On January 27, 1974, Joseph returned home from delivering papers for his paper route. He put his newspaper bag and sled on the front porch and left at 9:30 a.m., possibly to attend mass. His family hasn't seen or heard from Joseph since that day. The day of his disappearance, friends reported seeing him playing near the middle school around noon. Around 5 p.m. he was seen walking near the Catholic cemetery along Kennedy Avenue near the Norfolk and Western railroad tracks. Other reports put Joseph on the tracks, walking southeast near Hessville Cemetery at 169th and Arizona. (Source: The Doe Network)