Hidden Homicides Demand Change | Spokane News

Spokane News Today | 2 Min | The Daily News Now! · Aug 23, 2026 · 2m

Families across multiple states are demanding sweeping reforms to how deaths involving domestic violence are investigated, pushing back against premature rulings of suicide or accident that may mask “hidden homicides.” Inspired by the tragic case of Joanna Lewis, California’s Joanna’s Law now mandates police interviews with family members and allows full autopsies when domestic abuse is suspected. Similar bills in Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon have stalled over cost and training concerns—but advocates like Kellee Harris, whose daughter was ruled a suicide despite…