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E038:Patrice Endres
1.7k Plays5 years ago
Patrice Endres was a friend to everyone and the kind of person who wanted to build confidence in all who came into her salon. Thus, it was hard to fathom, when she disappeared on April 15th, 2004, that anyone would want to hurt her. But, that day, chance had already chosen her as its victim.
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Transcript
Introduction and Listener Engagement
00:00:00
Speaker
Thank you so much for joining us again this week, Sleuth Hounds. I have loved connecting with new friends and reconnecting with old ones this past week over this podcast. I've heard from so many of you on Facebook and on Apple podcasts, and it has brought me such joy.
00:00:20
Speaker
With each comment to Maggie and me, you give us more encouragement to keep going and that we're making a difference and with each person with whom you share our podcast, you help us grow exponentially and potentially have even more impact.
Podcast Adaptation During Pandemic
00:00:36
Speaker
I've said it before and I'll say it again, this podcast means something to Maggie and to me. The more people we can reach, the greater chance we have of a listener hearing that story, that clue that can help bring closure for a family. And this is a joint effort. We need you.
00:00:56
Speaker
Please continue to listen. Please continue to share. Please continue to reach out to us. And a review from you might do just the trick. If you're new to Coffee and Cases, please know that our podcast has changed as we are continuing to adjust to this global pandemic. Each week we are getting closer to Maggie and me getting back together for an episode. We're aiming to do one this week
00:01:21
Speaker
But it just couldn't happen. While we are being asked to keep our distance from others, to stay inside when possible, and to not gather in large groups, we ask that you continue to bear with us just a little bit longer until we can get back to some of our old routines. Until we can return to that new normal, take care of yourselves.
00:01:43
Speaker
Know that things may look different than they did before, but please don't lose faith. Continue to love one another and to know that with each other, we will get through this. Thank you for bearing with us and for understanding. Stay together, united in the human spirit, even if not physically, and stay safe.
Philosophical Reflections on Memory
00:02:02
Speaker
Now, onto this week's episode. I am one of those people who get trapped in my own thoughts sometimes.
00:02:11
Speaker
I'm not just talking about sitting back and wondering what if scenarios. Those aren't the ones that get me.
00:02:18
Speaker
No, instead, I'm the kind of person who will sit and think deeply about the philosophical issues, like how if we are who we are because of our memories and experiences, if we are a grand sum total of all of our life experiences and how we've processed those experiences in our brains as memories,
00:02:42
Speaker
But at the same time, we cannot control what our brain recalls and what it forgets. I can remember my middle school locker combination, but forget what my grandfather's hands looked like. If I can't control those memories, what stays and what goes, then am I really in control of who I am? These are the things that I think about sometimes.
00:03:12
Speaker
Now I understand why when I teach my students Joseph Conrad's work, Heart of Darkness, why the central character of Charlie Marlow states that what saves us is a devotion to efficiency. The focus on the surface truths that are and can be under our control. Those help us forget about what elements of our lives might be left up to chance.
00:03:42
Speaker
I think that's what makes cold cases so frightening and yet enthralling for all of us. The idea that their fate was at least in some form up to chance.
Introduction to Patrice Andress Case
00:03:57
Speaker
For the woman at the center of our story today, there is a possibility that her death was due to a chance encounter with a serial killer. There's also the possibility that by chance, someone she knew personally just snapped.
00:04:15
Speaker
What makes these stories sad is to know that they just as easily might not have happened. At least, that's what I like to tell myself. It's easier if I can convince myself that it's far more likely a kind person walk into our lives than an evil one.
00:04:36
Speaker
Unfortunately, that was not the case in our story today. While the woman at the center of it spread love and joy and kindness in this world and was a devoted mother, she was dealt the hand that no one deserves. And because of that, we, you and I, Sleuthhounds, must fight for justice for her and for the loved ones she left behind.
00:05:04
Speaker
This is the story of Patrice Andress.
00:05:43
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold.
Encouraging Public Involvement in Cases
00:05:48
Speaker
My name is Allison Williams and my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement.
00:05:59
Speaker
so justice and closure can be brought to these families. With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.
00:06:20
Speaker
Before I begin our show today, like always, I want to remind you about our challenge. Maggie and I would like to get to 150 ratings on Apple Podcasts, and we can only get there with help from you. So just like last week, if you enjoy our show, try to set one goal this week, something in your control, and share about our podcast with at least two people. Then we'll be able to reach our goal just a little bit quicker.
