BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — According to court records, Joseph Neve confidently identified the culprits responsible for a missing bag at his campsite. He explained to the police that he had recently been entrusted with looking after a bicycle for an individual.
However, someone else took the bike and never returned it. Neve suspected that the bike’s owner and his girlfriend, both of whom had previously stolen from him, took his bag in retaliation, as detailed in the police documents filed in Superior Court.
Neve recounted to the police that on the morning of August 13th, he located the couple and confronted them. An altercation ensued, during which the other man was stabbed in the chest. Neve stated that he could not recall the moment of the stabbing.
The man tragically succumbed to his injuries, and on the same day, Neve, aged 56, was taken into custody. A folding knife was discovered in his right front pocket, and his glasses had blood spatter on them, as mentioned in the police documents.
Neve is currently held in custody without bail, facing charges of first-degree murder and making criminal threats. His next court appearance is scheduled for next month.
The girlfriend of the stabbing victim informed the police that Neve had accused them of stealing his bag. She recounted that they had walked away and were resting on the grass in a shaded area at 25th and H streets when Neve approached them again.
According to the documents, she stated that Neve straddled the man and used a folding knife to stab him three times. She also claimed that he threatened to harm her. Surveillance footage, according to the police, shows the man and woman heading towards the location of the stabbing, with Neve following. The footage then shows Neve fleeing the scene, according to the documents.