1 00:00:00,758 --> 00:00:10,034 ♪♪ 2 00:00:10,137 --> 00:00:11,620 -The day that I got the news 3 00:00:11,724 --> 00:00:13,793 will always be etched in my brain. 4 00:00:15,620 --> 00:00:17,275 "Your sister is dead." 5 00:00:21,172 --> 00:00:23,034 I knew right then... 6 00:00:24,344 --> 00:00:25,689 he had taken her life. 7 00:00:29,793 --> 00:00:31,689 From that moment on, my life changed forever. 8 00:00:33,724 --> 00:00:37,034 I feel closest to my sister when I see something beautiful, 9 00:00:37,137 --> 00:00:38,965 like she's talking to me, like... 10 00:00:39,068 --> 00:00:41,068 I'll see a beautiful sunrise, and I'm like, "Man." 11 00:00:42,310 --> 00:00:43,689 Like, "I hear you." 12 00:00:43,793 --> 00:00:46,344 -You both had talked back in your younger years 13 00:00:46,448 --> 00:00:48,517 about going on "Survivor" together. 14 00:00:48,620 --> 00:00:49,517 -Right. 15 00:00:49,620 --> 00:00:56,827 ♪♪ 16 00:00:56,931 --> 00:00:58,827 The waves were crashing in Fiji, 17 00:00:58,931 --> 00:01:01,413 so I took a walk down the beach and... 18 00:01:02,758 --> 00:01:04,551 and I thought, "Man... 19 00:01:04,655 --> 00:01:06,689 she's all around me, so it's just time." 20 00:01:10,758 --> 00:01:14,517 Coming into this game, my motivation was my sister. 21 00:01:14,620 --> 00:01:16,448 She's the one that wanted to be here. 22 00:01:16,551 --> 00:01:17,689 That's why I applied. 23 00:01:17,793 --> 00:01:20,137 I wanted to be Joanna's voice. 24 00:01:20,241 --> 00:01:22,482 That's been the mission. 25 00:01:22,586 --> 00:01:24,448 That's all part of Joanna's voice, 26 00:01:24,551 --> 00:01:26,482 is her speaking to everyone, 27 00:01:26,586 --> 00:01:29,068 saying, "Don't let this happen to you, as well." 28 00:01:29,172 --> 00:01:30,448 -She fell in love with a man 29 00:01:30,551 --> 00:01:32,896 that seemed charming and charismatic, 30 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:34,310 and he was a pastor. 31 00:01:34,413 --> 00:01:38,000 -And immediately, I was in the spirit... 32 00:01:38,103 --> 00:01:42,931 -I know in my heart that Mark killed my sister. 33 00:01:43,033 --> 00:01:46,620 And then, he staged it to look like she hung herself. 34 00:01:46,723 --> 00:01:49,965 -So, Mark Lewis was never charged with any crime 35 00:01:50,068 --> 00:01:51,931 related to Joanna's death. 36 00:01:52,033 --> 00:01:53,482 What do you make of that? 37 00:01:53,586 --> 00:01:54,965 -Appalling. 38 00:01:55,068 --> 00:01:58,344 Total disregard for our daughter. 39 00:01:58,448 --> 00:02:02,931 It appeared to us that it was just a dismissal. 40 00:02:03,034 --> 00:02:05,034 -The Solano County Sheriff's Department 41 00:02:05,137 --> 00:02:08,172 made a decision that Joanna died by suicide 42 00:02:08,275 --> 00:02:11,275 within 28 minutes of arriving at the scene. 43 00:02:11,379 --> 00:02:13,310 -That is a gigantic misconception. 44 00:02:13,413 --> 00:02:15,068 The case was still being worked. 45 00:02:15,172 --> 00:02:18,620 -So, do you stand by your office's original conclusion 46 00:02:18,724 --> 00:02:20,724 that Joanna Hunter took her life? 47 00:02:20,827 --> 00:02:21,862 -Yes, we do. 48 00:02:23,413 --> 00:02:28,379 -In no way, shape, or form in any world, in any scenario, 49 00:02:28,482 --> 00:02:29,758 was this a suicide. 50 00:02:31,448 --> 00:02:34,724 This is not just a brother who's being emotional and irrational. 51 00:02:34,827 --> 00:02:38,067 This is not a mother who's just being a victim 52 00:02:38,172 --> 00:02:40,034 and saying untruths. 53 00:02:40,137 --> 00:02:47,206 This is a family that just wants justice for Joanna. 54 00:02:48,517 --> 00:02:51,517 I know I had one job as a brother, 55 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:56,034 so I need you to know that I'm sorry... 56 00:02:58,482 --> 00:03:00,448 that I couldn't protect you from that monster. 57 00:03:00,551 --> 00:03:09,724 ♪♪ 58 00:03:09,827 --> 00:03:19,000 ♪♪ 59 00:03:19,103 --> 00:03:28,241 ♪♪ 60 00:03:28,344 --> 00:03:37,655 ♪♪ 61 00:03:43,034 --> 00:03:50,344 ♪♪ 62 00:03:50,448 --> 00:03:57,793 ♪♪ 63 00:03:57,896 --> 00:03:59,067 -Survivors ready? 64 00:03:59,172 --> 00:04:01,172 -On a beach in Fiji... -Go! 65 00:04:01,275 --> 00:04:04,275 -...competing on "Survivor," the reality show 66 00:04:04,379 --> 00:04:07,379 that, like "48 Hours," airs on CBS... 67 00:04:07,482 --> 00:04:09,758 -Now, Joe in the lead with five. 68 00:04:09,862 --> 00:04:13,551 -...Joe Hunter's grief over the death of his sister, Joanna, 69 00:04:13,655 --> 00:04:16,067 came out in full force. 70 00:04:16,172 --> 00:04:18,067 -I miss you so much. 71 00:04:18,172 --> 00:04:20,310 I just miss you so much. 72 00:04:20,413 --> 00:04:24,068 -He was filled with remorse over their last conversation. 73 00:04:24,172 --> 00:04:25,793 -I'm so sorry for the things I said. 74 00:04:26,965 --> 00:04:29,896 And I never got the chance to say I love you. 75 00:04:33,517 --> 00:04:34,551 So... 76 00:04:35,517 --> 00:04:36,620 I love you. 77 00:04:39,896 --> 00:04:42,827 -Joe is still grappling with how she died. 78 00:04:48,103 --> 00:04:52,034 October 6th, 2011, 9:25 p.m. 79 00:04:52,137 --> 00:04:53,655 Vacaville, California. 80 00:05:11,620 --> 00:05:13,103 It was a terrible sight, 81 00:05:13,206 --> 00:05:16,620 Mark Lewis's 36-year-old wife, Joanna, 82 00:05:16,724 --> 00:05:19,034 hanging inside a bedroom closet. 83 00:05:22,931 --> 00:05:26,137 14 minutes later, at 9:39 p.m., 84 00:05:26,241 --> 00:05:28,758 according to the Solano County Sheriff's report, 85 00:05:28,862 --> 00:05:30,862 a deputy was on the scene. 86 00:05:30,965 --> 00:05:33,931 -He cut her down, tried to find any signs of life. 87 00:05:34,034 --> 00:05:36,862 -Captain Jackson Harris reviewed the case with us. 88 00:05:36,965 --> 00:05:38,275 -There were not any signs of life 89 00:05:38,379 --> 00:05:40,103 that were there, unfortunately. 90 00:05:40,206 --> 00:05:42,482 -A bathrobe sash had been the noose. 91 00:05:42,586 --> 00:05:44,206 The deputy's report said 92 00:05:44,310 --> 00:05:47,000 he did not observe any signs of a struggle. 93 00:05:48,137 --> 00:05:50,931 There was an open suitcase and a note. 94 00:05:51,034 --> 00:05:53,275 -I believe the note said, "Take care of the dogs." 95 00:05:54,689 --> 00:05:57,448 -Had Joanna taken her own life? 96 00:05:57,551 --> 00:06:00,241 Mark Lewis, the 36-year-old pastor 97 00:06:00,344 --> 00:06:02,275 of the Fellowship Baptist Church, 98 00:06:02,379 --> 00:06:05,862 was handcuffed, placed in the back of a patrol car, 99 00:06:05,965 --> 00:06:07,827 and briefly questioned. 100 00:06:07,931 --> 00:06:09,275 -He provided a statement. 101 00:06:09,379 --> 00:06:12,448 -He said his wife did not appear to be depressed, 102 00:06:12,551 --> 00:06:14,655 has no history of mental illness, 103 00:06:14,758 --> 00:06:17,517 and has never attempted suicide. 104 00:06:17,620 --> 00:06:19,172 The husband is saying, 105 00:06:19,275 --> 00:06:21,413 "My wife did this out of the blue." 106 00:06:21,517 --> 00:06:23,275 -That was his statement that he provided. 107 00:06:23,379 --> 00:06:26,172 People commit suicide for a variety of reasons. 108 00:06:26,275 --> 00:06:27,620 Some people keep it to themselves, 109 00:06:27,724 --> 00:06:29,344 some people tell the world. 110 00:06:29,448 --> 00:06:30,655 -In the report, 111 00:06:30,758 --> 00:06:34,310 Mark said he last saw his wife at 1:00 p.m., 112 00:06:34,413 --> 00:06:37,034 and the church member who called 911 113 00:06:37,137 --> 00:06:40,034 said he and Mark had been outside the house 114 00:06:40,137 --> 00:06:43,655 playing basketball and talking about their faith 115 00:06:43,758 --> 00:06:45,655 starting at 3:00 p.m., 116 00:06:45,758 --> 00:06:49,586 until Mark went inside and found Joanna dead. 117 00:06:51,413 --> 00:06:53,172 Joanna's mother, Patricia, 118 00:06:53,275 --> 00:06:55,068 knew nothing of what was unfolding 119 00:06:55,172 --> 00:06:57,344 at her daughter's house that night. 