DICKSON, Tenn., (WKRN) — In a case with very little physical evidence, a witness’ statement can be all the jury needs to convict.
In the case against Krystal Daniels, what she claims she saw could help put her husband behind bars for life or face the death penalty.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Special Agent Joey Boyd has been the lead case agent on the investigation into missing – but presumed dead – Joe Clyde Daniels, also known as Baby Joe.
Krystal Daniels faces aggravated child neglect charges in the case of her missing son.
In the early morning hours of April 4, 2018, Boyd testified that Joseph and Krystal claimed their son Alex woke them with news about his 5-year-old brother.
“Joe Clyde had urinated on the floor. Joseph said that he’d handle it,” said Boyd.
In her statement to investigators, Krystal said a loud scream followed.
“She described it as a painful scream, and then she described that it suddenly just stopped. And, it was silence,” recalled Boyd.
Krystal came out of her room to find Joe Clyde on the ground.
“Motionless. Not moving. And Joseph standing over him with his fists clinched,” said Special Agent Boyd.
Krystal said her husband, who apparently has a black belt in martial arts, took a swing at her and said if she told anybody, he’d kill her.
“She stated that she never got close enough to check on him.” Boyd testified, “She went back to her room. She heard the car door shut. She came out of the room saw that Joseph and Joe Clyde were gone. She said she went back to her room and went to sleep.”
In the following days, Krystal and Joseph continued to claim Baby Joe had run off.
“She gave you a reason for the alleged lie. She was afraid of Mr. Daniels and her father-in-law. Is that true?” said Krystal’s lawyer. “That’s true,” Boyd responded.
Yet, six months after her arrest, she sent a letter to her father-in-law who read the note to News 2.
“You are my Mom and Papa Joe is like my dad. It’s right there!”
The letter raised more questions than answers in a case that is far from closed.
Krystal’s lawyer attempted to have her charges dropped. The Judge responded, “Respectfully, Mr. Porter, I’d say that your client was on notice that her husband Mr. Daniels posed a threat to the child when she came out of bed to investigate the child’s painful scream, saw him standing over her child motionless on the floor. She told agents that he left the house. She could have called 911 at that point. But instead, she went back to bed and went to sleep.”
Krystal Daniels will face trial June 1st.
