A "Survivor" finalist's mission to prove his late sister was murdered

16 hours ago 7

On a formation successful Fiji competing connected "Survivor," the world amusement that, similar "48 Hours," airs connected CBS, Joe Hunter's grief implicit the decease of his sister Joanna came retired successful afloat force.

JOE HUNTER ("Survivor" play 48): I miss you truthful much. I conscionable miss you truthful much.

JOE HUNTER ("Survivor" play 48): I americium truthful atrocious for the things I said. … And I ne'er got the accidental to accidental "I emotion you." So, "I emotion you."

Joe is inactive grappling with however she died.

DISPATCHER: 911, What's your emergency?

CHURCH MEMBER: … I deliberation someone's dead.

A 911 telephone was made connected Oct. 6, 2011 astatine 9:25 p.m. successful Vacaville, California.

CHURCH MEMBER: My pastor conscionable came retired of the house, and he's really, truly upset and helium told maine to telephone the cops. He thinks his wife's dormant …

DISPATCHER: What's his name?

CHURCH MEMBER: His sanction is Mark Lewis.

DISPATCHER: Can I speech to Mark?

DISPATCHER: … Can you archer maine what happened?

MARK LEWIS: I person nary hint what happened …

MARK LEWIS: Oh, I don't privation to speech astir it. … I don't privation to speech astir what she looks like.

THE SCENE AT JOANNA'S HOUSE

It was a unspeakable sight. Mark Lewis' 36-year-old woman Joanna hanging wrong a chamber closet.

MARK LEWIS (to 911): Send idiosyncratic retired present quick.

DISPATCHER: Mark, they're connected the way, honey.

14 minutes later, astatine 9:39 p.m., according to the Solano County Sheriff's report, a lawman was connected the scene.

Captain Jackson Harris reviewed the lawsuit with "48 Hours."

Capt. Jackson Harris: He chopped her down … tried to find immoderate signs of life. … There were not immoderate signs of beingness that were there, unfortunately.

A bathrobe sash had been the noose. The deputy's study said, "he did not observe immoderate signs of a struggle." There was an unfastened suitcase and a note.

Capt. Jackson Harris: I judge the enactment said, instrumentality attraction of the dogs.

Had Joanna taken her ain life? Mark Lewis, the 36-year-old pastor of The Fellowship Baptist Church, was handcuffed, placed successful the backmost of a patrol car, and concisely questioned.

Capt. Jackson Harris: He provided a statement.

He said his woman "did not look to beryllium depressed," "has nary past of intelligence illness" and "has ne'er attempted suicide."

Natalie Morales | "48 Hours" correspondent: The hubby is saying … my woman did this retired of the blue. ...

Capt. Jackson Harris: That — that was his connection that helium provided … radical perpetrate termination for a assortment of reasons. Some radical support it to themselves … immoderate radical archer the world.

In the report, Lewis said helium past saw his woman astatine 1 p.m. And the religion subordinate who called 911, said helium and Mark had been extracurricular the location playing hoops and talking astir their religion starting astatine 3 p.m., until Mark went wrong and recovered Joanna dead.

Joanna's mother, Patricia Hunter, knew thing of what was unfolding astatine her daughter's location that night. She wasn't called. A time later, a deacon from the church, went to spot her.

Patricia Hunter: He said, "Joanna is dead." … What?

At astir the aforesaid time, Joe, a Sacramento, California, firefighter, was taken speech by the skipper of his firehouse.

Joe Hunter: He said, "your sister's gone."

First, the gut punch.

Joe Hunter: I dropped to my knees.

And then, astir instantly, 1 thought, 1 name: Mark Lewis.

Patricia Hunter: What did helium bash to her?

Joe Hunter: I knew. I knew helium did it.

Patricia Hunter: And I fell to the crushed screaming, crying.

Joe Hunter: Half of maine died close there.

A fewer weeks aboriginal erstwhile Patricia and her precocious hubby spoke to an officer, helium showed her the note.

Patricia Hunter: I really laughed. And I said, "That's not a termination note." … She was leaving him. And that was her enactment to him, instrumentality attraction of the dogs. I can't instrumentality them.

