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

[trout]

It is likely that "Jnhstiog" is a place, as some have indicated here.
Joey texted "Jnhstiog" and Matt texted "Are you there?" Which might mean he knew Joey was going to that place. If he did not understand what it meant he might have texted "?" or "what?" instead.

 

[jjenny]

Strangulation would have shown up on the autopsy.

But body was in the water for a while. So I am not so sure.

 

[jjenny]

It generally makes little sense for a "normal" crime to result in the removal of the body. A robber wants to get something and get out of there. Moving the body creates extra risk. Same with a "hate crime". If a crime was committed, the body is hidden (most times) when it can be linked back to the perp. Yea, there are exceptions but I don't think (if there was a crime) it was a stranger crime.

Water destroys evidence. Either stranger or non-stranger could be disposing body into the water hoping to get rid of evidence.

 

[bighairdontcare]

So, there were no signs of external injuries and no water found in the lungs. I may be stating the obvious here, but this means (to me) that he ingested or perhaps inhaled something. I don't think the coroner has mentioned if anything or not was found in this stomach or intestines ? Maybe the coroner didn't since the autopsy came back negative.

Somebody put his body in the water. So, this means (to me) there are only two things that are possible: A. the other person panicked and ditched the body when something went wrong -or- B. the other person committed homicide.

I really hope that the toxicology report provides an understanding of how he passed. I understand that they are cremating the body which would completely ban us from ever returning to the body for any other possible answers- after all, although the autopsy did not provide a cause of death , his body could potentially need to be exhumed for any future reference- if there happened to be a new lead or a break in the case or just maybe for sheer speculative theories that prove to be highly probable. Just kinda scares me- I don't want this cause of death to be completely lost- not to mention possible DNA evidence, which i understand is highly unlikely because he was disposed of in the river- which would wash away that evidence . I'm just eager and anxious to get answers . I really don't want this to go cold ;(

 

[VTX88]

The 10tv website says near the Whittier Peninsula. I thought there was mention in an article somewhere it was near the boat launch ? Is the boat launch on the Peninsula ? Or is there more than one boat launch ?

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2016/03/31/body-found-in-scioto-identified-as-joey-labute.html

There's a boat ramp on the other side. I loaded a map here after he was found. The map has a pinpoint here he was found and there's a boat ramp probably about 50 feet upriver from where he was.

 

[VTX88]

This is a map of where the news shows his body was recovered. At the top of the map is Audubon Park and the bottom is Berliner Park. If you'll notice, right along the river bank is a service road and just a few feet upriver from where his body was found is a boat ramp. There are also businesses there with access to the river. My guess is that he was placed in the river where he was found and perhaps there were logs thrown onto his body to weigh him down. The reason I'm thinking that, is because he was still fully clothed. If he had been floating down river for weeks, I would expect his clothes to be torn off. Another reason I think this is because: Homicide Sgt. Dave Sicilian said "the death was being treated as suspicious, given the location where the body was found". And here is that news clip:

http://myfox28columbus.com/news/local/autopsy-planned-today-for-body-found-in-scioto-river

Here is that post again

 

[VTX88]

I drove down yesterday to the Scioto Audubon Park to the boat launch were Joey was found. The road that leads to it (West Whittier Street) is a dead end street. There are some street lights, but not very many. Most of the street lights are on the main street thoroughfare. The park closes at 8pm and Joey went missing after midnight. There would have been no traffic going back and forth (its a dead end street and after midnight). It would have been virtual darkness at the boat launch and parking area. I got the feeling that whoever put the body in the water knew about this area & knew it was going to be dark & knew there was going to be no traffic. I had never been back there myself until yesterday.

I reloaded my post from earlier right above this post. Maybe you could drive down that service road in the map and check out that boat ramp and area and report back to us on your findings. I'm curious also what's around that exact area: are the business fenced in, is the road gated, are there outside cameras on the business, is the area busy, etc.

 

[VTX88]

For his body to have been dumped at the public boat ramp across the river, his body would've had to float around the peninsula and then upstream to where it was found. That wouldn't have happened. The body would've floated down river and over the dam. Also, did the coroner say the body had been in the water since his approximate time of death of 3 weeks prior or just that he'd been dead 3 weeks? Are they able to tell how long he was in the water?

 

[trout]

I agree. I was hoping for a 2nd autopsy by another coroner, an expert in these cases. As part of building a good case against whomever. But I understand the family's need to give Joey rest.

 

[Mayor Perk]

For his body to have been dumped at the public boat ramp across the river, his body would've had to float around the peninsula and then upstream to where it was found. That wouldn't have happened. The body would've floated down river and over the dam. Also, did the coroner say the body had been in the water since his approximate time of death of 3 weeks prior or just that he'd been dead 3 weeks? Are they able to tell how long he was in the water?

Thank you, VTX. I was looking for your earlier post with the exact pushpin. Thanks for re-posting.

I was going to make the same point about the Whittier peninsula getting the way of the body ending up where it was found.

If the body entered the water at that exact location, that's a curious spot to place a body. Looking at VTX's satellite photo, the structure immediately on the western side of the Greenlawn bridge is actually a Columbus Fire Station. Moving west on Greenlawn, you have a few commercial and industrial businesses. One of those businesses is a sports bar/restaurant called The Clubhouse. It is open until 2:30am on Fridays. While the other businesses adjacent to The Clubhouse would have been quiet at that time, it is certainly not the most deserted spot in town with an open sports next door.