00:06:47
Speaker
We currently have 105 ratings. We grow a few each week and I'm happy about any progress. But if you haven't taken a second to rate our show yet, you still can. And if you have a few seconds longer, also leave us a few words about what you enjoy most about the podcast. We do have listeners from all over the world, so while this is a big ask, we know that you can do it.
00:07:11
Speaker
When we get to 150 ratings, Maggie and I will do a bonus episode together. Promise you on that one. Just make sure that you follow us on social media, Coffee and Cases podcast on Facebook, or at Coffee Cases podcast on Instagram.
00:07:26
Speaker
Or, as always, listen in each week to know when that bonus episode will air. Now, let's get into our show.
Patrice's Early Life and Career
00:07:34
Speaker
It was 1987. Patrice Tamber was 22 when she gave birth to her baby boy, Pistol Black.
00:07:44
Speaker
She was a young mother, yes, but she was driven to create a wonderful life for her small family. She filled her life with friends and other family members who had her best interest in mind, who encouraged Patrice to get her cosmetology license and to rent a booth in a local salon to begin her career.
00:08:07
Speaker
While there, working in that booth, Patrice formed lots of relationships with her clients. If you have ever gotten your haircut in a salon, then you know how easy these conversations with your hairstylist are. A good stylist, like Patrice was, isn't just an artist with hair, but is a conversationalist and a therapist and a friend all in one. And that's what Patrice was for her clients as well.
00:08:35
Speaker
While I watched the episode on Patrice's case on the reboot of Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix, I couldn't help but think of the Andy Griffith Show and Floyd's Barber Shop, where men in the town would meet not just for haircuts, but to play checkers and to socialize. On Unsolved Mysteries, a friend of Patrice was interviewed and she stated that she would stop by every day on her way home from work just to visit with Patrice, just to chat.
00:09:05
Speaker
And Patrice had that kind of relationship with many. After several years at her job in that local salon, one of those relationships she formed was with a man 20 years her senior named Rob Andress.
00:09:20
Speaker
He was charming to her with his confident manner, always so sure. In an interview with Unsolved Mysteries, Rob called himself the, quote, luckiest man on the planet, end quote, when Patrice agreed to marry him.
00:09:36
Speaker
Rob was also key in helping Patrice save up enough money to attain her big dream. He cared about her achieving her goals and reported that his time with her, quote, were the best years of my life. I just remember the beauty and the warmth and the love, end quote.
00:09:59
Speaker
And in 1996, with enough money in her pocket and enough regular customers to do so, Patrice, with Rob's help, opened up her own salon in Forsyth County in a town called Cumming, Georgia.
00:10:16
Speaker
She called her salon Tamber's Trim and Tan.
Family Dynamics and Marriage Strain
00:10:19
Speaker
Her excitement was palpable and she was successful. Everyone in town knew Patrice and everyone loved and trusted her because she loved what she did.
00:10:31
Speaker
Her son, Pistole, can remember his mother always wanting to cut his hair and try out different styles on him. Mohawks, different products, different colors, and he would let her experiment because that was the relationship they had. There was this implicit trust in his mother and she was his best friend.
00:10:55
Speaker
One might wonder how I could be talking about such a woman as the one in our case today, one whose life seemed so perfect.
00:11:05
Speaker
but as we all know, appearances aren't always reality. Many of Patrice's closest friends, as well as her son, Pistol, report that her marriage had become rocky and Patrice wasn't as happy as the face she put on for her customers. Those sources report that the rob that Patrice had married had seemed to flip.
00:11:32
Speaker
that Rob used to encourage her to take chances and even took an active role in Pistol's life, taking him to practice and trying to be involved, but that had all changed.
00:11:45
Speaker
Friends say that now he became possessive over her, wanting to know where she was and what she was doing at all times. And one point of contention at the root of much of that jealousy was centered upon Patrice's now-teenaged son, Pistol.
00:12:06
Speaker
Rob, in his interviews with Unsolved Mysteries, was absolutely clear that he did not think much of Pistol and that they did not get along. At one point, Rob even states that he, quote, didn't see any future in Pistol to tell you the truth, end quote.
00:12:26
Speaker
But Patrice was a devoted mother who went to all of her son's games and practices and would always defend pistol to rob when they would argue about topics like the fact that he didn't think Patrice disciplined pistol as she should.
00:12:46
Speaker
And it was that bond between Patrice and her son that most reports noted drove the biggest wedge between Patrice and her husband Rob. I personally do not understand why a stepparent would be jealous of the relationship between his or her spouse and that spouse's child from a previous relationship.
