 Heather was murdered by Shirley's partner, Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) son Ben (Joshua Pascoe).Phil and Ben have been keeping the murder a secret from Shirley, but Shirley will find out "leaving her with a big decision to make".Shirley said of her return; "Having left "EastEnders" in 2008, it's flattering to be asked to return for this storyline.