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The Toy Chest Lie: A Detective's Son Lost
The Toy Chest Lie: A Detective's Son Lost
A six-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a toy chest, his death ruled an accident. But when investigators took a closer look at the chest itself, the official explanation began to unravel. What really happened in the hours leading up to his death?
In this episode, we analyze the tragic death of Joseph King III, a six-year-old boy whose passing was initially attributed to a toy chest accident. We explore the documented history of violence in his home and the system's failure to protect him, raising the question of whether his death was preventable.
Case: Joseph King III
Date: February 22, 2020
Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Parents: Joseph King Jr. (father), Jessica (mother)
Stepfather: Brandon Hale
- On February 22, 2020, six-year-old JoJo King Jr. spoke to his father, Joseph King Jr., via FaceTime, laughing and excited about baseball season.
- Twenty-four hours later, JoJo was on life support in Dallas with a severe brain injury.
- In March 2019, nearly a year before his death, JoJo's teachers found multiple loop-shaped bruises on his thighs, consistent with a folded belt.
- Brandon Hale, JoJo's stepfather, admitted to using a belt, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) determined physical abuse had occurred.
- Brandon Hale was indicted on a charge of injury to a child, entering deferred adjudication, but JoJo was not removed from the home.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
A six-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a toy chest, his death ruled an accident. But when investigators took a closer look at the chest itself, the official explanation began to unravel. What really happened in the hours leading up to his death?
In this episode, we analyze the tragic death of Joseph King III, a six-year-old boy whose passing was initially attributed to a toy chest accident. We explore the documented history of violence in his home and the system's failure to protect him, raising the question of whether his death was preventable.
Case: Joseph King III
Date: February 22, 2020
Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Parents: Joseph King Jr. (father), Jessica (mother)
Stepfather: Brandon Hale
- On February 22, 2020, six-year-old JoJo King Jr. spoke to his father, Joseph King Jr., via FaceTime, laughing and excited about baseball season.
- Twenty-four hours later, JoJo was on life support in Dallas with a severe brain injury.
- In March 2019, nearly a year before his death, JoJo's teachers found multiple loop-shaped bruises on his thighs, consistent with a folded belt.
- Brandon Hale, JoJo's stepfather, admitted to using a belt, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) determined physical abuse had occurred.
- Brandon Hale was indicted on a charge of injury to a child, entering deferred adjudication, but JoJo was not removed from the home.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
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By Creator at ObomediaThe Toy Chest Lie: A Detective's Son Lost
A six-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a toy chest, his death ruled an accident. But when investigators took a closer look at the chest itself, the official explanation began to unravel. What really happened in the hours leading up to his death?
In this episode, we analyze the tragic death of Joseph King III, a six-year-old boy whose passing was initially attributed to a toy chest accident. We explore the documented history of violence in his home and the system's failure to protect him, raising the question of whether his death was preventable.
Case: Joseph King III
Date: February 22, 2020
Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Parents: Joseph King Jr. (father), Jessica (mother)
Stepfather: Brandon Hale
- On February 22, 2020, six-year-old JoJo King Jr. spoke to his father, Joseph King Jr., via FaceTime, laughing and excited about baseball season.
- Twenty-four hours later, JoJo was on life support in Dallas with a severe brain injury.
- In March 2019, nearly a year before his death, JoJo's teachers found multiple loop-shaped bruises on his thighs, consistent with a folded belt.
- Brandon Hale, JoJo's stepfather, admitted to using a belt, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) determined physical abuse had occurred.
- Brandon Hale was indicted on a charge of injury to a child, entering deferred adjudication, but JoJo was not removed from the home.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie
A six-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a toy chest, his death ruled an accident. But when investigators took a closer look at the chest itself, the official explanation began to unravel. What really happened in the hours leading up to his death?
In this episode, we analyze the tragic death of Joseph King III, a six-year-old boy whose passing was initially attributed to a toy chest accident. We explore the documented history of violence in his home and the system's failure to protect him, raising the question of whether his death was preventable.
Case: Joseph King III
Date: February 22, 2020
Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Parents: Joseph King Jr. (father), Jessica (mother)
Stepfather: Brandon Hale
- On February 22, 2020, six-year-old JoJo King Jr. spoke to his father, Joseph King Jr., via FaceTime, laughing and excited about baseball season.
- Twenty-four hours later, JoJo was on life support in Dallas with a severe brain injury.
- In March 2019, nearly a year before his death, JoJo's teachers found multiple loop-shaped bruises on his thighs, consistent with a folded belt.
- Brandon Hale, JoJo's stepfather, admitted to using a belt, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) determined physical abuse had occurred.
- Brandon Hale was indicted on a charge of injury to a child, entering deferred adjudication, but JoJo was not removed from the home.
To listen ad-free and access premium episodes, start your 30-day free trial at obomedia.com
OBOMEDIA presents true crime storiesa true crime podcast built on real cases.
Every true crime story in our crime files follows the crime investigation from the missing person report to the trial: investigators and police building a murder case, a police investigation gone cold, justice for the victim and those who survived.
We open the unsolved murder, the cold case reopened decades later, the mysterious death, the disappearance, the serial killer, the family murder, the murder mystery; the missing persons a missing woman, a missing girl, a missing man found dead and the missing and murdered.
From the infamous case to the unsolved case, from classic true crime to dark true crime and disturbing true crime: true crime reports, real crime stories, real murder cases, true murder stories and unsolved mysteries one true crime case at a time, from the OBOMEDIA true crime vault.
© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text and related materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited. For permissions, licensing and business inquirie