Found Deceased OH - Joey LaBute, 26, Columbus, 4 March 2016 #2

[newshound6]

1. Officer's v. coroner's different impression about condition of body - Police and the coroner have different goals. To the officer, the body was probably in relatively good condition. To a medical doctor who is trying to identify the individual, it was not. Don't blame the news -- it is just reporting what both of them said.

2. Serial killer, human trafficking, and hate crime - No. Too far-fetched and does not fit pattern or profile.

3. Lack of visible injuries is intriguing.

4. Did he know how to swim? Some do not.

5. Autopsy and toxicology report will shed light.

6. Based solely on the above information and lack thereof, currently, the most likely explanation is accidental with contributing factors of impairment by alcohol and/or other substances.

Love your screen name- and based on Occam's razor analysis of this tragedy I totally agree!!

 

[MerryB]

Just now getting caught up on this new thread since this morning's announcement that Joey had been found.
I'm very sorry for such a sad ending for someone, who, by all accounts, was a wonderful person.
Now the question is how and why did this happen?
I believe that police were led to search the location at Audubon Park based on Joey's digital footprint. Whether it was cell phone pings, information from the apps he was using that night, and/or texts from his phone, I think that is what led them to where he was eventually found. I also believe that his family had an idea that something bad had happened before we did, based on statements made prior to the recovery of his body. I wonder what it is that had given them these clues.
I'm interested in finding out more about the "love triangle" that has been mentioned in prior posts. I don't know anything about this. A few of you have asked who Matt is. He is the friend who was at Union that night, who Joey spoke with and later had a text exchange with, including the nonsensical "last" text at the end of the night. Here is an interview that Matt did with the local news station a few days after Joey's disappearance. There is no mention of any kind of relationship between he & Joey other than a friendship. Does anyone know more?

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2016/03/09/columbus-ohio-search-for-missing-columbus-man-continues-into-fifth-day.html?fb_comment_id=979166608786495_979674422069047#f2c4934b18

I live in Columbus and feel strongly that Joey did not walk all the way from the Short North to the remote area/shady part of town where he was found. I suppose he may have floated down river; the alternative would be his body was dumped there. If Joey did not drown, and he died before he entered the water (just a supposition), yet there is no COD pending toxicology results (which is my understanding from local reports, but as we've discussed, those have been confusing and sometimes contradictory), could it be possible that he got in the car with someone for a quick "hit" of something, which unintentionally turned deadly? The person then panicked and dumped his body in the well-hidden metro park area? No disrespect intended to the deceased, no judgement here, just playing armchair detective and looking at all possibilities--if there is no sign of injury to the body, and COD is not drowning, what other possibilities for COD are there?

 

[osu]

Had Joey drown, his COD would have already been determined by the coroner, correct?

 

[fourcatsonepup]

Which is usually because their bodies have been in the water for such a long period of time...

 

[lupinibean]

So much about this case has been puzzling, and continues to be.

If it was an "accidental drowning", why did it take 3+ weeks for the body to appear? Dead bodies float long before that, IIRC. Plus, as others have mentioned, it wasn't like this bar was on the waterfront. Joey would have had to what, had a notion to walk off from his friends and families shortly after midnight, and hike down through trees and bushes to get to a river and then just fall in? Nope, don't buy it. And it doesn't explain the "I'm driving" and the gibberish text.

Coroner/ME said [paraphrasing] no external signs of trauma, such as knife or gunshot wound...what about suffocation? poisoning?

I agree that going from "the body is in good shape" to "we need dental records" is...questionable.

I don't believe it was "accidental" any more than I believe the detectives just "had a hunch" to look in that area, on that day, at that time of day, for a body.

 

[MerryB]

Had Joey drown, his COD would have already been determined by the coroner, correct?

I'm not sure, but my understanding of what the local news is reporting is that the autopsy was inconclusive for COD, and they are awaiting toxicology: "There is no official cause of death at this time and toxicology tests could take several weeks, according to Ortiz."

 

[CARIIS]

Joey had been deceased prior to being put in the water. No obvious signs of trauma?

This takes me to he had been drugged, and died from that---maybe gave him too much? --- and whoever drugged him did not think it will kill him, and freaked out?


. Now they're saying he was so decomposed they needed to use dental records? WTF!




AHHHHHH huh?

Look at all us - its infurating - well what is wrong with media???? Why arent they as pissed and confussed as we are:

Have any of us heard a reporter fairly ask something akin to:

"Excuse me yesterday you released information to all of us standing here with you, that the body was not far along in terms of decompention. Thsi morning the ME clamined that the reason for the delay in idnetifcation was that the body was so decomposed that even a primianary ID could not have been released? Can you explain this discrepency?

Follow up if I may: Sir,yesterday you claimed that the clothing that you found on the deceased was not torn or ripped. Why could that not have fascilated you releasing a prelimnary ID yesterday.

Follow up if I may: Several days ago you told the public that you would be able to release the ID by the folloiwng morning.Respectfully sir, frankly that is hard for all of us to understand.

You have been doing this for what XX years , and you first see a body that you are now describing as horribly unrecgnizable, I would assume, for xx years in practice you would know that you would not able to release an ID -10 hours later -when your office recives a body in such a horribel state.Can you please explain, with all your experice how that occurred?

 

[lupinibean]

According to this, there was a "high probability" that Joey had already died before going in the water, per the coroner:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

 

[anonypotomous]

so much about this case has been puzzling, and continues to be.

