Love manifests itself in many forms. Sometimes love also drives a person to relieve the other person of pain, no matter how difficult or painful the act might be. The same power of love drove 22-year-old Joseph Orbeso to kill his 20-year-old girlfriend Rachel Nguyen who was fatally injured during a hike. The couple who had gone hiking was reportedly missing for three months.
Police discovered the bodies of Rachel and Joseph in a steep canyon located in a national park in Southern California. In a press statement, the police stated that the couple was found dead under a tree.
However, it was the posture that stood out the most. The couple was found embracing each other. The law enforcement revealed that the couple covered the lower parts of their bodies with clothing and also to protect themselves from the sun. The police also shared that the couple appeared to be rationing their food and had no water to survive on.
The gun which was used in the murder-suicide was found beside the bodies and was registered under Joseph’s name. The detectives believe that after killing an injured Rachel, Orbeso immediately killed himself.
Police find the missing couple
The duo was reported missing on July 28 by the owner of bed and breakfast, who noticed they never came back from the hike.
The missing report prompted authorities to initiate a massive search which included dogs, horses, aircrafts, as well as Search And Rescue groups working on foot. On the day the couple went missing, a park ranger discovered their empty vehicle near the Maze Loop trailhead.
Apart from official rescue and search groups, Joseph’s father Gilbert Orbeso also joined the search efforts to find out what happened to his son and Rachel.
Joseph’s father stated that he’d found closure after the body was discovered. For the unfamiliar, the Joshua Tree National Park, which is where the couple reportedly went missing, is spread over 800,000 acres. According to the Joshua Tree Search and Rescue group, it is very easy to get lost in the area even if one is a short distance away from the trail.
Nguyen’s family holds nothing against Orbeso for killing her
In the autopsy report, the coroner termed the incident to be a murder-suicide. Nguyen’s family stated that they hold no grudges or ill feelings towards Orbeso for killing and relieving Rachel of the misery. The deceased girl’s family believes that it was Orbeso who cared for her after she got fatally injured. However, in that situation - probably out of despair, desolation, and love and compassion - Orbeso may have shot his girlfriend.
