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Published 15:52 IST, October 20th 2020

What happened to JoAnn Romain? Here are some shocking theories about her death

Fans are enjoying 'Unsolved Mysteries' Volume 2 on Netflix since its release on October 19, 2020. Read on to find out what happened to JoAnn Romain.

Reported by: Disha Kandpal
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Fans have been confounded and thrilled by the mysteries of murder and disappearances featured in Unsolved Mysteries volume 2 on Netflix. The second installment of the hit show was released on October 19, 2020, on the streaming platform. One of the most confounding of all the cases featured this season was the one about the mysterious death of JoAnn Romain. Read on to find out, “What happened to JoAnn Romain?” Here are some theories as mentioned in the show's episodes.

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Lady in the Lake Unsolved Mysteries

What happened to JoAnn Romain?

As shown in the fifth episode of Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 titled Lady in the lake, JoAnn Romain had disappeared after attending a prayer service on a cold January night in 2010. The investigators repeatedly claimed that she had died by suicide by jumping into Michigan's icy Lake St. Clair. However, the media went into a frenzy when 55-year-old Joann’s body was discovered in the Detroit River about 35 miles away from where she was thought to have gone missing.

The cops still ruled JoAnn's death as a suicide, however, her daughters Kellie and Michelle Romain have remained unconvinced and claim that JoAnn was murdered. In a 2018 interview with Detroit Free Press, Michelle laid out several inconsistencies with the police investigation and search efforts. Her attorneys also maintained that the timeline "is the most significant issue in the case.”

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JoAnn Romain Theories

According to Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix, multiple autopsies were conducted on JoAnn’s body and it was concluded that JoAnn's cause of death was drowning. The cops theorised that she left her car in the church parking lot, and had walked across several lanes of traffic and down a snowy embankment. They said that she had then entered the frozen lake on her own volition.

However, JoAnn’s daughter Michelle is not convinced with the conclusion, she pointed out several contradictory details, such as the fact that JoAnn had bruises that revealed there was a struggle, she’d also filled her car's gas tank shortly before he disappearance. Also, there was no hole in the ice or current in the water to carry her body 30 miles. Here are some theories that suggest what happened to JoAnn Romain as mentioned in the show itself.

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Tim Matouk Was a conspirator in Joann's Death

In Unsolved Mysteries, JoAnn’s daughter Michelle stated that JoAnn's estranged first cousin, a local police officer named Tim Matouk, would be the number one suspect. Michelle recalled a heated phone call that had taken place between him and JoAnn weeks before her disappearance. In addition to this, court documents also revealed that a witness told police that he saw Tim with JoAnn near the lake on the night she had vanished.

However, the cops did not contact him until two years later. JoAnn’s family had filed a lawsuit against Tim, alleging that he was a conspirator in JoAnn’s murder and had supported the cover-up orchestrated by the police. But the police have denied these claims. The lawsuit was later dismissed.

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John Matouk's Business partners Killed JoAnn

One more theory that has been making rounds, claims that John Matouk's Business Associates Killed JoAnn. JoAnn's brother, John Matouk, had admitted in Unsolved Mysteries that he was struggling financially in 2009 and 2010. He stated on camera that he owed a lot of money to certain people. John Matouk insisted that he was not involved in his sister's death, but he also acknowledged that it's possible that someone he had dealings with might has murdered JoAnn.

David Romain Killed Joann

Possibly one of the most disturbing theories about JoAnn Romain’s death reveals that JoAnn’s husband David Romain might be the culprit after all. Michelle explained in Unsolved Mysteries, that her father, David Romain, "was really angry" when JoAnn left him after 25 years of marriage. This made Michelle add him to her suspect list. The investigators she had hired asked her to set up a meeting, but David declined to be interviewed. The investigator did not find any evidence that proved David’s involvement in Joann’s murder.

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Image Source: Still from Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2

Updated 15:52 IST, October 20th 2020

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