ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / September 22, 1999

GARYVILLE – St. John Parish Sheriff detectives have charged a 78-year oldman with second-degree murder in the Saturday night shooting death of Andrea Washington.

This is the second time this man has been charged with murder.

Capt. Mike Tregre of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office said Joe Joseph ofGaryville turned himself in Monday morning at 7:45.

Tregre said Joseph told police he got into an argument with 34-year old Washington on the street outside his trailer at 416 S. Fig St. According toJoseph, Washington, also a resident of Garyville, pulled out a pistol. Hemanaged to get it away from her, but the gun went off and the bullet struck Washington.

After being shot in the upper left chest, Washington ran about 50 yards and collapsed in the parking lot of the New Hopeful Missionary Baptist Church.

Responding to an anonymous phone call, police discovered Washington’s body around 11 p.m. She was declared dead on the scene.Joseph was found guilty of the murder of his brother in April 1971. Heshot his brother, 41-year old Joseph Reynolds, with a shotgun and then buried him in a shallow grave in the Old San Francisco Plantation Cemetery.

Joseph was sentenced to six years. He spent one year in prison and theremaining five in a mental institution.

Joseph is in the St. John Parish jail under a $500,000 bond set by DistrictCourt Judge Madeline Jasmine.

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