Charleston family gets justice for their loss

CHARLESTON, Mo. (KBSI) – The Sisk family father together in red to honor the memory of their loved one Joshua Sisk. He was a husband, a son, a brother, a friend.

Staci Sisk, Josh’s wife, says after two years it has gotten easier but it’s still hard to be strong for their kids.

“Easier now because I have to be strong for the kids. My middle son was him and Josh was like best friends and he takes it pretty hard but he doesn’t really like to talk about it but he dates everything to his dad his baseball is it’s all it’s always forever 39 because his dad passed away at 39

Josh was just 39 when he was shot and killed in East Prairie in July of 2022. Police found his body with multiple gun shot wounds. Officers found the evidence quickly and took Deparis Townsend into custody.

With justice there is some peace for this family. In May a jury found Townsend guilty of murder in the first degree with the charge of armed criminal action and more. Tuesday they were in court to see Townsend got sentenced a life without parole.

Teddie and Eunicea Sisk are Josh’s parents. They say his kids miss him everyday and it hurts as grandparents to not be able to help.

“I miss him and he has a little girl absolutely begs for her daddy. She wants me to take her to heaven so she could be with him. She don’t understand why talking she asked me to so I can get my daddy a kiss good night.”

Teddie says that justice has been served and he is grateful because there is so many out there that don’t.

Corey Sisk, the brother, also agrees. He says now that the family can begin to move on.

“Good to be able to stay here and honestly say that that justice has been served. It really has and we got justice thank God there’s so many out there down. He’s the one that got this. We just had the proceed with it, but it was. It was Josh Josh got his own justice.”

Corey Sisk is a cop. He says he felt like he should’ve been there to help and now he sees that other families see justice is served.

“When I wear a badge, I’m here to bring help bring justice to family. I’m here to help in the time. I need something that gives me Thursday is that I wasn’t there to help him.”

Claire Poley is the Prosecuting Attorney for Mississippi County. She says she is thankful this case moved swiftly from the arrest to the trial. She says a key piece of evidence helped which was Josh himself. Josh was able to tell first responders who shot him before he died.

“There’s moved on this and things progressed very quickly, and we were able to quickly file charges. We were able to have Mr. Townsend arrested and apprehended and literally with an hour. Was him himself so they’re happened to be a body cam of Joshs last words which identified to Paris Townson as the person who shot him.”