In the quiet hours of the day after Thanksgiving in 2016, a tragedy unfolded in Rochester, New York, that would leave a family shattered. Christie Brooks, a 35-year-old mother, was found dead in her home on Wellington Avenue on November 25th. Alongside her was the body of her 18-year-old daughter, Victoria Brooks, a promising freshman at Canisius College who was home for the holiday weekend.
Both women had been fatally stabbed.
The grim discovery was made by one of Christie's other seven children, who ranged in age from six to sixteen. The initial shock and grief soon gave way to a swift police investigation that focused on a primary suspect: Patrick Brooks, Christie's 37-year-old estranged husband and the father of Victoria. At the time of the killings, Patrick was on parole for a prior robbery conviction, and Christie had started divorce proceedings against him a year earlier.
Prosecutors would later reveal the chilling sequence of events. After spending Thanksgiving with his family, Patrick Brooks returned to the Wellington Avenue home late that night. He stabbed Christie 29 times as she slept. The commotion awoke their daughter, Victoria, and upon seeing her, he stabbed her 55 times.
In January 2017, Patrick Brooks was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder. His trial began in October of that year. The prosecution presented evidence of his violent actions, while his defense attorney argued that he had been wrongfully accused. However, a Monroe County jury found him guilty on both counts of second-degree murder in November 2017. The following month, a judge sentenced Patrick Brooks to the maximum sentence of 50 years to life in prison, ensuring that justice was served for Christie and Victoria. The case highlighted the devastating impact of domestic violence, leaving seven children without their mother and oldest sister.