00:13:11
Speaker
Personally, it gives me joy to see a powerful parent-child bond, one of trust and interdependence and communication. As a step-parent, you now get the privilege of being a part of that bond, too, and helping it to grow. That's how I see it, at least.
00:13:34
Speaker
Rob Indris, apparently, did not see it the same way. Most sources I read said that he felt Patrice defended Pistol too much and focused too much of her attention on being a mother as opposed to her role as a wife.
00:13:52
Speaker
Pistol himself reports that Rob, quote, thought he wasn't getting attention when I was getting it, end quote. And as a result, Pistol's childhood home, where he was raised by both Rob and his mother from age 8 to age 15, was filled with both wonderful memories, those that include time spent alone with his mother,
00:14:16
Speaker
and negative ones. Memories of shutting himself up in his room to avoid Rob making crude and snide comments.
00:14:26
Speaker
Despite the fact that Rob later reported that he and Patrice never argued, Patrice's friends, as well as her son, Pistol, recalled discord in the home. Constant criticisms, negative comments, attitude, jealousy, and Patrice had been speaking, according to Pistol, at least, about leaving Rob.
00:14:50
Speaker
Pistol remembers having a conversation with his mother at the beginning of April when she asked him, quote, if I were to ever go anywhere, where would you go? End quote. Pistol replied that he guessed he would go to his dad's house, but the conversation ended there and it wasn't repeated.
00:15:11
Speaker
Truth be told, it was a trying time. Not just because of the arguments with Rob, but also because, according to an article by Chelsea McLaughlin, published on July 15, 2020, on the morning of April 15, 2004, Patrice and Pistol also had a small argument.
00:15:33
Speaker
Black was going through a rebellious stage, not unusual for a boy his age, and he wanted to get to school early so he could hang out with his girlfriend. Patrice Andress dropped off her son with an, I love you, as he jumped out of the car. She drove away and headed to her work. Within hours, the 38-year-old would be missing, end quote.
00:15:59
Speaker
After dropping off pistol at school, Patrice pulled into her salon located at 6195 Matt Highway, Highway 369, in Cumming, and began her day at 8
Mystery of Patrice's Disappearance
00:16:11
Speaker
.50 a.m. when her first customer, Pam Shepard, arrived a few minutes prior to her 9 a.m. appointment time.
00:16:19
Speaker
When interviewed later and asked if anything seemed off, Pam said that Patrice had seemed distracted and not her attentive self. And this absolutely could be the case, but we do have to keep in mind, Sleuthhounds, the ease with which memory can be altered.
00:16:38
Speaker
I would imagine it's not uncommon to embellish tiny things when asked to make them into big things. Something as simple as saying, okay, instead of okay, could now seem significant when you know that in hindsight, this conversation happened mere hours before Patrice disappeared.
00:17:00
Speaker
Pam left the salon sometime shortly after 11 a.m. and Patrice's second client of the day, Paul Cantor, arrived. At 11.27, Paul left and immediately after, a call came into a cell phone, a fact confirmed by Phone Records.
00:17:18
Speaker
At 11.35 a.m. Patrice received a phone call to the salon phone from a customer asking to change the appointment time. That phone call lasted two minutes and ended at 11.37. Again, when asked about the phone exchange, the client on the phone with that phone call recalls Patrice being short on the phone instead of her talkative self.
00:17:46
Speaker
If those clients are correct in their memories, it would seem that Patrice were nervous about something already before the crime happened. At the same time, that is a possibility, right? That she was nervous about something. It is also a possibility that nothing was wrong and that Patrice was naive to what would happen in the next quarter of an hour.
00:18:12
Speaker
At 11.50 AM, another call came into the salon. This one, however, was not answered. When the next customer arrived minutes later to find the cash register open, Patrice's car parked outside in an odd way and not in its normal position, yet no Patrice. They called the police.
00:18:38
Speaker
When members of the sheriff's office arrived, they found the money was gone from the cash register as if a robbery had happened. They also found Patrice's uneaten lunch on the counter next to the microwave. Her car still parked at that odd angle in the parking lot and her purse sitting clearly in the open with cash still in it. What they did not find was any sign of a struggle.
00:19:08
Speaker
There wasn't blood. There was nothing out of place or knocked over. No drag marks. It was as if Patrice just wasn't there. A total of 13 minutes is all it took. That's it.
