Sammy Patrick was arrested on Jan. 5, 2024, at a gas station in Byram, Mississippi (right), ending a weekslong crime spree that allegedly included stolen vehicles, a robbery of a Subway (left) and the murder and sexual assault of a 73-year-old woman. (Scott County Sheriff’s Office)
Police in Mississippi have arrested the man who they say sexually assaulted and killed a 73-year-old woman before setting her body on fire.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office posted a picture of Sammy Patrick in handcuffs at a gas station on Friday. The agency didn’t release any additional information but NBC affiliate WLBT reported the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Task Force learned Patrick allegedly stole a vehicle from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. A marshal and state trooper spotted the vehicle in Byram on Friday morning and pulled Patrick over at a Quiktrip where they took him into custody.
Patrick is also accused of stealing a truck and ATV and robbing a Subway on New Year’s Day, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee told Law&Crime.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office sent out an alert through social media about Patrick on Dec. 20 after he allegedly stole an ATV and burglarized a vehicle. He also burglarized a car from Newton, Lee said. It turned out Patrick’s alleged crime spree was just getting started.
Around 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 30, Scott County deputies responded to a home where they found Dee Eady, 73, dead from a gunshot wound. Patrick sexually assaulted Eady and partially burned her body using gasoline, Lee said. Police learned Eady was on the phone with one of her nieces when she heard her dogs barking. She hung up and went to check it out. Family members became concerned when someone, whom deputies believe was Patrick, tampered with one of Eady’s outdoor cameras.
The family member drove to Eady’s home and found her body under the carport. Despite the one camera being disabled, other cameras captured the incident, Lee said. Detectives are still trying to figure out the relationship between Patrick and Eady, but Lee said Patrick lives nearby and may have worked odd jobs for Eady’s late husband and knew she would be alone. Detectives had obtained a warrant for Patrick’s arrest on a capital murder charge.
Around 2 p.m. New Year’s Day, Patrick allegedly walked into a Subway in the town of Woodville, north of the state line with Louisiana, and robbed the joint. While investigating the robbery, cops realized he was driving a truck stolen Thursday from Old Highway 21 in Newton.
Mississippi Highway Patrol, Louisiana State Police and U.S. Marshals participated in the search.
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