Patrick Dell

Case record

Parties and people

• Patrick Dell (41): fatally shot his estranged wife and four stepchildren; investigators believed Dell acted alone when he shot his family; Dell then went outside and shot himself.
• Natasha Whyte-Dell (36): Dell’s estranged wife; was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Daniel Barnett (10): one of Natasha Whyte-Dell’s children; was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Javon Nelson (11): one of Natasha Whyte-Dell’s children; was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Diane Barnett (13): one of Natasha Whyte-Dell’s children; was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Bryan Barnett (14): one of Natasha Whyte-Dell’s children; was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Ryan Barnett (15): was shot in the house; was expected to survive; a 15-year-old at the home was brought to the hospital and was responsive prior to going into surgery Monday morning.
• Latasha Precious Dell (3): one of Dell’s biological children; was spared and was being cared for by relatives.
• Patrick Alexander Dell Jr. (1): one of Dell’s biological children; was spared and was being cared for by relatives.
• Elisa Cramer: spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families.
• Chief Clarence Williams: said authorities would not comment on a motive other than a pending divorce.
• Riviera Beach Police spokeswoman Rose Anne Brown: said officers approached the home after a police officer heard what sounded like muffled gun shots, and that Dell went outside and shot himself.
• Keisha Gordon (30): neighbor; said Dell was asked to leave a club Sunday night after he was drunk and making threats; described Dell talking about “chopping up somebody”.
• Dora Pouncey: said her son came home and reported that Dell and the two oldest boys had been arguing on the front lawn.
• LaShara Fulwood: said she hadn’t seen Dell’s car in the neighborhood in more than a month, and that when he did come by “he would park his car in the alley”.
• Jeanette Walker (56): hairstylist who lived nearby; said she was awakened by gunfire and remembered thinking, “They over there shooting at each other again”.
• David Hobley (11): said the Barnett kids liked to rollerblade and play basketball.
• Lydia Smith: a friend of the victims; stood in front of the crime scene crying and said, “She was supposed to stay away from him”; also said Dell was “extremely jealous, obsessive and possessive.”
• Harold Babich: (name appears in scraped material but no supporting quoted attribution or role is provided in the facts given here).
• So what, you may ask: (phrase appears in scraped material but is not a named person with a factual role established in the facts given here).

Timeline

• Monday at about 2 a.m. — A police officer was checking a suspicious vehicle and heard what sounded like muffled gun shots; officers approached the home and Dell went outside and shot himself.
• September 27, 2010 — Dell fatally shot Natasha Whyte-Dell and four stepchildren before killing himself; the bodies of the woman and four children were found inside the home.
• December (year stated as part of the background) — Whyte-Dell told police that Dell had been terrorizing her for months and that he had been following her to work and nursing school despite a restraining order; she said he installed cameras to watch her; the Department of Children and Families investigated after a knife attack incident.
• Dec. 20 (five days before Christmas) — Whyte-Dell said Dell came after her with a knife, slashed her tires, and scratched an “X” into the concrete driveway; she said Dell told her, “You will be going to the morgue,” and “Your family is going to cry today.”
• February 2, 2010 — The Department of Children and Families closed the file with the notation “no further investigation needed.”
• Monday morning — The 15-year-old was responsive prior to going into surgery.

Background

• Dell and Natasha Whyte-Dell had been going through a divorce.
• A restraining order existed against Dell; the details were not immediately known.
• Investigators believed Dell acted alone when he shot his family with a handgun.
• Neighbors said Dell was kicked out of a club Sunday night because he was drunk and making threats; it was unclear if the threats were directed at his family.
• Neighbor Keisha Gordon said Dell “always felt like people was against him” and that he had a temper.
• Jeanette Walker said she had been awakened by gunfire and that it was not uncommon in the neighborhood.
• Neighbors said the house was a popular hangout for kids because it had a basketball hoop in the driveway and lived across the street from a park.
• The shootings occurred in a run down neighborhood near a small brick church.

The offence

• Dell shot Natasha Whyte-Dell and her four children inside the home; all were pronounced dead at the scene.
• Officers found the bodies of 10-year-old Daniel Barnett, 11-year-old Javon Nelson, 13-year-old Diane Barnett, and 14-year-old Bryan Barnett inside the home.
• A 15-year-old at the home was brought to the hospital; the 15-year-old was Ryan Barnett (15) and was expected to survive.
• Dell went outside and shot himself after officers approached the home.

Investigation

• Investigators reported there was a restraining order against Dell, but authorities did not immediately know its details.
• The Department of Children and Families investigated after the knife attack but closed the case two months later.
• Elisa Cramer, Department of Children and Families spokeswoman, said the knife incident prompted investigation and that the case was closed without removing the children.

Arrest

• Dell was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief.

Trial

• No trial proceedings were described in the provided facts.

Sentencing

• No sentencing was described in the provided facts.

Appeals

• No appeals were described in the provided facts.

Outcome

• Natasha Whyte-Dell and the four children (Daniel Barnett, Javon Nelson, Diane Barnett, and Bryan Barnett) were pronounced dead at the scene.
• The 15-year-old at the home was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital and was responsive prior to going into surgery Monday morning.
• Two biological children of Dell and Natasha Whyte-Dell (believed ages 1 and 3) were being cared for by relatives.
• Patrick Dell committed suicide by shooting himself the same day.

Aftermath

• Palm Beach County School District officials planned to have grief counselors available at each of the children’s schools.
• Neighbors described gunshots as an all-too-common sound in the area.
• A silver chain-link fence was tangled with yellow crime-scene tape.
• A black mailbox on a post outside had a single balloon in the shape of a red heart tied to it.
• Jeanette Walker said she learned of the deaths after she turned on the morning news.
• A sister-in-law to Natasha Whyte-Dell, Lydia Smith, cried in front of the crime scene.

Verbatim statements

• Keisha Gordon, neighbor (30), said:
  • “He was talking about chopping up somebody,”
  • “He always felt like people was against him.”
• Lydia Smith, a friend of the victims, said:
  • “She was supposed to stay away from him,”
  • “He was extremely jealous, obsessive and possessive.”
• Natasha Whyte-Dell told police, attributed wording in the background incident, including:
  • “You will be going to the morgue,”
  • “Your family is going to cry today.”
• Jeanette Walker, 56-year-old hairstylist nearby, remembered thinking:
  • “They over there shooting at each other again,”
• Jeanette Walker said:
  • “I didn't pay any attention because I didn't hear no sirens,”
• David Hobley (11) said:
  • “The kid didn't really do nothing. They was just kids,”
• Jeanette Walker said:
  • “I heard no sirens,”