The last business before the I-71 N onramp is an auto body shop that has a locked chainlink fence after business hours.

Given this, if the perp did place the body in the water at that location, s/he likely did so on the property of an industrial packing company. The perp certainly isn't going to risk doing so behind a city fire station or open sports bar.

One last point. On land adjacent to the fire station is a cell tower. I wonder if that tower provided detectives with the "hunch" to search in this area.

 

[eric136]

It is likely that "Jnhstiog" is a place, as some have indicated here.
Joey texted "Jnhstiog" and Matt texted "Are you there?" Which might mean he knew Joey was going to that place. If he did not understand what it meant he might have texted "?" or "what?" instead.

That "are you there ?" was sent late in the evening the next day. Is that just a way of getting his attention ?

 

[mpnola]

That "are you there ?" was sent late in the evening the next day. Is that just a way of getting his attention ?

Im sure he had heard at that point that Joey was missing and it was his attempt at trying to see if he would get a response. At least that is how I read that text. Of course, some wording I saw on Facebook still makes me scratch my head, but I think that was the intent of that text (regardless whether that was real or for an appearance)

 

[cwosigns]

Im sure he had heard at that point that Joey was missing and it was his attempt at trying to see if he would get a response. At least that is how I read that text. Of course, some wording I saw on Facebook still makes me scratch my head, but I think that was the intent of that text (regardless whether that was real or for an appearance)

That's my feeling too. If someone told me a friend had gone missing, I would find it incredible and text/call as well.

 

[Starry Night]

That's my feeling too. If someone told me a friend had gone missing, I would find it incredible and text/call as well.

I would call only. I don't get 'texting' after Alexander Graham Bell went through all that trouble.

Prayers for his family.

 

[neesaki]

Maybe she called because the cousin told her that Joey went up to the bar and never came back and they couldn't find him before they left. They probably told her they tried texting him several times but got no response. Maybe she figured that if he wasn't answering their texts, maybe he'd at least answer her call. And she figured right because he did answer her call.

Did the family members / cousins just decide to show up at the Union and surprise Joey? From the reports, he had no idea they would be there. I'm just wondering if he felt uncomfortable with that whole surprise situation.

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

As LaBute arrived to the restaurant and bar he saw Matt seated inside.
"He walked in and we were sitting at a table up front and he was like 'oh my gosh, it's so good to see you guys!' He came over and we talked to him," LaBute said.
Family member Kyle Reigle was among the group Joey was with.
"It was a fun night. We don't get together a whole lot, a group of cousins and family friends. So, we decided to meet up," Reigle said.

 

[MerryB]

I believe that's an error in the article. If you watch the video, the quote attributed to LaBute ("He walked in and we were sitting at a table up front and he was like 'oh my gosh, it's so good to see you guys!' He came over and we talked to him," LaBute said) is actually said by Joey's friend Matt. Joey's cousin, who was also interviewed for this article, has the last name Reigle.

 

[mpnola]

He was surprised to see Matt- the friend with the "youre lying" and jibberish text. He was there and out for the night with his cousins- Reigle guy. He wasnt surprised to see the cousin. He was surprised to see Matt. I think thats what is being said.

 

[eric136]

But body was in the water for a while. So I am not so sure.

Death caused by Strangulation....
Dislocation of the cervical vertebrae are indications of strangulation. A ligature mark on the neck is present, presence of bruising, haemorrhages in the strap muscles around the trachea and larynx.

 

[Rstlne]

I drove down yesterday to the Scioto Audubon Park to the boat launch were Joey was found. The road that leads to it (West Whittier Street) is a dead end street. There are some street lights, but not very many. Most of the street lights are on the main street thoroughfare. The park closes at 8pm and Joey went missing after midnight. There would have been no traffic going back and forth (its a dead end street and after midnight). It would have been virtual darkness at the boat launch and parking area. I got the feeling that whoever put the body in the water knew about this area & knew it was going to be dark & knew there was going to be no traffic. I had never been back there myself until yesterday.

Ok.... There's something that I found very interested today after also going down to the boat launch and taking some flowers down to put in the water... Upon turning into the entrance I noticed that there is a gate that I'm assuming gets shut when the park closes. Now, I don't know 100% that nightly this gate gets closed, but the park rangers office is located in the old police impound building directly across the street from the entrance to the boat launch driveway. I would like to know if they close and lock this gate nightly. (Which would make sense for them to do for safety and liability reasons so boats aren't launched in the dark) so if that gate is closed and locked at dusk when the park closes the individual(s) that put Joey in that river either had to A) drag him down there on foot after dusk and before dawn B) had to wait for that gate to be opened in which case it would have to be daylight C) they put him in the river somewhere else and that's where Joey ended up.... I am just thankful they found him when they did, because just feet away from where he was found is a spillover dam (small waterfall) which has unbelievable whirlpool/rip tide capabilities and if he would have ended up there we may have never found him. I just constantly pray that the CPD detectives act promptly and don't allow this case to go cold.

 

[jjenny]

Death caused by Strangulation....
Dislocation of the cervical vertebrae are indications of strangulation. A ligature mark on the neck is present, presence of bruising, haemorrhages in the strap muscles around the trachea and larynx.

Once the body starts decomposing it's a lot harder to determine the cause of death.