00:19:27
Speaker
In 13 minutes, someone took Patrice's interest and completely destroyed the world of those who loved her, most notably her son, Pistol. Fairly quickly, some tips rolled in. The first tip came from a woman who had recalled seeing a white van in the parking lot driven by a man with a mustache.
00:19:51
Speaker
Ted Paxton, Sheriff of Forsyth County, reported that Michelle Grant of Jasper had reported seeing the van and that police had thoroughly investigated the tip, canvassing the area, reviewing video footage, looking for the man described. But sadly, Mrs. Grant later admitted to and was charged with making a false statement to police.
00:20:16
Speaker
which ended up wasting both precious time and funds in their search for Patrice. Soon after, two additional eyewitness accounts came in. These reports were given some credence by law enforcement, mostly because the accounts were similar, yet they were given by two independent witnesses, meaning two people who had no connection to one another reported the same thing.
00:20:43
Speaker
These two witnesses both saw a blue car, now narrowed down to a 1992 blue Chevrolet Lumina with a Georgia quail wildlife tag.
00:20:56
Speaker
a 1999 to 2002 Ford Taurus or a four-door Chevrolet Malibu. They saw this blue car outside of the salon at around 11.45 a.m. Both witnesses saw Patrice's car parked next to the blue one and saw Patrice speaking with some individuals by the cars.
00:21:19
Speaker
I know that I doubt eyewitness testimony in a lot of these cases, but I trust these witnesses. And here's why. Everyone in town notes that Patrice always parked her Chevy Tahoe, backed into a spot in the side of the building next to the side door that she would use to enter the salon each morning. It was routine. That was ordinary.
00:21:43
Speaker
However, this morning, the Tahoe was parked in front of the salon and at an odd angle with the blue car parked directly in front of the salon, the Tahoe facing the front driver's side of the blue car. Something wasn't normal, which means witnesses would have likely recalled details.
00:22:06
Speaker
Tammy Fincher, the first of the witnesses, saw two women standing outside the salon around 1145. She spotted a tall female with brown hair and also a, quote, older woman speaking with Patrice.
00:22:22
Speaker
As she reported to Unsolved Mysteries, she remembered that they, quote, had hands on each other, end quote. She didn't know if one had tripped, if one was pushing the other down or helping the other up, but that it, quote, just didn't look normal, end quote.
00:22:42
Speaker
Tammy now feels guilt about not stopping, asking herself whether it would have made a difference or stopped what happened minutes later. And my heart breaks for Mrs. Venture. There is no way she could have known. No one's first instinct is to think that the unthinkable is happening.
00:23:05
Speaker
The second witness recalled the same position of the vehicles as if someone had come into the salon and asked for a jump.
00:23:13
Speaker
that it looked as though Patrice had gotten into her car, cut her wheel sharp left and pulled out to help someone out by jumping their battery. The second witness though recalls the tall figure instead of as a woman as a male with brown shoulder length hair. Either way, both witnesses noticed the scene within the 13 minute window for which we cannot with confidence account for what happened to Patrice.
00:23:44
Speaker
Testing for forensic evidence was done at the scene, but according to Sheriff Ted Paxton, the only fingerprints found on Patrice's car were those of the mechanic who had performed an oil change on her car a few days before. The salon didn't provide any additional clues either. And as for DNA clues like hair follicles, well, good luck finding that in a place where there's literally hair everywhere.
00:24:13
Speaker
Now, Sleuthhounds enters the fear. That fear of chance I mentioned at the beginning of the episode. When someone disappears, whole communities feel the aftershock of terror. Since leads didn't result in any quick and viable convictions, the time to wonder those deep and heavily philosophical fears about the possibility of chance creep in. What if it were random?
00:24:44
Speaker
What if Patrice could have been any one of us instead? And for a while, it looked like those intrusive and fear-laden thoughts could be right. A convicted serial killer by the name of Jeremy Brian Jones actually confessed to the murder of Patrice Andress.
00:25:08
Speaker
He told prison workers that he had kidnapped, assaulted, and killed Patrice and had disposed of her body in Sweetwater Creek in Douglas County, an area nearly 70 miles away from Patrice's salon. Police worked quickly to verify his claims and led search parties in the area. They drug waterways, brought in cadaver dogs, and they worked tirelessly to be able to close this case.
00:25:38
Speaker
They came up with nothing, though. Again, the police had been led on a wild goose chase. It seemed as though they were dealing again with a false confession. And when confronted, Jones admitted to the Atlanta Journal newspaper that he had only made the confession because he knew it would mean, quote, better meals and further jail visitation and telephone privileges, end quote.
