Rachel Hansen's spirit can be felt at her family's ranch - where she grew up and discovered her love of animals.
"We'll never move on but we're trying to move forward to honor what she would be doing if she were here," said Kim Hansen, Rachel's mother.
It's been one year since the bright and kind 19-year-old woman from Gilbert was taken. At the time, Rachel was embarking on a new chapter of her life.
She had finished high school a year early, was newly engaged, and had a horse business that consisted of buying, selling, and training horses. She had also recently earned her real estate license.
Rachel had just moved into a gated community, not far from home. She was murdered on her second night there.
"I mean, from everything that we've learned, it was very, very sudden. The person came in the front door, her bedroom door was shut, and kicked it open and shot her, and took off. They didn't take anything," said Kim.
Rachel was living on the third floor of Redstone at San Tan Village. Her family says she was shot in the early morning hours of June 4, 2022, while asleep on her back. Police have still not made an arrest in her murder.
"She didn't have an opportunity to fight back or try to save her life... because she would have," said Kim.
She did manage to grab her cell phone and call 911, telling the dispatcher she was shot by someone she didn't know. Rachel died at the hospital a few hours later. Since then, little has been mentioned about the case other than the Gilbert Police Department saying it is still under investigation.
"The number one question is, why? Why did this happen? How could something like this happen to such a young, innocent girl that had no enemies, had no one against her, was doing nothing but positive things," said Kim.
Rachel's family is continuing on that positive path. Rachel and her mother shared a passion for fostering dogs. Their dream of starting a rescue together one day recently became a reality. Rachel's Rescue was created in May.
"It opens the conversation to share her story, to keep the story alive, to help the dogs and puppies along the way, but also just to raise awareness. Especially in Gilbert, in the very community where her life was taken," said Kim.
Anyone with any information on Rachel's murder is urged to call Gilbert police.
