Patricia Brown

Summary

Podcast Summary: Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode: Patricia Brown

Introduction

Snapped: Women Who Murder, hosted by Oxygen, delves into the chilling case of Patricia Brown, a seemingly devoted wife whose actions led to the brutal murder of her husband, Fred Brown. This episode meticulously unpacks the events leading up to the crime, the ensuing investigation, and the courtroom drama that ultimately exposed the dark truths behind a family shattered by greed and resentment.

Background: Fred and Patricia Brown

Fred Brown was a well-respected economics professor at a community college in High Point, North Carolina. Born and raised in Siler City, North Carolina, Fred was admired by colleagues and students alike for his dedication and amiable nature.

Patricia "Pat" Brown, his wife, hailed from Oklahoma. Raised by a single mother alongside her sister Sheila, Pat's early life was marked by financial struggles. Her marriage to Fred in 1969 provided her with stability and a sense of purpose. Together, they had two children, Sabra and Derek, and settled in High Point after Fred's retirement from the army in 1988.

The Murder: April 25, 1991

On a seemingly ordinary spring morning, Fred Brown was found murdered on a rural highway in Guilford County. Detective Major Tom Shepard, who had known Fred all his life, was devastated by the news. “Fred was a truly nice guy. Everybody I know that I've met felt the same way about him” ([04:35]).

Fred was discovered face down with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and back, suggesting the violence was both personal and premeditated. The absence of a wallet initially pointed investigators toward a robbery, but inconsistencies at the crime scene raised suspicions.

Initial Investigation and Family Dynamics

Pat Brown promptly filed a missing persons report when Fred did not return home. Detectives interviewed the family, uncovering that Fred and Pat's marriage, while outwardly stable, harbored underlying tensions. Financial strains emerged as a significant issue, particularly surrounding extensive home renovations and Pat's growing obsession with exotic birds, which strained their finances.

Kenneth Vaughn, a close friend and coworker of Fred, revealed that Fred was under considerable stress due to mounting debts from renovations. “They argued consistently about that, and I think Pat wanted to spend more money than Fred did” ([20:03]).

Breakthrough: The Letters and Leroy Wetzel’s Confession

The case grew cold until July 1994, when detectives received a pivotal lead from Reading, Pennsylvania. Leroy Wetzel, a man with a troubled past and ex-husband to Sheila Wetzel (Pat's sister), confessed in two letters found by his daughter that he had murdered Fred at the behest of Pat Brown.

In a crucial revelation, Leroy detailed the orchestrated plot: Pat had solicited him to kill Fred in exchange for a promised payment of $30,000, intended to alleviate her financial woes. “Pat's stepfather... she was raising him to kill." ([33:11]).

Leroy described how he lured Fred under the pretense of helping with a broken-down car before shooting him multiple times. He admitted, “She said, I felt you would be coming to see me soon” ([02:36]).

The Trial: Unraveling the Truth

In May 1995, Patricia Brown stood trial for the first-degree murder of her husband. The courtroom was electric as Sheila Wetzel took the stand, corroborating Leroy’s account and painting Pat as the mastermind driven by greed and desperation.

Leroy’s testimony was particularly damning. Under oath, he reenacted the murder, providing a vivid account that left no doubt about Pat's involvement. “This was all about her wanting him dead” ([30:51]).

Despite Pat maintaining her innocence, the overwhelming evidence and Leroy’s confession led to her conviction. She was sentenced to life imprisonment but tragically passed away in 2002, less than seven years into her sentence.

Aftermath and Reflections

Both Leroy and Sheila Wetzel received substantial prison sentences for their roles in the murder. The case left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting how hidden resentments and financial pressures can lead to tragic outcomes.

Detective Major Tom Shepard reflected on the case's devastation: “The tragedy of this case is we destroyed two families over nothing and over a bunch of birds and some real estate debt” ([45:59]).

Conclusion

The Patricia Brown case serves as a haunting reminder of the complexities behind seemingly perfect lives. It underscores how underlying tensions and unaddressed grievances can culminate in unimaginable actions. Through detailed investigation and unwavering pursuit of the truth, Snapped: Women Who Murder sheds light on the dark corners of human behavior, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of one of High Point's most harrowing crimes.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Detective Major Tom Shepard: “Fred was a truly nice guy. Everybody I know that I've met felt the same way about him.” ([04:35])

• Patricia Brown: “I looked in his eyes and he said they would be better with me dead.” ([21:13])

• Detective Jonathan Jacobs: “If you're gonna hire somebody to kill somebody, you probably ought to pay them once you promise.” ([31:39])

• Sheila Wetzel: “Without the money and with Fred still in the picture, Pat couldn't keep her exotic birds and she couldn't have the lifestyle that she had envisioned for herself.” ([38:10])

• Detective: “The tragedy of this case is we destroyed two families over nothing and over a bunch of birds and some real estate debt.” ([45:59])

Final Thoughts

This episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder meticulously chronicles the rise and fall of Patricia Brown, offering listeners an in-depth exploration of motives, deception, and the pursuit of justice. Through compelling storytelling and critical examination of evidence, the podcast provides a riveting account of a case that continues to resonate as a cautionary tale.

