The Young And The Restless' Best Murder Mysteries Ranked

If there's one thing the writers of CBS' "The Young and the Restless" love, it's a juicy murder mystery. Over its impressive 50-season run, the show has treated viewers to many character deaths in true soap opera fashion. From calculated assassinations to accidental killings and even cases of faked deaths, Genoa City has become a hotbed of secrets and suspense.

However, in this city filled with hidden truths, many incidents remain unsolved for months or even years. If you enjoy the thrill of drama, murder, and mystery rolled into one, you'll love the sagas that have captivated audiences and citizens of Genoa City. These stories have kept fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the resolution, and some of them have left us wondering whodunit, with the culprits getting away scot-free.

So get ready to dive into the dark and enthralling world of Genoa City's best murder mysteries. These are our top picks that have left viewers spellbound, craving answers, and desperately seeking justice.

Katherine Chancellor hired Carmen Mesta as a public relations consultant for Jabot Cosmetics. However, like many other characters in Genoa City, Carmen soon found herself in a web of deceit and secrecy. When Carmen's lifeless body was found behind Neil Winters' jazz club, Indigo, we had a lot of suspects. Drucilla Winters, who was upset about Carmen's relationship with her husband, was a prime suspect, as was Neil's son. As the investigation unfolded, Drucilla, who also happened to be an employee at Jabot Cosmetics, was arrested and charged with the murder.

However, it was later revealed that Drucilla was innocent and that the true culprit was someone entirely unexpected — Jana Hawkes. Carmen had caught Jana secretly examining a folder containing pictures and information about the Grugeon Reliquary — a valuable medieval art piece adorned with engraved foreign letters. Unknown to most people, Jana had stolen the relic from Victoria Newman as part of a scheme concocted by her and her father.

Fearing exposure, Jana resorted to extreme measures to protect her secret. She hit Carmen on the head with a lead pipe, killing her. Tragically, Carmen's murder proved pointless, as Jana later learned that the folder held no genuine valuable information. Jana eventually confessed to the murder, but a surprising brain tumor diagnosis overshadowed her claim. She blamed her actions on the tumor, using it to justify her behavior. With Kevin's assistance, her case was reevaluated, and it was determined that the tumor had influenced her actions.

When Diane Jenkins returned to Genoa City in 2010, she claimed to be a reformed mother who only wanted the best for her son. However, her actions soon revealed her true intentions — to win back Jack, her son's father. Despite briefly being involved with Tucker McCall and Nicholas Newman, Diane set her sights on Jack and the idea of a picture-perfect family. Unfortunately for her, numerous obstacles stood in her way. Jack appeared tired of her and was also romantically involved with Phyllis, Diane's longtime foe.

However, Diane's sole focus wasn't on Jack. She was in dire financial straits and desperately needed money to leave Genoa City with her son Kyle. In her quest for financial security, Diane engaged in a series of manipulative acts. Unfortunately for her, none of these endeavors yielded the desired financial outcome. Instead, her lifeless body was discovered in the river, beginning a lengthy two-year investigation.

During the investigation, investigator Ronan Malloy obtained a video showing Diane attempting to inject something into Nikki's body. However, Nikki struck Diane on the head in self-defense. Ronan was prepared to implicate Nikki, but the video revealed that Diane was still alive until Deacon Sharpe, who was married to Nikki at the time, struck her with a rock. Nikki was arrested, but the judge eventually ruled the incident self-defense and acquitted her. However, 10 years later, we discovered that Nikki had been pardoned for a crime she never committed. Yup. Diane Jenkins faked her death.

When Austin Travers died, many fans were left in shock and devastated by the loss of this beloved character. Austin and Summer had a great connection, eventually leading to a marriage organized to protect Austin from potential legal trouble. At first, their relationship seemed loving and solid, with Austin proving to be a devoted husband, rejecting Mariah's advances and Summer's lavish gifts. Austin claimed that Summer's generosity made him uncomfortable. However, trouble soon brewed in their paradise when the couple, along with Courtney, Mariah, Kevin, Noah, Abby, and Fenmore, were invited to a cabin retreat.

Unfortunately, someone spiked the punch and left everyone unconscious. When they regained consciousness, Austin was dead. The events leading up to his death remained a mystery as the group struggled to piece their fragmented memories together. As the investigation unfolded, startling revelations emerged. Austin had been having an affair with Abby, driven by his frustration with Summer's luxurious presents. Or so he said.

The search for the truth fell into the hands of Detective Mark Harding and his team. Months of painstaking investigation ensued, with little progress made. However, the turning point came when evidence revealed Detective Harding had killed Austin. Austin had recorded crucial evidence, exposing the real Jack Abbott and his imposter, who enlisted Harding to delete the files. Tragically, as Harding was deleting the files, Austin awoke, and both men began to fight. This led to Harding killing him with a bookend.

The story of JT Hellstrom stretches back quite a long way, but at the time of his death, he had become abusive to Victoria Newman. When Victoria finally gathered the courage to push him away, he didn't take the rejection well. On the day of his demise, Victoria revealed the truth about his abuse to her mother, Nikki Newman, Sharon Newman, Phyllis Summers, and her cousin-in-law Christine Blair during a girls' night. After this confession, JT managed to sneak into the house and resume his violent behavior towards Victoria.

Hearing the commotion, the three women rushed upstairs to save Victoria from his attack. In the chaos, Nikki grabbed a poker and struck JT, causing him to collapse. The women buried JT's body and kept their secret hidden for a year to protect themselves and Victoria. However, their secret was eventually threatened when Rey Rosales arrived in Genoa City to investigate JT's death. Initially, Rey arrested Nick on suspicion of using JT's credit card.

But in a surprising turn of events, the investigators got a recording of Nikki and Victor discussing incriminating details that seemed to point to Victor as the killer. However, Nikki ultimately confessed to the crime and was taken into custody. Determined to set her free, members of the Newman family rallied together. This was when viewers found out that JT was alive and had somehow survived. Gotta love soaps! The Newman family presented JT before a judge, leading to Nikki's release and exoneration.

Richard, a resident of Minneapolis, found himself in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. His fortunes appeared to improve when he received a donation from Adam Newman, a strikingly similar-looking individual. However, unknown to everyone, Adam's ulterior motive was to fake his death. At the ball Adam invited him to, Richard was stabbed with a pen and burned up by a gas explosion.

Because of the bone marrow donation, the corpse's DNA test falsely revealed him to be Adam. Viewers were certain the real Adam was responsible until it was revealed that Patty Williams had caused the explosion. All eyes turned to Patty, who was sworn enemies with Adam. Had she killed Richard thinking he was Adam? Patty had a troubled history and had been locked in a mental hospital for some deranged acts shortly after Richard's death. However, it was soon discovered that Adam was alive when Victor captured him and brought him directly to Nick's trial.

But, trust Adam to have a sneaky plan up his sleeve when they arrived. He feigned a mental illness and was transferred to Patty's hospital, where he manipulated her fragile mind, successfully convincing her that she was responsible for Richard's murder. When people started to suspect Patty's confession, Adam escalated his manipulation by freeing Patty from the hospital, persuading her to flee and sever all ties. During his trial, his lawyer skillfully portrayed him as the victim, and no one was ever punished for the crime.