In the early hours of January 15, 2025, the life of 24-year-old Patrick Lakendrick Patterson, a Black male from Corinth, Mississippi, was tragically cut short. Authorities were called to a residence on Prosper Street around 2:30 a.m., where they discovered Patterson with a fatal gunshot wound to his torso. Despite being rushed to Magnolia Regional Health Center, he succumbed to his injuries.
The initial account of the event, provided by two women at the house, suggested that an unknown man had entered the home, shot Patterson, and then fled the scene.
However, as investigators delved deeper into the case, the initial story began to unravel. Detectives soon uncovered that the two women were not mere witnesses but were allegedly involved in orchestrating the crime. The investigation revealed that Patterson had been lured to the residence under false pretenses as part of a setup for an armed robbery that ultimately turned fatal. This revelation shifted the focus of the investigation and led to the identification of four individuals connected to the deadly plot.
The investigation led to the swift apprehension of three suspects on the same day as the shooting. Antonius Nassir Bean, a 22-year-old from Corinth, Virginia Schauer, a 25-year-old from North Dakota, and Mariah Vanderwal, a 22-year-old from Iuka, were taken into custody. All three were charged with capital murder and held without bond. Schauer and Vanderwal faced additional charges of obstruction and tampering with physical evidence for allegedly removing crucial items from the crime scene before law enforcement arrived. The fourth suspect, 23-year-old Rashawn Jamar Hawkins, originally from West Memphis, Arkansas, remained at large, prompting a manhunt.
After nearly a month on the run, Rashawn Jamar Hawkins was located and apprehended in Vero Beach, Florida. His capture was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Marshals and the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. Hawkins, who was already wanted on a warrant for a carjacking incident from December 2024, waived extradition and was transported back to Mississippi to face a capital murder charge alongside the other three suspects. It was also revealed that another suspect, Antonius Nassir Bean, had a prior indictment for aggravated assault from a shooting incident in August 2024.