Transcript

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[Reporter]

Blooded murder off a rural North Carolina highway sends shockwaves through the community.

[Detective]

He was a truly nice guy. Everybody I know that. I've, I felt the same way about him.

[Reporter]

Though leads run slim, investigators believe this was no random act of violence. This was personal.

[Forensic Expert]

There was a footprint on the back of his shirt. Somebody stood over this guy and shot him in the head.

[Investigator]

Who could have pulled the trigger? And the big question was, why was he trapped there and led to a trap?

[Reporter]

Their break in the case comes from an unlikely source.

[Witness]

He was bad. He had a record. He had an attitude.

[Investigator]

The front of the envelope said, open only if I die.

[Pat Brown]

And the policeman said, we have a suspect. And she said, I felt you would be coming to see me soon.

[Reporter]

For Guilford County Sheriff's Major Tom Shepard, April 25, 1991 Starts like any other spring morning in the town of High Point, North Carolina.

[Detective]

It was just slightly after 8:00. I'd just gotten to work, then the call came in and somebody told me that they had found a body on the side of the road that they believed would be shot.

[Forensic Expert]

Some workers were working in the area that morning. They found the body and called 911 and of course we responded.

[Reporter]

The occurrence is not a common one for the usually quiet town.

[Pat Brown]

It's a smaller community. During that time, I think people left their doors unlocked, cars unlocked in driveways. Things have changed a lot since then. But in High Point, it was relatively safe. Everybody felt safe.

[Reporter]

But as Major Tom Shepard flies down Highway 68 to the scene, things feel anything but safe.

[Detective]

I went out there and there was already a couple of detectives there and of course four or five patrol officers. Well, I saw a station wagon sitting there and I saw the body laying on almost in a ditch just behind the station wagon.

[Investigator]

He was face down and he had two shots to his head and a shot to his back. They didn't know who he was because there was no wallet.

[Detective]

They ran the license tag on the vehicle and it came back to Fred Brown.

[Reporter]

The identity of the 45 year old victim catches Major shepherd off guard.

[Detective]

Well, strangely, I've known Fred about all my life. I went to church with him, went to high school with him. I did not recognize him. That's the strange thing about it. This whole case is a tragedy, to be honest with you, something that should have never happened. Fred was a truly nice guy. Everybody I know that I've met felt the same way about him.

[Reporter]

Born and raised in nearby Siler City, North Carolina, Fred Brown was liked by everyone he met.

[Detective]

Fred was just one of those guys. It was just a good guy. I mean, you know, he never, never gave anybody a problem. He graduated a year before I did and I knew he went to Guilford College. I knew he went in the army after Guilford College.

[Reporter]

When the tumultuous Vietnam War began, Fred bravely served his country.

[Pat Brown]

He talked about the military some and how he traveled with the military.

[Investigator]

Fred Brown had gone into the US army and he went through officer training school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

[Reporter]

There, Fred met the stepdaughter of his commanding officer, 21 year old Patricia Derosa.

[Sheila Wetzel]

They started dating and got serious pretty quickly.

[Reporter]

Pat, as she was known to friends and family, was raised in Oklahoma alongside her two younger sisters.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Pat never really knew her father. She was raised by a single mother and for most of her childhood they were poor and struggled to get by.

[Reporter]

Despite their 8 year age difference. Pat was especially close to her sister Sheila.

[Investigator]

Sheila looked up to Patricia because she was her older sister, but they were extraordinarily different. Patricia was a no nonsense, straight. She was very much of an ethical person. Sheila, well, she liked to party, she liked to have a good time.

[Reporter]

The family finally gained stability when Pat's mom married an army man and the family settled into life at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

[Sheila Wetzel]

When Edna married Pat's stepfather, he made good money. So everything in their life changed. They didn't have to worry anymore.

[Reporter]

Pat's life continued to blossom when she began dating one of her stepfather's soldiers, 24 year old Fred Brown.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Fred was smart, steady, reliable, charming. Pat fell for him right away.

[Reporter]

After only six months of dating, Pat and Fred got married in 1969.

