00:00Even as the family of 26-year-old Chad Joseph held a funeral in Las Cuevas, they are still holding out hope that he may be alive.
00:08Joseph is one of six men believed to have been killed in a U.S. airstrike in international waters on October 12.
00:14To date, there has been no evidence provided to confirm that he is indeed one of the six.
00:20Despite this, relatives held a memorial service for him at the Las Cuevas RC church on Wednesday evening.
00:27There was a small procession from the family's home to the church where relatives, friends and community members gathered in mourning.
00:35International media outlets, including Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, also covered the memorial, a reflection of the global attention that the case has drawn.
00:45Lynette Burnley, Joseph's aunt, told reporters that despite the funeral, she still believes her nephew might be alive.
00:52Because I still can't believe it that my nephew is gone. I still have doubts.
00:57Like some of his friends and his people know he was coming home.
01:02And like his mom and all, like she didn't know he coming.
01:04So when they hear that, they're saying it's true. It's him who was on the boat and whatever.
01:09But I still don't believe that he blew up.
01:11And I hope that he's somewhere and somebody could find him.
01:15She said family members first learned about Joseph's reported death through social media.
01:20Relatives insist Joseph was not involved in drug trafficking, as some reports have suggested.
01:26No, we know, we know that is all that is a lie.
01:29He was never, no, then he never got no hold with no drugs as how they're putting it over.
01:35That is a lie. And I can prove it is a big lie.
01:39He gets hold with ammunition and some shots.
01:44But then putting a whole lot of drugs, it was never so.
01:48So let her get the facts straight.
01:50They also say no government officials have reached out to them.
01:54She also notes that the family has not made a police report and says no investigators have approached them.
02:01No, we never did.
02:02Because nobody never come to me and tell me nothing or nothing like that.
02:05No, we are not doing that.
02:07While U.S. authorities claim the October 12th strike targeted vessels suspected of drug trafficking,
02:14Joseph's relatives continue to call for evidence and transparency.
02:18They say their only hope now is for answers or perhaps for a miracle.
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