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Joseph Michael Cathey mug shot

Authorities in Vernon County are trying to piece together what led to the murder of a Nevada man.

Sheriff Ron Peckman says that Joseph Michael Cathey, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for allegedly murdering 24 year-old Dennis Gibbs. Gibbs, who had been shot and stabbed several times, was found on Route Z and Katy Road just east of the Missouri-Kansas border at about 8:30 p.m. May 6th.

Peckman says the first call that came in said that there was a truck in a ditch that had been in an accident. While we were on the way to the call, "We got a call from a mother who said her son just shot some guy out by Richards, and we needed to get out there.”

When they got to the scene they found Gibbs' body in the ditch behind his truck...it was riddled with bullet and stab wounds. "An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow to determine the exact number (Gibbs was shot 7 times and stabbed 32.) It appears personal."

Peckman says that authorities caught up with Cathey at a home in Fort Scott, Kansas. He is being held without bail in Kansas on the Vernon County murder warrant. " He's not talking."

Peckman says he doesn't believe Gibbs drove his truck to the crime scene, but would not elaborate on how it got there. "We're in the preliminary stages of the investigation. I won't rule out any additional arrests at this time.


According to the probable cause statement, Cathey’s mother, Lucinda Ellis, told dispatchers for the Vernon County sheriff'soffice that her son [Joseph Cathey] called his father, David Cathey, and told him that he had shot Gibbs and that Gibbs’ mother, Lora (Lori) Gibbs, was with him.


Investigators spoke with Gibbs’ father, Dennis D. Gibbs, who told them that his son and Lori Gibbs had been in a fight earlier in the evening near Fort Scott, according to the affidavit. The fight was “supposedly over drugs,” and that Lori Gibbs left.


Dennis D. Gibbs told investigators that his wife called him, told him about the fight and said “she was going to have (Dennis C. Gibbs, her son) taken care of."


The elder Gibbs later told investigators that his son then called him and told him that he had located his mother at Rodney Clark's home in Richards, and that Cathey was with him and they were trying to locate the vehicle his mother had been driving. The father said the son started whispering into the phone, and the father heard some sort of “unknown commotion” in the background on his son’s end then the phone went dead. The man said he attempted to call his son back several times but never got no response.

"It appears drugs were involved," Peckman said. Gibbs, was charged with distribution or manufacturing of drugs and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia on April 5th in Vernon County. He was scheduled to appear in court on May 13th for an indigency hearing.

UPDATE:

Wednesday, September 7, 2011



Nevada Man Pleads Guilty To Best Friends Murder:



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Joseph "Joey" Michael Cathey (mug shot VCSO)


A man from Nevada will spend the next eighteen years in prison for the murder of his best friend in May of 2010.
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Joseph Michael Cathey, 24, was originally charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for the stabbing and shooting death of 24 year-old Dennis C. "DC" Gibbs, however, those charges were amended to second-degree murder yesterday (09-06-11) in exchange for his guilty plea.
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Authorities first thought they were responding to an accident a passerby called in about 8:30 p.m. on May 6, 2010. While police were en route to the accident they "got a call from a mother who said her son just shot some guy out by Richards and we needed to get out there,” Sheriff Ron Peckman said at the time of the incident.

When authorities arrived at the crime scene they found Gibbs' body in a ditch behind his truck on Route Z and Katy Track Road just east of the Missouri-Kansas border. He had been shot seven times and stabbed 32.
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According to the probable cause statement, Cathey’s mother, Lucinda Ellis, told dispatchers that her son [Joey Cathey] called his father, David Cathey, and told him that he was a monster and had shot Gibbs and that Gibbs’ mother, Lora (Lori) Gibbs, was with him.

Investigators spoke with Gibbs’ father, Dennis D. Gibbs, who told them that his son and Lori Gibbs had been in a fight earlier in the evening near Fort Scott, Kansas according to the affidavit. The fight was “supposedly over a pickup truck,” and that Lori Gibbs left.

Lori Gibbs and Joey Cathey, who are both from Kansas, had been having an affair for some time, according to sources close to the case.
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Lori Gibbs (mug shot MODOC)
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Dennis D. Gibbs allegedly told investigators that his wife called him, told him about the fight and said “she was going to have D.C. taken care of."

The elder Gibbs later told investigators his son then called him and told him that he had located his mother at Rodney Clark's home in Richards, and that Cathey was with him and they were trying to locate the vehicle his mother had been driving. The trio ended up at a house in Vernon County where they used methamphetamine. Lori Gibbs eventually told her son that she had hid the truck at White Cemetery and Joey Cathey and D. C.. Gibbs left to get the vehicle.

It is here where the unknown comes in because Cathey has refused to talk with law enforcers - D. D. Gibbs told investigators that his son called him and began whispering into the phone and then he heard some sort of “unknown commotion” in the background on his son’s end before the phone went dead. Gibbs said he attempted to call his son back several times but got no response.
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No charges have ever been filed against Lora Gibbs in connection to her son's murder, however, in June of 2011 she was sentenced to 3 years in prison for forging her estranged husband's signature to checks that were passed in Vernon County. She never responded to a letter prosecutor's sent her asking for her help in her son's murder.
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Vernon County Prosecutor Lynn Ewing
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Vernon County Prosecutor Lynn Ewing says, "There is no amount of years that can compensate for taking a life. It's the state's belief that 18 years serves justice and meets the needs of the state of Missouri."

13 comments:

Kathee Baird said...

To Anon:

For some reason your post will not appear.

