George Joseph found guilty of 2 counts of first-degree murder

It took the jury about an hour and 40 minutes to find George Joseph guilty of the murders of his wife and son.

Mary and Matthew Joseph (Submitted photo)

Joseph was found guilty Thursday of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action in the May 2013 shooting deaths of Mary and Matthew Joseph.

The family was visibly emotional as the verdict was read about 4:15 p.m.

George Joseph returns to the courtroom after a recess during his double-murder trial, Thursday, July 23, 2015, at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson, Missouri. Joseph was found guilty of 2 counts of first-degree murder. (Glenn Landberg)

"I am grateful for the jury's service, and on behalf of the family and prosecutor's office would like to thank the Cape Girardeau Police Department for all their hard work on this case," assistant Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff said.

Defense lawyer Cynthia Dryden had no comment.

Joseph watched the jury as Woodruff and Dryden delivered their closing statements early Thursday afternoon.

Woodruff again focused mainly on financial difficulties as a possible motive for Joseph in the shooting deaths.

"George Joseph must have felt the weight of it all settling in," Woodruff said.

She said nobody had any doubt George Joseph loved his family, and "that's why he waited till they were asleep."

"There is no question George loved his family," Woodruff said. "He just loved himself more."

She characterized him as a man always looking for a way out.

"Don't give it to him," she said.

Dryden's closing argument lay most of the blame for what the defense contended was a botched investigation squarely at the feet of detective Jeff Bonham.

"You only find what you look for," Dryden said, accusing the Cape Girardeau Police Department of being "incapable of handling" an investigation of this type.

She also accused Bonham, specifically, of lying to the jury under oath.

Dryden advised the jury to disregard everything that happened June 4, 2013, the day of the video-recorded police interview of George Joseph and the day David Snell -- Joseph's brother-in-law -- and Gerard Joseph visited Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Earlier in the day Thursday, the state had called Joseph's brother, Gerard, as its final witness. Gerard Joseph testified he had gone to Barnes to get power of attorney from his brother so to facilitate release of Mary and Matthew's bodies for burial.

He said George Joseph told him that day he had not committed the crime; however, Woodruff established he previously had told her George Joseph never told him what happened.

Under questioning by Dryden, Gerard Joseph described George Joseph as "delusional" during that hospital visit, saying he was "in and out" at times.

Woodruff asked Gerard Joseph whether he recalled George Joseph telling him he was "hoping that the charge would be reduced to manslaughter."

"Yes," Gerard Joseph replied.

He testified George Joseph had sent him a letter outlining things he thought he had in his favor, despite Gerard Joseph having asked him in the past not to discuss his case with him.

In the letter, George Joseph discussed how a forensic accountant had found no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.

"This took their motive away," Gerard Joseph testified the letter said.

George Joseph also said in the letter the "case is over" if it couldn't be proved the. 22 found at the scene had been used in the shooting, Gerard Joseph testified.

The defense called only two witnesses.

The first was Darlene Williams, a woman who testified she had asked George Joseph on May 29, 2013, for advice on investing her $400,000 retirement savings.

She said he declined to take the money and advised her to leave it where it was and draw off her stock.

The second witness for the defense was a 15-year-old boy who said he'd been to the Joseph home many times and described George Joseph as a mentor.

Judge Benjamin Lewis ordered a sentencing assessment and set Joseph's sentencing for Sept. 14.

kwebster@semissourian.com

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Darlene Williams who gave testimony at Joseph's trial should not be confused with a woman of the same name who resides at Chateau Girardeau.

George Joseph, left, is escorted from the Cape Girardeau Courthouse in Jackson after the first day of his double-murder trial Monday. (Laura Simon)

Pertinent address:

1220 W. Cape Rock Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

100 Court Street, Jackson, Mo.