Natalie Morales has labored in information for greater than 25 years, however she believes the story of Survivor alum Joe Hunter and his sister, Joanna, could also be probably the most essential true crime tales she’s ever lined.
Joe, 46, and Joanna’s story is now the topic of an upcoming episode of 48 Hours, titled “Joe Hunter’s Mission,” through which Morales, 53, is the lead correspondent.
“It truly is an emotional one,” she tells Us Weekly completely. “I believe in all probability probably the most essential true crime tales, I believe, I’ve ever finished.”
Joanna died in 2011 at age 36 in her California house, and police dominated it a suicide. On the floor, there was each purpose to. Her husband, Mark Lewis, claimed to seek out her physique with no indicators of a wrestle and proof that pointed to Joanna taking her personal life.
However Joe and his household by no means believed that’s what occurred. Lewis had a historical past of home violence and inconsistencies quickly emerged that shed doubt on investigators’ findings. The case has since been re-examined a number of occasions however Joanna’s official reason for demise has remained the identical. Lewis, who denies killing her, has by no means confronted costs associated to the case.
“[Joe] simply talked about feeling like he failed his sister, that he was [on Survivor] to be her voice,” Morales, 53, stated. “He was competing for her, attempting to do one thing to honor her reminiscence, and actually to boost consideration and consciousness to home violence survivors and what they undergo.”
The Hunter household has finished greater than elevate consciousness, which is another excuse why Morales grew so passionate in regards to the story. Joe and his mom, Patricia, led the cost on serving to cross Joanna’s Regulation in California, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into legislation in 2024.
The legislation requires legislation enforcement to look at 10 components in any suspicious demise in which there’s a historical past of home violence earlier than closing the investigation. Components embody one accomplice wanting to finish the connection, the deceased being discovered by their accomplice and that accomplice being the final particular person to see them alive.
Lifetime’s docuseries The Life and Homicide of Nicole Brown Simpson shared new particulars of Nicole Brown Simpson‘s life earlier than inspecting her tumultuous relationship with O.J. Simpson. The primary two installments of the four-part docuseries, which premiered on Saturday, June 1, featured interviews from Nicole’s star-studded mates comparable to Kris Jenner and Faye Resnick and members […]
Joanna’s demise checked all 10 containers however was by no means investigated as a possible murder.
“The responding officer took photographs of the scene, bagged up the [alleged suicide] observe and no matter else was discovered,” Morales defined. “However they didn’t swab for DNA on the time. They didn’t doc the scene.”
That meant essential proof that might shed extra mild on Joanna’s demise, together with a rope that one physician interviewed for 48 Hours believes to have been the homicide weapon, is now gone.
“I had by no means heard of the time period hidden homicides till reporting on this case,” Morales stated. “The extra I began investing in [this case], the extra it raised consciousness to me, of all of the previous tales that I’ve finished the place, you already know, ‘was that appeared into sufficient? Was the investigation dealt with the way in which it ought to have been?’”
Greg Doherty/Getty Pictures Filming the brand new Lifetime film Gaslit By My Husband was each a troublesome and therapeutic expertise for Jana Kramer. “I informed the pinnacle of Lifetime that I actually needed to do one thing within the home abuse area and be capable to shed some mild on that,” Kramer, 40, shared on the Monday, […]
“Joe Hunter’s Mission” not solely dives into the case itself, however tells the story of Joanna’s relationship with Lewis, through which she alleged to have been bodily abused a number of occasions, with Lewis pleading responsible to felony spousal abuse greater than a decade earlier than. She additionally tried to depart the connection, however regularly discovered herself drawn again in.
Lewis has not publicly addressed Joanna’s earlier allegations of abuse and refused to talk to 48 Hours.
“So many individuals endure in silence in terms of home violence,” Morales stated. “Too usually, individuals are so scared or so afraid to talk about their experiences, afraid to depart, afraid to be judged.”
The “Joe Hunter’s Mission” of 48 Hours premieres on CBS Saturday, December 13 at 10 p.m. ET and can stream on Paramount+.
In the event you or somebody you already know are experiencing home violence, please name the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assist.
