DICKSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Will Joe Clyde Daniels' body ever be found?
With both of his parents now behind bars — that is the one question yet to be answered.
Authorities do believe there is one most likely location and it may be the reason why the little boy's remains are never found.
Joe Clyde Daniels disappeared from his Dickson County home four years ago this month. He was 5 years old. He is, of course, presumed to be dead.
But to this day, after so many searches, there is still no sign of the little boy's remains.
Just this past month, Joe Clyde's mother Krystal took a plea deal to serve 15 years for aggravated child abuse and tampering with evidence. Before that, Joe Clyde's father Joseph was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for murder — this after admitting to beating his son to death.
During Joseph's trial last year, Joe Clyde's brother testified that his father carried the little boy from the home.
But then what?
Neither Joseph nor Krystal Daniels has ever told police what happened to their son's body.
That is the driving force behind the Joe Clyde Act, which allows the Board of Parole to consider that lack of cooperation when deciding on a possible early release.
"If there is a parole eligibility it needs to be reserved for people who can someday be redeemed with a lot of work," said Rep. Michael Curcio, author of the bill.
So, the question remains: Where is Joe Clyde?
There are many theories, but those close to the case say the most likely location is a landfill.
The father went to a Dickson truck stop the night Joe Clyde disappeared. He could have put the small body in a dumpster, which was emptied before Joe Clyde was even reported missing.
To this day, it's not clear exactly which landfill the trash truck went to, and even with cadaver dogs, searching acres of debris for a small child's remains is almost an impossible task.
The sad reality is Joe Clyde's body may never be found.
The landfill may be the most likely possibility, but it's not the only one.
Authorities say the case will never completely close and they'll continue to track tips in hopes of someday finding Joe Clyde's remains.
Meanwhile, both Krystal and Joseph Daniels are asking for protective custody in state prison — worried about their safety because of their connection to the high-profile case involving their son.
