DICKSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's the end of the road for Joseph Daniels, but the question of whether he might reveal where he put his son's body remains.
A jury convicted Daniels of murdering his son, but the remains have never been found.
The Tennessee Supreme Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals both denied Joseph Daniels' request for a new trial.
The Case of Joe Clyde
It was April of 2018, and 5-year-old Joe Clyde disappeared from his Dickson County home.
It was a high-profile case with a massive search effort and, ultimately, no sign of the boy.
His father became the prime suspect, and the case against him went to trial.
"As to the charge of first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony crime, how does the jury find?"
The jury left little doubt on the charge of murder: "Guilty, sir."
Daniels is serving 51 years or life in prison.
"We had a lot of reversible errors in the trial, so he advised he wants to pursue an appeal," Daniels' attorney Jake Lockert said after the verdict five years ago.
Since then, every appeal has been denied, talk of the Innocence Project becoming involved has gone nowhere, and Lockert said there's no indication at all that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case.
Daniels was convicted with no physical evidence, but he did confess.
So now facing the certain prospect of spending the rest life behind bars, one big question remains for Daniels: Will he ever reveal the location of his son's body?
In the past, he's taken police out to search, but never led them to the remains.
Lockert said he doesn't believe Daniels knows the location of the body.
Authorities think he does, but doubt he'll ever say where.
It's a tragic prospect for a child who deserves a proper burial.
Technically, Daniels, 35, would be eligible for parole after 51 years.
But under a new state law, his parole can be denied because he refuses to reveal the location of Joe Clyde's body.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Nick.beres@newschannel5.com
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