GILBERT, AZ — Silent Witness is offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible for the death of 19-year-old Rachel Hansen.
On June 4, 2022, Hansen called police just after 2 a.m. to report that an unknown person had shot her while she was sleeping.
She was taken to a hospital where she later died.
ABC15 spoke with family and friends after Hansen's death. Her mother said Hansen was newly engaged, started a horse business, and recently earned her real estate license.
Rachel Hansen's childhood home is now filled with dogs and puppies. It represents her love for animals, which is now part of her legacy.
"In the way, the rescue has grown and the things that have happened, the people that we've met, the puppies and litters that we've taken... we 100% feel Rachel's presence," said Kim Hansen, Rachel's mother.
Rachel and her mother, Kim, had talked about starting a dog rescue together before her murder. Nearly a year later, Rachel's Rescue was created in her honor. It is not only thriving, but it is also bringing more attention to Rachel's case.
"First of all, they start by calling me Rachel and then I explain that I'm her mother and that the rescue is named after her. And so, it does always open the door for more conversation about what happened," said Kim.
Rachel was 19 years old at the time of her death. She had just moved into a gated apartment complex not far from home. Rachel's mother said her fiancé had spent the day with her but left that night. She holds on to the last conversation she had with her daughter.
"I said, 'I'll be home on Sunday and help you move in and get everything set up.' And she said, 'I love you, mom.' Everything was good; there was nothing indicating anything was ever going to go wrong," said Kim.
Rachel's parents said someone kicked in the door of her apartment, shot her while she was sleeping, and took off. But Rachel continued to fight.
"She got out of bed and grabbed her cell phone and called 911 and said, 'I've been shot by someone I don't know,'" said Kim.
She later died at the hospital. It's been more than a year and a half, and no arrests have been made. Gilbert PD is now asking for the public's help, teaming up with Silent Witness in hopes it will generate more leads in the case.
"If you've heard something... please, please talk. Please talk. We miss her badly; the world misses her badly," said Rachel's father.
Rachel's parents will continue doing what they can. They have already saved more than 200 dogs and are keeping their daughter's memory alive.
Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers.
