James claimedhis marriage to Virginia had been on the rocks for years, sayingthey slept in separate bedrooms and the only thing they still had in common was the square dancing club. A stray .38-caliber bullet was recovered from the bedroom. 2:56. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? Family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 pm Sunday November 11, 2012 at East Funeral Home-Moores Lane. On February 2, 2016, Virginia Hyatt went on trial. Though a Yankee by birth, Patti loved living in the South. The police were able to contact James, who had been in Florida visiting his sister. Why #Gunbullies Will Fail to Silence Commonsense Gun Owners, Moms and Newtown Parents, WHY #GUNSENSE MATTERS VICTIMS AT HEART OF GUN VIOLENCE PROJECT, Killed - Edward Charles Barlow (Pomona, CA), Killed - Clifton Kwane Little Jr. (Norfolk, VA). Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? She had been shot 5 times, to the chest, back, and forearm. Further surveillance footage from a local store showed a car that looked like Virginias driving in the direction of Pattis residence and back around the time of the murder. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Its season 28 episode 18. Rays health took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with dementia in 2011 at the age of 81. For more on this case and others like it, watchOxygens Snapped, airing Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygenor stream episodes on Oxygen.com. Shot in the USA: Gun Violence After Newtown, Killed Patti Wheelington (Texarkana, AR), Betraying the Founding Fathers: How Scalia and the NRA Hacked the 2nd Amendment, Gun CEOS v Newtown Parents Sandy Hook Anniversary, Gun Industry CEOs delight at the Sandy Hook bounce, HOW THE NRA DENIES ITS OWN MEMBERS THE VOTE, Meet the founder of terrorist @NRA Harlan Carter, Penalty for GUN trafficking and CHICKEN trafficking are the same #GUNSENSE NOW, SANDY HOOK: GREAT NEWS FOR THE GUN INDUSTRY, THE @NRA HAS STOPPED GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH FOR TWO DECADES, The Truth About Trayvon and George A Personal Story. Obituaries Section. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jo Nell Wheelington Beaver. Virginia also told the cops that she had spent an hour at her mothers nursing home when shed actually only been there 12 minutes. All rights reserved. When they arrived they found the body of a woman outside shot to death. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Material from the brightly colored bathrobe Wheelington wore was found embedded in the back of the chair, leading Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Black and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Chuck Black to theorize the first bullet hit Wheelington as she sat. She was a member of Roundalab and the East Texas Callers Association. During a search, the police found the shirt that Virginia was wearing on December 3. Now 72, Virginia Hyatt is currently incarcerated at the McPherson Unit, a womens prison in Arkansas. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. The gun used to shoot Wheelington 5 times, a .38 caliber pistol, has never been recovered. All the signs pointed to a crime of passion. Soon after, James and Patti began an affair. I need my husband back," Virginia Hyatt sobbed in a voicemail to Patricia Phillips Wheelington a week before shooting her. She was laying right at the front door. Learn more about managing a memorial . The wounds hit her in the chest, arms, and back, according to. Ms Wheelington was shot dead in her home by Mrs Hyatt, authorities told KSLA. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Let others know about your loved one's death. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Patricia Ann "Patti" Phillips Wheelington passed away December 3, 2013 at her home in Texarkana, Arkansas. Virginia and James attended dances and lessons at the Club. Nevertheless, a jury took less than an hour to find Virginia guilty of capital murder. Then 65-years-old, Virginia was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. . Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The Crime Scene. They also canvassed the area, and learned that several of Pattis neighbors had heard gunshots around 8am on December 3. An Exclusive Sneak Peek At The Virginia Hyatt Case, Patti was just a beautiful, giving person, friend Phyllis Nabors told, She attended the University of Delaware and later Texas A&M University. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Anita Fox wanted to do what was best for her family, but when they transferred her life insurance policy to strangers, it led to her death. He begged Patti to go with him to Florida and be out of town because he was afraid of what Virginia would do when she received the divorce papers, Barrett told producers. Lake Providence 210 N Hood St, Lake Providence, LA (318)559-2986 Send flowers. What Happened to Virginia Hyatt? For this case, I watched an episode of Snapped. Prosecutors established at trial that Hyatt owned a .38. Virginia Hyatt went on trial for the murder of Patti Wheelington in Feb. 2016. Not the right Melissa? The couple turned to fellow Guys and Dolls Club member James Hyatt to oversee repairs. When asked where she was, Virginia claimed that she picked up breakfast for her mother at McDonalds at around 8 am and then visited her at a nursing home where she stayed for about an hour. During her interrogation, Virginia denied having anything to do with the murder of Patti Wheelington. Patti was born to David John Phillips and Charlotte Christine Knaeble on November 2, 1954 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3:47. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we. Vida Williams officiating. The couple joined the Guys and Dolls Square Dancing Club, which had over 100 members. This browser does not support getting your location. Please! she washeard sobbing inaudio of the messagesobtained by Snapped.. They arrived around 5pm, and discovered that Patti had been shot near front door. The dancers said Virginia Hyatt was particularly envious of Wheelington and would often say she hated her. Virginia said she and Patti were friends, and that she hadnt been at Pattis house on December 3. Her foot was against an exterior door from the porch to the kitchen. