Patricia McMillion

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Snapped: Women Who Murder" – Episode: Patricia McMillion

Introduction The episode of "Snapped: Women Who Murder," hosted by Oxygen and released on June 29, 2025, delves into the perplexing case of Kenneth McMillian, a hardworking family man whose sudden disappearance led to a shocking investigation and eventual conviction of his ex-wife, Patricia McMillian. This detailed recounting explores the timeline, relationships, and pivotal moments that culminated in Patricia's life-altering actions.

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Background of Kenneth and Patricia McMillian

Kenneth McMillian was born on June 20, 1954, in Sherman, Texas, growing up in a small-town environment where he excelled in his work at a local machine shop, renowned for metal fabrication for Texas Instruments programs. Described by Sebastian Maniscalco, an award-winning comedian and actor, Kenneth was "very well mannered, shy, slow to speak" ([04:37]).

In the late 1970s, Kenneth met Patricia Dunlap (later McMillian), born on June 19, 1959, in Missouri. Their relationship blossomed into marriage in 1981 after three years together. The couple built a life together, purchasing 15 acres of land and constructing a "big beautiful home" ([06:14]). They welcomed a daughter in 1988, and Patricia launched her own seamstress business, balancing family life with entrepreneurial pursuits.

Quotes:

• Sebastian Maniscalco: “He would do just about anything to make her happy. I don't know of anything that he wouldn't have done for her.” ([05:56])

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Deterioration of the Marriage and Divorce

By 2007, after 27 years of marriage, the McMillian family dynamic began to shift. As their daughter reached adulthood and they became empty nesters, tensions arose. Kenneth's increasing night shifts strained their relationship, leading him to file for divorce in August 2007. Following the divorce, Patricia reconnected with a former colleague, Harold Ballard, sparking a new romantic involvement.

Quotes:

• Sebastian Maniscalco: “He was trying to figure out what he could do to not have to go through a divorce. But when he started working night shift, then he was gone all night. It pushed him further apart because she didn't want nothing to do with him anymore.” ([07:49])

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Kenneth McMillian’s Disappearance

On June 16, 2008, at around 6:30 PM in Louella, Texas, Rhonda Hudson, a friend of Kenneth's, reported his disappearance to the Grayson County Sheriff's Department. Rhonda expressed concern as Kenneth had not returned from meeting Patricia at their former shared home and had missed his shift at the Raytheon manufacturing plant ([06:41]).

Initial Police Response: Deputies arrived at the McMillian residence the same morning and encountered a tense situation between Patricia and Harold Ballard. Kenneth had approached Deputy chairs, accusing Patricia and Harold of stealing a trailer. Authorities escorted Harold off the property but noted Kenneth's unusual behavior ([10:00]–[12:30]).

Quotes:

• Sebastian Maniscalco: “I would never guess that I went undercover to solve a murder. I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. I need to know is there anything.” ([02:17])

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Investigation Unfolds

As investigators probed deeper, they discovered that Rhonda Hudson, who reported Kenneth missing, was romantically involved with him despite being married to Phil Hudson. This revelation raised suspicions about Rhonda's motives and truthfulness ([14:17]).

Through GPS tracking, authorities located Kenneth’s vehicle in Dallas at the Million Dollar Saloon, a gentleman's club. However, surveillance footage showed no sign of Kenneth, deepening the mystery surrounding his disappearance ([17:17]–[18:38]).

Interviews and Leads: Patricia failed to attend a scheduled interview initially, leading investigators to discover her activities at a local storage unit. Under continued questioning, Patricia remained evasive until critical information surfaced ([19:52]–[21:25]).

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Harold Ballard’s Involvement and Arrest

Harold Ballard became a key suspect, especially after inconsistencies in his alibi were uncovered. Phone records placed him near the crime scene in Louisiana on the night of Kenneth’s death, contradicting his claim of being in Oklahoma ([28:53]–[30:03]).

Patricia’s lack of emotional response upon hearing of her ex-husband’s death further aroused suspicion. Concurrently, Harold confessed to assisting Patricia in disposing of Kenneth’s body, revealing their complicity in the crime ([31:04]–[35:51]).

