Social media posts about a human hand being discovered at the site where a missing Raleigh woman was found dead led to a follow-up investigation by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
Investigators responded to the area and found what they believe to be tissue “based on what is medically known as degloving,” the release said.
The sheriff’s office contacted Dr. Zachary O’Neill, a forensic pathologist at East Carolina University, who helped in the recovery of Sarah Denise Patterson’s body. In the release, O’Neill provided the following statement:
During the recovery of her body, by those aiding in the recovery, contact was unavoidably placed on her arms/hands to facilitate the process. This action resulted in the separation of the outer layer of skin from one of her hands. Although every effort is made to collect all of the tissue during the recovery of a decedent, in this instance this portion of skin was not visualized at the moment and unintentionally remained at the site following the recovery. The Medical Examiner wishes to reassure everyone that the decedent was otherwise fully intact.
Patterson’s body was found May 22 in a shallow grave after she had last been seen on May 16. Cleavon Williams, 44, is charged with first-degree murder. He is the 51-year-old Patterson’s nephew.
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The body of a Raleigh woman who went missing in Nash County was found Wednesday in a shallow grave. Two suspects are in custody, according to Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.
Stone says his missing person’s investigation has now become a homicide investigation. Sheriff Stone says he found the body of 51-year-old Sarah Patterson in a shallow grave just outside of Spring Hope on Wednesday.
Patterson was last seen on May 16 in the 4200 block of Biltmore Lane in Spring Hope. Friends say she was attending a party.
Cleavon Williams, 44, and April Smith, 41, were identified by Stone as the two in custody. Williams is Patterson’s nephew and is charged with first-degree murder. Smith is charged with accessory to murder, Stone said.
In a press conference Wednesday, the sheriff said her nephew lived at that address. Wednesday morning deputies found her car torched on Pleasant Hill Road in Edgecombe County. Later on, they found her body in a shallow grave just outside of Spring Hope.
She was last seen driving a 2010 Honda Accord. It was found burned out Wednesday morning on Pleasant Hill Road in the Edgecombe County portion of Rocky Mount.
Patterson was not with the vehicle when it was found, the sheriff’s office said.
“My heart goes out to the family,” said Sheriff Stone. “That anyone’s life would be ended like this, it’s very disturbing and as many years as I’ve been in law enforcement to see this type of carnage, it’s heartbreaking.”
Lee Forte has known 51-year-old Sarah Patterson since he was a teenager. Forte says Patterson was a home health care worker. Her family reported her missing after she didn’t show up for work.
“It’s like a piece of me is left, it’s heartbreaking,” said Patterson’s friend, Lee Forte. “Something was wrong,” Forte said. “That lady, for the past 20 years, she loves her job, loves what she does, and for her not to show up for work, something’s wrong. I expect to see her on my birthday soon and it’s like I’m not gonna see her now.”
Michael Neal lives across the street from where Patterson was last seen.
“It’s kind of devastating that something like that would go on around here and hearing she’s a home healthcare worker and I have a family member who is also a home healthcare worker and it’s really just hard to believe for something like that would happen,” Neal said. “I don’t have words for it to tell you the truth.”
Forte took a photo with Patterson two months ago. The last time he saw his good friend.
“I thought I had plenty of time to take more pictures with her,” said Forte.
Sheriff Stone says Patterson’s nephew has an extensive criminal background, including a conviction on a second-degree murder charge. Stone says he cannot say how Patterson was killed until he gets the autopsy.
Williams is being held without bond. Smith was given a $25,000 secured bond, which she posted, the sheriff’s office said.
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The body of a Raleigh woman who went missing in Nash County was found Wednesday in a shallow grave. Two suspects are in custody, according to Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.
Sarah Denise Patterson’s body was found just outside Spring Hope. There isn’t any indication yet how the 51-year-old woman was killed, Stone said.
Cleavon Williams and April Smith were identified by Stone as the two in custody. Williams is Patterson’s nephew and is charged with first-degree murder. Smith is charged with accessory to murder, Stone said.
Patterson was last seen on May 16 in the 4200 block of Biltmore Lane in Spring Hope.
She was reported missing Monday night by a family member, the sheriff’s office said.
She was last seen driving a 2010 Honda Accord. It was found burned out Wednesday morning on Pleasant Hill Road in the Edgecombe County portion of Rocky Mount.
Patterson was not with the vehicle when it was found, the sheriff’s office said.
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A vehicle that a missing Raleigh woman was last seen driving was found burned out in Nash Couty early Wednesday, the sheriff confirms.
Sarah Denise Patterson, 51, of Pinewinds Drive was last seen on May 16 in the 4200 block of Biltmore Lane in Spring Hope.
She was reported missing Monday night by a family member, the sheriff’s office said.
She was last seen driving a 2010 Honda Accord. That vehicle was found burned out in Nash County but the location of the vehicle was not immediately released.
Patterson was not with the vehicle when it was found.
Sheriff Keith Stone said his office is working to bring resolution to Patterson’s family.
Patterson is described as being 5-foot-4, weighing approximately 180 pounds and has brown eyes, brown hair, a short haircut and is known to wear prescription glasses.
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies are currently following up on leads. Any information on the whereabouts of Sarah Denise Patterson can be called in to (252) 459-1510 or Crime Stoppers at (252) 977-1111.
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The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s help to find a missing Raleigh woman who was last seen in Spring Hope, N.C.
Deputies say on Monday night, relatives of 51-year-old Sarah Denise Patterson, of Raleigh, reported that she had been missing since Thursday, May 16, when she was last seen in the 4200 block of Biltmore Lane in Spring Hope.
Relatives told deputies they had not seen Patterson since May 16, and she had not reported for work this past Saturday or Sunday, which they said was out of character for her.
Sarah Denise Patterson is described as 5’04” in height, approximately 180 lbs., brown eyes, brown hair, short haircut and is known to wear prescription glasses.
Patterson was last seen driving her burgundy 2010 Honda Accord, which has N.C. license plate FBK-8456, and Vehicle Identification Number of 1HGCP2F35AA049732m.
Law enforcement agencies surrounding Nash County are also looking for Patterson and her vehicle, and following up on leads.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sarah Denise Patterson can call the Nash County Sheriff’s Office at 252-459-1510, or call Nash County Crime Stoppers at 252-977-1111.