120 00:06:57,448 --> 00:06:59,103 She wasn't called. 121 00:06:59,206 --> 00:07:03,448 A day later, a deacon from the church went to see her. 122 00:07:03,551 --> 00:07:05,758 -He said, "Joanna's dead." 123 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:08,000 What? 124 00:07:09,620 --> 00:07:10,862 -At around the same time, 125 00:07:10,965 --> 00:07:13,758 Joe, a Sacramento, California, firefighter, 126 00:07:13,862 --> 00:07:16,758 was taken aside by the captain of his house. 127 00:07:16,862 --> 00:07:19,551 -He said, "Your sister's gone." 128 00:07:20,655 --> 00:07:22,517 -First, the gut punch. 129 00:07:22,620 --> 00:07:24,137 -I dropped to my knee. 130 00:07:24,241 --> 00:07:28,827 -And then, almost instantly, one thought, one name... 131 00:07:28,931 --> 00:07:30,482 -What did he do to her? 132 00:07:30,586 --> 00:07:31,896 -...Mark Lewis. 133 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:33,724 -I knew. 134 00:07:33,827 --> 00:07:35,275 I knew he did it. 135 00:07:35,379 --> 00:07:37,793 -And I fell to the ground screaming. 136 00:07:39,275 --> 00:07:40,310 Crying. 137 00:07:41,827 --> 00:07:42,896 -Half of me... 138 00:07:45,551 --> 00:07:46,793 died right there. 139 00:07:48,344 --> 00:07:49,724 -A few weeks later, 140 00:07:49,827 --> 00:07:52,344 when Patricia and her late husband spoke to an officer, 141 00:07:52,448 --> 00:07:54,034 he showed her the note. 142 00:07:54,137 --> 00:07:56,724 -I actually laughed, and I said, 143 00:07:56,827 --> 00:07:58,517 "That's not a suicide note. 144 00:07:58,620 --> 00:08:02,379 She was leaving him, and that was her note to him, 145 00:08:02,482 --> 00:08:04,896 'Take care of the dogs. I can't take them.'" 146 00:08:06,068 --> 00:08:07,827 -Joanna had tried to leave Mark 147 00:08:07,931 --> 00:08:10,413 many times before, says Patricia. 148 00:08:10,517 --> 00:08:13,931 There was a history of abuse and a cycle that began 149 00:08:14,034 --> 00:08:16,931 not long after the couple started seeing each other 150 00:08:17,034 --> 00:08:18,379 in high school. 151 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,379 At 17, Patricia says, 152 00:08:22,482 --> 00:08:25,310 Joanna came home with a black eye. 153 00:08:25,413 --> 00:08:28,034 -And I begged her, I said, "Let's go to the hospital. 154 00:08:28,137 --> 00:08:29,931 Let's go to the police." 155 00:08:30,034 --> 00:08:32,275 And she said, "No, Mom, no." 156 00:08:32,379 --> 00:08:33,586 -At 20... 157 00:08:33,688 --> 00:08:35,344 -This is in Joanna's handwriting. 158 00:08:35,448 --> 00:08:38,379 -...Joanna documented Mark choking her 159 00:08:38,482 --> 00:08:41,136 and got a restraining order against him. 160 00:08:41,241 --> 00:08:44,551 Even so, Joanna returned to him. 161 00:08:44,655 --> 00:08:46,896 At 21, after she reported 162 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,862 that Mark "grabbed my neck and twisted it," 163 00:08:49,965 --> 00:08:52,586 Joanna got another restraining order. 164 00:08:53,793 --> 00:08:56,827 In 1996, when she was 22, 165 00:08:56,931 --> 00:09:00,103 Joanna was hospitalized with a sprained neck. 166 00:09:00,206 --> 00:09:03,793 Mark was convicted on a domestic violence charge, 167 00:09:03,896 --> 00:09:05,689 and according to court documents, 168 00:09:05,793 --> 00:09:09,482 sentenced to 36 months in the Solano County Jail. 169 00:09:11,172 --> 00:09:14,344 Again, she returned to the relationship. 170 00:09:14,448 --> 00:09:18,689 -She told me that he had reached out to her from jail. 171 00:09:18,793 --> 00:09:20,275 Would she come visit him? 172 00:09:20,379 --> 00:09:21,620 She did. 173 00:09:21,724 --> 00:09:23,689 She fell right back into it. 174 00:09:25,103 --> 00:09:28,034 -Joanna was 25 when she married Mark 175 00:09:28,137 --> 00:09:31,068 without telling anyone in her family. 176 00:09:31,172 --> 00:09:33,103 -I had to tell my husband, 177 00:09:33,206 --> 00:09:36,551 and we just held each other and sobbed 178 00:09:36,655 --> 00:09:39,551 because we knew now it would be that much harder 179 00:09:39,655 --> 00:09:41,689 to help her and get her out. 180 00:09:41,793 --> 00:09:44,482 -Their worry continued over the next decade, 181 00:09:44,586 --> 00:09:47,034 but Joanna wouldn't open up to them. 182 00:09:47,137 --> 00:09:48,827 You said you feared for your daughter, 183 00:09:48,931 --> 00:09:53,172 but did you ever think he would be capable of killing her? 184 00:09:53,275 --> 00:09:54,586 -Absolutely. 185 00:09:54,689 --> 00:09:56,793 -That is what Patricia believed. 186 00:09:56,896 --> 00:10:00,931 Law enforcement at the scene came to the opposite conclusion. 187 00:10:01,034 --> 00:10:02,551 -There is no evidence on her body 188 00:10:02,655 --> 00:10:05,344 that another person used force to have killed her. 189 00:10:05,448 --> 00:10:08,655 -No homicide investigators were called to the house. 190 00:10:08,758 --> 00:10:11,137 The bedroom was not treated as a crime scene. 191 00:10:11,241 --> 00:10:13,103 No fingerprints taken, 192 00:10:13,206 --> 00:10:17,379 no DNA tested, and no phones collected. 193 00:10:17,482 --> 00:10:20,793 After his statement, Mark Lewis was released. 194 00:10:22,344 --> 00:10:25,310 Lewis was not asked about his history of abuse 195 00:10:25,413 --> 00:10:28,137 or about his prior conviction. 196 00:10:28,241 --> 00:10:31,827 That information was more than 15 years old, says Harris, 197 00:10:31,931 --> 00:10:34,896 and not available to the deputy in the field. 198 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,172 The next day, an external autopsy 199 00:10:37,275 --> 00:10:40,413 determined the ligature marks on Joanna's neck 200 00:10:40,517 --> 00:10:42,724 were consistent with suicide. 201 00:10:45,724 --> 00:10:48,034 A month later, when the toxicology report 202 00:10:48,137 --> 00:10:49,517 came back clean... 203 00:10:49,620 --> 00:10:51,379 -The case is closed. 204 00:10:51,482 --> 00:10:53,241 -And so began the tug of war 205 00:10:53,344 --> 00:10:56,068 between the family and the sheriff's department 206 00:10:56,172 --> 00:10:58,965 that would go on for years to come. 207 00:10:59,068 --> 00:11:01,344 -From this moment 208 00:11:01,448 --> 00:11:05,655 when we couldn't get anyone to listen to us and act on it, 209 00:11:07,068 --> 00:11:10,206 we are going to work to get justice for Joanna. 210 00:11:10,310 --> 00:11:12,689 -Do you think she was ever suicidal? 211 00:11:12,793 --> 00:11:16,275 -You know, I'm sure she got in many dark places, 212 00:11:16,379 --> 00:11:20,310 but in no way, shape, or form was she capable of that mindset. 213 00:11:20,413 --> 00:11:24,000 Because I know my sister, deep down, just wanted to leave. 214 00:11:24,103 --> 00:11:26,172 -And in the year before she died, 215 00:11:26,275 --> 00:11:29,275 Joanna almost saved herself, says Joe. 216 00:11:30,137 --> 00:11:31,620 Almost. 217 00:11:31,724 --> 00:11:34,068 -My mom called me and said, "Joanna's coming home." 218 00:11:34,172 --> 00:11:35,413 I said, "Oh, really?" 219 00:11:35,517 --> 00:11:37,068 "Yeah, she's done." 220 00:11:37,172 --> 00:11:39,206 And I said, "She's really, really done this time?" 221 00:11:39,310 --> 00:11:42,827 And I thought, man, like... 222 00:11:42,931 --> 00:11:44,482 We got her back. We win. 223 00:11:44,586 --> 00:11:46,275 -Within two weeks, 224 00:11:46,379 --> 00:11:48,896 "Mama, I'm going back." 225 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,344 And I thought she meant to get more things. 