I will try and answer the question. I am sure we both talked with Sheriff Peckman and were pretty much given the same information. I updated my story as soon as I got the PC on the 10th.

Anonymous said...

That's odd as well since the sheriff did not kinow who you are and said the only reporters he spoke to about the murders were from the Globe and two small newspapers in the Nevada area.

Kathee Baird said...

You should ask him again. I talked with him while he and his wife were at Wal-Mart.

Anonymous said...

IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO WORRY MORE ABOUT WHO GOT TO THIER COMPUTER NEITHER HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION OR WHILE IN SUCH A HURRY SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE FORGOT THE ACTUALL FACTS IN THIS CASE FACTS: MOTHER WAS NOT FIGHTING OVER ILLEGAL DRUGS WAS NOT WITH CATHEY AT THE TIME YES LIES WERE TOLD IN REPORTS TO POLICE THE FATHER HAS LIED IN SEVERAL OF HIS STATEMENTS

Anonymous said...

First off, the "stories" that are being told about this are untrue. I was there at the police station with my FATHER and he did say half of the things that the police are saying he did. I am Dennis Aka D.C.'s little sister. My mother had nothing to do with my brother's murder. Joey Cathey acted on his own and shot my brother multiple times and stabbed him multiple times. He confessed to several people about what he did before being arrested, but refuses to make a statement other than pleading not guilty. He is a worthless piece of best friend because he was my brother's best friend. How can a best friend do this to the man that was always there for him and put up with his bullshit, even saved his ****ing life? He deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison and preferably on the death penalty for first degree murder.

All lies about my brother and my family need to stop because you as the media are just reopening the wounds.

Thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

FIRST OF ALL YOUR MOTHER WAS INVOLVED ALL THE WAY...WE SAT BACK FOR A YEAR AND WATCHED THAT BOY GET HIS LIFE THREATENED BY YOUR FATHER AND BROTHERS AND EVEN MADE YOUR BROTHERS LEAVE MY HOME WHEN THEY BROUGHT A GUN TO MY HOUSE UNDER THE SHIRT. THE WORST THING JOEY COULD OF DONE WAS GET INVOLVED WITH ANY OF YOU GIBBS PEOPLE...I'VE KNOWN HIM ALMOST ALL HIS LIFE...HE HAD POTENTIAL..WE JUST COULDN'T PULL HIM AWAY FROM ANY OF YOU GIBBS PEOPLE....JOEY WE LOVE YOU AND SUPPORT YOU...AND WANT YOU HOME!!

Anonymous said...

Joseph Cathey got 18 yrs for killing a man in such a vicious and intentional way, why did he not receive the full damn sentence? Investigating evidence and handling properly should be left to the experts. DC Gibbs was not an angel in anyway, but he did not deserve to be shot 7 times and stabbed over 30, this crime is personal, violent, and one of rage. 18 yrs while a 23 yr old man is dead, thats just half of what Mr. Cathey deserves. Was DC's life reduced to the age of 41 yrs if he had lived? Sad state of affairs if you consider the 20% off the sentence for good time and every 9 months = a year in prison terms. The justice system dropped the ball on this case. Plea bargaining should have not been part of this case at all.

Anonymous said...

Here's an update for you. I was at the court house to day. Joseph Cathey was charged with Second Degree Murder. He is being sent to prison for 18 years.
I know the Gibbs family. They wanted life. But you can't always get what you want. I just hope Dennis Gibbs the daddy get what he wants. The no good DRUG DEALING PUNK THAT HE IS. If it wasn't for him and his now dead son. Selling drugs and getting Joseph in the middle of all of that maybe the two would still be around. And for you Stacy you know what your so called parents did. You grew up in the middle of all of it. I'm glad you didn't get hook like the rest of them.

Anonymous said...

Wow Stacy those are some harsh words. You know what was going on in that house. You where part of it. Talk about lies. That's all you guys did.

Anonymous said...

Why is everybody putting down a deceased mans little sister? I grew up with these two and they were great friends. I agree with his little sister, the best friend should get the death penalty

Anonymous said...

And just to think his son will have to live with growing up knowing that his father was brutilly murdered by someone he knew and that his grandmother had it done over something so stupid. Does a mothers love for her child stop when she has an affair with her sons best friend and when they are both so taken by the use of drugs that she has to have her lover kill her son. Now his son has to try to live a life without his true father and live through memories from family members who also have to deal with the tragic loss of a man who could have done good in life if part of his family wasnt so bad. I knew the family also and I can say there were two people I know loved dc and saw good in him.cathy should have gotten the death penilty for what he did.

Anonymous said...

I'm not saying my family was perfect. They are far from it. I'm lucky that I escaped it all. I have NEVER done any drugs and nor will I. This is all in my past. Yes, I still grieve for my brother and wish he hadn't chose the road he did. Maybe he would still be here. No one can go through life with the what ifs or maybes. All I can do is help his son remember his dad for the good things, not the bad things. Yes, I was extremely upset when I first commented on here, but I was angry and grieving. Honestly, I have forgiven Joey for what he has done wrong. It is between him and God. I've grown up since then and I am married now with a son of my own. In all honesty, if Joey didn't do this alone(like it is rumored to be) then he doesn't deserve to rot in prison for that long. Leave this in the past.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe it's been 5 years already. I still read everything about this. I can't believe when I read it that you still don't know all the facts. First Joey called me at 8:07 pm. and was frantic. The call ended and I called the Vernon County Sheriff. Only because I thought Joey was going to take his own life and I didn't want my son laying in a ditch like DC may he RIP. After I hung up on the Sheriffs I called his mom.

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