from 2016-2020. Arriving in February, Pierce was immediately thrown into a dramatic storyline when he discovered his wife, Tess, had been ran over. After Tess died, Pierce eventually started a relationship with Rhona. Following their engagement, Pierce started showing possessive behaviour towards Rhona, which caused concern for friend Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick). On their wedding day, Rhona was raped by Pierce and later reported him to the police. In December 2019, Rhona discovered that Pierce was up for parole. A month later, he returned to the village and ended up killing Graham Foster. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Well, he thought he had. In February 2020, a month after Graham’s apparent death, Pierce kidnapped Vanessa and her son Johnny. After holding them hostage for weeks, Pierce used Vanessa to call Rhona to lure her to Mulberry Cottage. There, Rhona managed to outsmart Pierce. He confessed to Graham’s murder, while Rhona secretly filmed the whole thing. She injected Pierce with a vial strong enough to take down a bull, just before the police arrived and arrested him. How did Pierce Harris die? Pierce died in 2022 (Picture: ITV) In prison, Pierce received a cancer diagnosis and once he realised he was dying, he sent a letter to Rhona, apologising for everything and asking her to track down his son Marcus. Rhona met with Marcus, but neither of them visited Pierce, who died in prison in 2022. Deals of the Day This £18 Primark cable knit co-ord looks like it should cost three times the price See London's Christmas lights from an open-top double-decker bus this winter My skin always suffers when the heating goes on but this serum changed that The skincare formula that finally took the guesswork out of my routine Families can save up to 20% on summer 2027 holidays in Club Med's four-day sale Arrow MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as Tom King strikes again Arrow MORE: Emmerdale confirms major Kim and Graham twist and Joe will be murderous Arrow MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘solve’ who Thea’s dad is – and it’s not Steve Marchant The Soaps Newsletter – Weekly Sign up for exclusive spoilers and interviews, handpicked by our Soaps Editor.