Heath from The Walking Dead essentially vanished off-screen in season 7, and his fate was never fully shown in the main series, but the writers have since explained what happened to him behind the scenes.

What happened to Heath in TWD (in-universe)

On the show, Heath disappears in season 7, episode 6 (“Swear”), when he and Tara are on a supply run and get overwhelmed by walkers on a bridge.

Tara later wakes up to find Heath gone, their RV missing, and only tire tracks and a key card marked “PPP” left behind.

Years later, showrunner Angela Kang confirmed that the idea in the writers’ room was that Heath had been captured by Jadis’ Scavengers and traded to the CRM (the same shadowy group with helicopters that took Rick).

So, in canon terms, the accepted explanation is: Heath was taken by the CRM off-screen and disappeared into that network, just like Rick.

Why Heath really disappeared (real-world reason)

Outside the story, the main reason Heath vanished is very simple: actor Corey Hawkins got busier and left for other projects.

He moved on to lead the series 24: Legacy, so the TWD team wrote Heath out without killing him, leaving the door open in case Hawkins could return.

An article discussing the production side explains that his season 7 bridge episode was written as a kind of “soft exit”: he drives off in the RV and is never seen again, which allowed the show to continue without scheduling him while still keeping him technically alive.

Is Heath coming back?

As of the most recent coverage, there’s still no on-screen return for Heath anywhere in the expanded Walking Dead universe.

Commentary about upcoming seasons and spin-offs suggests it’s unlikely he’ll be brought back, mainly because so much time has passed since his last appearance.

That said, because his fate is only explained in interviews and not fully shown, fans still treat him as a “missing in action” character who could theoretically pop up in a future CRM-related story (like the Rick/Jadis corner of the franchise).

Quick forum-style recap

“He disappeared without a trace.”
“It was stated he was taken by the CRM.”

  • On-screen: Last seen on a bridge in season 7, RV gone, “PPP” card left behind.
  • Writer explanation: Captured by Jadis’ group and traded to the CRM, same network that took Rick.
  • Real-world cause: Corey Hawkins left to star in other shows; Heath was quietly written out.
  • Current status: Missing, presumed alive somewhere in CRM hands; no confirmed return in newer shows.

TL;DR: Heath didn’t die on-screen; the show left him “taken by the CRM” off-screen while the actor left for other roles, and he’s stayed a background mystery ever since.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.