Natalie Morales delves into the ‘important’ story of Survivor’s Joe Hunter
Natalie Morales has been working in news for more than 25 years, but she believes the story of Survivor alum Joe Hunter and his sister, Joannais perhaps one of the most important true crime stories she has ever covered.
The story of Joe, 46, and Joanna is now the subject of an upcoming episode of 48 hourstitled “Joe Hunter’s Mission,” in which Morales, 53, is the lead correspondent.
“It’s really emotional,” she says We weekly exclusively. “I think this is probably one of the most important true crime stories I’ve ever done.”
Joanna died in 2011 at the age of 36 at her home in California, and police ruled it a suicide. At first glance there was every reason for it. Her husband, Mark Lewisclaimed to have found her body with no signs of a struggle and no evidence to suggest Joanna had committed suicide.
But Joe and his family never believed this had happened. Lewis had a history of domestic violence and inconsistencies soon emerged that cast doubt on investigators’ findings. The case has been reinvestigated several times since, but Joanna’s official cause of death has remained the same. Lewis, who denies killing her, has never been charged in connection with the case.
“[Joe] I was just talking about feeling like he was letting his sister down, he was [on Survivor] to be her voice,” said Morales, 53. “He was fighting for her, trying to do something to honor her memory, and really to bring attention and awareness to survivors of domestic violence and what they go through.”
The Hunter family has done more than just raise awareness, which is another reason why Morales became so passionate about the story. Joe and his mother, Patricia, led the charge to help pass Joanna’s Law in Californiawhich Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024.
The law requires law enforcement agencies to investigate 10 factors in every suspected death involving a history of domestic violence before closing the investigation. Factors include one partner wanting to end the relationship, the deceased being found by their partner, and that partner being the last person to see him or her alive.
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Joanna’s death met all ten criteria, but was never investigated as a possible homicide.
“The responding officer took photos of the scene and placed the photos in the bag [alleged suicide] note and whatever else was found,” Morales explained. ‘But they didn’t do any DNA testing at the time. They didn’t document the scene.”
That meant crucial evidence that could shed more light on Joanna’s death, including a rope that a doctor had interviewed for 48 hours thinks it was the murder weapon, is now gone.
“I had never heard of the term hidden murders until I reported on this case,” Morales said. “The more I started to invest in it [this case]the more it made me aware of all the past stories I’ve done where, you know, ‘was that looked at enough? Was the investigation handled as it should have been?’”
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“Joe Hunter’s Mission” not only delves into the case itself, but tells the story of Joanna’s relationship with Lewis, during which she claimed to have been physically abused on multiple occasions, with Lewis pleading guilty to spousal abuse more than a decade earlier. She also tried to leave the relationship, but found herself constantly drawn back into it.
Lewis has not publicly discussed Joanna’s previous abuse allegations and declined to speak to them 48 hours.
“So many people suffer in silence when it comes to domestic violence,” Morales said. “Too often people are so afraid or afraid to talk about their experiences, afraid to leave, afraid to be judged.”
The “Joe Hunter’s Mission” by 48 hours premieres on CBS Saturday, December 13 at 10pm ET and streams on Paramount+.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the emergency room National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance.
