Patricia Denise Knight, 41, was last seen on January 13, 2006, at a relative's residence in the 900 block of south Calhoun Street in Perry, Florida. At the time of her disappearance, she lived in the 1100 block of Shiloh Cemetery Road. After she was last seen, she was never heard from again. In 2011, Knight's case, which had been treated as a missing person investigation, was reclassified as a homicide.
An acquaintance of Knight's, Lloyd Phelps, was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and evidence tampering in connection with her disappearance and presumed death. Phelps had a prior criminal history that included felony battery and witness intimidation. During his trial, a female eyewitness testified that she saw Phelps attack Knight in his bedroom. The witness also stated that another man was present and that she overheard the two men discussing how to dispose of Knight's body, and that they threatened to kill her if she disclosed what she had witnessed. Further evidence presented by the prosecution included Knight's blood found on a piece of plywood in Phelps's bedroom.
Phelps's defense attorney contended that Knight was a troubled individual who used drugs and associated with dangerous people, suggesting that someone else was responsible for her death. Phelps himself testified that he loved Knight and had not harmed her. In July 2013, after less than an hour of deliberation, a jury convicted Phelps of Knight's murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. Phelps died in prison in July 2016 of apparent natural causes. Patricia Denise Knight's body has never been recovered. Subsequently, a second man, Johnny Flowers, was also indicted for first-degree murder in connection to Knight's death.Last Seen: Jan 13, 2006
