A California man was sentenced this week to 15 years to life in prison for the 2023 murder and dismemberment of his girlfriend.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office press release said Tuesday that Joseph Roberts, 43 was sentenced to for the murder of 27-year-old Rachel Elizabeth Imani Buckner. Roberts was also ordered to pay $19,818 in restitution.
Before being transferred to San Quentin State Prison, Roberts received a 300-day credit for time served.
“Words are inadequate to describe what Rachel Imani Buckner’s family must be feeling in this moment after their loved one was tragically taken from them in such an unthinkable way,” said DA Pamela Price.
“While we hope this sentence will provide a sense of closure, no punishment will ever undo what Joseph Roberts did to Rachel and the lasting impact it will have on her family”
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As CrimeOnline previously reported, Roberts was arrested in 2023 for Buckner’s murder, Her body was found on the Alameda shoreline. Her head, feet, and hands had been removed and have not been found.
A probable cause statement said police found Buckner’s body wrapped in plastic and duct tape when it found on July 20, 2023, and placed between a walking path and the water. The body was identified on August 29, 2023, at Buckner.
Investigators said Roberts’ DNA was found on the duct tape. Police also found forensic evidence that indicated Buckner was killed in the apartment.
“Joseph [Roberts] never reported the victim missing at any point during this investigation. Joseph’s DNA was on the tape that wrapped her body, which meant he was aware she was dead, he was aware she was dismembered, and he took an active role in wrapping her body, concealing it in plastic garbage bags,” the affidavit said.
Roberts was a former Republican Party committee member in San Francisco, who rose to prominence as an advocate for men who said they were falsely accused of harassment.
Roberts, a Navy veteran, said he was falsely accused of harassment and suspended from Savannah State University in Georgia in 2013. He then made the rounds of media interviews to discuss the “excesses” of the #metoo movement after then Education Secretary Betsy DeVos changed Title IX rules to protect those who were accused of sexual misconduct in college.
In 2020, he was elected as a delegate to the San Francisco Republican Party County Central Committee but later resigned.
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[Feature Photo: Joseph Roberts/Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and Imani Buckner/GoFundMe]
Additional reporting by KC Wildmoon
