Jury to be imported for Joseph case

The murder case against George Joseph was continued Monday to allow time for a lab to process evidence and a jury to be imported from Cole County.

Joseph, 48, faces charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the May 30 shooting deaths of his wife, Mary, and 18-year-old son, Matthew, at their home on West Cape Rock Drive.

Rather than move the entire trial out of the area, Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis continued the case to Sept. 23 and approved a defense request to bring in a jury from Cole County.

Earlier this month, Joseph's attorney, Bryan Greaser, filed a motion for a change of venue, citing pretrial publicity.

The case has received extensive media coverage, partly because of questions about Joseph's financial dealings.

At a preliminary hearing last month, Joseph's brother-in-law said Joseph was worried because he was the target of a federal investigation. Joseph also had been distraught over financial problems, including the loss of money he had been investing for other people, his brother-in-law testified.

In April, Joseph's name came up in connection with a Scott County financial exploitation case in which a Cape Girardeau man is accused of taking $220,000 from an elderly couple, telling them he would invest the money in annuities.

Most of the money ended up going to Joseph instead, a Scott County detective said.

Detective Sgt. Branden Caid of the Scott County Sheriff's Department interviewed Joseph about the case.

Joseph, who has not been charged with any crime in connection with that case, told Caid he was running a 60-member "investment club," Caid said in June.

Several club members have contacted media outlets, law enforcement agencies and local attorneys in an effort to recover the money they invested.

Greaser and assistant prosecuting attorney Angel Woodruff requested a continuance Monday for trial setting.

Attorneys are awaiting the results of some lab work related to the case, Lewis said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

1220 W. Cape Rock Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO