Patterson’s claim to victim’s estate?
Tue, 2015-09-15 23:23
News Staff
By G. Romero Wendorf
If Melissa Patterson, 48, gets indicted for the Jan. 28 murder of 96-year-old Martin Knell and stands trial, perhaps the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a not guilty verdict is the victim’s very own Last Will and Testament, which names Patterson as the executrix and main beneficiary to his estate, valued in the neighborhood of approximately a million dollars. So what’s the big deal with that, a good criminal defense attorney like Rick Salinas might ask (he is, in fact, defending her). After all, Patterson cared for Knell. Had him over to her own home. Treated him so sweet and kind over a Thanksgiving dinner after his wife had died the month prior. Maybe the elderly gentleman just wanted to repay her kindnessby dropping all that money in her lap as a way of saying thanks for all she’d done for him. People are known to do that, you know.