In the quiet, early morning hours of January 20, 1974, a horrific scene unfolded at a charred house on Princeton Drive in New Whiteland, a community near Indianapolis. Inside, authorities discovered the bodies of a young married couple, William Patrick, age 25, and his wife Elizabeth Ann, age 23, along with their infant daughter, Jenny. An investigation into the cause of the fire quickly revealed a more sinister story. The unmistakable odor of gasoline permeated the home, and a five-gallon gasoline can and nozzle were found on the premises, indicating the fire was an act of arson. Further examination by the coroner revealed that William and Elizabeth had died from asphyxia before the fire was set, and their daughter perished from carbon monoxide and smoke inhalation. Evidence of a struggle was present, though there were no signs of a forced entry into the home. Fortunately, their four-year-old daughter was not home at the time, as she was spending the night with her uncle.
The investigation into the triple homicide soon focused on a man named David James Roberts. The motive for this brutal crime appeared to be rooted in a previous incident involving William Patrick. Patrick, a salesman at a Sears Automobile Service Center in Indianapolis, had identified Roberts as the individual who had taken a car from the service center on October 10, 1973, without paying for tires and exhaust work that had been performed. Just five days before the murders, on January 15, 1974, Patrick had given a deposition in the theft case, implicating Roberts. In the hours leading up to the fire, a car matching the description of Roberts' 1969 or 1970 gold Buick Riviera was seen at a gas station owned by William Patrick's brother. The driver purchased a small amount of gasoline and asked for directions to Princeton Drive. Later that same evening, a man identified as Roberts was seen purchasing gasoline for his car and also filling a five-gallon can at another gas station in Indianapolis.
Following the collection of evidence and witness testimonies, an arrest warrant was issued for David James Roberts. He was taken into custody in Indianapolis on January 26, 1974, and held without bail. Roberts was subsequently charged with the murders of William, Elizabeth, and Jenny Patrick. His trial was a significant event, with the prosecution presenting the evidence that linked him to the crime, including the motive of silencing a witness and the timeline of his activities on the day of the murders. The jury found David James Roberts guilty on multiple counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of murder in the perpetration of burglary, one count of murder in the perpetration of arson, and one count of arson. For these heinous crimes, he received a sentence of five terms of life imprisonment. The case of the Patrick family's murder is a chilling account of a crime committed to cover up a lesser offense, resulting in the tragic loss of three innocent lives and leaving a lasting scar on the community.
