“48 Hours” correspondent Natalie Morales looks into the death of the “Survivor” alum’s sister.

Survivor 48 contestant Joe Hunter believes his sister Joanna was murdered

"48 Hours" correspondent Natalie Morales looks into the death of the "Survivor" alum's sister.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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December 14, 2025 7:37 p.m. ET

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Joe Hunter on 'Survivor' season 48. Credit:

Robert Voets/CBS

*Survivor 48* alum Joe Hunter is determined to uncover what he says is the truth of his sister's death, after honoring her memory with an emotional tribute on the show.

The story of Joe and his older sister, Joanna, was the subject of Dec. 13's episode of *48 Hours*, which sees CBS reporter Natalie Morales looking into the 2011 death. Joanna died at 36 in her California home, with police ruling her death a suicide after her husband, Mark Lewis, said he had discovered her body. But years later, Joe insists that his sister did not take her own life.

"I know in my heart that Mark killed my sister and then he staged it to look like she hung herself," Joe claims on the episode, "Joe Hunter's Mission."

He added, "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."

Joe Hunter and his sister, Joanna.

Joe Hunter/Instagram

Lewis, who denies killing his wife, has never faced charges related to the case. Police additionally confirmed to Morales that they stand by their initial ruling.

Joe's mother, Patricia Hunter​, supports Joe’s theory. During their conversations with Morales, the family members pointed to Lewis' history of domestic violence: In 1996, he was convicted on a domestic violence charge after Joanna was hospitalized with a sprained neck. Lewis was sentenced to 36 months in the Solano County Jail.

In the years since her death, the case has been re-examined several times, but Joanna’s official cause of death has remained the same. Joe still doesn’t believe it.

"In no way shape or form in any world or any scenario was this a suicide," Joe claimed. "This is not just a brother who is being emotional or irrational; this is not just a mother who's being a victim and saying untruths. This is a family that just wants justice for Joanna."

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Joe and his mother have since led the charge in helping to pass Joanna's Law in California, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024. It requires that law enforcement examine 10 factors in any suspicious death that involves a history of domestic violence before closing the investigation. Such 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 them alive. Though these factors all applied to Joanna's death, Morales reports that the case was not investigated as a potential homicide.

"The responding officer took photos of the scene, bagged up the [alleged suicide] note and whatever else was found," Morales told *Us Weekly*, while reflecting on the story. "But they didn’t swab for DNA at the time. They didn’t document the scene."

She continued, "I had never heard of the term 'hidden homicides' until reporting on this case. The more I started investing in [this case], the more it raised awareness to me, of all the past stories that I’ve done where, you know, 'Was that looked into enough? Was the investigation handled the way it should have been?'"

'Survivor' alum Joe Hunter.

Robert Voets/CBS

Joe previously called attention to suspicions about his sister's death during his tenure on *Survivor 48*, where he ultimately came in third place. During an episode 12 confessional, Joe shared that competing on the show was a dream that his sister shared with him.

"She's the one who wanted to be here," he explained. "That's why I applied. I wanted to be Joanna's voice."

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He then went off alone on the beach and spoke directly to his sister.

"The night before you passed, I said some things I didn't mean, and I never spoke to you again. You passed that morning. And I feel closer out here to you. So from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for the things I said," Joe said, growing emotional. "I know you didn't mean the things you said either. And I never got the chance to say, 'I love you.'"

He continued, "So, I love you and always will. Most of all, I know I had one job as a brother. So, I need you to know that I couldn't protect you from that, and I am sorry that I couldn't protect you from that monster. I'm sorry. All right, I keep fighting out here. You take care of Dad up there. Make sure he’s not cheating at Uno. I don’t know. I love you. I miss you so much."

The "Joe Hunter’s Mission" episode of *48 Hours* is available to stream on Paramount+.

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