Cory Patterson suicide? Mississippi man who threatened to crash plane in Walmart found unresponsive after recently being transferred to federal prison. Faced at least 20 years jail.
A Mississippi airport staffer who stole a plane and threatened to crash it into a Walmart store in September died in federal prison while awaiting trial, authorities announced.
Cory Wayne Patterson, 29, of Shannon, was discovered unresponsive by guards at a federal prison in Miami, Monday, the US Bureau of Prisons said.
‘Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures,’ the bureau said in a statement. ‘Staff requested emergency medical services … and life-saving efforts continued.’
However, they were unable to save Patterson and he was pronounced dead — four days after he arrived at the Miami prison. The Bureau of Prisons didn’t provide a cause of death but said no other inmates or staff were injured, WLBT reported.
Patterson was transferred from a state prison in Mississippi — where he had been held on state charges of grand larceny and making terrorist threats since September — to the federal facility on Thursday.
Did rogue pilot kill self?
The rogue pilot commandeered a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air C90A 9 seater from the Tupelo airport, where he worked fueling planes, just before dawn on Sept. 3, police said.
Patterson terrorized residents of northern Mississippi for hours as he flew in circles as he threatened to crash into a Walmart.
Patterson had posted what appeared to be a suicide note on Facebook ahead of his joyride.
‘Sorry, everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone,’ he wrote. ‘I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye.’
However, the Mississippi man landed the plane safely in a soybean field near Ripley, Mississippi, and was arrested upon alighting from the aircraft.
An FBI agent said he found a handwritten note in the plane apparently from Patterson, according to court records.
He said he was sick of living and had no intention of hurting anyone.
Lawyer had requested psychological evaluation
‘I picked Walmart because it would be quick and easy to evacuate,’ Patterson wrote, adding that the chain was owned by billionaires who pay their workers’ low wages.
He had warned emergency responders of his intention to crash into the Walmart in Tupelo during his flight and urged the 911 operator to ensure the store was evacuated.
Police negotiators spoke to Patterson while he was driving the plane and convinced him to land the plane safely, with the help of a private pilot who coached him on how to land.
Patterson’s attorney Tony Farese had requested a psychological evaluation prior to the man’s death, WTVA reported.
Patterson faced a number of federal charges, including destruction of an aircraft and threats involving the destruction of an aircraft, court records show. If convicted, he could have faced up to 20 years on the first charge.
