Patti Adkins

Patti Adkins

by Chilling Crimes July 23, 2020 13 Comments

"When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back."

-Yoda

It was the 29th of June 2001. A Friday. Twenty nine year old Patti Adkins could not wait for the weekend to begin. She worked at a Honda factory in Marysville, Ohio, United States and that day, her shift was from 3.30pm until midnight. At midnight, the factory would close for what was known as "shutdown." Every year, employees have a week off to celebrate the 4th of July holiday. 

Marysville, Ohio

Patti had worked at the plant for ten years. Throughout those ten years , she had been promoted a number of times and was in line for a further promotion. Patti loved working there. She had divorced her husband and wanted to ensure she could provide for her seven year old daughter Michaley so she always worked hard and was meticulous. But even though she loved work, she was excited for some time off. And there was a reason she was excited. Patti was due to spend the week in Canada with her boyfriend. 

The Honda Plant

Patti's relationship with her boyfriend was complicated. He also worked for Honda. But he was married with children. That would soon change though. He told Patti he was planning on leaving his wife and they discussed what their life would be like together, where they would live and having more children. As he was a married man, they kept their relationship a secret at work. Patti only told one of her friends at work about the relationship. She also told her two sisters and her best friend.

That day, the 29th of June, before Patti's shift started, she got everything in order before leaving for the week. Patti dropped her daughter off at her ex husband's house and then her sister Marcia was due to collect her so she could stay with her also. Patti then would collect her on the Sunday when she returned home. She brought her pets to the Vet so they could be looked after and got a lift to work that day instead of driving as she would be leaving with her boyfriend in his truck.

Patti and Michaley

When Patti got to work that day, she asked her team if they could make sure their assembly line was clean before midnight so that she could leave at midnight. That was unusual as Patti would never normally leave first. She liked to stay behind to ensure everything was perfect. But everyone was happy to do it as they also wanted to leave as soon as their shift ended. At midnight, Patti left almost immediately. She clocked out at 19 seconds past midnight and ran up the stairs towards the parking lot. A few employees saw her leaving the plant in her white Honda of America uniform. Vacation time.

Patti Adkins

Just over a week later, on the Sunday, the 8th of July, Marcia expected Patti to pick up Michaley at noon. Marcia hadn't heard from Patti at all during her time away but she hadn't expected to. Patti had told her she would be staying in a remote place in Canada so there would be no phone coverage and she said that she would call if she could from the side of the road but if not, she would see her Sunday. Even so, it wasn't like Patti not to let her know if she was running late. Marcia rang Patti's house landline at 12.30pm. There was no answer and Marcia was worried. She began to call every half an hour and then every few minutes. When she heard nothing at all, she decided to call Patti's boyfriend.  His wife answered. Marcia asked if he was home but he wasn't. That made Marcia feel a little better as it looked like they were just running late. 

Patti and Michaley

Marcia waited a while and called her boyfriend's house again at 5pm. He answered. Marcia asked where Patti was and he said that he didn't know as he wasn't with her. He denied being involved with her in any way. Marcia was frantic and asked:

"What did you do to her?"

Marcia was not getting any answers that made sense so she hung up and called back at 3am. His wife answered and Marcia told her about the relationship that her husband was in with Patti. They spoke for around fifteen minutes and the wife gave her husband the phone. He again said he had no idea why she thought they were in a relationship.

Marcia and Patti Adkins

Patti was reported missing. Police searched Patti's house. Her car was still in the driveway and inside, nothing looked out of place. All of her clothes were there along with her personal items and there was no evidence of foul play. There was nothing at all to indicate that she would have left of her own accord. Marcia had not even contemplated that as she knew there was no way Patti would leave her daughter behind.

During the course of the investigation, police discovered a few troubling elements of her relationship with her boyfriend. They discovered that Patti had been giving him money. She told her sisters and the banker that she had to withdraw money to loan it to him. He needed money because he had a business with his brother in law and he wanted to buy him out. Patti had been careful with her money and had saved for ten years. When she began working for Honda, she began saving. Police discovered that in total, Patti had withdrawn around $90,000 over a period of one year. Patti's sister said that Patti said he would have to start paying it back, bit by bit. 

