Found Deceased OH - Joni Davis, 55 & Brian Goff, 64, St. Clairsville, 10 June 2018 *found deceased 2021*

[scriabina]

Feels like murder/suicide to me. Some circumstantial evidence of it might could also appear to suggest foul play - like bank accounts emptied for example or dog shot etc etc.

If it was murder-suicide and Brian was the driver, wouldn't Joni have at least unbuckled her seatbelt? I believe she had some intellectual disability, but would that stop her unbuckling? Or perhaps Brian drugged her, drove around until she fell asleep, and then drove into the water?

If it were an accident, wouldn't at least Brian's seatbelt be unbuckled? How likely is it for persons who crash into water are knocked unconscious immediately and unable to try to escape? How common is it for victims who died in this way to be found buckled up?

Both seat belts buckled is puzzling to me. If foul play is suspected, then I guess they think Joni and Brian were perhaps killed or drugged, then placed in car and car pushed into water? That seems pretty far-fetched, I realize... Just trying to work out the possibilities...

 

[Seattle1]

Traveling in an older model vehicle (1990 Olds) -- I recall some of those earlier seat belts not so easy to unlatch.

Also, Brian could have had a medical episode and was incapacitated.

Waiting on the medical examiner for more details. I am however curious why authorities were quick to lean towards foul play and wonder if they still feel that way.

 

[Detectivediva]

If it was murder-suicide and Brian was the driver, wouldn't Joni have at least unbuckled her seatbelt? I believe she had some intellectual disability, but would that stop her unbuckling? Or perhaps Brian drugged her, drove around until she fell asleep, and then drove into the water?

If it were an accident, wouldn't at least Brian's seatbelt be unbuckled? How likely is it for persons who crash into water are knocked unconscious immediately and unable to try to escape? How common is it for victims who died in this way to be found buckled up?

Both seat belts buckled is puzzling to me. If foul play is suspected, then I guess they think Joni and Brian were perhaps killed or drugged, then placed in car and car pushed into water? That seems pretty far-fetched, I realize... Just trying to work out the possibilities...

As rare as it is, it could be double suicide. I recall a case where a couple went and ate a meal just before dying by suicide pact. They were reportedly both vegetarians and ordered meat for their last meal. Anyone remember their names?

 

[scriabina]

As rare as it is, it could be double suicide.

Possibly, but considering she had intellectual disabilities, she may not have fully understood what suicide was.

Just a gut feeling, but I don't think it was suicide or homicide. Probably accidental.

 

[evilwise]

If it was murder-suicide and Brian was the driver, wouldn't Joni have at least unbuckled her seatbelt? I believe she had some intellectual disability, but would that stop her unbuckling? Or perhaps Brian drugged her, drove around until she fell asleep, and then drove into the water?

If it were an accident, wouldn't at least Brian's seatbelt be unbuckled? How likely is it for persons who crash into water are knocked unconscious immediately and unable to try to escape? How common is it for victims who died in this way to be found buckled up?

Both seat belts buckled is puzzling to me. If foul play is suspected, then I guess they think Joni and Brian were perhaps killed or drugged, then placed in car and car pushed into water? That seems pretty far-fetched, I realize... Just trying to work out the possibilities...

I expect Joni trusted Brian completely.

 

[Seattle1]

The car may have down signs that it was hit by another vehicle or something to that effect. That would be my guess. MOO

In the days afterward, it became apparent that they’d been the victims of foul play.

^^sbm

Except authorities were citing foul play days afterward and the vehicle not even recovered until recently (Nov 11, 2021), 3 years later.

 

[meanmaryjean]

Bumping this perplexing case.

 

[wendybtn]

BRIAN GOFF

Brian Edgar Goff, 65, of nearby Martins Ferry, OH, and his loving partner in life, Joni Davis, went missing June 10th 2018. Their remains have recently been identified. Brian’s cause of death and date of death have officially been determined to be unknown. Brian was born on September 21, 1953...

www.timesleaderonline.com

Cause of death unknown. RIP.

 

[Seattle1]

This report was new to me where JCSO did a complete reverse and now the case is believed accidental -- broken ball joints??

https://ledenews.com/abdalla-reports-no-foul-play-in-disappearance-of-martins-ferry-couple/

December 21, 2021

While he is awaiting several answers from state and federal investigators concerning the discovery of a Martins Ferry couple, Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla confirmed this weekend that no foul play was involved with the disappearance of the couple more than three years ago.

Brian Goff, 66, and 55-year-old Joni Davis were discovered by an Illinois-based diving team inside Goff’s light blue 1990 Oldsmobile Delta 88 on Nov. 11 about 1.5 mile north of the Rayland Marina. The vehicle was submerged in 8 feet of water about 15 feet off the shoreline, according to what the divers reported to local media. Investigators with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal and Federal Bureau of Investigation, the sheriff said, continue to investigate the causes of death.

[..]

“The main thing is all of this was that there was no foul play,” Abdalla said. “That’s the main thing. No foul play. Thank God for that. But at this point, we are assuming and guessing how they ended up in the river. BCI and the FBI are still investigating a number of different things, so maybe we’ll know more in the future.”