Survivor 48 contestant Joe Hunter still believes that the truth behind his sister’s 2011 death is very different from the official cause listed. Hunter recently spoke on a 48 Hours episode that examined the death of 36-year-old Joanna, who died at her home in California. Here’s what Hunter said about his sister’s death.
Joe Hunter believes in his ‘heart’ that his sister Joanna was killed
Joe Hunter, who appeared on the CBS show Survivor, spoke in the latest episode of 48 Hours, which focused on his sister’s mysterious death. CBS reporter Natalie Morales led the episode and the investigation as 48 Hours revisited the circumstances surrounding the 2011 case.
Authorities ruled Joanna’s death a suicide after her husband, Mark Lewis, allegedly discovered her body. Investigators also found a suicide note, and officials did not treat the case as a homicide from the beginning.
However, Hunter has never believed that conclusion. “I know in my heart that Mark killed my sister and then he staged it to look like she hung herself,” he said on 48 Hours, directly accusing Lewis (via EW). “The day that I got the news will always be etched in my brain. I knew right then he had taken her life. From that moment on, my life changed forever,” he added.
Lewis has denied killing his wife and has never faced charges related to her death. However, according to Joanna’s family members, including Joe and their mother, Lewis had a history of domestic violence. In 1996, Lewis faced a domestic violence charge and was sentenced to 36 months in Solano County Jail.
Authorities have reexamined the case multiple times since Joanna’s death, but the official ruling has remained unchanged.
Joe Hunter and his mother later helped lead efforts to pass Joanna’s Law in California. The law requires law enforcement to review 10 specific factors in any suspicious death involving a history of domestic violence before closing an investigation.
Hunter continues to push for justice for his sister, Joanna.
Originally reported by Sourav Chakraborty on ComingSoon.
