Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Man accused of shooting his wheelchair-bound wife to death in York County jailed without bond

Brian Patterson (WYDaily/Courtesy of Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)
Brian Patterson (WYDaily/Courtesy of Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)

A 58-year-old man authorities say shot his wheelchair-bound wife to death inside their York County home last week was ordered to be held in jail without bond.

Brian Keith Patterson is charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in a felony in the death of wife, Princess Chapman, 86.

He appeared by video conference Tuesday before York Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Wade Bowie. He is being held in the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.

York-Poquoson Sheriff’s deputies were called at around 8:31 p.m. March 27 after Patterson called 911 and said “he just shot his wife,” according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

The emergency dispatcher asked Patterson why he shot her, and he replied, “It was complicated,” according to the complaint.

Deputies arrived at the home and saw Patterson standing outside, holding his phone. As he was detained, deputies went inside and found Chapman. Investigators said she had been shot in the face.

York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Capt. Troy Lyons said Tuesday that Patterson didn’t give any statements to investigators other than the brief one to the 911 operator. Lyons said investigators haven’t determined a motive for the shooting.

RELATED STORY: Man arrested in connection with the shooting death of his wife in York County

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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