The man was arrested in Minnesota on Wednesday for dismembering his girlfriend. He is also suspected of the disappearance of a young woman in 2021.
One crime hiding another? A man arrested last Wednesday for violently murdering his partner is also suspected of being involved in a 2021 enforced disappearance in the US state of Minnesota, which according to information from CBS News and DailyMail was never solved.
The suspect’s partner had not given any sign of life since April 21. Her father reported her missing ten days later, telling authorities his daughter was suffering from addiction and mental health problems.
After reviewing CCTV footage of the building where the missing woman lives with her 40-year-old boyfriend, Joseph J., police find that an altercation broke out between the couple on April 21. In the videos we see the woman trying to flee the apartment and the man chasing after her before pushing her back inside to prevent her from leaving.
Disturbing research
A week later, the same footage shows the suspect carrying two bags and a suitcase out of the apartment. When the investigators manage to obtain a search warrant in the suspect’s shared apartment with the victim, they discover puddles of blood on the living room floor and clues that indicate an attempt to clean up.
They then do some research on Joseph J.’s phone and finally unveil internet searches like “What do the police do after a disappearance is reported?” or “How do I clear cookies from an Android phone?”.
In addition, geolocation suggests the man went to a warehouse not far away, registered in his roommate’s name. This is where the dismembered body of the missing woman was discovered.
Suspect in an enforced disappearance case
Police arrested Joseph J. on Wednesday. The man fled to his home and attempted to set his bedroom on fire. He refused to be arrested and used violence against the police, who eventually forcibly entered the home.
Now that the suspect has been taken into custody, the investigation into the case continues. And the name Joseph J. also appears again in another case: in the unsolved disappearance of a 33-year-old young woman, who was last seen with him in July 2021, still in Minnesota.
“To be perfectly clear, we are also concerned for his safety,” the police sergeant in charge of the case said at a news conference. He asks anyone with information to contact the authorities.