FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Casey Gwinn, Founder
Alliance for HOPE International
619-980-2565
casey@allianceforhope.com

December 15, 2025
San Diego, CA

CBS aired a powerful 48 Hours episode titled “Joe Hunter’s Mission” on Saturday, examining the hidden homicide of Joanna Hunter, bringing renewed national attention to a tragic case that underscores the complexities of intimate partner violence, coercive control, and systems-level failures that too often leave victims and their families unseen, unsupported, and unprotected.

The episode explores the circumstances surrounding Joanna Hunter’s death and the broader patterns of abuse, manipulation, and coercive control that can mask lethal violence. By elevating this case, 48 Hours helps the public better understand how homicide can be concealed within dynamics of domestic abuse and why early warning signs are frequently missed when systems fail to work together.

“This episode is a stark reminder that homicide does not always look the way we expect it to,” said Catherine Johnson, President and CEO of Alliance for HOPE International. “It also demonstrates why coordinated, multidisciplinary responses through Family Justice Centers are essential to supporting individuals and families impacted by abuse.”

Gael Strack, Founder of Alliance for HOPE International, emphasized the critical role Family Justice Centers play in identifying hidden danger, coordinating expertise, and supporting families when traditional systems fall short.“

Alliance for HOPE International’s Justice Project is the national leader in reviewing suspicious death cases and training multidisciplinary professionals on Hidden Homicides, cases in which domestic abusers stage homicides to appear as suicides,” said Strack. “Our team first learned of Joanna’s case through our affiliated Family Justice Center in Sacramento, California, when Joanna’s mother and brother turned to the Family Justice Center feeling hopeless and lost after law enforcement in Solano County CA prematurely ruled her death a suicide.”

The Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center provided the Hunter family with trauma-informed homicide support and served as a trusted access point to coordinated advocacy, services, and expertise. Recognizing serious concerns surrounding Joanna’s death, the Center reached out to Alliance for HOPE International founders Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack for additional national-level support.

“Joanna Hunter’s story highlights the urgent need for Family Justice Centers and comprehensive training for professionals to understand the full scope of danger in domestic violence cases,” Strack added. “When systems work together, families are no longer left to navigate these crises alone.”

Strack’s efforts to bring national attention to suspicious death cases initially determined to be suicides are changing system responses nationwide, particularly in cases where there is a documented history of domestic violence between the victim and a current or former partner. Casey Gwinn, Founder of Alliance for HOPE International, co-leads training, policy development, and systems reform on this critical issue. Gael Strack researched and Casey Gwinn authored California Senate Bill (989), Joanna’s Law, which passed the Legislature with a unanimous vote and became law in 2025. Joanna’s Law is the first suspicious death statute of its kind in the nation, but the Alliance is advocating for similar statutes across the country. New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Oregon have all introduced similar legislation including the Justice Project’s Ten Red Flag Factors to be evaluated in all death cases of women with a prior history of domestic violence.

Together, Strack and Gwinn, along with a national faculty of trainers and advisors, launched the multidisciplinary Hidden Homicides course three years ago. The course, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice, equips law enforcement, prosecutors, medical professionals, social workers, advocates, and Family Justice Center partners with the tools needed to identify, investigate, and respond effectively to suspicious deaths connected to domestic violence.

Alliance for HOPE International emphasizes that cases like Joanna’s are not isolated. The Alliance estimates there are more than 1,000 hidden homicides in the U.S. each year. Across the country, survivors and their families face immense barriers to safety and justice when abuse is minimized, misunderstood, or fragmented across systems. Family Justice Centers are specifically designed to break down those silos by providing coordinated access to advocacy, law enforcement, legal services, and medical and social supports in one location.

The 48 Hours episode also calls attention to the importance of:

  • Cross-agency collaboration between law enforcement, courts, advocates, and medical professionals
  • Accountability and thorough investigations when deaths occur in the context of domestic violence

Gwinn emphasized the urgency of accountability and independent review. “Joe Hunter’s mission for justice for his sister is powerful and clearly highlighted in the 48 Hours episode,” said Gwinn. “Everyone who has independently reviewed Joanna’s death has concluded she was murdered—except for the Solano County Sheriff’s Department. We have had hundreds of professionals from across the country review the case, including FBI agents, death investigators, detectives, federal and state prosecutors, and medical professionals. Every independent review has concluded that Pastor Mark Lewis was involved in the murder of Joanna. We need an independent investigation to find justice for Joanna.”

“Public awareness matters,” Gwinn added. “We are grateful to 48 Hours for sharing Joanna’s story. When stories like Joanna’s are told with care and depth, they can save lives by prompting communities and professionals to act earlier, ask better questions, and fully utilize coordinated models like Family Justice Centers to protect survivors and their families.”

For more information about survivor-centered, coordinated responses to domestic violence and homicide prevention, visit allianceforhope.org.

About Alliance for HOPE International

Alliance for HOPE International is the leading national organization providing training, technical assistance, research, and support to communities and professionals serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. Alliance for HOPE International created and leads the Family Justice Center model, which brings together law enforcement, advocates, prosecutors, civil legal services, and social service providers in one location to improve survivor safety, hold offenders accountable, and prevent violence and homicide.