Who killed Heather Strube and how? ID's American Monster to explore Georgia single mom murder case

ID is back with another episode of American Monster featuring the tragic story of Heather Strube's gruesome murder.

The series is directed by Bill Thomas and written by Bruce Kennedy. It revolves around real monsters, a.k.a. killers on any street corner of America, lurking behind any innocent smile. It features never-before-seen video footage of the crimes committed by these murderers along with interviews with family and eyewitnesses.

Here's everything viewers need to know about Heather Strube before streaming ID's episode of American Monster.

Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content

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Who was Heather Strube? What happened to her?

Heather Strube was a 25-year-old single mother working as a wedding coordinator. She married Steven Strube in 2004 and the two had a son together, Carson. However, the couple separated in 2008 and were involved in a custody battle for Carson until Heather was murdered. At the time, Steven was living with his mother, Joanna, and his girlfriend.

On April 26, 2009, Heather drove down to the local Target parking lot to pick up her son Carson after a visit to his father. This was the usual spot for the two. At around 6 PM, Heather Strube was shot in the forehead with a .38 caliber handgun while Carson was strapped into the backseat of her car.

As per the eye witnesses and 911 calls, the killer was a short, thin, white male wearing khaki pants and a button-up shirt.

In addition to this, he also had black hair and a mustache. A composite sketch of the killer was made from eyewitness descriptions. It was concluded that the motive of the crime was not robbery as Heather’s purse was still in her car but that only meant that the reason was personal. Steven was quickly ruled out as a suspect as the parking lot camera showed him leaving before the murder.

Another camera caught the suspect walking over into the parking lot and leaving but the face was not visible. The first major lead of the investigation was when one of the eyewitnesses staying at a nearby motel called the authorities. He told them that he noticed someone similar to the composite sketch clicking pictures of the area while sitting in a white pickup truck, a day before the murder.

This steered the investigation into Joanna's way when the eyewitness identified her truck as the one he had seen.

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Who is Joanna Hayes?

Joanna Hayes, who also happens to be Heather Strube's mother-in-law, was convicted for the crime. She initially denied committing the crime but did admit to disliking Heather and that she was not good enough to raise Carson. The police then theorized that Joanna disguised herself as the one to murder Heather Strube in order to prevent her from gaining custody of Carson.

Police also obtained a search warrant for Joanna’s car and a forensic examination found wig fiber in the truck along with traces of gunshot residue on the steering wheel and the dashboard. At her trial, prosecutors alleged that Joanna put on a wig and a mustache when she killed Heather Strube.

It was later revealed by her ex-husband that she carried a .38 caliber Lady Rossi 5 handgun with her at all times.

He further added that she once threatened him by pointing the gun at his head after an argument. Steven Strube, who initially believed that it was his mother he saw in the security footage, later took back his statements while on the stand. Although the murder weapon was never found, the evidence presented by the prosecution and various testimonies from eyewitnesses and family were deemed enough by the jury to find Joanna guilty.

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More about ID's American Monster

ID's American Monster revolves around stories of astonishing crimes, interweaved with interviews of neighbors and loved ones. The series uses personal movie footage of the monsters-in-disguise at home with family and friends, giving viewers a sense of how they too lead a normal life.

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 series stars Tom Streithorst and Robert Firth as narrators.