226 00:11:51,448 --> 00:11:52,655 She said, "No, Mom. 227 00:11:53,758 --> 00:11:56,310 I have to go back to stay." 228 00:11:56,413 --> 00:11:58,724 -My mom begged her not to go back. 229 00:11:58,827 --> 00:12:00,448 On her knees, begging her. 230 00:12:00,551 --> 00:12:02,620 And my mom said, "Okay, well, I'll drive you." 231 00:12:04,827 --> 00:12:06,517 -How much do you think of that moment 232 00:12:06,620 --> 00:12:09,586 and that drive taking her back? 233 00:12:09,689 --> 00:12:10,793 -All the time. 234 00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:16,931 On the way over, I was sobbing, and I said, "Honey, 235 00:12:17,034 --> 00:12:20,448 I'm afraid if you go back, I'll never see you again." 236 00:12:23,137 --> 00:12:24,137 -And... 237 00:12:25,896 --> 00:12:26,896 we never saw her again. 238 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:32,000 ♪♪ 239 00:12:35,931 --> 00:12:41,206 ♪♪ 240 00:12:41,310 --> 00:12:43,241 -It's 1993. 241 00:12:43,344 --> 00:12:46,068 Thanksgiving at our house this year. 242 00:12:46,172 --> 00:12:48,448 Very nice table. 243 00:12:48,551 --> 00:12:51,344 You can see Mom in the kitchen. 244 00:12:51,448 --> 00:12:52,827 My dad. 245 00:12:52,931 --> 00:12:55,103 Hi, JJ. 246 00:12:55,206 --> 00:12:56,724 [ Laughs ] Hi. 247 00:12:56,827 --> 00:12:58,551 -Joanna was the perfect person. 248 00:12:58,655 --> 00:13:00,068 She was the life of the party, 249 00:13:00,172 --> 00:13:01,620 but she was also, at the same time... 250 00:13:01,724 --> 00:13:03,275 -Oh, you give me a kiss! 251 00:13:03,379 --> 00:13:05,206 -...probably the most compassionate, 252 00:13:05,310 --> 00:13:07,241 warm person I've ever known. 253 00:13:10,068 --> 00:13:11,724 -From the minute he was born, 254 00:13:11,827 --> 00:13:14,965 Joanna relished being Joe's big sister. 255 00:13:15,068 --> 00:13:18,172 -She thought Joseph was her gift. 256 00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:21,448 Someone gave her this adorable little boy 257 00:13:21,551 --> 00:13:23,275 and he belonged to her. 258 00:13:23,379 --> 00:13:24,896 -I always tried to be in charge, 259 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:26,862 but she wouldn't let that happen. 260 00:13:26,965 --> 00:13:28,034 Yeah. It's me. 261 00:13:28,137 --> 00:13:29,448 Anybody that called the house, 262 00:13:29,551 --> 00:13:31,241 they had to go through Joanna first. 263 00:13:31,344 --> 00:13:33,310 "And you want to talk to my brother why?" 264 00:13:33,413 --> 00:13:35,275 She protected me a lot. 265 00:13:36,689 --> 00:13:38,241 We were the perfect team. 266 00:13:40,620 --> 00:13:42,931 -Mark Lewis, the son of a local preacher, 267 00:13:43,034 --> 00:13:45,551 was Joanna's first boyfriend. 268 00:13:45,655 --> 00:13:49,206 At the start, Joe didn't think he had anything to worry about. 269 00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:55,241 -The first maybe 6 to 8 months, she seemed really happy. 270 00:13:55,344 --> 00:13:57,068 -But after the abuse began, 271 00:13:57,172 --> 00:14:00,000 Joe confronted Mark more than once. 272 00:14:00,103 --> 00:14:02,137 -After physically going after him, 273 00:14:02,241 --> 00:14:04,344 him then taking it out on her, 274 00:14:04,448 --> 00:14:07,068 I had to back off a little bit from my sister. 275 00:14:07,172 --> 00:14:09,448 I had been screaming at her for so long. 276 00:14:10,517 --> 00:14:12,241 Two years straight. 277 00:14:12,344 --> 00:14:15,620 "I hate this guy. Leave this guy. Please stop." 278 00:14:15,724 --> 00:14:18,000 I thought, "I'm gonna lose her for good. 279 00:14:18,103 --> 00:14:19,413 So, I'm just gonna listen." 280 00:14:21,517 --> 00:14:25,517 And then, I really got the deep, deep, deep, dark secrets 281 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:27,689 that she wasn't even telling my parents. 282 00:14:27,793 --> 00:14:30,448 -And Joanna showed him her wounds. 283 00:14:30,551 --> 00:14:32,724 -She finally showed me 284 00:14:32,827 --> 00:14:35,206 the massive indentations 285 00:14:35,310 --> 00:14:37,724 from him strangling her. 286 00:14:37,827 --> 00:14:42,586 You could just see clearly each outline of each finger. 287 00:14:42,689 --> 00:14:45,206 -Mark had grown more powerful and influential 288 00:14:45,310 --> 00:14:47,482 at the Fellowship Baptist Church. 289 00:14:47,586 --> 00:14:49,931 He was on his way to becoming pastor. 290 00:14:50,034 --> 00:14:51,965 -I'm just getting you ready for heaven. 291 00:14:52,068 --> 00:14:53,586 -After they married, 292 00:14:53,689 --> 00:14:57,206 Patricia says she went to Mark with her fears. 293 00:14:57,310 --> 00:15:00,758 -And I said to him, "How do I know in this moment 294 00:15:00,862 --> 00:15:03,551 that you will never lay a hand on her again?" 295 00:15:03,655 --> 00:15:05,379 And I'll never forget, 296 00:15:05,482 --> 00:15:09,448 he kind of sneered, half smile, 297 00:15:09,551 --> 00:15:11,689 and he looked at me, and he said... 298 00:15:14,482 --> 00:15:17,655 "When she's a better woman and a better Christian, 299 00:15:17,758 --> 00:15:19,689 you won't have to worry about that." 300 00:15:21,034 --> 00:15:22,620 -My sister started saying comments 301 00:15:22,724 --> 00:15:24,413 that he would make to her like, "Hey..." 302 00:15:27,551 --> 00:15:29,758 We can help save you. 303 00:15:29,862 --> 00:15:33,068 Because you're half black, 304 00:15:33,172 --> 00:15:36,275 we can help fix that through religion. 305 00:15:36,379 --> 00:15:39,793 Because of your hair and the way you look, 306 00:15:39,896 --> 00:15:42,206 we can fix that with religion." 307 00:15:42,310 --> 00:15:45,482 And you just think, how dare you? 308 00:15:46,793 --> 00:15:50,310 -Pastor Lewis, to hear former church members tell it, 309 00:15:50,413 --> 00:15:53,827 was a commanding and a demanding presence. 310 00:15:53,931 --> 00:15:55,448 -I know what this Bible says. 311 00:15:55,551 --> 00:15:57,034 -With fiery sermons... 312 00:15:57,137 --> 00:15:59,413 -Fall down and worship! 313 00:15:59,517 --> 00:16:01,931 -...and an insistence on loyalty. 314 00:16:02,034 --> 00:16:03,896 -All Satan has to do is give you a question. 315 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,344 -Very energetic. Get up there and screaming and sweating. 316 00:16:07,448 --> 00:16:09,379 -Amen. -That was his style. 317 00:16:10,620 --> 00:16:13,241 -Jacob Cantrell became a deacon there. 318 00:16:13,344 --> 00:16:14,896 -I looked up to him. 319 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:16,551 He was a mentor. 320 00:16:16,655 --> 00:16:20,206 Only to find out that I was a pawn. 321 00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:21,931 -In hindsight, Jacob says, 322 00:16:22,034 --> 00:16:25,620 Pastor Lewis had too much control over him. 323 00:16:25,724 --> 00:16:28,275 -I couldn't go to my mom and dad's house 324 00:16:28,379 --> 00:16:31,137 without asking Mark permission. 325 00:16:31,241 --> 00:16:33,689 I was brainwashed. 326 00:16:33,793 --> 00:16:38,344 He manipulated me for many years and it... 327 00:16:38,448 --> 00:16:40,103 it twisted my brain up. 328 00:16:40,206 --> 00:16:41,896 -There's no accidents with God. 329 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,000 -He can talk his way out of anything, 330 00:16:46,241 --> 00:16:49,068 including Miss Joanna's death. 