Siskiyou County: Suspect Pleads Guilty in Cold Case Murder of Patricia Joseph
KLAMATH RIVER, CA – “Phillip Gregory Frase, 77, pleaded guilty to the 2005 killing of Patricia Joseph at the Siskiyou County Superior Court on July 1st, bringing to close a two decades-long investigation by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
On July 17th, 2005, rafters discovered the body of a woman in the Klamath River near the Ash Creek Bridge along State Route 96. The woman was identified as 56-year-old Patricia “Patty” Joseph, who had been reported missing 3 days prior from her Fort Jones residence. A subsequent forensic autopsy revealed Patricia died from multiple blunt force traumas and asphyxia, and determined the manner of her death to be homicide.
In early 2021, 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 Ms. Joseph.
On February 8, 2023, Frase was formally arraigned in the Siskiyou County Superior Court and charged with the unlawful killing of Ms. Joseph. On July 1st, 2025, Frase pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and admitted in open court that he was responsible for Ms. Joseph’s death. His sentencing date is set for July 29th.”
