Unsolved Mysteries: Joey LaBute's cause of death remains unknown as cold case's cryptic-text mystery awaits new evidence

A recent episode of Unsolved Mysteries has been released, which explores the probable cause of death of Ohio resident Joey LaBute Jr. Joey was a 26-year-old Morgan Stanley employee who vanished from a bar in Columbus, Ohio, on March 5, 2016, and was later found dead in the Scioto river, on March 29, 2016.

Despite extensive investigation, authorities have not yet been able to determine his cause of death. Another interesting aspect of the case is the cryptic text message he sent his friend before he went missing. A recent episode of Unsolved Mysteries broke down the case, explored possibilities regarding Joey's cause of death, and what the cryptic text could mean.

Unsolved Mysteries: Who was Joey LaBute and what happened to him?

As revealed by Unsolved Mysteries, Joey was a good friend and son. Joey's father, Joseph LaBute Sr. noted in the episode that Joey was never a troublesome child, and someone who persevered despite losing several family members. He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in finance and then went on to work in loan servicing at Morgan Stanley.

On March 4, 2016, LaBute had dinner with work colleagues before meeting his cousin Stacy and her husband, Kyle, at Union Cafe in Columbus' Short North neighborhood. Kyle, who was the designated driver, reportedly noticed that LaBute was drinking more than usual.

Around midnight, LaBute told them that he was going to get another drink. Stacy and Kyle later searched for him so they could bid him goodbye, but they could not find him and eventually left. Surveillance footage reportedly showed that LaBute left the cafe alone through a side exit into an alley at approximately 12:30 am.

As Unsolved Mysteries revealed, when LaBute did not respond to messages the next day, his family became concerned. His aunt, Julie, eventually found his car at his old apartment building, but there was no sign of him. Thus, a missing-person report was filed.

Joel Oliphint, a writer-editor for the Columbus Monthly, was one of the individuals Unsolved Mysteries reached out to for information regarding Joey. Oliphint noted in the episode that based on his conversations with Joey's friends and coworkers, he has concluded that Joey was a quiet, kind, funny, and joyful person, who had come out as gay.

Moreover, accounts from Joey's father and roommate also revealed that he wasn't someone who would have enemies. Thus, it is extremely difficult to figure out who might have had a vendetta against him and killed him as a result.

Cryptic text messages that remain undecoded

One of the most puzzling details of the case is that Joey sent a strange text to his friend Matt at 1:22 am on March 5, 2016. The message consisted of eight seemingly random letters that said:

"Jnhstioj."

Matt initially believed LaBute had sent the message accidentally while drunk. However, the text has now become an important part of the case as investigators are trying to figure out what he could have meant by it. During a phone call with a friend that night, he had also reportedly said:

"I'm driving."

However, his car was later found parked at his former apartment building. The meaning of the text and why he said what he said on the phone call remain unclear.

Joey's body was found in the Scioto River

On March 29, 2016, a police dive team discovered LaBute's body in the Scioto River, approximately three miles from Union Cafe. His decomposed body was partially submerged and partially caught in debris near the riverbank. Dental records were used to confirm his identity.

The autopsy revealed that there was no obvious physical trauma or signs of drowning. While toxicology reports indicated elevated levels of blood alcohol content (around 0.15% BAC) and caffeine, no unexpected illicit drugs were found in his system. The coroner thus considered it highly likely that Joey had died before entering the river.

However, his official cause and manner of death are still undetermined. The Columbus Police Homicide Unit took over the case because investigators quickly determined that foul play was highly probable, ruling out a natural death. However, the investigation remains inactive pending new evidence.

Unsolved Mysteries discusses theories

Unsolved Mysteries' host Jordan Murphy explored some of the possible theories regarding what might have happened. His first theory is that perhaps Joey accidentally fell into the river while intoxicated. But that theory doesn't hold much weight because the coroner noted that there's a high chance that Joey passed away before entering the water.

Another possibility Murphy pointed out is that someone might have mixed drugs in Joey's drinks at the bar, which led to an overdose. Perhaps someone found his body and was too afraid to report it, so they threw him in the river. Yet another theory the Unsolved Mysteries host brought up is that Justin, a former roommate and childhood friend of Joey, might have been involved.

Authorities examined a possible connection to Justin, who worked at Union Cafe and was tending the bar that night. He and Joey reportedly had a falling-out, but Justin was never publicly identified as a suspect, and the investigation has not established him to be involved.

Another theory Unsolved Mysteries' host brought up is that perhaps between leaving the bar at 12:30 am and sending the puzzling text at 1:22 am, Joey might have met up with someone. Since he had told his friend he was driving, perhaps he had met someone else and was driving their car. After all, there were a lot of people in Columbus that night since there was an annual event being held near Union Cafe.

A stranger whose name reportedly resembled the letters in LaBute's final text also contacted his father on Facebook, offering to help. Police interviewed the individual, but it didn't lead to any significant leads.

According to Unsolved Mysteries, Columbus police later told LaBute's father that the case would not be an active investigation unless new evidence comes up. The mystery behind Joey LaBute Jr.'s death thus still remains unresolved.

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Edited by Riddhee

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