Police also discovered that Patti told her friend and sisters that her boyfriend told her not to bring any clothes with her as they could buy whatever she needed in Canada. She also had to hide in the back of his truck, under a Tonneau cover, when she left work at midnight. This was to avoid anyone seeing her as her boyfriend had to drop off a coworker first. It was around a 35 minute drive from the factory to the boyfriend's house. 

Patti Adkins

Police spoke with Patti's boyfriend. He denied being in a relationship with her. Police searched his home and discovered a phone and t-shirt Patti had gifted to him. The boyfriend confirmed she gave him a Birthday card but he ripped it up in case his wife found it. There was a letter from Patti also. In the letter, Patti told him how much she wanted to be with him. He said he only knew Patti through work. Police discovered he picked up the Tonneau cover the morning of the 29th of June and removed it from his truck a week later. He claimed he needed it for his fishing equipment but he didn't use it again after he took it off. 

The Tonneau cover was sent off for forensic testing. Blood and cat hair was found on the underneath side of the cover. A lab tested the animal DNA and confirmed it was hair from Patti's cat. Police believed it may have been on her clothes and rubbed off on to the cover. The blood sample was so small that if tested, the entire sample would be consumed and it may not give conclusive results so the lab suggested waiting until better forensics technology is available so that it can be tested then.

Police also spoke to the boyfriend's coworker. The one who got a lift home from him after work. He said that they left the plant and drove 30 miles towards their hometown of Canton, Ohio. On the way, they stopped at a Burger King and waited for 45 minutes in the drive through line, got their food and went home. The manager at Burger King claimed it would not have been busy at that time and they would not have had to wait 45 minutes in the drive through. 



Patti Adkins

The boyfriend's wife told police that he got home at 2.30 am. She said that she did not know anything about an affair. 

Patti's boyfriend denied receiving any money from Patti and when police checked his accounts there was no evidence he had received anything from her.  

Police have to date declined to name Patti's boyfriend. He left his job at Honda shortly after Patti's disappearance. 

Authorities say the courts have declared Patti legally deceased.

No arrests have ever been made in connection to Patti’s disappearance. Police do not believe this is a missing person case, they believe it is a homicide investigation.  Her boyfriend is considered the primary suspect in the case.

This case needs to be looked at again. Patti's family deserve justice. There are a number of things that need to be investigated again. The money needs to be followed. $90,000 is a huge sum of money. Granted, Patti didn't withdraw it in one go but even if there was no evidence the money was received into the boyfriend's account, what was his spending like during that year and what was purchased? Did the coworker provide a detailed statement and is his version of events still the same today? 

If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Patti’s case, please call Lt. Jeff Stiers 937-645-4126. Anonymous information may be left via voicemail on the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime-Tip Hotline at 937-642-7653.

 




Chilling Crimes
Chilling Crimes

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13 Responses

Cat
Cat

April 02, 2022

The co worker had to be in on it as well. I think they did a horrible job with this case. Obviously he wouldn’t put money into his account since it was shared with his wife! He paid his friend. She was in the bed of the truck so she probably had cat hair on her clothes which is why it was found where she was supposedly told to hide. Did he go to Canada? His coworker probably helped get rid of her in that 45 min. How awful! They should make his face & name appear all over. I doubt he drove to Canada with her body back there cause I’m sure they do checks going into Canada & im sure he wouldn’t have went home with her dead in the back. The coworker & him went & did something with her. What a scumbag!

Maria Gutierrez
Maria Gutierrez

September 27, 2021

I hope this ‘married boyfriend’ be prosecuted and convicted for the cat’s hair and speck of blood in his truck.

Maria Gutierrez
Maria Gutierrez

September 27, 2021

I hope this ‘married boyfriend’ be prosecuted and convicted for the cat’s hair and speck of blood in his truck.

