New information has emerged in the case involving a Missouri dentist who is awaiting trial in a hit-and-run in which his son allegedly struck and killed a 60-year-old man in August 2023, according to a story published on August 19 on KSNF/KODE.
Weeks away from the start of the trial of Dr. John “Jay” Joseph and his son Rocco, a judge will decide whether the dentist’s attorney will be called as a witness. The prosecution claims it has evidence that Joseph talked to his attorney, Phil Glades, two hours after Rocco reportedly hit Gary LaTurner, 60, with his vehicle and left him to die at the scene in Kansas, according to the story.
Prosecutors filed a motion to enter phone records that purportedly show the dentist called Glades in the early morning hours of August 20, 2023, which was about two hours after the hit-and-run accident.
If the judge rules that Glades can testify as a witness at the trial, he may explain the dentist’s state of mind that morning.
In the fall of 2024, Joseph and his son pleaded not guilty for their alleged roles in the hit-and-run accident that killed LaTurner. Both were charged with leaving the scene of a fatality, and the elder was also charged with contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivations.
The teenager's vehicle allegedly struck LaTurner, of Galena, KS, at about 11:30 p.m. on August 19, 2023, and didn't stop, according to news articles. The father and son allegedly returned to the scene about 40 minutes later.
Authorities claim that video from a business near the accident site revealed the dentist returned to the scene of the crash, illuminated LaTurner with the headlights of his truck, and left the area without contacting police.
Authorities said LaTurner was still alive when Joseph returned to the scene. The coroner reported that LaTurner died about eight hours after the father and son left the scene. LaTurner's body was found in a ditch the next day, according to news articles.
In June, Joseph pleaded not guilty in a separate case in which he allegedly bought hundreds of dollars' worth of fentanyl across the street from his dental office.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
