Deceased: Eric K. Patrick
DOC records show that Eric Patrick died Tuesday after approximately 20 years on Florida's death row.
According to Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) records, Florida death row prisoner Eric Patrick died Tuesday while in DOC custody after serving close to 20 years on death row.
Patrick was 60 at the time of his death. He was sentenced to death for crimes that occurred in 2005.1
The cause of Patrick’s death is unclear. State policy requires that an autopsy be performed for all deaths; however, those records would only be accessible through a public records request.
Background on Patrick’s Sentence of Death
Patrick was convicted of first-degree murder on February 20, 2009, for crimes that occurred in 2005.2 After the penalty phase, the jury recommended a sentence of death by a vote of 7-5.3
“In its sentencing order, the trial court found six aggravators and sixteen non-statutory mitigating circumstances.”4
On direct appeal, in 2012, the Florida Supreme Court struck one of the aggravators but affirmed Patrick’s convictions and sentence of death.5 His sentence became final in October 2013.
In 2018, after Hurst,6 the Florida Supreme Court granted Patrick a new penalty phase in light of the jury’s non-unanimous recommendation for death. The Court also reversed the postconviction court’s denial of Patrick’s claim related to an issue in voir dire and remanded for an evidentiary hearing.7
Patrick’s resentencing was still pending at the time of his death. The trial court recently held a status conference on December 5.
Patrick v. State, 104 So. 3d 1046, 1053 (Fla. 2012).
Id. at 1054.
Patrick v. State, 246 So. 3d 253, 259 (Fla. 2018).
Patrick, 104 So. 3d at 1054-55 (footnote omitted).
Id. at 1055.
Patrick, 246 So. 3d at 264.