Where Is John Welles’ Grandmother Pat Strader Now? – The horrible murder of John Welles in Arcadia, Florida, in July of 2003 left the city reeling. Despite the fact that John went missing on July 8, 2003, his body was discovered in a wet ditch in Joshua Creek not long after. Furthermore, while the authorities initially believed his death was the result of an accident, investigators quickly determined that the victim had been shot in the head, drastically changing the case.
The fourth season of the popular true-crime podcast ‘CounterClock’ follows John’s murder and explains how the police initially suspected his grandmother. Let’s take a closer look at the case and figure out where John’s grandmother is right now.
Recommended: John Welles Murder Case: Who Killed Him and Why?
Pat Strader: Who Is She?
Patricia “Pat” Strader, John’s grandma, had a good relationship with him. During the murder investigation, however, investigators discovered evidence that Pat and John’s relationship may have deteriorated after Pat’s husband (John’s step-grandfather) died. Because the victim and his grandmother shared a house in Arcadia, Florida, she did see him on the morning of July 8, 2003, before he vanished.
Despite the fact that the police were not immediately notified, a big group of John’s friends assembled at the house before starting out to find the missing person. Pat later dialed 911 to report her grandson missing before joining the search team in person.
Pat, her stepson, Skip, and John’s friend, Patrick Skinner, were the first three individuals to discover John’s body in Joshua Creek’s flooded ditch. Despite being alerted of the discovery, law enforcement personnel were unable to join the investigation until twenty-four hours after the victim was originally reported missing.
Furthermore, the podcast claimed that Pat had removed a few key pieces of evidence from the crime scene before first responders arrived, which she has denied. Despite this, John’s death was originally thought to be an accident until an examination revealed a bullet lodged in his skull. As a result, authorities understood they were dealing with homicide when the cause of death was a gunshot wound.
After conducting their tests and inspecting the crime scene, investigators narrowed their inquiry to three key suspects: Pat, Skip, and Patrick Skinner. Pat maintained her innocence and said she had nothing to do with the murder when questioned. She even stated that she had no intention of harming her grandchild and requested that she be dismissed from the probe.
According to the podcast, the police found some letters and even learned about a lost will, which seemed to indicate that the victim was involved in a land dispute. Furthermore, officials discovered that, despite the fact that John was the first in line to inherit his grandfather’s sawmill, Skip got in the way, resulting in multiple altercations. The majority of the leads, however, led to utter dead ends, and the detectives were back to square one.
What Has Happened to Pat Strader and Where Is She Now?
Finally, in 2017, medical examiners revisited the case, concluding that, while John died from a bullet wound, the gun was discharged by accident. A truck was parked near the ditch where John’s body was discovered, and the autopsy revealed that while dismounting from the vehicle, John’s gun slipped out of his holster, hit the ground, and went off, killing him instantly.
The findings were also backed by a gun reconstruction expert and a forensic pathologist. As a result, John’s official autopsy was altered to “accidental death.” Pat Strader has preferred to keep her personal life private since John’s death was considered an accident. She has a little to non-existent social media presence and prefers to avoid the spotlight.
Pat, on the other hand, continues to live in the Arcadia home where she was when John Welles died in 2003. Furthermore, readers should be aware that Pat Strader was never charged in connection with John’s death.