331 00:16:49,172 --> 00:16:50,413 -Now, you feel that way. 332 00:16:50,517 --> 00:16:51,827 -Now, I feel that way. 333 00:16:51,931 --> 00:16:53,413 -I came to the conclusion 334 00:16:53,517 --> 00:16:55,482 that it was probably the closest thing to a cult 335 00:16:55,586 --> 00:16:57,689 that I had ever experienced. 336 00:16:57,793 --> 00:17:00,448 -And he was the leader. -The leader. 337 00:17:00,551 --> 00:17:02,103 -Darryl Snedaker was a deputy 338 00:17:02,206 --> 00:17:04,241 in the Solano County Sheriff's Department 339 00:17:04,344 --> 00:17:08,482 and a member of the church at the time of Joanna's death. 340 00:17:08,586 --> 00:17:11,619 He wasn't involved in the investigation back then. 341 00:17:11,723 --> 00:17:14,413 At the church, he says, it didn't take long 342 00:17:14,517 --> 00:17:18,964 for him to lose all faith in the place and the pastor. 343 00:17:19,068 --> 00:17:20,964 Was there a fear then 344 00:17:21,068 --> 00:17:23,205 amongst the people who attended the church? 345 00:17:23,310 --> 00:17:25,448 Did they fear Mark Lewis? 346 00:17:25,550 --> 00:17:29,068 -I think the people that were his puppets, 347 00:17:29,172 --> 00:17:31,758 I think they acted out of fear a lot. 348 00:17:31,862 --> 00:17:33,586 -You did whatever he asked then. 349 00:17:33,689 --> 00:17:34,827 -Unfortunately. 350 00:17:34,931 --> 00:17:36,034 You don't question him. 351 00:17:36,137 --> 00:17:37,896 -It's important that you listen up! 352 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,448 -You don't question him. 353 00:17:39,551 --> 00:17:40,896 -What would you do if you caused your pastor to quit 354 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,379 because you wouldn't obey? 355 00:17:42,482 --> 00:17:43,758 What would you do if you caused your Sunday school teacher 356 00:17:43,862 --> 00:17:45,068 to quit because you wouldn't obey? 357 00:17:45,172 --> 00:17:48,000 -It's disheartening. It's shocking. 358 00:17:49,827 --> 00:17:53,103 -Joe already knew Mark Lewis all too well, 359 00:17:53,206 --> 00:17:55,034 and the years after Joanna's death 360 00:17:55,137 --> 00:17:58,034 were filled with anguish and frustration. 361 00:17:58,137 --> 00:18:00,586 -No one was listening to us. No one was believing this. 362 00:18:00,689 --> 00:18:02,379 -There were still so many questions 363 00:18:02,482 --> 00:18:04,482 about what happened that night. 364 00:18:04,586 --> 00:18:08,931 Why didn't Mark cut Joanna down or try to administer CPR? 365 00:18:09,034 --> 00:18:11,551 And Joe found it particularly hard to believe 366 00:18:11,655 --> 00:18:13,862 Lewis was actually playing basketball 367 00:18:13,965 --> 00:18:16,482 for six straight hours. 368 00:18:16,586 --> 00:18:19,413 -You never went inside to use the restroom? 369 00:18:19,517 --> 00:18:20,758 Get a glass of water? 370 00:18:20,862 --> 00:18:23,758 Playing basketball for this obscene amount of time 371 00:18:23,862 --> 00:18:25,620 is absurd to me. 372 00:18:25,724 --> 00:18:27,827 -But all their attempts to get the sheriff's office 373 00:18:27,931 --> 00:18:30,137 to take another look at Mark Lewis 374 00:18:30,241 --> 00:18:32,000 were getting no results... 375 00:18:33,241 --> 00:18:36,172 until Patricia got a knock on the door. 376 00:18:36,275 --> 00:18:38,551 -It was a reporter 377 00:18:38,655 --> 00:18:44,896 asking if we had heard about what had happened with him. 378 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,724 I had no idea what he was talking about. 379 00:18:46,827 --> 00:18:48,724 -It was 2014. 380 00:18:48,827 --> 00:18:52,482 Joanna had been dead a little more than two years. 381 00:18:52,586 --> 00:18:54,965 Pastor Mark Lewis had been arrested, 382 00:18:55,068 --> 00:18:59,034 accused of violence against another woman. 383 00:18:59,137 --> 00:19:00,931 Do you feel lucky to be alive? 384 00:19:01,034 --> 00:19:01,931 -Oh, yeah. 385 00:19:02,034 --> 00:19:05,827 ♪♪ 386 00:19:09,758 --> 00:19:14,724 ♪♪ 387 00:19:14,827 --> 00:19:17,724 -On that crisp fall day in 2011, 388 00:19:17,827 --> 00:19:21,206 when pastor Mark Lewis said he found his wife dead, 389 00:19:21,310 --> 00:19:23,620 he never called Joanna's family. 390 00:19:23,724 --> 00:19:26,655 He didcall Sarah Nottingham. 391 00:19:26,758 --> 00:19:28,344 -He had asked if I heard what happened. 392 00:19:28,448 --> 00:19:32,655 He sounded upset. He was crying. 393 00:19:32,758 --> 00:19:36,137 -At the time, Sarah says, she believed in her pastor. 394 00:19:36,241 --> 00:19:39,068 Joanna had died by suicide. 395 00:19:39,172 --> 00:19:41,965 Sarah says she and Lewis became friends, 396 00:19:42,068 --> 00:19:45,793 then began dating about a year after Joanna's death. 397 00:19:45,896 --> 00:19:48,310 -At first, it was somewhat exciting, 398 00:19:48,413 --> 00:19:50,965 thinking that I'm seeing a side of this person 399 00:19:51,068 --> 00:19:52,551 that no one else is seeing. 400 00:19:52,655 --> 00:19:54,482 -Eventually, Sarah says, 401 00:19:54,586 --> 00:19:58,172 another side of Mark Lewis began to emerge. 402 00:19:58,275 --> 00:20:01,000 -A lot of extreme manipulation, 403 00:20:01,103 --> 00:20:03,655 a lot of gaslighting, and... 404 00:20:04,724 --> 00:20:06,896 a lot of verbal abuse. 405 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,724 Um, some physical. 406 00:20:09,827 --> 00:20:11,827 A push or a shove. 407 00:20:11,931 --> 00:20:13,793 And it was just more and more. 408 00:20:14,793 --> 00:20:16,655 -And then, she says she discovered 409 00:20:16,758 --> 00:20:20,655 that Mark Lewis had been sending inappropriate text messages 410 00:20:20,758 --> 00:20:22,689 to an underage girl. 411 00:20:22,793 --> 00:20:24,448 -You know, I'm just like, "I've had enough." 412 00:20:24,551 --> 00:20:26,206 Like, I'm done. 413 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:28,655 And he said, "I'm not ready for it to be over." 414 00:20:28,758 --> 00:20:30,241 I would just keep telling him, you know, 415 00:20:30,344 --> 00:20:32,793 "This is...it's over. We're done." 416 00:20:32,896 --> 00:20:34,793 -Mark grabbed her, she says, 417 00:20:34,896 --> 00:20:38,172 and tightly wrapped his arms around her. 418 00:20:38,275 --> 00:20:40,241 -It was meant to be threatening. 419 00:20:40,344 --> 00:20:42,103 He squeezed me tight and told me, 420 00:20:42,206 --> 00:20:43,517 "You've created a monster." 421 00:20:46,068 --> 00:20:47,896 -Sarah and her two young children 422 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,275 were living with her parents in Vacaville 423 00:20:50,379 --> 00:20:52,931 as the pastor's threats, she says, 424 00:20:53,034 --> 00:20:55,724 became more frequent and frightening. 425 00:20:55,827 --> 00:20:57,827 -The first time that my car was vandalized, 426 00:20:57,931 --> 00:20:59,931 it was actually parked here. 427 00:21:00,034 --> 00:21:02,758 He had either himself or had somebody 428 00:21:02,862 --> 00:21:05,827 smash my windshield in on my car. 429 00:21:05,931 --> 00:21:09,931 -Sarah was granted an order of protection against Mark Lewis, 430 00:21:10,034 --> 00:21:12,931 but it did not stop what happened next, 431 00:21:13,034 --> 00:21:17,068 in the early morning hours of January 9th, 2014. 432 00:21:17,172 --> 00:21:19,275 -It was 3-something in the morning, 433 00:21:19,379 --> 00:21:22,034 and I woke up to... 434 00:21:24,137 --> 00:21:26,965 our fire alarm going off 435 00:21:27,068 --> 00:21:30,310 and there was smoke filling the hallway, 436 00:21:30,413 --> 00:21:32,551 and I checked on my kids. 437 00:21:32,655 --> 00:21:33,965 -A Molotov cocktail 438 00:21:34,068 --> 00:21:36,965 had crashed through her parents' bedroom window. 439 00:21:37,068 --> 00:21:39,931 -We were able to put the fire out ourselves. 