Did Jail Mix-Up Set Man Free to Kill 5?

Corrections Officials, Police Dispute Reasons For Release of Parole Violator Who Then Murdered 5 in Gaffney

(CBS/AP)  It's unclear why Patrick Burris began his killing spree in a small South Carolina town. But it's also unclear how the 41-year-old career criminal was free after violating parole.

Burris was released on $2,000 bond two weeks before the killings began.

The murders set off a panic in rural Gaffney two weeks ago when five people were fatally shot over six days. A police manhunt ended on July 6 when Burris was killed by officers investigating a burglary complaint at a home in Gastonia, N.C., 30 miles from where the shootings started.

Burris, who had been arrested more than 30 times in North Carolina alone, and also had convictions in Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, was arrested on June 12 for violating his parole, subsequent to his April 29 release from a North Carolina prison.

CBS Affiliate WBTV correspondent Sarah Batista reports that Burris was then let go that very day, two weeks before the killing spree started.

Burris was well-known to authorities - the career criminal had repeated run-ins with police for stealing from homes and businesses and writing bad checks, and authorities said they weren't surprised his crimes escalated.

Police said Burris' reputation as a bully was so intimidating (he was 6'2", 200-250 pounds) that a scared elderly man once refused to testify against him, and extortion charges were subsequently thrown out.

"He always had a violent streak," Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page said. "He was very intimidating and very threatening from his appearance . . . You didn't want to mess with him."

Batista reports that Burris had only been out of jail for two months when he was arrested on June 12 for driving with a revoked license. He was placed in the Lincoln County Jail, and then - despite having violated his parole - was freed on bond.

"I don't know how they can explain that to the family members who lost loved ones," Gaffney resident Tim Blackwell told WBTV.

Lincoln County authorities and officials with the North Carolina Department of Corrections disagree on what happened.

Burris' probation officer Angela Merrill visited his mobile home 10 times in the weeks following his release, and found he had violated curfew five times, the Charlotte Observer reports.

The Observer also reports that on May 27 Burris was cited for speeding and driving with a revoked license, and received another citation four days later.

Merrill filed a report with the state's Parole Commission, and swore out an arrest warrant. She had him arrested on June 12 when Burris drove to her office with a revoked license.

Merrill told investigators she called the jail on June 12 to put a hold on him, but was told he'd already been freed on a $2,000 bond.

Jail officials said that's not true - that the parole officer never called.

A N.C. DOC representative told WBTV Sunday there is no reason to believe the parole officer did anything wrong, and that the DOC will continue its investigation.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd, a former judge and federal prosecutor, said more should be done to keep habitual offenders like Burris behind bars.

"At some point, either prosecutors or judges did not believe that it warranted more time. ... Our entire system has really got to get serious about how we deal with these types of offenders," Lloyd said.

Sheriff Page said authorities did everything they could.

"Every officer along the way did his job," he said. "But we have 37,000 prisoners committed to prison in North Carolina and when those prisons get full, our jails start backing up. I run a jail. I know they can't put everyone in jail. They have alternative programs to incarceration. But there are some that just need to be in jail - and this is one who just needed to be in jail."

Life for residents of Gaffney is slowly coming back to normal. But the possibility of a jail mix-up precipitating the murders of five people is painful for those who knew the victims.

"It's hard enough losing a loved one, especially when that someone was not supposed to be around," Tim Blackwell told WBTV.

[az_wolfster]

They had no room to put this killer because the prison was full of nonviolent pot smokers.

[omded]

Our law enforcement system has evolved into a sort of "catch and release" program, much like what they do in fishing. It appears this guy got caught, released, caught, released, and so forth for much of his adult life. However, when you practice catch and release with people, you just create a bolder and bolder, and angrier and angrier "human fish". Catch and release only works with real fish. "Human fish" need to be removed from the program.

[djseavy]

It never fails to amaze me how - those who are charged with the responsibility of hold others accountable - just can't quite be held accountable themselves. This is an erie recreation of the recent situation in Waterloo Iowa, where a man was to be released to the police, but somehow word never got to the police, and the man left the hospital and shot a high school coach to death. Guess what? In that case, nobody admits dropping the ball either.

[All_pols_need_2_go]

Why do we even allow people like this to breath the same air as the rest of us? All you that say you can rehabilitate these people are fools and your all against the death penalty. In this case just think how many lives it would have saved! 30 arrests in one state alone? We need to clear all jails of all drug convictions that are non violent ASAP and keep the murders and rapists or habitual felons locked up if we can't put them down like the rabid dogs they are! Please find me one family that rather have a murdering, child molester or rapist living next door to them or would they opt for the guy that works everyday and is legal in all aspects of his life other than he smokes some dried plant material at HIS HOME on HIS TIME? Please find one who would rather the rapist over the pot smoker. We lock people up for victimless crimes for lengthy stays and let out those that commit the most offensive crimes on others, that makes as much sense as thinking HEY I am flat busted, broke, I know I will spend more money to make that all better. Not only does it defy logic it defies any sense of being able to think critically. Single celled organisms have higher intellects than those that believe in the War on Drugs and those that think murderer ABC just had a bad childhood so we should coddle them now that they have killed a family of three! ***?

[diamruby]

Any one with that kind of background should have been eliminated from society & possibly the earth after his first repeat offenses. It is the governments fault that these people are allowed to live & prey on others. If you cannot keep them in prison then start eliminating the ones on death row to make room for more.

[docpeter1953]

From the above article, "It's unclear why Patrick Burris began his killing spree in a small South Carolina town. But it's also unclear how the 41-year-old career criminal was free after violating parole."
_______________________________

Maybe the police and other legal authorities decided to "cull the herd".

[rushlimpdrug]

Pleeze continue the investigation meanwhile,
"there is no reason to believe the parole officer
did anything wrong"

I mean how can anyone do any wrong? ?
What a crook of sh_t.

[mswolfestock]

I will pray for the good folks of Gaffney. I will pray that they can somehow heal and find peace. Y'all good people -- reach out to your neighbor who is hurting, reach out if you yourself are hurting. I don't want that animal to claim more victims among those survivors left behind. Pray for strength, but please, please get help and reach out, get counseling, whatever it takes.

[dagrandma]

The jails are full of people who drive drunk and smoke/sell pot. That's why all the child molesters and murderers get out.

[bobnjersey]

["Every officer along the way did his job," he said. "But we have 37,000 prisoners committed to prison in North Carolina and when those prisons get full, our jails start backing up. I run a jail. I know they can't put everyone in jail. They have alternative programs to incarceration. But there are some that just need to be in jail - and this is one who just needed to be in jail." ]

the jail is full? what is it full of? i'd assume it's full of violent offenders only.

and they have alternative programs to incarceration?

good to see that everyone did their job ... and will now do the same thing today ... and tomorrow ... and the next day.

no problems here ... everything is just fine.

[Kuei1248]

"the jail is full? what is it full of? i'd assume it's full of violent offenders only"

More than likely full of people getting busted with a pebble sized crack rock. Those are the real scary people. Who cares about class "A" felony murder charges anymore when you send someone up the river with a class "X" felony for $50 in crack. America is a fvckin joke!