Kumari Shreya
NBC’s ‘Dateline: Deadly Swap’ dives into the details of the murder case of Heather Strube. The episode explores the actions of Joanna Hayes, Heather’s mother-in-law, who was found to be the one responsible for the killing. The reasons behind her actions and how her own son helped solve the mystery have captured the attention of the viewers. The apparent meticulousness that was used for the crime has certainly raised many questions, many of which pertain to Joanna’s current whereabouts.
Joanna Hayes’ Dislike For Heather Strube Took A Fatal Shape
In early 2009, Joanna Hayes’ son, Steven Strube, was going through a custody battle with his wife, Heather Strube, over their son, Carson. As such, on April 26, 2009, Steven and Heather met in a Target parking lot in Snellville, Georgia. The meeting was held so that their son, who was with Steven, could be handed over to his mother. It has been documented that Steven then left the parking lot in his own vehicle while Heather started to secure her son in her car.
However, before Heather could leave, someone wearing a wig and a mustache approached the vehicle and shot Heather. Despite their fatal actions, the attacker did not harm Carson and fled the crime scene immediately. Witnesses stated that Heather had apparently known the person who had attacked her and had even been surprised by their presence. Given the divorce proceedings going on between the victims and Steve, as well as their dispute over their son, it was believed that he was one of the top suspects in the case.
The suspicion on Steven seemed to clear easily when he first saw the surveillance footage of the crime scene and claimed that the person who had killed Heather was his mother, Joanna. As such, Joanna was arrested in December 2009 and had to stand trial to prove her innocence. However, as the investigators followed up on Joanna, it started to seem like she may have planned the whole thing out in detail and with much care.
One of Heather’s friends stated in the court that she had been terrified of Joanna, who seemingly disapproved of her daughter-in-law and did not like the possibility that she may gain Carson’s custody. Furthermore, Jonna’s co-worker, Paul Pinzino, told the court how she had told him her plan to commit a perfect murder, which would include using an unregistered gun so to avoid jamming. He claimed that Jonna had also shared that she would buy a gun at a construction site, revealing that she had actually done so three times before.
Pinzino added that Jonna had told him that the perfect way to dispose of the murder weapon would be to melt it, which she could apparently easily do in the workshop she had in the back of her house. She apparently had then stated that she would have thrown off the remains in a lake. Given that the police never found any trace of the weapon used to kill Heather, it seemed highly likely that the so-called perfect plan to murder had been executed after she used a wig and mustache to disguise herself before approaching her daughter-in-law and killing her.
Joanna Hayes is Now in Prison
Following her arrest in relation to the murder of Heather Strube, Joanna Hayes was put on trial in May 2011. Chief witnesses against her included Paul Pinzino, several witnesses present at the crime scene, as well as her son Steven Strube. Throughout the trial, Joanna remained adamant that she had not killed anyone, let alone Heather. “I’ve never harmed anyone or anything in my entire life,” she stated in court. “It hurts me to hear others say that we had a strained relationship because we did not… I did not commit this offense because I loved her just as much as anyone.”
As the trial proceeded, Steven’s own conviction of his mother’s guilt diminished, with him even stating in the court that he no longer believed that his mother was a killer. However, owing to the circumstances surrounding the attack, as well as the testimonies that other witnesses shared, Joanna was found guilty of murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm on May 17, 2011.
For her crimes, Joanna was sentenced to prison for life, with a possibility of parole after 30 years of her incarceration, which officially began on August 15, 2011. The convicted killer went on to appeal her status in The Supreme Court of Georgia, but the court decided to uphold the original conviction in 2013. Presently, Joanna is a resident of Pulaski County Correctional Facility in Hawkinsville, Georgia.
Read More: Steven Strube: Where is Heather Strube’s Ex-Husband Now?