440 00:21:40,034 --> 00:21:44,034 I'd never seen my dad run so fast out the door, um... 441 00:21:44,137 --> 00:21:46,034 trying to see if he could see anybody. 442 00:21:47,068 --> 00:21:50,896 -Vacaville police pulled over a U-Haul van within minutes, 443 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,172 arresting the driver and two passengers. 444 00:21:54,275 --> 00:21:56,379 The trio quickly confessed, 445 00:21:56,482 --> 00:21:58,586 telling police they were hired 446 00:21:58,689 --> 00:22:01,724 to firebomb Sara Nottingham's house. 447 00:22:01,827 --> 00:22:05,000 Hired by the pastor, Mark Lewis. 448 00:22:05,103 --> 00:22:07,655 He was questioned by local reporters. 449 00:22:07,758 --> 00:22:10,862 -I never -- I never gave them any money...to do anything bad. 450 00:22:11,862 --> 00:22:13,758 -Pastor Lewis was arrested, 451 00:22:13,862 --> 00:22:17,793 charged with arson, conspiracy, and stalking. 452 00:22:17,896 --> 00:22:19,862 -A lot of people are gonna throw accusations out there, but... 453 00:22:19,965 --> 00:22:21,379 until the facts come out, why don't we just wait, 454 00:22:21,482 --> 00:22:23,103 and see how that goes, and let the court decide? 455 00:22:25,586 --> 00:22:27,034 -I'm living in a nightmare. 456 00:22:27,137 --> 00:22:30,000 My kids are so scared. 457 00:22:30,103 --> 00:22:34,068 My...my son knows that this is a pastor, 458 00:22:34,172 --> 00:22:35,689 his previous pastor, 459 00:22:35,793 --> 00:22:39,103 that is threatening his mommy and his family. 460 00:22:40,241 --> 00:22:42,344 -What do you think you and your family 461 00:22:42,448 --> 00:22:44,172 survived at that time? 462 00:22:44,275 --> 00:22:45,862 -Ultimately, death. 463 00:22:45,965 --> 00:22:48,413 When the police came into the house, 464 00:22:48,517 --> 00:22:51,758 one of them said, "This is attempted murder." 465 00:22:51,862 --> 00:22:55,793 And that's exactly what it was, nothing less. 466 00:22:55,896 --> 00:22:58,241 -Surviving the attack, Sarah says, 467 00:22:58,344 --> 00:23:01,862 helped answer a lingering question about Joanna. 468 00:23:01,965 --> 00:23:04,103 -How do you see her death? 469 00:23:04,206 --> 00:23:05,379 -By him. 470 00:23:05,482 --> 00:23:07,724 There's just not a doubt in my mind. 471 00:23:09,310 --> 00:23:11,068 -The point is this -- if you saw Jesus, 472 00:23:11,172 --> 00:23:14,275 number one, you would fall to your face! 473 00:23:14,379 --> 00:23:16,241 -By January 2015, 474 00:23:16,344 --> 00:23:19,137 pastor Mark Lewis's thundering sermons 475 00:23:19,241 --> 00:23:21,689 that echoed in the Fellowship Baptist Church 476 00:23:21,793 --> 00:23:23,655 were a distant memory 477 00:23:23,758 --> 00:23:27,862 as Lewis sat silently in a Solano County courtroom. 478 00:23:27,965 --> 00:23:31,793 His trial had begun for stalking Sarah Nottingham 479 00:23:31,896 --> 00:23:35,482 and hiring people to firebomb her parents' home. 480 00:23:35,586 --> 00:23:40,068 -I hear about the arson charge, I hear about the stalking, 481 00:23:40,172 --> 00:23:42,896 but I also feel that he needs to be convicted 482 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:44,448 for what he did to my sister. 483 00:23:45,965 --> 00:23:49,275 -On day three of Mark Lewis's arson and stalking trial, 484 00:23:49,379 --> 00:23:53,758 he changed his plea from not guilty to no contest, 485 00:23:53,862 --> 00:23:57,586 meaning he would not dispute the charges against him, 486 00:23:57,689 --> 00:24:00,965 but also would not acknowledge guilt. 487 00:24:01,068 --> 00:24:04,275 Lewis was sentenced to 8 years in prison. 488 00:24:04,379 --> 00:24:08,413 How important was that development then, 489 00:24:08,517 --> 00:24:11,655 in allowing you to then go back to the sheriff's office 490 00:24:11,758 --> 00:24:14,655 and demand that they reopen the case? 491 00:24:14,758 --> 00:24:16,896 -It was huge because there was... 492 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,413 It isn't often that you read about a pastor... 493 00:24:20,517 --> 00:24:23,034 hiring people to firebomb someone's house. 494 00:24:23,137 --> 00:24:25,241 Because of media pressure, 495 00:24:25,344 --> 00:24:30,517 we felt that now is the time where we can go back and say, 496 00:24:30,620 --> 00:24:32,827 "Look at Joanna's case. 497 00:24:33,896 --> 00:24:35,827 Reopen it." 498 00:24:35,931 --> 00:24:37,620 -The Solano County Sheriff's Office 499 00:24:37,724 --> 00:24:40,724 did reopen the case in 2014. 500 00:24:40,827 --> 00:24:43,068 Remember the churchgoer who called 911 501 00:24:43,172 --> 00:24:44,758 the night Joanna died? 502 00:24:44,862 --> 00:24:47,172 His name is Andrew Alvarado. 503 00:24:47,275 --> 00:24:50,517 Back then, he told authorities he had played basketball 504 00:24:50,620 --> 00:24:54,000 with pastor Mark Lewis for about six hours. 505 00:24:54,103 --> 00:24:56,517 Detectives decided to re-interview him 506 00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,206 and recorded the call. 507 00:25:03,413 --> 00:25:06,931 This time, investigators learned a new detail. 508 00:25:11,586 --> 00:25:13,931 He had actually left the church grounds 509 00:25:14,034 --> 00:25:15,275 during those six hours 510 00:25:15,379 --> 00:25:17,793 to drive the teenagers home, he says, 511 00:25:17,896 --> 00:25:21,689 and wasn't sure what the pastor was doing while he was gone. 512 00:25:21,793 --> 00:25:24,172 We repeatedly reached out to Alvarado, 513 00:25:24,275 --> 00:25:26,206 but never heard back. 514 00:25:26,310 --> 00:25:29,655 So, there were gaps of time when he was not with Mark Lewis. 515 00:25:29,758 --> 00:25:32,241 -Right. That still does not change the fact 516 00:25:32,344 --> 00:25:34,379 that a lack of evidence on her body 517 00:25:34,482 --> 00:25:37,068 does not show a second person involved in her death. 518 00:25:37,172 --> 00:25:40,896 -Mark Lewis was not questioned during the re-investigation. 519 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,896 -He exercised his constitutional right 520 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,000 to have his attorney, who did not allow him to speak to us. 521 00:25:47,103 --> 00:25:49,586 -The sheriff's office had another forensic pathologist 522 00:25:49,689 --> 00:25:51,344 look at Joanna's case. 523 00:25:51,448 --> 00:25:55,965 Doctor Scott Luzi agreed with the original coroner -- suicide. 524 00:25:56,068 --> 00:25:58,172 The case was closed again. 525 00:25:58,275 --> 00:25:59,620 And then, in 2015, 526 00:25:59,724 --> 00:26:01,586 the county district attorney's office 527 00:26:01,689 --> 00:26:03,896 announced its own investigation, 528 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,379 which included DNA testing on Joanna's bathrobe sash. 529 00:26:08,482 --> 00:26:09,655 The results -- 530 00:26:09,758 --> 00:26:12,206 Her DNA was found on the sash, 531 00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:14,413 along with an unknown male, 532 00:26:14,517 --> 00:26:16,310 not Mark Lewis. 533 00:26:16,413 --> 00:26:19,241 Was anything done to investigate that further? 534 00:26:19,344 --> 00:26:22,172 Could it have been anybody else associated with Mark Lewis? 535 00:26:22,275 --> 00:26:24,724 -That DNA that was collected from there, 536 00:26:24,827 --> 00:26:27,896 my understanding is that it was entered into the DNA... 537 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,344 I believe it's called CODIS, the database. 538 00:26:30,448 --> 00:26:34,448 -CODIS is the FBI's criminal DNA database. 539 00:26:34,551 --> 00:26:36,379 -It did not come up with a hit. 540 00:26:36,482 --> 00:26:39,448 -Captain Harris says the anonymous male DNA 541 00:26:39,551 --> 00:26:41,758 has never been identified. 