Quotes:

• Sebastian Maniscalco: "Harold's phone was pinging off a tower 20 miles away from where the body was found. We had his statements, his phone records, the fact that he had had conflict with Kenneth and the fact that he was one of the last persons to see Mr. McMillan alive." ([28:53])

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Trial and Conviction

In June 2009, the case proceeded to trial where prosecutors portrayed Patricia as a woman consumed by anger and rage post-divorce. Patricia countered by alleging severe abuse by Kenneth, claiming self-defense during their fatal altercation. However, the prosecution dismantled her narrative, presenting evidence of premeditation and the implausibility of her self-defense claims.

Key Trial Moments:

• Patricia demonstrated a fake gun manipulation, attempting to recreate the murder scenario, which appeared "unconvincing" ([43:14]).
• Testimonies from the daughter and lack of evidence supporting Patricia’s abuse claims undermined her defense ([43:58]–[44:37]).

Ultimately, on June 10, 2009, the jury convicted Patricia McMillian of Kenneth’s murder, sentencing her to 80 years in prison. Harold Ballard received a plea deal, serving reduced probation in exchange for his cooperation ([44:42]–[45:05]).

Quotes:

• Sebastian Maniscalco: “We were concerned that he just didn't want to be found. People, sometimes they're unpredictable.” ([21:09])

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Aftermath and Reflections

For Kenneth’s family and friends, the trial's conclusion provided no true closure. Patricia’s actions not only ended Kenneth’s life but also devastated their daughter, leaving an enduring scar on the family. Patricia McMillian now serves her sentence at Carroll Young Complex in Texas, while Harold Ballard reflects on his misguided choices, expressing regret over his involvement ([45:33]–[46:50]).

Final Remarks:

• Sebastian Maniscalco emphasized the tragedy of losing a good person and the ripple effects on the family, highlighting the loss of "goodness" in the world ([46:50]).

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Conclusion

The "Snapped: Women Who Murder" episode on Patricia McMillian offers a comprehensive exploration of a seemingly stable marriage that crumbled, leading to an orchestrated murder fueled by unresolved anger and betrayal. Through meticulous investigation and the unraveling of deceitful alibis, justice was ultimately served, albeit leaving a trail of heartbreak and loss in its wake.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Sebastian Maniscalco ([04:37]): “He was very well mannered, shy, slow to speak. He just took things and did his job and was good at his job.”
• Sebastian Maniscalco ([07:49]): “He was trying to figure out what he could do to not have to go through a divorce. But when he started working night shift, then he was gone all night. It pushed him further apart because she didn't want nothing to do with him anymore.”
• Sebastian Maniscalco ([28:53]): “Harold's phone was pinging off a tower 20 miles away from where the body was found. We had his statements, his phone records, the fact that he had had conflict with Kenneth and the fact that he was one of the last persons to see Mr. McMillan alive.”
• Sebastian Maniscalco ([43:14]): “I had a toy gun that I had bought and I gave her the toy gun and got her down off the stand. So I want you to take the jury through how this murder went down.”
• Sebastian Maniscalco ([46:50]): “So the world could be much better with more people like him in the world.”

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This summary encapsulates the key elements of the episode, providing a coherent narrative that outlines the tragic events leading to Patricia McMillian’s conviction, supported by direct quotes and timestamps for authenticity and engagement.

Transcript

[Maya Lau]

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He didn't show up for work. He's not a person to miss work. My gut's telling me something's not right here.

[Maya Lau]

And a gruesome discovery in a Louisiana swamp exposes a suspect.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We were notified by some fishermen there was a body in the canal. My cell phone rang and that's when I was informed that it was time to go to alligator country.

[Maya Lau]

But an unlikely hero will bring the real killer down.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I would never guess that I went undercover to solve a murder. I'm not going to get any sleep tonight. I need to know is there anything.

[Maya Lau]

That'S going to come up?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I would have never dreamt in that Christian in life that this would have ever happened.

[Maya Lau]

June 16, 2008 Louella, Texas around 6:30pm Dispatchers at the Grayson County Sheriff's Department receive a phone call from 50 year old Rhonda Hudson. She's worried about her friend, 53 year old Kenneth McMillion.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Rhonda and her husband were good friends and she allowed Kenneth to stay with them while he was going through a divorce.

[Maya Lau]

She was wanting us to do a.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Welfare check on Kenneth McMillian because he.

[Maya Lau]

Hadn'T come home yet and she hadn't.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Been able to get a hold of him.

[Maya Lau]

Not only that, Rhonda tells police that Kenneth hadn't shown up for his shift at the local Raytheon manufacturing plant.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Raytheon advised that he didn't show up for work. That wasn't like Kenneth to do that and that was really concerning to Rhonda.

