In May 1997, life began to look up for Gary Patterson, a 33-year-old illustrator from Waco, Texas, a single father with a 6-year-old daughter, Crystal. ).
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The opportunity for Patterson to oversee a new project in El Paso would be an opportunity to build a more secure future for both of them.
His fiancee, Michelle Wilson, told “Buried in the Backyard,” which airs Saturdays at 8/7c on Oxygen, that she helped him choose his outfit for the interview. They picked out black pants, a white shirt and cowboy boots, and he headed to the Waco airport. “He looks good,” Wilson said.
A day later, Wilson and Patterson had not heard from anyone who had seen “Crystal.” Convinced something was wrong, Patterson’s family filed a missing persons report.
Patterson had mentioned that he planned to visit a construction site east of El Paso, deep in the Chihuahuan Desert. This raises concerns because the area borders Juarez, Mexico.
“Juarez is notorious for its corruption, violence and crime rates,” Texas Ranger Matt Cawson said.
Waco Police Detective Steve January expressed similar concerns. “Someone could have robbed him. Someone could have shot him. Someone could have killed him,” he said. “Anything could have happened.” “
Investigators confirmed Patterson flew from Waco to El Paso. But then the road got cold.
Patterson’s family, with help from the Mexican consulate, made sure he was not in jail or a jail south of the border, according to his brother, David Patterson.
Investigators learned that Patterson’s 1992 divorce was derailed by custody issues. His ex-wife, Lisa Urick Patterson, took the girl away in 1994 and spent nearly two years “in the wind,” Buried in the Backyard reported.
When detectives interviewed Patterson’s ex-wife, she had a strong alibi, January said. “She’s not a funny person.”
Investigators also interviewed Williams to ensure she was not involved in the disappearance. January said she was quickly “taken off the list.” “She had an alibi. She loved Gary.”
Victim Gary Patterson appears in Buried in the Backyard Episode 511
Gary Patterson. Photo: Oxygen
Investigators focused on Patterson’s job interview in El Paso, an opportunity related to the development of a modular housing community initiated by an alleged developer named Ned Wright .
According to Buried in the Backyard, Patterson kept the interview and trip to El Paso secret from most people because his current employer might disrupt his job search.
Investigators determined Wright had been staying at the Fairfield Inn in El Paso. However, they discovered that no one was registered with that name. Through phone records, they determined that a guest called Brazos Environmental & Engineering, Patterson’s workplace in Waco.
The tenant who had to give up his driver’s license was Theodore Young. Interviews with witnesses confirmed that Young and Wright were the same person.
