Oregon deputies arrested a man in the Mt. Hood National Forest who was impersonating a missing Californian, only to discover he was allegedly the victim’s killer and roommate.
On August 2, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office deputies encountered a camper who identified himself as Daniel Joslin, the registered owner of a black Ford F-150 parked nearby. The truck’s registration and license plate matched, but deputies soon learned that Joslin had been reported missing by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. The man in the forest was not Joslin, but his alleged roommate, 60-year-old Cris Jones.
Joslin, 61, had not been heard from in 10 days before his disappearance was reported. More than a month after he was last seen, and one day before the encounter in Oregon, California investigators executed a search warrant at the roommates’ Yucca Valley home and discovered Joslin’s body buried in a shallow grave.
Jones had allegedly fled California in Joslin’s truck, traveling over 1,100 miles to Oregon. Authorities apprehended Jones near Harriet Lake after a SWAT team and air unit were deployed. Aerial footage captured the arrest, with officers surrounding the suspect at gunpoint.
During the arrest, deputies reportedly found a knife and sheath in Jones’ front pants pocket. He also had outstanding warrants in Clackamas and Washington counties, officials said. Jones is currently being held in the Clackamas County Jail on the murder charge and is awaiting extradition to California.
According to Jones’ Facebook profile, he attended Portland State University. The investigation into the death of Daniel Joslin is ongoing.