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“Joe Hunter’s Mission”: 48 Hours Revisits Joanna Hunter Case December 13 2025

Ryan Gill

CBS’s 48 Hours episode airing Saturday, December 13, 2025, titled Joe Hunter’s Mission, presents a powerful and emotional story of love, loss, and justice. The broadcast follows Survivor season 48 contestant and Sacramento fire captain Joe Hunter as he seeks answers about his sister Joanna Hunter’s suspicious death. Officially ruled a suicide in 2011, Joanna’s death has long haunted her family, who believe she was murdered by her husband, former pastor Mark Lewis. Correspondent Natalie Morales examines the case, the flawed investigation, and the legal movement that followed.

The Death of Joanna Hunter

On October 6, 2011, Joanna Hunter, 36, was found dead in a closet in her home in Solano County, California. She was hanging by the belt of her bathrobe, her feet touching the floor, and a short handwritten note nearby read: “Take care of the dogs and Jerri.” Local authorities quickly ruled her death a suicide and declined to perform an autopsy. Her husband, Mark Wayne Lewis, was not considered a suspect at the time, and the case was closed within days.

Joanna’s family immediately questioned this conclusion. They cited her history with Lewis, who had a well-documented pattern of domestic abuse. Joanna had previously fled their home multiple times, seeking refuge with her parents. Despite the family’s concerns, no investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding her death. Patricia Hunter, Joanna’s mother, was not even informed by police, learning of the death from a friend of Lewis.

A History of Abuse and Coercive Control

Joanna met Lewis in high school. His pattern of abuse reportedly began early, including an arrest for assault and strangulation before the two were married. He later became a pastor in his father’s church after a stint in jail, and Joanna, deeply religious, was drawn back into the relationship. Despite numerous incidents of violence, Joanna felt spiritual and emotional pressure to remain in the marriage. Her mother recounted multiple episodes where Joanna tried to escape but ultimately returned, coerced by guilt, fear, or Lewis’s manipulation.

In the days leading up to her death, Joanna had once again tried to leave. Her mother vividly recalls picking her up as Joanna walked down the street, claiming she was stronger than ever and ready to return home. But within a week, Joanna told her mother she had to go back—saying Lewis had done something terrible that would destroy his standing at church if it came to light. Her mother warned her, “I’m worried if I take you back, I’ll never see you again.” That warning came true just days later.

The Aftermath and the Fight for Justice

Lewis quickly moved on. Within 24 hours of Joanna’s death, he reached out to a Sunday school teacher at his church and began a romantic relationship. That relationship, too, ended in violence and stalking. In 2015, Lewis was charged with arson and stalking for firebombing the woman’s home. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, prompting Solano County authorities to reopen Joanna’s case. Still, no charges have ever been filed in connection to her death.

During this time, Joe Hunter began to publicly speak about his sister’s story. While competing on Survivor, Joe wore a purple domestic violence awareness bracelet and ultimately broke down during an episode, revealing to fellow castaways that his sister’s death had been wrongly labeled a suicide. He described the guilt he carried for years, especially after their final conversation ended in anger.

Joanna’s Law and SB 989: A Legal Legacy

In 2024, thanks to years of advocacy by the Hunter family and Alliance for HOPE International, California passed “Joanna’s Law.” The law sets new standards for how deaths involving a history of domestic violence should be investigated. It was the first legislation in the United States to mandate autopsies in suspicious deaths of women where abuse was documented and grants families access to death records and victim services.

SB 989, also known as the “Suspicious Death Bill,” builds on this foundation by defining 10 indicators of a possible “hidden homicide.” These include premature deaths, a known abusive relationship, control of the death scene by the partner, and inconsistent crime scenes. The bill, championed by Senators Angelique Ashby and Susan Rubio, aims to prevent abusers from masking murder as suicide and has become a national model for reform.

Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack, leaders at Alliance for HOPE, have reviewed hundreds of suspected hidden homicides, including Joanna’s. They believe that Lewis represents a larger issue—abusers who kill and avoid scrutiny because of law enforcement’s outdated assumptions.

A Brother’s Mission and National Awareness

Joe Hunter’s personal campaign has helped bring national visibility to the issue of hidden homicides. Through Survivor, he reached millions of viewers and used his platform to advocate for victims of domestic violence. His emotional on-screen tribute to Joanna, where he apologized for not being able to protect her, resonated with audiences and brought new attention to his family’s fight.

In Joe Hunter’s Mission, 48 Hours presents not just a tragic story, but a call to action. With interviews from forensic experts, domestic violence advocates, and the family members still seeking justice, the episode paints a broader picture of how the justice system often fails victims. Joe, Patricia, and their community continue to push for accountability, change, and healing.

Their message is clear: every suspicious death deserves real scrutiny. And every victim, like Joanna Hunter, deserves justice.

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