Joanna Thompson was 25 and a resident of Victorville, California when she was found dead on December 8, 2022. Deputies responded early that morning to a report of a person lying in the roadway near Bear Valley and Amethyst roads and discovered Thompson unresponsive and without a pulse. She was pronounced dead at the scene and the coroner determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

Detectives identified 40-year-old Gregory Waters of Victorville as a suspect and say he placed Thompson’s body in the street after the shooting. Waters was arrested and booked into the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail. The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail is handling the investigation and is seeking additional information.

If anyone saw activity near Bear Valley and Amethyst roads on the morning of December 8, 2022, or has information about Joanna Thompson or this case, contact the Homicide Detail or the We-Tip Hotline.