Does anybody else think the Joe Owens story has a creepy feel to it?
I mean, Joe first makes up a story about his wife Gladys going to Canada to visit her 100-year-old mother and then tells a different story to one of Gladys' piano student's mother.
Then, it turns out he murdered her and buried Gladys in the backyard. What's up with that? I'm glad the case finally got solved though.

It was very creepy, mainly because Gladys was killed by her husband of forty some years in her sleep. Those are 2 circumstances where a person is most likely to feel safe and secure: in her sleep, and in the company of her long time husband. Unfortunately, we all know what happened.

I'm surprised he ended up killing himself. Usually these guys claim they will after they've killed their wives but they usually never do.

I'm surprised he ended up killing himself. Usually these guys claim they will after they've killed their wives but they usually never do.

Yes that was what the police thought at first, because they used three blood hounds to trace him (in that wooded area where he had claimed he would kill himself) but they all went around in a circle so a for a while it looked like had just taken off.

However his remains were found later in that area but I find it very strange that the bloodhounds missed that :confused:

Yes that was what the police thought at first, because they used three blood hounds to trace him (in that wooded area where he had claimed he would kill himself) but they all went around in a circle so a for a while it looked like had just taken off.

However his remains were found later in that area but I find it very strange that the bloodhounds missed that :confused:


I always thought that was weird too. I have no doubt he killed himself, but when the had the exact location and three bloodhounds, it seems weird it took so long for his remains to show up.

Sad case, as Mrs. Owens' piano students really seemed to like her and no one deserves to go out the way she did.

I always thought that was weird too. I have no doubt he killed himself, but when the had the exact location and three bloodhounds, it seems weird it took so long for his remains to show up.

Sad case, as Mrs. Owens' piano students really seemed to like her and no one deserves to go out the way she did.

Is it possible he went up there with the intention to kill himself, later had second thoughts and went back. Then later (after the bloodhounds had already been searching for him) went back to the wooded area and killed himself? :confused:

Perhaps it was better that they didn't find Joe at that time because that triggered the whole 'possible foul play investigation', if they woud've found him at the beginning then maybe they would also just have bought the whole story about Gladys' suicide too.

Is it possible he went up there with the intention to kill himself, later had second thoughts and went back. Then later (after the bloodhounds had already been searching for him) went back to the wooded area and killed himself? :confused:

Perhaps it was better that they didn't find Joe at that time because that triggered the whole 'possible foul play investigation', if they woud've found him at the beginning then maybe they would also just have bought the whole story about Gladys' suicide too.

I think he had his suicide planned for some time remember he had told his nephew he was going to take his own life. Who knows whether he felt bad for what he did to Gladys or just figured they would eventually find Gladys and he would be arrested and didn't want to spend his final years in prison. I think Gladys looked adorable in that picture btw. This is one of the creepiest updates imo when they show that old weathered picture of Joe and then say his remains have been found....:eek:

I always thought that was weird too. I have no doubt he killed himself, but when the had the exact location and three bloodhounds, it seems weird it took so long for his remains to show up.

Sad case, as Mrs. Owens' piano students really seemed to like her and no one deserves to go out the way she did.

I think this confirms another thing I've long suspected: bloodhounds aren't any more reliable than people as "eyewitnesses." Apply this to the Katherine Korzilius case...

There is an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that is eerily similar to this case, although the television show in question originally aired several decades before this particular crime.

I think he had his suicide planned for some time remember he had told his nephew he was going to take his own life. Who knows whether he felt bad for what he did to Gladys or just figured they would eventually find Gladys and he would be arrested and didn't want to spend his final years in prison. I think Gladys looked adorable in that picture btw. This is one of the creepiest updates imo when they show that old weathered picture of Joe and then say his remains have been found....:eek:

I think he feared he would get arrested, because when the detective came and asked about Gladys' whereabouts he excused himself by saying his contractor was there and that he had Gladys' phone number and asked the detective to return the next day. Immediately after that he called his nephew in Kansas and told him about his plan to commit suicide.

And yes I agree, CD. That update totally creeped me out!!! :eek:

There is an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that is eerily similar to this case, although the television show in question originally aired several decades before this particular crime.

Woo! Dislimb! Where the heck have you been?!? :)

Woo! Dislimb! Where the heck have you been?!? :)

I think you know the answer to that question.

PS - I still love it when you call me Dislimb. :p

I think you know the answer to that question.

PS - I still love it when you call me Dislimb. :p


Ewww... you two -- GET A ROOM! :crazy: :lol:

Welcome back, Dislimb! :wave:

Y'all might want to wish Dislimb a "Happy Birthday," too, although it's a few days too late... I think he may still be working off THAT hangover! :)

Well, this is case, where, in the segment, it was said that Joe and Gladys while they had a long marriage, had always lived very seperate lives and the older they got the more seperate they became. Remember Joe and Gladys were nearly 9 years apart in age. While they were married and lived in the same house they kind of did their own thing it seemed like, based on the segment.

It is my opinion that Joe had planned his wife's murder for sometime, it doesnt seem money, at least not insurance anyway, was a motive. There has never been any evidence Joe had a girlfriend on the side or anything like that. It was said in the segment that while Joe was fairly wealthy, well to do anyway, as he had made a nice amount of money on real estate and land deals, that he was also very frugal and I think he felt like Gladys was too much of a drain on his finances. Maybe even though Gladys was 79, maybe she finally had enough of Joe and said she wanted a divorce and Joe wasnt willing to lose any of his money in a divorce settlement and so he killed her?

Remember though, in the segment, he made all kinds of weird remarks to neighbors such as how much he loved his compost box and how he was even "in love" with the compost box, this would have been during the time when Gladys was buried in it.

It seems to me Joe really thought he was going to get away with this, he was telling so many different stories about what happened to Gladys and had difficulty getting his story straight, but the family bought the story, it was her piano students parents that finally after several months of her missing decided to call the police. When the detective showed up, Joe realized the gig was up, or about to be up, so he took the coward's way out and killed himself.

I can see the suicide being brought on by the fact that his house was going to be searched and he would be caught. Still though, he had to have known that eventually someone would find out. It's not like him and his wife were reclusives.

Y'all might want to wish Dislimb a "Happy Birthday," too, although it's a few days too late... I think he may still be working off THAT hangover! :)

Yes, that was a nasty one. And thanks for rubbing in the fact that I am old.

This case for some reason always stood out to me, before I recently discovered this board (which is great and full of info) I always wondered and thought about the Joe Owens case and how odd it truly was.

I believe he killed his wife but I think he may have also been suffering from some form of mental illness at the time.

Yes, this case definitely had an Alfred Hitchcock vibe to it.

it reminded me of that alfred hitchcock movie rear window.

Mental illness or the guy just grew to hate his wife so much he wanted her gone. I agree there's never been any motivation for this crime so those two seem two of the likely scenarios.

The way the refunded moms described him he seemed less mentally ill and more just a man who wanted his wife not to have a life? Was he aware of his cancer then, when he killed her? If so it seems fitting. He liked his landscaping but perhaps as his mind started to slip resented his wife outliving him with her love of life. Sad though.

When the cops go to dig up her yard the first place I would've looked was the preposterously large compost. Part of me thought they dug the other one first knowing full well it was not the grave - making a show of it a bit. But perhaps now that i think of it - perhaps they hadn't gotten the report from the Neighbor that took the pics of the compost and what not at that point?