In the late hours of an October weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a series of events unfolded that culminated in the tragic death of Patrick Smith, a 49-year-old man from North Carolina. His death on October 30, 2021, was the result of a botched robbery orchestrated by two individuals he had recently met.
Smith had made an arrangement to spend the weekend with Katerena Bedjan, a 28-year-old woman he had met just days earlier.
Unbeknownst to Smith, Bedjan was in communication with her accomplice, 18-year-old Leo Watkins, informing him that Smith would be an easy target for a robbery as he was carrying cash. In the early morning hours, while Smith and Bedjan were in her car outside the Sands Ocean Club Resort, Bedjan sent a text to Watkins to signal their location.
Watkins arrived shortly after, armed with a 9mm pistol, and approached the vehicle. He opened the car door and attempted to steal Smith's wallet. When Smith resisted, Watkins fired a single shot, which proved to be fatal. Patrick Smith was pronounced dead at the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.
The investigation into Smith's death led to the arrests of both Watkins and Bedjan. In March of the following year, Katerena Bedjan pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery for her role in the crime and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Later, in August 2023, just before his trial was set to begin, Leo Watkins pleaded guilty to murder and attempted armed robbery. He received a 40-year prison sentence for the murder charge, with a concurrent 20-year sentence for the attempted armed robbery. Under the terms of his plea, Watkins will not be eligible for parole. During the sentencing, members of Patrick Smith's family delivered powerful impact statements, sharing their grief and the profound loss of their loved one.
