Her family's story was first told in the 1978 book by Thomas Hauser titled The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice.
Her husband's father, Edmund Horman, flew to Chile after learning of his son's disappearance, and Ed and Joyce along with their friend, Terry Simon, fought the local political regime for several weeks for information on what happened to him.
In 1977 the family began work on a wrongful death lawsuit against the United States for their lack of help in investigating Charlie Horman's murder.
Joyce created the Horman Truth Foundation, which fights for continued research and prosecution for those involved with her husband's murder, which included Augusto Pinochet.
Joyce travels around the country as a guest speaker, telling students and others about her experience of living in Chile during the 1973 Coup d'état.