Family holds service for murdered son Remains discovered in shallow Bradford grave

ELLSWORTH – One week after learning that the remains of their long lost son were found in a shallow grave in Bradford, the family of Joseph Cloak Jr. celebrated his life during an hour-long funeral Wednesday morning.

The Rev. Leo James Michaud, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, began the ceremony by underscoring the pain the Cloak family had endured through years of wondering what had happened to the son they called “Joey.”

Joseph Cloak Sr. said last week that he reported Joey missing in 1989, about two months after they had last seen him. The Maine Medical Examiner’s Office Friday ruled Cloak’s death a homicide, but said Tuesday the cause of death was listed as “undetermined” on the death certificate.

“For years it has been so painful to even talk about Joey,” Michaud said to a crowd of about 65 people. “But now, Joey is the topic of discussion again. Hearts have been reopened.”

He reassured the family that their son was now home and at peace, and called on them to turn to one another for support. “Joey has been home for 11 years and we did not know it,” Michaud said. “We were not sure where he was.”

The priest spoke as Cloak’s casket lay before him, wrapped in a quilt that his mother, Alice Cloak, had made for him. Michaud called on those attending the service to work for the end of violence, opting instead for civility. “We pray that violence will be replaced by peace and respect,” Michaud said.

Meanwhile, Maine State Police continued their investigation into the 11-year-old homicide, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the department.

“We are redoubling our efforts to contact anyone he had contact with – family, friends, associates,” he said Wednesday afternoon. “We have 11 years to backtrack.”

Cloak’s body was discovered Nov. 30 in a Bradford woodlot. Police uncovered the remains after an inmate at the Penobscot County Jail provided police with information related to the homicide, according to Lt. Darrell Ouellette of the state police. He said the inmate, who remains at the county jail awaiting transfer to a prison facility, was hoping to reduce his sentence by offering the information.

While no identification was found on the body, Ouellette said last week that several pieces of evidence found at the scene were sent to the crime lab in Augusta. Cloak’s body was identified through dental records.

In addition to his parents, Cloak is survived by two brothers, Perry Lawson Cloak and Jeffrey Cloak, both of Ellsworth, and three sisters Vera Osier of Trenton, Linda Norris and her husband, Mark of Stetson, and Mary Barreca and her husband, Todd of Callwell, Md.

NEWS reporter Judy Harrison

contributed to this report.