DUBOIS – A DuBois man has been charged with homicide after he allegedly stabbed his girlfriend and she died at their residence, according to court paperwork provided by Magisterial District Judge Pat Ford’s office.
Joseph Robert Fields, 35, of DuBois has been charged by DuBois City police with criminal homicide, murder of the first degree and aggravated assault.
Fields was apprehended by police last night after a day-long manhunt. He was wanted for his alleged involvement in a homicide that occurred during the early morning hours Tuesday in DuBois City.
According to the affidavit, police were dispatched at 2:51 a.m. to an East Scribner Avenue residence after a 911 call from a cell phone. The dispatcher advised police of the area the call had been traced to, and that calls for the residence had come from the same cell phone number in the past.
The dispatcher also advised police that they could hear a male and female talking as well as a child crying in the background while taking the 911 call.
Upon arrival to the residence, police were let in by a 7-year-old boy who was covered in blood. The boy told police that “Joe killed my mom” and “Joe stabbed my mom and killed her.”
While speaking with the boy, police allegedly observed a female, who was later identified as the victim, Nicole Ann Snyder, 33, of DuBois. She was kneeling on the floor and bleeding “profusely” from her neck area.
Police contacted County Control and advised them to expedite emergency personnel to the scene. After the boy was moved to safety, police began first aid on the victim until emergency personnel arrived at the scene.
At approximately 3:11 a.m., emergency personnel advised police that the victim was deceased. Police then cleared both the upstairs and downstairs of the residence and proceeded to stage a crime scene.
Police made contact with residents in the area and learned that Fields was Snyder’s boyfriend. When family members arrived at the scene, police learned they had received phone calls and messages from both Fields and Snyder.
Family members said that Fields called them, claiming Snyder had harmed herself. He had fled the scene because he “looked guilty,” which was the same reason he gave for not calling for an ambulance.
When police spoke to Fields by phone, he allegedly gave a similar story. When asked why he left, Fields said that he’s never had good contact with police, and if he’d been at the scene, police would have put him in handcuffs and taken him into custody.
When police asked Fields about his location, he said he was out driving around to clear his mind. Police advised Fields that they were willing to meet him wherever he was at. However, Fields indicated he was about an hour away, wanted to clear his head and refused to.
Fields was arraigned at 9:03 a.m. Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 2.
