Podcast Summary: The Deck – Patricia Allen (Queen of Hearts, Washington)

Podcast: The Deck
Host: Ashley Flowers (audiochuck)
Episode: Patricia Allen (Queen of Hearts, Washington)
Date: September 3, 2025

Main Theme

This episode investigates the 1995 unsolved murder of Patricia Allen in Yakima, Washington, a case featured on a "cold case" playing card as the Queen of Hearts. Through detailed interviews, narrative, and insight from detectives, Ashley Flowers walks listeners through the crime, the investigation, theories, and the lasting mysteries that surround one of the Pacific Northwest’s strangest unsolved cases. The goal: to bring renewed attention and hopefully new leads to help solve Patricia Allen’s murder.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Crime

• Timeline of Events
  • On October 3, 1995, Patricia ("Patty") Allen was found murdered in her apartment by her boyfriend, Wren Bills, after returning from work around 2:00 AM.
    • [02:00] Wren arrives, notices the door isn’t deadbolted, and finds Patty dead on the couch.
    • [03:30] Wren tries to call 911 but has to get help from the building manager.

2. Crime Scene & Investigation

• Crime Scene Details
  • Patty was stabbed once in the heart with a kitchen knife from her own apartment.
  • The murder weapon was left behind on a striped towel that did not belong to the couple.
  • The apartment was untidy, with takeout, beer bottles, and trash, suggesting a normal night—except for the missing purse and wallet.
  • The window to the bedroom was found pried open, stick removed from the inside (possibly by the victim or the killer).
    • [05:14] Detective Nolan Wentz notes the unusual behavior surrounding the knife block being taken and tossed over a fence:
      • "Why would someone remove the knife block... but leave the actual murder weapon?" – Detective Nolan Wentz [08:59]

3. Personal Relationships and Motives

• Wren Bills (Boyfriend):
  • Initially scrutinized but cleared due to work alibi and corroborated timeline.
• Love Triangle Theory:
  • Rumors Patty may have been involved with Rick Rhodes (who sent her flowers).
  • Wren and Patty had reconciled before the murder.
• Nathan (Former Roommate):
  • Disliked by Patty, but was confirmed to be in California at the time.

4. Brandi (Best Friend): Suspect or Victim?

• Complicated Friendship
  • Brandi idolized Patty, possibly wanted to "be" her.
  • Patty accused Brandi of trying to steal her boyfriend, Wren.
  • Tension peaked after Patty cut Brandi off shortly before the murder.
• Suspicious Behavior
  • Brandi discovered she was pregnant the day of the murder; her boyfriend reacted negatively, leaving her feeling isolated.
  • At the funeral, Brandi behaved in a way many attendees found "over the top" and inappropriate.
    • "She was just wailing and carrying on and hanging on to Wren... inserting herself as Patti with Wren." – Detective Wentz [24:12]
• Police Interactions & Physical Evidence
  • Brandi subjected to two inconclusive polygraph exams.
  • Synthetic wig fiber found on the crime scene towel, but no conclusive match to Brandi’s wigs.
  • Brandi and Wren later lived together in California, but she abruptly fled when she learned Wentz was investigating.
  • Brandi’s DNA did not match the suspect DNA found on the knife.

5. DNA Evidence—Major Development

• Testing and Results
  • Two DNA profiles found on knife handle: one too degraded, the other suitable for comparison.
  • The profile was male, not Brandi, not Patty.
    • "Brandi was not a match to the DNA. The unknown profile has since been added to CODIS... but so far there haven't been any hits." – Ashley Flowers [36:02]
  • Notably, no DNA samples have been obtained from Wren or other key men (e.g., Rick, neighbor Jeff).

6. Other Suspects and Theories

• Patty Raspberry (Aunt) & Randy (Boyfriend):
  • Previously broke into Patty’s apartment through the same window; both had criminal histories, but had “good alibis” at the time of the murder, though alibi details are lost to time.
• Neighbor Jeff Shaw:
  • Jeff lived next door, had a mysterious scratch on his face after the murder.
  • Worked at Costco, and the striped towel was determined to be a Costco product.
  • Passed a polygraph test; deceased at the time of this episode.
• Unknown Prowler:
  • Patty reported a prowler to police prior to her death but details are scant due to destroyed reports.

7. Cold Case Status & Lingering Pain

• No one has been charged.
• Detective Wentz remains haunted by the case:
  • "Oh, this will live with me forever until I depart… if I have a case that I don’t have a solution to, yeah, it stays with me forever." – Detective Nolan Wentz [45:27]
• Only item missing from Patty's home: her purse and wallet.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (Selected Timestamps)

• On Crime Scene Oddities:

  "Why would someone remove the knife block from the crime scene but leave the actual murder weapon?"
  — Detective Nolan Wentz [08:59]

• On the Personal Nature of the Crime:

  "It's just bizarre how it's just right over her heart. I mean, that, to me, screams a personal... a personal attack."
  — Detective Nolan Wentz [10:49]

• On the Friendship Between Patty and Brandi:

  "Brandi was interesting in the fact that she kind of wanted to be Patty almost to the point that she went over the top. She bought a car just like Patty."
  — Detective Wentz [19:16]

• Brandi’s Funeral Behavior:

  "She was just wailing and carrying on and hanging on to Wren, and everybody's going, this makes no sense... it's like she is inserting herself as Patti with Wren."
  — Detective Nolan Wentz [24:12]

• On Hitting a Wall with Evidence:

  "Although I have this tremendous volume of circumstantial evidence, I don't have that one little piece of physical evidence or her admission that that's what happened."
  — Detective Nolan Wentz [26:31]

• Revelation of Male DNA on the Murder Weapon:

  "Brandi was not a match to the DNA. The unknown profile has since been added to CODIS... but so far there haven't been any hits."
  — Ashley Flowers [36:02]

• Detective Wentz’s Lasting Connection to the Case:

  "This will live with me forever until I depart... If I have a case that I don't have a solution to, yeah, it stays with me forever."
  — Detective Nolan Wentz [45:27]

Key Timestamps

• [02:00] Wren discovers Patty's body
• [04:37]–[08:11] Crime scene examined; knife and towel found
• [10:49] Detective Wentz discusses the "personal" aspect of the stabbing
• [11:29]–[15:08] Examination of Patty and Wren’s romantic situation, and friend/roommate dynamics
• [15:47]–[24:41] Focus on Brandi, her friendship with Patty, concerning behaviors, and funeral behavior
• [25:21]–[27:07] Detective Wentz’s interviews and suspicions about Brandi; her inconclusive polygraph, sudden disappearance, and search of belongings
• [29:08]–[30:37] Lab results: fiber tests and review of Brandi's paternity/abortion claims
• [36:02]–[37:51] DNA revelation: male profile on the murder weapon; police and detectives react
• [40:19]–[43:18] New suspects: Patty Raspberry, Randy, and neighbor Jeff Shaw
• [45:27]–[46:32] Detective Wentz on the personal cost of unsolved cases

Episode Takeaways & Calls to Action

• The key piece of missing evidence remains Patricia Allen’s purse and wallet.
• The case now centers around an unidentified male DNA profile—none of the male acquaintances have been excluded.
• If you have any information about the murder of Patricia Allen or recollect finding a purse in Yakima around October 1995, contact the Yakima Cold Case unit or Crime Stoppers at the addresses/numbers shared in show notes.

Conclusion:
The case of Patricia Allen is a haunting unsolved murder with layers of interpersonal drama, suspicious behavior, dead-ends, and recent forensic breakthroughs. Advances in DNA and renewed attention may still bring answers and justice. If you know something, please come forward.