JoAnn Dudek: Skull of missing Anthem woman found in New River, MCSO says
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. - The skull of an Anthem woman who went missing nearly two years ago was found, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said on Nov. 12.
JoAnn Dudek was last seen on Nov. 13 and was officially declared missing on Nov. 14, 2022, when she was 64-years-old.
Her skull was found in New River on Nov. 6. New River and Anthem are about five miles apart.
"As the family reflects on two years without answers, they are saying they have reason to believe JoAnn was killed in an act of violence and is calling on the Maricopa County Sherrif’s Office (MCSO) to prioritize the investigation into her case and bring closure to their family," JoAnn's family said in a news release.
She shared a home with her husband Walter, who passed away unexpectedly in April 2023, her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend.
"Her wallet, cell phone, and car were left behind. JoAnn communicated with her brother and sisters routinely, but she has not been seen nor made contact since November 13th, 2022. Her case is being investigated by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit," the family said.
Anyone with information on JoAnn's death is asked to call the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at 602-876-8477, report no. IR22-030478.
JoAnn Dudek
‘She is the glue’
Her family from Long Island in New York said this is just the beginning of the long road to justice.
One of five siblings, JoAnn came from a tight-knit New York family.
Her niece, Erin Murtha, says the family in New York was concerned about how days had gone by before JoAnn's husband or daughter filled a missing persons report.
Murtha said it was the inconsistent and ever-changing story lines that led them to believe something happened to JoAnn.
"Due to the evolving story line of what happened on the 13th, our family started to get the feeling that the people living in that house were not telling the truth about what had happened on the 13th," Murtha said.
She says all contact with JoAnn's daughter has been cut off for the sake of this investigation.
"The metaphor of her loss being the thing that keeps us in contact every day and fighting together as a unit is not lost on us. She is the glue in this life and the glue in the next life. She will continue to be that glue until we get all the answers that we are looking for," Murtha said.
JoAnn, her sister, and Murtha were planning a December trip to New York City, booking flights and Broadway shows, until everything went dark.
"The last text that my family received from JoAnn was something along the lines of, ‘These are the flights that look good. Let me know if this works for you. Love you. Looking forward to seeing you,'" Murtha recalled.
JoAnn was unreachable. Days went by with unanswered texts and unanswered calls.
"We called her daughter and just asked her what was going on with JoAnn's phone was really the main question," Murtha said.
They were told JoAnn had left.
"Left to where? Went where? Doing what with who?" Murtha said.
For the family, things did not add up.
Thanksgiving passed and JoAnn's husband or daughter had not filed a missing persons report.
Now, nearly two years later, JoAnn's family wants to bring her home and bury her next to her parents in New York, but more than anything they want justice.
"JoAnn was killed, in our opinion, the night of November 13th. We don't really feel that there will be true justice for JoAnn until someone or someones are held responsible for what happened to her," she said.