If it was an "accidental drowning", why did it take 3+ weeks for the body to appear? Dead bodies float long before that, iirc. Plus, as others have mentioned, it wasn't like this bar was on the waterfront. Joey would have had to what, had a notion to walk off from his friends and families shortly after midnight, and hike down through trees and bushes to get to a river and then just fall in? Nope, don't buy it. And it doesn't explain the "i'm driving" and the gibberish text.

Coroner/me said [paraphrasing] no external signs of trauma, such as knife or gunshot wound...what about suffocation? Poisoning?

I agree that going from "the body is in good shape" to "we need dental records" is...questionable.

I don't believe it was "accidental" any more than i believe the detectives just "had a hunch" to look in that area, on that day, at that time of day, for a body.

This!

 

[Hatfield]

1. Officer's v. coroner's different impression about condition of body - Police and the coroner have different goals. To the officer, the body was probably in relatively good condition. To a medical doctor who is trying to identify the individual, it was not. Don't blame the news -- it is just reporting what both of them said.

2. Serial killer, human trafficking, and hate crime - No. Too far-fetched and does not fit pattern or profile.

3. Lack of visible injuries is intriguing.

4. Did he know how to swim? Some do not.

5. Autopsy and toxicology report will shed light.

6. Based solely on the above information and lack thereof, currently, the most likely explanation is accidental with contributing factors of impairment by alcohol and/or other substances.

JMO
After reading a lot of this thread yesterday I have to say I agree with #6 at this point.

I don't think it was intentional. I think whoever was with him decided for some reason to place him in the water after the person passed away from too much of something in his system. Whether it be drugs or alcohol or something like that.

I am thinking the person who put him in the water did that to try not to get his identification tied to his death in any way. Not sure why. Maybe he gave him drugs. Maybe he has a wife and didn't want her to know what he was out doing. Could be other reasons.

If someone did put him in the water then I believe that in itself is a crime of some sort. Maybe abuse of corpse or something like that.

I could be wrong about this and this is JMO

 

[rprokic]

According to this, there was a "high probability" that Joey had already died before going in the water, per the coroner:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

I nearly choked reading is. None of the medical examiners ever admit this though it's true. This is classic Smiley Face killer.

 

[Timekeeper65]

I sincerely hope that his family gets some answers, and I hope that Joey didn't go through hell before he passed.

This case affected me in a way that nothing like this ever has. I have no idea why, either. I didn't know Joey, though from learning about his interests I think we would have gotten along pretty well. I I frequent the bar where he was last seen and I've lived in that area for years. This is just crushing. I really wanted for this to end well.

That is how it is here on Websleuths. Some cases just grab your mind and heart, and there is no letting go. Crushing accurately describes how I feel, as well.

JL I am so sorry for you, your family, your friends, and all of us here who care deeply about you.

 

[JanetElaine]

[video=twitter;715553600597016576]https://twitter.com/theodore_decker/status/715553600597016576[/video]

Rest in peace, Joey. :rose:

 

[allmybecsloveme]

Not being confrontational but...why are people so convinced this situation is anything more than a tragic accident? Here in Cleveland we have an entertainment district on the river and young people out drinking and partying have ended up dead in the river many times-I know the family members expected him to be right back at the table etc... but sometimes young people out for a night of fun meet up with lots of other folks and bar hop and do all sorts of things they may not want to inform their family about- a male stepping to the riverside to possibly urinate is drunk or impaired and then they're gone-other acquaintances who may not even know this person well don't really notice and suddenly its the next morning and somebody has been missing 10 hrs. I don't know this happened ,obviously -but it seems more probable than a 24yr. old man being a victim of human trafficking.Also... look back on the last thread, there are statements about Joey being seen in other bars that night-maybe he just wanted to cut loose from his family and it turned tragic.

I'm sorry, but there are several places in the world with bars and such next to bodies of water. Not all of these places have man after man go missing and found in the water.

I personally don't see how this DOESN'T look suspicious at this point.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[anonypotomous]

I nearly choked reading is. None of the medical examiners ever admit this though it's true. This is classic Smiley Face killer.

Dang, you're really into this theory aren't you? What makes you so sure?

 

[CARIIS]

I'm not sure, but my understanding of what the local news is reporting is that the autopsy was inconclusive for COD, and they are awaiting toxicology: "There is no official cause of death at this time and toxicology tests could take several weeks, according to Ortiz."

That is what me wonder if they think he was laced and casue of death might be like homicide by od not volunariy induced, I think there are certain drugs that are known to be used for that only

Like why someone is having fun and they decide "oh, I want some XXXX I want to get all sleepy and doppey and fall on the floor right , sounds like a blast

So I would at least hope if they find ssubstances known for that purpose that at least they realize it and iclude it in cause of homicide not like killed himself on purpose by an overdose if that makes any sense

 

[Momoffourboys]

It is also possible that JL overdozed or had alcohol poisoning and whoever was with him got spooked and dumped him. Just a thought.

ETA: that is what happened in this case. The "friend" dumped her body in a field after she od'd. He got a slap on the wrist.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/14/charges-friend-hid-laura-schwendemanns-body-after-she-died/

 

[Mayor Perk]

According to this, there was a "high probability" that Joey had already died before going in the water, per the coroner:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

Wow, this seems like official confirmation of foul play to me.

Accidental overdose or something like that seems unlikely. Joey did not seem like that kind of guy.

He could have been drugged though.

 

[osu]

I'm unable to read the article linked above at the Columbus Dispatch site. It says I have to become a subscriber. :/

 

[CookieM]

I do feel that the police know more than they are letting on. But TBH since this is still an investigation, I'm not upset that they aren't revealing all that they may know. Sure I'm curious and want justice, but if they have a suspect, then they can keep things to themselves, rather than screw up the investigation.

jmo