Mimi
Mimi

September 08, 2021

Just seen episode on ID. The “bf” was said to have told vic that they would be going to a cabin in Canada. The vic was to get in back of truck where she could not see anything. The perp drove around for hours with a co worker. The wife of perp said perp went fishing duing shut down. If i can see the connection, why cant any1 else. Perp and coworker took vic to cabin in woods, most likely imprisioned her there after work. She probably had no idea where she was so she could not escape. Perp and coworker went home. Later during shut down went "fishing’ and killed the vic. I did not see anything about the fishing area being searched, why not? Fast food worker said the perp and coworker would not have had a 45 min wait for food. Look and time perp paid and check video, the ff resturant would have security video, for register. Check cell phone for pings, perps and coworker cell phones. Check if the fancy new truck has a tracking device or gps installed. See where he went after work. 20 years later, she should have been found or at least someone held accountable. Check the coworkers accounts for large deposits. Check his personal company account for several deposits against his profits. So many ways to catch this one. U have dna from her cat, u have a drop of blood. You have testimony from several sources that dont have anything in common with each other, other than they knew the vic. With all the security cameras in the world, u can follow any1 anywhere. Come on, follow the technology.

Nina
Nina

May 07, 2021

This man will have to face his Maker someday. He had better repent and tell the truth because he doesn’t want to face God’s rather. Hopefully his so called conscious will wool him the rest of his life and haunt him until he’s crazy.

Elisabeth
Elisabeth

March 30, 2021

It is clear why Patti disappeared. For the money she lent to the man. And so that the man would not have to return it, Patia mysteriously disappeared. He earned $ 90,000. The man is responsible for her disappearance. friend Patti should investigate more thoroughly and search all the places where he was moving at the time she disappeared. He s lying.He had it carefully thought out and planned.

Julie
Julie

January 23, 2021

We should at least know this guy’s name. It’s so obvious he led her on, cajoled her into lending him money and lied about leaving his wife and then murdered her. He cannot get away with this

Julie
Julie

January 23, 2021

We should at least know this guy’s name. It’s so obvious he led her on, cajoled her into lending him money and lied about leaving his wife and then murdered her. He cannot get away with this

Laura B. Haley
Laura B. Haley

October 28, 2020

Can’t believe he wasn’t asked to submit to a polygraph. Though inadmissible law enforcement agency’s tend to believe they tend to be accurate more often than not.

Carolyn Berry
Carolyn Berry

October 23, 2020

Just watched this episode of Disappeared. I cannot understand why the police did not do a thorough search of the areas within the potential timeframe between him dropping off his coworker and getting home at 2.30am. There was a potential 2 hour window, or 1 hour drive out and back home.
Clearly Patti had been in the truck as her cat’s DNA attested. This corroborated the story given to her friend and sisters.
What is the most chilling part of this story, to my mind, that would set Red Flags flying is not bringing any clothes as they could buy everything in Canada. Total crazy notion but clearly this was a cold, premeditated murder of a beautiful, trusting, young woman with everything to live for.
The authorities let her and her family down by not persuing the person of interest at the time and 19 years later when the evidence, apart from the blood sample test, remains the same.
Sadly for Patti and her family all that is left are remains. If there are ever found.
Makes my blood boil to think this guy got away with murder. Planned and executed by pretending to be in Canada when in reality he murdered Patti, probably by strangulation, disposed of her body then went home for shutdown week playing the dutiful husband and father.
The secrecy imbued in the relationship enabled him to almost embezel 90,000 dollars from Patti and in effect her daughter. With him allegedly having to pay the money back he knew the game was up and put his evil, murderous plan into action. For me purchasing the truck cover and DNA evidence clinches the case against the man.
So very sad and I can only hope he gets indicted and jailed for life at some point.
Needs a cold case review by the FBI!!!

Shocked UK
Shocked UK

October 23, 2020

Just watching Disappeared now – surely this guy should be pursued for justice for Patti and her family 😢

Someone Who Cares
Someone Who Cares

September 23, 2020

Shame on the incompetent small town, backward law enforcement officials in Union County who have sat on this case for 19 years. Bring him to trial. Bring this information into the open via a trial. Pet DNA is compelling. Come on!

Someone
Someone

July 25, 2020

I can’t believe this. Why did Police not go till they found the truth? Till they found her? Terrible.

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