The Mysterious Death of Joseph Smedley: Suicide or Foul Play?

Joseph Smedley: A Promising Life Cut Short

• 💡 Joseph Smedley was a 20-year-old Indiana University student described as upbeat, a jokester, and multi-talented.
• 🧠 He excelled academically, with interests in martial arts, cooking, trombone, jazz band, wrestling, and swimming.
• 👨‍🎓 After emancipating at 16, he enrolled at Indiana University, majoring in biochemistry, and seemed to flourish in the college environment.

Unexplained Disappearance and Mysterious Text

• 📱 On September 27th, 2015, Joseph was last seen by roommates. The next morning, his sister received a strange, ominous text stating he was leaving the country for her safety.
• 📝 A handwritten note with similar wording was found, but his sister questioned its authenticity due to the handwriting and unusual signature.
• 🔍 Police conducted a welfare check, finding his belongings but no sign of him, and his planned check for rent was still on his desk.

Discovery and Official Ruling

• 🌊 On October 2nd, 2015, a decomposed body was found in Griffy Lake. The coroner identified the body as Joseph Smedley, ruling the cause of death as drowning and initially suspecting no foul play.
• 🎒 Further investigation revealed his body was weighed down by a backpack containing 66 lbs of rocks, leading to a final ruling of suicide by drowning.
• 🧪 Toxicology reports showed THC and alcohol in his system.

Family's Doubts and Lingering Questions

• ❓ Joseph's family, particularly his sister Vivian, strongly questioned the suicide ruling, citing his lack of suicidal ideation, future plans, and the implausibility of the scenario.
• 🏞️ Questions arose about the availability of 66 lbs of rocks near the lake and the shallow depth of the water, where Joseph could have stood.
• 🕵️ A second autopsy by a hired forensic pathologist noted bruises on Joseph's back, leaning towards an accidental or undetermined manner of death, but police refused to release crucial scene photos.

Unanswered Questions and Continued Advocacy

• 🏛️ The Bloomington Police Department stated they were working with Joseph's father as the point of contact and that the coroner's ruling was their responsibility.
• 📢 Vivian expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from the police, hindering her private investigation and the second autopsy.
• ⚖️ The family launched a petition seeking a new investigation, highlighting the FBI's initial involvement which did not rule out homicide, and the fraternity Joseph joined was later suspended for hazing.
• 💔 Despite over 124,000 signatures on a petition, Joseph's death remains officially ruled as suicide by drowning, leaving many questions unanswered.