On a summer day in Arlington, Virginia, George Lincoln Rockwell, a 49-year-old male, left his party's headquarters to do his laundry. It was just before noon on August 25, 1967, when Rockwell parked his 1958 Chevrolet at the Econ-o-Wash, located in the Dominion Hills shopping center. After a brief stop inside, he returned to his vehicle, reportedly to get some bleach. As he settled into the driver's seat, two shots rang out, fired from the rooftop of the shopping center. The bullets shattered the windshield of his car, striking him. His car rolled forward and struck another vehicle as he fell onto the seat. He died within minutes from a gunshot wound to the chest.
The authorities were called to the scene, but Rockwell was pronounced dead almost immediately. The investigation quickly pointed not to an external enemy of his controversial political party, but to a disgruntled former member. Within 30 to 45 minutes of the shooting, police arrested 29-year-old John Patler about a mile from the crime scene. Patler, a former Marine, had been an editor and cartoonist for the party's magazine and held a high rank before being expelled from the group in March of that same year for 'Bolshevik leanings' and causing internal division. The relationship between the two men had been complex and volatile; Patler reportedly viewed Rockwell as a father figure but also harbored deep resentment towards him.
The prosecution built a circumstantial case against Patler, arguing that the motive for the assassination was revenge for his expulsion from the party. Just months before the fatal shooting, in June 1967, an unsuccessful attempt had been made on Rockwell's life at his home, an incident that prosecutors later alleged was also Patler's doing.
Following his arrest, John Patler was charged with murder. He was tried and found guilty of first-degree murder. The court sentenced him to 20 years in prison. After serving eight years of his sentence, Patler was released on parole in August 1975. He later violated his parole and was sent back to prison for an additional six years. Despite the conviction and multiple failed legal appeals, Patler has never publicly admitted his guilt in the killing of George Lincoln Rockwell.
