Hearing scheduled in Cape double-murder case

A date was set Monday for the state to present evidence against a Cape Girardeau man accused of shooting his wife and son to death before turning the gun on himself.

George Joseph, 48, appeared via video before Cape Girardeau County Judge Gary Kamp on Monday, when a preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 24.

Joseph faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action in connection with the May 30 shooting deaths of his wife, Mary, and 18-year-old son, Matthew.

The hearing next month will give the prosecution a chance to lay out part of its case against Joseph to show a judge enough evidence exists to warrant a trial.

At an arraignment hearing June 10, Kamp ruled Joseph was not indigent and gave him two weeks to hire an attorney.

Joseph is accused of shooting his wife and son in the head multiple times with a .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun before turning the weapon on himself in an apparent suicide attempt.

While in a St. Louis area hospital, undergoing treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, Joseph admitted to Sgt. Don Perry of the Cape Girardeau Police Department that he killed his family, then shot himself while standing in the middle of a swimming pool at his home at 1220 W. Cape Rock Drive, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed in the case.

Joseph was facing "significant financial issues that impacted not only himself, but also a large number of other individuals," Perry wrote in the affidavit.

The nature and scope of Joseph's financial issues are not known, but a Scott County detective has said Joseph told him he was running a 60-member "investment club," and several people have approached the Cape Girardeau Police Department with concerns since Joseph's arrest.

"We're encouraging those people that have financial dealings with him, they also need to be in contact with their civil attorney," Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said last week.

Bryan Greaser, Joseph's defense lawyer, said at Monday's hearing that it's too early to say much about the case, including whether more charges are on the way.

"It's way too early to tell. It's my understanding that the investigation is still ongoing at this time," Greaser said. "... I've not been made aware of any additional charges that are being prepared."

Members of Joseph's investment club have said he was doing online trading for them through Scottrade.

While the company has a custodial arm that provides financial advisers to clients, Joseph never has been part of it, a Scottrade spokesman told the Southeast Missourian last week.

"He's never worked for us in any way, shape, form or whatever," said Whitney Ellis, a senior public relations specialist for Scottrade.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

1220 W. Cape Rock Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

100 Court St., Jackson, MO