In a twist that has left Home and Away fans reeling, police in Summer Bay have made a chilling discovery — the body of Cohen’s mother, Lara Matthews, has been found in the mangroves just outside town. What was initially believed to be a missing person’s case has now exploded into a full-blown murder investigation, and the shockwaves are tearing through the Bay.

It all began last month when Cohen (played by up-and-coming star Ethan Browne) reported his mother missing after she failed to return home from a late shift. Locals rallied, search parties combed the bushland, and Cohen’s world slowly crumbled as hope began to fade. But no one could have prepared him — or viewers — for the dark truth that would emerge.

According to police sources, Lara’s body was discovered partially buried, with evidence suggesting foul play. “This is no accident,” Detective Cash Newman (Nicholas Cartwright) tells Cohen in scenes set to air next week. “Someone wanted her gone.”

As Cohen grapples with the horror of losing his mother, suspicion begins to fall on those closest to him. His strained relationship with his stepfather, Gary, has always raised eyebrows in the Bay. Locals recall shouting matches, whispered accusations, and a mysterious argument the night Lara vanished. Could Gary be hiding something deadly?

But it doesn’t end there. Mackenzie Booth (Emily Weir) becomes entangled in the case when police uncover that Lara had been confiding in her about a “dark secret” involving someone from the surf club. “It’s going to blow the Bay apart,” Mac says in a tense moment teased in upcoming promos.

Meanwhile, Cohen’s spiral deepens. Grief turns to rage as he vows to uncover the truth — even if it means crossing lines of his own. “I’ll find whoever did this,” he declares in a heartbreaking scene filmed at Lara’s memorial. “And they’ll pay.”

Behind the scenes, insiders reveal that this shocking storyline will dominate the next few weeks on Home and Away, leading into one of the show’s biggest cliffhangers of the year. A source close to production hints, “This isn’t just a murder mystery — it’s the start of something much bigger. Everyone in the Bay has secrets, and Lara’s death will bring them all to the surface.”

Fans are already buzzing online, with theories ranging from a revenge killing linked to Lara’s mysterious past, to a cover-up gone wrong involving a well-known Summer Bay resident.

One thing’s for sure — nothing will ever be the same for Cohen after this devastating twist.

Stay tuned, because in Summer Bay, every secret eventually washes ashore — and this time, the tide is bringing murder with it.