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The upcoming episode of ID's American Monster is set to tell the story of the Heather Strube murder case of 2009. The 25-year-old was a single mother who was shot at point-blank range by her own mother-in-law.
The series revolves around the killers on the street corners of America, the kind of killers who would usually be deemed normal and friendly.
Directed by Bill Thomas and written by Bruce Kennedy, the series uses personal video footage and CCTV camera footage to show the monsters-in-disguise at home with family and friends.
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content.
Heather Strube's murder case: the details
It was April 2009 when the single mother was shot in the parking lot of a local Target in Snellville, Georgia, by her mother-in-law, Joanna Hayes. According to prosecutors, Hayes, who is from Luthersville, disguised herself with a wig and a mustache to look like a man. She walked up to Heather Strube, who was buckling her 18-month-old son into his car seat.
ID's American Monster's new episode will premiere on Sunday, July 31 at 9 pm ET and will feature this cold-blooded killing. The official synopsis for the episode reads:
"In Snellville, Georgia, Heather Strube has a satisfying life working in the family floral shop, raising her toddler son, and looking forward to a bright future with her new boyfriend. However, a Sunday trip to the shopping centre shatters everything."
The ID series began in 2016 and looks at astonishing crimes that are interwoven with interviews with neighbors and loved ones. Tom Streithorst and Robert Firth are the narrators of the stories.
Here are some chilling details about Heather Strube's murder.
1) She was murdered by her own mother-in-law
On April 26, 2009, Hayes killed Heather Strube while disguising herself as a man with black hair and a mustache. The killer was described as a short, thin, white male wearing khaki pants and a button-up shirt, all of which matched Hayes' description.
The murder took place after Strube met her soon-to-be ex-husband and Hayes' son, Steven Strube to pick up her son Carson after visiting his father. The couple usually met at the parking lot to pick up or drop their son.
Steven and Heather married in 2004 and had a son together, the eighteen-month-old Carson. They separated in 2008 and at the time of the murder, they were going through a divorce and were involved in a custody battle for Carson.
Steven was living with Joanna and his girlfriend when the incident took place.
2) Her murder took place right in front of her 18-month-old son
When Joanna Hayes shot her daughter-in-law, Heather Strube, with a .38 caliber handgun, her grandson, Carson, was strapped into the backseat of Strube's car. Since the shooting took place in a parking lot, a composite sketch of the killer could be made from eyewitness descriptions.
Additionally, authorities concluded that the motive behind the killing was not a robbery, but it was personal since Heather's purse was still in the car. Steven was quickly ruled out as a suspect as the parking lot camera showed him leaving before the murder.
Joanna Hayes, now 56 years old, worked in construction used to make extra cash delivering flowers for her daughter-in-law's floral company. She was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. For all of this, Hayes was sentenced to life in prison and was incarcerated at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Georgia.
3) She was shot in the forehead, point blank
In the evening of April 26, 2009, at around 6 pm, Hayes shot Heather Strube in the forehead at point-blank range with a .38 caliber handgun.
Although Hayes initially denied committing the crime, she did admit to disliking Strube and said that she wasn't good enough to raise her grandson Carson. It was then theorized that Joanna murdered Heather Strube to prevent her from gaining custody of Carson.
4) Her killer had visited the murder site a day before
The first major lead in the investigation was call made to authorities by an eyewitness staying at a motel behind Target. The caller told them that he had noticed someone similar to the person in the sketch clicking pictures of the area as they say in a white pickup truck one day before the murder.
CCTV footage also showed the suspect walking over into the parking lot and leaving, but the suspect's face wasn't visible in the footage. This steered the investigation towards Joanna after the eyewitness identified her truck as the one he had seen the day before.
5) Her killer used to keep a gun handy
Reportedly, Joanna Hayes was known to keep a gun handy and this was confirmed by her ex-husband Steven Strube Sr.'s testimony. He said that Hayes carried a .38 caliber Lady Rossi 5 handgun with her at all times. It was also revealed that the murder weapon belonged to Steven Sr.
He also told authorities that Hayes carried the handgun either in her purse or in her belt as she traveled quite far for work each day and wanted it for protection. Steven Sr. added that his ex-wife once threatened him by pointing the gun at his head following an argument.
After her arrest, police obtained a search warrant for Joanna's car and a forensic examination found wig fiber and traces of gunshot residue in the truck. The residue was found on the steering wheel and the dashboard.
The murder weapon was never found. However, evidence presented by the prosecution and various testimonies from eyewitnesses and family members were deemed enough by the jury to find Joanna guilty.
Learn more about this brutal murder in the upcoming episode of American Monster on Sunday, July 31 at 9 PM ET on ID.