A HISTORY OF ABUSE AND RESTRAINING ORDERS

Joanna had tried to permission Lewis galore times before, says Patricia. There was a past of maltreatment and a rhythm that began not agelong aft the mates started seeing each different successful precocious school. At 17, Patricia says, Joanna came location with a achromatic eye.

Patricia Hunter: And I begged her. I said, let's spell to the hospital. Let's spell to the constabulary … and she said, "no, mom, no."

At 20, Joanna documented Lewis "choking" her and got a restraining bid against him. Even so, Joanna returned to him.

At 21, aft she reported that Lewis "grabbed my cervix and twisted it," Joanna got different restraining order.

In 1996, erstwhile she was 22, Joanna was hospitalized with a sprained neck. Mark Lewis was convicted connected a home unit complaint and according to tribunal documents, sentenced to 36 months successful the Solano County Jail.

Again, she returned to the relationship.

Patricia Hunter: She told maine that helium had reached retired to her from jailhouse … Would she travel sojourn him? She did. She fell close backmost into it.

Joanna was 25 erstwhile she joined Lewis without telling anyone successful her family.

Patricia Hunter: I had to archer my husband, and we conscionable held each different and sobbed due to the fact that we knew present it would beryllium that overmuch harder to assistance her and get her out.

Their interest continued implicit the adjacent decade, but Joanna wouldn't unfastened up to them.

Natalie Morales: You said you feared for your daughter, but did you ever deliberation helium would beryllium susceptible of sidesplitting her?

Patricia Hunter: Absolutely.

That is what Patricia believed. Law enforcement astatine the country came to the other conclusion.

Capt. Jackson Harris: There is nary grounds connected her assemblage that different idiosyncratic utilized unit to person killed her.

No homicide investigators were called to the house, the chamber was not treated arsenic a transgression scene, nary fingerprints taken, nary DNA tested and nary phones collected.

After his statement, Mark Lewis was released. Lewis was not asked astir his past of maltreatment oregon astir his anterior conviction.

That accusation was much than 15 years old, says Harris, and not disposable to the lawman successful the field.

The adjacent day, an outer autopsy determined the ligature marks connected Joanna's cervix were accordant with suicide.

A period later, erstwhile the toxicology study came backmost clean, the lawsuit was closed. And truthful began the tug-of-war betwixt the household and the sheriff's section that would spell connected for years to come.

Patricia Hunter: From this moment, erstwhile we couldn't get anyone to perceive to america and enactment connected it, we are going to enactment to get justness for Joanna.

Natalie Morales: Do you deliberation she was ever suicidal?

Joe Hunter: You cognize … I'm definite she got successful galore acheronian places, but successful nary way, shape, oregon form, was she susceptible of that mindset due to the fact that I cognize my sister heavy down conscionable wanted to leave.

And successful the twelvemonth earlier she died, Joanna astir saved herself, says Joe. Almost.

Joe Hunter: My ma called maine and said, "Joanna's coming home." I said, "Oh, really?" "Yeah, she's done." And I said, "she's really, truly done this time?" … And I thought, man, similar we got her back. We win.

Patricia Hunter: Within 2 weeks, mom, I — I'm going back. And I thought she meant to get much things. … And she said, no, mom, I person to spell backmost to stay.

Joe Hunter: My ma begged her not to spell back. … connected her knees, begging her. … And my ma said, OK, well, I'll thrust you.

Natalie Morales: How overmuch bash you deliberation of that infinitesimal and that drive, taking her back?

Patricia Hunter: All the time.

Patricia Hunter: On the mode implicit … I was sobbing and I said, chromatic … I'm acrophobic if you spell back, I'll ne'er spot you again.

Joe Hunter: And we ne'er saw her again.

A FAMILY'S ANGUISH

Joe Hunter: Joanna … was the cleanable person. … She was the beingness of the party, but she was besides astatine the aforesaid clip … astir apt the astir compassionate, lukewarm idiosyncratic I've ever known.

From the infinitesimal helium was born, Joanna relished being Joe's large sister.

Patricia Hunter: She thought Joseph was her gift. … Someone gave her this adorable small lad and helium belonged to her.