[Maya Lau]

Rhonda says she last saw Kenneth when he was leaving to meet his ex wife, 48 year old Patricia McMillian, at the home they'd once shared.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Kenneth and Patricia McMillan had gone through a divorce. Ultimately, he had been awarded their house. She was well overdue for moving out. He was going out to the property and he had not been heard from since he had went out there. There's all kinds of things that I'm sure go through officers heads when they hear that someone is missing. The sheriff's office didn't disregard that. They immediately went to check on him.

[Maya Lau]

Kenneth McMillion was born on June 20, 1954 to parents Leroy and Martha McMillian. Kenneth spent his childhood in Sherman, Texas.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He grew up in the country. I think his high school had a class of 12 or total 12 in the school. After high school he discovered there was a machine shop where they did metal fab for various Texas Instruments programs. And he was able to get hired in into that machine shop. I worked with Hillman, his brother, several times. He was very well mannered, shy, slow to speak. He just took things and did his job and was good at his job.

[Maya Lau]

It was in the late 1970s when he met his future wife, Patricia Dunlap. She was born June 19, 1959 in Missouri.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

She always had her makeup done and always had her hair styled. She did have family in Sherman, but there was no real connection to the family. As far as feeling like she was a part of the family. I don't think she felt that way.

[Maya Lau]

When Patricia met Kenneth McMillion in 1978, she found the lasting connection she'd always longed for. After three years together, they married in 1981.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He would do just about anything it could to make her happy. I don't know of anything that he wouldn't have done for her.

[Maya Lau]

Not long after they got married, they bought a plot of land, 15 acres, built a home.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

And it was a big beautiful home. And Patricia just loved to show off her home.

[Maya Lau]

She was very proud of what they had done. In 1988, Patricia gave birth to a daughter.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

They were perfect couple. I mean, then you got your daughter, you just built the house. They were a happy go lucky family.

[Maya Lau]

Kenneth continued to work at the plant. In between ball games and school functions, Patricia launched her own business on the side.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

She was a seamstress, loved to sew. She kept very, very busy with her business and trying to build it up and make it bigger.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia was generous with her time and skills.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Patricia was very nice to me. She was always cordial and she would ask me how I was doing.

[Maya Lau]

She was reserved.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

But Patricia was very helpful. She wanted to help me with the children's home that we did for Christmas time. And she helped with embroidering. She helped out every year.

[Maya Lau]

She was very pleasant. By 2007, after Patricia and Kenneth's daughter had entered adulthood, their once loving marriage had deteriorated. Kenneth and Patricia were married for 27 years. And once they became empty nesters, there was a shift in their relationship.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He was telling me certain things that had gone on and he was trying to figure out why. All of a sudden, she didn't like him no more. She had moved to a different room of the house. It's like they had turned into roommates instead of married partners. He was trying to figure out what he could do to not have to go through a divorce. But when he started working night shift, then he was gone all night. It pushed him further apart because she didn't want nothing to do with him anymore. Pretty much, he was ready for it to be over.

[Maya Lau]

In August of 2007, Kenneth McMillan filed for divorce. During that time, he lived with Rhonda and her husband Phil in the spare room. In the months after Kenneth moved out, Patricia reconnected with a former co worker and friend, Harold Ballard.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He and Patricia McMillan had worked together at a local factory, and that's how he knew her. And in some way, he found out that she was getting a divorce and he had contacted her not long after that. That relationship became a romantic one.

[Maya Lau]

Kenneth and Patricia's divorce was finalized on April 17, 2008.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Part of the deal is that she moved out of the house and she was to get $110,000 for giving up the house.

[Maya Lau]

He was awarded the home. But Kenneth did allow Patricia some time to get her things moved out. It did seem, with the divorce finalized and the plans for Patricia to move out, that they would be able to get a fresh start and go their separate ways. Amicably. But just two months later, on June 16, Kenneth is reported missing by his friend Rhonda Hudson. Before Grayson county deputies head to the home Kenneth used to share with Patricia, they discover an incident report for the same address from earlier that morning.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It's around 6:30, 7:00 in the morning. Patricia McMillion had contacted Kenneth by phone and was asking about a trailer that was on the property that she could not find. And she thought it might be stolen and told Kenneth that he needed to come out there and make a police report, which he did.