[Investigator]

Patricia Brown grew up poor. She saw Fred as her white knight that would take her out of Oklahoma, away from that world.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Pat was a devoted army wife. She supported her husband through many different assignments to different countries, different states.

[Reporter]

Amid the travels, moves and deployments, Pat and Fred had a son and a daughter, Sabra and Derek. And in 1988, when Fred retired from the army, the family settled in High Point, North Carolina.

[Sheila Wetzel]

When they settled down, Pat became a real estate agent and Fred became a professor at the local community college. And then she went on to teach at another community college.

[Reporter]

In 1989, Pat and Fred celebrated 20 years of marriage. But the joyous occasion was marred by Pat's declining health.

[Investigator]

Pat had some, had some health problems. In 1990, she had open heart surgery.

[Pat Brown]

It was heart trouble, blood pressure, she smoked a lot. So just a combination of things I think brought that on.

[Reporter]

As she recovered, Pat went to stay with her mother, who was now living in Alabama, along with Pat's sister Sheila.

[Pat Brown]

Fred was working full time, so she went to Alabama to recuperate from the heart surgery and be close to family, be close to her sister and her mother. Pat stayed in Alabama two or three months. During that time, it was just Fred looking after the kids.

[Reporter]

Though she was on the mend physically, when returned home, her mental health went in the opposite direction.

[Witness]

The heart surgery, I think, was a very big deal. And not only was it a big deal, but it left her feeling, you know, like she was less healthy, you know, that she was just not going to be as healthy as she had been before that.

[Reporter]

Pat found comfort in a new but slightly unconventional hobby.

[Pat Brown]

She had all Kind of exotic birds in that house. That was the first thing I noticed when I walked into the living room was the big, big bird in a cage that took up the whole side of the wall in the living room.

[Detective]

She had all these exotic birds all over the house. It was 50, 60, something like that that she was keeping there.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Pat just absolutely loved birds. She enjoyed caring for them, she enjoyed being around them. It was something that gave her comfort, it was something that helped her with some of her struggles. But Fred didn't really share her enthusiasm.

[Pat Brown]

Fred was definitely annoyed by the birds. I think the first few was okay. But she continued to get birds. Yes, it was quite annoying to him.

[Reporter]

Eager to keep the peace, Fred put up with the birds and did whatever he could to help Pat recover.

[Investigator]

Fred Brown wanted to provide for Pat because she was recovering when she came back From Alabama in 1990, he hired housekeepers to keep the house clean. As Pat was recovering, Fred just wanted.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Her to be happy and to recover. So they started doing a renovation in the home so she could have a room just for her birds.

[Pat Brown]

She wanted room for all of her birds. And then later on she wanted to add a hot tub and I think she wanted to add a privacy fence.

[Reporter]

But just as the couple began rebuilding, building their life together, it all comes crumbling down. On April 25, 1991, Mr. Brown was.

[Forensic Expert]

Found probably five to seven yards off the roadway itself. The area was grassy with some woods around it. Some area workers, they found the body.

[Reporter]

Just as detectives identify Fred's body, they learn from dispatch that his wife, 43 year old Pat Brown, has just filed a missing persons report.

[Forensic Expert]

His wife and or daughter reported him missing around 10am to the high Point Police Department. When I got there, the car was there and the body had not been moved. And the crime scene tech had gotten there and started their investigation. He was face down with the wounds to the head and in the back.

[Detective]

It looked like a robbery just because his wallet was missing. Most people, if it's a random crime, aren't going to take the wallet. If they're mad at Fred about something, they're not going to take the wallet. You know, they're just going to shoot him and go off.

[Reporter]

Though on the surface, robbery seems like the potential motive, details at the scene raise a red flag to seasoned detectives.

[Forensic Expert]

There was a footprint on his back. Obviously somebody stood over this guy and shot him with his foot on his back. Execution stop. Somebody that's robbing somebody doesn't want to get close, they're going to shoot them a distance away. You know, maybe four or five feet instead.

[Reporter]

The close, precise nature of the injuries suggests one thing to investigators.

[Investigator]

This looked like this was premeditated. This looked like it was planned.

[Reporter]

Coming out, the devastating news rocks Fred's loved ones.

[Investigator]

She could not understand why something like that could happen to such a loving, dutiful man like her husband.

[Reporter]

As the morning of April 25, 1991 unfolds, investigators in High Point, North Carolina, contemplate what led 45 year old Fred Brown to be shot to death in a roadside.

[Investigator]

What was Fred out there for and why did he pull off the side of the road? Was he helping somebody? Was he trapped there and led to a trap?

[Forensic Expert]

The homicide occurred outside the city limits of High Point in Guilford, you know, in rural Guilford County. Given the location and with the wounds to the head and in the back, kind of looks calculated.

