Joseph was last seen in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands sometime in October 2008. He disappeared along with his girlfriend, Karin Wetzl. Joseph was born on St. Thomas; Wetzl is from the mainland United States and had been staying in the Virgin Islands for only about a year. They were unemployed for a time and lived in Joseph's car, then Wetzl got a job at the Calypso Cafe in the A.H. Riise Mall in Charlotte Amalie and Joseph got a job at Quality Foods. The couple vanished only a few days after starting their new jobs. Neither of them have been heard from again.

It's not uncharacteristic of Wetzl to be out of touch with her family, so they were initially unconcerned when they didn't hear from her. They began to worry about Thanksgiving and Christmas passed without contact, and her father in Texas reported her missing in January 2009. The police, searching for Wetzl, got in touch with Joseph's brother in February. His brother reported him missing at that time.

Foul play is possible in Wetzl and Joseph's cases. In 2009, authorities found a woman's body in a cistern that they think might be Wetzl's. The victim, who had been shot in the head, had a necklace similar to one Wetzl wore and had also broken her arm before, like Wetzl had. The body has not been identified, however. Both cases remain unsolved.