00:26:08
Speaker
Pistol remembers hoping that his mother had just needed to get away for a few days, right? Hoped that these confessions were indeed false, that Patrice were instead alive and well. After all, hadn't she just told him that morning that she would see him that afternoon after school was out?
00:26:31
Speaker
And her friends helped to fuel these beliefs in their own strong convictions that Patrice would never have left her son, Pistol, behind. Even Rob noted that he tried not to think of the worst case scenario. That the thought that something horrible happened is not something that you initially think about. But 600 days later, those thoughts did occur.
00:27:02
Speaker
On December 6th of 2005, in the wooded space behind Lebanon Baptist Church on Kelly Bridge Road in Dawson County, Georgia, only about 10 miles from the salon site, two church members who were building a church fellowship hall noticed some buzzards. Upon inspection, one gentleman noted a dead deer while the other noticed something far more sinister.
Discovery of Patrice's Remains
00:27:29
Speaker
He found human remains.
00:27:32
Speaker
a skull. Police were immediately called to the scene, and when a dental bridge helped to identify the remains as those of Patrice Andress, investigators began one of the most intense searches of their career, literally turning over every leaf to uncover evidence. Upon further search, most of the other bones were found.
00:28:01
Speaker
An interesting thing with the autopsy that I've read in many of the sources and that might be key in solving the case has to do with the bones discovered. Several reports mentioned only that, quote, most of the bones were found.
00:28:17
Speaker
While in that time between disappearance and discovery, there could have been foraging animals to drag away bones, the way the reports keep going back to the number of bones makes me wonder if a particular bone or bones were missing and whether that bone were kept as a trophy or that it reveals something about
00:28:41
Speaker
what bones were missing versus which ones were present in terms of the means of death, or who might have committed the crime. Additionally, the autopsy doesn't specify the cause of death, information being withheld in order to determine truthfulness of future confessions. Now is the time to note one other missing piece of evidence as well, Sleuthhounds. Patrice's wedding ring.
00:29:11
Speaker
one that law enforcement think could produce new leads if recovered. The jewelry is two gold bands soldered together with a one and a half carat pear-shaped marquee diamond center stone. Officers hope that someone may recognize the ring which could lead them to the person responsible.
00:29:34
Speaker
I can't help but think back to the Amy Mihalovic case in which if just the right person were to see Amy's leather notebook holder or earrings or that green quilt that we could be one step closer to solving a cold case and for Patrice
00:29:51
Speaker
It is this ring. I will make sure to post an image of that ring on Facebook so you can take a close look. See if anything about that ring looks familiar in order to give tips to authorities. Before I leave you though, I wanna go through several of the theories as to what happened to Patrice. I'll talk about support for them as well as elements that make each one of the theories questionable.
00:30:20
Speaker
The first theory is that Patrice merely left. When she spoke with Pistol, it seems interesting to me that she said, if I were to ever go anywhere and not if anything were to happen to me. Those comments can seem like foresight of a future action rather than fear of a present situation.
00:30:45
Speaker
She could have staged a robbery and taken money to start a new life, planning to come back later to get pistol. The problem though is that would really only make sense if her remains had not been found 600 days later.
00:31:03
Speaker
A second theory is that this was a robbery gone wrong. Police say the theory of the case being a robbery gone wrong, however, is unlikely, but it could still be a plausible explanation. When police arrived at the salon, a small amount of money had been taken from the till, and Patrice's wedding ring has never been recovered, both seeming to suggest robbery.
00:31:28
Speaker
However, Patrice had only had two customers that day. With a robbery happening so early in the day, that's what makes it seem unlikely. Because if the goal were money, why wouldn't a thief have waited until later in the day to get more money? Why would they have left her purse there with money in it?
00:31:50
Speaker
A third theory is that her death could have been the result of one of two serial killers in the area at the time. The first of those was previously mentioned, Jeremy Brian Jones.
00:32:03
Speaker
According to an article by Bianca Rodriguez, quote, Jones is a serial killer who has claimed to have killed 21 women in five states in 12 years, according to AL.com. In interrogation footage of Jones in 2005, when he was arrested for another woman's murder, Jones told detectives he'd abducted and killed a hairdresser from a Georgia salon.
