Joseph Dejoie: Repeat offender charged after Missouri woman Jacquelyn Mitchell found dead a week after disappearance
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MISSOURI: Nearly a week after disappearing, missing Missouri woman Jacquelyn 'Jacque' Elizabeth Mitchell, 39, was found dead on Monday evening, March 20. Suspect Joseph John Dejoie, 49, who admitted to killing the woman was taken into custody and charged with multiple crimes on Tuesday.
Mitchell reportedly went to Dejoie's apartment after she left an Irish pub on March 14. She was found inside an apartment in the 2200 block of Palestra Drive and had reportedly been dead for six weeks, said Chief Bill Carson, Maryland Heights Police Department. The shocking discovery came after the 39-year-old car was found parked outside an apartment complex, followed by a video of the suspect driving her car.
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Who is Joseph John Dejoie?
Mitchell and Dejoie were acquaintances, reported Chief Carson. On the day of her disappearance, the woman had gone to Maggie O’Brien’s in Sunset Hills to grab a bite around 7 pm. Mitchell then went to the Dejoie's house on Plaestra, arriving just before midnight. She was reported missing on March 16 after Mitchell's sister Tiffany said, "This is out of character. Something is just seriously wrong." Her sister said her phone last pinged off a cell tower near Highway 364 and Bennington, which helped police pin their search to that six-mile radius in Maryland Heights. However, there was still no trace of Mitchell.
In a surprising turn of events, Mitchell's family discovered her Nissan Sentra abandoned at an apartment complex off Schulte Hill Drive, near Interstate 270 and Page Avenue on Sunday. As the search continued police received a surveillance video that showed Dejoie driving Mitchell’s car. Police were able to identify the suspect and were able to discover Mitchell's body while carrying out a search warrant of his residence.
Joseph John Dejoie's prior arrest records
The 49-year-old admitted to killing the 39-year-old according to local NBC affiliate KSDK. Police also claim Dejoie admitted to wiping down both her body and car in order to get rid of any evidence. He has been charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abandonment of a corpse, KSDK reported. His previous records showed he was arrested for felonious restraint, first-degree rape, first-degree burglary, and possession of drug paraphernalia. An autopsy is yet to determine Mitchell's cause of death. He is being held at the St Louis County Justice Center. Dejoie's bail has been set for $1 million.