Police have found missing car, female body discovered inside.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Police have located the car belonging to missing Long Island woman Jasmine Joseph, who went missing on February 24, but have not yet confirmed that the body found within the automobile is that of the missing woman.
Speaking to local media earlier today, a police spokeswoman confirmed that a female body was found inside the car, but that they could not confirm if it was Joseph’s or not. Law enforcement agencies have not confirmed a timeline on when such an announcement will be made, but forensics work is likely underway.
The gray 2012 Nissan Altima sedan was found at the Syosset Plaza, not far from where Joseph, 22, lived. Police found the car just off the Jericho Turnpike in the early morning hours today, around 1:00 A.M., with the keys still inside the automobile. Joseph was said to be driving the car on the day she went missing; although she told her parents she was returning home from the library at the New York Institute of Technology, it was later revealed that she was actually returning from a local Lifetime Fitness gym.
The car has been taken to a police impound lot, and was correctly identified as being Joseph’s car from its license plate — GAD-3453. Meanwhile, her parents continue to plead for their daughter to come home, and although police have ruled out foul play in the young woman’s disappearance, the parents are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to their daughter’s discovery.
Sony and Lovely Joseph have told investigators and the local media that their daughter had no boyfriend, to their knowledge, and there had been no altercation that could have led Joseph to run away. The last year of Joseph’s life are shrouded in mystery — she told her parents she was going to school, but was not; she used her father’s credit card to pay her tuition, but never attended classes; and now, she has fallen off the grid with no prior indication nor any apparent motive.
According to police, Joseph was last seen wearing a green sweater, black jean pants, and black-and-white sneakers. Those with information should call Nassau County Missing Persons Squad at (516)-573-7347.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com