[Reporter]

As investigators look closer, evidence is adding up to a far more personal crime. With little more to go on from the crime scene, Fred's body is sent to the coroner for a thorough autopsy.

[Investigator]

They were looking everywhere for clues, for something to figure out how this happened.

[Reporter]

As they wrap up the scene, detectives begin to question neighbors to see if anyone saw anything suspicious the night before. Before.

[Detective]

There weren't a lot of neighbors out in that area at that time, but there was a witness that came forward that was driving on south on 68, Highway 68. And she said that she saw the two vehicles over there pulled up front bumper to front bumper.

[Investigator]

This woman, she saw these two cars, one with a hood popped up and she saw a pair of headlights and she saw two people. When she told that to authorities, that got authorities thinking like, what was Fred out there for? Why did he stop?

[Detective]

Also, there was one woman that lived, I guess east of 68 that said she heard some gunshots.

[Forensic Expert]

There was one shot and then there was a pause and then sounded like maybe one or two shots right after that. And she said it was, you know, between 11 and 11:30 during the evening. I thought, okay, that kind of narrows down the timeline a little bit.

[Reporter]

With a timeline starting to develop, investigators head to Fred's house to break the news of his death to his wife, Pat, and teenage daughter Sabra.

[Forensic Expert]

That's just basic law enforcement. In a homicide, you start with the family.

[Reporter]

As they speak to Fred's loved ones, investigators pay close attention to their reactions.

[Forensic Expert]

Are they tearful? Are they not tearful? Is it forced? Is it not forced? You just get a good sense when.

[Detective]

You talk to somebody like this. And it's their husband of 20 years, you're going to get a visceral reaction from them. When the detectives pal to Patricia, she did not act like she was too concerned with Fred's death. And that kind of put up a red flag.

[Reporter]

Though seemingly in shock, Pat goes on to explain that the previous evening was no different than most weeknights.

[Witness]

The night of the murder. Pat was home, and then Fred got home from work around five or so. And then Pat. Pat had to go teach a class. I guess around 6ish.

[Investigator]

Pat was teaching her real estate classes down at Randolph Community College, which is 30 minutes south of High Point. Sabra had gone to see friends, and she was out that night as well. It was around 10 or 10:30 when they came home.

[Reporter]

Upon their return, mother and daughter were surprised to find Fred wasn't home.

[Detective]

Fred, a lot of times would go to the grocery store and just walk around and buy a few things and come home. And originally that's where they thought he was, at the grocery store.

[Reporter]

Still, Pat says it was unusual for him to be out that late.

[Witness]

They immediately felt that there was something wrong because that was not like Fred to just not come home. He might stay at the grocery store longer than they would want, but he would never stay out, you know, that long.

[Investigator]

She stays up four hours trying to find her husband, hoping he'd come home, hoping for an answer, hoping for something. She gets nothing. So she calls High Point Police Department.

[Reporter]

Investigators asked Pat if there was anyone, including her, who might want to see Fred harmed.

[Forensic Expert]

Law enforcement wants to know the circumstances surrounding the person's disappearance. Mental state. Had there been any fights in the family? Had the person been depressed? Illnesses? Had there been any threats made to anybody?

[Investigator]

Pat told them that they had a wonderful marriage, an excellent marriage. They didn't have financial difficulties. They had two wonderful children. Everything was great between them. And she could not understand why something like that could happen to such a loving, dutiful man like her husband, Fred Brown.

[Reporter]

Despite Pat's lack of emotion to detectives, it seems unlikely that anyone in Fred's immediate family killed him.

[Forensic Expert]

Talking to the daughter and the wife, we knew where both of them were, so. And they had solid alibis of where they were most of the evening.

[Reporter]

Investigators also rule out Fred's oldest son, Derek.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Derek was away at school that night. He wasn't anywhere near High Point.

[Detective]

If you don't have any idea which direction to go in and there's no real evidence at the crime scene, you got a lot of work in front of you. We didn't have any idea of what could have happened to Fred and why he was laying down there beside that road.

[Reporter]

With no leads from Fred's family, investigators turned to his coworkers at the community college where he taught economics.

[Pat Brown]

Everybody on campus was shocked, and everybody was trying to figure out, you know, is this family, Is it student, Is it somebody that he didn't know?

[Reporter]

Detectives sit down with Kenneth Vaughn, Fred's friend and fellow teacher.

[Pat Brown]

All the faculty, including myself, the students loved him. He was just a nice guy, easy to get along with. He loved to talk. He didn't know a stranger.

[Reporter]

But Kenneth says outside of work, Fred was going through a rough patch.