[Maya Lau]

According to the report, when the deputy arrived at the home that morning, he found Patricia. Kenneth and Patricia's love interest, 60 year old Harold Ballard.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Harold was helping her move out from 176 Knapp Road. During the meeting with deputies, there was words said between Kenneth McMillion and Harold Ballard. Kenneth didn't like the fact that Harold was there helping her. He thought he had a cocky attitude.

[Maya Lau]

Kenneth accused Patricia and Harold of stealing a trailer.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Kenneth McMillian ordered Harold Ballard off his property and he asked deputies to give a criminal trespass warning to him. The deputy told him he was trespassing and that he couldn't come back on the property.

[Maya Lau]

At the request of the deputies, Harold left. But he didn't go quietly.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Harold had made actual threats in the presence of a police officer against Kenneth, who was now missing.

[Maya Lau]

Eleven hours later, sheriff's deputies prepare to head back to the McMillian home.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I made contact with Patricia who was there and explained, you know, I'm doing a welfare check. Nobody's heard from Kenneth.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia says that Kenneth left soon after the deputies escorted Harold off the property.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Patricia Mamillion said that Kenneth left around lunchtime saying he was going to get something to eat. She hadn't seen or heard from him since.

[Maya Lau]

I asked her for consent to walk through the house and she was with me the whole time looking to see.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Is there anything, you know, to indicate.

[Maya Lau]

That something happened here? Blood, overturned furniture in a room, Any indication of a struggle. Deputies don't find anything suspicious, but after leaving the residence, their concerns linger.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I've kind of started sounding the alarm.

[Maya Lau]

With my supervisor that hey, we don't really have anything concrete to say something.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Happened yet, but my gut's telling me.

[Maya Lau]

Something'S not right here. Coming up, intimate details of Kenneth's life come to light. Rhonda was married and his relationship with Rhonda was not purely platonic. They were romantically leaked. From there, the secrets continue to unfold.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The only thing I could suspect is that he's running around with her like he ran around with me.

[Maya Lau]

After Kenneth McMillion is reported missing on June 16, 2008, Grayson county officials investigated an incident that took place that same day at the home Kenneth used to share with his ex wife, Patricia.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Patricia was there.

[Maya Lau]

Kenneth's cars nowhere inside. I didn't find him up at the house, and we hadn't been able to get a hold of him.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We were briefed after deputy chairs went out to the scene, and he was indicating that things didn't seem right.

[Maya Lau]

Investigators immediately contact Kenneth's boss at the manufacturing plant. He confirms that Kenneth never showed up for his shift.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

His immediate boss was had came by and asked me if I had heard from Kenneth or if I knew anything. And I told him that he didn't show up and people were concerned already. He said this was not like Kenneth to miss work.

[Maya Lau]

But when investigators speak with Kenneth's co workers in the days following his disappearance, they learn something unexpected about Rhonda Hudson, the woman who reported Kenneth missing. One of Kenneth's coworkers shared that his relationship with Rhonda, who was married, was not purely platonic. They were romantically linked, a fact Rhonda didn't share when she made the call.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Anytime someone isn't consistent with you, but their stories begin to change. Red flags go up on that about what is it you're trying to hide? Is this simply maybe embarrassment, or is this significant in this investigation?

[Maya Lau]

With more questions than answers, investigators arrange an interview with Rhonda and her husband, Phil. With Rhonda and Phil, we're trying to just really understand what that relationship was. The couple explains they took Kenneth in, following his son split from Patricia.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Rhonda and her husband were friends of Kenneth and allowed Kenneth to stay with them while Patricia moved all of her stuff out of the house.

[Maya Lau]

The arrangement had sparked a romance between longtime friends Kenneth and Rhonda.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Kenneth and Rhonda, they were kind of dating, basically. Even though she was still married, he was staying at that house. Her husband still lived there, and I thought that was kind of an odd situation, but he seemed to be a happier person when he was around her.

[Maya Lau]

Phil tells investigators that he is aware of their relationship, and it is no surprise to him. Phil didn't seem to have any issue with Kenneth having a relationship with Rhonda, even under the same roof. It sounds like the three of them had a great relationship. Rhonda and Phil actually seem to agree that they were headed their own separate ways.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

There was no signs of deception, and she was forthcoming with Information, and she helped us to put the pieces together.

