On a tragic Valentine's Day evening in 2020, Patricia Underwood, a beloved 78-year-old female shopkeeper, was fatally struck by a stray bullet inside her small Lagrange, Georgia, business, Pat's Corner Store. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. as two men engaged in a dispute outside her store located at the intersection of Union and Ware streets. Ms. Underwood, affectionately known as Miss Pat by her community, was simply inside her store when the violence erupted. It is believed she was unaware of the altercation unfolding outside.
The conflict outside the store escalated when one of the men, later identified as Andreco Darnell Parham, produced a firearm and began shooting at the other man, Ronald Turner. One of the bullets penetrated the window of Pat's Corner Store, striking and killing Underwood. Turner was struck in the shoulder during the exchange and was subsequently treated at a local hospital. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found Patricia Underwood deceased.
Following the shooting, Andreco Darnell Parham fled the scene but was later apprehended by police. He was arrested and faced multiple charges, including murder, two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
In January 2023, Andreco Darnell Parham was convicted for the murder of Patricia Underwood. A jury found the 38-year-old guilty of felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and three counts of use of a firearm by a convicted felon during the commission of another felony. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, with an additional 45 years to be served consecutively.