[Pat Brown]

Fred was trying to appease Pat in making the renovations to their house, Even though it was creating a lot more debt than he wanted.

[Detective]

They argued consistently about that, and I think Pat wanted to spend more money than Fred did.

[Investigator]

They had done a lot of home renovations. They were living in an upscale high point neighborhood. They were stretched thin.

[Reporter]

According to Fred's close friend and coworker, Kenneth Vaughn, the renovations weren't the only thing Pat was dumping money into.

[Detective]

Said there was tension. And the major bone of contention between Fred and Pat was the birds.

[Pat Brown]

He saw their life savings going out the window.

[Reporter]

But according to Kenneth, the birds were the least of Fred's worries.

[Pat Brown]

There was a situation where he came to my office and talked about what he was afraid may happen. And he just said to me point blank, I would not be surprised if Pat didn't get a contract out on me.

[Reporter]

Coming up, A haunting statement from their victim leaves investigators on edge.

[Pat Brown]

I looked in his eyes, and he said they would be better off with me dead.

[Reporter]

And a cryptic message turns the investigation on its head.

[Witness]

He was writing letters that are rawing to be opened when he was going to die.

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[Reporter]

Day return Detectives in High Point, North Carolina have just learned startling details about Fred Brown's deepest fears. In the months leading up to his death.

[Detective]

Fred believed that Patricia warned him kill.

[Pat Brown]

I looked in his eyes and I said, tell me that you don't believe that. He said, no, I do believe that. And I said, why? He said, because they would be better with me dead.

[Forensic Expert]

He told investigators Fred's wife, Patricia was very volatile towards Fred, and you know that that throws flags up to you.

[Reporter]

In spite of his fears, Kenneth tells investigators Fred wouldn't consider a divorce.

[Pat Brown]

I felt like it was best maybe if he could just walk away for a while. But he wouldn't do. He said, my religion will not allow me to do that. I don't believe in divorce. I'm going to stay with it.

[Reporter]

Kenneth's portrayal of the Brown marriage is in stark contrast to what Pat told Investigators.

[Detective]

Patricia said, we only spend money that we've actually got, you know, that kind of thing. But apparently that's a lie.

[Reporter]

Before confronting Pat with these discrepancies, detectives continue to reach out to those who knew the couple, including their former housekeeper.

[Pat Brown]

After the surgery, we hired our housekeeper at GTCC to come in and help look after Pat and clean the house, take care of things. My understanding was she left because of the way Pat was cursing Fred a lot.

[Detective]

Everybody said that, you know, when Patricia would really get mad at him and yell and scream, Fred never, never argued by. That's when we started really focusing in on Patricia.

[Reporter]

After speaking to the housekeeper, investigators begin formulating a new theory about what happened to Fred.

[Detective]

We knew Patricia didn't kill Fred because she had an alibi. In my experience of working these homicides, we've had several where the wife had the husband killed. You know, every time they've paid somebody or promised money to somebody, we just didn't have any idea who.

[Reporter]

But no matter how much they dig, investigators cannot prove that Patricia was somehow behind her husband's murder.

[Forensic Expert]

You try your best to keep it going, but unfortunately, the resources aren't there.

[Reporter]

The medical examiner's autopsy findings offer little help.

[Witness]

There was absolutely no indication of who was actually out there with a gun on 68 that night. And so once you just don't have a lead, then it just stops.

[Detective]

It did go cold because of that after about six months, something like that.

[Reporter]

As the investigation fizzles, Pat Brown moves forward with her life.

[Investigator]

The HR director said that Pat Brown got really angry about how much money that the life insurance of GTCC that she would receive.

[Pat Brown]

She got some insurance, of course. She got the last year's pay from the state of North Carolina, and there was some land that belonged to the family that she sold. So she ended up with quite a bit it.

[Reporter]

With her children now grown up and out of the house, hat decides it's time for a change of scenery herself.

[Detective]

After the estate was settled, she took all the money and went back to Alabama. A couple hundred thousand, probably.

[Investigator]

She had one move closer to her mom. She ended up buying a double wide trailer and two single wide trailers in her new home.

[Reporter]

Pat's passion for exotic birds hatches into a whole new lifestyle.

[Investigator]

She started a business that she called Sassy's Pets, where she sold kittens and exotic birds.

[Sheila Wetzel]

It seemed like Pat was really living her dream and putting the murder investigation behind her.

[Reporter]

As time ticks by, Fred's friends and family are exasperated by the lack of justice.

[Pat Brown]

They came Back out and interviewed my colleagues again just to see if there's any other information or help. Because it was a cold case, none of us could offer anything other than what we had offered initially. It was frustrating. I mean, it had been three years, and we were waiting for something to happen, some type of information or whatever that would bring this to fruition.

