New Mexico Man Filmed Himself Standing on Wife's Chest, Killing Her
Jess Patterson, 34, faces first-degree murder charges after a cellphone video showed him standing on his wife's chest as she died in Kirtland, N.M.
New Mexico Man Recorded Himself Fatally Crushing Wife's Chest, Calling Her a 'Skateboard'
A 34-year-old New Mexico man has been jailed on a first-degree murder charge after detectives recovered cellphone footage showing him standing on his wife's chest as she died, Law & Crime reports.
Jess Patterson is accused of killing Lauren Patterson, 36, at the family home on County Road 6335 in Kirtland — a small town roughly 25 miles south of the Colorado border — on the evening of Oct. 4.
The investigation began when Lauren's 17-year-old son called 911 that Sunday night to report his mother was unconscious and not breathing, according to the San Juan County Sheriff's Office. Deputies arrived and pronounced her dead at the scene.
An autopsy, cited in an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Tri City Record, attributed her death to blunt force trauma. The medical examination found numerous rib fractures and a ruptured spleen that caused internal bleeding.
As detectives worked the case, they obtained a warrant to search Patterson's cellphone. On the device, investigators found a video capturing Lauren Patterson's final moments. The footage, described in the charging document, shows Patterson placing his full body weight on his wife's chest while she gasped for breath, singing and taunting her as she lay dying.
At one point in the video, Patterson allegedly says "she's dead" and refers to his wife of 17 years as a "skateboard." When the woman appears unconscious and unresponsive, he says "goodnight" and walks away, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also uncovered a pattern of prior violence. Records show Patterson had been arrested six times on domestic violence charges while living in California. In July, just months before the fatal incident, he was arrested in New Mexico for allegedly battering his wife.
Family members told police they believed the abuse had been ongoing for years. Lauren's sister stated in an earlier case that Patterson had beaten her with a baton. Her mother told detectives she believed Patterson moved the family to New Mexico specifically to isolate the abuse from outside scrutiny. Neighbors told investigators they could hear him beating her.
The autopsy further revealed that Lauren had a broken arm that had healed on its own, consistent with a prior injury that went untreated.
Patterson is currently held without bond at the San Juan County Adult Detention Center.
San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari addressed the case in a statement. "We understand how deeply unsettling this is for our community," Ferrari said. "Our hearts go out to Ms. Patterson's family at this horrible time."
Source: Law & Crime