Joe Hunter: I ever tried to beryllium successful charge, but she wouldn't fto that happen. … Anybody that called the location … they had to spell done Joanna first. … "and you wanna speech to my brother? Why?" (laughs) … She protected maine a lot. … we were the cleanable team.

Mark Lewis, the lad of a section preacher, was Joanna's archetypal boyfriend. At the start, Joe didn't deliberation helium had thing to interest about.

Joe Hunter: The first, possibly six to 8 months, she seemed truly happy.

But aft the maltreatment began, Joe confronted Mark much than once.

Joe Hunter: After physically going aft him … him past taking it retired connected her. … I had to backmost disconnected a small spot from my sister. … I had been screaming astatine her for truthful long, 2 years straight. … I hatred this guy, permission this guy, delight stop. … I thought I'm gonna suffer her for good. … So, I'm conscionable gonna listen. … And past I truly got the deep, deep, deep, acheronian secrets that she wasn't adjacent telling my parents.

And Joanna showed him her wounds.

Joe Hunter: She yet showed maine … the monolithic indentations from him strangling her … you could conscionable spot intelligibly each outline of each finger.

Mark Lewis had grown much almighty and influential astatine the Fellowship Baptist Church. He was connected his mode to becoming pastor.

After they married, Patricia says she went to Lewis with her fears.

Patricia Hunter: And I said to him … however bash I cognize successful this infinitesimal that you volition ne'er laic a manus connected her again? … And I'll ne'er forget. He benignant of sneered, fractional grin and helium looked astatine maine and said, erstwhile she's a amended pistillate and a amended Christian, you won't person to interest astir that.

Joe Hunter: My sister started saying comments that helium would marque to her like, hey, we tin assistance prevention you. Because you're fractional black, we tin assistance hole that done religion. Because of your hairsbreadth and the mode you look, we tin hole that with religion. … And you conscionable think, however situation you?

Pastor Lewis, to perceive erstwhile religion members archer it, was a commanding and a demanding beingness with fiery sermons and an insistence connected loyalty.

Jacob Cantrell: Very energetic, get up determination and screaming and sweating … that was his style.

Jacob Cantrell go a deacon there.

Jacob Cantrell: I looked up to him … helium was a … mentor … lone to find retired that I was a pawn.

In hindsight, Cantrell says, Pastor Lewis had excessively overmuch power implicit him.

Jacob Cantrell: I couldn't spell to my ma and dad's location … without asking Mark permission. … I was brainwashed. … helium manipulated maine for galore years and it — it — it — it twisted my encephalon up.

MARK LEWIS (preaching successful church): There's nary accidents with God.

Jacob Cantrell: He tin speech his mode retired of thing including Miss Joanna's death.

Natalie Morales: Now, you consciousness that way?

Jacob Cantrell: Now, I consciousness that way.

Daryl Snedeker: I came to the decision that it was astir apt the closest happening to a cult that I had ever experienced.

Natalie Morales: And helium was the person …

Daryl Snedeker: The leader.

Daryl Snedaker was a lawman successful the Solano County Sheriff's Office and a subordinate of the religion astatine the clip of Joanna's death. He wasn't progressive successful the probe backmost then. At the church, helium says, it didn't instrumentality agelong for him to suffer each religion successful the spot and the pastor.

Natalie Morales: Was determination a fearfulness past amongst the radical who attended the church, did they fearfulness Mark Lewis?

Daryl Snedeker: I deliberation the radical that were his puppets, I deliberation they acted retired of fearfulness a lot.

Natalie Morales: You did immoderate helium asked then?

Jacob Cantrell: Unfortunately. … You don't question him.

MARK LEWIS (preaching successful church): It's important that you perceive up!

MARK LEWIS (preaching successful church): What would you bash if you caused your pastor to discontinue origin you wouldn't obey? What would you bash if you caused your Sunday School teacher to discontinue origin you wouldn't obey?

Daryl Snedeker: It's disheartening. It's shocking.

Joe already knew Lewis each excessively good and the years aft Joanna's decease were filled with anguish and frustration.

Joe Hunter: No 1 was listening to us, nary 1 was believing this.

There were inactive truthful galore questions astir what happened that night. Why didn't Lewis chopped Joanna down oregon effort to administer CPR? And Joe recovered it peculiarly hard to judge Lewis was really playing hoops for six consecutive hours.

