A former colleague described McDowell as a “survivalist” capable of surviving on his own in the woods, a trained shooter and a dangerous person.
He had bad problems and didn't handle them properly after coming back from military service in Iraq. The VA did NOT help him with his problems either. His dad made this statement:
“I would like to express my deepest regrets to the family and friends of Deputy Moyers. I know that’s small consolation given what a good and decent man he was. If I could change what happened, or trade places with him I would.
“I want to explain a few things about Patrick but please don’t think I’m making excuses for him or trying to rationalize his actions. After Patrick returned from Iraq he enrolled and sought help from the VA for depression, headaches, and nightmares. He was diagnosed with PTSD and depression and some physical infirmities. At first, he was motivated to deal with his demons and started a family. As time progressed, he slipped into a darker place. He had trouble with seizures, pain management, and sleep patterns. He turned to drugs and quit going to his VA appointments. He started stealing to support his habit and was arrested. He was accepted into Veterans Treatment Court and was doing very well. Judge Floyd and David were very engaged with him as were the Lovings at 5 Star.
“When the Covid lockdowns began, the court had to go to virtual sessions which meant less supervision for the mentees. Apparently, this happened at a critical time in his treatment, and he immediately slipped back into his old habits and was arrested in Ga. He was in the Ga jail for a year (and still hasn’t had a trial because of Covid). After a year he came back to Jacksonville and was again generously accepted by the Lovings at 5 Star. You could see the spark had gone out of him and despite our many efforts he slipped over the edge and did this horrible thing. “I had resigned myself to the fact that he might overdose or take his own life. I never dreamed he would take someone else’s life. There are no excuses for what he did, and he will get what he deserves, one way or another. I’m not going to be a hypocrite and plead for his life; he was well aware of the consequences. If someone had done that to him, I would be enraged, so I understand the hate and vitriol directed at him. Just know that he wasn’t always like this. He is my son and I love him. My heart breaks for Deputy Moyers’ family. I hope, at some point, they can find some peace.”
Respectfully,
Richard McDowell
Well said. The suspect needs to face a trial and appropriate punishment for what he allegedly did.
Mr. McDowell is more professional than the police officials. And the opposite of the Laundrie parents.
Sad situation.
Very sad letter, although the killer still deserves no leniency (as his father says). But we see here that the wisdom of Covid lockdowns strikes again.
Many people were denied mental health care or even health care because of the irrational lockdowns. It kept these people isolated and stewing in their own craziness, particularly since in most cases they didn’t even have the stabilizing influence of a job.
This effect was predicted by many physicians and mental health specialists.
I read that in some areas, homicides are up 50% over the past average.
The Covid shutdowns and the anger generated by them have literally driven people crazy.