MURDERED: Rachel Hansen
On June 2, 2022, Rachel Hansen opened her eyes to a dark figure standing over her bed, staring at her. She screamed, and the person took off. But the very next night — just after 2 a.m. — a dark figure entered her Gilbert, Arizona, apartment again, kicked down her bedroom door and shot her in the abdomen before fleeing.
To this day, no suspects have been named. And if you read the heavily redacted, 338-page police file that Gilbert Police released in 2024, you will learn a whole lot of nothing. So our team did some investigating to unravel the mystery of who killed Rachel Hansen.
Listened to this episode? Let us know what you think here.
A diagram of Rachel’s apartment layout
Credit: Audiochuck Staff
Rachel with her mother, Kim Hansen
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Rachel’s horse, Dash
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Rachel’s bedroom door that was kicked in
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Rachel on her adoption day in 2009.
Courtesy: Hansen Family
Timeline
Kim and Todd Hansen become foster parents to 6-year-old Rachel.
Rachel moves into a one-bedroom apartment at Redstone at SanTan Village in Gilbert, Arizona.
Eva Bailey texts her bishop about divorcing Gary Bailey and accidentally includes Gary on the message thread, escalating tensions at home.
Gary records himself confronting Eva at an apartment where she is staying. Eva later obtains an order of protection.
Rachel moves to a horse ranch in Queen Creek for a live-in job and sublets her Gilbert apartment.
Joemet and Rachel get engaged.
Rachel confronts Gary at his home after Joemet expresses suicidal thoughts. Gary backs his car into the vehicle Rachel is in and later sends her a threatening text message. No charges are filed.
Rachel is fired from her job at the horse ranch following ongoing disputes.
Rachel drives to Sedona and calls the ranch owners, expressing suicidal thoughts. Police respond, and Rachel checks into Verde Valley Medical Center for treatment.
Rachel checks out of the treatment center and stays overnight at Eva Bailey’s home with Joemet.
Rachel moves back into her Gilbert apartment after six months away.
That night, she wakes to find a person standing over her bed. The intruder flees. A jar of pickles is left on the kitchen counter, and Joemet installs a new deadbolt on the front door.
9:15p.m.
A Ring camera captures Rachel and Joemet walking east on the first-floor hallway.
9:33 p.m.
The pair is seen walking away from her apartment; Rachel appears to be wearing a swimsuit.
Around midnight
Joemet leaves the apartment after receiving a call from his father telling him to come home.
Just after 2 a.m.
A person enters Rachel’s bedroom, kicks in the door and shoots her in the abdomen. She calls 911, is transported to a hospital and dies during surgery.
Gary attends church and reportedly says he called Joemet home the night before because “the Holy Spirit” told him to and that it saved his son’s life.
Redstone at SanTan Village Apartments
Rachel’s apartment complex, where the shooting occurred.
Queen Creek, AZ
The horse ranch where Rachel lived and worked before being fired in late May 2022.
Verde Valley Medical Center
The facility where Rachel received mental health treatment.
Gilbert, AZ
The city where Rachel lived, where her apartment was broken into on consecutive nights, and where the investigation into her killing continues.
Additional Info
Rachel’s Rescue
If you’re in Arizona and looking for a new furry family member, keep Rachel’s name alive by taking a look at Rachel’s Rescue, a dog and puppy rescue created by her family in her memory.
Contact Authorities
If you know anything about the death of Rachel Hansen, contact the Gilbert Police Department at 480-503-6500. To remain anonymous, contact Silent Witness at 480-948-6377. You can also reach Justin Yentes at Arizona Investigative Associates by calling 602-252-2474.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Baker, Dave. “911 Transcript Reveals Final Moments for Gilbert Teen Shot to Death.” Arizona’s Family, 29 Aug. 2024, https://www.azfamily.com/2024/08/30/911-transcript-reveals-final-moments-gilbert-teen-shot-death/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
- Beach, Kenzie. “Rachel Hansen: Family of Gilbert Murder Victim Still Seeking Answers and Closure.” FOX 10 Phoenix, 1 Mar. 2024. https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/rachel-hansen-family-of-gilbert-murder-victim-still-seeking-answers-and-closure
- Bontke, Jordan. “Mother of Gilbert Teen Shot and Killed Shares Daughter’s Legacy.” ABC 15 Arizona, 29 June 2022, https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/gilbert/mother-of-gilbert-teen-shot-and-killed-shares-daughters-legacy?_amp=true.
