ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The man accused of killing a St. Charles woman appeared in St. Louis County Circuit Court on Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing. A judge ruled Joseph Dejoie will remain jailed on a $1 million cash-only bond, per the recommendation of county prosecutors.
Dejoie, 49, is charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, and abandonment of a corpse.
Police and prosecutors claim Dejoie murdered Jacquelyn “Jacque” Elizabeth Mitchell in his Maryland Heights apartment in the 2200 block of Palestra Drive, sometime between March 15 and March 20.
Mitchell was last seen on March 14. Her family said she went to Maggie O’Brien’s in Sunset Hills around 7 p.m. to grab a bite to eat after work. She was reported missing to St. Charles police on Thursday, March 16.
Police from Maryland Heights and St. Charles launched a cooperative investigation, which led to the discovery of Mitchell’s body on the evening of March 20. It’s believed Mitchell’s body had been left in the apartment for several days.
Investigators said Mitchell and Dejoie were acquaintances, and had exchanged text messages on the night and morning she went missing.
Dejoie’s attorneys had asked for a bond reduction heading into Wednesday’s hearing.
According to prosecutors, Dejoie has a criminal record with past charges of burglary, rape, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