[Maya Lau]

With no reason to suspect Phil or Rhonda were involved in Kenneth's disappearance, investigators wrap up their interviews. Investigators ask Patricia to come into the sheriff's office and answer a few more questions while they attempt to locate Kenneth's vehicle, a 2006 Honda.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We learned that Kenneth McMillion's vehicle has a GPS based system on it. Law enforcement can hone in on the signal, and it will lead them right to where the vehicle's located.

[Maya Lau]

A hit quickly comes through, but the location comes as a surprise.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

It was located in Dallas, in the parking lot of the Million Dollar Saloon, which is a gentleman's club, as it were.

[Maya Lau]

As they make the hour drive to Dallas, investigators wonder, did Kenneth simply head out of town to blow off steam?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

One of the reasons why we went there was because Kenneth McMillian himself could be inside there. It's unknown what a person's thinking sometimes, and they might just want to get away.

[Maya Lau]

At the parking lot, investigators locate Kenneth's empty vehicle.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We did not find anything of evidentiary value in the vehicle. We went ahead and notified management who we were and asked them if they knew who owned the car or seen anybody park the car. We had pictures of Kenneth McMillion, and we showed him, but they didn't recognize him.

[Maya Lau]

Even more puzzling is that footage from cameras inside the club also show no trace of Kenneth.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He did not drink, he did not party. He did not hang out at places like that. And nor would he if you invite him. He wouldn't do that. And for them to say his car was totally left there, I knew that wasn't him.

[Maya Lau]

Despite agreeing to answer questions, Patricia fails to show up at the station. Investigators track her down at a local storage unit she secured before moving out of the family home.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I'm sure you're busy. You got things you need to do. We need to follow up on some stuff. Okay. He was supposed to come up. Sheriff's office. He got tied up. Because I've been in here looking for Kenneth's references for his. For his relatives. Well, I tell you what, we could probably wait on that. Okay. Where do you think Kenneth is? I have an idea. I said, only thing I could suspect is that he's running around with Ronda.

[Maya Lau]

He.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Like he ran around on me when we were. We were still married. He would take off and just leave. Where would he go? I don't have any idea, and he would never tell me.

[Maya Lau]

Hoping to gain more background, investigators ask to continue their interview at the station.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Would you feel comfortable coming up to the office? Yes, sir.

[Maya Lau]

Finally, at the station, law enforcement conducts an official interview with Patricia. They start by asking her about the argument between Kenneth and Harold Ballard the morning Kenneth went missing.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

What was Harold's demeanor at that time? Was he a little pissed off? No, he wasn't. No, he wasn't. Did he say anything to Kenneth at that time? I'm thinking I'd be a little mad. He knew that Kenneth's wanting me out, and he's been hounding me and harassing me to get me out. And then Kenneth throws him off the property, and then that leaves me high and dry. Harold was upset because he couldn't be there to help Patricia move.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia seems certain that Kenneth isn't really missing, that he left by choice. With nothing to hold her on, investigators are forced to let her go.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We were concerned that he just didn't want to be found. People, sometimes they're unpredictable.

[Maya Lau]

But before they can dive into that theory, investigators get a phone call with groundbreaking information.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I got a phone call advising they had found Kenneth MacMillian's body in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

[Maya Lau]

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[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Cameron Parish Sheriff's Office been notified by some fishermen. There was a body in the canal down there. It's very unusual to have someone last seen in Sherman, Texas. Car found in Dallas, Texas. Body found 450 miles away in Louisiana. And so everybody's wondering what happened, who did it.

[Maya Lau]

The body was found face down in the marsh.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He wasn't wearing a shirt. He had ropes tied around his feet and it appeared to be a gunshot wound to his back. He had been tied down with blocks, but not well tied, so it had floated up. A person don't normally tie cinder blocks to themselves and then jump in the water. It's hard to shoot yourself in the back. So they knew there was foul play involved. They were able to identify Kenneth through the use of an orthopedic insert in his shoe. The pathologists were able to recover a.22 round from his back. So now we knew what kind of weapon was used, meaning caliber. Somebody had shot Mr. McLean and then dumped his body in Louisiana.

[Maya Lau]

Grayson county deputies pay a visit to Patricia to deliver the news.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We told her that Kenneth's body had been found. I asked Patricia was there anybody that might hurt Kenneth or did he have any enemies and she couldn't come up with any.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia also has no idea why Kenneth would have been in Louisiana, nor Does anyone else who knew him?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He never talked about taking a trip to Louisiana or anything like that. And he wouldn't have gone by himself. That was totally odd. Kenny would not do that. He didn't. He very straight laced. Go to work, go home. Go to work, go home.

