Naman Shrestha
52-year-old Patricia Spivey, the wife of a sheriff deputy turned actor, was found dead in her house in 2019, a mysterious murder case that is covered in the episode titled ‘Day in Court’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Death By Fame.’ The episode contains an in-depth look into the investigation that brings certain secrets and motives to the surface. Moreover, interviews with Patricia’s loved ones and experts involved in the case are also featured in the episode.
Houston Native Patricia Spivey Was Found Dead in Her Bedroom Closet
Patricia Spivey (née Ann Marshall) came into the world and life of her parents Bennie and Hardie Marshall on March 11, 1967, in Houston, Texas, as a blessing. She was the only girl amongst her siblings, which included her loving brothers — Harvey, Charles, Roderick, Rodney, Richard, and Ezra Washington. Patricia completed her schooling from multiple schools — Paul Lawrence Dunbar Elementary, James D. Ryan Middle School, and Jack Yates Senior High School. As far as her religious beliefs were concerned, she was a member of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, which was located right in front of her house.
Patricia was only fifteen when she gave birth to her only child — Patrina Marshall. Starting her career in the mailroom of the Methodist Hospital, she worked her way up through sheer determination and utmost honesty. Eventually, she became the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Methodist Supply Chain Manager. Following a healthy lifestyle that included her exercise routine, Patricia also participated in walks and runs each year, such as the American Heart Association Heart Walk 5k, The Sisters Network Walk, Susan B. Komen Walk, and The Houston Texas Running with the Bulls 5k.
Hugely helpful to others, Patricia contributed a lot in the form of charity to Historically Black Colleges & Universities with the Tom Joyner Foundation’s Annual Cruise, something she didn’t like to advertise. Since her father was into photography, she also followed in his footsteps and made that into her hobby. She also had a knack for cooking as she could grill, bake, smother, and fry some delicious delicacies. She did not leave a chance to show love and support to her people, including her family and friends. Around 2015, Patricia tied the knot with Renard Spivey and began the next chapter of her life.
However, this new chapter would only last for another four years or so as on July 28, 2019, Patricia met her untimely demise. Called up by Renard, the police arrived at their residence located at 5000 Briscoe Street in Houston, Texas, and found the 52-year-old woman lying in a fatal condition in the master bedroom closet. Immediately, she was rushed to the Ben Taub Hospital, but unfortunately, she was pronounced dead after a while. After sending the body was further tests, the results revealed the fact that she was shot twice — once in the arm and once in the chest.
The 52-year-old woman also had signs of some minor bruising around her wrists. One of the bullets had gone through her arm and into her chest, breaking her arm and making it unusable. The other bullet proved to be the fatal one as it pierced through her heart and went into her lungs. While inspecting the crime scene, the detectives discovered three shell casings, a semi-automatic gun near the closet door, and a lot of blood.
Patricia Spivey Was Shot While Struggling For the Gun
Once the police were done collecting evidence, they began interviewing Patricia’s close ones, including her family and friends, as well as other acquaintances. When they spoke to one of her brothers, Ezra Washington, he revealed some ugly truths about Patricia and Renard’s marriage and the rough patch they had been going through at the time of the former’s death. He told them that his sister suspected that Renard was “possibly back on steroids and/or having an affair, because of a lack of intimacy in their relationship.”
Moreover, the night before the shooting took place, Renard had contacted Ezra to tell him that Patricia had been keeping a check on his pills intake and claiming that he was having an affair with someone else. In light of Ezra’s testaments, the investigators believed that the argument and altercation between the married couple stemmed from them talking about their sex life, Renard’s suspected adultery, and his excessive use of pills. After the shooting occurred, Renard dialed 911 himself and requested an ambulance, admitting that he accidentally shot his wife while tussling with the gun, during which he also suffered a gunshot wound on his leg.
On July 29, 2019, Renard was arrested and charged with murder as the police found many inconsistencies in his story. Talking to ABC13 after the tragedy, her brother Ezra Washington, stated, “I never thought that he’d go that far. I should have acted on it and that’s going to eat me up for a long time, forever. But him saying that and then acting on it, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.”
Renard Spivey Was Found Not Guilty and Acquitted
In late November 2023, the trial of Renard Spivey for the murder of his ex-wife Patricia Spivey commenced. The prosecutors and the defense exchanged strong arguments in front of the court throughout the trial which lasted for more than a week. Renard also claimed that he was confronted by his wife with a loaded gun pointed at him and that’s when the struggle for the firearm began, causing the entire shooting. By the end, despite the prosecutors arguing that he was a danger to the community, he was found not guilty by the jury and acquitted of the charges against him. Thus, he was set free and released from prison on a $50,000 bond.
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