Josh Young (15 years old)

[Bryan]

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The timeline proves my opinion that the real doer, Gouker lied to police, leading to the error in charging Josh with his crime. Absconding with the boy was clear evidence that Gouker was plotting to imprison his son and put him away for the rest of life. Gouker killed Trey and does not to die for it. My guess is that Gouker is getting back at Josh and his mom by blackmailing the boy with the murder. Gouker will not get away with it. I just hope that defense smashes the prosecution at trial with constant mention of the boy's old man. I would call Gouker as a hostile witness and even put the prosecutor on the stand to tell the jury if he actually sure that Josh killed or that he is doing this because he does not care about the truth anymore. There is enough evidence that will free the boy and put daddy on death row. Remember that Shaun Windsor also tried to run from the law. Now he is waiting to get a state-murder. The same awaits that bald scumbag for murder and then framing his son.

[Stuart]

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Thanks for the timeline, Melissa. Not an easy one to piece together.

I am trying to find more information on this:

September 2011 - Gouker was held in Alabama on the charges stemming from June and was then released (by mistake?)

I appreciate the fact that Topix is not the most reliable source of information (far from it, in fact) but this comment from 'Alabama Corrections' piqued my curiosity:

For all you folks in Louisville, let it be known that Gouker WAS NOT released by mistake!!! Legal documents show that Gouker was released for time served on a weapons charge, the Kidnapping charge was dismissed and teletypes from KY and Indiana indiacte both released their holds or refused to extradite. Don't blame an agency that did their job properly. Thank you.

Link

[Stuart]

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I also found this curious (yes, that is how I am); "...but jurors chose not to hear the testimony 'for whatever reason.'"

Jurors can choose what they want to hear?

[Melissa]

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A grand jury can apparently.

[Melissa]

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Wait...The kidnapping charge was dropped? The one that came about because he held someone at gunpoint and forced them to drive an hour and a half?

How does a charge like that get dropped? What is it about this man that keep the police at bay? Is he a C.I. or something?

[Bryan]

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It would not surprise me. Gouker is a slippery character. And this is a state that only has about 7 cases listed on Victims of the State. Do not let this be the eighth!

[Melissa]

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The grand jury hearings held in secret seem to be a recurring problem. I don't like those at all. It makes it too easy for the prosecution to insist they have sufficient cause to seek a conviction while the public just sits there wondering what they even have. If anything. And it's disturbing that they can just decline to hear a witness for the defense. That's not just a little biased toward the state...

[MeganJ28]

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i'd like to write him a letter.  do you know how i can?

[Melissa]

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I'm looking to see if I can find the facility he's being held in. I'll post it as soon as I find it.

[Melissa]

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While I was looking for information about where Josh is being held I came upon this article:

http://www.wave3.com/story/16091699/family-of-teen-charged-with-murder-says-they-should-be-looking-at-his-father

Family of teen charged with murder says they should be looking at his father

Posted: Nov 21, 2011 11:17 AM EST
Updated: Nov 21, 2011 12:07 PM EST
By Jaimie Weiss - email
 
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The 15-year-old charged with murdering his 14 year-old stepbrother pled not guilty Monday. After his hearing, Josh Young's family says they are accusing the wrong person. They say they should be looking at his father.

Josh Young's family says his father, Josh Gouker, is currently in prison on unrelated charges. He was Trey Zwicker's stepfather at the time the 14 year-old was found stabbed and beaten to death behind Liberty High School back in May. While they believe he should be on trial, his son is the one a grand jury indicted last week.

"I still say Little Josh is not to blame. He did not do it. I believe his father did it with all my heart and soul and I know my son with all my soul," says Young's Grandmother and Gouker's Mother Ruby Jessie.

Jessie says her grandson, better known as Little Josh, was set up by her son Gouker, better known as Big Josh. She says Gouker admitted to her that he killed his stepson right after it happened to get back at his mother. "Him and Amanda were having really bad problems. She aborted two of his kids in 2000 and one of their marriages and he felt like it was a child for a child," says Jessie.

Prosecutors says they are aware of Jessie's comments and that police will continue to investigate. In the meantime, they will continue on with the case against Josh Young while the teen maintains his innocence. "Josh would like his friends, family and the community to know that he did not cause Trey's death. Trey was his best friend," says Young's attorney Peter Schuler.

Schuler says there was a witness that he wanted to testify in front of the grand jury in favor of his client, but was not allowed to. Zwicker's family was not at the hearing, but via phone his father Terry says he also believes Gouker is to blame, but Young is not completely innocent.

Copyright 2011 WAVE News. All rights reserved.

[Bryan]

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Rereading this article points out to me that Josh was arrested and charged by a combination of a imprisoned felon, who happens to be his father and really bad police work. One of the cardinal rules of police work is beware of talking with people in jail. They have some ax to grind with someone, it can backfire in a bad way. Gouker is getting back at Amanda by lying to cops to drive them to suspect Josh in the death of his stepbrother. I said this before and I will say it until everyone understands the logic of the Josh's father. He did this to get back at his his old flame aka the boy's biological mother. In effect because Gouker is lying, the cops and the prosecutors are lying too.

They also  have no idea about the difference between a primary and secondary crime scene. The scene outside the High School is the dump site. So by duduction there has to be a primary crime scene. Somehow this mean Gouker was alone with the victim at some point before his body was found. Gouker killed the kid, stripped him naked and then dumped him at the high school, making it look like the boy was killed there. Trey would have known Gouker pretty well since he was friends with Josh. So he would not be in a position where Gouker would be alone to commit this crime.

Remember that Gouker is behind this framing of his son to get back at his hated Amanda aka the boy's mother. The police and the prosecutors do not understand that. They will understand once the defense takes them apart in court. I would practically force Gouker to the stand in handcuffs to the stand as a "hostile witness" starting with his relationship with the boy and his mother. Then shift to more unpleasant topics up to his so-called statements with the authorities. I will hound him about the kidnaping of Josh that summer. Then I will go to the murder itself. All I need is a few statements to prove to the jury that Gouker has something to hide. That something is the truth.

Finally I will go through why I believe he killed Trey in my closing arguements. Gouker used the kidnapping to spook his son into not hating him. He wanted his son to have a criminal record. Once he was back home the juvenile court dropped the so-called charges related to that woman at gunpoint jazz, so once he got back home, Gouker used that time to get some alone time with the police and prosecutor over the murder of Trey Zwicker. In one perfect act, he had them thinking Josh killed Trey and since he was facing serious jail time for his absconding with Josh and another woman on the side (which the prosecutors did not charge him though he did not have custody of him), he had nothing to lose. However, Josh Young has a lot to lose at 15, his life via life without the possibility of parole.

The jury will take not long to return a verdict clearing the boy.

A week later, prosecutors charge Joshua Gouker with First Degree Murder, perjury, witness tampering and kidnapping. I would not shocked if the Death Penalty is on the table due to his prior record and his attempts to deceive the law of Jefferson County into committing a miscarriage of justice. Faced with this, Gouker will plead guilty to avoid the chair. If he doesn't, the my God help his sinful soul. 

[Stuart]

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Megan,

It is my understanding that Josh is being held here:

Louisville Metro Youth Detention Services
720 West Jefferson Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
(502) 574-6177