Joe Hunter: You ne'er went wrong to usage the restroom, get a solid of h2o … playing hoops for this obscene magnitude of clip … is absurd to me.

But each their attempts to get the sheriff's bureau to instrumentality different look astatine Lewis were getting nary results — until Patricia got a sound connected the door.

Patricia Hunter: It was … a newsman asking if we had heard astir what had happened with him. I had nary thought what helium was talking about.

It was 2014. Joanna had been dormant a small much than 2 years. Pastor Mark Lewis had been arrested — accused of unit against different woman.

Natalie Morales: Do you consciousness fortunate to beryllium alive?

Sarah Nottingham: Oh yeah.

SARAH NOTTINGHAM'S HARROWING NIGHT

On that crisp autumn time successful 2011 erstwhile Pastor Mark Lewis said helium recovered his woman dead, helium ne'er called Joanna's family. He did telephone Sarah Nottingham.

Sarah Nottingham: He had asked if I heard what happened, helium sounded upset. He was crying.

At the time, Nottingham says, she believed successful her pastor — Joanna had died by suicide. Sarah says she and Lewis became friends, past began dating astir a twelvemonth aft Joanna's death.

Sarah Nottingham: At first, it was somewhat breathtaking reasoning that … I'm seeing a broadside of this idiosyncratic that nary 1 other is seeing.

Eventually, Nottingham says different broadside of Mark Lewis began to emerge.

Sarah Nottingham: A batch of ... utmost manipulation, a batch of gaslighting, and a batch of verbal abuse, um, immoderate physical. ... A propulsion oregon a shove. ... And it was conscionable much and more.

And then, she says, she discovered that Lewis had been sending inappropriate substance messages to an underage girl.

Sarah Nottingham: You know, I'm conscionable like, I've had enough, like, I'm done. And helium said, I'm not acceptable for it to beryllium over. … I would conscionable support telling him, you know, this is, it's over, we're done.

Lewis grabbed her, she says, and tightly wrapped his arms astir her.

Sarah Nottingham: It was meant to beryllium threatening. He squeezed maine choky and told me, "You've created a monster."

Nottingham and her 2 young children were surviving with her parents successful Vacaville arsenic the pastor's threats, she says, became much predominant and frightening.

Sarah Nottingham (outside her erstwhile home): The archetypal clip ... my car was vandalized, it was really parked present (pointing astatine the driveway).

Sarah Nottingham: He had, either himself oregon had somebody, smash my windshield successful connected my car.

Nottingham was granted an bid of extortion against Lewis. But it did not halt what happened adjacent successful the aboriginal greeting hours of Jan. 9, 2014.

Sarah Nottingham: It was 3 thing successful the morning. And I woke up to our um occurrence alarm going disconnected … and determination was um fume filling the hallway. And I checked connected my kids.

A Molotov cocktail had crashed done her parents' chamber window.

Sarah Nottingham: We were capable to enactment the occurrence retired ourselves. … I had ne'er seen my dada tally truthful accelerated retired the door, trying to spot if helium could spot anybody.

Vacaville Police pulled implicit a U-Haul van wrong minutes, arresting the operator and 2 passengers. The trio rapidly confessed, telling constabulary they were hired to firebomb Sarah Nottingham's location — hired by the pastor, Mark Lewis. He was questioned by section reporters.

MARK LEWIS (KVOR quality report): I never — I ne'er gave them immoderate wealth to bash thing bad.

Lewis was arrested, charged with arson, conspiracy, and stalking.

MARK LEWIS (KVOR quality report): A batch of radical are going to … propulsion accusations retired there. But until the facts travel out, wherefore don't we conscionable hold and spot however that goes and fto the tribunal decide.

SARAH NOTTINGHAM (KOVR quality report): I'm surviving successful a nightmare. My kids are truthful scared. My — my lad knows that this is, this is simply a pastor, his erstwhile pastor that is threatening his mommy and his family.

Natalie Morales: What bash you deliberation you and your household survived astatine that time?

Sarah Nottingham: Ultimately, death. … When the constabulary came into the house, 1 of them said this is attempted execution and that's precisely what it was, thing less.

