75-Year-Old Former Laytonville Man Arrested in 18-Year-Old Siskiyou County Cold Case
Patricia Joseph [Photo from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department]
In 2005, kayakers found the bound and beaten body of 56-year-old Patricia Joseph, a former restaurant owner, in the Klamath River. She reportedly worked as a trimmer for the man who has now been arrested.
The suspect, Philip William Frase, had previously been arrested for her kidnapping and killing. At the time of that 2010 arrest, he had lived near Laytonville but was in the Mendocino County Jail on charges of murdering an employee, 49-year-old Steven Richard Schmidt, on his Bell Springs marijuana grow.
He was charged with kidnapping because, according to the Willits News, Patricia Joseph “vanished from her duplex apartment without taking her glasses, contact lenses, purse or cell phone. Her false teeth were found on the hallway floor of the apartment; several drops of blood were found on her bed.”
In 2011, Frase pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Steven Schmidt, according to the Willits News. According to that source, a “cadaver dog located Schmidt”s body tied to a tree on the property and covered with brush. Deputies determined the body had been dragged by the neck behind an ATV to the dump site.”
Frase was sentenced to three years in prison for that crime.
In 2012, the Siskiyou County District Attorney dismissed charges against him in the killing of Patricia Joseph saying the case needed further investigation.
In 2016, a Philip Frase of Bell Springs, wrote a letter to the Ukiah Daily Journal arguing for less harsh treatment of marijuana growers. “We need agreement with the Feds to not prosecute small farmers, including a transporting more than two pounds to dispenseries, or market,” he stated.
In 2017, he made three mining claims in Siskiyou County that year.
And, now, in 2023, he’s been rearrested for Patricia Joseph’s killing.
Below is a press release from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On February 6, 2023, Philip William Frase, age 75, was arrested in Yreka, California, by investigators with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for the 2005 killing of Patricia Joseph.On July 15, 2005, Patricia Joseph, age 56 at the time, was reported missing from her residence in Fort Jones, California. Patricia was found three days later in the Klamath River near the Ash Creek Bridge along State Route 96, approximately 27 miles north of Fort Jones. She was partially clothed and had been in the water for several days. The forensic autopsy revealed Patricia died from multiple blunt force traumas and asphyxia.In early 2021, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue created a cold case and forensic evidence team to assist Major Crimes Detectives in their investigations. The focus of this team was to prioritize the numerous cold cases and review physical evidence using modern advancements. Since 2005, science and technology has advanced significantly to bring new capabilities to forensic evidence analysis. The cold case team completed a comprehensive review of the investigation and re-submitted evidence to the Department of Justice for fresh analysis, which produced compelling results connecting Frase to the killing of Patricia.On February 8, 2023, Frase was formally arraigned in the Siskiyou County Superior Court and charged with the unlawful killing of Patricia Joseph. Frase remains in-custody at the Siskiyou County Jail with a 2-million-dollar bail. The cold case team will continue to focus on cases of a similar nature. According to Sheriff LaRue, “This arrest is the result of the determination of our investigators and reflects our faithful commitment to pursuing justice for victims of violent crimes and their families. Our cold case team will continue to focus on these cases with dedication. I would like to commend everyone for their devotion to this investigation and thank the District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Our hearts are with Patricia’s family, and we hope this arrest begins the path toward closure and healing.”If you have any information pertaining to this investigation, please contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 841-2900, press option 9, and request to speak with a detective.The accused: Philip William Frase [Photo from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page]
Earlier piece by another news organization: Cold County Part 2: The Murder of Patty Joseph
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This man needs to be executed.
What?! You don’t think a 3 year sentence for murder oh excuse me “voluntary manslaughter” is enough?!!
I agree completely.
So do a majority of California voters. One person decided to erase the will of the people on the death penalty.
What was the percentage of the vote? Was it to rescind the death penalty, or to reinstate it?
Who in the room plans on living forever? Anyone? Anyone? Good luck!
We are all dying. I would rather die than live my days out in prison! Maybe the death penalty is an empty revenge. Even a botched execution is more desirable than the indignities good people routinely enjoy growing old with our “Healthcare Marketplace”.
Find the other bodies first.
