Inset, from left: Cris L. Jones and Daniel Joslin (SBSO). Background: Aerial image of the Oregon area where authorities say Jones was found (CCSO).
A California man is facing a murder charge after authorities say he killed his roommate, buried him in a shallow grave behind their Yucca Valley home, and later posed as the victim while driving his pickup truck in Oregon.
Cris Leroy Jones, 60, was arrested this week in connection with the death of 61-year-old Daniel Joslin, officials said. He has been charged with one count of murder.
In a news release, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said Jones emerged as the primary suspect after investigators discovered human remains on July 29 in the yard of the Yucca Valley property the two men shared.
The case began on July 3, when deputies in the Morongo Basin area responded to a missing person report. Joslin’s relatives and friends told authorities they had been unable to reach him or see him for roughly 10 days. His last known contact with loved ones was on June 26.
At first, investigators were told Joslin might have gone to Oregon. But detectives found no proof that he had left California. The search took a grim turn on July 29, when authorities secured a warrant to search the home he shared with Jones in the 58000 block of Carlyle Drive in Yucca Valley.
During that search, deputies said they found “human remains in a shallow grave in the backyard of the residence.” The remains were later positively identified as Joslin, prompting law enforcement to begin looking for Jones, who was soon tracked down in Oregon.
According to a Facebook post from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy on patrol near a campsite by Harriet Lake in Mt. Hood National Forest encountered a man on July 30 who claimed to be Daniel Joslin. The man also said he owned a nearby black Ford F-150 pickup truck.
The deputy checked the vehicle’s registration and license plate, which matched the name provided by the camper. However, a records check revealed that Joslin had recently been reported missing in California. Deputies then learned authorities were investigating Joslin’s homicide and that the person at the campsite might actually be Jones, the suspect in the killing.
Working together, authorities in California and Oregon “identified the individual contacted at the campsite on July 30 as Cris Jones,” saying he “had been using Daniel Joslin’s identity and was driving Joslin’s pickup truck.”
On Aug. 2, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit located Jones in the forest and directed SWAT deputies to his location. Jones complied with commands and was taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff’s office.
A knife and sheath recovered from Jones’ front pants pocket were seized as evidence, though authorities have not said whether the items are connected to Joslin’s death.
Jones was booked into the Clackamas County Jail. He remained in custody as of Friday pending extradition to California to face charges in Joslin’s killing.
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