Would Joey be worth something alive and well, even if he were going to distance himself from Chase and if he confronted Chase about the missing blank checks?
Maybe in a case like that , where Joey might say that Chase already owed him thousands of dollars and he wasn't going to pay him anymore until that was paid back, Chase wouldn't feel that Joey was worth more alive than dead?
I think it’s been established that Chase was very impulsive and didn’t act in a way that shows he had any kind of self control/responsibility/was planning for the future. He lived check to check, constantly overdrew his bank account, no savings, gambled thousands when his family was struggling to make rent, burned bridges - many failed business Relationships, theft, felonies, etc. My point is this is not a rational person who would see the value of keeping a good working relationship with Joey for his own future benefit. This was a guy who did just about anything for quick cash (payday loans, gambling, manipulating Joey, Susan Blake, Geist Construction, failing to complete jobs, lying that jobs were completed to receive payment, using cheaper materials, shoddy work that was charged back Joey) and didn’t care who he screwed over in the process. He looked at people and saw dollar signs, nothing more. I think he was very jealous of Joseph, probably thought the guy had so much money he wouldn’t even notice a grand or two missing. He got brave/desperate and cashed that fraudulent check.
Soo to say Joey was worth more alive than dead to Chase doesn’t hold much water IMO. To most
rational people - yes that would be the case. But I’ve witnessed manic people/addicts and seen how they destroy
everything and anything important around them to get that next high, or fix, etc.
I believe it all came crashing down for Chase when Joseph confronted him. I don’t think he killed Joey FOR the money necessarily, rather most likely flew into a sudden fit of rage when he realized Joseph was going to report him to the authorities and cut ties with him completely. At that point he had absolutely nothing to lose and to gain he had only his freedom and his pride.
I think the backdated checks to himself were probably like an afterthought or bonus for him. Again, no self control...he just couldn’t help himself. And that was his downfall and biggest mistake, without the Quickbooks evidence he likely never would have been arrested.