Twice…
No he needs to be on the cover of High Times and a honored gues speaker at 2023 Emerald Cup on how Marijuana effects societal change and how to throw those that don’t agree with money,power,and greed into shallow graves or better yet how to adapt Hotel Hell methods into a Emerald Hell’s Triangle were innocence is forbidden and the meek make great nitrogen loads for 8ft plants. Just think we could corner the market with names like prostate kush,rotten diesel brain,and innocent cookie girl. Give the industry to Phillip Morris, Bayer, Monsonto and any other company that would pay 100 million spread amongst three counties for 2 decades and then when all the big Willyweed,Snoopweed,and SunBS brands are distant memories.
It starts with environmental damage from chemicals,stripped land and, fires and then it transforms into forced labor,missing loved ones, and dead bodies and those should be featured in his centerfold or better yet a High Times LE Poster of the crime photos collaged into a leaf.
Awesome!
” This man needs to be executed.”
Is that what Philip Frase said before executing the guy up by Bell Springs?
Two murders and he gets bail?
Unbelievable!
“the body had been dragged by the neck behind an ATV to the dump site” is classified as manslaughter?
not the given cause of death
Hopefully he wasn’t dragged alive! I knew a guy about 20 years ago who was spun out and forgot that his horse was tied to the back of the horse trailer prior to driving away. He spent some time behind bars and on probation for that one.
The guy in the article probably needs a state administered shot in the arm, and I ain’t talking about Covid.
They didn’t even bother pressing the charge of abuse of a corpse…3 years. Wow.
3 years????
That’s insane! No real repercussions 4 crime in the emerald triangle!
Well its not his fault. Weed was just another drug that brought greed, violence and corruption as well as afflicted the minds of our youth. Prior to it being LEGALIZED. But now its a miracle cure all and organically fair trade grown medicine that brings peace and equity to the masses and generates vast tax revenue to solve societys financial woes while providing safe and secure career opportunities to all those unemployed due to laziness,liberal policies and never learning a skill other than dope growing informal probation is adequate punishment for this poor back to the lander
Thats about right! You gotta see what oklahoma is turning into! Asians are blowing it up. Bodies are piling up due to greed,theft and lack of quality!
The legalization was a money grab,never meant to really help the farmers. Unless you have the black market avenues.
I think its confession time. Who sent the bag of dope to washington???? Not unlike the beatles tripping on a yellow submarine. Kamala is tripping on a yellow school bus. And all biden wants to do is keep stopping for ice cream. And forgets where he is and what he was saying. OAC is paranoid thinking everyone wants to date her The FBI will investigate when they get done covering for hunter china and the big guy
Only one big (huge and orange) president still alive that I can think of.
I see you never visited Oklahoma before they legalized weed.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t great.
It was like McKinleyville before the old Clam Beach Inn burned down.
Thank the moronic voters of California. Some of you people have no idea how these sorts of things work…..
Judges make these decisions……
Prosecutors press charges.
Ya but we get to sit around im public and get high man!! We are liberated!!!!! Who cares what the concequences are for everyone else. A young persons brain is developing til around 25. Lets smoke em up when they are 10. Its harmless
Nobody but you saying that!
I can run around yelling that smoking weed is a plot by Newsome to get you probed by aliens.
That would be SHOCKING!
if it were true.
Well it hasent exactly worked out to be liberating for anyone other than the cartels. And some corporate intrests. So maybe it wasnt so wise and forward thinking after all to legalize it. Maybe just keeping the organized crime and greed growers beat down would have been a better plan?
California’s legalization of cannabis has been an absolute cluster fuck.
But hundreds of thousands of regular people who use cannabis regularly for recreational enjoyment are no longer subject. To the arbitrary whims of a corrupt and violent criminal “justice” system.
I’d say it’s been liberating for them
Ya pot was nearly impossible to find pre legalization. Like hens teeth. Now the peace medicine flows like a megadeath melody
I didn’t say anything about scarcity pre legalization. What’s changed is the potential legal repercussions of using it
Recreational enjoyment evolved from what you do with your time after doing you part in a productive life. To chilling all day and night with no regard for any productivity . Pajamas in pot leaf print are the new daywear.
Lots of incredibly productive people smoke weed recreationally
With all these ufo shoot-downs, it might be…
K
This crime happened 18 years ago. Just bringing it down to Earth a bit. Pre legalization.
And Ummm… Arnold Schwarzenegger was Governator in 2004/2005.
Sorry.
Seems like he’d be a suspect in other bell springs area cases too.
Wonder where his properties were
Very top of Cow Mtn.