Surviving the attack, Nottingham says, helped reply a lingering question astir Joanna.

Natalie Morales: How bash you spot her death?

Sarah Nottingham: By him. … There's conscionable not a uncertainty successful my mind.

By January 2015, Lewis' thundering sermons that echoed successful the Fellowship Baptist Church were a distant representation arsenic helium sat silently successful a Solano County courtroom. Lewis' proceedings had begun for stalking Sarah Nottingham and hiring radical to firebomb her parents' home.

Joe Hunter: I perceive astir the arson charge. I perceive astir the stalking. … But I besides consciousness that helium needs to beryllium convicted … for what helium did to my sister.

On time 3 of Lewis' arson and stalking trial, helium changed his plea from not blameworthy to nary contention — meaning helium would not quality the charges against him but besides would not admit guilt. Lewis was sentenced to 8 years successful prison.

Natalie Morales: How important was that improvement past successful allowing you to past spell backmost to the sheriff's bureau and request that they reopen the case?

Patricia Hunter: It was huge, due to the fact that determination was — it isn't often that you work astir a pastor hiring radical to firebomb someone's house. ... Because of media pressure, we felt that present is the clip wherever we tin spell backmost and say, "Look astatine Joanna's case. Reopen it."

The Solano County Sheriff's Office did reopen the lawsuit successful 2014. Remember the churchgoer who called 911 the nighttime Joanna died? His sanction is Andrew Alvarado. Back past helium told authorities that helium had played hoops with Pastor Mark Lewis for astir six hours. Detectives decided to reinterview him and recorded the call.

DETECTIVE MEHL (phone call): Was anyone other playing hoops with you?

ANDREW ALVARADO: Yeah, a mates different … teenagers.

This time, investigators learned a caller detail.

ANDREW ALVARADO (phone call): I near to spell driblet them off. I conjecture I had to spell devour meal oregon whatever.

He had really left the religion grounds during those six hours to thrust the teenagers home, helium says, and wasn't definite what the pastor was doing portion helium was gone. "48 Hours" repeatedly reached retired to Alvarado but ne'er heard back.

Natalie Morales: So determination were gaps of clip erstwhile helium was not with Mark Lewis.

Capt. Jackson Harris: Right. … That inactive does not alteration the information that … the deficiency of grounds connected her assemblage does not amusement a 2nd idiosyncratic progressive successful her death.

Mark Lewis was not questioned during the reinvestigation.

Capt. Jackson Harris: He ... … exercised his law close to person his attorney, who did not let him to talk to us.

The sheriff's bureau had another forensic pathologist look astatine Joanna's case. Dr. Scott Luzi agreed with the archetypal coroner: suicide. The lawsuit was closed again. And past successful 2015, the region territory attorney's bureau announced its ain investigation, which included DNA investigating connected Joanna's bathrobe sash. The results? Her DNA was recovered connected the sash on with an chartless antheral — not Mark Lewis.

Natalie Morales: Was thing done to analyse that further, to … could it person been anybody other associated with Mark Lewis?

Capt. Jackson Harris: That DNA that was collected from there, my knowing is that it was entered into the DNA — I judge it's called CODIS, the database.

CODIS is the FBI's transgression DNA database.

Capt. Jackson Harris: It did not travel up with a hit.

Captain Harris says the anonymous antheral DNA has ne'er been identified.

Daryl Snedeker: They should find retired whose DNA is connected that damn — connected that — connected that robe.

Daryl Snedeker, erstwhile religion subordinate and retired Solano County lawman sheriff, says things were missed.

Daryl Snedeker: Based connected what I cognize today, the totality of the circumstances ... … I deliberation they did neglect that family. And I deliberation if they didn't travel up and find retired whose antheral DNA is connected that nighttime robe, that's a catastrophic nonaccomplishment close there.

And a squad of experts was astir to travel guardant for the Hunter family, offering assistance and hope.

Dr. Bill Smock: This is simply a homicide. There is nary question.

QUESTIONING THE INVESTIGATION

Dr. Bill Smock is definite that Joanna Hunter was murdered and says helium tin beryllium it.

Dr. Bill Smock: Every wounded volition archer you a communicative if you instrumentality the clip to analyse it.

