Arrest made in 2005 Siskiyou County cold case

SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – After almost 18 years, investigators made an arrest in a Siskiyou County murder case.

In 2005, 56-year-old Patricia Joseph was reported missing from her home in Fort Jones.

She was found three days later in the Klamath River. An autopsy revealed she died from multiple blunt-force traumas and asphyxia.

The murder turned into a cold case until 2021. That year, teams were created to revisit cold cases with more modern scientific advancements.

After the teams sent new evidence to the Department of Justice, investigators were led to 75-year-old Philip William Frase.

On February 6, 2023, Frase was arrested in Yreka. Two days later, he was formally charged for allegedly killing Patricia Joseph.

He remains behind bars in the Siskiyou County Jail with a $2 million bail.

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