On a cold January night in Baltimore, the life of 44-year-old Chesley Patterson, a beloved restaurant manager, was tragically cut short. Just after closing up at La Scala, the Little Italy restaurant where he had been a familiar face for 17 years, Patterson made a quick stop at a liquor store in the Fells Point neighborhood on January 23, 2022. As he returned to his car on the 1700 block of Eastern Avenue, a gold minivan pulled up, blocking his path.
A man emerged from the passenger seat, initiating a fatal confrontation.
The man, later identified as Samuel Wise Jr., then 22 years old, was in the midst of a robbery spree that evening with at least one accomplice. Surveillance footage captured the harrowing moments as Wise, armed with a handgun, forcefully pulled open Patterson's car door. A brief struggle ensued, ending when Wise fired a single shot into Patterson's chest. The gunman then fled in the waiting van, leaving Patterson to collapse in the street. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Investigators quickly connected the shooting to other recent robberies in the area involving the same gold minivan. Police located the vehicle and recovered fingerprints belonging to Samuel Wise. Further evidence was found on Wise's cellphone, including text messages sent to his girlfriend in which he stated he was out 'robbing.' In April 2022, authorities arrested Wise, who attempted to escape from police headquarters shortly after being interviewed but was quickly recaptured. Police also identified a second suspect who they said was killed before he could be formally charged.
In November 2023, Samuel Wise Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, and first-degree escape. He was sentenced to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended, to be followed by three years of supervised probation upon release. During the sentencing, the judge and Patterson's former colleagues noted Wise's apparent lack of remorse, observing that the tears he shed seemed to be for himself rather than for the life he had taken.
