Steve Tanner Stephen Edward " Steve " Tanner was an American GI who had a relationship with Elsie Tanner when he was stationed in Burtonwood during World War II . They met up again in 1967 , got married and emigrated to the USA , but the marriage fell apart when Elsie couldn ' t adjust to her new lifestyle and Steve didn ' t support her . When Elsie returned to Weatherfield , Steve went to see her to try to reconcile the marriage but was murdered by fellow serviceman Joe Donelli over gambling debts . Biography . Steve Tanner , son of Emmeline Tanner , was born on 30th October 1924 and grew up in Boston , Massachusetts , USA . He joined the US Army and during the latter stages of World War II he was stationed in Burtonwood , UK . With their movie star accents , Steve and the GIs caused a stir among the local women , including Elsie Tanner , a single mother from Weatherfield , who met Steve at the Roebuck Inn . Steve and Elsie had a whirlwind romance which lasted until the end of the war , when Steve ' s tour of duty at Burtonwood ended . In the intervening years , Steve married a woman named Le Lan but she was killed in the Vietnam war when her village was bombed by mistake . By 1967 , Steve had risen to the rank of Master Sergeant in the Army . In May of that year , he was once again posted to Burtonwood , serving under Major Ryan , and decided to look Elsie up . Elsie was nervous about meeting him again and worried that she would be a disappointment to him but Steve was impressed with her and was keen to see more of her . They enjoyed reminiscing about old times and Steve soon told Elsie he loved her . Elsie and Steve ' s relationship caused friction between Elsie and bookie Dave Smith , who had been dumped by Elsie upon Steve ' s return . When Steve was assaulted outside Dave ' s Betting Shop , Dave was the prime suspect but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity , with Walter Greenhalgh believing Steve to be fellow GI Greg Flint , who had been having an affair with Walt ' s wife Dot . His relationship with Elsie flourishing , Steve proposed to her at Roebuck Inn . She accepted , but refused when he gave her diamond engagement ring as she was worried she wouldn ' t fit in with Steve ' s family and friends in Boston . She changed her mind when Steve reassured her , and after being granted permission to marry by Major Ryan , they set the date for 4th September and booked St . Stephen ' s Church in Warrington , with a honeymoon in Lisbon . The wedding went perfectly , although it was marred by the death of neighbour and guest Harry Hewitt , who was crushed under Len Fairclough ' s van on the same day as the wedding . After the honeymoon , the Tanners rented a flat in Burtonwood and moved there until their planned move to Boston . Steve ' s mother Emmeline , who hadn ' t attended the wedding , came over soon after to meet Elsie , but Emmeline believed Elsie had an inferiority complex and wasn ' t good enough for Steve . Steve was caught in the middle in a dispute between Elsie and Emmeline and decided to back his mother , telling Elsie that she should make more on an effort to fit in . He thought clinging onto her life in Coronation Street was harming Elsie and tried to encourage her by asking for a transfer to Germany and cancelling Elsie ' s job application for her old position at Miami Modes . The incident caused them to fall out and Elsie deciding to go to stay with her daughter Linda for a while , lying that she was ill to give her an excuse to go . Steve knew it was a lie but let her go anyway . At the end of the year , Steve was posted back to America . Elsie invited her family to the Street for Christmas , and the Tanners left for the USA before the New Year . While Steve was delighted to be home , Elsie soon felt estranged from all that she found familiar and Steve provided little comfort or reassurance . When they found that their memories of the past didn ' t provide a solid foundation for a marriage , Steve told Elsie he regretted marrying her , and volunteered for a posting in Panama , leaving Elsie in the USA surrounded by strangers . Elsie returned home to her old house and life in Weatherfield , separating from Steve . When Steve returned from Panama , he contacted Elsie to ask her where he stood with her , and travelled to the UK to talk to her in person . While he waited for an answer from Elsie , Steve was confronted by Len Fairclough , who tried to hit him for how he had treated Elsie but hit the wall instead . Fellow GI Joe Donelli then confronted Steve over money Joe owed Steve , and in the ensuing argument Joe pushed Steve down the stairs , to his death , at his digs in Claydon Court . In the police investigation that followed , Elsie and Len were the prime suspects for Steve ' s murder , as Joe was given an alibi by Gary Strauss . The jury returned an open verdict , and Joe was not discovered as the killer until 1970 , when he confessed to Irma Barlow and shot himself .