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Joseph Connelly was last seen in April 2002(Image: Police Scotland)<\/p>\nThe sister of a Glasgow printer who went missing 23 years ago believes he may have been murdered after owing criminals money and says his family is desperate for answers and closure.Joseph Connelly was last seen in April 2002(Image: Police Scotland)<\/p>\n
The sister of a man who went missing<\/a> almost 25 years ago fears her brother may have been murdered after failing to pay back money he owed to criminals.<\/p>\n Fifty year old printer Joseph Connelly<\/a> disappeared more than 23 years ago leaving his family searching for answers.<\/p>\n They believe he may have borrowed money from underworld figures for a publishing venture and later paid with his life.<\/p>\n In an exclusive interview with the Daily Record’s Criminal Record Podcast Joseph’s younger sister Caroline Armour<\/a>, 66, said: “Over the years we have come to believe he has fallen foul to some criminals who gave him money and he couldn’t pay it back.<\/p>\n “Joe was harmless and everybody loved him<\/p>\n “There was no reason for anyone to want to kill him.<\/p>\n “We just want answers.”<\/p>\n Joseph, one of six siblings, was last seen on April 2002 and at the time lived in Govanhill<\/a> on the southside of Glasgow.<\/p>\n He regularly went travelling abroad for up to six months and wasn’t reported missing until January the following year.<\/p>\n Prior to his disappearance Joseph had been acting strangely while attending a family wedding in Letterkenny<\/a>, Ireland.<\/p>\n Caroline, a retired social worker added:”Normally he was the life and soul of the party.<\/p>\n “However Joseph was very subdued that day. We didn’t know why, it wasn’t like him.<\/p>\n “He was normally the last person top go to bed but this night he went to bed early. He said he didn’t feel well and just disappeared.<\/p>\n “The next day he travelled back to Glasgow<\/a> and that was the last we saw of him.<\/p>\n “Looking back now he was obviously a very worried man.”<\/p>\n Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!<\/p>\n Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.<\/p>\n You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.<\/p>\n All you have to do is click here<\/a>, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!<\/p>\n We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like.<\/p>\n To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n Alarms bells were raised when his family did not hear from Joseph at Christmas<\/a> that year.<\/p>\n Caroline added:”We all got together and thought this is not right.<\/p>\n “There is something wrong.”<\/p>\n The family went to the police who broke into his flat and found a passport and bank book.<\/p>\n There was also an unfinished crossword and cup of coffee<\/p>\n The family then learned he may have owed money and been murdered.<\/p>\n Caroline continued: “One officer said they had information that Joseph was involved in something he shouldn’t have been involved in.<\/p>\n “They would not tell us anything else.<\/p>\n “They said it might be murder<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Before his disappearance Joseph had set up a company called Bandwagon based in the Spanish holiday island of Tenerife<\/a> with a view to publishing a true crime book.<\/p>\n She added:”I think he has fallen foul to someone who wanted his money and Joseph could not pay it back<\/p>\n “Looking back I think he was a very worried man.<\/p>\n “If he had come to me I would have paid it.”<\/p>\n Caroline, who has five grown up children does not known the name of the person or persons he borrowed money from.<\/p>\n She fears he got in tow with with people involved in organised crime, though he had no criminal record or past.<\/p>\n Caroline added:”Joseph knew a lot of people and he was well connected.<\/p>\n “He wouldn’t intentionally have been involved in organised crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n “He certainly wasn’t that kind of man.”<\/p>\n Caroline says Joseph would have found it difficult to borrow money from a bank and may have reached out to the wrong people.<\/p>\n She added:”He believed in the book and believed it was important to publish it<\/p>\n “That’s why he would get money from whatever source.”<\/p>\n Police Scotland recently took a DNA sample from Joseph’s family to compare to remains found in Gallowgate<\/a> in the east end of Glasgow. However no match was made.<\/p>\n That sample was put on an Interpol <\/a>database so it can be checked against further unidentified remains at home and abroad.<\/p>\n Caroline says her brother was a larger than life character who once met Pavarotti <\/a>and was even invited back to his home for dinner.<\/p>\n She said:”He loved to travel the world all the time and came back with tremendous stories.<\/p>\n “He was very intelligent, spoke five language and was a very accomplished printer. My children loved him and his nieces and nephews adored him.<\/p>\n “I believed he disappeared not long after returning to Glasgow<\/a> from the wedding.<\/p>\n “As a family we can’t grieve, we can’t find closure. It’s a living nightmare.<\/p>\n “We just want to find Joseph and bring him home.”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_Screen-Shot-2025-11-18-at-095727JPG.jpg\")
Joseph Connelly(Image: Police Scotland)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_18-11-25_Crime_14JPG.jpg\")
Caroline Armour(Image: Tony Nicoletti\/Daily Record)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_18-11-25_Crime_10JPG.jpg\")
Caroline Armour spoke to Norman Silvester on the Criminal Record podcast(Image: Tony Nicoletti\/Daily Record)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/0_18-11-25_Crime_18JPG.jpg\")
(Image: Tony Nicoletti\/Daily Record)<\/p>\n