YUCCA VALLEY, California — For weeks, nobody could find Daniel Joslin.
His family and friends had not seen him. He was not answering calls. The last time anyone heard from the 61-year-old was June 26.
When they reported him missing on July 3, investigators initially believed Joslin may have traveled to Oregon. But something did not add up. There was no evidence he had ever left California.
The Search Leads to a Backyard
On July 29, detectives obtained a search warrant for the Yucca Valley home Joslin shared with his roommate, 60-year-old Cris Leroy Jones.
What they found was devastating.
Human remains were recovered from a shallow grave in the backyard. They were confirmed to be Joslin. The man his family was searching for had never left home at all.
Suspect Caught Living as the Man He Allegedly Killed
With Joslin found, investigators turned their focus to Jones — who was already gone.
The next day, a deputy in Clackamas County, Oregon, stopped to speak with a man camping near Harriet Lake in Mt. Hood National Forest. The man identified himself as Daniel Joslin and pointed to a nearby black Ford F-150 — Joslin’s truck — as his vehicle.
The name and plates matched. But a records check told a different story.
Joslin had just been reported missing in California. And the man at the campsite was not him.
Authorities in California and Oregon worked together to confirm the camper was actually Jones — using his dead roommate’s name, his truck, and his identity.
Taken Into Custody in the Forest
On August 2, an air unit located Jones deeper in the forest. SWAT deputies moved in. Jones surrendered without a fight.
A knife and sheath were found in his front pocket and seized as evidence.
Jones was booked into Clackamas County Jail and is awaiting extradition to California, where he faces one count of murder.
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