CENTREVILLE, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan man already serving a life sentence for murder has been found guilty of murder in the death a man during a July 2017 crime spree.
A St. Joseph County jury deliberated for about two hours last Friday before finding Zachary Patten guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Shane Richardson in the victim’s home in Florence Township. Richardson was the husband of Patten’s ex-wife.
Earlier on the same day, the 33-year-old Patten of Portage shot 31-year-old Graciela Portillo-Esparza at a mobile home park in Kalamazoo County. In February 2018, Patten was found guilty of first-degree murder in Portillo-Esparza’s death.
St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough said he is pleased with the verdict returned against Patten last Friday, noting the evidence against the defendant was “overwhelming.”
Patten is scheduled for sentencing June 21.
- Posted May 21, 2019
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Man found guilty of second murder in two county crime spree
headlines Oakland County
- Counsel Connect
- Nessel files reply calling for full public hearings on DTE’s data center application
- Webinar looks at program provding protein to families involved with courts
- Michigan veterans warned of postcard scam targeting personal information
- Man sentenced for arson, ?first-degree animal torture/killing
headlines National
- The business of successfully running an in-house department
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Justice Gorsuch writes children’s book about ‘Heroes of 1776’
- Companies use ‘deceitful tactics’ to market harmful ultra-processed products with ‘addictive nature,’ city’s suit alleges
- Lawyer accused of trying to poison her husband
- ‘Lawyers Gone Wild’? Filmmaker criticizes bar as he seeks ethics probe of serial killer’s daughter for alleged lie