[Maya Lau]

With nothing else to go on, investigators follow up on the only lead they have left. Patricia's new flame, Harold Ballard.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We had already had our suspicion about Harold Ballard because he had a confrontation with him. When I interviewed Harold Ballard, the body had already been found, and I didn't let him know. I wanted to get him locked into a statement.

[Maya Lau]

Harold admits there was tension between himself and Kenneth. The morning Kenneth went missing.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He decided he was going to put his finger in my chest. Did he actually make contact with you? Oh, yeah, he did. And what did you do? I told him not to do it.

[Maya Lau]

But Harold insists that he wasn't there to fight with Kenneth. He was there to help Patricia.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

And I know somebody sticks their finger in my chest, I'm not gonna be happy. Well, I wasn't happy, but nevertheless, I wasn't there to cause trouble.

[Maya Lau]

They asked Harold what he did that morning after he left the McMillian home.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

He said, hey, after that confrontation, I needed to get out of town. So Harold Bowler claimed that he had gone to Turner Falls, Oklahoma, and decided to spend the night. You slept on the side of the road and stuff like that? Yeah, I sure did. Okay. And did you make contact with anybody on your trip? I didn't talk to anyone. All I know is what I told you. I haven't saw Mr. McMillan since Monday, the day that I was ordered off the property. Okay. Okay.

[Maya Lau]

Investigators take a break from questioning Harold and leave the room.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Jesus.

[Maya Lau]

Without more evidence, investigators have to let Harold go and they start checking his alibi.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

In this day and time, one of the best ways to tell where people are is where their phone is. Once we got those records on an emergency type situation, his phone pinged down in Louisiana the night that he said he was in Oklahoma. So we immediately knew Harold wasn't shooting straight with us. His phone was pinging off a tower 20 miles away from where the body was found. We had his statements, his phone records, the fact that he had had conflict with Kenneth and the fact that he was one of the last persons to see Mr. McMillan alive.

[Maya Lau]

On June 20, investigators place Harold under arrest for the murder of Kenneth McMillian.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Harold and Patricia was out there and they were playing Domino's, I believe. When we approached him, we advised him he was under arrest.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia's reaction attracts attention.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Patricia didn't appear to be emotional at all, wasn't surprised at all, didn't appear to upset.

[Maya Lau]

Investigators are certain they have the right man, but they wonder, did he work alone? It would be very difficult for one person to dispose of this body, drive it all the way to Louisiana, 400 miles away, and place the car at the Dallas strip club. At the same time as the arrest, investigators seize Harold's truck.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We had had a search warrant for his pickup truck, and when we seized Harold, we seized his vehicle as well.

[Maya Lau]

They could not find the gun itself, but they did find.22ammunition in Harold's truck, and they knew it was a.22 that had been fired into Kenneth McMillian's back. But before investigators can question Harold about the bullets, Harold's lawyer reaches out to them.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Well, Harold's lawyer contacted us, said that he wanted to talk.

[Maya Lau]

At that point, he realized that he was in pretty deep and it was time to come clean. Coming up, an unlikely individual helps investigators with a high stakes sting.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Can I tell you it's incompetent?

[Maya Lau]

Yes. And loyalties begin to crumble.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Neither one of us said anything. We just drove in silence. I regret till today that I didn't see how desperate she had gotten.

[Maya Lau]

On June 20, 2008, investigators arrested Harold Ballard for the shooting death of Kenneth McMillion. After three weeks behind bars, Harold's claims of innocence appear to waver.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

His defense attorney said, my guy wants to talk with y' all. Patricia, she was a sweet person from the beginning, but it was a whole different person. Twenty years later, though, I regret still today that I didn't see how desperate she had gotten. It was kind of like bridge had kind of started to burn because the real friend would not let another friend take the rap for something they knew they did.

[Maya Lau]

On July 11, Harold meets with investigators. He says that on June 16, he got a call from Patricia. Just after 9:00am.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

My cell phone rang, and that's when I was informed that it was time to go to alligator country. Call on cell phone. When she said, we're going to alligator country, did you know what she was talking about? Well, she had talked about she had gotten to the point where she didn't know how much more she could take. Okay, how would you relate alligator country to what she said, though? I mean, did she talk about doing something like this prior to that? You know, offhanded? I think she did. Harold said that she had mentioned once before about it'd be nice if Kenneth disappeared and alligators ate him. And what did Patricia say over the phone happen? She said he was dead.

