Shivangi Sinha
In 2011, Pastor Mark Wayne Lewis of Fellowship Baptist Church informed a man that his wife, Joanna Hunter, had died. The man contacted police, who soon arrived at the pastor’s home in Vacaville, California. Joanna’s death was officially ruled a suicide, but in the years that followed, Lewis faced legal trouble when an ex-girlfriend filed an arson case against him. Joanna Hunter’s family has continued to push for her case to be reexamined, alleging Lewis may have been responsible. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Joe Hunter’s Mission’ explores the circumstances of her death and the allegations surrounding Lewis.
Mark Lewis and His Wife Reportedly Had a Tumultuous Relationship
Mark Wayne Lewis grew up in Solano County, California, and first met Joanna Hunter when they were in school. They reportedly began dating in the early 1990s, but by the mid-1990s, their relationship had started to deteriorate. Between 1995 and 1996, Joanna filed multiple petitions for restraining orders against Lewis. Medical records from 1996 also show that she was taken to the emergency room, after which she was granted an emergency protective order against him. Her family later alleged that Joanna was gradually growing distant and showing signs consistent with domestic abuse.
In November 1996, Lewis was indeed charged with domestic violence, reportedly stemming from the incident that had allegedly sent Joann to the hospital, resulting in his being sent to prison. However, reports indicate that Joanna visited him behind bars during this period, and he told her that he had been “born again” and transformed. She later requested that one of the restraining orders against him be dismissed, and after his release, they moved in together. Mark eventually became the pastor of Vacaville’s Fellowship Baptist Church, following in his father’s footsteps. In 2000, he and Joanna married and began their life together. Her family alleges that they were not included in their wedding, their new life, and that Joanna was allegedly isolated from them.
Several former members of Lewis’ church have also described the congregation he led as a cult of sorts, as Lewis was allegedly abusive and allegedly exerted significant control over them. They also claimed that they had reportedly seen Joanna on the receiving end of this behavior, though no charges were ever filed against the pastor during that period. Nevertheless, her parents allege that by 2011, she had been trying to end the relationship and often spent time at their home. On October 6, 2011, a church member named Andrew Alvarado called 911, reporting that his pastor had rushed outside, seen him, and asked him to call 911 because he had found his wife dead. When police arrived at the church, which also served as the couple’s home, they discovered Joanna’s body hanging in a closet. A simple note was found nearby, and her death was ruled a suicide.
Mark Lewis Stays Out of the Public Eye Today
Joanna Hunter’s family has long disputed the circumstances surrounding her death, but Lewis has never been charged or formally questioned in connection with the case. According to records, he began a romantic relationship with a church member named Sarah Nottingham not long after his wife had passed away. However, they broke up around late 2013/early 2014, following which Lewis allegedly began harassing her. He allegedly stalked her and even allegedly slashed her car tires. Matters escalated when a Molotov cocktail was thrown into her home while her family was inside on January 9, 2014. No one was injured, but she filed charges, and Lewis, along with three alleged accomplices, was arrested. In January 2015, Lewis entered a no-contest plea to felony arson of an inhabited structure and to stalking his ex-girlfriend, and a month later, he was sentenced to eight years in prison.
In 2023, the sheriff’s office commissioned a forensic strangulation expert to review Joanna’s death. The expert reportedly concluded that she had been a victim of homicide, but her official cause of death has never been changed. Despite this finding as well as Joann’s family’s efforts for what they believe to be justice, no charges have been filed against Lewis in connection with her death. From what we can tell, because Lewis was sentenced to 8 years in 2015, he was released from prison around 2023. The exact date of his release from the California Department of Corrections is not publicly known. Since then, little is known about his activities, and he has largely remained out of the public eye.
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