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

[Vail]

I don't think the pushpin in earlier screenshots placing his body on the south/west shore is accurate.

Columbus police said detectives with the missing persons unit spotted LaBute's half-submerged body near the boat launch off Whittier Street near the Scioto Audubon Metro Park. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

The body was found half-submerged in the river south of Whittier Street, near the Scioto Audubon Metro Park.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/29/body-found-in-river.html

The body was found around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday near the Whittier Peninsula in the Scioto Audubon Metro Park. It was found after a special victims bureau requested a routine search of local bodies of water.
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories...investigating-body-found-in-scioto-river.html

The body of a man in his 20s was found around 1pm Tuesday in the river near Interstate 71 and Greenlawn Avenue. A police dive team was searching the area in connection with several missing persons investigations, according to police.
http://nbc4i.com/2016/03/30/police-continue-to-investigate-after-body-found-in-scioto-river/

Columbus police said detectives with the missing persons unit spotted LaBute’s half-submerged body near a boat launch.
http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/news/body-pulled-from-columbus-river-is-lakota-grad/nqwwX/

None of these are very clear and the nbc4i report is the only one citing i71&Greenlawn Ave vs the boat launch which is across the river. Putting them all together, my guess is the body was a short distance from shore near the boat launch, as commonly reported, not on the south shore and not up on the penninsula. If we look at the photo in the dispatch article of the police on the raft in the river, it is on the boat lanuch side, http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

This is pretty important of course, since the body being on the south/west shore can indicate it floated there, although Scioto Blvd looks like it could lead to easy access to dump a body there also.

 

[eric136]

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.

Wonder if the police just went down there to retrieve the body and then left ? Did they notice the gate ? I am sitting here wondering if the gate & park ranger office you noticed should be called in to the CPD ?!

 

[RybieMagoo]

Try to remember, folks. The only way he was placed in the water in the area where he was found would be if he were placed there pretty much that same day. With all of the rain, wind, etc that we've had here in Ohio for the past month, his body would have floated away from that spot. I think too much thought is being put into him being placed into the water at the same spot where he was recovered. This simply wouldn't happen because of the current. Again, unless he was placed there that same day and was recovered extremely quickly. I think we should be thinking of which way the current flows, how fast the current is moving and where else, upstream, that he could have been placed in the river.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

HOLY CATS where have I been?! I am just now seeing they've found and ID'ed Joey. Man I'm so sorry. To his family, friends, and acquaintances here.

Will somebody be so kind as to tell me what details are known? I see where he was found and that's just about it.

 

[Tssiemer]

That's about all we know besides it "doesn't look he drowned" and not signs of stab or gunshot wounds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

That's about all we know besides it "doesn't look he drowned" and not signs of stab or gunshot wounds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ugg. Do they believe he has been in the water this whole time? It is quite a distance from the bar but not ridiculously far. And I read they were searching the area because of other missing cases in the area? Who are they?

 

[peep]

So many questions surrounding this tragic event.

What are the facts? Bizarre jibberish text, went on a date, no witnesses to his leaving of the bar or his reason for the apparent abrupt exit.
I wonder if the cops were able to trace/map his phone activity?
I wonder if his car was examined forensically.. did he park it there? Did someone else? Is there evidence of someone else being in his car? (I realize an article says he typically parked his car there)
Who do the police suspect is the last person that was with him?
Is there a way for the police to look at his meet-up apps' activities?
Are there any cameras along routes he could have taken to his car, be it private or business?
Any surrounding businesses in Short North that may catch a glimpse of passerbys near Union via their cameras?
I wonder if there were items found on his body (phone, keys, wallet, etc) or if the water (or suspect) got rid of those (most likely scenario)?

I saw several posts about the Smiley Face Killer and the correlation between young men going missing all around the US and being found in water. This is interesting to me, but sort of far-fetched, or conspiracy theory-ish, so I have a hard time seeing this as a possibility (namely because I've never been one to really follow conspiracy theories).

From this forum I found a link to David Paulide's Missing 411 books. I had never heard of this author or these books before this forum. I listened to a Coast to Coast interview with him, not realizing at first that Coast to Coast is primarily about aliens and such. I'm not into that sort of thing, but I found his research intriguing. He talks about the trend in young men going missing, typically after or during an outing at a bar(s) and being found days to weeks later in water. This just makes me ask even more questions though.
Is it just because these men are alone, drunk, and being dangerous near water?
Do women disappear like this as frequently as men?
If the answer to the above is no, is it because women tend to travel in 'packs' on bar outings?
Are these men who are found in water actually being attacked, or is just bound to happen when drunk men travel near water to get back to their vehicles or homes?
Statistically, what facts can we gather about these deaths to help us determine if they are related, unrelated, accidental, murder, or a combination of these?
How many of these men found in water had water along their route from the bar(s) to their vehicles or homes?