00:32:30
Speaker
Telling authorities he murdered the woman and threw her body off a bridge into a creek He even told police that some of her alleged final words were quote She said she had a family that loved her very much. She started crying which started to make me cry end quote
00:32:51
Speaker
He told police that he had approached her shop and asked her to come outside to help him jumpstart his car before he forced her into the car. This information obviously jives with the two eyewitness testimonies explaining the position of Patrice's Tahoe. Jones did take back his confession as I mentioned earlier, especially because Patrice's remains were not found anywhere near where he said he left them.
00:33:20
Speaker
but police still say he knew a lot of information for someone who wasn't there. And he so remains a quote, strong suspect. A second serial killer under suspicion was Gary Michael Hilton. Hilton was a self-proclaimed sociopath and artist. He had once kidnapped a young girl and her dog and had kept and tortured her for days before killing her.
00:33:48
Speaker
He was known to call people and con them out of money, but would sometimes do the same in person. According to Unsolved Mysteries, Hilton made comments to police that his favorite place to go to get quick cash was a hair salon, and that his favorite time to do so was lunchtime. Could he have stumbled into Patrice's salon?
00:34:15
Speaker
Police have never been able to corroborate any alibi for Hilton, but regardless, officers have said that Gary Hilton, quote, doesn't need a motive. He hunts for opportunities, end quote. He is also still considered a potential suspect, but at the same time, there's no solid proof linking him to the crime either.
Suspicion on Rob's Actions
00:34:44
Speaker
Perhaps even worse, her death could have been the result of someone close to her. Some say much closer. Remember, there was no sign of struggle. Was this someone Patrice would have trusted? And is there one person who drew everyone's attention? Yes, her husband, Rob.
00:35:11
Speaker
One damning detail has been Rob's reaction immediately after Patrice went missing, especially as it pertains to Pistol. Pistol was out that night that his mom was first discovered missing with the search parties, looking through the woods and yelling his mother's name. He stated to Unsolved Mysteries, quote, I'd never been without my mother.
00:35:36
Speaker
you take a lot of things for granted in your life until they're stripped away." He had lost his mother and his whole world was destroyed. But while Pistol was out looking for his mother, his stepfather, Rob, was doing something far different. He was changing the locks on his home. The last peaceful night before Pistol lost his mother,
00:36:06
Speaker
was also the last night he slept in his bed in the home that he had shared with her. Pistol tried to reenter the home to retrieve clothes and to collect something, anything that had belonged to his mother, to have close to him, but he was never allowed to reenter. Instead, Pistol went to live with his father, Don Black, in Birmingham, Alabama,
00:36:34
Speaker
According to an article entitled, Where is Pistol Black After Unsolved Mysteries? Pistol's father tried to help him file petitions in court in order to get some of his mother's things back, but the attempt failed because Rob had already been named the conservator for Patrice's estate.
00:36:55
Speaker
Many who analyze this case find the changing of the locks as extremely significant, as though it indicates that he knew Patrice were not coming back. Otherwise, would he not want her to be able to enter their shared home? And to do so the very first night she was missing, when everyone else believed so desperately that she would be coming back home safe, it doesn't look good.
00:37:26
Speaker
Rob said that he changed the locks for multiple reasons. The first was as a, quote, precaution, which makes me wonder if he thought that someone who would hurt Patrice would be trying to hurt him as well. The second reason he gives is what turns people's stomachs. He admits that he did it to keep pistol out.
00:37:51
Speaker
Straight-faced and coldly, he stares at the camera and states, quote, I didn't want pistol in the house because, you know, I don't like him. He said, end quote. It was this comment that really struck Unsolved Mysteries director Jimmy Goldblum.
00:38:15
Speaker
In an interview with Grace Henry published July 27th, 2020, Goldblum remarked, quote, I think he did an incredible disservice to pistol. That's my personal opinion. If I were a stepdad and the mother of my 15 year old stepson would have disappeared, I would have been concerned about that kid. I think there's parents who understand their job to raise the child.
00:38:41
Speaker
Or there's parents who believe it's the child's role to make their lives easier. But to have a step-parent who feels that way to the extreme, and your primary caregiver who you're absolutely close to disappears, I think that's a compound of trauma I cannot even fathom." End quote. Pistol didn't even get any of his mother's ashes. But we have to question.
00:39:11
Speaker
Could Rob have also been grieving? Listen, as much as I want to find the person to blame as much as the next person does, and there are some things I'm going to tell you about Rob that are odd and that I would agree make him look guilty, we also have to remain objective. Try to see things from all angles.
