Kriti Mehrotra
No matter the situation, every offense, loss, and death weighs heavy on the people involved, but it increases tenfold when possessiveness, rage, and jealousy come into the picture. Regrettably, as seen on ’48 Hours: The Ring: The Murder of Patrick De La Cerda,’ that’s what happened in a brutal Florida homicide in early 2018. As the title suggests, this installment delves deep into the slaying of Patrick De La Cerda, along with its aftermath, to give us an open and honest look into the matter. So now, if you’re curious to know the details about the same, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Patrick De La Cerda Die?
Born in sunny Miami to Patricia Ronze and Max De La Cerda on June 4, 1992, Patrick Kane De La Cerda was an optimistic and bright man by all accounts. At the age of 25, he actively wished to create a good life for himself and was in a happy relationship with Jessica Devnani when he suddenly lost his life. Everything was ordinarily blissful until it wasn’t, and it shook the State of Florida and the entire nation to its core. After all, in the event no one ever expected, Patrick was murdered right at the doorstep of his Deltona residence early in the morning of February 27, 2018.
That day started as usual until Patrick’s father received a call about a package delivery for his son, which he forwarded. Thinking that it was the engagement ring he had ordered for his partner, the young man rushed to the front door, only to be ambushed and assassinated. The package notice had come at 7:38 a.m., and no one ever heard from Patrick again. Since Jessica usually got a call from him before work every day, she grew worried as time passed and decided to go check if he was okay. But alas, upon arriving at 2525 Howland Boulevard, she just saw Patrick’s body; he had taken four 30-caliber bullets from a rifle and passed away at the scene.
Gregory Bender Was Convicted for Patrick De La Cerda’s Murder
Once investigations began, it came to light that Patrick had recently had some troubles with one of his neighbors, an Army veteran with dementia. According to police reports, in late 2017, the latter had shot at him because he mistook him for an intruder, and, in early 2018, the vet again had a revolver in hand. But when Patrick’s homicide case began, detectives quickly ruled him out as a suspect. That’s when the name of Gregory Bender arose, especially because both Patrick and Jessica had filed for an injunction for protection against him. He was Jessica’s former boyfriend, who had started harassing them.
Gregory Bender had threatened the couple quite a bit in the past, leading to Patrick requesting a restraining order in October, with Jessica doing the same in December 2017. While the officials denied his motion, hers was granted, so they had some respite for a while. However, Patrick still installed security cameras and a proper gate on his property for extra measure. Following the injunction, Gregory hadn’t contacted the couple; thus, when he began texting and calling Jessica out of the blue on that fateful day at around 10 a.m., she left work and rushed to Patrick’s home.
With this information, deputies executed a search of Gregory’s home. They’d already checked the surveillance setup at Patrick’s, only to find that the footage had been removed. Hence, they knew they had their assailant when they uncovered a myriad of other incriminating evidence at Gregory’s residence. This proof included concealed weapons and a blue spiral notebook that detailed his plan to slay his ex’s new beau and his getaway, along with information on Patrick’s pet, house structure, and routine. In short, Gregory had gone out of his way to stalk and orchestrate Patrick’s homicide, and he was eventually charged and convicted for it.
Read More: Where is Gregory Bender Now?
