DICKSON, Tenn., (WKRN) — The case of Joe Clyde Daniels has been filled with shocking and confusing twists and turns in the last three years.
“We threw a lot of effort at this in the very beginning. Between the foot searching, the drones, TBI, Dickson PD, it’s amazing how all of these teams came together for this little boy,” recalled David Rader, Director of EquuSearch Midwest.
Rader can’t stop thinking about Baby Joe, the 5-year-old blonde haired boy who’s smile plastered headlines after his parents reported him missing April 4th, 2018.
“To know that we still don’t have answers three years after is just mind-boggling to me,” said Rader.
He helped assemble a team of roughly 500 volunteers from across the country back in 2018, when he told them, “You’re here for one reason, and for one reason only, to bring that little boy home.”
They scoured land in Dickson County from sunrise to sunset for days.
“We covered a load of ground thoroughly. I can almost guarantee you the places we did search, he’s not there,” exclaimed Rader.
The volunteers even combed through property in Humphreys County.
“We did, probably, a good 10-mile radius,” Rader remembered.
Days turned into week which turned into months.
“There’s a lot of things out there,” Rader told News 2 in 2018. “You’ve got snakes. You’re walking through spider webs. The ticks are just absolutely unbelievable. It’s hot out there. The terrain is brutal.”
The boy was never found. Yet, Rader believes Baby Joe’s whereabouts isn’t a total mystery.
“The only two people who have the answers to this are sitting in jail. They can put an end to this right now,” he said.
Rader was referring to Krystal and Joseph Ray Daniels. Both are behind bars for their alleged role in their child’s disappearance.
“I did have the opportunity to visit Joseph in jail. His father set it up,” Rader said. “I think there’s more to this than what’s being said. I’m just going to leave it at that. I just think they know where this baby is. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Rader’s plea to the public indicates he believes the child isn’t alive, thought he did not say that outright.
“If you have property in and around Dickson,” he requested, “Take a really good look at your property. If something doesn’t look right, then let someone know. Never stop looking.”
He believed closure comes when you least expect it.
“Is it possible three years later? Absolutely. We have seen other cases where it’s been 10 years,” said Rader. “The good Lord will bring him home when it’s time.”
And, Rader believes that time will come.
