A 27-year-old man faces capital murder charges in the killing of his wife and mother-in-law in a domestic disturbance Thursday in Greenland, authorities said.
Mandrake Patterson was booked into the Washington County Detention Center at 9:13 a.m. Friday on suspicion of capital murder and attempted murder, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office website.
Patterson's mother-in-law, Betty Desalvo, 53, was pronounced dead Thursday after a shooting incident at 1037 N. Main St. His wife, Hope Patterson, 34, died later at Washington Regional Medical Center, according to a news release Friday from the Greenland Police Department.
A third woman, Denise Fulfer, 55, was in critical but stable condition Friday at Washington Regional Medical Center, the news release states. Desalvo and Fulfer are sisters.
People who live in the area say they were surprised when they learned what happened.
"It just absolutely shocked me, Greenland is not the kind of place where that kind of thing happens and to have it especially as close it is to my house it is, it just floored me."
Patterson made a voluntary statement to Greenland police and confessed to being involved in the shooting, according to a probable cause preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Police responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Elmwood Apartments on Main Street at 8:46 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.
"It was a domestic dispute that went bad," said Police Chief Gary Ricker.
All those involved lived at the address where the shooting occurred, according to the news release.
Police said there was fifth person who also lived in the apartment who witnessed the shooting and is being questioned by police.
Greenland Police say a shotgun was used in the shootings.
Authorities do not yet know what led to the shooting, Ricker said late Thursday.
Police said they have responded to disturbance calls at the home in the past.
Ricker said it's been awhile since something like this has happened in the city of Greenland.
"The last murder we had before this was probably about 10 years ago and I`ve been Police Chief for 21 years and this is only the second time that something like this happened," said Ricker.
Patterson is scheduled to appear in Washington County Circuit Court on Jan. 14.
The Washington County Coroner's Office on Friday removed a body from for the apartment where the shooting occurred.
