Deadly Charm: The Story of a Deaf Serial Killer

30. Dear Patrick . . .

30 Dear Patrick . . . She went and left in me The pang of all the partings gone, And partings yet to be. Francis Thompson, “Daisy” By the time Thanksgiving 2001 arrived, Randi Lawrence could no longer tolerate Patrick McCullough’s possessiveness . On November 27, after deciding to end the affair once and for all, she wrote him a five-page letter in which she explained as clearly and concisely as possible that she wished to end their relationship. Although she phrased her letter carefully and sympathetically, she was also firm in stating that she wanted him to stop pursuing her. Feeling that the letter had finally ended their romance, Randi proceeded to decorate her house for the holidays and shop for Christmas presents for friends and family. Her sevenyear -old son, David Miller (pseudonym), was, as always, at the top of her gift list. The two-story duplex into which Randi had moved some months earlier was on a dead-end court with about eight or ten others. At first glance the two-story buildings, all constructed in the same style, appeared to be single-family dwellings, but they actually accommodated two separate tenants, with one entrance in the front, the other on the side. In Randi’s case, the 222 entrance was at the front of the building. From a rear patio, a sliding-glass door opened into the kitchen, adjoining which was a dining room. From the adjacent living room, a flight of stairs led to the second-floor bedrooms and bath. On the evening of Friday, November 30, at about 6:30, young David was upstairs in his bedroom playing when he heard angry shouts from down below. Seconds later there was an explosion, a tremendous blast that reverberated throughout the house. Then he heard his mother screaming, loud wrenching shrieks that went on and on and on. David was aware that his mother and Patrick McCullough had been having trouble, and he ran to the front window to see if Patrick’s truck was in the driveway. Satisfied that the truck was not there, he started down the stairs. As he neared the bottom, he saw his mother on the living room floor, bleeding and crawling toward the front door. Patrick stood behind her, a shotgun in his hands pointed at Randi’s head. As if the scene before him were happening in slow motion, David saw Patrick pull the trigger, saw his mother’s head literally explode. He stood frozen on the stairs as Patrick spun about and ran into the kitchen. Once Patrick was out of sight, the terrified boy ran to his mother and tried to rouse her but could not. Then, too horror-stricken to think of anything except getting away, he raced back upstairs and slammed his bedroom door shut. He crouched trembling behind the door, unsure where to turn or what to do. Then he heard another shot. Not daring to go back downstairs, he ran to his bedroom window and began pounding on the glass, screaming for help. Neighbors on Ferrell Court also heard the shouts and gunshots and had called the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. The officer who responded, Detective John R. Elliott, gave a dramatic account of that night: I was working routine patrol on the night of November 30, 2001. At approximately 6:55 p.m. I received a call Deadly Charm 223 224 McCay Vernon and Marie Vernon through radio dispatch of a sound of gunshots at Ferrell Court in Waldorf, which was in my coverage area for that evening. I arrived on the scene and exited my vehicle. As I neared the end of the court I was approached by a female who came out of one of the houses. She told me that she heard gunshots come from inside her next-door neighbor’s house and then heard a female scream. I then noticed there was a child banging on the upstairs window of that residence. Shortly thereafter, Officer McPherson arrived on the scene and I advised him briefly of the situation we faced. I then had the boy open the window. He immediately told me, “My mommy is dead. He shot my mommy.” I asked him who shot his mommy and he said, “Patrick did.” He then told me that he did not have a lock on his door and that Patrick was going to come and get him. I...