Heather was targeted due to her mother-in-law Joanna's dislike and belief that Heather was not a good mother.
The suspect was initially identified through witness descriptions and a composite sketch.
The distinctive white Ford F-150 truck registered to Joanna and a synthetic hair fiber from the truck's interior.
Ballistics tests confirmed that a .38 caliber Rossi revolver, which Joanna owned, could have fired the bullet that killed Heather.
Joanna was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years.
Heather's parents were devastated and immediately returned home from Alabama upon hearing the news.
Surveillance footage from Target provided crucial evidence, including the suspect's appearance and movements before and after the crime.
The weapon was identified as a .38 caliber revolver through forensic analysis of the bullet and crime scene evidence.
In April 2009, in a crowded shopping center in broad daylight, a young woman was walking to her car, when suddenly a strange-looking man came out of some bushes and rushed toward her. The woman tried to get to her car and escape, but the man was too fast – he blocked her way and pulled out a gun. He put the gun to the woman’s head, and before she could even process what was happening, he fired. The woman fell to the ground and died. Then the man turned, calmly walked into the nearby woods, and disappeared. When police arrived, they found a baby in the backseat of the woman’s car – confused but unharmed. But they did not find a single piece of evidence at the scene, or any clue about the identity of the strange-looking man.
For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen)
If you want to reach out to me, contact me on Instagram, Twitter or any other major social media platform, my username on all of them is @mrballen
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy) and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info).