PA PA - Joey Offutt, 33, State College, July 2007

[Galbin]

I watched the show a few weeks back and it certainly got me thinking. What a strange case!

We all know that there are crazy perps out there who steal into people's homes and assault and murder them. However, what are the chances that a serial rapist/killer would set fire to a house after abducting someone living there? Furthermore, why would they then add an infant homicide AND arson to their rap sheet? Unless they did not know that there was a baby in the house? Even then, it makes no sense to set a fire to the house.

I must admit that I did find it odd that the husband remarried after only two years, but it seems like he and Joey didn't have the happiest of relationships, so maybe moving on was quicker because of this? Also, statistically, men often seem to remarry much more quickly than women do, even when their wife dies of cancer or a heart attack.

However, I don't think the fiancee did it. He seemed pretty broken to me.

Joey's mother said that a psychologist diagnosed her as having the mind of a 14 year old. A psychologist does not say something like that off the cuff. A psychologist would only make a statement like that after extensive testing. So if Joey was developmentally delayed, this will have made her more vulnerable. A large part of me also wonders if Joey developed post partum psychosis and set the fire, went to the old apartment, got lost somewhere in the surrounding area (due to the postpartum psychosis) and perished. It would also explain why Joey seemed so out of it when she was last seen. On the other hand, if she perished somewhere, surely some evidence would be found. I know the family mentioned the parking, but if a person is in a distraught and mentally unstable place, who knows how their behaviours and patterns will change?

 

[neverletgo]

:bump:

Joey has been missing for 5 years this month. What happened to her? Where is she?

 

[Galbin]

:bump:

Joey has been missing for 5 years this month. What happened to her? Where is she?

What do you think about my theories above? I've been dying to talk to someone about this case, but it seems that not many people seem to know about it.

What do you think happened?

 

[smile22]

ok the fact that in the discovery id show the neighbor seen her a few days before with the stroller but no baby in it kinda strange huh. is it possible she did something to the baby before the walk and was distraught and went for a walk not expecting to see her neighbor and hoping that he did not notice the empty stroller? and then she herself set the house on fire?.

the car theory what if she really did back the car into the space and did it a few times to get it right. i am a horrible Parker and have a hard time parking into spaces where i have to back out. could she have parked the car then gone and pushed the seat back to fool everyone into thinking someone else put the car there? could she have run off intending to hide out?.

how much money cash did she have in the bank and on her?
could she have gotten help from the underground to make a new life? even with all the problems she was having?

they said the bf passed a lie detector test but later in the show it said he had in fact failed? i am confused did they say that to test him again to trick him. did he really pass and they were looking to pin it on someone.

i think hes innocent just my gut feeling,


did they thoroughly check out the burnt house for anymore bodys could her body have been in the house someplace hidden and le or fire officials never found it?

 

[neverletgo]

Joey's mother said that a psychologist diagnosed her as having the mind of a 14 year old. A psychologist does not say something like that off the cuff. A psychologist would only make a statement like that after extensive testing. So if Joey was developmentally delayed, this will have made her more vulnerable. A large part of me also wonders if Joey developed post partum psychosis and set the fire, went to the old apartment, got lost somewhere in the surrounding area (due to the postpartum psychosis) and perished. It would also explain why Joey seemed so out of it when she was last seen. On the other hand, if she perished somewhere, surely some evidence would be found. I know the family mentioned the parking, but if a person is in a distraught and mentally unstable place, who knows how their behaviours and patterns will change?

(Respectfully snipped by me)

Hi, Galbin!

I go back and forth between that theory and the theory that someone else was responsible for her disappearance and the fire; however, you brought up some interesting points here too, in my opinion:

We all know that there are crazy perps out there who steal into people's homes and assault and murder them. However, what are the chances that a serial rapist/killer would set fire to a house after abducting someone living there? Furthermore, why would they then add an infant homicide AND arson to their rap sheet? Unless they did not know that there was a baby in the house? Even then, it makes no sense to set a fire to the house.

 

[Galbin]

Smile22

I think she may have had postpartum psychosis and hurt the baby and then set the fire; OR set the fire forgetting about the baby (women with PPP really do lose their minds). I just don't think that some perp would have come in, killed her AND the baby, set fire to the house and then driven her car to her old apartment. How would a random perp even know about her old apartment?