00:39:36
Speaker
Now, I will be the first to admit that his relationship with Pistol and him not allowing him to grieve his mother fully, to even have a single item of hers to comfort him, that's the one thing that I can't justify. Other odd behaviors on Rob's part, though, could have an explanation.
00:39:58
Speaker
One oddity is the way he dealt with her remains both before and after cremation. When Rob went to the funeral home where Patrice's bones were taken, he asked the funeral director Judson Caldwell to arrange the bones into as complete of a skeleton as possible. This was obviously an odd enough behavior request that it stood out to Caldwell to even be asked.
00:40:26
Speaker
To Unsolved Mysteries, Rob stated, quote, I picked up her skeleton, I mean her head, and carried it around for a while. He said, put her back, kissed her goodbye. I thanked Mr. Caldwell and I left. He asked me if I was okay to drive, I was. That's the last time I saw Patrice anywhere near intact, end quote.
00:40:55
Speaker
Now, as odd as these actions are to me, according to an article by Chelsea McLaughlin, quote, series co-creator Terry Dunmuir told Vanity Fair she had heard of others exhibiting similar behavior.
00:41:12
Speaker
She said, quote, earlier this year, I was speaking to someone. It wasn't related to an unsolved mysteries case, but this woman's daughter had died and her bones had been found in a forest. And she did the exact same thing that Rob did. She said, when I get the bones back from the police, I just want to assemble them and be with her.
00:41:33
Speaker
It reminded me of Rob, and I thought, well, maybe this isn't so unusual. Maybe there are a lot of people in the world who feel this way because they never got to say goodbye to their loved one. And the bones are all that's left. The bones are something tangible." After Patrice's cremation, Rob's actions with Patrice's remains are just as striking.
00:42:02
Speaker
Rob admitted that when he got the ashes back, he slept with them for over a year. The following were Rob's exact words, quote, probably for a year or longer after Patrice was returned to me, her ashes, she stayed in my bed. I slept with her. It's something that I typically don't share with people, but she was like my teddy bear.
00:42:29
Speaker
because that's how we used to, you know, that's how we used to sleep, snuggled together, just brought back good memories. And yes, I'm protective of Patrice and I have her. That's a good thing." End quote.
00:42:47
Speaker
These comments, to some, show the possessive nature noted at the beginning of the episode, the very trait which makes many believe that Rob was involved, not wanting to share Patrice with anyone if she didn't want to be with him.
00:43:02
Speaker
In a response to those accusations, Rob said, quote, I have no comment for people that think I killed Patrice because I don't talk to those people because I know I didn't. Patrice knows I didn't. And it's physically impossible time wise for me to have been involved in it. Think what you like. End quote.
00:43:22
Speaker
While Rob Entriss notes his own degree in criminology and admits that he knows that the spouse is usually the primary suspect in such cases, he simultaneously reminds us of his proof of innocence. First, he has a gas receipt from a station 45 minutes away from Patrice's salon and has his clock-in timesheet from the turnstile at work.
00:43:47
Speaker
Those who believe Rob is guilty find all of this quote, proof too convenient and potentially filled with holes. They argue that most people don't keep their gas receipts. So it seems too coincidental that he just so happens to have the very one that proves he didn't harm his wife.
00:44:07
Speaker
I don't know if I agree. I usually get my receipts from gas pumps. I have this, I don't know, I guess irrational fear that for some reason my card payment won't go through or it'll still be accessible when the car behind me pulls up for gas. I don't want to pay for everybody's gas. So I usually get a receipt to close the transaction.
00:44:30
Speaker
And for me, these receipts just stay in my purse until I get tired of the clutter and decide to clean it out. Sometimes it's the next day. Sometimes it's months later. And if I can innocently do that, then I can't find someone else guilty for doing the same thing.
00:44:49
Speaker
Some have argued that a gas receipt proves nothing because Rob could have just gotten the receipt from someone else or gotten it out of a trash can. Now that could be true. Just because he has a receipt doesn't mean he bought the gas.
00:45:06
Speaker
Regardless, law enforcement argue that while the timeline and the time stamps of gas and work make it improbable that Rob committed the crime, it doesn't make it impossible. To play devil's advocate, if Rob were extremely possessive and were guilty,
00:45:29
Speaker
then it seems unlikely that he would have then allowed Patrice's remains to be in the elements in the wilderness for 600 days.
00:45:37
Speaker
Also, while Rob's behavior is off-putting at several points in his interviews, and I urge you to watch that Unsolved Mysteries episode yourself to see what I'm talking about, and we might get disgusted by his actions toward Pistol, having a deep hatred toward someone doesn't mean that he's a murderer.
