Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Unsolved Homicide Patrick Cress


In 1983, 14 year old Patrick Cress lived in the Kingsgate area of Kirkland, Washington. Kingsgate could be described as a well planned community of several neighborhoods of homes with parks, pools, playgrounds, fields, and schools built into the middle of each. It also has lots of small forested areas. It is a place that still to this day is a fairly safe middle class neighborhood where childhood memories are sweet. This is why Patrick's death still leaves such a mark on all those who lived nearby at the time of his murder.

On Saturday April 30th, 1983, Patrick was supposed to meet his father to get a ride home after staying over at a friends house for the night. His friends house was in a neighborhood called Juanita which is to the west of Kingsgate. Since his parents didn't know the neighborhood very well they had agreed to meet Patrick at the Juanita Safeway. Patrick had called for his ride at about 12:30pm before he left his friends house to go to the Safeway. Patrick called home once again and asked his sister if his ride had left yet. When she said it had, he told her that he would see her soon.

When Patrick wasn't at the Safeway as planned his father found it strange that he was late because normally Patrick was early and certainly prompt. Patrick was also a kid who liked to be at home and wasn't prone to hanging around. By 6pm that evening Patrick was reported missing to the police. When a policeman arrived at the family home the parents were told that Patrick probably just ran away. They were then instructed to call the police department when they heard from him.

Despite word spreading fast and his parents searching, Patrick was not found. Within a week rumors were heard among people in the area that Patrick had been killed. Nearly three weeks later this rumor proved to be true, down to the details. On the south end of Kingsgate a Puget Power employee doing work near 132nd St and 116th Way NE, found Patrick in a wooded area, laying in ditch and covered by grassy debris. He had been struck in the head resulting in multiple skull fractures. Police have confirmed he was struck with an object but what that object is has not been released. The area was a well known hang out spot for local teenagers and had been under construction nearby. The accurate rumor was traced back to a Kamiakin Junior High party but not all the way to the source.

There appears to be people who witnessed or were told by the murderer what had happened. Two of those may be named Michelle and Kim. Investigators have a note from the case file, unsure where it originally came from since it wasn't noted that says - "To Michelle, From Kim, It's Important! It's a slight possibility the police don't know yet so don't tell 'cause that would might be wrong.".

I hope the people from Kingsgate who know what happened step up and do the right thing. Those of us who were touched by this can help to get this solved and prosecuted by reminding our family and friends that Patrick's family still waits for justice. Patrick's family and the current investigator on this case persevere. Recently, they had fliers passed out at a school reunion and also were in the media with the new details about the rumor and note. They are asking anyone who lived in the area, particularly those who went to the schools and recall any details about the homicide or the rumors to call Detective Mike Mellis at 206-296-7470

King County Sheriff Cold Cases
(Patrick's case is at the bottom)

No comments:

Post a Comment