[Forensic Expert]

We wanted closure three or four years after the homicide. I wouldn't say that is a cold, cold case, but it's not in the forefront during that period. We didn't have anybody looking at cold cases on a regular basis.

[Detective]

What happens is on a homicide, if anybody calls with the information, they start working on it again. But nobody ever called in this case until the Reading police department called.

[Reporter]

On July 13, 1994, three years since Fred's brutal murder, Detective Jonathan Jacobs gets an unusual call from an investigator in Reading, Pennsylvania. That heats up the case once more.

[Forensic Expert]

I remember getting a call in the morning, an officer from Pennsylvania wanting to know about if we had had a homicide in High Point three or four years ago on Highway 68.

[Reporter]

According to the Reading police Department, a woman had recently found two letters left behind by her father, Leroy Wetzel, on.

[Forensic Expert]

The outside of the envelopes. It said, to be open only when I die.

[Reporter]

Overcome with curiosity, the woman opened the letter and was shocked by its contents.

[Forensic Expert]

It bothered her horribly, so she called the Reading, Pennsylvania, police department.

[Sheila Wetzel]

They read it, and they find a really dark confession.

[Detective]

Leroy basically confessed to killing Fred Brown. Told how he did it.

[Reporter]

Coming up, investigators learn the chilling tale of Fred's final moments from the killer himself.

[Forensic Expert]

He pulled the gun out and said, you and I need to take a walk.

[Reporter]

And a deadly plan takes shape.

[Forensic Expert]

He took responsibility for the killing, but also said, she's the one behind it all. This was all about her wanting him dead.

[Detective]

If you're gonna hire somebody to kill somebody, you probably ought to pay them once you promise.

[Reporter]

July 1994. Almost three years after Fred Brown was gunned down on a North Carolina roadside, police in Pennsylvania receive a written confession to his murder, penned by a man named Leroy Wetzel.

[Investigator]

It's a confession in his own handwriting. From a detective standpoint, you got gold in your hands.

[Reporter]

Pennsylvania authorities immediately contact investigators in High Point to relay this information.

[Forensic Expert]

They told me that they had somebody that was in custody. He was laying claim that he had killed somebody down here in Guilford County. I said, okay, and took down the information, made a few phone calls, flew up to Redding, Pennsylvania, and we went and visited Leroy in the jail and interviewed him. They picked him up on some child support warrants and had him in a jail. Leroy is, you know, he's not a big man at all. You know, he's short and got this long white beard.

[Investigator]

Leroy stood 5 foot 3, 145 pounds. He was covered with tattoos and his nickname was short circuit because he had a temper.

[Witness]

He was bad. He had a record, he had an attitude.

[Reporter]

Despite his rap sheet, Leroy is cooperative with investigators and quickly reveals a stunning connection to Fred's case.

[Investigator]

Leroy Wetzel been married seven times. He was the ex husband of Sheila Wetzel, and Sheila was the younger sister of Pat Brown, the wife of Fred Brown.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Leroy explains that back in 1990, Pat had moved to Alabama to stay with her mother to recover from open heart surgery. And he and Sheila were still married at the time and they lived nearby.

[Investigator]

Pat would talk about Fred, how she was angry at Fred, and how Fred was such a tight wife.

[Reporter]

According to Leroy, one evening about a year before the murder, A phone call between the two sisters set a plan in motion.

[Witness]

She had asked Sheila if Sheila knew somebody to kill Fred. And then that Sheila talked to Leroy. And Leroy said, well, I'll do it.

[Forensic Expert]

Fred and Leroy, they had met only just a few times.

[Detective]

Patricia said she would give him $30,000 to kill Freya.

[Reporter]

Pat suggested the payment would come after the murder, Once she collected what thought would be a big payday.

[Pat Brown]

She thought she was going to get a $250,000 life insurance policy.

[Investigator]

Sheila hangs out the phone, turns to her husband, who she believes had murdered a man in the past, and said, hey, Leroy, Pat, my sister will pay you 30k if you knock off Fred. You up to that? And of course, Leroy, he said yes.

[Reporter]

According to Leroy, the three revisited the idea for almost a year. Then In April of 1991, Pat was back in North Carolina and ready to follow through.

[Investigator]

Leroy got a call from Pat again and said, hey, listen, April 24, 1991 is a great time. I'm gonna be teaching class. Why don't you come up to North Carolina then and like your car breaks down and that you call Fred for help and that he comes and then you kill him there.

[Forensic Expert]

He drove up here to high point. Leroy brought with him the 22.