00:46:00
Speaker
Many who analyzed this case fall into the trap of the armchair detective and we fabricate scenarios. What if Rob changed the locks because he was holding Patrice captive in the home, which also explains why he wouldn't let pistol in. You know, we let ourselves kind of dive into these fabrications.
00:46:21
Speaker
But we do need to recognize that even shows like Unsolved Mysteries, as well as written articles, are highly edited sources. At the same time we decide what to include within our stories, we also decide what to leave out. Let me illustrate using Rob as an example. Rob noted in that Unsolved Mysteries episode that for years he slept with Patrice's ashes.
00:46:47
Speaker
but when asked in an interview on the show about her ashes, he makes an offhand comment while opening a closet door that they should be in here.
00:46:58
Speaker
He then pulls out a box with a plastic bag inside that contains Patrice's ashes. And it's this move that make many immediately brand Rob as a pathological liar, right? They say, well, if he slept with the ashes every night as a comfort, right? So he could protect Patrice's ashes since he couldn't protect her in life. Why were they in a box in a closet? Why did he say they should be in here as if he's not sure where they were? Well, I have an easy answer.
00:47:27
Speaker
Unsolved Mysteries co-creator Terry Dunmuir told Entertainment Weekly, quote, Rob actually is remarried now to a lovely woman, which is one of the things we didn't talk about in the episode. We didn't include her in the episode because she wasn't around during the time of the events and she didn't know Patrice, end quote. This fact alone is enough to explain why the ashes are now put away.
00:47:57
Speaker
Muir additionally stated in that interview, quote, our goal is to present a balanced story and I don't express opinions because I don't know. We respect Rob and appreciate that he was willing to tell us his story. We respect the fact that the police department did thoroughly investigate him and they couldn't find any connection to Patrice's abduction and murder.
Ongoing Investigation and Leads
00:48:25
Speaker
I don't like to speculate because we're here only to present the facts as we hear them." Pistol, Patrice's friends, everyone want someone to blame. Heck, I do too. And Rob is the easiest target. And they may be right. However, the burden of proof is on the prosecution in such a case.
00:48:53
Speaker
evidence to tie him to the murder and to discredit his alibi. And at this moment, they've not been able to do either. Police have even admitted that they've looked into the possibility of Rob being involved in a murder for hire plot against Patrice. They say they haven't eliminated the idea, but again, have no evidence to support any such theory either.
00:49:19
Speaker
In the Netflix episode, Special Agent Mitchell Posey explains that, quote, there are aspects of the Patrice Andress investigation that we can't discuss, that we refuse to discuss because we define that as guilty knowledge information. Information that's only known by the person responsible for what happened to Patrice and by us, the investigators, that know every aspect of the case.
00:49:45
Speaker
We can't afford to have a false confession. We definitely want to give some form of closure to the family." Special Agent Kimberly Williams told the Forsyth County News in a 2019 statement, quote, we are dedicated to solving this case and we continue to encourage the public to contact us with any information that may help us hold the responsible party accountable, end quote.
00:50:13
Speaker
The cause of death, any further evidence found at the scene, her missing wedding ring, and that blue car are all key pieces of information. Sleuthhounds, I urge you to look at the ring and to study the cars. Have you seen that ring in a jewelry box?
00:50:34
Speaker
Do you know someone from near-coming Georgia with a car like those mentioned? Maybe someone who came home late one day, acting a bit oddly. Julie Arrington, in an article written on April 24, 2010,
00:50:51
Speaker
interviewed Rob Indris, who said the outpouring of community support for his wife after her disappearance and subsequent discovery of her remains was amazing, not only from law enforcement, but from Zion Hill Baptist Church. He said one of his wife's clients, who owned an animal hospital, let him hold fundraisers and a memorial service on her property.
00:51:15
Speaker
Rob Andress accurately identified the support as a credit to his late wife's impact on the town and on everyone who knew her. Quote, she was an excellent woman, a wonderful woman, he said, end quote. That is at least one thing that it seems we can all agree on.
00:51:42
Speaker
All that many have left of Patrice Andress are memories, which sadly fade without any power of our own to hold onto them. The details less clear, the more we desperately try to remember. That is why the one thing I hope that this world can still offer is closure, is justice.
00:52:11
Speaker
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line at 800-597-8477.
00:52:26
Speaker
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00:52:56
Speaker
Stay together. Stay safe. We'll see you next week.