More than a month after relatives in St. John the Baptist Parish reported them missing, authorities have identified the body of a man pulled from the IntraCoastal Waterway on Saturday as that of 34-year-old Kenneth Joseph of Reserve.
Joseph drowned to death and had been in the water for "weeks," said John Gagliano, chief investigator for the Orleans Parish coroner's office. Gagliano declined to comment on whether there was any trauma to the body, citing an ongoing investigation.
The identification, based on dental records, comes two weeks after the body of Joseph's 29-year-old wife, Lakeitha Joseph, was discovered in the same area by boaters. SHe had also drowned to death, an autopsy showed.
The couple, who was married for nearly 10 years and had no children together, was reported missing Feb. 19 by relatives who found their Reserve home unlocked and ransacked. Family members became concern when calls to the couple's cell phone went unanswered, which they say was out of character for the family-centered duo.
While the cause of death for both has been classified as drowning by the New Orleans coroner's office, the St. John Sheriff's Office and the NOPD are investigating the deaths as homicides.
About a week after their disappearance, the Dodge minivan the couple was last seen driving was found abandoned in an apartment complex in College Park, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta located about 10 minutes from the airport.
Authorities have been tight-lipped regarding the investigation and what evidence, if any, was recovered from the van.
However, now that the Josephs' have been found, the investigation will likely shift focus to center on who drove the vehicle to Georgia.
While early rumors suggested that the couple had been forced into the vehicle at gunpoint, Tregre has said that was not the case. He said their investigation indicated that the couple was not coerced into the vehicle, but left willingly.
Family members said they believed the couple had been kidnapped because they had not heard from them, but said they didn't know why anyone would want to harm them.
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LostNMissing Inc., is an all-volunteer national tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "code") and qualifies as a public supported organization under Sections, or Categories: P99 (Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C.); M99 (Other Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness, and Relief N.E.C.); I01 (Alliance/Advocacy Organizations). LostNMissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. We never charge a fee for our services.
LostNMissing Inc.
www.lostnmissing.com
LostNMissing Inc., is an all-volunteer national tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "code") and qualifies as a public supported organization under Sections, or Categories: P99 (Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C.); M99 (Other Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness, and Relief N.E.C.); I01 (Alliance/Advocacy Organizations). LostNMissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. We never charge a fee for our services.
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