- Chan, Cecilia. “1 Year Later, Gilbert Teen’s Slaying Remains Unsolved.” Gilbert Sun News, 4 June 2023, https://www.gilbertsunnews.com/news/1-year-later-gilbert-teen-s-slaying-remains-unsolved/article_90d3217c-00d6-11ee-8cd2-8356edf129b1.html.
- Cunningham, Jade. “Valley Family Still Waiting for Answers 2 Years After Daughter’s Murder.” 12 News, 28 Aug. 2024, https://www.12news.com/article/news/rachel-hansens-murder-has-gone-unsolved-for-2-years-and-her-family-wants-justice/75-2ff12255-c913-4211-9964-6dfc9bda81d7.
- Dominguez, Alexis. “Unsolved: Mother of Gilbert Woman Shot and Killed Seeking Answers One Year Later.” Arizona’s Family, 1 June 2023, https://www.azfamily.com/2023/06/02/unsolved-mother-gilbert-woman-shot-killed-seeking-answers-one-year-later/.
- Holden, Ashley. “330+ Page Police Report Released in Rachel Hansen Case.” ABC 15 Arizona, 2 Oct. 2024, https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/gilbert/330-police-report-released-in-rachel-hansen-case.
- Paredez, Ashley. “Family of Murdered Gilbert Teen Searching for Answers One Year Later.” ABC 15 Arizona, 8 July 2023, https://www.abc15.com/news/crime/family-of-murdered-gilbert-teen-searching-for-answers-one-year-later.
- Sarbak, Marissa, and FOX 10 Staff. “Gilbert Woman Dies After Being Shot by ‘Unknown’ Person Inside Her Apartment, Police Say.” FOX 10 Phoenix, 4 June 2022, https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/gilbert-woman-dies-after-being-shot-by-unknown-person-inside-her-apartment-police.
- Sikora, Colleen. “Documents Reveal Gilbert Woman Murdered 2 Years Ago Reported Someone Threatening Her in the Weeks Before Her Death.” 12 News, 2 Oct. 2024, https://www.12news.com/article/news/crime/documents-reveal-gilbert-woman-murdered-2-years-ago-reported-someone-threatening-her-weeks-before-her-death/75-6a3b0974-f640-4eda-8020-b07568e97d4a.
- Torres, Casey. “Gilbert Parents Plea for Help to Keep Daughter’s Murder Case from Going Cold.” Arizona’s Family, 21 Feb. 2024, https://www.azfamily.com/2024/02/21/gilbert-parents-plea-help-keep-daughters-murder-case-going-cold/.
- “Gilbert Woman’s Slaying Rattles Community.” East Valley Tribune, by Tribune News Staff, 12 June 2022, https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/gilbert-woman-s-slaying-rattles-community/article_176c96dd-4ad7-5d8a-a761-7a5ab8d7f633.html
- “Gilbert Woman’s Slaying Rattles Community.” Gilbert Sun News, by GSN News Staff, 13 June 2022, https://www.gilbertsunnews.com/news/gilbert-woman-s-slaying-rattles-community/article_c5e494ac-e90f-11ec-aa52-8b44452a2bbd.html.
Suggested Episodes
MURDERED: Helen Sebastian
In February 1983, 52-year-old Helen Sebastian puts a roast in the oven and walks out the door, and that’s the last time anyone in her family ever sees her.
MURDERED: Joan Webster & Marie Iannuzzi
In 1981, a Harvard graduate student vanished after stepping out of Logan Airport the night after Thanksgiving. As investigators searched for answers, they focused on a suspect connected to another murder – a woman who was killed just two years earlier. He was convicted in one case and widely believed responsible for the other. But after reviewing thousands of pages of records, we found gaps that raise difficult questions: Was the wrong man blamed? And is the real killer still out there?
MURDERED: Jill & Julie Hansen
The 1986 shooting of 16-year-old twin sisters Jill and Julie Hansen stunned the small town of Willow Creek, California. The investigation into who shot the girls and set fire to the Hansen family home is marked by twists and turns, with evidence ultimately pointing back to a suspect close to the family. Did tunnel vision cause investigators to overlook critical pieces of evidence?
Share The Good With Us
You can learn more about The Good segment and even submit a story of your own by visiting The Good page on our website!