Hollister
– A Hollister man suspected of having gang ties has been
sentenced to life in prison for the murder of two men in Santa
Clara County.
Hollister – A Hollister man suspected of having gang ties has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of two men in Santa Clara County.
Joshua Joseph, 25, pleaded guilty to two murders before either case could head to trial, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Daniel Carr said. Joseph killed his 25-year-old Santa Clara County Jail cell mate, Joseph Boos, in 2006 while being held for the murder of David Owens on a San Jose street in August 2004.
On Thursday, Joseph was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, Carr said.
Joseph entered the plea after prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty for two counts of first-degree murder with a special allegation of multiple murders, Carr said.
The district attorney’s office is pleased with the outcome of the case, Carr said.
“He’ll never get out of prison,” Carr said. “He’s in there for the rest of his life. He’ll never see the light of day.”
Joseph’s attorney, Patrick Kelly, could not be reached for comment before press time on Monday.
Carr, who led the prosecution against Joseph, said the alleged gangster had spent most of his life the custody of the California Youth Authority and at Pelican Bay State Prison, a maximum security prison that houses California’s most dangerous criminals.
When the San Jose Police Department determined in September 2004 that Joseph was involved in the shooting of Owens, he was being held in the San Benito County Jail on unrelated drug charges, according to jail personnel.
The Hollister Police Department assisted state parole officers in the parole search and arrest of Joseph at his home in the 300 block of Mary Drive in Hollister on Aug. 12, just four days after Owens’ death, according to police. Police arrested Joseph that day for felony possession of marijuana for sale and parole violation.
Authorities believe Joseph sought out Boos with the intention of killing him more than a year ago in the Santa Clara County Jail while being held for Owens’ murder, Carr said.
“Unfortunately it’s complex, but basically (Joseph) worked his way into (Boos’) cell and crushed his head,” Carr said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or mv*********@fr***********.com.