[Witness]

Pat had to go teach a class around 6ish, and Sabre had to go somewhere too. And so for a few hours of the evening, Fred was the only one that would have been home. And Sabre and Pat were both gone.

[Reporter]

At 9:30pm Leroy says he phoned the Brown residence.

[Forensic Expert]

He said, I've broken down on the highway, not Far from you. And of course, Fred said, well, I'll come out there and help you.

[Investigator]

Leroy pulls on Gallimore Dairy Road and he waits on Fred.

[Forensic Expert]

We removed the coil from his car. Fred and Leroy went to the front of Leroy's car, looked under the hood. Leroy went to the backseat of the car, got the gun and pulled the gun out and said, you and I need to take a walk.

[Investigator]

He basically tells Fred that your wife wants you dead.

[Forensic Expert]

Fred begged for his life, and Fred turned and started running. And Leroy shot him in the back. And he went down face first.

[Detective]

Leroy said he'd went up to him and shot him twice more in the head.

[Forensic Expert]

God, it was compelling. It was cold. Leroy got back in his car, fixed the coil, put the hood down and drove up just a little ways and forgot that he had supposed to make it look like a robbery. He walked back, got the wallet out of Fred's pants, got back in his car and drove off down to Alabama, throwing the wallet out on the way.

[Investigator]

Leroy had stopped at a service station, some pay phone, to call Pat to tell her that he had shot Fred Brown on Gallimore Dairy Road and left him for dead. And when they looked at Pat Brown's phone records, she'd received a call from somewhere in Alabama in the middle of the night.

[Forensic Expert]

At some later point a couple days later, through the 22 into the Coosa River.

[Detective]

His description of the crime scene was exactly the way it was. Leroy had already told two people he'd written the two letters. That's what was in the letter.

[Reporter]

While Leroy owns up to his role in the plot, he doubles down on the crime's true mastermind.

[Forensic Expert]

He took responsibility for the killing, but also said that Patricia, you know, she's the one behind it all. This was all about her wanting him dead and kept hounding them to do it.

[Pat Brown]

Fred was killed for no reason other than somebody was greedy and wanted some money.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Without the money and with Fred still in the picture, Pat couldn't keep her exotic birthday and she couldn't have the lifestyle that she had envisioned for herself.

[Reporter]

Of course, Leroy confesses he had a similar motive.

[Forensic Expert]

He was going to get 30,000 bucks. Of course, he never got that anywhere close to that. And they kept asking, and she kept saying, I don't have it, I don't have it, I don't have it. That's, you know, another reason this came to light. Cause Patricia never paid them.

[Detective]

If you're gonna hire somebody to kill somebody, you probably ought to pay them what you promised.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Leroy's story is compelling. For sure. But investigators have to figure out if he's telling the truth or if he's trying to get revenge on his ex wife and maybe even Pat.

[Witness]

He hated Sheila and he hated Pat. Why not take out the two people that you're mad at?

[Investigator]

They asked him, why'd you write that letter? It wasn't because he had a conscience that he felt bad. He wrote the letter because he didn't get paid.

[Reporter]

After speaking with Leroy, detectives break down his story, looking for proof that he's telling the truth.

[Forensic Expert]

There were phone records, and it did show correspondence between Patricia and Sheila on the dates and times that Leroy said.

[Investigator]

They also found that Leroy Wetzel had indeed been there for the simple reason that he got caught for a traffic ticket. These were all pieces to a jigsaw puzzle that started to come together.

[Reporter]

On July 21, 1994, investigators finally have enough evidence to obtain arrest warrants for Sheila and Pat.

[Pat Brown]

Pat got a phone call and the policeman said, we have a suspect. The murder of your husband Fred, and it's Leroy Wenzel. And then later on, they knocked on her door and she said, I felt you would be coming to see me soon.

[Reporter]

Coming up. While one sister stays quiet, the other sings like a bird.

[Investigator]

When she told the detectives that, yes.

[Pat Brown]

She was involved, I always thought that she had a hand in it somewhere.

[Reporter]

And Leroy brings a courtroom to its knees.

[Investigator]

He held out his hands like this, and they were shaking. You could drop a pen in that courtroom.

[Reporter]

By the summer of 1994, sisters Pat Brown and Sheila Wetzel are in custody, Both accused of conspiring with Sheila's ex husband, Leroy Wetzel, to murder Pat's husband, Fred Brown in 1991.

[Pat Brown]

I felt a lot of relief when they arrested Pat because deep down, I always thought that she had a hand in it some way or another.

[Reporter]

Now in custody, Pat maintains her innocence and refuses to give a statement. But her sister Sheila doesn't follow suit.

[Forensic Expert]

She knew everything. She knew everything and readily admitted it.