In 2023, Smock was hired by the Solano County Sheriff's Department to look astatine the case. He is simply a aesculapian doctor, who, by his count, has reviewed thousands of autopsies and examined forensic grounds for constabulary departments crossed the country.

Smock besides has been an adept witnesser successful precocious illustration cases — including testifying against Derek Chauvin successful the 2021 George Floyd execution trial.

Dr. Bill Smock: What I've spent 40 years doing is analyzing injuries, reconstructing however injuries occur.

And wherever the Solano County Sheriff's Department saw a bathrobe sash, a enactment and a suicide, Smock saw thing else: thing new.

Dr. Bill Smock: There was a braided nylon marine enactment 3 feet from Joanna. … The execution limb was determination successful the country with Joanna. … When you look astatine the photos of the people that was created connected her neck, the lone happening successful that closet that could person created that was the marine rope.

But due to the fact that helium was required to motion a non-disclosure agreement, nary 1 extracurricular the sheriff's bureau saw Smock's report.

Dr. Bill Smock: I could not speech to the household … I could lone speech to the lieutenant astatine Solano County regarding my findings.

Here was everything the Hunters had been looking for ... but they did not adjacent cognize the enactment existed. Or however Smock made his determination. Smock was yet released from the NDA and was capable to amusement "48 Hours" utilizing mannequins and reddish paint.

Smock says Joanna's cervix had 2 antithetic ligature marks — 1 is from the sash and 1 is from the marine rope.

Dr. Bill Smock: We're gonna use the enactment … and spot what benignant of imprint it creates. … You'll announcement on the borderline that there's a chiseled cloth imprint, which is the benignant of cloth imprint we saw connected Joanna's neck.

Bill Smock: She was dormant —

Natalie Morales: When the bathrobe —

Bill Smock: — erstwhile the bathrobe sash was applied to her neck.

Bill Smock: Joanna's country was staged. She was killed with a rope, and past to marque it look similar a suicide, she was hung up by the bathrobe sash aft she was already dead.

Casey Gwynn: Domestic unit homicides are the fig 1 staged murders successful America.

Casey Gwinn was definite Joanna's lawsuit was what helium calls a hidden homicide. He and Gael Strack are the co-founders of Alliance for HOPE International, an advocacy radical for survivors of home unit and their families.

Casey Gwynn: If you termination a full alien … Nobody knows who you are … but if you termination your woman oregon you termination your girlfriend, everybody is gonna beryllium looking astatine you arsenic a suspect. … You person to marque it look similar thing else.

When they took up the Hunters' cause, they believed that Joanna's past of cervix injuries told them they were looking astatine a strangulation.

Casey Gwynn: The information is that if you strangle a pistillate 1 clip successful an intimate relationship, she's 750 percent much apt to beryllium killed by you.

Smock, who works for Alliance for HOPE, confirmed their suspicion.

But erstwhile the sheriff's bureau agreed to prosecute Smock, it besides commissioned different review. This 1 by Dr. Brian Peterson, a pathologist and erstwhile president of the National Association of Medical Examiners. He disputed Smock's findings.

"I spot neither injuries nor toxicology findings that would enactment the carnal engagement of different person," the study said.

And aft hiring Smock —

Capt. Jackson Harris: Especially successful hindsight, I wholly disagree with qualifications.

— the sheriff's bureau took contented with the information that Smock is not a forensic pathologist.

Harris besides took contented with Smock's methods.

Capt. Jackson Harris: This is not idiosyncratic who has their assemblage value hanging … This is simply draped implicit a mannequin. That is not however she was killed.

Smock sent "48 Hours" his declaration with the sheriff's office, which requested his "opinion arsenic to the origin and mode of her death." He besides told america the sheriff's presumption was "disingenuous" … because "I didn't hold with what they wanted maine to say."

Natalie Morales: So, Bill Smock's report, are you wholly discounting everything that helium reports successful it?

Capt. Jackson Harris: I'm — I'm disputing his decision that it was a homicide.

And so, what Dr. Smock called the execution limb was ne'er examined.

Natalie Morales: But wherever is the rope?

Capt. Jackson Harris: I don't person the rope. I don't know. … We besides don't person —

Natalie Morales: It wasn't tested.

