OK - Donald 'Joe' Neff, 61, Poteau, 14 May 2009 - #1

[ctipling]

Welcome Missingmydad! So sorry we all have to meet under the current circumstances, but WS bunch are fantastic at finding details others brushed aside! As a fellow Okie, just south of Tulsa, I sure want to catch who ever did this to your dad!!!

Yes, there are several murders, missing, currently unsolved in that county and close to it, such as the missing family. But I am inclined to believe this murder was an isolated incedent and definatley someone(s) who knew him or possibly knew someone who knew him and believed him to have a bunch of cash. Sure could be drug related as far as people stealing cash for drugs and yes they will go to great lengths for even a small amount.

Gonna go pour over what all I can find n see if I notice anything that hasn't been brought up

BIG(((HUGSSSSSS))))

[WhyaDuck?]

My sympathy to you and your family, missingmydad. I am sorry that it took something like this to bring you to WS, and I hope you all see justice soon, for whatever comfort that can bring in your time of loss.

[Houston Homer]

Welcome to Websleuths, missingmydad, albeit through the worst of circumstances for you. Praying for you and your family. You are certainly at the right place for help. I am AMAZED every day by the work the great sleuthers do here. I hope justice is found soon for your dad.

[TheMeaningOfItAll]

Welcome, Missingmydad! I too am so sorry for your loss. There are GREAT people here on WS and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you and your family in the hopes they can help solve your father's murder. I think the other WSers are on track with their questioning. I'm wondering, too, how the GF has reacted to all this. You can PM us if you don't want to put her reactions out there in webworld for all to see. Does she have an ex that would be upset with your father. Is there a former employee/ex friend that would have knowledge of your father's comings and goings? Also, life insurance. Anyone who would benefit from that? I'm sure these are all areas that have been explored by you but I thought I'd toss it out there--just in case. *Hugs* to you.

[Soulmagent]

It seems to me that the money in the safe was the main motive the article says 1000's of dollars. Have they looked into employees at the bar past and present. Even contractors for flooring roof work etc. I do think it was someone whos only way to get to him was at the bar but who knew he had cash. Otherwise couldnt they have risked a lot less by going to the home first verses the fight at the bar? Why couldnt they have broke into his house without him home and took the safe why the need to murder him? Unless it was someone who stood to gain from his death but then why not take him out of the bar ? I wont pretend not to be curious about the GF But I do tend to think it isnt really extremely close, It seems as they needed information from him (the location of his safe) Of course he could have offered up the safe at his house as a way to aviod being killed.

[mysticrose]

New eyes on evidence
Monday, 09 November 2009

Members of the task force formed to investigate the Joe Neff murder and the Jody Rilee-Wilson suspicious death met at the courthouse on Friday.
PDN photo by Laura Young
By Laura Young
Managing Editor

Two crimes that have remained unsolved for nearly six months will have fresh eyes looking at the evidence.
A task force was formed approximately three weeks ago. The primary goal is to solve the Joe Neff and Jody Rilee-Wilson cases.
Neff was from Poteau and the owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Rilee-Wilson was from Wister.
According to LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt, the task force is made up of law enforcement personnel from the Sheriff's office, the district attorney's office, the U.S. Marshal's Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation from the McAlester office.
"We formed this task force a few weeks ago and got together today (Friday) here at the courthouse," Curnutt said. "We feel fresh eyes on the evidence will help give us a fresh perspective. OSBI and the FBI also have added resources that we don't have and they are willing to use those resources in any way they can to help solve these crimes."
The badly decomposed body of Rilee-Wilson was discovered May 8 by a paraglider flying over Poteau Mountain near Heavener.
Her vehicle was recovered in the parking lot of Pig Out Palace off I-40 in Henryetta on June 12. The incident is being investigated as a suspicious death.
Neff was murdered May 14 at the Long Branch Saloon located on Long Lake Road off Highway 59. However, his body was not recovered until May 17 when two fishermen made the discovery in a strip pit near Pocola

http://www.poteaudailynews.com/content/view/167750/1/

[nursebeeme]

this is great news about the task force~

[mysticrose]

Can anyone tell me does the Us Marshall's office usally get involved when investigating crimes?

[YellowDog]

Sorry about your loss, missingmydad. The first thing that comes to my mind is why would your father keep so much money at home in a safe? Did the girlfriend know about the safe? Her story doesn't seem to jive. I'd be looking at her and her friends closely.
The next thing I'd be looking at closely would be how many people knew there was a safe at your father's house? News like that could travel like "wildfire" in a small town.

I also think it would have to be someone from around there who knew where the strip pit was located. I grew up in Oklahoma and some of the teens used to go to the strip pits to swim.

[dgfred]

The GF and the friend that saw him the next morning would be where I would start.

[Roselvr]

Neff was murdered May 14 at the Long Branch Saloon located on Long Lake Road off Highway 59. However, his body was not recovered until May 17 when two fishermen made the discovery in a strip pit near Pocola

I guess according to this article the blood has been confirmed his.

I also think it would have to be someone from around there who knew where the strip pit was located. I grew up in Oklahoma and some of the teens used to go to the strip pits to swim.

What is a strip pit?

[Roselvr]

Double post..

WS was acting up

[wfgodot]

What is a strip pit?

It's an open cut used in surface mining into the topsoil and rock atop the mineral area to be mined. Abandoned surface mines---a.k.a. "strip pits"---fill up with water and can be stocked for fishing or used for swimming.

[dreamweaver]

http://www.answers.com/topic/strip-pit
A coal or other mine worked by stripping. An open-pit mine.

http://www.ks-mo-hunt.org/strip_pit_fishing.htm
This is from KS, but the idea is the same.
Remembering that Mr Neff's body found by fishermen at the stip pit.

http://www.ilfishing.com/articles/strippit1.html

[Roselvr]

It's an open cut used in surface mining into the topsoil and rock atop the mineral area to be mined. Abandoned surface mines---a.k.a. "strip pits"---fill up with water and can be stocked for fishing or used for swimming.

http://www.answers.com/topic/strip-pit
A coal or other mine worked by stripping. An open-pit mine.

http://www.ks-mo-hunt.org/strip_pit_fishing.htm
This is from KS, but the idea is the same.
Remembering that Mr Neff's body found by fishermen at the stip pit.

http://www.ilfishing.com/articles/strippit1.html

Thank you to both of you.

Normally I'm the google queen but didn't have time before.

I wonder if someone has a photo of the actual area Joe was found.