Nearly three weeks after a Reserve couple was reported missing, authorities say a body found Monday afternoon in the Intracoastal Waterway in eastern New Orleans is that of 29-year-old Lakeitha Joseph. The Orleans Parish coroner's office used dental records to help make identification late Tuesday, according to the St. John the Baptist Sheriff's Office.
Joseph's husband, 34-year-old Kenneth Joseph, is still missing.
An autopsy performed Tuesday indicates that Lakeitha Joseph drowned, and that her body had been in the water for at least two weeks. The medical examination did not reveal any signs of trauma, authorities said.
A passing tugboat notified authorities around 12:45 p.m. Monday to the body floating in the Intracoastal Waterway about a half mile east of Bayou Bienvenue.
Relatives of the couple have not heard from them since Feb. 18, and reported them missing Feb. 19 after finding their house on Homewood Place unlocked. Relatives say the house had been ransacked.
There was no sign of the couple or the vehicle Kenneth Joseph borrowed from his sister on February 18 around 6:30 p.m.
Authorities said Kenneth Joseph sister told detectives that her brother routinely borrowed her silver 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan, but would generally return it the same day.
That van was found abandoned Feb. 27 in the rear parking lot of an apartment complex in College Park, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta located about 10 minutes from the airport.
Relatives told authorities they have not been able to reach the couple on the their cell phones, which is unusual for them.
On Friday, March 7, following an anonymous tip to a family member, St. John authorities combed a 14 mile stretch of woods and waterways along Interstate 55 from Ruddock to Manchac in search of the couple. Authorities say the search did not turn up any evidence.
The couple, married for nearly 10 years, has no children together. Kenneth Joseph has a teen-aged child from a previous relationship. Relatives described the two as laid-back and family-centered, the type who routinely picked up their younger nieces and nephews for outings.
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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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