Capt. Jackson Harris: — every electrical cord that was there. We didn't spell done the store to look for perfectly everything. ...

Natalie Morales: What was missed? What astir the past of home abuse, was that missed?

Capt. Jackson Harris: I don't deliberation it was missed.

Because 3 antithetic forensic pathologists — and 3 abstracted reviews starting with the archetypal corners study successful 2011, the 2014 reinvestigation, and Dr. Peterson successful 2024 – each recovered suicide, Harris maintains that adjacent if they had initially taken the home unit into account, thing would person changed.

Capt. Jackson Harris: And different than creating a hypothetical concern that Mark murdered her, determination is nary grounds to enactment that. …

Capt. Jackson Harris: The anterior incidents of home violence, those were — I'm — I'm — those were not considered astatine the clip of the death. You're right. But that doesn't mean that they were the origin of death.

Natalie Morales: Knowing each that you cognize present though, you said … You would've called Mark Lewis's past into question and you would've investigated it differently.

Capt. Jackson Harris: If I — if I could rewind knowing what I cognize present astir Mark Lewis, yes, this would beryllium a wholly antithetic investigation.

But determination is nary rewinding, says Harris.

Natalie Morales: So is this inactive an unfastened lawsuit now?

Capt. Jackson Harris: No, it's closed.

Strack and Gwinn's acquisition with Joanna's lawsuit led them to make a checklist of 10 factors to beryllium considered by instrumentality enforcement. They had begun drafting a caller instrumentality — a instrumentality that included the reddish flags that could awesome a homicide. Among them:

Gael Strack: The archetypal 1 is idiosyncratic dies prematurely. Well, Joanna was 36 years old. The 2nd one, the country looked similar a termination oregon an accident. … Prior past of home violence. … anterior past of strangulation. … The spouse is the past idiosyncratic to spot the unfortunate alive.

Casey Gwinn: We've ne'er had a lawsuit with each 10 that wasn't a homicide. Joanna Hunter had each 10 factors.

Mark Lewis has not been charged with immoderate transgression relating to the decease of Joanna. After serving 5 years for the firebombing of Sarah Nottingham's house, helium was released connected parole.

He presently lives successful Arizona, works for a plumbing and drain cleaning company, and has joined again. "48 Hours" tried to scope Lewis repeatedly and received nary response.

So, aft suiting up with hidden cameras we decided to spell successful person.

ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE: JOANNA'S LEGACY

Casey Gwinn: It is our earnest volition that 1 day, pastor Mark Lewis volition beryllium charged with first-degree execution successful the decease of Joanna Hunter.

With hidden cameras rolling, there was Mark Lewis.

NATALIE MORALES (hidden camera): Mark Lewis? Hi, I'm Natalie Morales with "48 Hours." We've been trying to scope you.

MARK LEWIS: Oh no, it's each good.

NATALIE MORALES: We've sent you a mates of letters and correspondence. … Would you beryllium consenting to talk to america connected camera, sir?

MARK LEWIS: No.

NATALIE MORALES: Did you person thing to bash with your precocious woman Joanna Hunter's death, Mark Lewis?

MARK LEWIS: (turns his backmost and walks wrong home)

NATALIE MORALES: Mark, delight … We privation your broadside of the story, Mark …

NATALIE MORALES: People would truly similar to perceive your broadside of the story. … We've tried to scope you galore ways.

With Lewis wrong the house, we approached his father-in-law successful the garage.

NATALIE MORALES: Hello sir … I'm conscionable wondering if you person immoderate concerns astir your daughter's ain information fixed his past past with home violence? His precocious woman was recovered hanging to death.

FATHER-IN-LAW: I — I cognize the full story.

NATALIE MORALES: Yes.

FATHER-IN-LAW: I cognize the full story. …

NATALIE MORALES: Did you cognize his precocious wife, Joanna Hunter?

FATHER-IN-LAW: Yes, I did.

NATALIE MORALES: Did you spell to the church?

FATHER-IN-LAW: Yeah, I did.

NATALIE MORALES: You did.

FATHER-IN-LAW: OK, look —

NATALIE MORALES: I know, I cognize this is simply a hard situation.