542 00:26:41,862 --> 00:26:44,172 -They should find out whose DNA is on that damn... 543 00:26:44,275 --> 00:26:45,482 on that robe. 544 00:26:46,551 --> 00:26:48,793 -Darryl Snedaker, former church member 545 00:26:48,896 --> 00:26:51,758 and retired Solano County deputy sheriff, 546 00:26:51,862 --> 00:26:53,655 says things were missed. 547 00:26:53,758 --> 00:26:55,241 -Based on what I know today, 548 00:26:55,344 --> 00:26:57,413 the totality of the circumstances, 549 00:26:57,517 --> 00:26:59,310 I think they did fail that family. 550 00:26:59,413 --> 00:27:02,655 And I think if they didn't follow up 551 00:27:02,758 --> 00:27:05,758 and find out whose male DNA is on that night robe, 552 00:27:05,862 --> 00:27:08,620 that's a catastrophic failure right there. 553 00:27:08,724 --> 00:27:11,517 -And a team of experts was about to come forward 554 00:27:11,620 --> 00:27:15,413 for the Hunter family, offering help and hope. 555 00:27:15,517 --> 00:27:17,862 d-This is a homicide, there is no question. 556 00:27:17,965 --> 00:27:22,482 ♪♪ 557 00:27:25,758 --> 00:27:29,655 ♪♪ 558 00:27:29,758 --> 00:27:30,793 [ Door lock beeps ] 559 00:27:31,724 --> 00:27:33,551 -This is Doctor Bill Smock. 560 00:27:33,655 --> 00:27:36,448 He is sure that Johanna was murdered 561 00:27:36,551 --> 00:27:38,793 and says he can prove it. 562 00:27:38,896 --> 00:27:41,034 -Every injury will tell you a story 563 00:27:41,137 --> 00:27:44,034 ifyou take the time to analyze it. 564 00:27:44,137 --> 00:27:46,551 -In 2023, Smock was hired 565 00:27:46,655 --> 00:27:48,827 by the Solano County Sheriff's Department 566 00:27:48,931 --> 00:27:50,344 to look at the case. 567 00:27:50,448 --> 00:27:53,068 He is a medical doctor who, by his count, 568 00:27:53,172 --> 00:27:55,413 has reviewed thousands of autopsies 569 00:27:55,517 --> 00:27:57,379 and examined forensic evidence 570 00:27:57,482 --> 00:28:00,103 for police departments across the country. 571 00:28:00,206 --> 00:28:02,275 -The state will call Dr. William Smock. 572 00:28:02,379 --> 00:28:06,793 -Smock also has been an expert witness in high-profile cases, 573 00:28:06,896 --> 00:28:09,344 including testifying against Derek Chauvin 574 00:28:09,448 --> 00:28:12,827 in the 2021 George Floyd murder trial. 575 00:28:12,931 --> 00:28:15,758 -What I've spent 40 years doing is analyzing injuries, 576 00:28:15,862 --> 00:28:18,275 reconstructing how injuries occur. 577 00:28:18,379 --> 00:28:20,482 -And where the Solano County Sheriff's Department 578 00:28:20,586 --> 00:28:24,620 saw a bathrobe sash, a note, and a suicide, 579 00:28:24,724 --> 00:28:28,413 Smock saw something else, something new. 580 00:28:28,517 --> 00:28:31,862 -There was a braided nylon marine rope 581 00:28:31,965 --> 00:28:34,068 three feet from Joanna. 582 00:28:34,172 --> 00:28:37,275 The murder weapon was there in the room with Joanna. 583 00:28:37,379 --> 00:28:40,275 When you look at the photos of the mark 584 00:28:40,379 --> 00:28:41,827 that was created on her neck, 585 00:28:41,931 --> 00:28:44,689 the only thing in that closet that could have created that 586 00:28:44,793 --> 00:28:46,517 was the marine rope. 587 00:28:46,620 --> 00:28:48,103 -But because he was required 588 00:28:48,206 --> 00:28:50,344 to sign a non-disclosure agreement, 589 00:28:50,448 --> 00:28:52,931 no one outside the sheriff's office 590 00:28:53,034 --> 00:28:55,068 saw Smock's report. 591 00:28:55,172 --> 00:28:56,482 -I could not talk to the family. 592 00:28:56,586 --> 00:29:00,241 I could only talk to the lieutenant at Solano County 593 00:29:00,344 --> 00:29:02,137 regarding my findings. 594 00:29:02,241 --> 00:29:05,379 -Here was everything the Hunters had been looking for. 595 00:29:05,482 --> 00:29:08,482 But they did not even know the rope existed 596 00:29:08,586 --> 00:29:11,689 or how Smock made his determination. 597 00:29:11,793 --> 00:29:14,965 Smock was eventually released from the NDA 598 00:29:15,068 --> 00:29:19,551 and was able to show us using mannequins and red paint. 599 00:29:19,655 --> 00:29:23,965 Smock says Joanna's neck had two different ligature marks. 600 00:29:24,068 --> 00:29:28,206 One is from the sash and one is from the marine rope. 601 00:29:28,310 --> 00:29:30,000 -We're going to apply the rope 602 00:29:30,103 --> 00:29:33,551 and see what type of imprint it creates. 603 00:29:33,655 --> 00:29:35,275 You'll notice along the edge 604 00:29:35,379 --> 00:29:38,931 that there is a distinct fabric imprint, 605 00:29:39,034 --> 00:29:42,482 which is the type of fabric imprint we saw on Joanna's neck. 606 00:29:42,586 --> 00:29:44,482 -Here is the autopsy photo, 607 00:29:44,586 --> 00:29:48,344 which we are showing you with the family's permission. 608 00:29:48,448 --> 00:29:50,310 -She was dead... -When the bathrobe... 609 00:29:50,413 --> 00:29:52,862 -...when the bathrobe sash was applied to her neck. 610 00:29:52,965 --> 00:29:55,379 Joanna's scene was staged. 611 00:29:55,482 --> 00:29:57,000 She was killed with the rope, 612 00:29:57,103 --> 00:29:59,724 and then, to make it look like a suicide, 613 00:29:59,827 --> 00:30:02,862 she was hung up by the bathrobe sash 614 00:30:02,965 --> 00:30:04,689 after she was already dead. 615 00:30:06,137 --> 00:30:08,482 -Domestic violence homicides 616 00:30:08,586 --> 00:30:13,275 are the number one staged murders in America. 617 00:30:13,379 --> 00:30:15,793 -Casey Gwinn was sure Joanna's case 618 00:30:15,896 --> 00:30:18,862 was what he calls a hidden homicide. 619 00:30:18,965 --> 00:30:20,758 He and Gael Strack are the co-founders 620 00:30:20,862 --> 00:30:23,137 of Alliance for Hope International, 621 00:30:23,241 --> 00:30:26,586 an advocacy group for survivors of domestic violence 622 00:30:26,689 --> 00:30:28,310 and their families. 623 00:30:28,413 --> 00:30:31,172 d-If you kill a total stranger, nobody knows who you are. 624 00:30:31,275 --> 00:30:33,896 But if you kill your wife or you kill your girlfriend, 625 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,344 everybody's going to be looking at you as a suspect. 626 00:30:36,448 --> 00:30:39,689 You have to make it look like something else. 627 00:30:39,793 --> 00:30:41,655 -When they took up the Hunters' cause, 628 00:30:41,758 --> 00:30:45,103 they believed that Joanna's history of neck injuries 629 00:30:45,206 --> 00:30:48,517 told them they were looking at a strangulation. 630 00:30:48,620 --> 00:30:50,965 -The fact is that if you strangle a woman 631 00:30:51,068 --> 00:30:53,068 one time in an intimate relationship, 632 00:30:53,172 --> 00:30:57,344 she's 750% more likely to be killed by you. 633 00:30:57,448 --> 00:30:59,965 -Smock, who works for Alliance for Hope, 634 00:31:00,068 --> 00:31:02,103 confirmed their suspicion. 635 00:31:02,931 --> 00:31:06,103 But when the sheriff's office agreed to hire Dr. Smock, 636 00:31:06,206 --> 00:31:08,931 it also commissioned another review, 637 00:31:09,034 --> 00:31:11,448 this one by Doctor Brian Peterson, 638 00:31:11,551 --> 00:31:13,586 a pathologist and former president 639 00:31:13,689 --> 00:31:16,931 of the National Association of Medical Examiners. 640 00:31:17,034 --> 00:31:19,896 He disputed Smock's findings. 641 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,310 "I see neither injuries nor toxicology findings 642 00:31:23,413 --> 00:31:27,241 that would support the physical involvement of another person," 643 00:31:27,344 --> 00:31:28,862 the report said. 644 00:31:28,965 --> 00:31:30,724 And after hiring Smock... 