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Natalie Morales Having been in journalism for over 25 years, she believes in the following stories survivor alum Joe Hunter and his sister, Joannamay be one of the most important true crime stories she has ever covered.
The story of Joe and Joanna, 46 Now the subject of an upcoming episode 48 hourstitled “The Mission of Joe Hunter,” in which Morales, 53, is the chief reporter.
“It’s really an emotional thing,” she said US Weekly Only. “I think it’s probably one of the most important true crime stories I’ve ever done.”
Joanna died at her home in California in 2011 at the age of 36, and police ruled it a suicide. On the face of it, there’s good reason for this. her husband, Mark LewisClaiming to have found her body, there were no signs of a struggle and there was evidence that Joanna had committed suicide.
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But Joe and his family never believed this happened. Lewis had a history of domestic violence, and inconsistencies soon emerged that cast doubt on the findings of the investigation. The case has since been reopened several times, but Joanna’s official cause of death remains unchanged. Lewis denied killing her and never faced charges related to the case.
“(Joe) just talked about feeling like he’d failed his sister and he (on survivor) to be her voice,” said Morales, 53. “He’s competing for her, trying to do something to honor her memory and really bring attention and awareness to survivors of domestic violence and their experiences. “
The Hunter family is doing more than just raising awareness, which is another reason why Morales is so passionate about this story. Joe and his mother Patricia took the lead in helping pass joanna law californiasigned into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024.
The law requires law enforcement to review 10 factors in any suspicious death with a history of domestic violence before concluding an investigation. Factors include one party wanting to end the relationship, the deceased being discovered by their partner and the partner being the last person to see the deceased alive.
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Joanna’s death met all 10 criteria but was never investigated as a potential homicide.
“The responding officers took photos of the scene, bagged the (allegedly suicidal) note and other items found,” Morales explained. “But they didn’t collect DNA at the time. They didn’t document the scene.”
It means more can be learned about key evidence in Joanna’s death, including a piece of rope interviewed by a doctor 48 hours What was believed to be the murder weapon has now disappeared.
“I had never heard the term hidden homicide before reporting on this case,” Morales said. “The more I started getting invested in (this case), the more it raised my awareness of all the stories I’ve done in the past, you know, ‘Was the investigation adequate? Was the investigation conducted the way it should have been?'”
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“Jo Hunter’s Mission” not only delves into the case itself, but also tells the story of Joanna’s relationship with Lewis, who claimed she was physically abused on multiple occasions and who pleaded guilty to felony spousal abuse more than a decade ago. She also tried to leave the relationship but found herself constantly being pulled back.
Lewis has yet to publicly respond to Joanna’s previous abuse allegations and declined to be interviewed 48 hours.
“When it comes to domestic violence, a lot of people suffer in silence,” Morales said. “A lot of times, people are very afraid or afraid to talk about their experiences, afraid to leave, afraid of being judged.”
“Joe Hunter’s Mission” 48 hours Premieres on CBS on Saturday, December 13 at 10pm ET and will be available on Paramount+.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call National Domestic Violence Hotline For confidential support, please call 1-800-799-7233.
