Joanna Lewis' death on October 6, 2011, was quickly ruled a suicide, despite her husband's history of domestic violence. It took years for authorities to revisit her case. In January 2024, "Joanna's Law" was enacted, thanks to advocacy by Alliance for HOPE International, which mandates training for first responders to better investigate suspicious deaths potentially related to domestic violence. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, which sets crucial standards for properly addressing such cases, preventing staged suicides from resulting in wrongful conclusions regarding the victim's intent or circumstances.
The law requires first responders and investigators to undergo training and possibly help to identify staged suicides, which can lead to killers going free.
The Hunter family has gained at least some measure of acknowledgment in a new law that took effect on Jan. 1, called 'Joanna's Law'.
Collection
[
|
...
]