645 00:31:30,827 --> 00:31:32,000 -Especially in hindsight, 646 00:31:32,103 --> 00:31:34,137 I completely disagree with qualifications. 647 00:31:34,241 --> 00:31:36,482 -The sheriff's office took issue with the fact 648 00:31:36,586 --> 00:31:39,827 that Dr. Smock is not a forensic pathologist. 649 00:31:40,758 --> 00:31:43,724 Harris also took issue with Smock's methods. 650 00:31:44,517 --> 00:31:47,620 -This is not someone who has their body weight hanging. 651 00:31:47,724 --> 00:31:50,172 This is simply draped over a mannequin. 652 00:31:50,275 --> 00:31:52,517 That is not how she was killed. 653 00:31:52,620 --> 00:31:55,517 -Smock sent us his contract with the sheriff's office, 654 00:31:55,620 --> 00:31:57,724 which requested his opinion 655 00:31:57,827 --> 00:32:00,275 as to the cause and manner of her death. 656 00:32:00,379 --> 00:32:04,275 He also told us the sheriff's position was disingenuous 657 00:32:04,379 --> 00:32:08,413 because "I didn't agree with what they wanted me to say." 658 00:32:08,517 --> 00:32:10,344 So, Bill Smock's report, 659 00:32:10,448 --> 00:32:11,862 are you completely discounting 660 00:32:11,965 --> 00:32:13,827 everything that he reports in it? 661 00:32:13,931 --> 00:32:17,551 -I'm disputing his conclusion that it was a homicide. 662 00:32:17,655 --> 00:32:20,896 -And so, what Dr. Smock called the murder weapon 663 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,206 was never examined. 664 00:32:23,310 --> 00:32:24,413 Well, where is the rope? 665 00:32:24,517 --> 00:32:26,344 -I don't have the rope, I don't know. 666 00:32:26,448 --> 00:32:28,517 -It wasn't tested. -We also don't have every electrical cord that was there. 667 00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:29,862 We didn't go through the garage 668 00:32:29,965 --> 00:32:31,413 to look for absolutely everything. 669 00:32:31,517 --> 00:32:33,034 -What was missed? 670 00:32:33,137 --> 00:32:34,689 What about the history of domestic abuse? 671 00:32:34,793 --> 00:32:36,103 Was that missed? 672 00:32:36,206 --> 00:32:37,862 -I don't think it was missed. 673 00:32:37,965 --> 00:32:40,379 -Because three different forensic pathologists 674 00:32:40,482 --> 00:32:42,310 and three separate reviews, 675 00:32:42,413 --> 00:32:45,931 starting with the original coroner's report in 2011, 676 00:32:46,034 --> 00:32:48,724 the 2014 re-investigation, 677 00:32:48,827 --> 00:32:52,103 and Dr. Peterson in 2024, 678 00:32:52,206 --> 00:32:54,344 all found suicide, 679 00:32:54,448 --> 00:32:56,344 Captain Harris maintains that, 680 00:32:56,448 --> 00:32:58,689 even if they hadinitially taken 681 00:32:58,793 --> 00:33:01,068 the domestic violence into account, 682 00:33:01,172 --> 00:33:03,275 nothing would have changed. 683 00:33:03,379 --> 00:33:05,896 -And other than creating a hypothetical situation 684 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:07,965 that Mark murdered her, 685 00:33:08,068 --> 00:33:10,517 there is no evidence to support that. 686 00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:13,517 The prior incidents of domestic violence, 687 00:33:13,620 --> 00:33:15,620 those were -- I'm... 688 00:33:15,724 --> 00:33:18,586 those were not considered at the time of the death, you're right. 689 00:33:18,689 --> 00:33:22,586 But that doesn't mean that they were the cause of death. 690 00:33:22,689 --> 00:33:24,448 -Knowing all that you know now, though, 691 00:33:24,551 --> 00:33:27,758 you said you would have called Mark Lewis's past into question, 692 00:33:27,862 --> 00:33:29,241 and you would have investigated it differently. 693 00:33:29,344 --> 00:33:32,413 -If I could rewind knowing what I know now about Mark Lewis, 694 00:33:32,517 --> 00:33:34,344 yes, this would be a totally different investigation, 695 00:33:34,448 --> 00:33:35,620 knowing now. 696 00:33:35,724 --> 00:33:37,758 -But there is no rewinding, says Harris. 697 00:33:37,862 --> 00:33:39,896 So, is this still an open case now? 698 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,000 -No, i's closed. 699 00:33:42,931 --> 00:33:46,034 -Gael and Casey's experience with Joanna's case 700 00:33:46,137 --> 00:33:49,068 led them to create a checklist of 10 factors 701 00:33:49,172 --> 00:33:51,827 to be considered by law enforcement. 702 00:33:51,931 --> 00:33:54,517 They had begun drafting a new law, 703 00:33:54,620 --> 00:33:56,724 a law that included the red flags 704 00:33:56,827 --> 00:33:59,068 that could signal a homicide. 705 00:33:59,172 --> 00:34:00,482 Among them... 706 00:34:00,586 --> 00:34:04,241 -The first one is someone dies prematurely. 707 00:34:04,344 --> 00:34:06,724 Well, Joanna was 36 years old. 708 00:34:06,827 --> 00:34:11,206 The second one, the scene looked like a suicide or an accident. 709 00:34:11,310 --> 00:34:13,241 Prior history of domestic violence, 710 00:34:13,344 --> 00:34:15,688 prior history of strangulation. 711 00:34:15,793 --> 00:34:19,206 The partner is the last person to see the victim alive. 712 00:34:19,310 --> 00:34:23,172 -We've never had a case with all 10 that wasn't a homicide. 713 00:34:23,275 --> 00:34:26,275 Joanna Hunter had all 10 factors. 714 00:34:26,379 --> 00:34:29,137 -Mark Lewis has not been charged with any crime 715 00:34:29,241 --> 00:34:31,241 relating to the death of Joanna. 716 00:34:31,344 --> 00:34:33,000 After serving 5 years 717 00:34:33,103 --> 00:34:35,516 for the firebombing of Sarah Nottingham's house, 718 00:34:35,620 --> 00:34:38,620 he was released on parole. 719 00:34:38,724 --> 00:34:40,931 He currently lives in Arizona, 720 00:34:41,034 --> 00:34:43,516 works for a plumbing and drain cleaning company, 721 00:34:43,620 --> 00:34:45,206 and has married again. 722 00:34:45,310 --> 00:34:48,068 "48 Hours" tried to reach Lewis repeatedly 723 00:34:48,172 --> 00:34:50,757 and received no response. 724 00:34:50,862 --> 00:34:53,413 The microphone is here, powering on. 725 00:34:53,516 --> 00:34:56,275 So, after suiting up with hidden cameras, 726 00:34:56,379 --> 00:34:58,448 we decided to go in person. 727 00:35:08,620 --> 00:35:11,689 -It is our earnest intention that, one day, 728 00:35:11,793 --> 00:35:14,724 pastor Mark Lewis will be charged with first-degree murder 729 00:35:14,827 --> 00:35:16,379 in the death of Joanna Hunter. 730 00:35:16,482 --> 00:35:17,482 -Okay, we're going out. 731 00:35:21,793 --> 00:35:23,793 With hidden cameras rolling, 732 00:35:23,896 --> 00:35:26,034 there was Mark Lewis. 733 00:35:28,931 --> 00:35:30,793 [ Dog barking ] Mark Lewis? Hi. 734 00:35:30,896 --> 00:35:32,689 I'm Natalie Morales with "48 Hours." 735 00:35:32,793 --> 00:35:35,103 We've been trying to reach you. -Oh, no, it's all good. 736 00:35:35,206 --> 00:35:37,758 -We've sent you a couple of letters and correspondence. 737 00:35:37,862 --> 00:35:39,758 It's okay, puppy. Hi! 738 00:35:39,862 --> 00:35:40,896 -Come on, let's go, let's go. 739 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:42,482 -Would you be willing to speak with us 740 00:35:42,586 --> 00:35:43,689 on camera, sir? -No. 741 00:35:43,793 --> 00:35:45,172 -Did you have anything to do 742 00:35:45,275 --> 00:35:47,793 with your late wife, Joanna Hunter's death? 743 00:35:47,896 --> 00:35:49,413 Mark Lewis? -Hey, Mark. 744 00:35:49,517 --> 00:35:51,103 -Mark, please. If you would just give us -- 745 00:35:51,206 --> 00:35:53,620 Otherwi-- We want your side of the story, Mark. 746 00:35:56,172 --> 00:35:59,517 People would really like to hear your side of the story. 747 00:35:59,620 --> 00:36:02,482 We've tried to reach you many ways. 748 00:36:02,586 --> 00:36:03,655 Hello, sir. 749 00:36:03,758 --> 00:36:05,758 With Lewis inside the house, 750 00:36:05,862 --> 00:36:08,655 we approached his father-in-law in the garage. 