[Maya Lau]

Harold immediately drove to the home on Saturday.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I saw that his car was still there. And it kind of made me kind of leery. I just stopped about maybe two or three feet away and just looked. And when I looked towards the house, she was standing in the window. I knocked on the door. I asked her where he was. She said he was around there, to the south of the house. I walked around there to see him and he was sure he was laying face up. Did she say what happened? She never did say. But after looking at him, I gathered that she shot him.

[Maya Lau]

Harold said they hatched a plan for him to return at night to move Kenneth's body.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We wrapped his body up in some types of heavy plastic, put it in the back of my truck that night. This is around Christmas time, so they cover the back of the pickup truck with Christmas decorations, ornaments, I think a tree. I convinced myself that I was doing the right thing for a friend. But it sounded like, well, you should know better. But I just saw a friend who reached out to me.

[Maya Lau]

With Patricia driving Kenneth's Honda and Harold in the truck, they set out for Dallas.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

They went up to the Million Dollar Saloon. And after she dropped the vehicle off at the Million Dollar Saloon, that she got in the truck with him and they drove to Louisiana. We stopped and found a pretty well secluded spot where we could back up and kind of like throw the body, push it off the back of the truck. She wanted to use some blocks, some cinder blocks. Tie cinder blocks to his head and to his feet. Was there a cinder blocks used? Yes.

[Maya Lau]

They hastily shoved Kenneth's body into the water and headed back to Texas.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

This whole time, did Patricia talk or say anything? I mean, she just committed murder? No, she didn't say nothing. Matter of fact, neither one of us said anything. We just drove inside. I know that now that I shouldn't have done what I'd done. But I had nothing to do with Mr. McMillan today. That's the hardest cause. Truth.

[Maya Lau]

Harold tells them that after sitting in jail for six several weeks, he realized Patricia would gladly let him take the fall.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

And now that I think about it, I guess I think she was setting me up then. I guess, yes, sir. I was disappointed. I thought we had a better friendship than that.

[Maya Lau]

Investigators believe Harold's story. But in order to arrest Patricia, they will need more.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The evidence is starting to be real strong. But Harold Ballard is a co conspirator. It's his word that she's the one that committed the murder.

[Maya Lau]

Then, on July 17, investigators have a chance meeting with Harold's brother, Joe.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I came down one day to visit Harold, and one of the detectives on the case wanted to know if I had a few moments for him to talk with me. We tell him the truth, that we had taken Harold to Louisiana. He had confessed to his part and asked him if he had made contact with Patricia. Joe said that, yeah, she's actually trying to get a hold of me, and she wants to meet up with me. I knew Patricia through my brother. And they said, well, the only way that we cannot charge your brother for murder is if we get a confession from Patricia.

[Maya Lau]

Authorities ask Joe if he would be willing to help his brother out by meeting up with Patricia and wearing a wire. He agrees.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I would never guess that I went undercover to solve a murder, but life has a lot of twists and turns to it, and you never know what you're gonna be asked to do or what you're gonna need to do to help someone that you love.

[Maya Lau]

Joe arranges to meet up with Patricia on the evening of July 19. Police survey the sting from nearby, but stay out of sight.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

So I get there, pull in. She gets in on the passenger side. Of course, everything is going through my mind. As far as you know, is there anybody else here with her, or are we alone? Getting a little nervous, but sweating a little bit. I'm in now. I can't. There's nothing I can do now. And I know that the detectives and the Texas Rangers, they are nowhere in sight. I'm on my own. So I kind of turn to her and we just start talking.

[Maya Lau]

You can talk to me, right?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Harold is my brother. I love him to death. And I'm here as your friend. Okay? He has shared that. He's concerned with the gun itself. It's gone. It won't be found. I went and dumped it in Lake Texas. They have no case. As long as Harold sits over there, quiet as a church mouse, they don't have a case. So, you know, I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight because now I got to wrestle with this.

[Maya Lau]

I need to know, is there anything that's going to come up?

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Can I tell you this in company? Yes. Kenneth was just there by himself with me. I went on him. I shot him. I would have never dreamed that I would even go this far. I would have never dreamt in my Christian life that this would have ever happened. Joe Ballard was able to steer the conversation toward what he knew that we had to have in that recording, and that was that she pulled the trigger and that Harold wasn't there.

