GILBERT, AZ — In a new interview with ABC15, Gilbert police revealed they have a "strong theory" in the Rachel Hansen murder case.
The 19-year-old was shot and killed in the early morning hours of June 4, 2022.
RELATED: Mother of Gilbert teen shot and killed shares daughter's legacy
Rachel, herself, is the one who called 911. A transcript shows she told the operator someone had broken into her apartment, near San Tan Village Parkway and Williams Field Road, and shot her.
With each passing year, the Hansen family has hoped for answers. Rachel's parents, Todd and Kim Hansen, have been left with many questions.
Arizona Crime Uncovered is an ABC15 series dedicated to raising awareness for victims still waiting for justice and providing an in-depth look at ongoing cases.
Each episode breaks down the timeline of a case, its current status, and any assistance needed from the community. Learn more here.
At the four-year mark, they held a press conference asking for other agencies to help with the case. The Hansens' message is that they want the case to move forward.
Gilbert police were absent from the press conference, but they did agree to an interview with ABC15. For nearly two months, the ABC15 Investigators followed up.
Toward the end of July, our team was able to take community questions straight to police.
Catch this episode of Arizona Crime Uncovered at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the ABC15 Streaming App. Watch part one of the episode in the player above.
Our interview is now the focus of a new episode of ABC15's streaming series, Arizona Crime Uncovered.
Waiting to see records
Rachel's parents told ABC15 they have questions about what they saw when they went back to their daughter's apartment.
They also wish they knew who detectives have talked to during the investigation and why certain records haven't been released.
Those records include the 911 call audio and the medical examiner's report.
ABC15 has obtained a transcript of the call, heavily redacted body camera video, and a police report. Those records were all released in 2024.
This June, the ABC15 Investigators pushed for answers regarding why the county and police have not released certain records.
The Hansen family has been working with private investigator Justin Yentes, who has taken on the case pro bono.
Both loved ones and Yentes believe the key to solving Rachel's case lies with the public.
"We need this info," said Yentes. "We need additional information from the community."
Rachel's murder has gained local and even national attention, but often the Hansen family still meets people who don't know about her case.
In the teen's memory, Rachel's parents operate a dog rescue. As people come to adopt dogs or puppies, they share their daughter's story.
Strong theory revealed
"So, in this case, we have a strong theory about what occurred," said Sergeant for the Public Affairs Office, Jordan Truckenbrod. "That theory needs to be supported by facts and evidence, and that's what the investigator's job is to do."
This is the first time Gilbert police have spoken about a "theory". ABC15 Investigator Ashley Holden tried to ask more about any current person of interest, evidence, and details in the police report throughout the interview.
ABC15 has heard from people in the East Valley who are anxious to know where this case stands and what work is being done to solve it. Gilbert police said Rachel's case is "very active".
"So, active means that there are leads to explore," said Sgt. Truckenbrod. "There's information out there that we have that we're still looking into. There is science maybe going on behind the scenes, and so the amount of time some of these things take, does take time."
He said there are leads investigators are currently following up on.
That is a change from February 2024, when the police report released in Rachel's case said, "all the investigative leads have been exhausted."
ABC15 reached out to Gilbert to ask if additions have been made to the report in the last two years.
"We can confirm that additional supplements have been added to the investigation since that date," said Gilbert police in a follow-up email. "Due to the active nature of the investigation, additional supplemental information is not releasable at this time as its disclosure could compromise the integrity of the investigation."
ABC15 also asked about a person named in the police report, who appears to have been brought in for an interview. Gilbert police would not expand on that man's relationship to the case, but Sgt. Truckenbrod did confirm no arrests have been made.
As for the 911 call, police said they would be open to speaking to the Hansen family about hearing the audio privately.
Rachel's case is not the only unsolved murder in Gilbert that has gained national attention.
Our team asked for the agency's response to the frustration and community concern.
"There are people in Gilbert and beyond who believe that you guys aren't doing anything on this case, and you have unsolved cases that you guys are saying are active, and you're not working," said Holden. "What would your response be to that?"
"So, my response to the community is that it's understandable that as time goes along, there's questions that raise, and that's fair," said Sgt. Truckenbrod. "We ask that the community partner with us. If there was anyone in the area during that time of 2022 in June, if you lived in the area of San Tan [Village Parkway], if you saw something suspicious, contact us."
There is a $20,000 Silent Witness reward in the case.
