Survivor 48 Star Joe Hunter Alleges Sister Joanna Was Murdered, Calls For Justice
Survivor 48 contestant Joe Hunter is challenging the official account of his sister Joanna’s 2011 death, alleging she was murdered and laying out his case in a gripping 48 Hours deep dive into the 36-year-old’s final hours at her California home.
If you watched Survivor 48, you might remember Joe Hunter. He is back in the spotlight for something far heavier than island strategy: a new 48 Hours episode revisits the 2011 death of his sister, Joanna, and Joe is still convinced the official story is wrong.
What the 48 Hours episode digs into
Hosted by CBS reporter Natalie Morales, the latest 48 Hours looks at the death of 36-year-old Joanna, who was found at her home in California in 2011. Authorities ruled it a suicide after her husband, Mark Lewis, reported finding her body. Investigators also found a suicide note, and the case was not treated as a homicide from the start.
Joe Hunter is not buying that ruling
Hunter told 48 Hours he believes his brother-in-law killed Joanna and staged the scene. He does not dance around it:
"I know in my heart that Mark killed my sister and then he staged it to look like she hung herself. 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."
Lewis has denied killing his wife and has never been charged in connection with her death.
The uncomfortable history the family points to
According to Joanna's family, including Joe and their mother, they had longstanding concerns about domestic violence. They cite a 1996 case in which Lewis faced a domestic violence charge and was sentenced to 36 months in Solano County Jail.
Where the case stands now
Law enforcement has taken fresh looks at the case multiple times since 2011, but the official ruling has not changed: Joanna's death remains classified as a suicide.
Quick timeline
- 1996: The family points to a domestic violence case involving Mark Lewis that resulted in a 36-month sentence in Solano County Jail.
- 2011: Joanna, 36, is found dead at her California home. A suicide note is recovered; authorities rule her death a suicide and do not initially treat it as a homicide.
- Post-2011: Investigators reexamine the case multiple times, but the ruling stands.
- Afterward: Joe and his mother help push through Joanna's Law in California.
- Now: 48 Hours revisits the case in a new episode led by Natalie Morales.
What actually changed because of all this
Out of the family’s push came Joanna's Law in California. The law requires police to review 10 specific factors in any suspicious death where there is a history of domestic violence before closing an investigation. It is meant to slow things down and make sure potential red flags do not get waved away.
Hunter says he is still pushing for answers. Whether this new 48 Hours spotlight moves the needle with authorities is an open question, but it does give the case a louder megaphone than it has had in years.