Rachel Hansen Murder: Police go on defensive, release massive dossier as case of slain teen gets colder

The report reveals several peculiar occurrences in the days preceding the shooting.

PUBLISHED OCT 2, 2024

Recently the Gilbert PD released body camera footage and transcripts from the initial response to the crime scene.

Gilbert, Arizona: On June 4th, 2022, Rachel Hansen, a 19-year-old from Gilbert who had just gotten engaged was shot and killed in her own apartment located within a gated community. Despite the efforts of law enforcement, her killer remains at large.

Recently the Gilbert Police Department released body camera footage and transcripts from the initial response to the crime scene, hoping it might lead to a breakthrough in the case.

The family, desperate for leads, has been working with a private investigator.

Now a police report more than 330 pages long -- and heavily redacted -- has been made available to the public, detailing the investigative efforts undertaken by the Gilbert PD. The report details extensive interviews and search warrants executed in an attempt to piece together the events leading up to Rachel's death.

The report reveals several peculiar occurrences in the days preceding the shooting. Rachel had just moved back into her apartment after subletting it. Around that time, neighbors lodged a noise complaint, reporting multiple people yelling within her apartment. A maintenance worker discovered that the locks on her unit had been altered without notification.

Despite exhaustive investigative efforts, the Rachel Hansen (pictured) case was marked inactive in February of this year.

Rachel confided in her fiancé that she awoke one night to find an intruder in her apartment, but the person left before she could react. Her initial decision not to call the police has been a point of contention and speculation.

The police document also highlights potential persons of interest and sheds light on Rachel's recent job changes and her struggles with mental health. Despite exhaustive investigative efforts, the case was marked inactive in February of this year as leads dried up.

The family, desperate for leads, has been working with a private investigator alongside the ongoing police investigation. There currently is a $7,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest in the case. If you have any information you can call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.