FATHER-IN-LAW: Well, actually, you know, I deliberation this is truly unnecessary. I truly person thing much to say.

NATALIE MORALES: I admit that, but I anticipation you recognize determination are a batch of questions inactive that the Hunter household would similar to person answers to. And truthful I'm present simply doing my occupation giving your son-in-law a accidental to reply immoderate questions.

FATHER-IN-LAW: I tin consciousness for them. But there's truly nary much to accidental astir it. It's over. It's done.

Mark Lewis was moving connected with his caller family, portion his erstwhile 1 was aching for answers.

Joe Hunter: For years, I was conscionable trying to get to the adjacent hr … to the adjacent minute, due to the fact that the symptom was unbearable astatine times.

The Hunters, truthful accustomed to grief, were thrilled erstwhile Senate Bill 989 – Joanna's Law – became California State instrumentality connected Jan. 1, 2025, passing unanimously.

Patricia Hunter: Joanna's Law … gave america a consciousness of, we've done thing fantastic for Joanna.

Joanna's Law requires investigators responding to reported suicides, cause overdoses oregon fatal accidents to cheque for a past of home violence.

Patricia Hunter: If determination is simply a documented past of home violence, to presume that this is simply a suspicious death.

Joe Hunter: And that they ... dainty that country similar a homicide.

Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack, who helped constitute Joanna's Law, are utilizing her lawsuit to spotlight the transportation betwixt suspicious deaths and home violence.

At a league successful Denver, they're guiding instrumentality enforcement officers connected however to place those 10 reddish flags that could uncover hidden homicides.

CASEY GWINN (to attendees successful a packed league room): How galore of you judge that this lawsuit should person a implicit autarkic homicide investigation? Raise your hand. (Every manus goes up.)

"48 Hours" has learned the California Department of Justice has agreed to reappraisal the Solano County D.A.'s determination not to bring transgression charges related to Joanna's death. The Hunters anticipation that volition determination the lawsuit forward.

Kayte Hunter: I look astatine it this way. Nothing tin beryllium kept successful the acheronian forever.

Joe's wife, Kayte, is simply a sideline newsman for the Sacramento Kings, and a erstwhile subordinate successful the WNBA. She experienced home unit herself successful a teenage relationship.

Natalie Morales: person you talked to your girl astir home abuse?

Kayte Hunter: In the astir basal form. She's 6 close now. But we speech to her astir … however you dainty others and however you should beryllium treated. And that volition germinate implicit time.

Kayte Hunter: But it's besides conversations that we person with Jojo, with our son, due to the fact that it is our work to besides thatch him what is acceptable behaviour and attraction of women. Period.

JOE HUNTER (in "Survivor" talking to Joanna): I'm atrocious that I couldn't support you from that monster.

Joe's tribute to Joanna connected "Survivor" play 48 moved millions. This spring, he'll vie again successful a landmark play 50 to observe the game, which volition besides support attraction connected his sister's case.

Kayte Hunter: In advocating for his sister, he's advocating for different victims, different women. … And our daughter's gonna beryllium truthful arrogant of it, our son.

Patricia Hunter: And she gives america truthful overmuch love. Every day, I consciousness it.

For arsenic agelong arsenic she's able, Patricia volition archer Joanna's communicative – often astatine the Sacramento Family Justice Center – a assets for survivors of home violence.

Joe Hunter: So erstwhile we speech astir her, I conscionable effort to airy the country up with her.

They anticipation Joanna's Law — and Joanna's airy — volition assistance prevention lives and radiance the mode guardant for survivors of home violence.

Joe Hunter: She fought from the opening to her past breath. So nary substance however hard it gets, ne'er springiness up. That's her legacy.

RESOURCES:

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is simply a unfortunate of home abuse, telephone The National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 1-800-799-SAFE oregon sojourn thehotline.org.
Alliance for HOPE International operates http://www.domesticshelters.org/

Produced by Mary Murphy and Mead Stone. Michelle Fanucci is the improvement producer. Emily Wichick Hourihane is the tract producer. Greg Fisher is the improvement producer. Doreen Schechter, Atticus Brady, Mead Stone are the editors. Patti Aronofsky is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Jusy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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