751 00:36:08,758 --> 00:36:10,586 I'm just wondering if you have any concerns 752 00:36:10,689 --> 00:36:12,344 about your daughter's own safety, 753 00:36:12,448 --> 00:36:15,689 given his past history with domestic violence. 754 00:36:20,137 --> 00:36:23,172 His late wife was found hanging to death. 755 00:36:25,551 --> 00:36:26,586 Yes. 756 00:36:27,931 --> 00:36:30,206 Did you know his late wife, Joanna Hunter? 757 00:36:31,482 --> 00:36:32,793 Did you go to the church? 758 00:36:34,793 --> 00:36:36,413 You did. 759 00:36:36,517 --> 00:36:38,275 I know this is a difficult... 760 00:36:38,379 --> 00:36:39,827 this is a difficult situation, 761 00:36:39,931 --> 00:36:41,551 but we just -- we want to make... 762 00:36:44,551 --> 00:36:47,206 I appreciate that, but I hope you understand 763 00:36:47,310 --> 00:36:48,655 there are a lot of questions still 764 00:36:48,758 --> 00:36:51,758 that the Hunter family would like to have answers to, 765 00:36:51,862 --> 00:36:53,724 and so I'm here simply doing my job, 766 00:36:53,827 --> 00:36:56,827 giving your son-in-law a chance to answer some questions. 767 00:37:03,103 --> 00:37:06,206 Mark Lewis was moving on with his new family, 768 00:37:06,310 --> 00:37:10,379 while his previous one was aching for answers. 769 00:37:10,482 --> 00:37:14,000 -For years, I was just trying to get to the next hour, 770 00:37:14,103 --> 00:37:15,275 to the next minute, 771 00:37:15,379 --> 00:37:18,379 because the pain was unbearable at times. 772 00:37:19,551 --> 00:37:21,275 It's finally happening. 773 00:37:21,379 --> 00:37:23,551 It's finally happening. -Yeah. 774 00:37:23,655 --> 00:37:26,413 -The Hunters, so accustomed to grief, 775 00:37:26,517 --> 00:37:31,413 were thrilled when Senate Bill 989, Joanna's Law, 776 00:37:31,517 --> 00:37:37,379 became California state law on January 1st, 2025, 777 00:37:37,482 --> 00:37:39,517 passing unanimously. 778 00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:43,517 -Joanna's law gave us a sense of... 779 00:37:43,620 --> 00:37:46,793 we've done something wonderful for Joanna. 780 00:37:46,896 --> 00:37:49,655 -Joanna's Law requires investigators 781 00:37:49,758 --> 00:37:51,965 responding to reported suicides, 782 00:37:52,068 --> 00:37:55,206 drug overdoses, or fatal accidents 783 00:37:55,310 --> 00:37:59,103 to check for a history of domestic violence. 784 00:37:59,206 --> 00:38:03,172 -And if there is a documented history of domestic violence, 785 00:38:03,275 --> 00:38:06,103 to assume that this is a suspicious death. 786 00:38:08,103 --> 00:38:11,724 -And that they treat that scene like a homicide. 787 00:38:11,827 --> 00:38:15,827 -Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack, who helped write Joanna's Law, 788 00:38:15,931 --> 00:38:18,275 are using her case to spotlight the connection 789 00:38:18,379 --> 00:38:22,448 between suspicious deaths and domestic violence. 790 00:38:22,551 --> 00:38:25,517 -We have people from all over the country here in this room. 791 00:38:25,620 --> 00:38:27,034 -At this conference in Denver, 792 00:38:27,137 --> 00:38:29,586 they're guiding law enforcement officers 793 00:38:29,689 --> 00:38:33,413 on how to identify those 10 red flags... 794 00:38:33,517 --> 00:38:34,862 -Look for evidence. 795 00:38:34,965 --> 00:38:37,931 -...that could reveal hidden homicides. 796 00:38:38,034 --> 00:38:39,655 -How many of you believe 797 00:38:39,758 --> 00:38:41,310 that this case should have a complete, 798 00:38:41,413 --> 00:38:43,103 independent homicide investigation? 799 00:38:43,206 --> 00:38:44,241 Raise your hand. 800 00:38:45,482 --> 00:38:48,586 -"48 Hours" has learned the California Department of Justice 801 00:38:48,689 --> 00:38:52,068 has agreed to review the Solano County DA's decision 802 00:38:52,172 --> 00:38:55,965 not to bring criminal charges related to Joanna's death. 803 00:38:56,068 --> 00:38:59,344 The Hunters hope that will move the case forward. 804 00:38:59,448 --> 00:39:00,655 -I look at it this way. 805 00:39:00,758 --> 00:39:02,793 Nothing can be kept in the dark forever. 806 00:39:02,896 --> 00:39:04,310 -Joe's wife, Kayte, 807 00:39:04,413 --> 00:39:07,034 is a sideline reporter for the Sacramento Kings 808 00:39:07,137 --> 00:39:09,896 and a former player in the WNBA. 809 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,827 She experienced domestic violence herself 810 00:39:12,931 --> 00:39:15,068 in a teenage relationship. 811 00:39:15,172 --> 00:39:18,275 -Have you talked to your daughter about domestic abuse? 812 00:39:18,379 --> 00:39:21,620 -In the most basic form, she's 6 right now. 813 00:39:21,724 --> 00:39:24,103 -Wait, Dad. That's just what I need. 814 00:39:24,206 --> 00:39:27,758 -But we talk to her about how you treat others 815 00:39:27,862 --> 00:39:29,172 and how you should be treated. 816 00:39:29,275 --> 00:39:31,206 And that will evolve over time. 817 00:39:31,310 --> 00:39:32,379 -Say hi to everybody, Jojo. 818 00:39:32,482 --> 00:39:34,206 -This is Joseph. -Hi! 819 00:39:34,310 --> 00:39:35,862 -But it's also conversations 820 00:39:35,965 --> 00:39:39,103 that we have with Jojo, with our son. 821 00:39:39,206 --> 00:39:40,758 Because... 822 00:39:40,862 --> 00:39:43,379 it is our responsibility to also teach him 823 00:39:43,482 --> 00:39:47,034 what is acceptable behavior and treatment of women, period. 824 00:39:49,517 --> 00:39:50,689 -I'm sorry... 825 00:39:52,827 --> 00:39:54,931 that I couldn't protect you from that monster. 826 00:39:58,827 --> 00:40:02,758 -Joe's tribute to Joanna on "Survivor" season 48... 827 00:40:02,862 --> 00:40:03,827 -I'm sorry. 828 00:40:03,931 --> 00:40:05,379 -...moved millions. 829 00:40:06,620 --> 00:40:10,413 This spring, he'll compete again in a landmark season 50 830 00:40:10,517 --> 00:40:12,241 to celebrate the game, 831 00:40:12,344 --> 00:40:16,344 which will also keep attention on his sister's case. 832 00:40:16,448 --> 00:40:17,862 -In advocating for his sister, 833 00:40:17,965 --> 00:40:20,655 he's advocating for other victims, other women. 834 00:40:20,758 --> 00:40:22,172 -Enter the shop. 835 00:40:22,275 --> 00:40:25,448 -And our daughter's gonna be so proud of it, our son. 836 00:40:27,172 --> 00:40:30,758 -And she gives us so much love. 837 00:40:30,862 --> 00:40:32,827 Every day, I feel it. 838 00:40:32,931 --> 00:40:34,827 I'm here to be her voice. 839 00:40:34,931 --> 00:40:36,413 -For as long as she's able, 840 00:40:36,517 --> 00:40:39,241 Patricia will tell Joanna's story, 841 00:40:39,344 --> 00:40:42,344 often at the Sacramento Family Justice Center, 842 00:40:42,448 --> 00:40:45,965 a resource for survivors of domestic violence. 843 00:40:46,068 --> 00:40:49,137 -Joanna was light. She was joy. 844 00:40:50,379 --> 00:40:52,206 -So, when we talk about her, 845 00:40:52,310 --> 00:40:54,275 I just try to light the room up with her. 846 00:40:55,758 --> 00:40:57,758 -They hope Joanna's Law -- 847 00:40:57,862 --> 00:40:59,689 and Joanna's light -- 848 00:40:59,793 --> 00:41:02,241 will help save lives 849 00:41:02,344 --> 00:41:06,931 and shine the way forward for survivors of domestic violence. 850 00:41:09,379 --> 00:41:13,413 -She fought from the beginning to her last breath. 851 00:41:13,517 --> 00:41:16,172 So, no matter how hard it gets, 852 00:41:16,275 --> 00:41:18,034 never give up. 853 00:41:19,758 --> 00:41:21,172 That's her legacy. 854 00:41:24,172 --> 00:41:25,344 I love you, sis. 855 00:41:25,448 --> 00:41:30,310 ♪♪ 856 00:41:30,793 --> 00:41:39,827 ♪♪