Trending
ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The investigation into the deaths of a Martins Ferry couple who had been missing for more than three years will remain in the hands of Ohio authorities, said Belmont County Sheriff Dave Lucas.
Lucas said Wednesday that since his department and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department have been investigating the missing persons case involving Brian Goff, 64, and Joni Davis, 55, they would continue to do so.
The couple's remains were found Nov. 11, inside of Goff's vehicle in the Ohio River about a mile or two north of the Rayland marina. Autopsies and forensic work are being conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Generally, since the Ohio River is owned by West Virginia, bodies found in the river become cases that are investigated by West Virginia law enforcement. But Lucas said in this case that would not be happening because of the investigation originating in Ohio.
"We work closely with West Virginia, but we have to look at the facets of each incident," Lucas said. "If a body was found in Wheeling in the river that's one thing. But this was an ongoing investigation that was initiated from Belmont County and Jefferson County, and we had been searching for them for three-and-a-half years.
"The car left the roadway of state Route 7 in Jefferson County," he added. "When all the circumstances are looked at ... it was all ours from the beginning. The car left our roadway -- it clearly is our investigation."
Lucas said no West Virginia law enforcement agencies have contacted him about getting involved with the investigation, and he did not contact them either.
The sheriff's department sought help from the FBI in the case about three months after the couple went missing.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Wednesday that Hancock County authorities were notified about the couple being found in the river. He declined to comment more on the matter, saying he wanted to "let the family rest" now that their loved ones' remains had been found.
Goff and Davis were last seen on June 10, 2018, leaving a Pizza Hut on National Road in St. Clairsville, driving in Goff's light blue 1990 Oldsmobile Delta 88, which is the vehicle that was found in the river by Illinois-based Chaos Divers.
Goff was Davis' caregiver. Davis previously suffered a traumatic brain injury.