Where is Joseph DeWise now? Details explored ahead 20/20 on ABC
The episode of 20/20, which aired on March 14, 2025, explores the murder of Lauren DeWise and the arrest and conviction of her husband, Joseph DeWise. Lauren was found dead in her home in Belgrade, Montana, by her roommate, Audria Butler. Joseph was later charged with her murder and remains incarcerated at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona, according to his prison records.
On a morning in January 2018, Audria returned home to a spine-chilling scene, discovering two of her roommates, Lauren DeWise and Ashley Van Hemert, brutally shot, as reported by ABC News. While Lauren died from her injuries, Ashley was alive but in a critical state.
The episode of 20/20, titled You Left Me For Dead, covers the story behind this incident and how the murder case was solved.
Who is Joseph DeWise? All about the murder of his wife, Lauren DeWise
Joseph Paul DeWise was the husband of Lauren DeWise, the victim of the Montana shooting case. Born in Lakeland, Florida, Lauren Walder DeWise grew up in New Jersey and went to the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. The 35-year-old worked as a teacher at a middle school in Pensacola for a few years and got married to Joseph DeWise.
The couple eventually settled in Bozeman, Montana, where they had a daughter. At the time, Lauren was reportedly working as a banking center manager at a local bank.
However, by 2017, Lauren's marriage with Joseph had begun to deteriorate, prompting her to move in with Audria and Ashley. On January 7, 2018, tragedy struck when Audria returned home to a brutal scene of crime and called 911 to report that her roommates had been shot. While Lauren succumbed to her injuries, Ashley was fortunately still alive and was rushed to the hospital as she was barely holding on, as reported by ABC News.
When investigations started into the murder of Lauren, Joseph DeWise's name came up when the marital troubles between the couple were revealed. He became the main suspect in the case and was arrested soon after, although the 47-year-old denied having anything to do with the murder.
However, there were several witnesses against him. Audria testified against Joseph, saying that she often noticed Lauren had bruises and even a black eye. Moreover, Lauren’s employer recounted two incidents where she came to work with bruises and even requested to have her husband removed if he came to the workplace.
The most significant testimonies came from Joseph’s children from a previous relationship, 15-year-old Joe and 19-year-old Natalie. Joe testified that he was with his father at the time of the crime, while Natalie revealed that on the morning of January 7, Joseph had confessed to her about killing Lauren. She described Joseph as violent and controlling, even abusive towards Lauren.
Lauren had reportedly been seeking a divorce. On January 7, the day she was found murdered, the two of them were supposed to meet to discuss their separation.
Where is Joseph now?
Joseph DeWise stood trial for Lauren’s murder and Ashley’s attempted murder in December 2018. Along with the testimonies, the prosecution presented further evidence of gunshot residue on Joseph's jacket and phone call recordings on Joseph’s phone where he had threatened to kill Lauren, as per The Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
After a seven-day trial, Joseph was found guilty of deliberate homicide, attempted deliberate homicide, and using a firearm. In February 2020, he was sentenced to 220 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
As of today, Joseph DeWise remains incarcerated at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona.