There is also the possibility that the baby died of SIDS and Joey-Lynn went into a panicked grief state, thinking she'd be blamed. Hence she ran off. We do need to remember that she was developmentally delayed after all, so her thinking may not have been very logical.

Does anyone know if she had money in her account and if it was taken out? Are there any sleuthing journalists or PIs on this case?

I don't think she got underground help for a new identity, for the very simple reason that such things are complicated, and, according to the psychologist, she 'had the mind of a 14 year old'. Also, I don't think she had any reason to want to disappear, not really.

I feel the boyfriend is innocent too. I really, really do.

I also think that fire officials would not miss a body. No way.

 

[Galbin]

(Respectfully snipped by me)

Hi, Galbin!

I go back and forth between that theory and the theory that someone else was responsible for her disappearance and the fire; however, you brought up some interesting points here too, in my opinion:

Neverletgo

How do you think someone else could make her disappear? Do you think her bf could be responsible? Or a random perp? How do you explain the fire and the baby then?

What are your thoughts on the postpartum psychosis theory?

 

[Galbin]

And for anyone who would like to learn more about Postpartum Psychosis, this article explains it very clearly:

http://postpartumprogress.com/symptoms-of-postpartum-psychosis-in-plain-mama-english

In particular:

You keep hearing and/or seeing things that no one else does or that you know are not there. You may have what seem like voices in your head that won't stop no matter what you do. The voices comment about your actions or tell you appalling things, even that you may need to hurt someone or do something you would never do otherwise. Perhaps you feel the radio, television, nature or God is speaking directly to you and you alone or giving you secret messages.

You are getting into conflict with those around you. Although there may be real issues between you and others, the fact is that you are getting into way more conflicts with others than you ever used to.

You may feel as if you are being controlled by some outside force. This force may be telling you to harm someone. Or you may have strange violent urges that have nothing to do with choice. These urges can best be understood if you think of how it feels when you experience the urge to urinate. One has little control over whether one wants to urinate or not, it is just a powerful urge one is compelled to tend to. These strange violent thoughts may present themselves as possible solutions to a myriad of problems.

You are afraid you will never get better. You may even believe that the only way to get out of this or to protect the ones you love is to commit suicide or abandon your family.

 

[neverletgo]

:bump: for Joey.

Joey Lynn Offutt​

 

[Galbin]

Poor Joey. Is there any progress at all on this case?

 

[hayaletcatcher]

Bumping for Joey.

Netflix have just added the Disappeared ep about her. It's one of the stranger cases I have seen on there but I think the day she walked by the neighbour with the stroller , the baby was already dead. Maybe she was just going through the motions? Until she came round to the fact she had to do something about it?

What strikes me most is that the car comes and goes from the house but according to the ex and the nurse nothing you could see via window had moved.

Either the ex is innocent or he is an Oscar winning actor, got no vibe other than confusion, I wonder if he is in anyway developmentally challenged also?

Looks like there is no new leads in the case.

 

[wantjustice]

Could it be that she had postpartum, harmed the baby and someone else found out about it and harmed her? Someone who loved that baby. And then set the house on fire and drove her somewhere then drove the car to the apartment complex? It is just one scenario that was playing in my mind. So many strange disappeared cases out there. Really throws me.

 

[CircuitGuy]

I watched the show and found the ending bizzare! The seat being back and the car backed in, IMO this is the act of a man. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but in my life it is usually men that back cars in and put the seat way back for leg room.

My wife is short, and sometimes she pushes the seat back to make it easier to get out. I think it's because she pushes the seat so far forward that the steering wheel gets in the way of getting out.

My wife is 5'0", around the Joey's height. I am 5'6", and sometimes she leaves it farther back than I do b/c she pulled it back to get out.

 

[EdinburghLass]

Joey's Disappeared episode is airing now again in Australia. The one thing that I find telling is the neighbour who saw Joey with a pram/pushchair before she disappeared. Apparently there was no baby in it. Could this indicate that the baby died and Joey suffered a psychotic break/break from reality?

 

[Balor51]

Bumping for Joey.

Discovery ID showed her Disappeared episode today. So sad .

