Hide Article Text (OCR)
Killer of male prostitute gets 2street from City Kail.By Jim O’HaraStaff WriterRoland Patnode was sentenced today to serve two to six years in state prison for killing transvestite prostitute David McLaughlin a year ago.But the mother of the victim said she wasn't satisfied with the sentence her son's killer recieved.“Two years, it's nothing/' Maria Grazul said as she left the court. “I lost my son and they (Patnode’s family) got their son in two years/*Grazui also said she thought the system was prejudiced against her son because of his lifestyle as a prostitute.“My son was better than that/' she said. “Nobody really cares about my son. He was close with the family and he called meevery night. 1 miss him very much.“For them it's going 10 be over/' she said of the Painodes- “For me it's never going to be over.A County Court jury convicted Patnode July 28 of second-degree manslaughter, in connection with the stabbing death of McLaughlin last Oct. I.The jury acquitted the 24-year-old defendant, a resident of Massena, of more serious charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.Patnode had claimed he stabbed the 22-year-old victim in self defense after discovering McLaughlin was actually a map dressed as a woman.That discovery was made as the victim was performing an act of oral sodomy on the defendant as they sat in Patnode's pickup truck in a parking lot across the \At his trial, Patnode claimed McLaughlin began biting his hand and he stabbed him in order to get his hand out of the victim's mouth.But he also admitted that he drove to the Madison County community of West Eaton and buried McLaughlin's body in a bam.County Court Judge Patrick J. Cunningham today said the case was difficult for everyone involved, but he said he didn't believe a sentence of probation was appropriate given the fact the victim died.The judge also indicated he didn't feel the maximum penalty of five to 15 years in prison was appropriate* either.The sentence of two to six years. Cunningham explained, -vs “a retributionto 6 years¥type sentence for the trouble you have caused.In court today, Patnode apologized to McLaughlin’s family and said he would exchange places with the victim if he could.“This happened I can't change it/' the defendant told Cunningham. “It's something I've got to live with. The family of the victim has to live with it My family. We all have to live with the same thing.“We have to carry through. the defendant continued. “I try to carry it for the three of them, but I can't. It's very tough. There's days it's good and there's days it tears me apart.Patnode, however, said he recognizes that despite McLaughlin's lifestyle, “he was a human being.And he asxed God to help himself, hisin prisonfamily, and McLaughlin's family to dez with the tragedy.Defense attorney James Meggesto ha asked Cunningham to sentence Patnode t probation, blaming McLaughlin for th entire incident “The court needs to be aware, reminde that this incident was clearly precipitate by the victim/' he said. “It was the vk tim's knife. The victim's lifestyle broqgfc this confrontation to the forefront/'Chief Assistant District Attorney Job) Duncan had asked the judge to send Pat node to state prison and he disagreed wiU Meggesto’s contention the victiip wa responsible for his own death.“This case clearly points up again iha the business of prostitution is not a victim less crime/' the prosecutor said as he lei court.
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Herald Journal
Syracuse, New York, US
Tue, Sep 15, 1987
Page 66
Full Page
Clipped by
Chad G.
USA 01 May 2023
Other Publications Near Syracuse, New York
Syracuse Journal
Syracuse Evening Herald
Syracuse Herald Journal
Syracuse Daily Courier and Union
Syracuse Daily Courier
