I’m new to the forum and found it through concern for Joseph LaBute. I’m in Columbus, Ohio and would like to shed some light on a few theories that have been bounced around. We may have more answers this morning as a body that was found will be identified.
Joey disappeared during the weekend of the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus. This event is held every year in the spring and attracts thousands of people. While it is a great event, what a lot of people – even those who live in Columbus – do not realize is that it is the country’s second highest event for human trafficking. Most people don’t realize what human trafficking entails and when a few of us in Columbus suggested that this may be what happened, others said that there was no way Joey would get involved in that. This is where we need some clarification. People do not choose to get involved in human trafficking. Typically, what happens is traffickers use a decoy, usually a very attractive person, to lure a person to them. They then kidnap the person and their life is forever changed as they are forced to have sex with many people over and over again. Drug trafficking is starting to take a back seat to human trafficking because once drugs sell, they can’t be resold because they get used. In human trafficking, the commodity is the human and they can be sold over and over again. Some of us in Columbus felt that this could be what happened to Joey as the Arnold Sports Festival venue was located on the same side of the street only a few blocks down from Union where Joey was last seen. There were also rumors that night of some people that didn’t fit in at the bar and speaking a European language. These could have been traffickers due to a high percentage of them being from European countries.
Union is one of the most popular gay bars in the Columbus area. To give you an idea of its popularity, one can barely make it from the front of the bar to the back because it is so crowded. There’s typically many, many people standing around. We’ve been told that security footage at Union was turned over to the police and video is very grainy/pixelated. There’s a reason for this. Union is a great place to meet friends and hang out, but ownership is very focused on cutting costs and making money. There’s even rumors of underground crime activity associated with Union and Axis (across the street and owned by the same men).
Joey was with family and some friends at the bar and got up for a drink and was never seen again. This is very strange. It doesn’t seem like he would leave the bar as rumor has it that a few friends were going to Union that night to meet up with him after he spent time with family. So, he probably would not have left the bar. Sadly, if something as put in his drink, he may have been led outside without anyone noticing. Many of you wonder how this is possible and the answer would lie in knowing gay culture. Gay bars typically serve very strong drinks. I can’t emphasize how strong the drinks are! It’s a common sight to see people being led out of a gay bar drunk or barely able to walk. If you’re at the bar, you move out of the way, let people through, and keep going about your business and having fun. So, if Joey was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it wouldn’t have stood out.
The events of the evening leading up to Joey’s disappearance leave some questions. He had a date and the date texted him, “goodnight cutie.” Joey’s response was, “byyyyyyee.” As an FYI, in the gay community, that is a brush off and really a snarky response. It may also be a clue.
Others have said they’ve chatted with Joey on apps designed to meet people. For those who are not familiar with these apps, you can log on, see who is online and the people are usually listed in the order of those closest to you. If you’re at Union on a Friday night, the app would be filled with people from Union and the Short North. He may have met someone on an app, but typically, no one would leave their family behind to go meet a guy.
Directly next to Union is an alley. Cars sometimes stop in the alley and this could be how Joey was taken. No one watches the alley or notices anything going on.
It’s been a rough month for the gay community as many of us are deeply concerned and just want Joey returned to his family. Joey is one of our own and we want him to be safe. As I’ve read the posts on here, it’s been brought up that Joey’s sexuality may or may not have nothing to do with his disappearance. In my opinion, sexuality does play a role; Specifically, in knowing gay culture and behavior. We gay men can act and behave somewhat differently from our straight counterparts.
A body was found yesterday in the river a bit of a distance from where Joey was last seen. Some of you have stated that he may have been in the park cruising. I feel the need to address this here. Several years ago, there were many gays who cruised. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time and was a quick way to find a sex partner. However, with technology comes change. There are now apps to meet people and that seems to be the way to go. Also, what no one has pointed out is that is Joey was truly looking for a good time, he could have met anyone at Union and there is also a gay bath house a few miles from the bar. Also, it would be extremely rare for anyone who is out on a Friday night having fun with friends and family to get up and leave to go cruising. So, for those of you who think this is an option, it’s pretty far fetched. The other thing I’d add is that most cruising takes place during the day or in the early evening hours. To add to this, if Joey really wanted a hook up and quick sex, he could have just met up with the guy he had a date with earlier. Though Joey may not have shown a lot of interest, the guy was clearly interested and would have been a likely option if that is all Joey wanted. Combined with the fact that Joey had a few friends who were on their way to Union to meet him, but arrived and couldn’t find him, the hook up and cruising theory does not seem likely.
Questions arise about how his family is handling this. Money was raised and is now put on hold. Those of us who donated are not thrilled with this happening, but understand. Then, if you look at his Mom’s Facebook page, in between posting items about Joey, she is posting cute cat videos and photos. This seems like odd behavior, but could be a way of coping.
In Columbus, we are concerned for Joey’s safety and hope he is found soon. Though a body has been found, it has not been confirmed if it is Joey. We hope it isn’t. We want him to return home safe and sound.
