In a tragic turn of events on a Wednesday afternoon in Gretna, Virginia, 43-year-old Patricia Harris Towler, a female, lost her life in what authorities would later describe as a domestic violence-related murder-suicide. On March 4, 2020, Patricia was found in her car with a single gunshot wound. The vehicle had rolled across a road and come to a stop against a house.
The perpetrator was identified as her 50-year-old husband, Dane Clarke Towler.
The incident unfolded in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen, where Patricia had pulled up and informed a nearby Pittsylvania County Sheriff's deputy that she was being held hostage. Shortly after her plea for help, Dane Towler shot his wife before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot. Investigators later recovered a. 357 revolver from the vehicle.
Miraculously, the couple's 14-month-old infant son, who was also in the car, was found completely unharmed. He was examined and subsequently released into the care of family members. The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation, interviewing friends and associates to piece together a motive for the devastating act.
Patricia was remembered by her community as a loving mother and a dedicated nurse manager at the Caswell Family Medical Center, where she had worked for 18 years. She was known for her compassion and commitment to the health of her community. Her family, including her parents, another son, and siblings, mourned the profound loss of a woman described as beautiful inside and out.