[Investigator]

Sheila was going to testify for the prosecution to say that her sister had killed her husband for money.

[Reporter]

When Pat's trial begins In May of 1995, both Sheila and Leroy take the stand against her. But it's Leroy who becomes an unlikely courtroom celebrity.

[Investigator]

Leroy Wetzel walks in the courtroom. This is short circuit. A man who stood 5 foot 3, 145 pounds, soaking wet. He came in with a beard down to here, hair down to the middle of his back. He had tattoos on both arms. I remember when he walked in, there was like a gasp in the courtroom. Just because of what he looked like.

[Reporter]

The judge orders Leroy to reenact the shooting using a stapler as a gun.

[Investigator]

He held out his hands like this, and they were shaking. You could drop a pen in that courtroom and it was quiet, Was just.

[Witness]

So emotionally charged in the courtroom.

[Reporter]

While Leroy holds the courtroom's attention, it's Pat's story that everyone is eager to hear.

[Sheila Wetzel]

Her attorneys argued that Sheila and Leroy are the ones who are looking for a payday, not Pat.

[Witness]

Leroy got a sense from when Pat was visiting her mom that Pat and Fred had money that they were well off, and so leroy saw them as a target.

[Reporter]

The defense claims the husband and wife intended to extort money from Fred by accusing him of having an affair.

[Witness]

Our defense was that Leroy was trying to blackmail Fred, and our position was that the blackmail was accusing Fred of having an affair and that he would disclose it.

[Investigator]

They wanted hush money. They said, if you don't give us so much money, you know, we're gonna tell Pat about your affair and you better pay up.

[Witness]

Leroy tries to get Fred to pay him money, and instead Fred says no and turns and runs. And Leroy, maybe not even thinking he's gonna kill Fred, but just reacts and he kills Fred.

[Detective]

The rumor that Fred was having an affair with another lady is something that we heard. It was based on the fact that when Pat was in the hospital with heart surgery, that a female came up and stayed with Fred. And we looked into and we located her, and there was nothing to it. That woman didn't have anything to do with Fred other than just a friend of the family. That was stuff that Pat's defense attorneys were trying to throw out there, but it just wasn't true.

[Reporter]

In closing arguments, the prosecution urges the jury to see through the lies and convict the true mastermind of this murder, Patricia Brown.

[Forensic Expert]

The defense did a, you know, really good job. You never know what a panel of 12 people are going to do.

[Reporter]

For two long days. The jury deliberates over the evidence.

[Witness]

When a jury is out a long time, that's more likely to be a not guilty verdict. But not in this case.

[Detective]

Patricia was found guilty of first degree murder. Then, of course, they came back and gave her life in prison.

[Reporter]

In 2002, less than seven years into her sentence, 53 year old Patricia Brown dies in prison.

[Witness]

Her health was such that we knew she probably wasn't going to last long in jail. She did actually pass away not terribly long after the conviction.

[Reporter]

Meanwhile, both Leroy and Sheila pay the price for their roles in the murder.

[Investigator]

Both Sheila Wetzel and Leroy Wetzel, they pled guilty. They pled guilty to second degree murder. Leroy got life plus 50 years. Sheila, his ex wife, got 50 years.

[Witness]

The death penalty was off the table for Leroy and that Sheila got a sentence where she had some hope of getting out before she died. And so those were the two things that they got.

[Detective]

The tragedy of this case is we destroyed two families over nothing and over a bunch of birds and some real estate debt.

[Reporter]

While Pat may have never admitted her guilt, it's clear that in the end she clipped her.

[Investigator]

Maybe that was the time when she snapped. Maybe that was the time that she came from a loving mother to a murderer.

[Witness]

Fred should be remembered as a good, decent man. I mean, he was living a good, honest life with his wife and his kids, just going through life like we all do.

[Pat Brown]

His legacy was the type of person he was that he would do anything in the world for. He loved what he was doing. He loved his students, he loved his family. Fred was a great guy, easygoing, well liked. It's just a terrible shame to lose somebody like that in that manner.

[Narrator]

After serving 11 years in prison, Sheila Wetzel was paroled in 2011. Leroy Wetzel was paroled in December of 2022.

[Luke Jones]

In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harbored a deep, dark scandal.

[Forensic Expert]

There wouldn't be a girl on Pit can once they reach the age of 10. That would still average it. It just happens to all of us.

[Luke Jones]

I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn.

[Forensic Expert]

When there's nobody watching, nobody going to.

[Investigator]

Report it, people will get away with.

[Pat Brown]

What they can get away with.

[Luke Jones]

In the Pitcairn trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery plus in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts, or Spotify.