[Maya Lau]

Coming up, authorities are ready to make their move. Move.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

We sat up all night making sure that she didn't leave.

[Maya Lau]

But will Patricia's shocking accusations derail the case? She was afraid for her life. There was some sort of a scuffle. A little over a month after Kenneth McMillion disappeared, investigators are finally ready to arrest his ex wife, Patricia McMillian, for his murder.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

After the wiretap, we knew that she had went back to Snap Road, and we sat up all night making sure that she didn't leave. Typing warrants, it takes a lot of time. We wanted everything right now. We arrested her the very next day. Day. Patricia's daughter started off with us somewhat resistant to the idea that her mother had killed her father. But ultimately, the evidence was overwhelming to the point where she understood.

[Maya Lau]

In June of 2009, the case goes to trial. Prosecutors paint Patricia as a murderer driven by rage.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Patricia didn't like the outcome of the divorce. She was still bitter that she had to move out of the house. I think that it was simply anger and a woman who felt like she needed to get even.

[Maya Lau]

But Patricia takes the seat stand and counters with an explosive claim. Patricia gave testimony that she had suffered abuse from Kenneth McMillan, verbal abuse. She felt he was controlling. She even alleged physical abuse. Patricia claims that on the morning of the murder, she and Kenneth got into an argument that turned physical. She painted the picture that she was afraid for her life, that she had the.22, and that there was some sort of a scuffle. Prosecutors ask Patricia to demonstrate how the incident led to her shooting Kenneth in the back.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

I had a toy gun that I had bought and I gave her the toy gun and got her down off the stand. So I want you to take the jury through how this murder went down. And we actually got down on the floor with her kind of on top of me, and she stuck that gun in my back and started pulling the trigger. Click, click, click. And it was pretty riveting to see her in the courtroom, well, wrestling with the prosecutor and ultimately showing her made up version of how she shot Kenneth.

[Maya Lau]

It was riveting, but unconvincing. Patricia's defense unravels.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Not only did she shoot him in the back at fairly close range, then when you go hauling the, the body down like they did and dumping it. Most people who act in self defense don't do that. The daughter testified there was not abuse going on in the home. No one else indicated any abuse. No co workers ever saw any bruises. On her heard her complaint about the husband. So her claim that this was necessary to prevent further domestic violence was Simply false.

[Maya Lau]

On June 10, 2009, the jury returns a verdict.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

Well, the jury listened to this evidence and they were not convinced of Patricia's self defense story. And they convicted her and sentenced her to 80 years in prison.

[Maya Lau]

In August 2009, Harold takes a plea deal. He receives a reduced sentence, 10 years of probation in exchange for helping prosecutors.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The truth will set you free. Even though I make some dumb mistakes, if I could rewrite the part of that life, I would rewrite it a whole lot different. Definitely do it a lot different, that's for sure. The judges said, I sentenced you to seven years in prison. I'm going to probate or suspend that to 10 years probation. But if he messed up his probation and we revoked him, he could get up to seven years in prison.

[Maya Lau]

For Kenneth's friends and family, the end of the trial marks the beginning of a different but still painful era. There was no closure for the friends.

[Sebastian Maniscalco]

The family, anybody who knew Kenneth McMillan. Why didn't she just plain walk away? That wasn't the Patricia I knew. That was a woman that was full of hate and only God knows why. She was very much controlling Kenneth most of his life. And I think that him making a choice to take his life in a different direction broke that control that she had over him. And I don't think she knew how to handle that. The number one victim is their daughter. Not only did she lose a father, she's lost her mother. Kenneth was just an overall good person. So the world lost its goodness. That is sad because the world could be much better with more people like him in the world.

[Maya Lau]

Patricia McMillian is serving an 80 year sentence at Carroll Young Complex in Texas. Hey, I'm Cassidy Depechel, the host of Wondery's podcast Against the Odds. In each episode, we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who live to tell the tale in our next season. It's August 3, 1991. A Greek cruise ship, the Oceanos, sets sail into a brutal storm off South Africa's Wild Coast. Soon after disaster strikes. A breach in the hull knocks out power and floods the ship. But instead of helping the senior officers abandon their posts with no leadership, the entertainers must step up and lead a desperate evacuation to save hundreds of lives before the ship sinks beneath the sea. Follow against the odds on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts binge the entire season ad free right now only on Wondery plus, start your free trial in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.