In the early morning hours of July 3, 2012, the life of 32-year-old Joann J. Lopez was tragically cut short in Phoenix, Arizona. At approximately 2:30 a.m., she was discovered inside the cab of a Chevy pickup truck in the area of 2800 West Washington Street with a fatal gunshot wound. The truck was still running when she was found slumped over in the driver's seat.
Authorities believe Lopez was driving away from a party when she was shot.
Her family, who lovingly called her Joanna, received a call that something had happened to her and rushed to the scene. They were met with the devastating sight of police activity and their loved one's lifeless body being pulled from the vehicle. Bullet holes were reportedly found in the passenger window of the truck. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and investigators have not determined if it was a random or targeted attack.
More than a decade later, the case remains unsolved, a cold case within the Phoenix Police Department. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The lack of surveillance video from the time of the incident has presented a significant challenge to the investigation. Joann Lopez was a mother to eight children and was pregnant at the time of her death. Her family continues to seek answers and keeps her memory alive by decorating a street pole near the scene of the crime each year. They have publicly expressed their forgiveness for the killer but continue to hope for justice.