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. She was in a position where she was clutching her chest with her one hand and then her right hand was laid out with a cigarette still in her fingers, former Texarkana Arkansas Police Lead Detective Paul Nall told producers. Jameswas eventually reached at his sisters home in Florida. Wheelington was found shot to death on the front porch of her Texarkana home back in December 2013. (NWA Media). She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Wheelington, her parents Esther and Ola Godwin, three brothers, Drannon, Raymond and Derwood Godwin. After deliberating for less than an hour, a jury found her guilty of capital murder and sentenced her to life in prison without parole, localCBS-affiliate KSLAreported at the time. She was out for revenge as soon as she learned about James affair. Investigators also found multiple voicemails that Virginia left on Pattis phone, urging her to give James back to her. Virginia Hyatt drove to Wheelingtons house on South Valley Road to confront her Dec. 2, demanding that she give James Hyatt back to her. The Dallas Morning News Homepage. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. Gib was a former Army recruiter. As Virginia had approached Pattis porch, the victim had been on the telephone, and she told the caller that Virginia was coming up her drive. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Preview. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. July 3, 1930 - November 10, 2012 Texarkana, Texas Set a Reminder for the Anniversary . Her body was sent to the Arkansas Crime Lab for autopsy and her name has not been released. It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website, Ray Wheelington, 82, died Saturday November 10, 2012 in a Texarkana hospital after a brief Illness. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. She cued for several clubs in Texas. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Now Playing. Many members of the square dancing club testified of Virginias jealous streak. 0 Reputation Score Range. There was anger in it. After graduating, she took a job at the Department of Human Services in the small town of Texarkana, Arkansas. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. "He was afraid of what she might do to him. At the time, Virginia told people she thought her husband was going to kill himself. Those amiabledays were numbered, though. Former CSI Explains The Patti Wheelington Crime Scene. Because prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty, Wright sentenced Hyatt to life without the possibility of parole, the only other punishment allowed for capital murder under Arkansas law. CLIP 11/22/22. The wounds hit her in the chest, arms, and back, according to court documents. By 2013, Patti was ready to move on with her life. Detectives next talked to Ken Caldwell, who was on the phone with Patti on the morning of her murder. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. However, in November 2013, James had decided to divorce Virginia after about 40 years of marriage. He denied having a romantic relationship with Patti but agreed to talk in person with detectives when he returned to Texarkana in a couple days. Caldwell tried repeatedly to reach Wheelington throughout the day and alerted other friends about his concern, the affidavit states. Patti spent her days volunteering at the club after that, but her life suddenly ended on December 3, 2013. She claimed she had been picking up food at McDonalds at 8 a.m., the time gunshots were heard at the Wheelingtonhome, and spent the next hour with her mother at her nursing home. The clothes that Virginia was seen wearing on December 3 tested positive for gunshot residue, and the police also found .38-caliber ammunition at her home. Share this obituary. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? James also said that Patti was supposed to join him in Florida a few weeks later. The cops questioned Virginia about her whereabouts at the time of the murder, and she claimed to have been ordering food at a MacDonalds restaurant. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. RINGGOLD HIGH SCHOOL. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Texarkana police were called to a home on South Valley Drive Dec. 3 for a possible dead body. The Wheelingtons never had children and Patti had quit her job to take care of her husband,so Patti filled her days with volunteer work and remained active with the Guys and Dolls Square Dancing Club. In the photos: Wheelington's right leg was bent, knee up. Unfortunately, Ray, who was much older than Patti, got diagnosed with dementia in 2011. Drag images here or select from your computer for Patricia Ann Patti Phillips Wheelington memorial. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Her right arm was stretched above her head. View More. Patti was devastated, and continued to volunteer around the area, and square dance to pass the time. Then, i. n Texarkana, Patti met and started dating Ray Wheelington. Texarkana lawyer John Pickett argued that the state cannot prove that Virginia Hyatt killed Wheelington, much less that she did it with premeditation, as is required for a capital-murder conviction. Help tell the story of your loved ones unique life. After college, she got a job with the Department of Human Services in Texarkana, often working with seniors. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. James and his wife, Virginia, became close friends with Ray and Patti after the project came to an end. LYNN LAROWE TEXARKANA GAZETTE Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. 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