Growers killing other growers was probably okay with some in Mendo Co. law enforcement. Like good riddance….
Don’t call him a hippie. It’s a bullshit label to start with, but this guy ain’t that.
Whatever happened to the happy hippie growers?
Ever read that book “Cash Crop” by Ray Raphael? I found it interesting that there were some people leaving the scene way back in the early 80’s because they saw the greed taking over way back then….and the happy hippie growers became fewer and fewer over time. Turns out it’s a terrible business model to be generous and kind and ungreedy!
I was a social worker in Humboldt during the 1960’s. Of course, evading Viet Nam and the draft was on all our minds. The hippie growers (along with Bob McGee and Judge Thomas) were the most delightful, caring folks on the planet.
Some fucker like this killed him.
Three years for murder, moving/concealing a body, and in relation to an illegal grow.
Wow.
…tied to a tree and covered with brush… he’s obviously into kidnapping torture and murder… and the DA doesn’t have enough evidence to put him away (down)…. hmmmm… not enough resources to cover forensics or what?
Nope. It was because he had enough money to pay for an expensive lawyer and essentially bought himself out of murder in the 1st degree and torture. Trust me, if he had a public defender he would have gotten life in prison.
I definitely agree the sentence he received was ridiculous. If you read the link provided to willits news it explains the DA wasn’t positive they could get a jury to convict on 2nd degree murder. Knowing that he was the primary suspect in the siskiyou murder they went for a plea deal ensuring that a strike offense would be on his record. Now even if siskiyou can’t get him with a life term a judge will still be able to double his sentence under 3 strikes law
This is genuinely revolting from all angles
S***, back then you think he would have got more time just for the grow.. Sounds a lot like somebody got paid off to me!
If Mr Frase had dragged the body far enough with his ATV, it would have disappeared completely. Sort of rubbed down to nothing like an eraser. I wonder why he didn
t think of that? Hed have a lot less problems now if he had of.If Mr Frase had dragged the body far enough with his ATV, it would have disappeared completely. Sort of rubbed down to nothing like a worn out eraser. I wonder why he didnt think of that? He would have a lot fewer problems now if he had done so.
Hope he dies a horrible death! No one should die over some pot!
Ahhh yes the peace weed strikes again.
3 years first conviction. He might get 4 for this one. Wonder how many other people he killed.we.dont know about.
So with a person of his disposition being enabled to get away with such heinous crimes the question should be how many more bodies can be tied back to his hands. I know he was a proponent for Marijuana freedom something that has both financialy and mentally empowered those that once stage on the dark fringes of society, the question than goes to the mystery murder of a rancher and anti marijuana advocate that lived on the edge of Mendocino county a few years back as they both have age and probably same societal ideas in regards to the new generation allowing one to put down his guard possibly leading to another crime. Marijuana make prohibition era wars between good ol boys and the mob look pale and they could order surplus weapons out of the back of field and stream that held stronger bullets than the weapons used today. So while over taxation is a thing the marijuana industry because of connected crimes like this they need to look at the liquor and cigarettes industry as a path of regulation and taxation and if that means Phillip Morris Jack Daniels like titans take major shares than so be it there’s still craft cigar makers and the craft whiskey industry is thriving and the have the same regulations and tax stamps as the big boys and yet profits can be made. We need to end the blood on the ground and the toxic sludge in our creeks and rivers more now than ever as it was one thing when your ancestors grew 10 4 foot plants and harvested 10lbs to get through winter layoffs and keep life free and simple and the 100 plant 6-7foot tall 200lb harvests that someone claims to be heritage farming with nitrogen loads that would make Monsanto cringe at when applied to a Campbell’s soup tomato plant. So let this criminal be a poster child for the peace and freedom 5 finger Mary use to dispise and now represents so eloquently.
Ahhh, your typical peace and love dope grower. I believe he would be referred to as a” legacy farmer ” these days.
He needs a dark cell for the rest of his life or an electric chair. None of which will happen, unfortunately.
While he’s sitting in the click, I’ll be out in the sunshine, jumping his claims. Thanks for doing the prospecting, you old buzzard!
Only three years? Life is cheap in California.
I wonder how many people helped him cover up these murders. Reminds me of the creeps up at Hilltop (one of them is a “famous” author) that covered up the 2 murders in Westport. Cops were definitely paid off. Evil people in lurking in Mendo and Humboldt.