Wisconsin kidnapping, killing suspect lived under the radar
JTP grew up in Gordon, a sprawling township of 645 people tucked into the snowy evergreen forests about 35 miles (55 kilometers) south of Lake Superior. It's wild country; roadside signs admonish motorists to share the pavement with ATVs.
The few neighbors who know Patterson's family say he grew up in a cabin in a remote development that's a mix of seasonal and year-round homes about 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside Gordon proper. Patterson's high school teachers barely remember the now 21-year-old man who graduated only three years ago, and say they didn't realize he still lived in the area.
The suspect has no apparent online presence. It appears he has been living in the family cabin; property records indicate his father still owned the place in October. But he has kept a low profile. KK told The Star Tribune that she didn't even realize he was her neighbor.
Despite EP's criminal record, few across the township seem to have heard of his family. JK, the township's lone constable, said he knows almost everyone in the area but has never encountered the Pattersons.
One of the businesses closest to the development is J&K's Halfway House Bar and Grille. Owner KB said she's run the place for 22 years and had never heard of the family before JP was arrested.
"I have no clue who they are," she said.
(names changed to initials by me)