Joseph could face civil litigation over financial dealings

In a matter of days, George Joseph -- who was bound over for trial Wednesday on murder charges in connection with the deaths of his wife and son -- could be facing a lawsuit on top of his other legal problems.

Joseph, 48, is accused of fatally shooting his wife and teenage son before turning the gun on himself in an apparent suicide attempt May 30 at their home on West Cape Rock Drive.

During a preliminary hearing Wednesday, witnesses testified Joseph was facing serious financial issues and had been the target of a federal investigation.

Joseph's brother-in-law David Snell said in court Wednesday that Joseph was a day trader who had been investing money for 62 people.

Since Joseph's arrest, several of his clients have contacted local police and media outlets, seeking help to get their money back.

Attorney Michael Ponder of Cape Girardeau said he is representing more than 20 of Joseph's clients, and he is aware of others who are working with other attorneys to try to recover their funds.

Ponder would not release the amount of money his clients lost, but he said he expects to file litigation sometime in the next 10 days.

According to testimony in the hearing Wednesday, two of the Joseph family's cars have been repossessed since his arrest, and foreclosure on their home is pending, but Ponder said that does not necessarily mean all of the money Joseph collected from investors is gone.

"We are taking these cases on a contingency basis, which means we are investing our law firm's time and money, and I wouldn't do that if we didn't think there was a reasonable likelihood of recovery," Ponder said.

He advised anyone who invested money with Joseph to seek legal assistance.

"The important thing is somebody gets to a lawyer and gets some legal advice," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's me or somebody else."

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

1220 W. Cape Rock Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO