NASHVILLE, Tennessee—Authorities say the blood of a Tennessee man charged in the death of his 5-year-old son has been found on a shovel.
District Attorney General Ray Crouch tells news outlets that hair also found on a shovel has been sent to a state lab for testing.
Joseph Ray Daniels is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Joe Clyde Daniels.
Daniels reported his autistic and nonverbal son missing in April 2018.
He was soon charged and blamed Joe’s death on his wife, Krystal Nicole Daniels. She’s charged with offenses including aggravated child neglect or endangerment.
ALERT: Ongoing investigative efforts in the case of missing five-year-old Joe Clyde Daniels have led to a charge of Criminal Homicide for the boy’s father, Joseph Ray Daniels, who is currently in custody. He is believed to have killed the child and hid the body several days ago. pic.twitter.com/Sxfd6Flaqd
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) April 7, 2018
Investigators say Joseph Daniels admitted to fatally beating Joe for urinating on the floor. He later recanted.
Joe’s body has yet to be found, WSMV-TV reports. Crouch wouldn’t specify where the shovel was found.
Though this news is profoundly disappointing, we are grateful for the volunteers who gave time and resources this week to help search for Joe Clyde. That work will continue by law enforcement today, so we might provide a small degree of closure for his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/i8OmU0gte9
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) April 7, 2018
Anonymous Writer Claimed Last Year That Joe is Alive
A handwritten letter, sent from Nashville, was sent to Joe’s grandparents in Dickson, reported News Channel 5 on Oct. 18, 2018.
The anonymous writer claims that Joe is alive and that his mother arranged to give her child away.
NewsChannel 5 spoke with Joe’s grandfather, the father of Joseph Ray Daniels. Police have accused Joseph Ray Daniels of killing his own son.https://t.co/Q6LVUaDHwf
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) April 12, 2018
“I believe Krystal got Joe’s clothes, packed them into a bag … and left Joe on the side of the road,” the anonymous person wrote, saying they believe Joe is alive and living in west Tennessee, possibly in Jackson.
“If we could get Krystal to confess what really happened … with this case. I know it’s a bizarre case,” the letter reads. The writer names multiple people allegedly involved, but those names have been redacted by news agencies since some of the people haven’t been named by authorities.
Investigators previously said that Krystal Daniels was frustrated with raising a child with autism.
Jake Lockert, the attorney for Joseph Daniels, confirmed that the grandparents had received the letter and said they turned it over to investigators.
The Associated Press and NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.