Shivangi Sinha
On Halloween in 2009, Janice Cheadle was unable to reach her father, Patrick Cheadle. He had promised to attend a family dinner, but neither contacted her nor showed up. Worried, she began searching for him. Three days later, a friend of Patrick’s discovered his car parked on Elm Street in Greenville, Ohio. Patrick had been shot in the head, and his body was found in the back seat. The episode ‘Halloween Horror’ from ID’s ‘The Real Murders on Elm Street’ details the police investigation that ultimately identified the killer and revealed the motive behind the crime.
Patrick Cheadle Was Found Dead in the Backseat of His Car
Patrick Cheadle was born on August 27, 1956, to Robert Sr. and Ona “Brown” Cheadle. Raised in Greenville, Ohio, he grew up in a large family with six brothers and four sisters. Known for his boisterous personality, he lived life on his own terms and had a deep love for music that stayed with him as he grew older. He worked as a truck driver, and in the little free time he had, he dedicated it to his family. Patrick was a father to two daughters but his first marriage was short-lived. When his two children were young, he remarried and welcomed three stepsons and a stepdaughter into his life. Patrick cherished the holidays, always making sure to come home with gifts, bringing joy to his children.
By 2009, Patrick’s father had passed away, and he had voluntarily retired from his job. He remained close to his family, becoming the primary caregiver for his mother, checking on her at least twice a day. He also maintained a tight-knit circle of friends in the community. On Halloween, October 31, 2009, Patrick informed his family that he was running an errand and would return to his sister’s house for dinner. However, by around 6:30 p.m., he stopped responding to his daughter’s messages. As the night wore on and there was still no sign of him, his family grew increasingly concerned and began searching for him.
The family continued searching for Patrick, and on November 3, 2009, they received a call from one of his friends who had spotted his car parked on Elm Street. Janice Cheadle, his daughter, rushed to the location and looked inside the car. From the driver’s seat, she saw Patrick lying motionless in the back seat. She immediately called the police, who determined that he had died from a gunshot wound to the head. His body also had abrasions and was covered with limestone. Additionally, plant material was found on his collarbone, later identified as marijuana.
Plants at a House Gave the Police Clues About Patrick’s Killer
From the injuries Patrick Cheadle sustained, the police concluded that he had been dragged along the road before being placed inside the car. Since there was no blood found in the vehicle, they determined that he had been killed elsewhere, and his body was later moved to the car for easier concealment. Investigators began speaking to those close to Patrick, including his daughter, who mentioned that he was a recreational marijuana user and had gone to pick up some weed that evening. She also revealed that he had around $13,000 with him at the time, but when the police searched the car, they only found $3,000.
By this time, the police had obtained Patrick’s cellphone records and discovered that he had made several calls to a 19-year-old named David Mizner. Although they couldn’t locate Mizner initially, another tip led them to a house in Bartonia, Indiana, just 20 miles from Patrick’s home. The local county police, familiar with the house due to prior domestic issues, believed it to be a problematic location. When officers knocked on the door, the couple living there claimed they had no knowledge of the man the police were inquiring about and had never seen Patrick’s van, where his body had been discovered.
The Killer Had Threatened a Young Boy Into Silence
As the police were leaving the house, they noticed shrubs matching those found on Patrick’s collarbone. They obtained a search warrant and tested the floors with luminol, revealing a large pool of blood that had been cleaned. After tearing open the floorboards, they found blood underneath, which tested positive for Patrick’s. The couple was questioned again but continued to claim they didn’t know Patrick and provided an alibi that checked out. However, they then mentioned that a cousin of theirs, Terry Durbin, sometimes stayed at the house.
The couple added that on Halloween night, they had returned home to find Terry Durbin drinking and smoking marijuana with a 19-year-old boy, later identified as David Mizner. When the police asked both to report to the station, Mizner appeared frightened and revealed that Durbin had instructed him to purchase a gun, planning to rob Patrick that night. Mizner claimed that while he stayed inside the house, Durbin met with Patrick and then shot him instead. Mizner said Durbin had threatened him into silence and forced him to help drive Patrick’s van to Elm Street, where they left the body.
Terry Durbin is Serving a Long Sentence Today
On November 12, 2009, Terry Durbin was arrested and charged with murder. He denied all the allegations. His trial began in October 2010, during which David Mizner testified, admitting he had obtained the gun. Durbin also took the stand, claiming that after the drug deal with Patrick, he simply left and had intended to continue doing business with him. However, the jury found Durbin guilty of felony murder and robbery. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison. In August 2011, Durbin appealed his conviction, arguing that there wasn’t sufficient evidence against him, but the appeal was denied. Now 55 years old, he is incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana, with a parole date set for 2039.
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