At A Glance: The Affidavit

A body found in August 1997 near 9800 Forker Road was identified as Jennifer A. Joseph. Evidence suggested she had been killed elsewhere.

An autopsy determined Joseph had been killed by multiple gunshots. Her blouse was missing a cuff button.

Joseph was last seen alive on Sprague Avenue in a white vehicle described as looking like a 1975 Corvette. The driver was a white male 30 to 40 years old.

An officer later identified Robert Lee Yates Jr. as the driver of a white 1977 Corvette. He was stopped for a traffic violation Sept. 24, 1997, in an area frequented by prostitutes.

A trooper stopped him on Nov. 28, 1997, for speeding in his Corvette.

Yates was stopped again by police on Nov. 10, 1998, after he was seen picking up a prostitute.

Detectives interviewed Yates on Sept. 15, 1999.

Fibers obtained from the 1977 Corvette, which Yates had sold, were found earlier this month to closely match fibers from the investigation of Joseph’s killing.

Detectives executed a search warrant for the 1977 Corvette and seized items including a button that matched the cuff button from Joseph’s clothing.

Forensic investigators tested DNA recovered from the Corvette’s passenger seat and seat belt buckle. They found the DNA was likely to have come from a child of John and Mi Hae Joseph, the parents of Jennifer Joseph.

Yates was arrested Tuesday and was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder.

Complete text of the affidavit/A7