Stefano DiMera In 2010, Madeline Peterson Woods (Jessica Tuck) returns to Salem and after she dies, it is revealed that her son, Chad (Casey Deidrick), was fathered by Stefano, and Madeline convinced Kate to keep the secret.[31] In 2011, Stefano helps EJ kidnap Sami's husband, Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) and imprison him in the DiMera basement while putting a lookalike in his place.[31] In 2012, the DiMera empire begins to crumble when Stefano learns EJ isn't really his son and Lexie is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor caused by exposure to toxic gasses when Stefano had André kidnap her. Meanwhile, Kate has an affair with Ian McAllister (Ian Buchanan), a past lover, and Stefano files for divorce, taking everything from her. Stefano also turns John and Hope back into the Pawn and Princess Gina after revealing they are married; he forces them to retrieve a precious coin from Alamainia for him. Several other schemes continue to backfire on Stefano, including his attempt to sabotage EJ's mayoral campaign and him blackmailing Will Horton (Chandler Massey). Having angered many of his enemies, Stefano is shot and presumably killed in early June 2012. Suspicion for the murder quickly falls upon EJ, who continuously professes his innocence, but no one, save for Will or Sami, seems to believe him. After a series of explosions rock Salem in early August 2012, EJ flees with Sami in tow, and is subsequently abducted by Ian, who professes that he framed EJ for Stefano's murder. Ian then pulls back a curtain, revealing a very much alive Stefano, who is unconscious, bound in a chair and wearing a mask. Ian also confesses to falsifying Alice's letter, as well as the blood test that stated EJ wasn't Stefano's son. Stefano suddenly resurfaces in Europe where he reunites with Kristen and convinces her to come home and bring the family back together. Following the deaths of EJ and Kristen, Stefano forges a strong bond with Chad (Billy Flynn). He encourages him to pursue Abigail Deveraux (Kate Mansi) with a secret agenda to obtain Abigail's inheritance but Chad foils his plans. In 2015, Stefano suffers a stroke and is left in a wheelchair which leads to André's return and the reveal that they are father and son. Stefano advises André as he takes over running the family's daily operations. In January 2016, a grief-stricken Hope kills Stefano believing he is responsible for Bo's recent death. Rafe helps Hope cover it up by hiding Stefano's body in an abandoned building and framing André. Stefano's spirit lingers as he appears to Chad and they say their goodbyes. Stefano last appears to Chad in July 2016 when they were talking about him trusting André. In February 2017, it appears that Stefano has been captured in Prague having supposedly faked his death at the hands of Hope. However, it is later revealed that Steve Johnson and Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) have orchestrated Stefano's appearance to exonerate Hope of his murder, with Shane posing as Stefano using a bodysuit and makeup. Later as Steve and Shane reminisce about the success of their plan they review some pictures the ISA took from afar of Shane pretending to be Stefano. Yet the setting of one of the pictures is a place Shane never recalls posing at. This leads the men to wonder if the man in the photograph could actually be Stefano, leaving the two men wondering fearfully if Stefano is really alive and is out there somewhere.

Question: who killed stefano on days of our lives