Missing Since: 1994-05-24 Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Patchin departed from a Tallahassee, Florida bar with a female friend during the early morning hours of May 24, 1994. They had been attending a poetry reading. He drove his friend to her residence on Call Street, then continued on to Jefferson County, Florida by himself. He was last seen at approximately 2:00 a.m. About three hours later, employees opening up the Jr. Food Store at US 27 South and Chaires Cross Road in Tallahassee saw Patchin’s silver 1972 Volkswagen Beetle abandoned in the store parking lot. day. His mother found the car still there that afternoon. Patchin’s skateboard, a book of poetry he’d written, and some other personal items inside the car. There was no sign of forced entry inside the vehicle and no trace of him was located at the scene. The manager of the Jr. Food Store claims she saw Patchin at the store two days before he went missing, with companions she described as a “motorcycle gang.” His girlfriend said she didn’t know of any friends Patchin had who would have fit that description. Authorities learned that Patchin may have been shot to death by drug dealers who frequented the Moore/Washington quarters around Jr. Food Store in 1994. One possible suspect died while imprisoned and investigators were not able to determine if any dealers were connected to Patchin’s case. Extensive searches for evidence possibly in the area were unsuccessful. Patchin was a resident of Lloyd, Florida in 1994. He studied English at Tallahassee Community College and was employed as a part-time disc jockey for the college radio station V89 89.7 FM. He enjoyed writing and skateboarding. Investigating Agency Leon County Sheriff’s Office 850-922-3300 Source Information Leon County Sheriff’s Office The Tallahassee Democrat Florida Department of Law Enforcement NamUs The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children WTXL 27 Updated 7 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated November 2, 2018; clothing/jewelry description updated.