Something else I found interesting were the comments about the Arnold Classic. I had no idea these events were human trafficking cess pools? (Actually, I've never heard of this event before this forum). Upon taking a look at Google Maps.. the Greater Columbus Convention Center is between the river and Union Cafe. This is where the Arnold Classic was held. Coincidence?

This case brought me to this forum and I realize, I wish I had a gigantic board to just write facts on, or something. There's so much speculation and confusion, and the police and media don't seem forthcoming w/ anything helpful. I feel like I have nothing to decide whether or not this is all just an unfortunate accident or a murder.

Apologies for my ramblings. Just trying to get my thoughts out. Is anyone leaning towards murder? Accident?

 

[RybieMagoo]

Something else I found interesting were the comments about the Arnold Classic. I had no idea these events were human trafficking cess pools? (Actually, I've never heard of this event before this forum). Upon taking a look at Google Maps.. the Greater Columbus Convention Center is between the river and Union Cafe. This is where the Arnold Classic was held. Coincidence?

This case brought me to this forum and I realize, I wish I had a gigantic board to just write facts on, or something. There's so much speculation and confusion, and the police and media don't seem forthcoming w/ anything helpful. I feel like I have nothing to decide whether or not this is all just an unfortunate accident or a murder.

Apologies for my ramblings. Just trying to get my thoughts out. Is anyone leaning towards murder? Accident?

The Convention Center is just down the street from Union. It takes less than five minutes to walk there. The river is still a bit away from both of these places. Not SUPER far away, but it's not super close either.

I live in the Short North/Victorian Village area and work downtown. I walk and drive this area daily and also frequent Union with my husband. I know that area like the back of my hand.

 

[mpnola]

I said from the beginning that just because his car was back in the same spot where he always parks doesnt mean he wasnt driving during the phone call. He could have left and been driving. Maybe to drive someone home. Possibly with someone else who, after dumping him, put the car back in the same place it was at the beginning of the night, in order to throw the trail off. I do hope they processed the car, as well as looked at footage of when the car came in and if it ever moved before being found.

 

[MerryB]

So many questions surrounding this tragic event.


This case brought me to this forum and I realize, I wish I had a gigantic board to just write facts on, or something. There's so much speculation and confusion, and the police and media don't seem forthcoming w/ anything helpful. I feel like I have nothing to decide whether or not this is all just an unfortunate accident or a murder.

Apologies for my ramblings. Just trying to get my thoughts out. Is anyone leaning towards murder? Accident?

I think the fact that the coroner believes it's likely JL was already dead before he was put in the water leads us away from the possibility that he accidentally fell in the river or was drowned.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/03/31/Police-identify-body-in-river.html

Because he was found fully clothed in the same clothes he was in the night of his disappearance (see article above), I'm leaning away from sexual assault or hate crime (no humiliation in the way his body was left). The coroner has stated that there were no external injuries and nothing that presented itself during the autopsy that gave an outward COD. They are awaiting toxicology results.
I suppose it still could have been murder (a drugged drink, suffocation--something that wouldn't have outward signs), but it also could have been an accident (unintentional drug overdose/ drug interaction, what else wouldn't be initially obvious in an autopsy??). Whether an accident or murder, I think the common theory they are going with is that whatever happened to him happened before he entered the river.
We just don't know at this point.

 

[eric136]

I said from the beginning that just because his car was back in the same spot where he always parks doesnt mean he wasnt driving during the phone call. He could have left and been driving. Maybe to drive someone home. Possibly with someone else who, after dumping him, put the car back in the same place it was at the beginning of the night, in order to throw the trail off. I do hope they processed the car, as well as looked at footage of when the car came in and if it ever moved before being found.

I agree that it is possible that Joey could have been driving his own car during the "i am driving" call. I guess its possible.

 

[osu]

Welcome peep! :wagon:

I posted the Coast to Coast podcast up thread that you referred to in your previous post and I too found it very interesting. I don't believe so much in all of the conspiracy theories either, but nonetheless found Paulides research to be very informative.
I've been reading for several years about these men going missing all over county under very similar circumstances. I've since listened to a more recent interview with Steph Young who has researched many of these cases as well.

Ms. Young works along with retired LE, retired DEA agents, and PI's in her research. She has a lot of new and interesting info and there's no conspiracy theories involved...just cold, hard facts. Well worth a listen, IMO.

The interview is from February 2016 and she begins the discussion about missing men around the 10:00 minute mark.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vEdO3WE1ebU

 

[anonypotomous]

I want to know where he was for the 3 weeks before he was dumped in the river [emoji24]

 

[MerryB]

I want to know where he was for the 3 weeks before he was dumped in the river [emoji24]

Do we know he wasn't in the river the whole time? I might have missed that. I know there was some confusion initially between what the detective who was interviewed at the scene said (body was in good condition) to what the coroner said (had to identify w/dental records because of level of decomposition).

