The family of a Clinton County man believes the death of their loved one was a murder and not an accident.
On May 26, 2012, Jodi Goad said her family received a call that her brother, Josh had died in a roll-over crash after driving off Highway 738 and tumbling down an embankment.
The police report from the former Clinton County Sheriff states that Josh was driving north on the road when he dropped off the edge of the road, hit a utility pole and then a tree, causing him to flip the truck. That report said that the truck landed on its wheels. It also said that Josh Goad was not using his seatbelt.
http://liarcatchers.com/wrongful_death.html
Josh Goad’s death was called an accident by the sheriff.
Many things about the crash disturbed the family. Jodi Goad said they couldn’t get over the nature of Josh’s injuries. She said that Josh appeared to have gashes that looked like defensive wounds on his hands.
That wasn’t the only thing that made the family suspicious.
“The accident was supposedly at 6:30 a.m., they arrive on the scene at 6:34 and he’s cold,” said Jodi.
Josh’s sister Jamie is a former EMT. Jamie identified Josh’s body.
“When I look at his body, from his head down, there were no broken bones, no bruises, nothing but a ton of head trauma,” said Jamie. “The inconsistency with no glass in the face, you know, it struck me as odd.” Jamie said Josh also had swollen hands as if he were in a fight, protecting himself.
Jodi tells LEX 18 that she traced a van that was turned into the junkyard for front end damage not long after the crash. She said that the van belonged to the witness who saw the wreck minutes before it was reported.
Most of all, though, Josh’s sisters and mother can’t get past the theory that Josh died in a rollover crash because of a log chain found in the truck exactly where Josh kept it.
“It never rolled,” said Jodi. “The pictures of his daughter he had and business cards in the visor, nothing ever moved.”
Former Sheriff Rick Riddle told LEX 18 that he couldn’t recall the body going to the medical examiner for an autopsy, but he remembered the evidence that he said showed it was an accident.
When asked if he could have made a mistake, Riddle said, “I could have, I mean, I’m not perfect. I just didn’t see any evidence there for anything other than an accident.”
Josh’s family told LEX 18 that they will not give up fighting for answers.
“I can’t explain it, how it’s been,” said Josh’s mother Debra Bowen. “Hell, I can’t believe people would do this to somebody.”
Josh Goad’s family also told LEX 18 that money was missing from Josh’s wallet, along with a pocket knife.
The current Clinton County Sheriff said this is considered an open case.
