Opinion ID: 4118870
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Other Events Before Trial

Text: About two weeks later, acting on an anonymous tip, the police interviewed county jail inmate Tyrone Freeman. Freeman had shared a holding cell with defendant on May 8, 1996. Defendant told Freeman that he was in jail on a murder charge and ―might have partially confessed.‖ He said he and his brotherin-law ―Nate‖ were committing a robbery but the girl was not cooperating. After sending ―Nate‖ to search the house, defendant said he pistol-whipped the girl, choked her with his belt, and finally stabbed her with a knife he saw lying on the counter. Defendant said he planned to blame the whole crime on ―Nate.‖ He would explain that he was tired when he talked to the police and did not remember confessing. Patterson was released on bail in July 1997. A little over a year later, in September 1998, Patterson called Julia P. and asked her to come out and smoke marijuana. He said nothing about Julia‘s anonymous phone call to the police, and she did not think he was aware of it. They drove to a park and Patterson asked, ―Was that you on that tape?‖ Scared, Julia denied making the call. Patterson then demanded that Julia have oral sex and punched her in the face when she refused. He beat her severely, knocking out two teeth, breaking her nose, and causing her eyes to swell shut. He also choked her, saying ―[t]hat was you on that tape,‖ and threatening to kill her. He said, ―I‘m going to do you just like we did that bitch.‖ The assault ended when witnesses heard Julia screaming. In 1999, Patterson was convicted of several charges arising from the incident.