 

[Margo/Mom]

So many questions surrounding this tragic event.

What are the facts? Bizarre jibberish text, went on a date, no witnesses to his leaving of the bar or his reason for the apparent abrupt exit.
I wonder if the cops were able to trace/map his phone activity?
I wonder if his car was examined forensically.. did he park it there? Did someone else? Is there evidence of someone else being in his car? (I realize an article says he typically parked his car there)
Who do the police suspect is the last person that was with him?
Is there a way for the police to look at his meet-up apps' activities?
Are there any cameras along routes he could have taken to his car, be it private or business?
Any surrounding businesses in Short North that may catch a glimpse of passerbys near Union via their cameras?
I wonder if there were items found on his body (phone, keys, wallet, etc) or if the water (or suspect) got rid of those (most likely scenario)?

I saw several posts about the Smiley Face Killer and the correlation between young men going missing all around the US and being found in water. This is interesting to me, but sort of far-fetched, or conspiracy theory-ish, so I have a hard time seeing this as a possibility (namely because I've never been one to really follow conspiracy theories).

From this forum I found a link to David Paulide's Missing 411 books. I had never heard of this author or these books before this forum. I listened to a Coast to Coast interview with him, not realizing at first that Coast to Coast is primarily about aliens and such. I'm not into that sort of thing, but I found his research intriguing. He talks about the trend in young men going missing, typically after or during an outing at a bar(s) and being found days to weeks later in water. This just makes me ask even more questions though.
Is it just because these men are alone, drunk, and being dangerous near water?
Do women disappear like this as frequently as men?
If the answer to the above is no, is it because women tend to travel in 'packs' on bar outings?
Are these men who are found in water actually being attacked, or is just bound to happen when drunk men travel near water to get back to their vehicles or homes?
Statistically, what facts can we gather about these deaths to help us determine if they are related, unrelated, accidental, murder, or a combination of these?
How many of these men found in water had water along their route from the bar(s) to their vehicles or homes?

Something else I found interesting were the comments about the Arnold Classic. I had no idea these events were human trafficking cess pools? (Actually, I've never heard of this event before this forum). Upon taking a look at Google Maps.. the Greater Columbus Convention Center is between the river and Union Cafe. This is where the Arnold Classic was held. Coincidence?

This case brought me to this forum and I realize, I wish I had a gigantic board to just write facts on, or something. There's so much speculation and confusion, and the police and media don't seem forthcoming w/ anything helpful. I feel like I have nothing to decide whether or not this is all just an unfortunate accident or a murder.

Apologies for my ramblings. Just trying to get my thoughts out. Is anyone leaning towards murder? Accident?

My thinking is that a body of water is simply an easy way to dispose of something. Moving water particularly. The city pulled an astonishing number of grocery carts, old bicycles and other assorted junk out of the river after opening the dam (part of a river/park development project). I don't think there is a pond in the city or surrounding area that doesn't give up a car or something else interesting when drained.

Strikes me that trying to build some common denominator to bodies across the country being found in bodies of water is unhelpful.

 

[Margo/Mom]

The Convention Center is just down the street from Union. It takes less than five minutes to walk there. The river is still a bit away from both of these places. Not SUPER far away, but it's not super close either.

I live in the Short North/Victorian Village area and work downtown. I walk and drive this area daily and also frequent Union with my husband. I know that area like the back of my hand.

Maybe. I would just throw in that parking in the Short North is sparse, and on a busy weekend even more so. Odds of being able to leave a parking spot and return to it are kinda sketchy.

 

[Tssiemer]

Do we know he wasn't in the river the whole time? I might have missed that. I know there was some confusion initially between what the detective who was interviewed at the scene said (body was in good condition) to what the coroner said (had to identify w/dental records because of level of decomposition).

Well he was found in the same clothing and the coroner said he's been dead about 3 weeks. But he was partially submerged.

I think he was in the river if not for the whole time then for most of it.

 

[ZhaZhaHa]

Maybe. I would just throw in that parking in the Short North is sparse, and on a busy weekend even more so. Odds of being able to leave a parking spot and return to it are kinda sketchy.

He parked his car at an apartment complex about 15 - 20 minutes (walking) from the bar, so maybe there is a chance it wasn't as full? Though I do tend to think he was taken out in somebody else's car.

To peep, the thought with men vs women being found in water is perhaps they go to the edge of water to pee and slip in. Women don't do this. I definitely don't think this was the case here though. He was way too far off course.

 

[VTX88]

Not only was his car not real close to the bar but it was also 1:30am and few people are probably looking for a new parking spot at that hour. Most parking spots would probably become open as people leave the area and head home. Though I don't think his car was drove and returned to the same spot.

 

[tarabull]

:welcome5: peep! Great first post!

Thanks for joining us.