 

[SusanB]

I just saw the Disappeared episode featuring Joey, and had to run to the computer to find out more information. I live and work in areas close to some of the identified geographical markers in this case.
From what I have read, IMHO Joey suffered a psychotic PP depression. Her boyfriend had criticized her during their last visit together, when she was last seen other than the neighbor's attempt to greet her walking down the street.
He said after he criticized the way the gave their new baby a bath, she looked slumped over, sad, and said nothing else after that.
She may have gone into her shell, suffering from PPD, she was alone in the house with just the baby for days, and refused to call her BF after he disparaged her care of the newborn. She apparently was not getting regular psychiatric care or counseling. From the info presented, she had no friends and did not become close to neighbors.
Basically, she isolated herself, alone, with only the weeks old infant.
Not a healthy situation even if the new mom is NOT depressed!
IMHO, Joey had a psychotic break, possibly harmed the baby while suffering in this state.
Still in the psychosis, she's walking the stroller minus the baby. She may be hiding in the home, either unable or unwilling to answer the phone/door. She may be driving (thus the car going in and out) not knowing where to turn.
She may have set the house on fire in her psychosis with the baby's body in the tub.
She may have driven to her old familiar apartment complex, back to a less complicated time of her life. She may have worked hard to park that car nicely in the spot so no one would immediately notice it, and parked back-in so no one could see the plate, and lengthen the identification of her vehicle.
Perhaps she got out and wandered in a fugue state. Anything could have happened then - succumbed to the elements, foul play, and suicide are possibilities.
Everything here is just my opinion.
To me, it seems far-fetched to think some stranger abducted or killed her, killed the baby, set fire to the house, and drove Joey's car directly to her old apartment complex an hour away.
To me, the ex-boyfriend seems genuinely grieved/upset. He also seems to be a little slow witted. He did cooperate with LE willingly without counsel. Only after quite awhile did he eventually decrease his cooperation and retain a lawyer, as well he should! I do not trust LE as they have been shown to implicate and coerce people into confessing when innocent.
I do not feel she is alive - gut feeling. I think she would have eventually been heard from once she either was taken to a hospital or "came out" of psychosis. She loved her family and her children. They were pretty much all she had at the time of her disappearance.
In conclusion: I think Joey had severe PPD/Psychosis, was left alone, and may have harmed the baby then set fire to the house. She drove off herself and abandoned her car in the parking lot, then wandered off.
(I wonder if there were any receipts of purchase for the gasoline)

 

[SusanB]

Just a couple more thoughts:
Was the area around where the car was found searched, including wooded areas?
Was the car processed for fingerprints/evidence?
Were the gas cans processed for fingerprints (Im not sure in what condition they were in)?
Did anyone check for security cameras video tapes in the areas involved?
Were phone records obtained and reviewed (I think she did not have a cell phone, but I'm sure she had a house phone)?

 

[Carmen29]

Susan b I agree with you. Too much of a coincidence for car to be at old apartment. Unless she knew someone there and they met up when she was confused or something bad happened there. I agree that she wandered off. Maybe she hitchhiked? I would check wooded areas around there. Did they ever read the note she left in the house next to the car seat? They never said anything on the show. I just saw it today as well. Where was she going in the car all those times ? it's a small town right? Not many places to go? Did she just recently buy the meat? Anyone see her at the grocery store? Camera at gas station or grocery store?

 

[SusanB]

Susan b I agree with you. Too much of a coincidence for car to be at old apartment. Unless she knew someone there and they met up when she was confused or something bad happened there. I agree that she wandered off. Maybe she hitchhiked? I would check wooded areas around there. Did they ever read the note she left in the house next to the car seat? They never said anything on the show. I just saw it today as well. Where was she going in the car all those it's a small town right? Not many places to go? Did she just recently buy the meat? Anyone see her at the grocery store? Camera at gas station or grocery store?

All very excellent questions!! Does anyone have any of these answers?

 

[SusanB]

Sykesville, PA is a very small town, so there cannot be that many places she or the perp could have gone to: grocery shop, buy the hamburger meat, buy and pump the gasoline, ride around during those times the car was missing from the driveway and returned.
On the other hand, the area of State College PA, approx 1 hour 20 minutes drive from Syskesville, is quite populated, as it encompasses the campus and buildings of Penn State University, as well as a booming college population and entertainment venues.
It seems more likely to be able to track Joey's or the perp's movements in Sykesville. There are so many more areas to assess in State College, but I still wonder if they searched at all there around the Nittany apts.