Naman Shrestha
When a tragic house fire took the life of a 31-year-old mother named Patricia Leigh Mills in June 2003, the entire community of Goliad, Texas, was shaken to its core. Although her son somehow escaped the burning house and survived, the investigation of the fire uncovered a criminal motive nearly a decade later. In the episode titled ‘Secrets in the Ashes’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ all the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are explored, with the help of insightful and exclusive interviews with Patricia’s family and friends.
Patricia Mills Was Found Dead Inside Her Burned House in Goliad, Texas
Born on March 5, 1972, in New Bern, North Carolina, to Patricia Ann Coward Wiley and Richard L. Wiley Sr., Patricia Leigh Wiley Mills was raised alongside her siblings — sisters Sharon Burdette and Jo Ann Wiley and two brothers named Richard Lee Wiley Jr. and Steven Wiley — with whom she shared a close-knit bond. In the 1990s, she got married to Delbert Andrew Mills, with whom she shared a son named John Michael Mills. The family of three led a seemingly picture-perfect life at 127 South San Patricio Street in Goliad, Texas. The homemaker was an integral member of the Assembly of God.
On the fateful morning of June 25, 2003, several people in the neighborhood noticed the Mills residence was on fire, and the fire department was notified. After the fire was extinguished, the firemen entered the property, where they discovered Patricia Mill’s burned remains. As for John, her then six-year-old son, he had managed to jump out of the burning house and survived the ordeal. Meanwhile, her husband had reportedly left for work when the fire started. The autopsy revealed that the 31-year-old mother had died of asphyxiation, caused by smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Patricia’s Death Was Deemed an Accident Before Evidence Emerged at Home
Since Patricia Mills died in the fire, it was initially deemed an accident. However, after the investigation was closed, her family kept pushing for it to be reopened. Nearly a decade later, the investigation was reopened, and the detectives noticed a series of evidence and witness statements that incriminated Patricia’s husband, Delbert Andrew Mills. When the investigators spoke to the friends and family members of Patricia, they alleged that she and Delbert got into heated arguments quite regularly, with the latter allegedly shoving and hitting her on multiple occasions.
Moreover, Delbert was a registered sex offender and had allegedly threatened to kill her if she decided to leave him. As per reports, Patricia caught her husband being unfaithful to her with another woman, Allison, about a month prior to the fire. When she asked for a divorce because of his affair, he allegedly told her that he would rather kill her than divorce her or pay child support to her. On top of that, Delbert was the sole beneficiary of a $15,000 life insurance policy, most of which he spent purchasing a new truck for himself. Not long after Patricia’s death, he married Allison and gave custody of John to one of Patricia’s relatives.
According to witness testimony presented during the investigation, in the months and years following her demise, Delbert allegedly boasted about his ability to start an untraceable fire to several people. He also allegedly told his friends that he had only married Patricia because she got pregnant and that he had been in love with Allison. In late November 2011, Delbert was brought in for questioning, and he eventually admitted that he had gotten into an argument with Patricia, after which he started the fire intentionally. Thus, in December 2011, he was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Patricia Mills.
Delbert Mills is Currently Incarcerated at a Texas Prison Facility
About a year later, on January 14, 2013, Delbert Mills’ trial got underway. During the trial, the prosecution told the jury about the possible motivations of Delbert to commit the crime, including the life insurance policy and the desire to start a new life with Allison. They also focused on the fact that the couple got into an argument just a few minutes before the fire. Meanwhile, the defense argued that the defendant had been joking about causing the fire that killed Patricia.
Ultimately, on January 17, Delbert Mills was convicted of capital murder in connection with killing his wife by starting a fire. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for the same. As of today, the 58-year-old convicted killer is serving his sentence at the James “Jay” H. Byrd Jr. Unit in Huntsville, Texas, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for November 2041.
Read More: Melissa Rocuba Murder: Where is Bruno Rocuba Now?
You must be logged in to post a comment.