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HEATHER Strube was an average young mother until her murder rocked a small town in Georgia.
Her homicide will be retold on NBC’s Dateline on March 15, 2024.
Who was Heather Strube?
Heather Strube was a florist and young mother from Snellville, Georgia.
By 2009, she and her husband, Steven, were in the process of getting a divorce.
The two were also going through a custody battle over their then-18-month-old child.
What happened to her?
On April 26, 2009, Heather met with Steven in a Target parking lot to pick up their toddler.
According to eyewitnesses, the dropoff went smoothly with the young boy safely strapped in his mother’s car.
However, shortly after, Heather’s car was blocked by what appeared to be a male driver who shot Heather in the head, killing her.
Heather was 25 years old.
The assailant, who fled on foot, was later determined to be Heather’s mother-in-law Joanna Hayes in disguise.
She was arrested and charged with murder in 2009 and during her 2011 trial, prosecutors alleged her motive was access to her grandson.
Where is Joanna Hayes now?
At the conclusion of her trial, Joanna Hayes was found guilty of malice murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm.
She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years.
Hayes is serving her sentence at Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Georgia, and maintains her innocence.
