Select by gender or name

Toronto Patterson’s Background

Growing up in a neighborhood gripped by violence and the influence of gangs, Toronto Patterson was no stranger to crime from a very young age. By his sophomore year in high school, Patterson had not only joined a gang but also openly flaunted his allegiance, wearing gang colors and even carrying a beeper.

By fifteen, Patterson had dropped out of school, diving headfirst into the world of drug dealing. He was reportedly making five hundred to seven hundred dollars each day selling crack cocaine, a lucrative yet dangerous path for a teenager.

He quickly developed a taste for the finer things, draping himself in luxury clothes and expensive jewelry and rolling through town in a car fitted with flashy chrome and gold rims. These indulgences set the stage for his future choices, leading him down the darkest roads.

THE CRIME: A DEADLY DESIRE FOR LUXURY WHEELS

June 6, 1995, would be a day that ruined Toronto’s life beyond repair. He was 17 at the time, and his prized car, adorned with chrome rims he valued immensely, had been stolen two months earlier.

Patterson’s frustration over the theft simmered, and when he learned that his imprisoned cousin Vernon Stiff’s BMW—also sporting chrome rims—was parked at the home of their great-aunt Evelyn Stiff, an idea formed in his mind.

He saw an opportunity to regain what he felt was his.

On that day at around 10 am, Patterson left his girlfriend’s house, telling her he was heading to physical therapy for a back injury. But he had a different plan in mind. He arrived at Evelyn Stiff’s Dallas, Texas, home and briefly visited with her daughter and his cousin, Kimberly Brewer, for 15 minutes.

He went to physical therapy and returned to Evelyn’s home armed with a .38-caliber revolver.

What happened next was a series of brutal events that would haunt all involved.

In a horrifying sequence, Patterson shot 25-year-old Kimberly as she sat in a recliner in the living room. He then went to the bedroom, where Kimberly’s daughters, six-year-old Jennifer and three-year-old Ollie, were playing. Without a hint of mercy, Patterson shot Jennifer in the head and then turned his weapon on little Ollie, firing multiple rounds as she cowered in fear.

After committing the murders, Patterson took three of the coveted chrome wheels from the BMW, loading them into his grandmother’s car. Struggling to remove the fourth, he left it behind and fled. Hours later, he returned to his girlfriend’s house, looking frantic and messy.

He tried to sell the wheels to a Tire and Wheel business later that day but failed.

Hours later, he was under arrest and facing murder charges. During questioning, Patterson initially claimed he was forced to participate in the murders and rim theft by “two Jamaicans” who committed the murders.

But when confronted with evidence that the wheels were found in his girlfriend’s garage, Patterson changed his story and confessed to the murders.

His story evolved once again in court, where Patterson argued that he had been coerced to confess and maintained that the “Jamaicans” were the true culprits. Despite his attempts to shift blame, the prosecution presented evidence that left little room for doubt.

Patterson’s fingerprints were found on the stolen rims, and bloodstains on his clothing retrieved from his girlfriend’s house matched the victims.

Additionally, television footage captured Patterson standing among the crowd outside his cousin’s house as investigators removed the bodies, his expression chillingly detached from the horror unfolding before him.

Conviction, Death Sentence & Execution

On November 17, 1995, a jury found Patterson guilty of the capital murder of Ollie Brown, sentencing him to death three days later. Over the following years, Patterson filed appeals, but each was denied.

Despite growing debates surrounding the ethics of executing individuals for crimes committed as juveniles, Texas stood firm on Patterson’s sentence.

The final days of Patterson’s life were filled with reflection and perhaps regret. Facing his impending death on August 28, 2002, Patterson maintained his innocence, expressing sorrow for the pain he had caused his family.

For his last meal, he requested a lavish selection— Six pieces of crispy fried chicken, four jalapeno peppers, four buttered buttermilk biscuits, chef salad with bacon bits, black olives, ham, and Italian dressing along with six Sprites, and white cake with white icing.

His final words were: “I am sorry for the pain, sorry for what I caused my friends, family, and loved ones. I feel a great deal of responsibility and guilt for what happened. I should be punished for the crime, but I do not think I should die for a crime I did not commit.”

Finally, on August 28, at 6:20 pm, Patterson’s life came to an end via lethal injection.