In the quiet town of Ellijay, Georgia, a grim discovery brought a long-unseen resident, Drusilla Patrick, back into the public eye under the most tragic of circumstances. The 68-year-old woman had not been seen alive since sometime between December 2016 and January 2017. Concerns for her well-being first arose in April 2018 when a probation officer, who was supervising her ex-husband, Charles Michael Patrick, became suspicious.
The officer noted that Charles Patrick had unexpectedly remarried and, when questioned about Drusilla's whereabouts, gave a series of conflicting and contradictory statements. This prompted the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office to request the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation into Drusilla's disappearance led authorities to the Ridgemont Drive home of 72-year-old Charles Michael Patrick, a registered sex offender. Although he and Drusilla had divorced in 1970, their lives remained intertwined. During a search of his property that began on April 25, 2018, investigators unearthed human remains that were believed to be those of Drusilla. An autopsy would later confirm the devastating truth: the cause of death was a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The remains were pending formal forensic identification but were strongly believed to be hers.
With the discovery of the remains, Charles Michael Patrick was arrested on April 26, 2018, and charged with the murder of his ex-wife. The man who had spun a web of conflicting tales about her absence was now the sole suspect in her death. He was taken to the Gilmer County Detention Center to await further legal proceedings. However, the case took another startling turn. On the evening of April 27, 2018, just a day after his arrest, Charles Michael Patrick was found hanging in an isolation cell. He was pronounced dead at the scene, bringing an abrupt and somber end to the unfolding legal case. His death, which was investigated as an in-custody death, meant that the full story of what transpired in the months leading to Drusilla Patrick's death might never be told in a court of law.
