In the summer of 2015, the life of Timothy Peter Gentry, a 32-year-old male, was tragically cut short on a Columbia, South Carolina street. In the early morning hours of July 28th, Gentry was discovered lying in the 1200 block of Beaufort Street with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Despite the efforts of first responders, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Gentry, a 2009 graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Spanish, was remembered as a compassionate individual who dedicated his time to helping others. He had worked with children at a local church's development center and was involved in overseas charity work. At the time of his death, he was pursuing a career in nursing, a path that reflected his caring nature.
The investigation into Gentry's murder led Columbia police to a suspect through a combination of diligent police work and ballistic evidence. A few days after the shooting, a man named Ibin Kenta Patterson was involved in an armed robbery and a subsequent shootout with a police officer. The 9mm pistol found in Patterson's possession at the time of his arrest was analyzed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Ballistics testing confirmed that it was the same weapon used to kill Timothy Gentry. This crucial piece of evidence linked Patterson directly to the murder.
Further investigation revealed that the firearm had been purchased by a woman named Willette June Wilson. She was subsequently charged with the unlawful transfer of a firearm. While the motive for Gentry's murder remained unclear, the pieces of the investigation were coming together to build a case against the man who pulled the trigger and the individual who supplied him with the weapon.
In February 2016, Ibin Kenta Patterson, then 45 years old, was officially charged with the murder of Timothy Gentry. In addition to the murder charge, he faced a litany of other serious offenses, including attempted murder for shooting at a police officer, armed robbery, kidnapping, and multiple weapons possession charges. Faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, Patterson ultimately pleaded guilty. In July 2017, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his violent crime spree that ended the life of a promising young man and endangered the lives of others.
